Balancing Sun Salutation

These Sun Salutations involve challenging balancing poses. They are blended in a flowing sequence with the breath. See variations Variation 1 - Variation 2

All of the sequences are shown as complete flow. You can manipulate them further by holding poses for a breath or more or you can flow and hold just one pose focusing on a different pose each Salutation. There are numerous ways to flow experiment and find the ones that work best.

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Tip!
Always be playful with the weight falling upon the feet. Focus on the skin on the surface of the feet and try to touch the mat with as much of the skin as possible. 

One of the fundamental roots of this posture is the contact of the feet with the mat. This simple fundamental should continue throughout the years of our practice. A playful learning can always be found here.

The breath adds a new dimension of continual change and furthers the leaning necessary for stability.

Exhale all the air leaving only a little in the lungs.

When the transition is performed roll the wrists for a good wrist stretch.

Inhale stretch the arms up and tilt lightly forward with the pelvis.

safety Tip!
If your back is healthy and it feels good tilt more than shown but it is not necessary and sometimes it can hurt the discs.

Exhale down into a forward bend. Enter a mild boundary when bending down. 

Tip!
Bend the knees slightly if you have a lower back injury or if the hamstrings are not flexible. This will also make breathing easier.

Bending the knees before the step back even if you are flexible will greatly improve the quality of your transition.

Inhale step the right or left leg back. In this case the right leg is shown stepping back.

Exhale back to Downward Dog.

Inhale forward into Plank Pose.

safety Tip!
Keep the hips raised a little to reduce the strain on the wrists. This will more evenly distribute the weight over the wrists. It does not look quite as good though so keep it for your home practice.

Exhale down to Astangasana

Inhale up to Upward Facing Cobra.  (Enter Upward Dog Pose if you like.)

safety Tip!
Enter a mild boundary at first. Then progressively open the spine. This is a harmonious and gentle way to approach spine flexibility.

Exhale back to Downward Dog.

Inhale step the left leg forward.

Begin inhaling when the leg is more than halfway forward. When this is mastered try to inhale lightly at the beginning of the motion.

Exhale straighten the left leg and open the hips into Triangle pose.

Enter Warrior 2 with an inhalation.

safety Tip!
Take the legs a little closer to reduce the pressure on the lower back.

Exhale into Halfmoon.

Inhale into Tree pose.

Exhale into Warrior 3.

sequence Tip!
At this point you could step back to Downward and switch stepping the opposite leg forward and repeating the standing sequence on the other side.

Inhale raise the arms up. 

Exhale back to standing.