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Back to Basics: Sun Salutation A

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:30:00 -0800

In honor of the Winter Solstice, I thought we could use a little light from the yoga world. So take a few minutes to pay attention to your breath and follow this Sun Salutation A sequence. The Sanskrit word for Sun Salutation is Surya Namaskar. Surya means "Sun," and "Namaskar" is a greeting of honor and respect to the divinity present in each one of us. In yoga studios across the world, many celebrate the Winter Solstice by performing 108 Sun Salutations, a practice called Mala. So welcome Winter and say hello to the sun with Sun Salutation A.

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A Week of the Happy Healthy You: FitSugar Roundup

FitSugar — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Want to get active? Then check out Get Active America to see if a gym near you is participating in open houses next weekend.

Now that it is the weekend, why not try the Sun Salutation. The video will take you through the moves, and your body will feel great after a few repetitions.

I want to know which celebrity diet you identify with the most.

Do you know the importance of interval training and why you should be doing it once a week.

Is it true or false SPF 30 has twice as much sun protection as SPF 15? Take the quiz.

Consumer Reports rated 8 popular diet plans and 7 diet books. The findings are interesting, if not predictable.

Looking for an at home workout you can do in 10 minutes?

I am curious if you go to a chiropractor?

For all you mothers out there - get or give the gift of sleep this Mother's Day.

Looking for a Farmers' Market near you? Here's a great site that lists markets by city and state.

I want to hear what you have to say: Are celebs "fit" to sell clothes?

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Yoga Video: Sun Salutation A

FitSugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

I know I've already described Sun Salutation A to you, but seeing it in action makes it much easier to learn, so follow along with me.

It's a great warm-up for running or biking, or a gentle way to wake up in the morning so you can ditch your usual cup of coffee (OK, well, maybe not, but it's worth a shot).

Music: Transform by T.J. Rehmi

Strike a Yoga Pose: Sun Salutation A

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:45:00 -0700

We've finally learned all the poses that make up Sun Salutation A, so we can link them all together.

The Sanskrit word for Sun Salutation is Surya Namaskar. Surya means "Sun," and "Namaskar" is a greeting of honor and respect to the divinity present in each one of us. In case you were curious, the word "Namaste" comes from the word "Namaskar," and is used as a greeting and a way to give praise. When you go to a yoga class, at the end the teacher often says "Namaste," as a way to say "thank you," "be well," and "goodbye."

Doing Sun Salutations is a way of respecting the Sun and the Earth, and all it has offered us. It's also a way to warm up the body and get your muscles ready to do deeper stretching and more difficult yoga postures. You'll work every part of your body doing Sun Salutation A - your arms, shoulders, neck, spine, hamstrings, calves, and feet.

When you take an Ashtanga yoga class, it always begins with the opening chant, and then 5 Sun Salutation As in a row. In other types of yoga, they usually do variations on a sun salutation, so parts of this series may look familiar to you.

Do you want to see what Sun Salutation A looks like? Then read more

Start at the front of your mat in Mountain pose, bringing your awareness inward, and following your breath. This is the pose you're in when you do the opening chant. It's a prep pose for Sun Salutation A.
Release you arms to the sides of the body. This is a variation of Mountain pose, and the 1st pose in Sun Salutation A.
Inhale as you raise your arms up overhead and gaze at your palms.
Exhale as you dive out and come into a Standing Forward Bend.
Inhale to look up and lengthen your spine.
As you exhale, step or jump back and come into 4 Limbed Staff pose.
Inhale as you scoop your chest forward into Upward Facing Dog pose.
Exhale into Downward Facing Dog. Stay here for 5 complete breaths. Inhale...Exhale...1, Inhale...Exhale...2, etc.
After 5 breaths, on your next inhale, step or hop the feet forward between your hands.
Exhale into Standing Forward Bend.
Inhale and raise your arms up overhead, looking at your hands.
Exhale your arms down. Sun Salutation A begins and ends with this pose. To do another one, inhale your arms up and continue through the entire sequence again. In an Ashtanga yoga class, they do it 5 times, but you can do Sun Salutation A as many times as you like.

Fit's Tips: In the mornings when I have time, I love to do a few Sun Salutation As to help me wake up. Each pose feels better than the next. I'll hold each pose for a few breaths since my muscles feel stiff from not moving them for 8 hours.

Strike A Pose: Sun Salutation B

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:15:00 -0700

When you take an Ashtanga yoga class, it always begins with the opening chant, then 5 Sun Salutation As in a row, and then 5 Sun Salutation Bs. In other types of yoga, they usually do variations on these sun salutations, so parts of this series may look familiar to you.

Sun Salutation B has just a few more poses than Sun Salutation A. I love to do this as a way to warm up before a run or bike ride. It works the entire body slowly, so it gradually heats up your shoulders, back, hamstrings, core, calves, fingers, toes, and hips. After 5 of these Sun Salutations, my breath feels even, my mind feels calm, my muscles feel alive, and my body feels ready to do more intense poses.

Do you want to see what Sun Salutation B looks like? Then read more

Start at the front of your mat in Mountain pose, bringing your awareness inward, and following your breath. This is the pose you're in when you do the opening chant. It's a prep pose for Sun Salutation B.
Release your arms to the sides of the body. This is a variation of Mountain pose.
Inhale, bend your knees, drop your hips, lift your arms up overhead and gaze at your hands. This is called Fierce.
Exhale as you dive out and come into a Standing Forward Bend.
Inhale to look up and lengthen your spine.
As you exhale, step or jump back and come into 4 Limbed Staff pose.
Inhale as you scoop your chest forward into Upward Facing Dog pose.
Exhale into Downward Facing Dog.
As you inhale, step your right foot forward between your hands and come into Warrior 1
Exhale, release your arms down, step your right leg back and come into 4 Limbed Staff pose.
Inhale as you scoop your chest forward into Upward Facing Dog pose.
Exhale into Downward Facing Dog.
As you inhale, step your left foot forward between your hands and come into Warrior 1.
Exhale, release your arms down, step your left foot back and come into 4 Limbed Staff pose.
Inhale as you scoop your chest forward into Upward Facing Dog.
Exhale into Downward Facing Dog. Stay here for 5 complete slow breaths. Inhale...Exhale...1, Inhale...Exhale...2, etc.
After 5 breaths, on your next inhale, step or hop the feet forward between your hands.
Exhale into Standing Forward Bend.
Inhale as you bend your knees and come into Fierce.
Exhale your arms down. Sun Salutation B begins and ends with this pose. To do another one, inhale your arms up and continue through the entire sequence again. In an Ashtanga yoga class, they do it 5 times, but you can do Sun Salutation B as many times as you like.

Back to Basics: Sun Salutation B

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Yoga poses are great to do on their own, but the magic really happens when you link poses together in a sequence. If you loved Sun Salutation A, or the Lower Body Sequence, then I think you will really enjoy Sun Salutation B. It works the entire body slowly and gradually heats up your shoulders, back, hamstrings, abs, calves, and hips. After five of these Sun Salutations, your breath will feel even, your mind calm, and your body will feel ready to run or try more challenging yoga poses.

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Spring Equinox - Celebrate With 108 Sun Salutations

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:54:18 -0700

In yoga studios across the world, today, March 21, is a special day. The Spring Equinox represents a change in seasons, and it is celebrated by doing 108 Sun Salutations. (Here are the first 5 poses in Sun Salutation A).

Typically this ritual is performed 4 times a year, with the start of each season, to acknowledge the changing world around us. It usually takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to complete.

The 108 salutation practice is named Mala, representing the 108 mala beads (prayer beads). There are many reasons for the Hindu and Buddhist belief in the sacredness of the number 108.

There were initially 54 sounds in the Sanskrit alphabet: 2 X 54 = 108
There are 108 Upanishads, which are part of the oldest scriptural texts of Hinduism. They primarily focus on philosophy, meditation, and the nature of God.
There are 108 names for Hindu deities.
The distance between the earth and sun is 108 times the diameter of the sun, therefore, the number 108 is taken to represent the "distance" from the devotee to the divine.
Some say there are 108 feelings: 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

Some people believe that doing 108 Sun Salutations is a way of breaking out of the darkness that accumulated from the long winter. It's a way of "spring cleaning," your body and your mind.

Fit's Tips: If you are interested in being a part of this incredible tradition, ask your local yoga studio if they are offering a special Spring Equinox class. Some studios do it today on March 21, and others have a special class to celebrate on the weekend. I speak from experience when I say that this was a powerful, not to mention physically challenging experience, one I will always remember.

Yoga Video: Sun Salutation B

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:30:00 -0700

In honor of the summer solstice and the first day of Summer, let's do Sun Salutation B. This video will walk you through the entire sequence once, but I definitely recommend doing it about 5 times. That way you'll give your body a chance to warm up and stretch out.

Music: Solar Spirit by Asiatronic

Fit's Tips If you don't have much time, but still want to do a short yoga session, do 5 Sun Salutations A's and 5 Sun Salutation B's. It's the perfect warm up to begin your day or before a run.

Move it at Home: Shiva Rea - Sun Salutations DVD

FitSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:45:00 -0700

I'm a huge fan of Shiva Rea. I love her serene yet inspiring energy in her yoga DVD Fluid Power. So I was really excited to check out the DVD Sun Salutations.

This DVD goes back to the basics, and she demonstrates how to do variations of Sun Salutations. You can choose from 5 short video segments: "classic practice," "surya namaskar A & B," "dancing warrior 1 & 2," "dancing warrior 3 & 4," and "lunar flow." Each one is only about 10-20 minutes long so you can easily fit one into your day. They can help gently wake you up for a quick morning practice. They're also a nice way to unwind in the evening. I also love doing Sun Salutations right before a run - it helps to warm my muscles up, and focus my mind.

Shiva Rea is well-known for her passionate teaching style. She describes the details of the various postures in a way that it easy to follow. Also, the videography of her DVDs surpass all others I've seen. She chooses the most amazing sites for filming. The image is so crisp and breathtaking - I feel like I'm there with her.

I definitely recommend this DVD ($14.99 through Amazon) to beginners and people looking to relieve stress. Following Shiva Rea's unique and slow flow of postures and listening to her sultry voice and the sensual music makes me feel an incredible sense of peace and openness.

Strike a Yoga Pose: 4-Limbed Staff

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

4-Limbed Staff pose, also called Chaturanga Dandasana in Sanskrit, is one of the toughest yoga poses to hold. It works yours abs, your back, and your upper arms and shoulders intensively. The thing about doing this pose, is once you get the right technique and you practice it a lot, it'll get easier.

We always do this pose in Sun Salutation A and B, and in between poses, so you'll get to do it a lot during a yoga class.

From Standing Forward Bend pose, you're going to inhale, straighten your arms and back, and look up. You can bend your knees so that you can place your palms flat on the ground.
Bend your knees slightly and step your right foot all the way back and then your left, so that your body is in one straight line. (You can also jump both feet back together). You want your shoulders directly above your wrists. This is called Plank pose. It's like the top of a push-up.
As you exhale, bend your elbows straight behind you so they brush against the sides of your body. You want to try to keep your body parallel to the ground. Draw your belly button up towards your spine to protect your lower back. Work on keeping your shoulders parallel with your elbows. This is called 4-Limbed Staff pose

Eventually the three moves all flow together with no breaks or holds in between, so you go from looking up in the the Standing Forward Bend (1st photo), straight into 4-Limbed Staff pose (3rd photo). Practice bending your knees and jumping both feet back at the same time, and lowering your body, all in one exhale.