The Sun Salutation is the first vinyasa I learned in the Jivamukti yoga centre in New York. It showed me that the practice of ashtanga vinyasa involves great physical effort since it is a dynamic and repetitive sequence that synchronises movement with the breath.
The origin of Surya Namaskar (the Sanskrit name) is associated with tributes to the Sun God which have been performed for thousands of years in India, the cradle of yoga, through chanting, offerings and prostrations. It is a way of welcoming the sun, a new day, and that is why this vinyasa is used to start the practice that is traditionally performed with the first rays of light. Although I can no longer do my self-practice in the early morning as I used to before having my two girls, the Sun Salutation always features in my self-practice as an introduction to the other asanas. It helps me to warm up, to activate my whole body and to bring focus to my practice.
If you have followed my blog since the start, you might remember the posts I shared separately about the variants of the Sun Salutation, A and B. In this post I update them and you will find two videos: the full practice with which I started (initiation) and my current, more advanced practice. Which one will you go for?
I hope you enjoy one of the best-known vinyasas which can really help you to start practising yoga. It is also a great way to monitor your evolution while you strengthen your body and mind.
Namaste,
V.
