Daily Yogi’s Guide to Asanas (Poses) – Sun Salutations

3rd Limb of Yoga – Asanas (Poses) – Sun Salutation Series

Welcome to the Third Limb of Yoga – Asanas. Today we are learning Sun Salutations! Asana (AH-sa-nuh) or “pose” in Sanskrit, is what most new Yogis think of when they hear the word “Yoga” 

All about Asanas (Poses)

Whether Asana and Yoga are truly synonymous is up to interpretation. As we have learned, Asana is just one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Some deeply philosophical Yogis consider Asana practice as only one part of Yoga, and its main purpose is to increase flexibility and stability and minimize pain, in order to prepare the body for meditation and then the Upper Limbs of Yoga. Many other Yogis only enjoy the physical Asana practice, and do not care to pursue learning more about the other practices. Whether Asana is your entire practice or just a part, depends on what works for you and your journey!

Asana Yoga classes come in many styles. These range from more active styles like Vinyasa which combines breath and movement into a rigorous workout that seems like a dance, to Restorative Yoga where relaxing poses can be held for up to 10 minutes. Today we will learn Sun Salutations, a traditional Asana sequence. I do a few rounds of this every day shortly after waking up for my morning routine. You will also find this series or similar variations in classes at many Yoga studios.

Sun Salutations – Morning Routine – Yoga For Beginners

Today we will try a traditional Asana series – Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutations Series. We recommend adding to your morning routine as recommended by the traditional Yogic practices – try three on each side. We are covering a modified Sun Salutations C that adds an extra chest opening. This Asana sequence is extremely common in most Vinyasa and “flow” classes.

First I will introduce the full traditional Surya Namaskar sequence. We also cover each of these Asanas or poses in detail. Click the photos or links for a detailed breakdown of the pose. Whether you are new to Yoga or an advanced Yogi, please revisit this classic sequence.

How to Do Sun Salutations C – Step by Step

How to Do Sun Salutations C – Video with Breathing

Sun Salutations Detailed Pose Alignment Breakdown

Tadasana – Mountain Pose

Begin standing with feet grounded, toes together, standing up straight in Tadasana

Feet – Think of your feet as three primary contact points with the ground. These are the heels, pinky toes, and big toes. Make sure your big toes are touching. If possible, make sure the back of your heels are touching. If you have a lower back injury like I do, you may find it easier to keep the heels slightly apart. Claw your toes into the mat slightly to keep your arches from falling into the mat.

Legs – Make sure your legs are comfortably straight. Perhaps keep a slight bend in the knee. Always make sure you avoid hyper-extending or locking your knees.

Hips – Make sure your hips are neutral. Try to tilt your hips forward and back a bit to get a feel for your natural posture. Err on the side of tucking your tailbone under, rather than sticking your booty out.

Torso – Notice your rib cage. If you notice the bottom of rib cage is sticking out, pull back in and down to correct your posture. Next notice your shoulders. Try to gently roll your shoulders back and down, away from your ears. Notice how this helps your chest open. Allow your arms to rest by your sides a couple inches away from your body, with your palms facing forward or slightly to the outside.

Head and Neck – Check where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders. Either close your eyes, or gaze softly ahead.

Talasana – Palm Tree Pose

INHALE – Raise your arms overhead, interlock fingers if comfortable, and come into Talasana OR Standing Backbend

Pose Breakdown

Feet – Your feet can stay grounded in the same spot as they were in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Make sure your big toes are touching. If possible, make sure the back of your heels are touching. If you have a lower back injury like I do, you may find it easier to keep the heels slightly apart. Claw your toes into the mat slightly to keep your arches from falling into the mat.

Legs – Make sure your legs are comfortably straight. Perhaps keep a slight bend in the knee, Always make sure you avoid hyper-extending or locking your knees

Hips – Make sure your hips are neutral. Try to tilt your hips forward and back a bit to get a feel for your natural posture. Err on the side of tucking your tailbone under, rather than sticking your booty out.

Torso – Notice your rib cage. If you notice the bottom of rib cage is sticking out, pull back in and down to correct your posture. Next notice your shoulders. Try to gently roll your shoulders back and down, away from your ears. Notice how this helps your chest open.

Arms and Hands – Bring your arms above your head, keeping your shoulders pressed down and back. Bring your palms to face each other, and interlock your fingers. If comfortable, flip your hands forward and up, keeping your fingers interlocked, so your palms now face up to the ceiling or sky.

Head and Neck – Check where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders. Either close your eyes, or gaze softly ahead.

Uttanasana – Standing Forward Bend

EXHALE – Swan dive forward and bend at the hips, keeping knees bent if more comfortable, and then come into a forward bend

Pose Breakdown

Feet – Your feet will stay grounded in the same spot as they were in Talasana (Palm Pose). Make sure your big toes are touching. If possible, make sure the back of your heels are touching. If you have a lower back injury like I do, you may find it easier to keep the heels slightly apart. Claw your toes into the mat slightly to keep your arches from falling into the mat.

Legs – Make sure your legs are comfortably straight. Perhaps keep a slight bend in the knee, or make a deep bend and rest your torso on your thighs, Always make sure you avoid hyper-extending or locking your knees in this pose!

Hips – On the EXHALE, you bend from your hips, not from your waist. Try to lift your hips/seat towards the ceiling.

Torso – Notice your bending is from the hips, not the waist. Try to focus on working your chest towards your thighs, rather than focusing on getting nose to knees.

Arms – Evaluate where you are in this pose, and arms will be placed accordingly. If you have space in this pose, you can place your palms on the ground, and press down into the ground slightly to deepen the stretch. If you have tight hamstrings and are working into the full expression of this pose, make sure to bend your knees as needed. Then wrap your hands behind knees or shins, wherever is comfortable, and help yourself lightly pull your chest towards your legs.

Head and Neck – Keep your neck neutral, and allow your head to hang gently.

Ashta Chandrasana – High Lunge & Anjaneyasana – Low Lunge

Hold your breath as you step your left leg back and drop your knee to the mat to come into Anjaneyasana – Low Lunge, Right foot forward OR stay up on the ball of your left foot and balance in Ashta Chandrasana High Lunge, Right foot forward for knee injuries. INHALE your torso and arms up into High or Low Lunge

Pose Breakdown

Feet – We will start with RIGHT foot facing forward. Keep your right foot grounded and pointing straight ahead. Step your left foot straight back 3-4 feet, and ground the ball of your foot into the ground and make sure heel/foot is pointing straight back to come into HIGH LUNGE.

Legs – Make sure your front/right foot is directly above your ankle, and front/right knee is bent at about 90 degrees right over your ankle. If you are staying in High Lunge, your back/left leg should be completely straight, pressing back through your heel. If you are coming into Low Lunge, you can slowly rest your back knee and shin on the mat.

Hips – First, make sure the points of your hips are both facing straight forward, and you are not twisting to one side or the other. Next, try to make sure you are tucking your hips/tailbone under, not sticking your booty out.

Torso – Take note of your rib cage. If you notice the bottom of rib cage is sticking out, pull back in and down to correct your posture. Next notice your shoulders. Try to gently roll your shoulders back and down, away from your ears. Notice how this helps your chest open.

Arms – First evaluate where you are in this pose, and arms will be placed accordingly. If you do not feel stable or this pose is new for you, keep your hands on your hips. There are many possible arm variations for this pose. If you feel stable, raise your hands above your head on the inhale, making sure to keep your shoulders down away from your ears. My favorite flow is cactusing my arms to the side, which I feel helps flow from Uttanasana and into Phalakasana.

Head and Neck – Check where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders. Either gaze straight ahead, or look up between your hands if you feel comfortable.

Phalakasana – Plank Pose

EXHALE arms down to the mat perhaps pausing briefly in runner’s lunge, INHALE and step your right leg back to come into a high Plank

Pose Breakdown

Feet – You will be balancing with a majority of weight on hands, but make sure to put a decent amount of weight in the balls of your feet for stability. I try to keep my feet about hip distance apart for more stability.

Legs – It is more important to keep your body in a straight line from the top of your head to your knees, than to have straight legs. If possible, keep your entire body straight. If not possible or if you feel unstable, bend your knees to the mat and reduce the body weight you are holding up.

Hips – Your hips are the key to keeping your body straight from head to feet or knees. Perhaps lightly tighten your abdominal muscles to help keep your pelvis from drooping.

Arms and Shoulders – This pose is great for building arm strength. Make sure your hands/wrists are directly below your shoulders, and arms are straight. Spread your fingers wide to help support your weight, keeping middle fingers pointing straight forward. You may want to gently claw fingers and cup palm. Make sure you are keeping shoulders away from your ears. I strongly recommend the Shoulder Loop method of performing this pose.

Head and Neck – Look straight down or perhaps a bit ahead of you on your mat. Next, check where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders.

Chaturanga Dandasana – Four-limbed Staff Pose & Ashtanga Namaskara – Knees-Chest-Chin

EXHALE and lower slowly down. Hold in Chaturanga Dandasana – Four-limbed Staff Pose OR lower into Ashtanga Namaskara – Knees-Chest-Chin

Pose Breakdown

Feet – You should keep feet in place after lowering from Phalakasana (Plank), about hip distance apart and supported on toes and top of balls of feet. Try to keep half of your weight supported by your feet.

Legs – Try to keep your body in a straight line as you lower down from Phalakasana / Plank. However, it is more important to keep your upper body in a straight line from head to knees than to have your legs straight, so feel free to drop knees to the mat to enable you to lower your chest to the mat slowly with control.

Hips – Keep your hips in line with the rest of your body when lowering from Phalakasana/Plank. After lowering to the ground, if coming into Ashtanga Namaskara / knees-chest-chin, you will raise your hips to come into the pose.

Arms – This pose is great for building arm strength, but requires a lot of strength for the traditional pose. As you lower from plank, bend your elbows to slowly lower yourself, keeping your elbow tucked tight next to your ribs. While you are working on the pose, your hands will likely be directly below your shoulders. As you build strength, you should try to work your hands down, closer to your ribs than shoulders. I strongly recommend maintaining the Shoulder Loop from Plank into this pose.

Head and Neck – Keep your head in line with the rest of your body, looking down. Next, note where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders. Gaze straight down at your mat.

Bhujangasana – Cobra

INHALE push your hands into the mat and lift torso into gentle backbend Bhujangasana – Cobra or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana – Upward Facing Dog

Pose Breakdown

Feet – Your feet should still be about hip distance apart from Chaturanga or Ashtanga Namaskara. However, if your toes are still tucked, you should release and lay the tops of your feet down on the mat.

Legs – Keep your legs straight and laying flat on the mat if coming into Bhujangasana (Cobra). We will talk about legs for Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog) a bit later.

Hips – Keep your hips grounded and even on the mat to come into Bhujangasana (Cobra). Having grounded hips is the main difference between Bhujangasana and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, two very similar poses.

Arms and Shoulders – Keep your hands spread and right under your shoulders as you lower from the Plank portion of the series to come into Bhujangasana. Keep your elbows back and tucked close to your body, and forearms on the floor. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears. Then on the INHALE you may press the hands and arms lightly into the ground as you raise your chest from the mat gently as far as is comfortable.

Head and Neck – Keep your head and neck neutral, and either close your eyes or gaze gently ahead. If you are comfortable with back bends and want an extra stretch along your front, you may gently lift your chin a bit at the peak of the pose.

Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog

EXHALE push your hands strongly into the mat and lift your hips into Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog. TAKE A FEW BREATHS, perhaps bend one knee and then the other to walk the dog” into the pose

Pose Breakdown

Feet – Your feet should still be about hip distance apart. However, your feet will flip and you will end with the balls of both feet on the mat, reaching your heels towards the mat. You can bring your feet a bit closer in to help your heels start reaching the mat. It is very difficult for heels to reach the mat when hamstrings are very tight, so be gentle with yourself in this pose, and perhaps walk your feet in or walk the dog into this pose as described below.

Legs – Keep your legs straight and make sure you do not hyperextend your knees. It may be helpful to bend one knee then the other a few times to “walk the dog” and work into the pose.

Hips – On the EXHALE you lift your hips up to the ceiling/sky to come into this Asana. Try to keep your hips pointing up and back, as you lightly press your chest back towards your thighs to deepen this stretch.

Arms and Shoulders – Keep your hands spread, middle fingers pointing forward, shoulder distance apart. You may want to gently claw fingers and cup palm. Press into the mat and keep your arms straight, and keep your shoulders pressed down away from your ears.

Head and Neck – Keep your head and neck neutral, and either close your eyes or gaze gently at your mat or navel.

Ashta Chandrasana – High Lunge & Anjaneyasana – Low Lunge

Hold your breath as you step your left leg forward and drop your right knee to the mat to come into Anjaneyasana – Low Lunge, Left foot forward OR stay up on the ball of your left foot and balance in Ashta Chandrasana High Lunge, Left foot forward for knee injuries.
INHALE your torso and arms up into High or Low Lunge

Pose Breakdown

Feet – We will now bring the LEFT foot facing forward. Keep your left foot grounded and pointing straight ahead. Step your right foot straight back 3-4 feet, and ground the ball of your foot into the ground and make sure heel/foot is pointing straight back to come into HIGH LUNGE.

Legs – Make sure your front/leftfoot is directly above your ankle, and front/left knee is bent at about 90 degrees right over your ankle. If you are staying in High Lunge, your back/right leg should be completely straight, pressing back through your heel. If you are coming into Low Lunge, you can slowly rest your back knee and shin on the mat.

Hips – Make sure the points of your hips are both facing straight forward, and you are not twisting to one side or the other. Try to make sure you are tucking your hips/tailbone under, not sticking your booty out.

Torso – Take note of your rib cage. If you notice the bottom of rib cage is sticking out, pull back in and down to correct your posture. Next notice your shoulders. Try to gently roll your shoulders back and down, away from your ears. Notice how this helps your chest open.

Arms – Evaluate where you are in this pose, and arms will be placed accordingly. If you do not feel stable or this pose is new for you, keep your hands on your hips. There are many possible arm variations for this pose. If you feel stable, raise your hands above your head on the inhale, making sure to keep your shoulders down away from your ears. My favorite flow is cactusing my arms to the side, which I feel helps flow from Uttanasana and into Phalakasana.

Head and Neck – Check where your ears are compared to your shoulders. Most of us keep our heads slightly forward. If you notice you are doing this, tuck your chin slightly and gently press back to bring your neck and ears into alignment with your shoulders. Either gaze straight ahead, or look up between your hands if you feel comfortable.

Uttanasana – Standing Forward Bend

EXHALE step right foot up to meet the left, and keep bent at the hips to come back into. Perhaps bend your knees deep enough to rest torso on thighs

Pose Breakdown

Feet – Bring your feet together. Make sure your big toes are touching. Make sure the back of your heels are touching if possile. If you have a lower back injury like I do, you may find it easier to keep the heels slightly apart. Claw your toes into the mat slightly to keep your arches from falling into the mat.

Legs – Make sure your legs are comfortably straight. Perhaps keep a slight bend in the knee, or make a deep bend and rest your torso on your thighs, Always make sure you avoid hyper-extending or locking your knees in this pose!

Hips – On the EXHALE, you bend from your hips, not from your waist. Try to lift your hips/seat towards the ceiling.

Torso – Notice your bending is from the hips, not the waist. Try to focus on working your chest towards your thighs, rather than focusing on getting nose to knees.

Arms – Evaluate where you are in this pose, and arms will be placed accordingly. You can place your palms on the ground, and press down into the ground slightly to deepen the stretch if you have space in this pose. If you have tight hamstrings and are working into the full expression of this pose, make sure to bend your knees as needed. Then wrap your hands behind knees or shins, wherever is comfortable, and help yourself lightly pull your chest towards your legs.

Head and Neck – Keep your neck neutral, and allow your head to hang gently.

Talasana – Palm Tree Pose

INHALE – Raise torso and arms, perhaps interlocking fingers into Talasana – Palm Tree OR Mountain Pose, arms over head

Tadasana – Mountain Pose

EXHALE arms back down to Mountain Pose

REPEAT switching legs for low lunge – the first round of Sun Salutations starts with lunge with right foot forward, then left. The second sound of Sun Salutations starts with lunge with left foot forward, then right

Check out our Top 5 Yoga Mats and Equipment for Newbies!

You may want to consider getting blocks for modifications to various poses as we progress through our detailed breakdown of each pose in the Surya Namaskar Sun Salutations Series.

Top 5 Yoga Equipment for Newbies

Top 5 Yoga Mats

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This page contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission. Read full privacy policy here.

More for Yoga Teachers

YOGA TEACHERS – see more on Tummee

Today’s Practice

Ready for more? Join the community with Today’s Positive Practice