Sun Salutations To Start Your Day

This short practice builds heat slowly to ease into the morning and set an energized tone for the day. Connecting breath and movement, it includes variations of Sun Salutations A and B. Optional props: yoga blocks and a blanket.

Transcript

Hello, And welcome to class. My name is Jen, And this is a short sun salutation class ideal to use in the morning when you want to get moving and create a little heat to start the day. So. . . If you have a blanket to pad your knee, Especially if you're on a hard surface, I'd recommend that. And then two blocks at the top of the mat in case you want to use them. Then come to stand at the top of your mat. Feel down into your feet. And do a little bit of a lift and tuck of your tailbone. And then find the middle ground where you're not lifted and you're not tucked. You're just right in the middle, Nice and easy. And then give your shoulders a roll. Let them fall away from your ears. Lengthen through the top of your head. We'll start with half salutation, So slow breath in. Side bend to the right. Good, Breathe in back to center. Side, Bend to the left. Inhale, Reach up. As you exhale, Cactus your arms, Lift your chest, Gentle back bend. Inhale, Reach up. Exhale, Forward Fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Sweep wide, Reach high. Exhale, Side bend to the right. Inhale back to center. Exhale to the left. Inhale, Reach high. Exhale, Cactus the arms, Back bend. Inhale, Touch the ceiling. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Sweep wide, Reach up. Exhale, Hands to heart. Okay, Next up, Classical sense salutations. Breathe in, Reach overhead. Exhale forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Hands on the blocks or on the mat. Step your right foot back and bring your knee to the ground. On this first one, Let's take a little time to come into this. Posture, Drawing your left hip back, Right hip forward. Hands can be on your thigh. At your heart or overhead. Option here to just reach straight up or if you want to add a little back bend here. You are welcome to do that. Always take what works. Leave what doesn't. As you exhale, Hands come to the mat or the blocks, Step back, Plank. You have options here. You can go straight to down dog, You can do a little elbow bend in down dog, Or you you can come into Chaturanga. Upward facing dog. Downward facing dog. Good, This is the first. Down dog, So take your time walking it out. Let your head and neck hang heavy as you push out of the blocks. And then find stillness in your down dog. Breathe in, Reach your right leg up. Exhale, Step it through, Bring your left knee down. Same thing this side, Take your time. Hands can be on your thigh, At your heart, Or overhead. Right hip draws back in line with the left as the left moves forward. And either straight up or with a little backbend, Your choice. Exhale, Hands to the blocks, Tuck the back toes, Step forward, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Breathe in, Sweep wide, Reach high. Exhale, Hands to heart. Good, Bring your arms down to your sides. Little shoulder roll, We're gonna go a little faster through that. When you breathe in, Breathe in toward the floor. Let your low ribs expand. When you breathe out, They come back in. Slow breath in, Arms up. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Hands to the mat or blocks, Right foot steps down, One long breath in. Exhale into plank. Your version to down dog, Whichever one you want to take. And then lift the right leg up. Exhale, Step it through. Left knee down. Inhale, Rise. Exhale, Tuck the back toes, Step forward, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Sweep wide, Reach high. Exhale, Hands to heart. Inhale, Arms overhead. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, This time left foot steps back, Knee to the ground. Breathe in, Reach up. Exhale to plank, Press the ground away. Take your version to down dog. And then breathe in, Left leg up. Exhale, Step it forward. Inhale. Arms up. Exhale, Step the right foot forward to meet the left. Halfway there! Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Arms up. Exhale, Hands to heart. One more round. Slow breath in. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Half way lift. Exhale, Left foot back again, Knee down. Inhale, Rise. Exhale, Plank. Chaturanga or straight to down dog. Good, Breathe in. Exhale, Step it through. Inhale, Reach up. Exhale, Tuck the back toes, Step forward, Forward fold. Inhale, Half lift. Exhale, Fold. Inhale, Sweep wide, Reach high. Exhale, Hands to heart. Okay we are done with the blanket so bring the blanket out of your way and move the blocks away from the Matt, We're going to do a little balancing so you want to make sure they're not where you would step. Sunbee variation. Here we go, Come into chair. And then bring your hands to heart and let's explore chair a little bit here. Try lifting the tailbone a little. Tucking it under. Lifting it. Tucking it under. And then find the middle-ish, Where your back is nice and long, You're not arching, You're not rounding. And then bring the arms up. Maybe you sit a little lower. Good, Come back up. And then if that felt good where your feet are, You can come right back into it. If you felt like your feet were too narrow or too wide, Go ahead and adjust them. And then sit back in to the chair. Bring hands to heart. All the weight on your left foot. Step your right foot back for warrior one. Heels are hip width distance apart. Back foot angles out to about one o'clock. Draw your left hip back, Right hip forward. Bend into your left knee as you press down through your right heel. And then same thing here, You can either reach straight up, Or you can add a little of that backbend. Totally up to you. Adjust the length and width of your Warrior 1. So that it feels right in your body. Slow breath in. As you exhale, Press the ground away with your left foot and come into a single leg balance. Take your time here, Make sure you're not pressing your hips forward. Keeping that hip crease back over the ankle. And let's do four more of those. Breath in, Warrior one. Nice and slow, Breath out. Single Leg Mountain. Your pace. When you finish, We'll all meet in Single Leg Mountain. And then drop into your chair. Good, Hands to heart, Find that. Middle ground where it feels good in the low back. Feeder it. A comfortable distance apart. All the way into your right foot. Step your left foot back. Left foot angles out to about 11 o'clock. Heels are hip width distance apart. Right hip draws back as left hip presses forward. Bend into your right knee as you press down through your left heel and then reach up. You can add a little back bend if that feels good. Keep breathing. Inhale, Reach up. As you exhale, Press the ground away. Come into your single leg balance. Inhale, Warrior I. Exhale, Single Leg Balance. Remember, Always take what works, Leave what doesn't. You can use the wall for steadiness or a chair, Or you can keep your toes on the ground. Either way, That right leg. Is working. Strengthening and stabilizing. I think we have one more. Then let's meet in single leg mountain. And back into chair. And then exhale, Stand tall. All right, Last set of sun salutations. If you like to use blocks, Grab them again. This round, We're going to do more of a classical sunbee and go through the plank to down dog. Remember, You can do plank straight to down dog, You can do an elbow bend back to plank, Or an up dog to down dog. Here we go. Inhale, Chair. Exhale, Forward fold. Breathe in, Halfway lift. Exhale plank. Your option to down dog. Good. Slow breath in. And slow breath out. Inhale, Lift your right leg up. Exhale, Step it forward for warrior one. Just a couple of breaths here. Keep bending into the right knee. Sealing through the back heel. And then exhale, Plank. Option to down dog or Chaturanga. Up dog? Downward Facing Dog Breathe in, Left leg high. Exhale, Step it forward, Back foot angles out. Breathe in, Warrior one. Nice and strong and steady. Exhale. Step back, Plank. Chaturanga, Back to plank or to up dog. Downward Facing Dog. Inhale, Look forward. Exhale, Step or hop to the top of the mat, Forward fold. Breathe in, Chair. Exhale, Arms at the side. Okay, Last round. Inhale, Chair. Exhale, Forward fold. Inhale, Halfway lift. Exhale, Hands to the mat, Plank. Chaturanga, Back to plank or to up dog. We meet in Down Dog. This time left leg high. Exhale, Step it through. Warrior 1. Right back to plank as you breathe out. Downward Facing Dog. Inhale, Right leg up. Exhale step it forward Inhale, Warrior one. Exhale, Last plank. Chaturanga! Inhale, Up dog. Exhale, Downward Facing Dog. Good, Slow breath in. Exhale, Step or hop to the top of the mat, Forward fold. Inhale, Chair. Exhale, Arms at your sides. Good, Take a moment here. Roll your shoulders. Maybe even a little gentle stretch. Side to side. And slow, Easy breath. Breathe in toward your toes. Breathe out and soften. Alright, Keep moving as your heart rate comes down. Drink plenty of water and have a wonderful day.