Surya Namaskar Variations

Good morning guys, let's begin with our sun salutation series. Come to the front of your mats. Let's take a moment here in Tadasana or Samasthiti here, bringing the feet together and just gently rock backward and forward to the heels, to the balls of the feet. Leaning back into your heels, lift the toes and spread them like their fingers. Then leaning forward into the balls of the feet and then just gently placing the toe tips into the floor. Lift up the kneecaps, centering the hips and the knees of the heels. Curl your tailbone down and forward, at the same time dropping the pubic bone down and back. Lift up through the collar bones, spreading the back of the body, lengthening the neck, lengthening up through the crown of the head. Take a moment, close your eyes, bring your hands together, turning your attention within, setting your intention for your practice and then as you exhale, bring your hands down and inhaling, turn your palms to face up and bring your hands up, arms in line with the ears and then stretch your throat, look to your hands and then exhale, bring your hands down, connecting the breath with the movement. Again, inhaling, turning the palms to face up, dropping the tailbone down, keeping the ribs in, look to the hands and exhale, moving with the breath. Once more, inhaling, reaching the top of the inhalation, hands touch and then exhale, completing the movement at the end of the exhalation and again inhale, this time exhaling, bend forward, lengthening through the crown of the head, bend your knees if you need to and then inhale, coming up onto the fingertips, pull your shoulders towards your hips, let's again exhale and bend forward and bring your hands behind the legs, elbows in, press your hands forward as the elbows come in and go backwards and then inhaling, coming onto the fingertips again, pubic bone goes back between the legs, shoulders to the hips, extending the spine, once more exhaling, hands to the backs of the legs, elbows in, head down and then inhale and come up, dropping the tailbone down, ribs in and exhaling, coming back to samasthiti here, once more inhale, hands up, moving with the breath, exhaling, bring the hands to the floor, elbows in, head down, inhaling, lifting the head up, pubic bone goes back, shoulders to the hips, this time place your hands to the floor, under your shoulders and step back as you exhale to a high plank position, when your shoulders towards your hips, lift the knees up, curl the tailbone under and draw the ribs in, if you need to drop your knees to the floor, take a breath in and then exhaling, lower to tataranga, squeeze your elbows in, keep your core engaged, legs strong, tailbone towards the heels, if you need to, touching the knees, let's lie on the stomach and point your feet, curl your tailbone under, as you lift your knees up, you keep the feet on the floor, as you curl the tailbone under, should feel your lower belly come away from the floor, then try to lift your chest and also lift your hands away from the floor, as you bring your shoulders towards your hips, and keeping that same feeling, bring your hands next to your lower ribs and inhale into your upward dog, still lifting the knees, curling the tailbone under, pull the shoulders down as you lift the chest and stretch the throat, as you exhale, bring the chin in, round your back, lift the hips and roll back to a downward facing dog, we just walk the dog through a few breaths, bending one knee and then the other, smooth even breathing, with sound at the back of the throat, and then lifting the head up, spread your shoulders away from your ears, spread your fingers, and then bring your head back to a neutral position, bend your knees and try to lift your sitting bones up towards the ceiling, and then if you can, keeping that feeling of lifting the sitting bones up, draw your ribs a little bit away from your thighs and then start to straighten your legs, if you can, working the legs fully straight, don't worry if your heels don't touch the floor, just take one more breath in, and then exhale all the way, and bend your knees, and then step to the front, bringing the feet together as you inhale, lift the head and chest, and then exhale, fold forward, elbows in, drop the tailbone down, lengthen the back of the neck, and inhale, coming up, strong legs, tailbone drops, and exhaling, coming back to Samasthiti here, inhale, take the hands up, stretching the throat, drop the tailbone down, exhale, lengthening through the crown of the head, elbows in, drop the tailbone down, inhaling, pubic bone goes back, lift the kneecaps up, and exhale, this time you can step or jump back to a high plank, bringing the shoulders over the wrist, pull the shoulders to the hips, press up between the shoulder blades, ribs in, curl the tailbone, lift the knees, lengthen through the crown of the head, and then exhaling, squeeze the elbows in, legs strong, core engaged, and then inhale, can roll forward, pulling the shoulders down as you lift the chest, lift the knees, stretch the throat, and then exhale, lifting back from the heels into the downward dog, and again, just walking the dog a little, lift the head up, spread the shoulder blades away from the ears, spread the fingers, and then bring the head back to a neutral position between the arms, lifting the sitting bones up, the outer edges of the feet parallel with the edges of your mat, and then squeeze the heels in towards each other, smooth, even breathing, take one more breath in, and then exhale all the way, landing the knees, and inhale, step or jump, jump to the front, head lifts, shoulders towards the hips, exhale moving with the breath, and drop the tailbone down, and inhale, head floats up, bring the hands together, and exhaling back to samasthiti heat. So we'll add in a couple of variations here, inhaling hands up, exhale folding forward, inhale head up, exhale step or jump back to your high plank, and lower down to chaturanga, inhaling upward facing dog, exhale to downward facing dog, and lifting the right leg up, as you lift the right leg squeeze the left heel in, spread the toes of the right foot, try and find a straight line from the right heel out through the hands, and then bend the right knee, heel in towards the hip, and then opening the hip up towards the ceiling, looking up under the armpit towards the ceiling, and breathe, and then as you inhale, rolling the hip back toward the floor, squaring the hips, straighten the leg, and then exhale and bring the foot back down, inhaling take the left leg up, squeezing the right heel inwards, spread the toes of the left leg, trying to find a nice straight line from the left heel out through the hands, and then bending the left knee, flexing the foot as you open the hip up towards the ceiling, looking up under the armpit, take a breath in, and exhale, and as you inhale, squaring the hips, straighten the leg, and then exhaling, and bring the foot back down to the downward dog, spreading the fingers, spread the shoulders, spreading the toes, take one more breath in, and then exhale all the way, bend the knees, touch your ribs to your thighs, look forward, and inhale, jump, head up, and exhale, fold forward, forward, inhaling, coming back up to standing, and exhale, samasthiti here, inhale, hands up, exhale, fold forward, inhale, head and chest up, exhale, step or jump back, and lower down, inhale, upward facing, exhale, downward facing, and inhale, take the left leg up, bend the left knee, and come into a side plank, and take the foot to the floor, make sure you keep pulling the shoulder towards the hip, and then looking to the right hand, extending the hips, reach out through the left arm, inhale, and as you exhale, passing through that side plank, and back to your downward dog, and inhale, raise the right leg, bend the knee, coming into a side plank, taking the right foot to the floor, keep the left hip, the shoulder towards the hip, and then inhale, keep looking to the left hand as you extend the hips, reach to the right arm, and then exhaling, and back through that side plank to the downward dog, again, setting up your dog, spreading the shoulders, spread the fingers, lift the sitting bones up as you squeeze the heels in, take one more breath in, and then exhale all the way, bend the knees, look forward, inhale, jump, head up, exhale, fold forward, and inhale, coming up, exhale, inhale, hands up, exhale, fold forward, inhale, head and chest up, exhale, jump back to the high plank and lower down, chaturanga, inhaling, upward facing, pull the shoulders down, lift the chest, exhale, downward facing, inhale, right leg up, bend the knee, side plank, lower down, inhale, extending the hips, look to the left hand, exhaling, coming back to the dog, then come to a high plank, curl the tailbone under, bring the right knee to the chest, and then take the foot across, and then inhale, extending the hips, looking to the right hand, coming back down, and then balancing right hand, left foot, keep, stay low with the hips, take the hand to the floor, and going back to the downward dog, exhaling, inhale, lift the left leg up, bend the knee, going through that side plank, dropping the foot and the hip, and then inhale, extending, exhale, reaching the left leg back to the dog, coming to a high plank, curl the tailbone under, bring the knee into the chest, as you inhale, and exhale, stepping the foot through, and inhaling, extending the hips, and then coming back down, bring the leg back, coming to this crouch position, balancing on left hand, right foot, and then exhaling back to the downward dog, shift the weight a little from hand to hand, foot to foot, reconnecting with your breath, take one more breath in, and then exhale all the way, okay, bending knees, inhale, jump, head up, and exhale, fold forward, inhale, come to standing, exhale, samastitihi, bend your knees, as you bend, make sure you can still see your toes, try to bring your thighs parallel to the floor, if possible, dropping the hips down towards your heels, and then coming back up, still seeing the toes, thighs parallel to the floor, hands shoulder width apart, keep your head in neutral, and then coming up, curl the tailbone down towards the heels, spin the arms, draw the ribs in, and then look to the hands as you inhale, and exhale, folding forward, inhale, head and chest up, exhale, jump back, to the high plank, lower down to the runga, inhaling, upward facing, exhale, downward facing, just take a moment in the dog, and then looking forward, you can come onto your fingertips, bring your shoulders over your wrists, bring the knee to the chest, and step the right foot forward, bring the foot under the knee, lift the left knee up as you inhale, head up, exhale, curl the tailbone, head toward the knee, again inhale, and exhale, inhale, exhale, and then straightening your right leg as best you can, if you want a deeper stretch, lift the front of the foot off the floor, if you need to keep the knee a little bent, and again inhale, exhale, trying to take your chin to your shin, and then the crown of the head towards the knee, inhale, stretch the chin along the leg, head up, and exhale, and once more inhaling, and exhale, and bending the right knee, turn the foot out in 45 degree angle, bring your ribs on the inside of the leg, shoulder on the inside, take a breath in, lift the left knee up, then exhale, round your back, take your head towards your heel, and then inhale, stretch your chin forward, and lift the chest up, exhale, rounding the back, inhale, and exhale, inhale, and then turning the foot straight as you exhale, and coming up, bring your hands onto your hips, lift the left knee, bring your shoulders over your hips, curl the tailbone under, and draw the ribs in, inhale, and then exhale, touch your left knee to the floor, and inhale, straightening both legs, and then exhale, bend the right knee, touch the left knee to the floor, and inhale up, once more, exhaling, touch the left knee, and come up, and then bringing the knee over the top of the heel again, lift the left knee, ribs in, take your left arm up, spinning the arm, keeping the ribs drawn in, bend to your right side, just hold it for a couple of breaths, and then coming back to the middle, now taking both arms up with that spin, try to take the hands back behind the ears, this time extending the thoracic spine, take one more breath in, and then exhale, hands to the floor, inhale, lift the foot off the floor, keep the knee to the chest, exhale, straighten the leg, but keep the foot off the floor as you lower down, and then inhaling to the upward dog, and exhale to the downward dog, just take a moment here, and then coming forward, coming to the fingertips, and step the left foot forward, and inhale, head and chest up, lift the right knee up, exhale, rounding the back, inhale, exhale, once more inhaling, and exhale, and straighten the left leg as best you can, if you want a deeper stretch, lift the front of the foot, so inhale, head up, exhale, stretch the chin toward the shin, the end of the exhalation, rounding the back, take the head towards the knee, inhale, stretch the chin forward, exhale, inhale, exhale, exhale, inhale, bend the knee, turn your foot out on a 45 degree angle, bring your shoulder and your ribs on the inside of the leg, lift the right knee as you inhale, lift the head and chest, exhale, chin in, take your head toward your heel, then inhale, stretch forward as you lift the chest and the right knee, and again exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, and bring the foot back as you exhale, as you inhale coming up, bringing the shoulders over the tops of the hips, curl the tailbone under, ribs in, and exhaling, dropping the knee to the floor, inhale, come up, straightening the legs, exhale, go forward and down, inhale, and exhale, and coming back up to your lunge, straightening the right leg, draw the ribs in, curl the tailbone under, bring the right arm up with the spin, and then as you exhale, bend to the left side, and then coming back to the middle, this time take both arms up through the spin, bringing the arms back behind the ears as you extend the thoracic spine, take a breath in, and exhale, and take the hands to the floor, as you inhale, lift the left foot off the floor, keep the knee to the chest, exhale, extend the leg as you lower down, and inhaling, up dog, exhale, back to the downward facing dog, and just shifting your weight a little, spreading the shoulders, heels coming in as you spread the toes, lift the sitting bones up, reconnecting with your breath, take one more breath in, and then exhale, bend the knees, and inhale, jump to the front, fold, head up, exhale, fold forward, at the end of the exhalation, bending the knees if you can, coming to a full squat, and then bringing the thighs parallel to the floor, keeping the hands apart as you continue all the way up, tailbone drops, bring the hands together, look to the thumbs, and exhale, back to samastitihi, let's make our way to the floor by one sun salutation, inhale, take the hands up, exhale, fold forward, inhale, head and chest up, exhale, jump back, lower down, inhaling, upward facing, exhale, downward facing, and look forward, bring your shoulders over your wrists, coming to your high plank, and then step your left foot forward, knee to chest, and then step your right leg forward, and slowly sit down, and bring your feet through, okay, let's cross the legs by bringing the left foot under the right knee, foot flexed, and then bring the right foot in front of the left knee, foot flexed, come on to the front edge of your sitting bones, inhale, take your hands up, and exhale, go forward, bring the hands to the floor, again inhale, extend the spine, and then exhale, slowly stretching forward, let the head relax, spreading the shoulders away from the ears, if your head doesn't easily come to the floor, you can cross your arms, bring your head to your arms this way, slowing the breath right down, let's take one more breath in, and then exhale, curl the tailbone under, and inhale, extending the spine, shoulders to the hips as you exhale, and then inhale to come up, and exhale, bring your left hand to your right knee, take your right hand back, come to the fingertips, pull your right shoulder blade back, so inhale, lift the spine, and then exhale, twist to the right side, inhale, look forward, exhale, release, coming to the other side, bring the right hand to the left knee, come on to the left fingertips, lift the spine, so inhale, pull the left shoulder blade back, and exhale, twist to the left, inhale, look forward, and exhale, release, take both hands back, turn the palms to face out, loop your shoulders, bring the shoulder blades together, pubic bone down between the legs, lift the chest as you inhale, and stretch the throat, chin up, and exhale, bring the chin back to the chest, drop the tailbone down, and now we'll go into some breathing exercises. So come into a comfortable cross leg position, can be like this, or you can bring the feet in. If you need to, put something under your hips, blanket, or bolster, so you can sit on the front edge of your sitting bones, you want to feel that you can tip your pelvis forward, so you're coming on to the front edge of the sitting bones, and then tip the pelvis backwards slightly, so you're coming back, finding the balance between pubic bone dropping down and the tailbone dropping down, centering the shoulders over the tops of the hips, the ears over the shoulders as you lengthen through the crown of the head, and bring your fingertips into your lower belly, just above the pubic bone, and as you breathe in, feel your belly expanding outwards, and as you breathe out, feeling the navel drawing back in towards the spine, and where your fingers are, keep that area drawn in as you breathe in, so you feel just the upper abdomen expanding, as you breathe out, navel comes in towards the spine, one small breathing in, keeping the lower belly still, and breathing out, dropping the tailbone down, bring your hands to your side ribs, index finger pointing forward, thumbs to the back, as you breathe in, feeling the breath spreading symmetrically to the sides, to the back and to the front ribs, as you breathe out, keep lengthening through the crown of the head, as you breathe in, feel like you're scooping out the lower belly, breath spreading symmetrically, breathing out, dropping the tailbone down, lengthen through the crown of the head, see if you can bring the breath a little higher to the chest and the upper back, evenly, breathing out, keeping the collarbones lifted, and then bring the thumb and first finger together, back to the hands on the knees, closing your eyes, take one more breath in, and out, exhaling the breath completely, and then relaxing the abdomen, returning back to calm, relaxed abdominal breathing, slowing the breath right down until you're hardly breathing at all, take three more calm, clear, conscious breaths, and then quietly, in your own time, whenever you're ready, straighten out your legs and lie down for shavasana, so as you lay down, making sure to arrange your body symmetrically, so even to the left and to the right, to the front and to the back, let the feet roll out to the sides, relaxing through the hands and the feet, fingers and the toes, softening the arms and the legs, the hips, the abdomen, the lower back, the ribs, front side and back, softening through the neck, the throat, the jaw, the mouth, the nose, the eyes and the ears, the forehead and the skull, the breath calm, body relaxed and the mind at ease, if you'd like to stay longer here, feel free to do so, otherwise, take a deep breath in and stretch your arms over your head, having a big stretch, and then exhale, bend your knees to your chest, give yourself a hug, and then quietly in your own time, rolling over to your right side, and then whenever you're ready, slowly come up to sitting, and just taking a moment, sitting with the spine straight to again reconnect, turning your attention within, and bring your hands together, Namaste, thank you very much.