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Here is a slide show and some description of my version of the Sun salutation...

The variations from the more traditional approach are in order to redress the habitual lordotic and kyphotic emphasis of this well known sequence.

 

Sun salute (Surya Namascar) can be a nice way to wake up the senses and get the body moving, but it is all to often done in a regimented way which would promote an exaggeration of the body's tendency to collapse the lumbar and cervical spine in breathing in and back bending and hang into an even more compressed kyphotic curve in breathing out and forward bending... I would argue this makes the spine weaker even though it becomes more bendy (not to scare anyone, but I like to use the analogy of bending the handle of a teaspoon back and forth - it might become more flexible, but there is a general weakening of the structure). The solution is simple... even though each movement is traditionally taught to follow either the inhale or the exhale, I prefer to use each position to create a sense of either developing both the space the breathe more freely as well as the grounded support that allows the breath to leave fully. This way, we have the time in each position and movement to improve both, and therefore create structural integrity. This particular version of of salute to the sun has variations that support this intention...

A. (photo1) Stand with feet parallel with a foot-width's space between them, hands in gentle prayer position. Quieten, centre, activate hands and feet.

 

B (photos 2,3). Standing backbend. Hint: invite the breath to move high and wide before releasing open the chest as the feet and hands extend away from each other with the exhale.

 

C. (photos 4,5) Forward bend. Hint: invite the breath to move into the back of the waist and neck before opening the feet and extending the spine into a forward bend as the breath is released.

 

D. (photos 6,7,8). Take the weight onto the right foot and extend back with the left into space (leading with the sole of the foot). Hint: make sure the body has the space to breathe before finally planting the extended back foot on the ground with the exhale.

 

E (photos 9,10,11). Lunge. Hint: this next movement is about transferring the body weight that is in the hands as well as the weight of the pelvis through to the front foot and the descending back knee (and foot) so that the body, spine, arms and head are released up as the weight of the pelvis swings forwards to give its weight down through the base .. this takes a lot of practice to do without cheating or pinching the hips around the groins (practice!). The pictures give you a clue of how to incorporate the breath ...the inhale may well arrive as the movement begins, but remember that you extend with the exhale. Hint: If you can't come up without pulling your groins tight, its because the feet aren't supporting you well enough, so place the hands on the thigh to help find some space.

 

F (photos 12,13) Dog pose: Hint: rest the body forwards again, transferring the weight fully to the hands and the back foot so you can move into dog pose. Within the posture, make sure the back of the neck and shoulders have a sense of being able to breathe (most people will hang off the shoulders to try and stretch in this pose- which makes the shoulders stiff!). With a clear through-line from hands to pelvis the spine can be long and relaxed as you breathe. This might be opposite to what you usually hear, you can work hard to open the legs but do not push the heels down - this only succeeds in compressing the knee joints and tightening around the groins... instead , extend the soles of the feet away from you as the breath leaves the abdominal cavity - the heels will then slowly start to descend because the spine gets longer... you can spend a little more time here if you choose.

 

G (photos 14,15,16) After dog pose you bend the knees and move back into a version of child pose (pic 14) with the arms relaxed but straight so that the hands are still on the ground and active. From there you move forward over the hands and rolling over the top of the feet leading with the tail bone so that there is no lumbar collapse in the movement (pic 15), make sure you can breathe easily in the upper part of the body (feels like breathing into the scruff of the neck), and then opening out through the hands with the exhale allow the head up and back as the spine behind the heart releases forwards and up (true back bend). Please note... there should be no sensation of pinching around the base of the spine (L3-L5/S1), rather there should be a sense of the spine growing forwards and up from the base in the knees and feet (pic 16 - cobra)

 

H (photos 17, 18) Roll back over the feet again to move straight into dog pose to settle again (as in F). Hint: you move by pressing down through the hands and feet, not by lifting the pelvis (doing it lazily is an unnecessary collapse of the lumbar spine ... this way makes the core support muscles work well on your journey back to dog)

 

I (19) Extend the sole of the right foot back and up gaining a sense of height away from the ground as well as extra room to breathe....

 

J (20) Then when you feel to fully release the breath, bring the right foot round and forwards to as close to the hands as you can. Hint - keep a sense of height as the leg travels, and a circling round sensation in the movement that follows the nature of the hip joint allows you to move the leg without the more usual feeling of pulling the hip tight (most people do this like they are trying to knee themselves in the face!)

 

K (21) Move into a lunge again as you lower the back knee and release the weight of the pelvis forwards as the head and body release upwards (using your hands on your thighs if you need to). Hint: extend with the exhale (holding the breath in to extend takes the movement into the lumbar spine and neck which is counter productive)

 

L (22, 23) Bring the back knee off again so you can transfer the weight to the front foot, then having made sure you have room to breathe step forwards into a forward bend again. Hint : find some spring from the back foot to help propel you forwards, and move as the breath leaves.

 

M (24,25) Back bend. Hint: dropping the weight down through the feet to stand up, open in stages to standing back bend again (as in B)

 

N (26) Standing prayer (as in A)

 

Then repeat the whole thing leading back with the right foot instead ... when you have done both sides you have done one round.

 

To start with, this approach will slow the rhythm down as you will find yourself working extremely hard to redefine how you move, but as you repeat rounds and become more familiar with the new quality of movement, it will start to become a little faster. Slower is actually better as it makes you work harder from the core and with the earth.

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