Here's How To Actually Do A Sun Salutation

    Sun salutations are for everyone. Master them and start your day with energy and focus.

    Sun salutations: Amazing first thing in the morning and when you need a mid-afternoon breather.

    You can even use them to warm up for a workout or to move gently on a rest day.

    To show you just how awesome sun salutations are, we asked yoga enthusiast Jessamyn Stanley to demonstrate each pose, talk us through the sequence, and offer some beginner modifications.

    And YogaWorks instructor Keisa Parrish oversaw the project.

    1. Start by standing tall in Tadasana (Mountain pose).

    2. Inhale as you raise your arms straight up and join your palms in Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute).

    3. Exhale as you fold forward in Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold).

    4. Inhale and rise to your fingertips in Ardha Uttanasana (Half-Standing Forward Bend).

    5. Exhale, bend your knees, plant your palms flat, and step back into Plank Pose.

    6. Lower to Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose).

    (If Chaturanga is too challenging, feel free to modify it.)

    7. Inhale as you roll over your toes and press the top of your feet evenly into the ground. Lift your knees and thighs away from the floor into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose).

    8. Exhale and roll your toes back over as you lift your hips into the air. Press them back into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose).

    9. Bend your knees. Exhale and step or jump your feet forward to meet your hands, stepping into Ardha Uttanasana (Half-Standing Forward Bend).

    10. Exhale as you fold over your legs in Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold).

    11. Inhale as you lift your gaze. Extend your arms wide to the sides, lift your chest, and come all the way up to standing in Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute).

    12. Exhale as you release your arms and lower them to your side in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

    When you put the poses all together, the flow should look something like this:

    View this video on YouTube

    youtube.com / Via youtube.com

    Repeat as many sun salutations in a row as you'd like.