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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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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.

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.

Parker Posey Is a Fan of Ashtanga Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Ashtanga Yoga is one of my favorite types of yoga, and according to People magazine, Parker Posey is a big fan too. She says, "It centers me. I like the community," and I totally agree.

The thing that's so great about Ashtanga is that you can step into any class, and it'll be the same no matter what studio or state you're in. That's because this type of yoga follows a sequence known as Primary Series, that never changes. It includes Sun Salutations (five A's and five B's), standing postures such as Triangle, seated postures such as Butterfly, the entire Closing Sequence, and ends with Savasana. The flow of the postures is guided by ujayii breath, and each posture is linked with a series of movements known as a vinyasa, so you're always moving. Primary Series is mostly about poses that stretch your hamstrings, but Ashtanga has another series (that some think is more advanced) known as Second Series, that involves backbends and arm balancing poses.

If you're a runner, dancer, athlete, or someone who likes to work hard and sweat a lot, you'll love Ashtanga yoga. It will strengthen your muscles and increase flexibility in every area of your body. If you can't make it to a class, check out this DVD.

Source

Get Mountain Ready With Ashtanga Yoga

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:30:00 -0800

Now that Winter is in full force, I'm sure many of you spend your weekends skiing or snowboarding. Nothing beats the excitement and anticipation of standing at the top of a white mountain and looking down the slope. However, an exhilarating day on the mountain can leave you very sore and achy the next day.

If you take the time to lengthen and strengthen your legs and core before heading to the slopes, you can seriously decrease the delayed onset muscle (DOMS) you experience the day after boarding or skiing. Let me tell you, Ashtanga Yoga can help get you mountain ready, especially the Primary Series. This sequence of set postures, involves tons of poses that stretch and strengthen your quads, hamstrings, hips, shoulders, and lower back. These are the areas skiers and boarders need to focus on, and stretching and strengthening them can prevent injury, as well as make you stronger and more in control when you hit the mountain.

In the Primary Series, you practice both Sun Salutation A and B, which are great for warming up heading up the lift. Other great poses in the Primary Series are: Warrior 1 and 2, Seated Straddle, and Head to Knee. These poses help increase your flexibility and build endurance. Ashtanga is perfect for inflexible athletes who like to sweat and work every muscle.

Fit's Tips: Check out your local yoga studio to see if the offer Primary Series classes or beginners workshops. If they don't, check out this awesome Primary Series DVD. Also check out my videos of Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Fierce

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Now that we've learned Ashtanga Yoga's Sun Salutation A, we can move onto the poses in Sun Salutation B. It begins with a pose called Fierce. You might have also heard it called Chair pose.

I love this pose because it really works your core muscles, quads, and glutes. It also stretches out your calves, so if you're a runner or love wearing high heels, this pose will do wonders for you.

Begin at the front of your mat in Mountain pose.

As you inhale a breath, bend your knees, drop your hips, and lift your arms up overhead. Now you're in Fierce pose. That's it.

Try to shift some weight into your heels and tuck your tail bone in (don't stick your butt out). In Sun Salutation B, you hold this for half a breath, but you can also stay in this pose for 5 or more breaths.

Fit's Tips: I like to hang out in this pose and practice lifting up my toes (keeping weight on the ball of your foot) for a few breaths, and then lifting up my heels for a few breaths. This pose can quickly feel intense, which is another reason why I love Fierce pose - I love to "feel the burn."

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.

Class Act: Ashtanga Yoga's Primary Series

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:00:00 -0800

When you go to an Ashtanga Yoga class for the first time, you'll probably be learning Primary Series. In Sanskrit it is known as "Yoga Chikitsa" which means Yoga Therapy. Its purpose is to re-align the spine, detoxify the body, build strength, and increase flexibility.

The room is about 80°F, so your muscles can easily warm up. The instructor talks you though each pose and counts the breaths, so everyone is moving together in unison. (It's pretty amazing to see and experience.) The class is the same every time and anywhere. So if you love Primary Series, you can even find a class when you're travelling.

The basic sequence is as follows:

5 Sun Salutation A
5 Sun Salutation B
Standing Postures
Seated Postures
Closing Sequence (inversions and backbends)
Savasana (10 minute relaxation)

Want to know what makes it different from other kinds of Yoga? Then read more

The poses are linked together with vinyasas, or mini-Sun Salutations. Your breath (called ujayi) is loud and throaty, kind of like Darth Vader. Each inhale and exhale is linked to a movement, so Primary Series is a moving meditation, kind of like a dance.

Primary Series is excellent for runners, bikers, skiers, and riders because it involves a ton of forward bends to help loosen up your tight hips, hamstrings and the lower back. You warm up your muscles, really work them, and sweat a river. It's really difficult physically, so at the end of the 1 1/2 hour class, when you're lying in Savasana, you feel like you have taken quite a journey.

Fit's Tips: So you don't feel overwhelmed, it's a good idea to check out the poses ahead of time. Many studios encourage you to watch a class first. Or you can check out these helpful guides to learn the poses, and find out more about Ashtanga Yoga in general.

You Asked: How Can I Start Getting Into Yoga?

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 11:45:00 -0800

You're asking and I'm answering.

Dear FitSugar,

I recently decided that yoga would be something I'd like to try. I understand that taking a class to learn the basics is important and a good way to see if I would like it or not, but I am just terribly shy and would much rather start this practice at home. How should I go about starting my own practice? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

-Yogini in the Making Margaret

I totally understand being a little apprehensive about walking into a yoga class for the first time. So before you jump right in, I recommend renting or buying some beginner yoga DVDs. Try a couple different styles to see which one appeals to your needs.

To see a short list of my favorites and a few more pieces of advice just read more:

Shiva Rea - Radiant Heart Yoga: This Vinyasa-style DVD is extremely slow and gentle. It incorporates a lot of basic postures and touches on the spiritual aspect of yoga.

Beryl Bender Birch -The Practice: This incredibly patient instructor demonstrates and talks you through the poses of primary series in Ashtanga Yoga. This style of yoga is pretty fast paced and focuses on opening the hips, hamstrings, and lower back, so it's great for runners, skiers, and other active folks.

Power Yoga - Total Body (with Rodney Yee): A Vinyasa-style workout that's a little more challenging than the Radiant Heart DVD.

You can also check out these FitSugar videos: Sun Salutation A, Sun Salutation B, Fierce Sequence, Stretch Those Tight Hips and Hamstrings and Jump Through With Blocks.

Those are all great to start out with, and as soon as you feel comfortable, I suggest taking a beginning level class. You'll practice along with other people who've never tried yoga before, and the instructor will explain things thoroughly, demonstrate the pose slowly, and answer any questions you may have. You'll learn so much more from watching other people practicing and by listening to their questions. Plus the instructor will be able to let you know if you're doing the poses correctly (so you avoid injury). I hope this helps!

Source

Yoga Video: Fierce Sequence

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:15:00 -0800

If you love squats, hiking, climbing stairs, and other exercises that make your thighs and buns burn, then this is the sequence for you. It starts with Fierce pose, which you'll recognize from Sun Salutation B, and moves on to some variations that are sure to strengthen your lower body.

Music: "Devata" by Material