Sun Salutation: a yoga sequence linking breath and movement

Another day, another round of snow (in Boston).

I don't know about you, but I'm really missing the sun and warm temps. A year ago today, I was relaxing and doing yoga in Bali. I loved the warm temperatures and the constant sunshine (with the occasional heavy downpours). I was in my perfect "happy place". Oh, I so wish I was in Bali right now!

If you miss the sun as much as I do, why don't you join me for a daily practice of Sun Salutations! It's a series of yoga poses that honors the sun and it's a great way to start your day. The Sanskrit name for Sun Salutation is Surya Namaskar: Surya means sun and Namaskar means greeting or salute.
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A sun salutation is a flowing sequence of around 12 yoga poses that links breath and movement. When I first started doing yoga, I didn't like sun salutation. I realized later that I didn't enjoy it because the instructor was leading the sun salutation too fast (for me) and I was too much in my head, always thinking about which pose was coming up next. Over time and with practice, I slowed down my sun salutation and let the breath drive the movement. Now it has become a wonderful moving meditation for me. It can become the same for you.
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I invite you to do a few rounds of sun salutations every morning. You'll welcome the sun, clear your mind, and get your body moving. It signals to your body, “Wake up!”. It warms up your stiff muscles, energizes, builds strength, and gets rid of sluggishness. On days when you're short on time and energy, you can use your sun salutations as your minimum daily total body workout.
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I invite you to do at least 2-3 rounds of sun salutations every morning. Give it a try for a month and see how your body feels. As you advance, you could increase the number of rounds. By the way, some yogis do as many as 108 rounds, which is considered mastery of sun salutation and is done for purification purposes. No need for you (or me!) to do 108 rounds though. LOL!
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There are many variations of the sun salutation. I have recorded for you a version that's appropriate for beginners. Click below to watch my 3 1/2 minute video, where my cat Ms. Ringtail also makes an appearance (once again):

​Click here for my short Sun Salutation video

Let me know how you like this sun salutation sequence and if you have any questions. If each one of you starts doing a few rounds of sun salutations every morning, I bet the sun will show up quickly! 😉
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Best,
Christine
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P.S. If you want to give yoga a try, why don't you join me Sunday mornings for a virtual slow flow yoga class, which is appropriate for beginners and intermediates alike. My Saturday morning classes always include a couple of rounds of sun salutations. Here is the link to sign up. If you have a friend who might enjoy my yoga class, please forward the link. Personal referrals are the best way to grow my yoga business.

P.P.S. If you enjoyed this article and want to get practical tips and tools about wellness directly in your inbox every Saturday morning, I invite you to sign up for my wellness newsletter: