HOW TO BEGIN A YOGA ‘SELF-PRACTICE’ USING SURYA NAMASKAR A
Welcome to the first blog post! Following the strange, unprecedented turn that 2020 has taken many yoga students across the globe have found themselves without their yoga class. Sounds remedial in the grand scheme of Covid-19 outbreak but actually, I would argue that we need yoga now more than ever before. Yoga helps us relax, keep our bodies moving whilst we limit social contact and remind us that ‘this too shall pass.’
Without our yoga classes to ground us many of us are turning to online yoga classes. I have been busy creating two yoga classes a week to keep you all moving. What happens if you don’t have access to the internet? Or during this glorious weather you want to take your practice out to the garden? Well that’s where a ‘Self-practice’ can come in.
A self practice is where you guide yourself through the practice without relying on a teacher. The longer you have been doing yoga the easier this concept will be to you. I think a self practice – world crisis or not – is valuable for all yogis!
With that in mind I have begun to create worksheets which will allow you to begin flowing at home. First up is the humble sun saluation A, known in sanskirt as Surya Namaskar A. This is the basic flow sequence used in many yoga classes across the world. Why? because its effective at stretching and strengthening the whole body.
HOW TO USE THIS WORKSHEET.
Start in a simple seated or standing posture. Take a few moments to breath deeply. When you feel ready to begin your practice follow the postures on the sheet with the breathes. You can start with the half sun salutation and repeat as many times as you would like. Then move into the full sun salutation sequence, again repeating this as many times as you would like. In many traditional Ashtanga style practices this is repeated 5 times.
This worksheet is as I teach the sequence, it may vary from other yoga classes you go to. I recommend taking 5 deep breathes in downward facing dog. The beauty of a self practice is that you can adapt this for how you are feeling. Want to slow it down? Try taking a few breathes in each pose, or any poses that hit that sweet spot. Once you have finished repeating this cycle of movement come down to the mat, either taking a seated mediation or a savasana to close your practice.
I was once told that savasana is like pressing save on your practice. So don’t forget to take those few minutes now so that you can carry that good energy though the rest of the day!
Over the next few weeks I will expand these work sheets. Up next will be the Sun Salutation B and C then seated flows and standing flows to get the creative movement juices going and help you find your own flow!
Last but not least, I will leave you all with my spotify playlist! Perfect for brining in some zen whilst you practice. Press shuffle play and away you flow.
Love and Om’s, Amelia x
