If Sun Salutations are your whole practice, do a 2- to 5-minute Downward Dog as a warm-up. If Sun Salutations are your warm-up for a general practice, move slowly and consciously, gradually building heat. This inner sun is often compared with the embodied Self, the jivatman or “liberated being.” You might dedicate your practice to this light. Your inner sun represents the light of consciousness, without which nothing would exist-just as our physical world wouldn’t exist without the sun. Focus for a few minutes on the inner sun at your heart, which is the microcosmic equivalent of the outer sun at the heart of our solar system. Warm Up: Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with your palms pressed together in Anjali Mudra (Salutation Seal). See also: A Step-by-Step Guide to Flowing Through Surya Namaskar A Before You Begin Whichever way you do it, the sequence can serve as either a self-contained minipractice on days when your practice time is short or a warm-up for a longer session. Moving quickly is more stimulating, while moving slowly is more calming. As you practice this way, center your awareness at some point in your body (such as your third eye or your heart) and challenge yourself to keep focusing there for the duration of the practice. Or try moving slowly and deliberately, and you’ll feel how the sequence becomes a sort of moving meditation. Start with 5 or 6 repetitions and gradually build to 12 or more or set a timer starting with 3 minutes and gradually increase to 10 or more. ![]() If you move through the sequence rapidly (by transitioning into the next pose each time you inhale or exhale), you’ll warm up fairly quickly. You can alter this particular Sun Salutation by playing with its pace. This sequence might be considered the classic one, but there are so many variations that many modern schools would dispute this. It serves as an all-purpose yoga tool, kind of like a hammer that’s also a saw and a screwdriver, if you can imagine such a thing. Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutation, is a series of postures that warms, strengthens, and aligns the entire body. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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