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Sun Salutation Flow for Beginners (Free Yoga Class)

Wai Lana
Sponsored by Wai Lana

Whether this is your very first Sun Salutation, or if you’re still getting acclimated to the Vinyasa Yoga practice, this is a great video for beginner yoga practitioners or anyone who wants a thorough step-by-step guide.

When you’re just beginning your yoga practice, it’s important to take it slow, be safe, and enjoy the journey. It’s also an exciting time to learn about this ancient practice and how to incorporate it into your modern life. This article will share a brief explanation of Sun Salutations so you can gain an understanding of them as you practice them in this online yoga class.
 
 

Practice This Sun Salutation for Beginners (Free Yoga Class)


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Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskar in Sanskrit, are the foundation to Vinyasa Yoga flows, and we’ll break down each pose in that series (keep reading).

In this free Sun Salutation class, you’ll explore common yoga poses that you see in most Vinyasa yoga classes, and learn how to make sure you’re practicing them safely and correctly.

Learn all about proper hand placement and alignment to prevent injury, and discover different modifications and variations you can try in Sun Salutations as a way to either back off from a more challenging pose, or add on when you’re ready to progress.

Finally, you’ll also explore how to link your breath to your movement, which is the foundation of Vinyasa-style yoga.
 

 
 
Follow along with YouAligned founder Ashton August as she guides you through a short and sweet Sun Salutation flow geared specifically towards beginner yoga students. You’ll come away feeling more confident in your poses and yoga practice as a whole.

Revisit this Sun Salutations video as often as you need to, and continue coming back to gauge your progress and build strength and endurance along the way. Have questions about anything we cover in this yoga video? Ask Ashton in the comments below!
 
 

Sun Salutation 101

Sun Salutations are the foundation of a Vinyasa Yoga practice. When you hear a teacher say to “take it through your flow,” odds are they are referring to some variation of Sun Salutations!

There are three main types of Sun Salutations: Surya Namaskar A, B, and C. Surya Namaskar C is the least commonly taught of the three, while you’ll practice Sun A and Sun B often in a Vinyasa-style class. All of the sun salutations are comprised of a series of individual yoga poses that are linked together one breath to one movement.

Want to learn more about the benefits of Sun Salutations and why you should practice them? Read this: 5 Important Reasons to Never Skip Sun Salutations
 
 

Practice Sun Salutation a and Sun Salutation B in This Online Yoga Flow Class

Yoga Class
With Alba Avella

Build endurance, strength, and flexibility while experiencing the grounding effects of a moving meditation in this Sun Salutation class on YA Classes. This class is built upon the foundation of a vinyasa yoga flow, Sun Salutation A, which includes a progressive flow and moves into Sun Salutation B. Not yet a YA Classes member? Try it out for free for 14 days.

 

This Is the Sun Salutation A Pose Sequence

Let’s review a quick reference list of the poses contained in the Surya Namaskar A sequence:

  • Standing Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
  • Upward Salute (Utthita Hastasana)
  • Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
  • Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)
  • High Plank to Low Plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
  • Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
  • Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
  • Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)
  • Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
  • Upward Salute (Utthita Hastasana)
  • Standing Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

 
Completing the list of poses above makes one full round of Sun Salutation A. This class focuses specifically on Sun Salutation A.

But since we’re on the topic of Sun A and Sun B, we’ll also provide a list of the poses included in Sun Salutation B (or Surya Namaskar B) so you can see the difference between the two sequences. Sun B takes the foundation of Sun A, and adds on a few more foundational yoga poses.

Looking for more yoga tutorials and yoga tips? Check out our full library of Yoga articles here
 

 
 

This Is the Sun Salutation B Pose Sequence

Here is a quick reference list of the poses contained in the Sun Salutation B sequence:

  • Standing Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
  • Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
  • Upward Salute (Utthita Hastasana)
  • Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
  • Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)
  • High Plank to Low Plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
  • Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
  • Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
  • Warrior 1 starting with right foot forward (Virabhadrasana 1)
  • High Plank to Low Plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
  • Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
  • Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
  • Warrior 1, left foot forward (Virabhadrasana 1)
  • Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)
  • Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
  • Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
  • Upward Salute (Utthita Hastasana)
  • Standing Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

 
As you can see, Sun B takes the foundation of Sun A and adds two rounds of Chair Pose to start and end the sequence, in addition to practicing both sides of Warrior 1 with a round of flowing from Plank through Downward Facing Dog between sides.

Sun Salutation A and B (and C) are all a cardiovascular activity, as you are constantly moving at a one-breath-to-one-motion pace. That’s why practicing Sun Salutation A is the perfect place to start for beginners. This sequence allows you to build stamina and endurance, get familiarized with the foundational poses and also with the practice of linking breath to motion.
 
 

The Immense Benefits of Adding Sun Salutations to Your Fitness Regimen

As we touched on above, Sun Salutations are a cardiovascular workout, so each time you practice them, you are increasing your heartrate and building endurance. While these salutations are ultimately meant to be a moving meditation and deeply mindful practice, they are also an incredible workout!

Circling back to the mindfulness component, a regular Sun Salutation practice can also lead to a calmer, more peaceful mindset – both while you practice and after. By focusing on your breathing, it is a powerful way to increase your concentration and mental clarity (perfect for a morning workout or midday reset!).

You’ll build full-body strength, nourish yourself phsyically and mentally, increase your flexibility and mobility, and even deepen your lung capacity! There are many, many benefits to this amazing practice.

But don’t take our word for it! Jump on your mat and experience the benefits for yourself.
 
This video is brought to you by Wai Lana. Ashton is practicing on their Eco Mat.
 

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Wai Lana Eco Mat ($59)

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Looking for a Beginner Sun Salutation Flow? Check Out Sun 101

Yoga Class
With Annie Dee Coyle

Enjoy this beginner-friendly sun salutation and breath practice class on YA Classes. You’ll get down to the foundation of the most classic Sun Salutation, Surya Namaskar A, and learn one of the most used pranayama techniques across different yoga lineages, Ujjayi pranayama. Not yet a YA Classes member? Try it out for free for 14 days.

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Wai Lana

Wai Lana excels at making the ancient art of yoga an easy, effective, and life-enhancing experience for anyone who practices along with her. Her 100% pure, raw noni juice is made from sun-ripened, hand-picked noni fruit grown year-round in Hawaii’s rich volcanic soils and is aged to perfection for maximum potency.

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