Want a pick me up in the morning that won't have you crashing later? Try a few rounds of Sun Salutations accompanied by some deep breathing exercises and you'll be wide awake and ready to face the day.
Sun salutations are a sequence of asanas meant to build fire in the body, usually done at the beginning of a yoga practice, they get your muscles and joints warmed up and also help to build strength and increase flexibility - make them part of your morning routine and you'll be feeling the benefits in no time!
Breath during Sun Salutations should be done as noted (see each pose) and through the nose. Take full deep breaths with each pose.
Please note that further instruction and photos for each of these poses can be found at yogajournal.com.
Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Standing with your toes facing forward, arms by your sides, palms facing forward spread your toes wide and feel yourself reaching down into the ground, shift your weight back and forth, gently swaying and naturally finding your balanced center - this is your mountain.
Inhale, sweeping your arms out to the sides and overhead, reach tall, planting your feet down into the ground and reaching the crown of your head to the sky.
Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Exhale and fold forward from the hips, bringing your torso onto your thighs (bend your legs if necessary). Place both hands on the ground.
High Lunge
Inhale, step the right foot back into a lunge position. The left leg should be bent with the knee directly over the ankle. Push back through the heel of the right foot (you should be up on your toes) and pick your upper body up, do not let your upper body sink down into your hips, reach your arms overhead and relax your shoulders down your back. Exhale, place both of your hands back down on the mat.
Donward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Step your left foot back, slightly bend both of your knees, pick your heels up off of the ground and reach your tailbone toward the sky as you ground yourself down through your hands, lengthen your torso and spine away from your tailbone, slowly begin to the straighten the legs and lower the heels down toward the ground.
Plank Pose
Inhale, shift your weight forward moving your shoulders over your wrists, reach back through your heels an forward through the crown of your head - keep your back straight.
Four Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Exhale, with the arms hugged against the rib cage, slowly lower yourself down toward the floor, your entire body should come down together, do not let the hips/back sag to the flood, the forehead, chest and hips should all hover a few inches off of, and parallel to the ground.
Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Inhale, lower the hips to the ground and with your hands directly under your shoulders, begin to straighten your arms. Your legs and pubic bone should remain in contact with the ground, if they begin to lift off of the ground, back off a bit. Firm up your buttocks and shoulder blades and lift through your heart.
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Exhale, push back to Downward Facing Dog
High Lunge
Inhale, step the left foot forward between the hands into a High Lunge.
Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Exhale, step the right foot forward to meet the left foot in a Forward Fold.
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Inhale, sweeping the arms out to the sides and overhead. Exhale, returning the arms to your sides in Mountain Pose.
Repeat this sequence several times (at least 2) on each side and say HELLO to your day!
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