How Sun Salutations improved my life
My first Yoga class was a disaster. The enthusiastic teacher tried to teach me the whole Sun Salutation sequence and I walked away confused, overwhelmed, frustrated, but also intrigued - I was paying attention to my body for the first time ever.
Going back before going forward
It was 2015 when I came to that first Yoga class even though I was skeptical about everything Yoga related at the time. But my chronic health issues were piling up and I was willing to give anything a go to feel better.
I had nowhere near the stamina required to do Sun Salutations. I also found out that my body is hypermobile and therefore I have to be extra cautious with correct pose alignment to practice safely, so my journey to being able to do those Sun Salutations seemed extremely far in the future.
On top of that, the sequence seemed a huge mystery to me. There were shapes, breathing, rules, different variants of the sequence…, and I had no idea how to demystify that or where to turn for help.
No matter what your struggle is, don’t wait as long as I did!
I used those obstacles as excuses and even when I had overcome those, it took me far too long to gather my confidence to start doing Sun Salutations by myself.
It wasn’t until after my first Yoga Teacher Training that I finally gained confidence with the poses and the power of Sun Salutations started to truly unravel for me.
Still, I felt like I needed to learn more before I could do Yoga by myself confidently, and it wasn’t until after my second big Yoga Teacher Training when I started doing my daily Sun Salutations and then Yoga self-practice.
Why am I sharing all this?
That stage when I could finally come to the mat and do my daily Sun Salutations was the most transformative moment since I started practicing Yoga.
I soon started taking other elements of my life and health into my own hands and started experiencing true health for the first time in my life.
This is why I am so passionate to support others in taking charge of their Yoga practice, in whichever ways is right for them at the time, because even the smallest steps can have a huge impact, and so often, the only thing that stands in our way is our minds.
This is what Sun Salutations bring me every day now:
Routine like I never had before. Why?
I can step on the mat and start without thinking about what to do
It is so easy to adapt Sun Salutations to how I feel each day - this gives me no excuse to skip my practice
I can easily adapt the repetitions to however much time I have, ensuring I can always do my practice.
Confidence
Sun Salutations help me keep stable physical and mental health, which keeps my self-confidence where I need it each day.
Feeling great in body and mind
Sun Salutations are a full stretch and a gently strengthening practice, so my body stays in equilibrium even if I don’t do any other practice.
Since the sequence also works with the breath and learned repetitive movement, the practice is a form of meditation.
I am able to keep a stable strength and body weight, which in turn makes me feel great in my mind. I try to be careful with using the word ‘great’, but I truly feel that way when I have my regular practice.
I believe that YOU can start doing Sun Salutations with confidence much sooner than I did, no matter where you are on your Yoga journey.
There are only 7 poses you need to master to start flowing through your own Sun Salutations and to start enjoying their benefits.
Sun Salutations are also one of the best steps you can take to start building your own Yoga self-practice and to deepen your knowledge of what you do in Yoga classes.
If you feel like you don’t know enough, that you just need to learn this or that before you can start doing your Sun Salutations by yourself, you will always feel that way.
Be braver than me and start today!
Would you like to learn Sun Salutations?
Mini Video Course
You’ll be able to:
✓ flow through this most common Yoga sequence on your own with confidence
✓ do 7 common Yoga poses in a way that’s right for your body
✓ create a different Yoga practice for each day
✓ improve your posture