How to Practice Ashtanga Surya Namaskar B
10 mins
What is Surya Namaskar?
Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is a combination of 7 asanas, linked together in a beautiful loop to form one cycle of practice. The Sanskrit name ‘Surya’ here refers to the Sun and ‘Namaskar’ means Salutations. The sun symbolizes spiritual consciousness and in ancient times many Vedic rituals were practiced, including physical prostrations to pay respect to the Sun. Practicing Surya Namaskar poses is an effective way of loosening up, warming up, stretching, massaging, and toning all the joints, muscles, and internal organs of the body. Its versatility and application make it one of the most useful methods of inducing a healthy, vigorous and active life. Surya namaskara, as is practiced today, is a set of asanas done with breath coordination, the sequence involves the forward and backbends of the spine and engages the upper, lower, and more importantly the core of the body.
What are the benefits of practicing Surya Namaskar?
0:01
Hello! Welcome to Shvasa. Today we're going to be practising Ashtanga Surya Namaskar, Sun Salutation Type B. So 11 cycles is what we're going to be practising. So let's get started! We'll take the first two to three cycles slightly slower so you're able to understand the postures, alignment and the breathing techniques that go with the flow, then maybe we can pick up speed and make it into a fast paced workout.
0:41
So starting the front of your mat, bring your feet together, you're in Samastithi position, make sure that your pelvis is in a neutral position, shoulders are rounded back and drop them down, neck relaxed, close your eyes, take a few breaths, gently open your eyes, inhale; sit back chair, Utkatasana, join your palms, look up, exhale; Padahastasana, inhale; lift the head and chest up, look forward, exhale; step back, Chaturanga, lower yourself down keep your elbows close to your ribs, inhale; Upward facing dog, exhale; downward dog.
1:43
Turn and drop the left heel in, step in with the right, come into Warrior. Both hands up, join your palms, look up, hold. Exhale; palms down, turn on your toes, step back, Chaturanga, inhale; Upward facing dog, exhale; Downward dog, hold.
Do the same thing on the other side. Turn the right foot dropping the heel in between, step in with the left, coming into Warrior. Join your palms, look up, exhale; palms down. Turn on your toes, step back, Chaturanga. Inhale; Upward dog, exhale; take a breather here, five counts of breathing in Downward facing dog; one, two, three, four, five.
Look forward, step in between your palms, come to Padahastasana, lift the head and chest up, exhale; drop the head down, bend your knees, sit back in chair, both hands up, join your palms, exhale Samastithi.
3:20
Inhale; chair, both hands up, exhale; palms down, chest and stomach pressing against the lower body, Padahastasan, lift your head up, chest up. Exhale; step back or jump back, i'm going to be stepping but you can jump if you want to Chaturanga, lower yourself down, Upward facing dog, Urdhamukha, shoulders nicely rounded, drop them back, exhale; Downward facing dog, left heel comes in right foot in between your palms, warrior two, both hands up join your palms, look up.
Tie parallel to the floor, exhale; turn on your toes, Chaturanga, inhale, exhale; Downward dog. Change, drop the right heel in, step in with the left foot, both hands up, join your palms, back leg strong and straight, exhale; palms down coming into horse, transitioning to Chaturanga, Upward Facing Dog, exhale; downward facing dog, breathe- one, two, three, four, five.
5:01
Lift your head up, look forward, step, jump or walk in between your palms, lift your head up, exhale; Pada Hastasana step stomach pressing down on the thighs, chest down, inhale; both hands up as you sit back in Utkatasana, join your palms, exhale, Samastithi.
Third cycle, inhale; sitting back in chair. Exhale Padahastasana, inhale; head and chest up, come on your fingertips, lift the head up look, forward. Exhale; prepare to jump back to Chaturanga, Inhale; Upward facing dog, Downward facing dog, left heel in right foot in between your palms, Warrior, both hands up, look up, exhale; palms down, turn on your toes, lower yourself down, Chaturanga. Inhale; squeeze the glutes.
6:10
Exhale; right heel in, left foot in between, both hands up, join your palms, exhale; palms down, down on your toes, Chaturanga, inhale, exhale; hold for five,four, three, two and one.
Lift your head up, look forward jump in between your palms, exhale; drop the head down Padahastasana. Inhale; Utkatasana, both hands up, sit back, exhale; Samastithi.
Inhale; chair, Both hands up, Exhale; Padahastasana, lift the head and chest up, look forward, exhale; jump back Chaturanga. Step in with the right foot, back heel down, come to Warrior, Veerabhadra. Both hands up, look up, exhale; palms down.
Come on your toes, Chaturanga, inhale; Upward dog, exhale; Downward facing dog. Right heel comes in, left leg steps in Veerabhadrasana, both hands up, back leg straight, exhale; palms down, come to horse, transitioning to Chaturanga, Upward dog, Downward facing dog.
8:05
Changing sides, left leg comes in for Warrior two, both hands up, exhale, step back Chaturanga, Upward dog, Downward dog, hold for five four three, two and one. Head up, prepare to jump in between your palms, exhale; bend your knees, sit back, Samastithi. Cycle seven are you with me? let's keep going Inhale; chair, exhale; hand to feet, lift the head up, look forward, jump back, Upward dog, Downward facing dog, Warrior, right side, right! both hands up, join your palms, look up, back legs strong, exhale; Chaturanga, Upward Facing dog, Downward dog, left leg comes in for warrior, hands up, look at your thumbs, exhale; Chaturanga, Urdhwamukha, holding for five, four, three, two and one. Head up, jump in. Exhale; Padahastasana to chair posture, join your palms, Samastithi. Eight- chair; inhale, exhale; Padahastasan, head and chest up, Chaturanga, Upward facing dog, Downward facing dog, leg in, right side, Warrior.
Smile look up at your thumbs, exhale; palms down, down on your toes, Chaturanga, Upward dog, Downward facing dog, left leg comes in, both hands up, look up, Exhale; stay with the breathing, Chaturanga, inhale; upward dog exhale holding five, four, three, two and one.
10:53
Look forward, grip the mat, jump in, exhale; Padahastasana,Inhale; Chair, sit back, both hands up, join your palms, exhale; Samasthiti, let's keep going!
Cycle nine- Inhale; Chair, Exhale; Padahastasana, lift the heas and chest up. exhale; Upward dog, downward dog, warrior right side, follow the alignment- knee and ankle one straight line, exhale; back leg strong, Chaturanga, Urdhwamukha, adhomukha, left side, Warrior, both hands up, exhale; Chaturanga, Upward dog, Downward facing dog and holding for five, four, push the floor away, three, two- engage your core, one- look forward jumping in, inhale; cycle nine- exhale, Padahastasan; lift the head and chest up, look forward, jump back, Chaturanga. Exhale, inhale; squeeze the glutes, upward dog, exhale; downward facing dog. Heel comes in right leg steps in. We know what this is- Warrior, both hands up, join your palms, look up, exhale; lower down with control, step back, lower yourself to Chaturanga.
12:53
Inhale, exhale; Downward facing dog, step in second side warrior. Exhale; Chaturanga, exhale; hold- five, four, three,two, one. Look forward, jump in. Exhale; Padahastasana, sit back chair, exhale; Samastithi. Ten-Inhale, exhale; head and chest up, Chaturanga, Upward facing dog, Downward facing dog, slightly faster- Warrior, right, palms down, Chaturanga, Upward dog, Downward facing dog, push yourself, left leg comes in, both hands up, Warrior, palms down, Chaturanga, Upward, Downward facing dog, hold there- five catch your breath, four, three, two, one.
Lift head up, jump in, exhale;Padahastanasan, exhale; last cycle we're almost there, inhale; chair. Exhale; Padahastasan, head and chest up, jump back, Chaturanga, Urdhwamukha, Adhomukha, left drops, right steps in, both hands up, hold five, four, three, two, one.
15:00
Exhale; palms down, come on your toes, Chaturanga, Upward dog, Downward dog, heel comes in, step in with the left, Warrior, let's hold this look up- three, four, five.
Exhale; Chaturanga, Upward dog, exhale; Downward facing dog, five, four- slow it down, three, two and one. Lift your head up, jump in, exhale; stomach on the thighs by the Padahastasana. Palms flat beside your feet, inhale; bend your knees, sit back chair, exhale; Samasthiti, turn your palms forward, open your feet under the shoulders, close your eyes. Let's just spend a few breaths here, observing the changes in the body, feeling the energy coursing through your veins, feel that blood pumping the heart racing, slow it all down with your breath.
16:33
Nice deep breaths into the belly, let your stomach expand and exhale, inhale into the stomach, exhale, inhale; shoulders relaxed and exhale. Gently, open your eyes, relax the shoulders.
Make some gentle rotations, relax the head and the neck in slow circles. Shake the wrists out, you did absolutely fantastic!
Thanks for practicing with me, you can use the Ashtanga Surya Namaskar, it's a powerful sequence, either as your warm-up before you get into your full-blown practice as a stand-alone practice to energize yourself and reap the many many benefits of yoga and Surya Namaskar. Thank you so much for joining me. I'll see you soon.
