Greg's Modified Surya Namaskar

Good Morning Sunshine!

That's how my momma always used to wake me up. She's dead now, but her aphorisms still inspire me to this day. I've been getting back to my yogic basics as my wrist is in rehab right now, and its been a really good journey into alignment, energy, and form. Sun Salutation is the archetypal vinyasa flow for practice, and it has really begun to speak to me, opening up into a new sequence. So here it is, in its primordial form:

1. Mountain
- feet together strongly, toes forward
- reach skyward as far as possible with index fingers
- keep arms active
- bring biceps into ears tightly for maximum extension
2. very slight back arch
3. forward bend, exhale
4. fists to ground
5. hop back to plank
- rigid body
- arms perpendicular to floor
- active shoulders
6. reverse push-up to 4 legged staff, exhale
7. flip toes, pushing chest forward into
8. cobra
- straight arms
- active shoulders
- arch back as far as possible
- breath!
9. downward dog
- elevate hips as high as possible
- let head hang loosely with gravity
- step walk legs for stretch
10. raise right leg skyward
- as high as possible
- for extra stretch, try stagging it (bending at knee)
11. swing right leg under and through, plant between hands
12. lift up hands, wings out, then clasp over head
13. arch back
14. come back to spine vertical
15. straighten right leg
16. warrior 1
17. half moon
18. face forward
19. with slight bounce, levitate left leg forward, return to mountain
20. backbend, as deep as you can go
21. raise up, wings out, come in to closing prayer position

and repeat, substituting left leg for right.
do this is pair sets of 2, 4, 6, 8.

finally, what has really worked for me: the "10 minute a day rule". I was slipping in my private practice, until I read this. Just commit to doing 10 minutes of yoga a day. More often than not, that 10 will naturally extend into a full on practice. And when its just 10, thats cool too! :)