Sun Salutation A

If you are just starting, move slowly and prioritize alignment over depth. Bend your knees generously during the forward fold if your hamstrings feel tight, and drop to your knees during the transition to upward dog. Your breath should never feel strained; if you find yourself holding it or gasping, immediately reduce your range of motion. You will know you are pushing too far when your lower back arches excessively or your shoulders creep toward your ears. Stop and reset whenever your joints feel sharp pain rather than a steady muscular stretch. Keep your weight distributed evenly across your hands and feet, and avoid collapsing through the ribcage. This flow is a practice, not a performance. Honor where your body is today, use micro-bends in your elbows and knees to protect your joints, and let each repetition build your confidence. Consistency will naturally unlock flexibility, so trust the process.

To make this flow genuinely demanding, extend your time under tension rather than adding speed. Hold downward-facing dog for five slow breaths instead of one, and pause for a three-second count at the top of your upward arch to deepen thoracic extension. Lowering into chaturanga over four seconds builds serious shoulder stability. Six to eight cycles suit endurance; fewer, slower rounds with longer holds bias mobility. Harder here means deeper hip hinges, straighter legs without locking, and fuller overhead reaches, all while keeping your breathing smooth. When you can complete eight cycles with extended pauses and no loss of form, progress to Sun Salutation B, which introduces chair pose and warrior I to load the legs heavily. For variation within this sequence, try stepping both feet back simultaneously from the forward fold to demand more core control, or lower directly from plank to the floor before pressing up, increasing upper-body strength requirements.

Practitioners most often rush through the transitions, allowing their breath to fall out of sync with their movement, which turns a mindful flow into a rushed cardio session. Another frequent error is collapsing into the lower back during upward-facing dog, which happens when the core disengages and the shoulders fail to actively press away from the floor. Many also forget to ground their hands properly in downward-facing dog, letting their wrists bear excessive weight while their hips remain tucked too low. Finally, locking the knees during forward folds forces the hamstrings to overstretch, often leading to compensatory rounding in the upper back. Slowing down, maintaining active engagement through the shoulders and core, and respecting joint limits will instantly correct these patterns.

Sets

3

Reps

4-6 cycles

Rest

30s

RPE

3

Per set

~120s

Frequenza

4-5x/week