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TwitThisThe Sun Salutation
A series of 12 graceful, flowing postures, the Sun Salutations are considered the core of yoga practice. Each position counteracts the one before, stretching and strengthening the body in a different way, so that by the time you’re finished, you feel limber and energized from head to toe.Still think yoga is too strange or foreign to take seriously as a treatment for your heart? Perhaps this will change your opinion: Renowned cardiovascular expert Dean Ornish, M.D., director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, includes the Sun Salutations in his program for reversing heart disease!
One round of Sun Salutations consists of two sequences, first leading with the right foot (during stepping poses) and the second leading with the left. If you’re new to yoga, some of these poses may be too challenging at first, so do the modifications until you feel more comfortable. Also, if you have existing heart problems, these moves may be too strenuous and are not recommended unless approved by your doctor.
How often you practice the Sun Salutations is entirely up to you. Yoga lovers sometimes do 12 routines a day, but you can calm stress, increase flexibility, and improve your general well-being by doing them as little as once a week. Remember to breathe evenly and fluidly throughout, inhaling and exhaling as you initiate each move. With practice, the 12 steps of the Sun Salutations will flow together as one continuous exercise. Be sure to perform the routine on a comfortably cushioned surface, such as a mat or carpeted floor.
Step Mountain Pose
Stand straight with your feet about hip-width apart and your hands either at your sides or in prayer position in front of your chest. Raise your toes and spread them wide, then place them back on the floor. Your weight should be distributed evenly across the bottom of each foot so you feel grounded, not leaning forward or back. Exhale.
Step 2
Overhead ReachInhale as you sweep your arms out to the sides and high overhead until your palms are together. Stretch upward, allowing the fullest expansion of your chest, then arch backward and look up at your hands. Hold the position for a few seconds with your body in pose, holding your breath and keeping your eyes focused and your mind silent.
Step 3
Forward FoldExhale as you gently bend forward from the waist, keeping your palms together, tucking your head, and keeping your back straight and long.
When you’ve bent as far forward as comfortably possible, grasp the backs of your legs (anywhere from the ankles to the thighs), bend your elbows, and very gently tuck your chin to your chest and move your upper body toward your legs. Hold for a few breaths.
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