Sun salutation A in twelve poses illustrated:

The Sanskrit first, then the English pose, then the directions:

Tadasana, or mountain pose.

It’s like standing up straight but BETTER. Feet together, pointing forward, push into your feet and feel your pelvis rise. Squeeze your quads and feel a nice bend in your knee. Lift your ribcage, roll your shoulders back and down with your fingers pushing into each other at your side

Utthita tadasana or mountain pose hands raised over head.

I like to sweep my hands out to the side, really pulling my arms away from each other, and shift my shoulders once my hands are at shoulder length so that I can keep sweeping up up up until they are reaching the sky, palms touchingi

Uttanasana or forward fold.

Please have a slight bend in the knees! Tilt with your pelvis keeping your spine long (in other words, let your chest lead the way rather than your head). Keep your shoulders plugged in and let your head hang. Let your hands come to somewhere supportive whether it be your thighs, knees, shins, or ground. It would also be nice to use some blocks instead of your knees.

Ardha Uttanasana or half way up monkey.

Come half way up, pushing into your shins with your fingers feeling the elongation of your spine, look down.

Kumbhakasana or plank.

To come into this position from forward fold by bending your knees generously and planting your hands onto the mat. Pointer finger should point to the front of your mat, and spread your fingers wide apart. Put your pressure on the knuckles to alleviate tension from your wrists.

One leg at a time bring your feet back, standing tall on your toes and arms to hands. The aim is to make a straight line from the spine to the toes which you can do by tucking your tailbone slightly. If it feels easy you’re doing it wrong. 😛

Chuttarunga dandasana we just call this chuttarunga,

its like a plank but with your upper arm parallel to the ground. To get into this pose, first press your toes into the mat pushing your shoulders forward so that they are past your fingers. At this point, lower your torso with your elbows pointing behind you and right against your body.

If your elbows sprawl outward, you won’t work the right muscles in your shoulders to gain the strength for arm balancing poses later in your practice. NEVER SKIP THA CHUT!

Buhjangasana or Cobra pose.

Please come all the way down to the mat from chuttarunga dandasana and relax completely onto your belly as you exhale. Inhale and push your chest up, shoulders back by pressing your knuckles into the mat. Keep your pelvis glued to the mat, and keep a bend in your elbows despite how badly you want to straighten them completely. Exhale come all the way back down

Adho mukha svanasana or Downward dog.

Tuck your toes under, start to bend your knees so that they press into the mat. On an inhale push up to the top of a pushup, and then inhale pushing your hips back and up by pushing into your knuckles. Roll your shoulders away from each other AND your forearms so that they are in line with your wrists. It might take you a while to get used to the feeling.

Bend your knees to help give you space to make a straight line from your wrists to your tailbone. Balance your wait from the front and behind to make it easier to stay in this pose. I teach 3 breaths in downward dog in a sun salutation.

After the 3 breaths here, breathe in bend your knees, and look forward. On an exhale, with your hands still on the mat, walk your feet to the front of the mat

Ardha uttanasana or Monkey

push into your shins, elongate your back, look down in this half forward fold

Uttanasana or forward fold,

just like before, tilt your pelvis forward fold as far as is comfortable for you and relax into his pose as you exhale

Utthita tadasana or mountain pose.

Tilt back up with your head leading first and with arms raised over head. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.

Tadasana mountain pose. Relax, take as many breaths here as you desire

Sun Salutation In English:

Mountain
Mountain arms raised
Forward fold
Monkey
Plank
Chutarunga
Cobra
Downward dog
Monkey
Forward fold
Mountain arms raised
Mountain

Intuitive sequencing on your own

Here is a sequence to continue after a few rounds of sun salutations.

they pair really well if you are looking for a full body wake up. Feel free to add or subtract any thing as well. When you practice at home, part of the joy is being in control of where your going a lot of the time. Kind of like ‘homework’ practice between classes at school. I encourage you to think outside of the studio box and let yourself explore without the guidance of a class or recording. If you do please let me know how it changes how you feel about yoga, ok? I’d like to hear if it makes a difference for you, too.

Virabhadasana 2 or warrior 2
Utthita parsvottanasana or side angle stretch
Virabhadrasana 2 or warrior 2
- On each side : its so important to do each side for these

or maybe

parsvottanasana
Virabhadrasana 1 with mudra
Virabhadrasana 1
- On each side

Then meditate or corpse pose savasana

Next day start with sun salutations and mix and match a few different poses

Warrior 2
Side angle stretch
Reverse Warrior
Warrior 2

Warrior 1
Pyramid
Warrior 1 with prayer

Ok, well, i hope this entertained someone out there. Have fun, experiment, and have a nice day!

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