Warm and prepare yourself for the activities of Spring.
Sun Salutations are a great way to warm up the body, improve strength, and increase range of motion. Here is an example of Sun Salutation A & B. Begin with A and progress to the B sequence.
When doing the Sun Salutation be sure that you keep the breath smooth, consistent, and at ease. The tempo is approximately 4 beats per movement so its not fast or hurried. To move from pose to pose it should be the full length of either the inhale or exhale. The inhale begins the practice as you stretch arms up and overhead. The next flexion is an exhale and then so one with each movement.
Alternative movements are:
- Bent knee forward folds
- Cobra rather than Upward Facing Dog
- Child’s pose or Puppy pose rather than Downward Facing Dog
- Walking your feet forward from Downward Facing Dog to the front of the mat for ½ forward fold
- In B sequence bring hands to heart in Warrior 1 rather than upward arms
In A hold Down-dog for 3 breaths statically. In A hold the last Down-dog for 5 breaths statically (the others are transitional and are not held). But most importantly, take your time and not be in a rush. This should be energizing not exhausting. Do the sequence 3-5 times to start. You should be very comfortable (with no sense of strain, and with an easy breath) doing 10 A sequence before moving on to B sequence.
