How to Do a Sun Salutation B.
This series is a more physically challenging version of the Sun Salutation as practiced
in Ashtanga yoga.
It incorporates the Chair Pose, which sounds relaxing—until you realize you're the chair.
You will need Comfortable clothing suitable for stretching and moving A calm place where
you won't be distracted or disturbed and a yoga mat or folded blanket.
Because this Sun Salutation has so many more movements and postures requiring a higher
level of skill, you should be proficient at a Basic Sun Salutation and the A Series Sun
Salutation before attempting this more advanced variation.
Step 1.
Stand at the front of your mat in the Mountain Pose, with your feet hip-width apart and your
weight evenly distributed between them, your spine erect, and your arms at your sides.
Step 2.
Inhale into the Chair Pose, reaching your arms up overhead with your palms pressed together
and shifting your weight onto your heels as you sit back like you're in an imaginary chair.
Step 3.
Exhale into the Standing Forward Bend, straightening your legs and bringing your chest toward your
thighs and your hands toward the floor.
Step 4.
Inhale into the Standing Half Forward Bend, lifting up onto your fingertips and bending
at the knees to flatten your back and expand your chest.
Step 5.
Exhale into the Four-Limbed Staff pose, stepping or jumping your feet backward so your legs
are extended behind you, while lowering yourself slowly as if doing a pushup.
If you can't hold yourself in this position, hovering above the mat, lower yourself all
the way to the ground.
Step 6.
Inhale into the Upward Facing Dog Pose, pushing your head and ribcage up off the mat by fully
extending your arms as you press the tops of your feet into the ground.
Your thighs and hips should rise a few inches above the mat.
If you do not have the upper body strength for this pose, lower your knees to the ground,
but don't let your hips sag to touch the mat.
Step 7.
Exhale into the Downward Facing Dog Pose, tucking your toes and lifting your hips up
and back so that you're bearing your weight on the balls of your feet.
This should create an upside-down V shape with your body.
Relax your neck and allow the weight of your head to lengthen your spine.
Step 8.
Inhale into the Warrior 1 Pose, turning your left foot out slightly and lunging forward
with your right leg, reaching your arms up overhead with your palms pressed together.
Your right knee should be aligned over your right ankle, with your right foot and knee
pointing forward.
Step 9.
Exhale into the Four-Limbed Staff Pose again, bringing your palms to the mat and stepping
or jumping your feet straight back.
Step 10.
Inhale into the Upward Facing Dog Pose again.
Step 11.
Exhale into the Downward Facing Dog Pose again.
Step 12.
Inhale into the Warrior 1 Pose again, this time turning your right foot out slightly
and lunging forward with your left leg.
Step 13.
Exhale into the Four-Limbed Staff Pose a final time.
Step 14.
Inhale into the Upward Facing Dog Pose a final time.
Step 15.
Exhale into the Downward Facing Dog Pose a final time.
Stay in this pose for 5 full breaths—1 full breath is an inhale and exhale.
Step 16.
Exhale, bending your knees, look between your hands and step or jump your feet up in between
your hands.
Step 17.
Inhale into the Standing Half Forward Bend again.
Step 18.
Exhale, straightening your legs into the Standing Forward Bend again.
Step 19.
Inhale into the Chair Pose again, bending your knees and shifting your weight back onto
your heels.
Step 20.
Exhale, completing the Sun Salutation by returning to the Mountain Pose.
Now find yourself a real chair and put it to work.
Did you know Ashtanga yoga is supposedly based on a lost book called Yoga Korunta, said to
be written on palm leaves and eaten by ants.