SURYA NAMASKAR(SUN SALUTATION)

Its best to start Yoga with Surya Namaskar(called Sun Salutation) which consists of 10 gentle flowing movments synchronized with the breath. This is an excellent warm up excercise to gain flexibility and it regulates breath and focuses the mind.  Below poses are part of sun salutation.

1. Down Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Meaning - (adho = downward, mukha = face, svana = dog)

Duration - 1- 3 minutes

DownDog Pose

Steps

1. Stand Straight balancing your weight on both feet.
2. Stretch your arms up and move your hip back to chair position.
3. Bent down slowly with your arms stretched up towards feet/floor. Hold down on this pose for a few seconds. This would give you a nice stretch and relax your muscles/mind. 
4. Hop back with your feet and stretch as much as you can.
5. Bent your knee to get your torso down and pulled backwards and lock your knees
6. Try to touch the floor with your heel and feel the full body stretch

Additional Pose :

1. Lift one leg back up straight and stay here for few secs and repeat the same for the other leg.
2. Lift right leg back up and bend towards left and stay here for few secs. Repeat the same for other leg.

2. Plank Pose

Plank Pose

Duration - 30sec - 1 min

Steps

1.  From down dog pose, draw your torso forward till your hands are perpendicular to the floor.
2.  Lock the knees and balance your weight with your both arms/toes
3.  Hold your back up like a plank.

3. Side Plank Pose(Vasisthasana)

Meaning - Vasistha means richest, excellent  

Duration - 15-30 secs 

Steps

      From Plank pose, turn sideways and raise one hand. Initially you can you have your knees touching the floor. Improve by locking the knees and turn sideways with one hand up and other hand balancing the weight on the floor

4. Sun Salutation Pose 

1. Come down when you can not carry your weight and raise your head up for sun salutation pose.
2. Bend  your head back and balance your weight on your feet (with feet down and heel up)