The Sun Salutation

          If possible stand facing the sun, palms of the hands together pointing upwards and the thumbs touching the center of the chest.

 

The feet should be together.

 

• Start by steadily inhaling and as you do so stretch the arms upwards, palms touching and bend backwards as far as you can comfortably go without losing your balance.

 

• Slowly exhale while bending forward from the waist until your fingers gently touch.  the ground.

 

At the end of this movement your hands should still be together and in line with your feet with your head touching your knees.

 

• Now inhale as you extend one leg back behind your body, hands and feet on the ground and then raise your head.

 

• Exhale and take your front foot back to join your other foot. Keeping the arms straight take the weight on your hands and your slightly bent knees.

 

• Breathing in, raise your hips, keeping your head between your arms so that your body is arched then exhaling as you allow your body to lie flat and prone on the ground, elbows bent with your hands flat in line with your shoulders.

 

• Inhale and straighten your arms so that your head is raised upwards and your spine is arched backwards as far as you can go without discomfort and then resume the flat, prone position.

 

• Move one foot forward raising your body with your arms to do so and bring the other foot to join it, lift your hips arms straight with your head between your arms, exhaling as you do so. Your body is now forming an upward arch.

 

• Whilst inhaling move one leg backwards keeping the hands firmly on the ground, then step backwards with the remaining leg to join the other.

 

• Exhale and straighten the legs, feet together, and move the hands just in front of the feet and head touching your knees.

 

• Inhale, stretch the arms upwards and bend the spine backwards. Exhale and resume the original position when you started the Sun Salutation.

 

Repeat three or more times. You will note that the positions are a repeat in reverse from the middle, prone position.

 

The Sun Salutation demands control of breathing and movement to gain the maximum benefit so if time is short it is better to do 1 or 2 routines correctly and unhurried than try to fit in 3 or more that are rushed.

 

This diagram illustrates the sequence of movements.