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Back to Basics: Sun Salutation B

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:00:00 PST

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.

Yoga Video: Sun Salutation B

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:30:00 PDT

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 PDT

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

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.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Fierce

FitSugar — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:28:00 PDT

After learning Ashtanga Yoga's Sun Salutation A, it's time to learn the poses in Sun Salutation B. It begins with a pose called Fierce, which may look easy but is a killer move for your thighs and glutes when done correctly. It also strengthens your core and stretches your calves, so it's an essential move for runners and high-heel wearers alike.

Sanskrit Name: Utkatasana
English Translation: Fierce Pose
Also Called: Chair Pose

Stand with your feet together in Mountain Pose. Bend your knees and lower your hips as you raise your arms overhead.
Focus on sitting back into your heels to relieve pressure from your knees and to target the thighs and glutes. Tuck your tailbone in and engage your abs, keeping your spine straight. Roll your shoulder blades back and down away from your ears to release any tension in the neck or upper body, and gaze up toward the ceiling.
Stay like this for five breaths.

Salute the Sun: A Morning Yoga Playlist

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:24:46 PDT

Sun Salutation can mark a beautiful, introspective time in your day, and I'm a huge fan of employing the help of some happy, sunny tunes to get me motivated and centered. Starting a day with even just 20 minutes on the mat can make a big difference in how you look at the world around you. If your morning practice is feeling a little tired - or like me, you've literally fallen asleep on your mat in the morning! - try out these tunes to see if something new will work. I've got you covered, whether you're into the smooth, sweet sounds of Norah Jones, or old school soul like Bill Withers is your style. And if you're feeling particularly down in the dumps, hear me out and allow me to suggest some Styx. I once had a teacher kick off a morning vinyasa class with this tune, and the whole class started cracking up. But at about 30 seconds in, the happy energy in the room was basically palpable!

Find out how to do a Sun Salutation A sequence here or a Sun Salutation B sequence here.

Keep reading to see the full 10 tracks on the list.

7 Things That Annoy Your Yoga Instructor

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:59:40 PST

Yoga instructors are some of the kindest, most caring, most forgiving people on the planet, but that doesn't mean they can't get bothered by a student's behavior in class. Here are seven things you don't want to do in front of your yoga instructor.

Talking during class: It's disruptive and inconsiderate to the other students in class trying to focus and relax, but it also means you're not giving your own practice the attention it deserves. If you feel the need to catch up with a friend, make plans to do something after class ends.
Ringing cell phone, or worse - answering it: Everyone is quietly moving through Sun Salutations and all of a sudden a phone rings and shatters the serenity. Always remember to turn your ringer off. If you're expecting an important phone call that can't be missed, place your phone on vibrate next to your mat and be sure to take the call outside.
Coming to class sick to sweat out your germs: No one wants to breathe in your germs. The teacher especially doesn't want to assist you if you're sick and absolutely can't stand when you leave your snotty tissues on the floor next to your mat. Take this opportunity to explore your home practice; return to the studio when you're healthy.

Keep reading to find out what else annoys your yoga instructor.

Winter Running Woe: Numb Toes

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:02:06 PST

If you'd rather skip a run than hit the treadmill, then there's no doubt you're continuing with your outdoor runs even through this brisk and snowy Winter weather. That doesn't mean you're not dealing with some discomfort along the way. I've given you some tips on how to beat burning lungs, but if it's your feet that are bothering you, here are some ways to avoid numb toes.

First, consider your socks. You can't get away with wearing the same thin, ankle-length wicking socks you sported in the warmer months. Splurge on some thicker knee-highs; socks made of wool will keep your feet warm and dry. Be sure your socks aren't too tight as that can cut off circulation (go up a size to be sure). You can also try compression socks to improve circulation in your feet and legs.

If you're already wearing thicker socks, you'll probably want to go up half a size in your sneaks to accommodate the extra fabric. If you don't, the snug fit of your shoe might be the sole cause of your tingling feeling. Choose sneakers designed for colder, wetter weather (think waterproof Gore-tex) to protect your toes from the snow. Tie your shoes slightly looser because as you warm up, your feet will swell, and too-tight laces can cause that annoying numb sensation.

Continue reading for more tips on avoiding numb feet.

What Not to Do in Chair Pose

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:55:28 PST

Whether you have five or 50 yoga classes under your capris, Chair pose (aka Fierce) is one of the many basic postures you'll strike just about as often as Down Dog since it's the first pose in Sun Salutation B. As a yoga instructor, I've noticed some major no-nos that you'll want to avoid to prevent discomfort and to make sure you're getting the most out of the pose.

Weight too far forward: When you bend your knees and lower your hips into the pose, pretend you're about to sit down in an imaginary chair. This will remind you to keep your body weight back into your heels. Give your toes a little wiggle to make sure you're shifting toward the back of your feet and to release tension in your forefoot. Shifting back into your heels works your glutes and thighs more and will also prevent strain on the knees.

Keep reading to find out other mistakes you're making doing Chair pose.

Sweat 15 Minutes a Day and Add Three Years to Your Life, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:18:41 PDT

If your busy schedule doesn't allow for the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise, a large study from Taiwan should make you feel better. The 13-year study tracked 416,000 participants and found that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise increased their life expectancy by three years, compared to those who didn't exercise. Daily workouts lower the incidence of cancer, and therefore lower the risk of cancer-related deaths.

Now who wouldn't dedicate 15 minutes a day if they could live longer? If you need some ideas for 15-minute mini workouts, check out the list below:

Walk your dog briskly around the neighborhood.
Head to the track and walk a mile, going around four times at a pace of four miles per hour (15 minutes per mile).
Run one and a half miles at a pace of 10 minutes per mile.
Do a mini interval workout on the elliptical or treadmill. Start off walking for two minutes, jog for two minutes, sprint for one minute, jog two, sprint one, jog two, sprint one, jog two, and end with two minutes of walking.

Keep reading for more 15-minute workout ideas.

Work Out With Beyoncé

Self — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 05:13:30 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Queen B released her fourth album - appropriately titled 4 - yesterday and, surprisingly, it's more slow-burning ballads than booty-shaking anthems. Still, the always-inspiring singer knows how to motivate us in the gym.

Beyonce, who has graced our cover no less than three times, has told us plenty about how she gets her bootylicious bod into shape. When she's gearing up for a tour (she killed it at England's Glastonbury Festival just this weekend), she works out five days a week with her trainer, and practices her choreography for nine hours a day, seven days a week--while wearing 5-inch stilettos. Her just-keep-going secret? The singer keeps a painting of an Oscar at the gym, so she's literally running towards her next goal. "I look at it, and I'm like OK, I have to stay in shape," she says. So download B's latest album, stick a picture of the chart-topper in your iPod case for extra motivation and hit the gym with this exclusive workout inspired by the singer.

Cardio
First, let's start with the cardio: for a quick, 15-minute warm-up that will get your heart pumping, kick off your jog with the Kelly Clarkson-channeling kiss-off "Best Thing I Never Had," followed by the percussion-driven "End of Time," the reggae-tinged, high-energy "Countdown" and, of course, B's new anthem, "Run The World (Girls)."

Get the rest of the workout after the break!