If you only do one yoga asana this month try…
SUN SALUTATION
With first rays of the spring sun life suddenly feels more positive and all our troubles seem to wash away more easily. To express our gratitude for this vital energy, let’s jump on the yoga mat for a few rounds of Sun Salutation.
Sun Salutation is particularly good for detox and cleansing as it is a relatively gentle sequence stretching your body head to toe and when done with deep breathing it stimulates the body’s metabolism, oxygenates the whole system, balances blood pressure and helps release harmful toxins while bringing a deep relaxing effect.
There are so many variations but they all provide similar benefits – to stretch you head to toes and kick off your metabolism. Only you can experience and find out which one suits you the best but this one goes like this…
- Inhale and exhale, bring hands in the prayer position near your heart Anahata Chakra.
- Inhale and reach your arms up, arch back and push your hips forward.
- Exhale into a forward bend, place your hands on the floor next to your feet and bring your face towards your knees. You may wish to slightly bend your knees.
- Inhale and stretch your right leg back, relax it on the floor, open your chest and look up.
- Hold your breath while you move into plank, keeping your body streight and firm.
- Exhale and drop your knees, chest and forehead on the floor.
- Inhale into cobra, keeping your bent elbows next to your body, your chest wide open and shoulders relaxed and away from your ears.
- Exhale into downward facing dog, press your hands against the floor and bring your heals down.
- Inhale and bring your right leg forward between your hands. Your left leg is relaxed on the floor completely. Open your chest and look up.
- Exhale into forward bend as you did at the beginning of the sequence.
- Inhale while you stretch your arms forward and come up with your spine streight, arch back and push your hips forward.
- Exhale and relax in Tadasana (standing mountain pose).
Usually, I do six rounds and as one round consists of right and left side, I end up doing twelve in total. The first one is a bit of a struggle with my muscles and joints being stiff so early in the morning and I hear a lot of cracking in my body! The second one is much more relaxed and flows with my breath as I move into postures and focus on energising inhalation. Usually, I close my eyes when I reach round three, shutting from the outside world and get the balance right. With the fourth round, I find myself in a natural and graceful movement, resting on the rhythm of my breath. The final two rounds are just about letting go and withdrawing myself from postures and thoughts. I simply am…
View a Sun Salutation Video Here or follow the chart below.
Read more from Michaela Olexova at The Baoli
