Sun Salutation B - Yoga for beginners - Joschi schwarz

Hi, I am Joschi and I am a Master Teacher for Vinyasa Flow style yoga. Today I would like to talk about Sun Salutation B. If you are pressed for time and are looking for a single exercise to stay fit, Sun Salutations are the answer. Sun salutations are a key part of any vinyasa or flow style yoga class and can also be a complete practice in and of itself. You may not even realize that you are doing them, but many teachers use sun salutations and variations thereof as a part of the warm-up. The breath is a very important part of this sequence and the movement from one pose into the next is always done in connection with an inhale or exhale, so don't forget to breathe! Sun salutations are considered the best part of all Yoga exercises because they stretch and compress many of the major muscles in the body, as well as the digestive and respiratory organs while distributing energy throughout the system. Did you know that Sun Salutations refresh the skin and prevent hair loss and graying. A lot of times students ask me when to practice sun salutations. Yogis say, early mornings at sunrise are the best time, but really you can practice them at any time. Now, let me explain Sun Salutation B pose by pose and then we'll practice together and flow through the sequence one breath, one movement. So please come to the top of your mat. If you don't have a mat, make sure you have space behind you. We begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand with both feet together. Legs active. Spine long. Engage the bandhas. Breathe deeply and find your center. INHALE, bend your knees and raise your arms alongside the ears into Utkatasana (Chair Pose). Fill the lungs fully and gaze towards your thumbs. EXHALE, straighten your legs and fold forward into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). Pull your belly button in and pull your chest towards your knees. If you feel tightness in the backside of your legs, keep your knees slightly bent. INHALE, lengthen your spine into Ardha Uttanasana (Half Standing Forward Bend). In this pose the gaze is lifted, the spine is extended and the fingertips can stay on the floor or rise to the shins. EXHALE, step, jump or float back and lower down into a low push up position (Chaturanga Dandasana). Keep your legs straight and push back into your heels. Keep your core engaged and your elbows close to your ribcage. You build heat in the center of your body as you move through this challenging posture. INHALE, straighten the arms and roll onto the tops of the feet. Engage the legs, but relax your glutes and lift the chest high into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog). Direct energy out from your heart. Pull your shoulders back and down and open your chest and you heart center. EXHALE, roll over your toes and lift your hips up into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). Ground down through your hands and feet as you lengthen your spine from the sacrum through the top of your head. Reach your sit bones up towards the heavens, so you look like an inverted V. INHALE, step your right foot forward in between your hands, pivot the left heel down and press the outer edge of your foot down. Keep your hips square, raise up into Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose) with your arms alongside the ears. EXHALE, frame your front foot with your hands, step the right foot back and lower your body down to (Chaturanga Dandasana / Low Push-Up). INHALE, straighten the arms and roll onto the tops of the feet. Engage the legs, but relax your glutes and lift the chest high into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog). Pull your shoulders back and down and open your chest and heart center. EXHALE, roll over your toes and lift your hips up back into Down Dog. INHALE, step your left foot forward in between your hands, pivot the right heel down and press the outer edge of the foot down. Raise up into Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose). EXHALE, lower your hands back to the floor on either side of the front foot, step your left foot back and lower your body down in (Chaturanga Dandasana / Low Push-Up). INHALE, straighten the arms and roll onto the tops of the feet. Engage the legs, but relax the glutes. Lift your chest back up into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog). EXHALE, roll over your toes and lift your hips up into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose). Remember, reach your sit bones up towards the heavens, so you look like an inverted V. Stay in Downward-Facing Dog for 5 breaths. At the bottom of your fifth exhalation, bend your knees, lift your heals, look in between your hands and step, jump or float your feet in between your hands. INHALE, lengthen your spine and return to Ardha Uttanasana and as you exhale let it go and fold back into Uttanasana, hollowing out your belly. INHALE, bend your knees and raise both arms into Utkatasana. Remember fill the lungs and set your gaze. EXHALE, return to Tadasana, your home base. You can remain here for a few breaths, feeling the movement of energy throughout your body, or continue on to your next salute. Let's connect and practice all asanas of Sun Salutation B together in one flow with alternating in- and exhalations. Start in Tadasana. Sit back into Utkatasana. Exhale fold over - Standing Forward Fold. Inhale come halfway up and with the exhalation bring your hands back to the mat. Jump or step to the back into Low-Push-Up - Chaturangua. Inhale Upward Facing Dog, with the exhalation push to the back - Downward Facing Dog. Lift your right foot up, send your right foot in between your hands, inhale lift your arms up next to the ears into Warrior 1, Virabhadrasana 1. Hands down, step to the back, back to Low-Push-Up, Chaturangua. Inhale Upward Facing Dog, exhale push to the back, Downward Facing Dog. Lift your left foot up, send your left foot in between your hands, lift your arms next to the ears, breathe in, Warrior 1, Virabhadrasana 1. Hands down, step your left foot to the back, Chaturangua - your low push-up. Inhale Upward Facing Dog, exhale push to the back, Downward Facing Dog. Stay here for 5 breaths. At the bottom of your fifth exhalation, lift your heals, bend your knees, jump or step forward. Halfway up, breathe in, exhale down. Inhale come back into your Chair, back into Utkatasana and from here back to your home base, back to Tadasana. So now you know a little bit more about Sun Salutation B. My name is Joschi, you also can find me on the web, joschinyc.com and I will see you next time.