Hello and thank you for joining me again! Kelsey Ann here, for all you who don’t know me I am ALL about at-home yoga. If you have not read my last blog, stop right now and go read it, I promise it will be helpful.
Getting into yoga with little or no previous experience is overwhelming, there is so much information on the internet that narrowing it down to the true basics becomes increasingly difficult. At the end of the day, you have to start somewhere and sun salutations are the perfect place to do so.
Even if you do not know much about yoga, you have probably heard the words “sun salutations” or Surya Namaskara, before; but what are they and why are they important?
Aside from being one of the most common series in yoga, sun salutations provide a solid foundation to gain knowledge, build strength, and develop a connection between breath and body movement. Sun salutations consist of a series of poses that warm up the muscles and synchronize breath and movement that can be performed as a part of your practice or your entire practice. Once the basic knowledge is established, you can begin to branch out using sun salutations as a base for your flows by incorporating new or different postures to the original sequence.
When I first started my at-home yoga practice, I began with only sun salutations. Every morning I would wake up at 5:30, and go through four to sixteen sun salutations before I even made my coffee. Practicing in the morning helped to wake me up, become more energized, and feel more productive throughout the day. For about two months I would get up and run through this routine until I felt confident in my ability to synchronize my breath and movement, my knowledge of the poses and how they flowed together, and my physical strength to perform this yoga sequence.
Only after those two months did I realize how much physical strength had developed through the consistent practice of this sequence. Not only do these sequences improve upper body strength, but core strength as well; and yes core strength is vital as you progress in your yoga journey.
As you develop through your yoga journey, you will start to get a better idea of how you want to shape your practice; the beauty of it is you get to determine where it will go. Meditation, inversions, splits, and arm balances are a few examples of areas to explore and that I have taken a personal interest in. Just as anything else, progress takes time. Enjoy each moment as you travel on your journey and recognize that you have made progress, but you always have room to improve.
Remember:
- ALWAYS listen to your body. It knows you best and when you are pushing too hard or stretching too far, it will tell you;
- BE CURIOUS. Explore different variations of sun salutations, especially if they feel awkward or uncomfortable;
- Appreciate your practice exactly where you are in the PRESENT MOMENT;
- BREATHE and allow your breath to facilitate your body movement.
As you continue your day remember that everything starts with one step. The journey holds exciting surprises and unexpected challenges, enjoy each and every moment of it! Thank you for taking a bit of your time to share with me, if you have any questions make sure to comment below!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram (@kelse_ann), and check out my last article on teaching yourself yoga!
Blessings,
Kelsey Ann