The only guide you need if you want to get started with Sun Salutation.

I once saw my sister-in-law’s yogi girlfriend and the way she bent all her joints to touch weird extremities and decided to never pull off such strange yoga poses. That was before I came to know about the benefits of Sun Salutation.  

After that I tried getting my inspiration from various yoga video and magazines but had my head all muddled up till I found this definitive guide that made me understand and practice the sequence really easily.

#1 Prayer Pose -  This pose resembles a praying human, as it requires us to join our palms in the praying position in front of our chest and keep our feet flat together on the mat.

#2 Raised Arms Pose - In this pose we lift our arms up and stretch the whole body.  It is essential to keep the biceps close to our ears and keep the gaze up towards the sky.

#3 Hand to Foot Pose - This pose entails us to bend forward and try to touch our feet. This pose is very extremely beneficial to our spine and blood circulation. This pose is also not advisable for people with spinal problems.

#4 Equestrian pose - This low lunge yoga pose will make you feel as if you are riding a horse, as is suggestive of its name. The back knee rests on the ground and the head and gaze are lifted. The other leg is situated ahead in between the two feet in a 90 degree angle.

#5 Stick pose - If you thought that yoga could never give you a good cardiovascular workout, try out the Dandasana. This is yoga’s very own plank routine that strengthens both the spine and the muscles.

#6 Eight Points Salute -  In this pose gently bring your knees down to the floor and exhale. Take the hips back slightly, slide forward and rest your chest and chin on the floor. Raise your posterior slightly.

#7 Cobra Pose - Snakes do not have to be scary, especially when they are on the yoga mat. This yoga pose resembles a serpent in a hissing position and give us a good massage to our spines along with increasing mobility in the back.

#8 Mountain Pose - Also known as the downward dog position, the mountain pose requires us to breathe out, lift the hips and the tail bone up, chest downwards in an ‘inverted V’ (/\) posture.

#9 Equestrian pose - Then you very gentle step up to the front of the yoga mat and breathe in to bring the right foot in between the two hands that are resting on the floor.

#10 Hand to Foot Pose - Breathing out keep the left foot forward, and keep the palms on the floor.

#11 Raised Arms Pose - Breathe in and gently roll your spine up each vertebra at a time. This pose is extremely beneficial for the lungs and opens up the Heart Chakra.  

#12 Palm Tree Pose  - Also known as Tadasana, this pose resembles a tall palm tree that is erect. This is the last pose of Sun Salutations and invigorates the whole body with new energy.

The only guide you need if you want to get started with Sun Salutation. -Slide Show

from Keep Calm Do Yoga https://keepcalmdoyoga.tumblr.com/post/168753964915