Sun Salutations : modifying vs mastering the flow
Let's deep dive into why Sun Salutation may not be accessible to you and if you even need them at all.
When going to any Yoga class, any type, anywhere, any yoga teacher, you may encounter a Sun Salutation, whether that is sun salutation A, B or both. They are everywhere. Some teachers cut them out completely. Some of us love them, because to be honest you can say, “off you go” and your class goes and you can walk around and adjust where necessary with little to no demonstration.
But is there a right and wrong way to do it? Short answer: no.
Whether you can or cannot do a full sun salutation, I am giving other examples of sun salutation A, that have been some variations that I have been taught over the years. Sun Salutation B can wait its turn.
What the heck is a Sun Salutation?
A Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a flow that is performed at the beginning of a yoga practice to warm up, get the heart rate up and commemorate the start of practice by honouring the Sun and the life it gives us. It is roughly 12 poses and they are linked together to add flow, and a meditative feel to the practice.
There isn’t anything in texts that says this is a practice that was done in ancient times, but what is understood is that there is a belief in the Sun God and that we should worship it for giving us heat and growing our crops, in turn giving us life.
As sequencing practices became more common, this practice formed, and most forms of yoga use it at the beginning of a class.
It is perfect. Why Modify?
The reason why you may modify it is the Chatarunga and/or the Updog. Both movements are very shoulder focused so if you lack shoulder and wrist strength, which a lot of women do, if you do these too early in your yoga journey you may get injured. Or you may have other injuries already with your hand, wrist and shoulders. You can build strength towards them, but I do encourage you to do that slowly.
The Updog though…
Upward Facing dog also requires back strength and mobility. You can build them, but lower back pain can happen and that normally means, you are not engaging your glutes. JUt build these slowly.
So say you can do those 2 postures, great. Not the end goal, but congrats. Do you want to dive into them at the beginning of your practice at 7 am? Me neither so why we might modify, is to build them or because we don’t feel like doing them. No worries.
Let’s do it.
A Baby Sun Salute.
Find yourself kneeling at the back of your mat or any comfortable seat.
Bring your hands to rise above your head, bum comes up away from the feet.
Come forward in to all fours
Come to Cat/Cow however many times.
Spread the knees come to Child’s Pose.Bum to heels. Forehead towards the mat.
Come back to kneeling.
And repeat as many times.
Stay in the postures as much as you fancy, making sure you breathe.
(I will break down Cat/Cow one of these day)
A Lovely Modified Sun Salutation.
At the top of the mat, hands come above the head, look up.
Bend your knees generously. Hands to waist. Fold forward. Tummy to thighs.
Hands to top of the thigh, straighten the spine to a flat back. Try straightening the legs.
Hands plant, bend through the knees.
Make your way to all fours.
Low slowly to the ground onto your belly.
Come to your forearms in front of you. Engage glutes.
You can also put your hands under your shoulders and lift the chest a bit more to a baby cobra. Engaging the glutes to save your lower back.
Push up to all fours.
Tuck the toes and hips to the sky. Downward facing dog. Pedal the knees, heels never have to reach the mat.
Slowly walk toward your hand to the top of the mat or just make your way to standing.
Hands to the sky and back down.
Just breathe in and out each movement. Stay for 5 breaths, finding movement with your Downward facing dog. I am not getting into the breath specific today.
You’ve Mastered the Sun Salutations. Wow
I am confused, and I don’t know what mastering means. Because Sun Salutations isn’t a skill to master, it is just simply movement flow. For me there is no end goal with yoga. If you enjoy Sun Salutations, put them into your own practice, if you don’t, no big deal. You can modify, extract, add. The world is your oyster and your practice is your personal practice.
Tag me on Instagram @corriecassidyyoga if you try them out.
And Enjoy!
I hope you find some peace!
