SUN SALUTATIONS

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(No Transcript)
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SUN SALUTATIONS
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MOUNTAIN POSEEXTENDED MOUNTAIN (Baby Back Bend)

• FUNCTION postural alignment spinal extension
• Breath inhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (from Mountain
  Pose)
• Arms reach over head
• Shoulders drop away from ears
• Tail tucks downward
• Belly draws in

• Ribs lift off hips
• Chest opens upward
• Spine extends back

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FORWARD FOLD

• FUNCTION spinal lengthening and release gentle
  hamstring stretch
• Breath exhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Belly draws in
• Knees bend softly
• Chest reaches forward and down
• Body folds over thighs
• Head relaxes down
• Eyes look to knees

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LUNGE

• FUNCTION here, it sets the distance for your
  Down Dog placement it creates length down the
  front and back of the body
• Breath inhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Right leg steps as far back as comfortable
• Front knee sits over ankle
• Back thigh lifts up
• Chest opens wide

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DOWN DOG

• FUNCTION both dynamic and restful spinal
  alignment and length overall flexible strength
• Breath exhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Front foot steps back
• Feet hip-distance apart
• Tail bone/sit bones lift high
• Hands press into floor
• Shoulders lift away from ears
• Spine lengthens upward to the tail
• Inner thighs press back
• Heels drop downward

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PLANK

• FUNCTION upper and lower body integration
  builds upper body and core strength (postural
  awareness)
• Breath Inhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Chest slides forward
• Shoulders stack over hands
• Think Mountain Pose... posture
• Belly draws in
• Knees drop down (option)

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CROCODILE

• FUNCTION full body stabilization upper body
  strength and posture
• Breath exhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Chest moves forward
• Body lowers down
• Elbows squeeze inward
• Shoulders draw back and down

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UP DOG

• FUNCTION stretches the front of the body
  strengthens upper body (arms, shoulders, back)
  encourages spinal length
• Breath inhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Chest curls upwards
• Butt squeezes (to protect the back)
• Feet press down
• Thighs lift off the ground
• Hands press down
• Shoulders roll back collarbones widen
• Eyes look straight ahead

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DOWN DOG

• FUNCTION both dynamic and restful spinal
  alignment and length overall flexible strength
• Breath exhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Belly draws in
• Hips lift up and back
• Arms press away from the ground
• Inner thighs reach for the back wall
• (see previous Down Dog description for more
  details)

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LUNGE

• FUNCTION creates length down the front and back
  of the body
• Breath inhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Right leg springs forward between hands
• Knee stacks over ankle
• Chest lifts up
• Shoulders draw back
• Back leg lifts up

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FORWARD FOLD

• FUNCTION spinal lengthening and release gentle
  hamstring stretch
• Breath exhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Back foot steps forward
• Belly draws in
• Knees bend/soften
• Hips tilt forward
• Spine lengthens downward

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EXTENDED MOUNTAIN POSE

• FUNCTION postural alignment spinal extension
• Breath inhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (from Forward
  Fold)
• Knees bend
• Butt sits back
• Belly draws in
• Head reaches forward
• Arms reach wide
• Chest lifts
• Spine extends upwards

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MOUNTAIN POSE

• FUNCTION postural alignment spinal extension
• Breath exhale
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Arms release down to sides
• Body resets in Mountain Pose

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STANDING STRENGTH
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WARRIOR 1

• FUNCTION lower body strength internal hip
  rotation to balance the pelvis back leg hip
  flexor/psoas stretch spinal extension
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (assuming
  lengthwise orientation)
• Right foot steps as far back as comfortable

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WARRIOR 1 continued

• Heel anchors down
• Outer edge of foot presses away
• Back thigh lifts upward
• Hips square up to the front
• Glutes tuck down (to protect lower back)
• Belly draws in
• Chest lifts upward
• Arms extend overhead
• Shoulders draw down the back

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EXTENDED WARRIOR 1

• FUNCTION increased core work (as the body
  lengthens forward from Warrior 1) back leg works
  harder to stay grounded (also a challenge for
  ankle/foot stability)
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (moving from
  Warrior 1)
• Belly draws in (for support)
• Chest reaches forward
• Back heel presses down
• Body extends diagonally
• Arms reach long

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WARRIOR 2

• FUNCTION lower body strength (glutes,
  hamstrings, quads) hip opener upper body
  posture
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (assuming
  horizontal orientation)
• Feet step wide
• Toes turn to the right
• Front knee bends over ankle, in line with center
  of foot

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WARRIOR 2 continued

• Back heel presses away
• Back thigh lifts upward
• Glutes tuck under
• Inner thighs open wide
• Hips, ribs and shoulders stack up vertically
• Shoulders roll back and down
• Arms extend wide to the sides
• Eyes gaze down the front arm

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EXTENDED WARRIOR 2

• FUNCTION increases workload of lower body
  muscles as you drop deeper... hamstrings lifting
  up from underneath and glutes working to maintain
  knee alignment upper body weight dropping to the
  side increases the work of the oblique muscles
  back leg works harder to stay grounded (also a
  challenge for foot and ankle stability)
• Breath

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EXTENDED WARRIOR 2 continued

• Body Part and Direction setup cues (moving from
  Warrior 2)
• Front arm reaches to the side
• Ribs extend over front thigh
• Elbow rests down on top of knee
• Top arm reaches long over head
• Shoulder draws down and back
• Bottom ribs move forward
• Body extends diagonally

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TRIANGLE POSE

• FUNCTION lower body strength hip opener
  stretch over the top hip (IT band) and down the
  side body
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Feet step wide
• Toes turn to the right
• Leg muscles lift upwards
• Hips shift to the back leg

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TRIANGLE POSE continued

• Ribs lengthen away from hips
• Arms extend to the side walls
• Chest stays open to the front
• Arms tip to vertical
• Belly draws in
• Top hip opens up
• Tail tucks down
• Bottom ribs soften downward
• Top shoulder draws back and down

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BALANCES
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TREE POSE

• FUNCTION standing balance lower body muscle
  activation to assist foot/ankle/knee/hip
  stability increased ability to focus awareness
  of core activation for stability
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (starting in
  Mountain Pose)
• Eyes set a steady gaze forward
• Belly draws in (for stability)

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TREE POSE continued

• Right foot presses against standing leg (optional
  heights)
• Standing leg lifts energetically upwards
• Hips sit level
• Tail drops down (to lengthen lower spine and
  anchor the pose)
• Ribs and chest lift up off hips
• Chest opens
• Shoulders roll back and down
• Hands come together at heart center

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DANCERS POSE

• FUNCTION standing balance with spinal
  extension stretch for the abdominals, chest,
  shoulder and hip flexor area on the lifting side
  quads work to push the foot into hand
  lengthening of hamstrings on the standing leg
  muscles of the standing foot are active to
  balance as the body shifts forward
• Breath

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DANCERS POSE continued

• Body Part and Direction setup cues (starting in
  Extended Mountain Pose)
• Right hand reaches back for right foot
• Thumb rotates up inside big toe
• Knees together
• Front arm reaches forward
• Foot pushes back into hand
• Body suspends forward
• Chest lifts up and opens
• Front arm rises up to full Dancer

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EAGLE POSE

• FUNCTION standing balance internal hip
  rotation and adduction (inner thigh squeeze) can
  provide stretch to the glutes/periformis leg
  strength increases with knee bend/butt drop
  spinal length and integrity as tail drops down
  upper back stretch
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (starting in
  Mountain Pose)
• Eyes set a steady gaze forward

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EAGLE POSE continued

• Belly draws in
• Knees bend
• Right leg crosses over left and wraps around
• Inner thighs drop inward and squeeze together
• Right arm crosses under left and wraps around
• Thumbs face the body
• Hips sit back and down
• Tail tucks under to lengthen spine
• Elbows lift up
• Hands press away (to find stretch in the upper
  back)

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HIPOPENERS
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SWAN POSE

• FUNCTION passive position (using body weight)
  to stretch and release tension in the front hip
  (mainly periformis muscle) some stretch in the
  back hip flexor if able to straighten and
  lengthen the back leg
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (moving from
  Down Dog)
• Right knee comes forward between hands
• Right hip settles down onto floor

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SWAN POSE continued

• Right foot flexes (to protect knee)
• Back hip rolls forward (to square the hips)
• Back leg extends to the back wall
• Knee and five toes face down to the floor
• Belly draws in
• Ribs lift and roll forward away from hips
• Chest reaches forward
• Arms lengthen out
• Hips soften down

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MODIFIED HALF LOTUS

• FUNCTION deep hip and butt stretch also
  opening through the pelvis if you move to the
  lying back positions
• Breath
• Body Part and Direction setup cues (moving from
  seated/cross-legged position)
• Right ankle sets on top of left thigh (options
  here)

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MODIFIED HALF LOTUS continued

• Sit bones move back and press down
• Knees drop down and press forward
• Ribs lift up off hips (spine lengthens upward)
• Chest reaches forward
• Hands walk forward along the floor
• Butt stays back and down
• Hands can press down to push the butt back

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CORE ABS/BACK
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THE 3Bs BELLY, BACK AND BREATHING

• FUNCTION stabilizing the spine during core
  movements (for safety and effectiveness)
  maintaining core connection (neutral rib-hip
  position) while breathing out the side of the
  ribs versus expanding the front ribs
• Breath lateral thoracic breathing

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THE 3Bs BELLY, BACK AND BREATHING continued

• Body Part and Direction setup cues
• Belly draws in
• Back presses towards the floor (if supine)
• Back creates platform for belly lift (if prone)
• Side ribs expand with breath