#yoga tutorial

20 minute Heart Opening Yoga Practice | Intermediate Yoga w/ SAVASANA

Sun Salutation for Beginners

1. Tadasana / Mountain Pose

Stand at the top of your mat, your feet hip distance apart. Stand tall, extend your arms by your side, palms facing forward. Push your shoulders back and gaze forward. Take a few breaths.

2. Urdhva Hastasana / Upward salute

From Tadasana, inhale and raise both arms above your head, lift your gaze so you’re looking at your palms.

3. Uttanasana / Forward Fold

On an exhale, bend forward from your hips. Bend your knees if you need to and try to bring your belly closer to your thighs and your chin to your knees. You should feel a stretch on the back of your thights and in your low back.

4. Ardha Uttanasana / Halfway lift

Inhale and lift your torso, keeping your back straight and your abs engaged. If  touching the ground makes it impossible to keep a flat back, place your hands either on your shins or thighs.

5. Plankasana / Plank

Exhale, plant your palms on the ground and send both feet back. Your shoulders are directly stacked over your wrists. Extend your legs or come onto your knees and use your abs to keep a straight back.

6. Knees, Chest, Chin / Chaturanga modification

Hold the exhale and push your weight forward so your shoulders go past your wrists. Then bend the elbows, keeping keeping them pushed toward your chest and put your chest and chin on the ground.

7. Bhujangasana / Cobra Pose

Take a big inhale and place your hips on the ground, lift your head and open your chest, push your shoulders back while pushing the ground with the top of your feet.

8. Adho Mukha Svanasana / Downward facing dog

On an exhale, come onto your toes, push the ground away with your hands and extend your arms.

Extend your legs (or keep the knees bent if the stretch is too intense at the back of your thigh) and push your hips back and keep your butt high. Your feet are hip distance apart and your heels toward the ground. Relax your neck.

9. Ardha Uttanasana / Halfway lift

Inhale and take a few steps so your feet meet your hands. Keep a flat back and place your hands on your thighs if needed.

10. Uttanasana / Forward fold

Exhale and bend forward, chin towards your knees, knees bent if you need to.

11. Urdhva Hastasana / Upward salute

Take a big inhale and lift your torso, open your arms to the side than lift them up above your head, looking at your hands.

12. Tadasana / Mountain Pose

Because of a change in schedule, Sundays are my new video upload day! Wednesdays will be for new blog posts.