Sun: Rise and Shine

Namaste, welcome. This will be our sun class. If you've never done traditional Surya Namaskar before, this is a practice that I come back to over and over and over again. It's a beautiful practice to do first thing in the morning or any time during the day where you feel like you need a little refresh or a reset of your energy. We're going to start off with Surya Mudra.

Take your ring fingers and pull them in a little bit towards your palms and then catch the tip of your ring finger with your thumb on either hand. Place that upright on your thighs and we'll begin our practice with Kapalabhati, Skull Shining Breath. So this is going to be a short, sharp exhalation pumping the diaphragm. Quick mention, if you are pregnant or you're on your menstrual cycle or you just ate, if you're feeling a little overheated, if you suffer with any headaches, migraines or affliction of the eyes, please skip the Kapalabhati and stay with long, smooth breathing. Otherwise we're going to do two rounds of 54 each totaling 108, very sacred number in yoga.

And actually it's the nine planets times the 12 houses, so fun fact. All right, Surya Mudra, upright on your thighs, Kapalabhati, two rounds, 54 each, eyes can be open or closed. Breathe in, breathe it out. Feel halfway and begin. Breathe in, retain your breath in at the top.

And then gently you can open up your mouth, breathe it away and sit with that. Kapalabhati is so good to get the digestive fire going in the morning to clear the head out and just get rid of any either morning or afternoon fogginess. We're going to do one more round. Breathe in, breathe it out, 54. Here we go.

And breathe in, retain your breath in and breathe it away. And once again, let your body settle, take a few unmanipulated breaths, good. And then you can release your mudra, open up your eyes and we're going to come to stand in Tadasana, top of your space. So if you've got a yoga mat, cool. If not for this one, all you need is yourself and your breath.

I'll teach it through one super slow to start off with and then we'll move into doing it with a little bit more speed for five rounds. Our first position is hands to heart, Anjali Mudra, and if there's an intention that comes through in your practice here, if that resonates for you, let it come through in an organic way. And if in this moment it doesn't come through, trust the process. It's always amazing to me how transformative this practice can be. Let's try to come to it without expectation.

And this is your first position. We say Om Mitraya Namaha. Hook your thumbs, soften your knees and reach forward up slightly back. Be gentle first round. Looking up, Om Ravaye Namaha.

Each of these mantras calls on a different aspect of the sun. We're folding forward, hands through prayer, Om Suryaya Namaha. You can bend your knees as much as you need to here. Drop the head. Step your right foot back and drop your right knee and look up.

Om Banave Namaha Plank Pose Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest and Chin Om Pushney Namaha Cobra Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha One Dog Om Mariche Namaha Right leg forward and drop the back knee and look up. Om Adityaya Namaha Left leg steps forward to meet the right. Om Savitraya Namaha Rising back up. Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down. Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Hands to heart.

Om Mitraya Namaha Hook the thumbs, reach forward up and back. Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward. Om Suryaya Namaha Left leg back, drop the left knee, look up. Om Banave Namaha Plank Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin Om Pushney Namaha Cobra Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog Om Mariche Namaha Left leg forward, drop the right knee, look up. Om Adityaya Namaha Right foot forward.

Om Savitraya Namaha Rise back up. Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down. Om Bhaskaraya Namaha That was one round. Hands to heart. Om Mitraya Namaha Hook your thumbs, reach forward up and back.

Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward. Om Suryaya Namaha Right leg back, drop the right knee, look up. Om Banave Namaha Plank Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin Om Pushney Namaha Cobra Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog Om Mariche Namaha Right leg forward, Om Adityaya Namaha Left leg forward, Om Savitraya Namaha Rising back up, Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down, Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Hands to heart, Om Mitraya Namaha Hook your thumbs, forward up and back, Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward, Om Suryaya Namaha Left leg, Om Banave Namaha Plank Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin, Om Pushney Namaha Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog, Om Mariche Namaha Left leg, Om Adityaya Namaha Right leg, Om Savitraya Namaha Rising back up, Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down, Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Round 3, hands to heart, Om Mitraya Namaha Hook your thumbs, Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward, Om Suryaya Namaha Right leg back, Om Banave Namaha Plank Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin, Om Pushney Namaha Obra, Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog, Om Mariche Namaha Right leg, Om Adityaya Namaha Left leg, Om Savitraya Namaha Rising back up, Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down, Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Hands to heart, Om Mitraya Namaha Hook your thumbs, Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward, Om Suryaya Namaha Left leg back, Om Banave Namaha Plank, Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin, Om Pushney Namaha Obra, Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog, Om Mariche Namaha Left leg, Om Adityaya Namaha Right leg, Om Savitraya Namaha Come back up, Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down, Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Round 4, Om Mitraya Namaha Hook your thumbs, Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward, Om Suryaya Namaha Right leg back, Om Banave Namaha Plank, Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin, Om Pushney Namaha Obra, Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog, Om Mariche Namaha Right leg, Om Adityaya Namaha Left leg, Om Savitraya Namaha Come back up, Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down, Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Hands to heart, Om Mitraya Namaha Hook your thumbs, Om Ravaye Namaha Folding forward, Om Suryaya Namaha Left leg, Om Banave Namaha Plank, Om Kaguya Namaha Knees Chest Chin, Om Pushney Namaha Cobra, Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Down Dog, Om Mariche Namaha Left leg, Om Adityaya Namaha Right leg, Om Savitraya Namaha Come back up, Om Arkaya Namaha Arms down, Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Last round. Let's try it with no movement cues, just the movement and the mantra. Do the best you can and if you just keep repeating it, you'll get it. I promise. Hands to heart. Om Mitraya Namaha Om Ravaye Namaha Om Suryaya Namaha Om Banave Namaha Om Kaguya Namaha Om Pushney Namaha Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Om Mariche Namaha Om Adityaya Namaha Om Savitraya Namaha Om Arkaya Namaha Om Bhaskaraya Namaha Om Mitraya Namaha Om Ravaye Namaha Om Suryaya Namaha Om Banave Namaha Om Kaguya Namaha Om Pushney Namaha Om Hiranyagarbaya Namaha Om Mariche Namaha Om Adityaya Namaha Om Savitraya Namaha Om Arkaya Namaha Om Bhaskaraya Namaha And be there.

And you can take your feet a little bit wider. Hands can come into Pushpaputa Mudra, a handful of flowers. Make an offering of your efforts. Send it out to someone or something. It just needs a little more support today. And then sweep your arms up and let them fall over you as a blessing.

And then be in this wider stance and just let yourself radiate. Connecting to this ancient practice that stretches way out before us. And we'll stretch way out in front of us. In this moment, let yourself shine. Hands can come to heart. Thank you for sharing your practice.

Namaste.