The Crooked 8 limb Sage Sun Salutation

This Sun Salutation is named after an ancient Indian sage called Astavakra who was aid to a legendary king called Jananka.  Legend says that the sage was cursed by his father while in the womb of his mother for laughing when his father  wrongly recited some verses of ancient scripture called the Vedas.

When he was born he was crooked in eight places.

His curse was lifted when he avenged his father in a philosophical debate against a court scholar called Vandi.

This posture is actually one of the easier arm balances in yoga although it doe look rather intimidating.

Having the legs hooked over one arm loosens the load on the arms making it a little easier to hold.

 

Flexible hamstrings make this pose easier but you can keep the legs bent.

Yoga Video Clips and MP3s

Take your format pick below as one may work better than another for you. Enjoy!
Sun Salutation Windows Media Player
Sun Salutation QuickTime Player

It is best to save them to your computer first then run them from there. Right click  then Save as and put them in a folder.

There is also a nice transition through a pose called Koundinyasana. Its not as hard as it looks and the tips for this transition are below.  

 

Sun Salutation main

Instructions

 

Stand in Tadasana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inhale into a backbend.












Exhale into a forward bend.

 

 

 

 

Inhale and step the right leg back.

 

 

 

Exhale

Hope the right leg forward a little and also outward a little so that there is extra width in the legs. This causes a more horizontal hip alignment. It is also more balanced in the lower back.

 

 

Exhale into Downward Dog.

 

 

 

 

 

Inhale forward into plank pose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhale into Eight Limb Pose.










Inhale into Cobra pose.










Exhale into Locust pose.












Inhale into Cobra. This time look up.










Exhale into Downward Dog pose

, Adho Mukha Svanasana.




Inhale forward a little for momentum.

Exhale and raise the left leg up and back.

Its nice to go for a straight line of energy through the arms and up through the leg and feet..The toes are pointed for a lifting energy.

The left leg can be tilted up for a deeper raise and greater groin stretch. The weight will shift to the right arm when this is performed.

Take a breath up there and exhale on the way forward with the leg if you prefer.

If you can master inhaling on the way forward with the left leg you will not need to take an extra inhalation in the previous pose.










Exhale into Triangle pose.
Begin to rotate the arm many times to open the shoulder muscles and side of the body.









Inhale and raise the arms up.


Look at the closeness of the legs. For many years I practiced this pose in a very wide stance. It is much nicer with the legs closer together. Better energy flows up the right leg.






Exhale into Tadasana with the hands in prayer position.

Perform the same sequence on the opposite leg. If you like you can vary the headstand sequence each time or simple perform the same one.






Yoga Posture tadasana
Tadasana















asana utanasana
Uttanasana


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Downward Facing Dog pose
Adho Mukha Svanasana








Downward Facing Staff Pose
Adho Mukha Dandasana




astangasana
Astangasana


or
chaturanga dandasana
Chaturanga Dandasana

 

 

cobra pose Bhujangasana
Bhujangasana

 




  Yoga Posture Samabhasana
Salabhasana

 

 

 

cobra pose Bhujangasana
Bhujangasana

 

 

 


Downward Facing Dog pose
Adho Mukha Svanasana








Downward Dog
Eka Pada Adho Muka Svanasana





















Yoga Posture trikonasana
Trikonasana







yoga position warrior 1
Virabhadrasana1









asana utanasana
Uttanasana

















Yoga Posture tadasana
Tadasana
Vinyasa Yoga

Yoga Breathing Techniques


Perform Ujjayi Pranayama.
Stage 3
Inhale and restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth. Exhale make a sound with the mouth closed that sounds like "hhhhha".

Don't hold the breath yet just warm up and work on smooth sound when inhaling and exhaling. Work on the changes in breath becoming smoother and longer also. This occurs when the breath crosses from inhalations to exhalations and exhalations to inhalations.
Download the Ujjayi Pranayama mp3

Do this for at least 5 minutes.

Then progress towards holding after the inhalation and then the exhalation as well.
Inhale restrict the air flow to make the sound "sssss". Keep the sound constant and smooth.

Pause at the top of the breath (antara kumbhaka).
Exhale and make the sound "hhhha" keeping the sound constant and smooth.
Pause at the bottom of the breath (bahya kumbhaka).
Ujjayi Pranayama mp3

Then perform Surya Bhedana pranayama.
This is a type of breath that occurs through the Sun channel in the body, Surya meaning Sun.

Stage 2 - Surya Bhedana nostril. (Puraka)
Hold after inhalation. The first few times hold for a few seconds. Gradually increase the duration of the time after inhalation. (Antara Kumbhaka)

Exhale out through the left nostril. Allow the exhalation to be longer than the inhalation.
Surya Bhedana mp3

Do this breath as for as long as it takes to feel open through the energy flow that the breath takes. Look for blockages and remove them as you perform this pranayama. They can be opened by creating more space or by thinking the flow open with the conscious mind but first the flow of air and energy must be understood by continual observation and practice.

by Mark Giubarelli


Sun Salutation main   Sun Salutation 1   Sun Salutation 2 Sun Salutation 3   Sun Salutation 4 Sun Salutation 5   Sun Salutation 6 Sun Salutation 7 Sun Salutation 8 Sun Salutation 9 Sun Salutation 10
Sun Salutation 11 Sun Salutation 12< Sun Salutation 13 Sun Salutation 14 Sun Salutation 15 Sun Salutation 16 Sun Salutation 17 Sun Salutation 18 Sun Salutation 19
Sun Salutation 20 Sun Salutation 21 Sun Salutation 22