Sun Salutations | Guided Session | 3 Rounds

Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) is one of the most ancient and complete yoga practices. Traditionally, it was performed at sunrise to honor the Sun (Surya) as the source of life, light, and higher consciousness. In yogic philosophy, the sun represents both the outer source of energy that sustains all life on Earth and the inner sun — the radiance of awareness and life-force within each of us.

This sequence comes from the Bihar School of Yoga, founded by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a direct disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda encouraged adapting yoga for modern life, and Swami Satyananda systematized practices like Surya Namaskar so they could be accessible worldwide. In this way, Sun Salutations became both a traditional spiritual discipline and a modern practice for health, vitality, and meditation.

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What You’ll Learn in This Practice

We’ll move step-by-step through the 12 postures of Sun Salutations:
1. Prayer Pose (Pranamasana)
2. Upward Salute (Hasta Uttanasana)
3. Forward Bend (Padahastasana)
4. Low Lunge – Left Leg Back (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)
5. Downward Dog (Parvatasana)
6. Eight-Legged Pose (Ashtanga Namaskara)
7. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
8. Downward Dog (Parvatasana)
9. Low Lunge – Right Leg Back (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)
10. Forward Bend (Padahastasana)
11. Upward Salute (Hasta Uttanasana)
12. Prayer Pose (Pranamasana)

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The Deeper Benefits of Sun Salutations
• Energizes body & mind: stimulates circulation, awakens every muscle, and fills you with vitality.
• Balances the nervous system: rhythmic breathing calms stress and builds resilience.
• Strengthens & stretches: tones the arms, legs, and core while opening the spine, chest, and hips.
• Improves digestion & metabolism: the forward bends and backbends massage internal organs.
• Opens the heart: both physically and emotionally, creating more space for gratitude and joy.
• Meditation in motion: synchronizing breath and movement draws the mind inward, connecting you to your inner sun.
• Spiritual connection: practicing at sunrise or sunset links you with the cycles of nature and the eternal rhythm of life.

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How Many Rounds Should You Do?

The effects of Surya Namaskar multiply as you increase the rounds:
• 3 rounds: A gentle daily reset. Stretches the spine, wakes up the breath, and clears the mind.
• 6 rounds: Balances the body and mind. Builds endurance and flexibility while calming the nervous system.
• 12 rounds: The traditional cycle taught in many schools of yoga. Deeply energizes, detoxifies, and aligns your whole system.

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Breathing & Flow (From the Video Transcript)

In this video, you’ll learn not only the poses, but also the breath sequence that brings the practice alive. Each pose alternates between a full inhale and a complete exhale:
• Inhale into upward salute
• Exhale into forward bend
• Inhale into low lunge
• Exhale into downward dog
• Exhale & hold in eight-pointed salute
• Inhale into cobra
• Exhale back to downward dog
• Inhale into low lunge (opposite side)
• Exhale forward bend
• Inhale upward salute
• Exhale back to prayer pose

This rhythm of completely filling on the inhale and fully emptying on the exhale transforms the sequence into a meditation in motion.

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Practice Flow (From the Full Session)

In this video we’ll move through 6 full rounds of Sun Salutations together:
• Round 1: Learning the shapes & breathing.
• Round 2–3: Building heat, flow, and body awareness.
• Round 4–6: Deepening fluidity, rhythm, and energetic connection.

We end with a standing grounding posture, followed by a short relaxation lying down — allowing your body to integrate the energy you’ve cultivated.

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Closing Invitation

This is a great way to energize yourself first thing in the morning. Just a few rounds can reset your breath, awaken your energy, and prepare you for the day. With regular practice, Sun Salutations help you feel lighter, clearer, stronger, and more alive.

Get your mat ready — let’s do this practice together.