SURYA NAMASKAR - SUN SALUTATIONS
by Jimmy Barkan
www.barkanmethod.com

Introduction:

Introduction: I believe the sun-salutes are by far the best “warm-up” one can do. The Sun-Salutes generate an internal heat to properly warm up every area of the body, especially if you’re doing yoga at home and can’t heat the room. When teaching seminars or conferences on the road, many times I’m forced to teach in cold rooms. I lead the class through multiple Sun-Salutes to generate internal heat, otherwise students may get injured!

If you are not familiar with our Sun-Salutes, here are the instructions:

• Start with feet together, all four corners of the feet rooted to the ground, hands in prayer position, palms flat at the heart chakra.
  Inhale, bring arms overhead, interlace fingers and stretch up toward the ceiling while grounding your feet.
• Exhale, swan dive, fold in ½ forward bend, hang and soften like rag doll.
  Squat, inhale and float the right leg back, lunge, making sure the left knee is directly over the left ankle, extending right leg back to open the hips, (modify by dropping back knee), and step left foot back.
• Plank or push-up position, (shoulders over the wrists, hands and feet shoulder width apart)
  Push up, Chaturanga (modify both knees on floor).
• Push down into Upward Facing Dog/URDHVA MUKHA SHVANASANA/ with tops of feet on floor, inner thighs lifted to the ceiling, and lower the hips one inch from the floor, shoulders down (modify by lowering hips all the way to the floor in a lifted cobra).
• Exhale Downward Dog/ARDHO MUKHA SHVANASANA, spread fingers and toes, set the shoulders back toward the ceiling, then out to the side walls, point middle fingers to front mirror, work to bring your chest and head to the floor, lift hips up to the ceiling feeling the stretch from your hands all the way to your lower spine.
• Lunge right leg up, then left leg.
• Squat.
• Forward bend.
• Roll up, hands to prayer position at the heart.
• Half Moon backward bending (optional).
• 2nd set Flow right into forward bend and repeat.
• First set 6 counts each part, second set 3 counts.

Beginners:

 The Sun-Salutes are meant as a warm-up, so take your time and go into “warm-up mode”. The downward dog (step # 8) is such a wonderful pose but you must protect your shoulders. Set the shoulders toward the tailbone away from your neck, then out toward the side walls, then rotate your elbows in. In order to do the Downward Dog properly, think of by bringing your chest down toward the floor. As you push into the floor, think of pushing all the way up the spine to the tailbone (root-chakra). Don’t forget to breathe.  Many times beginners are too focused on alignment and forget to breathe.

Intermediate:

I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters the importance of excellence. If you’re practicing yoga frequently it’s real easy to get complacent and just “go through the motions”. Since the Sun-Salutes are not too demanding on physical positioning, use this sequence to stay in the moment. Bring excellence into each movement and each breath. Through consciousness and awareness find the prefect position. And in so doing, you’ll honor your yoga and honor yourself.

Advanced:

The last Niyama, of Patanjali’s Eight-limb Path is called Ishvara Pranidhana, which means “dedication”. It is an ancient tradition in Hatha Yoga to honor the Sun, the Earth, the Moon and God in beginning a yogic practice. In my “Hot Vinyasa” class along with the Sun-Salutes, we also do a sequence called “Salute to Gods and Goddesses”. If you want to take your practice to another more spiritual level, dedicate your Sun-Salutes, or any Asana to a significant person in your life or to whatever image of Divinity is in your heart. One of the most important benefits yoga can bring into our lives is the ability to shatter the illusion that we’re separate. Use your Yoga practice to connect to the world and the universe.

In Spirit,
Jimmy Barkan