Sun Salutation

How to complete Sun Salutation

Surya Namaskar A is a short chain of about nine poses linked one breath per movement, and knowing it by heart means you can practice yoga anywhere: hotel room, backyard, before a run, with no video or class needed. It is the backbone of every vinyasa class, so memorizing it also makes studio classes easier because you stop watching the teacher and start moving on cue.

1. Learn the pose names and order: Mountain, Upward Salute, Standing Forward Fold, Halfway Lift, Plank, Chaturanga, Upward-Facing Dog, Downward-Facing Dog, then step forward and reverse back to standing.
2. Follow a guided Sun Salutation A video once a day for a week, moving slowly and copying alignment rather than chasing speed.
3. Practice the breath rule until it is automatic: inhale on upward and opening movements, exhale on folds and lowering.
4. Turn the video off and run the sequence from memory, then check afterward whether you skipped a pose.
5. Finish by doing five unprompted rounds in a row at your own breathing pace.

Tips

• Drop your knees in Chaturanga until you can lower with control; a sagging low back builds a habit that is hard to unlearn.
• Five slow rounds beat fifteen rushed ones; your breath is the metronome.
• Practice at the same time daily, ideally right after waking, so the sequence attaches to an existing routine.
• Learn Sun Salutation A solidly before attempting B, which adds Chair Pose and Warrior I.

What counts as done

You can flow through at least three consecutive rounds entirely from memory, cued only by your breath, with no video or teacher.