Yoga_Journal_Singapore_FebruaryMarch_2017

63

february / march 2017

yogajournal.com.sg

SUN SALUTATIONS

THE WHYSurya Namaskar, or Sun Salutation, picks up where opening

posesleave off, integrating breath and movement, generating warmth,

and invigorating the entire body. Its hypnotic, thorough movements

quiet the mind and prepare the body for the postures that follow.

THE HOWTailor your practice by deciding which Sun Salutation

you want to practice, the pace at which you want to move, and how

many rounds you want to do. If you want to begin slowly and focus

on stretching the front of your hips, start with a Sun Salutation that

includes both High Lunge and Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge). If you want

a more vigorous, heating practice, you might start with Surya

Namaskar A and B, in which you jump through the transitions instead

of stepping through them.

Each movement in the Salutation should last the duration of an

inhalation or an exhalation. Depending on your time and energy, you

can vary the number of Sun Salutations that you do—as few as 1 or 2,

or as many as 15. It’s a good idea to warm the body thoroughly with Sun

Salutations before you do standing postures so that your legs and hips

are ready.

STANDING POSES

THE WHYStanding poses create strength, stamina, and flexibility

throughout the entire body. They work the major muscle groups, such

as the quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings, and core. Standing poses often

precede backbends, twists, and forward bends in a sequence because

they are so efficient at preparing your body for these poses.

THE HOWIt’s a good idea to include at least four standing postures

in each sequence. There are various ways to organize the order of the

postures you choose, but a tried-and-true method is to select poses

whose actions complement each other. For example, Virabhadrasana I

(Warrior Pose I) and Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II) rotate the pelvis

differently so that when they are combined, they create a balanced

action. Similarly, Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose) and

Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose) complement each other

by stretching opposing muscle groups.

Another method is to tailor the standing poses in relation to the

postures you will be doing later. For example, if you want to focus on

twists in your practice, you could choose to do standing postures that

include twists, like Revolved Triangle Pose and Parivrtta Parsvakonasana

(Revolved Side Angle Pose).

STANDING POSES

8 VIRABHADRASANA I
Warrior Pose I

9 VIRABHADRASANA II

Warrior Pose II

10 UTTHITA TRIKONASANA

Extended Triangle Pose

11 PARIVRTTA TRIKONASANA

Revolved Triangle Pose