Blog · 2026-11-09
Back to Basics: Sun Salutations with Variations
A couple of my students and I were talking about Sun Salutations and the Warrior poses this past week, and I became curious to explore more online after our class. What I learned is that Vinyasa classes, which is the style of yoga in which I was initially trained, vary by teacher. This means that, while there is a basic standard sequence, no two teaching styles or classes are ever quite the same. A search online yields countless videos of yoga teachers teaching the Sun Salutations, and all of them utilize their own variations on the flow. As creatures of habit, it can feel confusing or awkward doing things a different way. Once you learn the basic sequence, though, it can become fun to experiment with different variations to enhance and deepen your practice.
Here are the basics:
Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A)
1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Stand tall, feet together, hands at heart center.
2. Raised Arms Pose (Urdhva Hastasana): Inhale, sweep arms overhead.
3. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana): Exhale, hinge at the hips and fold forward.
4. Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana): Inhale, lift to a flat back.
5. Plank Pose & Chaturanga Dandasana: Exhale, step or hop back to plank and lower halfway.
6. Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra (Bhujangasana): Inhale, open the chest and straighten or bend the arms.
7. Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Exhale, lift hips high and back (hold for 3–5 breaths).
8. Return: Inhale to a flat back forward fold, exhale to fold deeply, inhale to rise up with sweeping arms, and exhale back to Tadasana.
Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskar B)
1. Chair Pose (Utkatasana): Inhale, bend the knees, drop the hips, and sweep the arms up.
2. Forward Fold (Uttanasana): Exhale, straighten the legs and fold forward.
3. Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana): Inhale to a flat back.
4. Vinyasa (Chaturanga to Up Dog to Down Dog): Exhale to Chaturanga, inhale to Upward-Facing Dog, exhale to Downward-Facing Dog.
5. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) – Right Side: Inhale, step the right foot forward between the hands, pivot the back foot down (45 degrees), and sweep the arms up.
6. Vinyasa: Exhale hands to the mat, step back to Chaturanga, inhale to Upward-Facing Dog, exhale to Downward-Facing Dog.
7. Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) – Left Side: Inhale, step the left foot forward, rise into Warrior I.
8. Vinyasa & Downward Dog: Exhale hands down, step back through Chaturanga and Up Dog, then press back to Downward-Facing Dog (hold for 5 breaths).
9. Return: Step or hop to the front, inhale to a flat back, exhale to fold, inhale to Chair Pose, and exhale to Tadasana.
In my Sun Salutations, I enjoy integrating the hip opening Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) into the Sun B sequence. This variation is called "Dancing Warrior." From Warrior I or Crescent Lunge, transition into Warrior II by opening the back heel so it is flat on the ground and parallel to the back edge of the mat, aligning the front heel with the back arch, extending the arms parallel to the floor, and gazing past the front middle finger.
You can also expand Sun B by transitioning from Warrior II to Extended Side Angle or Reverse Warrior before cartwheeling the hands back down to the mat to complete the standard vinyasa sequence.
As noted above, there are countless variations, and it can be fresh and fun to explore different combinations and sequences.
I am really looking forward to experimenting with the standard sequence, as well as some additional variations in my mat and chair yoga classes this week. View this week's class schedule on my website at https:///joyfullovinglife.com. It's Veterans Gratitude Week, so all virtual and in person classes are free for Veterans, active duty, and military families. Come and join us in being curious, playful, and fun!