Sun Salutations For A Clear Mind And Spacious Body

This 16-minute Sun Salutation practice is designed for students who already have experience with the foundational sequence and are ready to move with steadiness and rhythm.

We begin seated, taking a moment to arrive, before moving through gentle spinal warm-ups with cat and cow. From there, we transition into Downward Dog and begin to build the practice—walking forward, finding half lifts, and gradually layering in rounds of Sun Salutations.

The sequence progresses through 8 rounds, building toward chaturanga with a moderate, continuous pace that generates heat without rushing.

This is not a slow practice, but it is also not fast. It’s a steady, intentional flow that invites both strength and presence.

A short, anytime practice to create space in the body and clarity in the mind.
You’ll leave feeling open, grounded, and ready to meet your life as it unfolds.

Transcript

Welcome, Welcome to a practice of sun salutations for a clear mind and a spacious body. Become aware of yourself here, Seated. Become aware of your breath. Welcome yourself to your practice. Come to your hands and knees. You can place your knees on a blanket, Hands underneath your shoulders. Let's begin with some cats and cows. Inhale, Allow your heart to lift, Your tail to lift. And as you exhale, Lift the belly, Lift the back, Tuck the tail and lower the chin. Inhale into your cow pose, Exhale cat, Moving the spine, Coming into a little backbend and curling into a little kitty cat. Inhaling into a cow pose, Shoulders back, Heart bright, Exhale cat. All tension behind as you breathe and move, Synchronizing breath and motion. Becoming aware of how you feel and how you breathe and how you move. And coming back to center. Begin to move your hands forward, One hand print. Turn your toes, Lift your heels, Hips and come back into down dog. Pedaling the heels, Stretching the feet and the toes. Feeling the backs of the legs open up, Spine nice and long. Lifting up onto the toes and the heels down. Take a nice deep breath here and a breath out. Inhale, Glide forward into a plank position and then come back to down dog. Inhale, Plank and move just like yourself. And then walk your feet forward, Coming to the top of the mat in a forward fold. Fingers to the earth, Body folded, Can turn your head a little bit from side to side, Releasing pressure, Tension in the shoulders. Inhale, Come up into a half lift, Side body spacious, Heart bright, Exhale fold. Inhale, Lift up halfway, Exhale, Inhale again, Lift up halfway. Turn the head from side to side, Relax the jaw, Neck, Soften the knees, Inhale, Roll up to stand. Coming into Tadasana, Rolling the shoulders back and down. Taking some breaths here, Feeling the steadiness in the feet, Strength in the legs, Lift in the crown, Heart bright. Palms together at the center of the heart, Inhale, Lift those arms, Stretch back, Exhale, Fold over yourself. Half salutes, We'll start with today. Inhale, Take a half lift, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Palms together, Stand back up, Reach up, Tail down, Heart bright, Exhale, Palms back together, The heart. Again, Inhale, Reach those arms up, Stretch up, Look up, Exhale, Fold from the hips. Inhale, Half lift, Belly, Heart, Gaze forward, Exhale, Fold. Again, Inhale, Palms together, Stand up, Reach up, Stretch, And exhale, Palms to the heart again. Inhale, Reach, Stretch, A little back bend, Exhale, Fold. Inhale again, Take a half lift, Heart bright, And exhale, Fold. Inhale, Palms together, Reaching up, Standing up, Stretching, Front body open, And exhale, Palms to heart center. Inhale again, Reaching up, Exhale, Folding forward. Inhale, Half lift, And exhale, Fold. Step your right foot back and breathe here in this lunge. Left foot back, Lower all the way to the ground as you exhale. Inhale, Little baby back bend, Shoulders down, Heart bright, Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Breathing here in this Downward Facing Dog, Just three breaths or so, Letting the breath be through the nose, Nice and slow, Stretching arms and legs, Spine is long. On an inhale, Walk the feet forward, Finish your inhale and a half lift, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Stand up, Reach up, Exhale, Palms to heart center. I'll go again. Inhale, Reach up, Stretch, Exhale, Fold. Inhale once again, Take a half lift, Heart bright, And exhale, Fold as you step that left foot back, Low lunge. Taking a nice inhale here, Exhale, Step the right foot back, Plank, And lower down to the floor as you exhale. Inhale into a back bend, And exhale, Downward Facing Dog, Hips up, Heels down. Strong straight arms, Strong straight legs, Long spacious spine. Breath is steady. Inhale, Walk the feet forward, Half lift, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Palms to heart center, Reach up, Little back bend, Exhale, Palms back to the heart. And again, Inhale, Reach up, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Take a half lift, Feeling the back of the legs and the heart equally bright. Exhale, Step your right foot back into a low lunge. Stay here for an inhale. And then the left foot comes back as you exhale and lower all the way to the ground. Inhale, Lift up, Upward Facing Dog. You're on the tops of the feet and the hands only. Use your knees if you like, And exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Breathing here, Nice, Long, Relaxed breath. Inhale, Walk the feet forward, Half lift as you finish your inhale, Exhale, Fold over those legs. Inhale, Palms come together as they reach up, Back bend, Heart bright, Exhale, Palms to heart center. Inhale, Reach up, Exhale, Fold forward. Inhale, Half lift, Exhale, Fold as that left leg comes back, Low lunge. Take a nice, Big breath into this stretch. Exhale, Lower straight down to the ground. Inhale, Upward Facing Dog. Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Breathing here, Feeling the hands pressed down as the armpits gently roll in towards the heart, Hips lifted, Heels down. Breath long. Inhale, Once again, Walk your feet forward, Take a half lift, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Stand up, Reach up, Belly, Heart, Gaze lifts, Exhale, Palms to the heart. Again, Inhale, Raise those arms, Raise the gaze and exhale, Fold. Inhale, Take a half lift, And exhale, Once again, Step that right foot back, You're in a low lunge. Inhale here, Exhale, Step that left foot back, You're in a plank, And you're lowering down to your belly. Inhale, Top to the feet and the hands, Only Upward Facing Dog. Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Resting here, Steady in the breath, Steady in the mind. Inhale, Walk your feet forward, And exhale, Fold. Inhale, Stand all the way up, Reaching up with the arms, The gaze, Little backbend there, Exhale, Palms back to the heart. Again, Inhale, Reach up, And exhale, Fold forward, Palms to the ground. Inhale, Take a half lift, And exhale, Fold as you step your left foot back into a lunge. Take a nice, Big, Stretchy breath in here, And exhale, Right foot comes back to plank, Lower nice and steady to the floor. Inhale, Lift up, Upward Facing Dog, And exhale, Lift the hips, Downward Facing Dog. Breathing here, Steady, Spacious. Inhale, Walk your feet forward, Lengthen, Look up, Feeling the side bodies, And exhale, Fold, Feeling the back body. Inhale, Reach up, Stand up, Stretch, And exhale, Palms to the heart again. Inhale, Reach up, Stretch, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Take a half lift, And exhale, Fold as you step your right foot back, You're in a lunge again. Inhale here, And exhale, Plant your palms, And lower Chaturanga if you dare. Inhale, Upward Facing Dog, Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Breathing, Steady, Still. Inhale, Walk your feet forward, Lengthen, Look up, Exhale, Fold over yourself. Inhale, Reaching up, Standing up, Stretching, Exhale, Palms to heart center again. Inhale, Reach up, Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Take a half lift, Exhale, Fold as that left foot comes back into a low lunge, Stay here as you inhale. Plant the palms, Right foot back, Plank, Exhale, Chaturanga, Upward Facing Dog as you inhale, And Downward Facing Dog as you exhale, Breathe. Bring the knees down, Nice and wide, Sit back on the heels and come into Child's Pose. Breathe, Breathe into the back of your body, And let everything go. Become all breath in this pose. Closing our practice, Lifting yourself up very sweetly, Finding a seat and bringing hands to your heart. May all beings be well, May all beings be happy, May all beings be free from suffering. Thank you for your practice.