Sun Salutation A

How the session works

1. 1Roll out a mat with room to step forward and back, and stand at the front.
2. 2Press start. The app names each pose and previews the next so you keep flowing.
3. 3Link one breath to each movement where you can — the breath is the metronome.
4. 4Take knees-down chaturanga and bent knees freely. Pick 5, 10 or 15 minutes.

The moves

• Mountain pose12s

  Stand tall, feet rooted, crown lifting — breathe.

• Standing forward fold15s

  Hinge at the hips, soft knees, let your head hang.

• Halfway lift8s

  Flat back, hands to shins, lengthen the spine.

• Plank12s

  One straight line head to heels — brace, don't sag.

• Chaturanga8s

  Elbows hug in, lower halfway with control — or drop the knees.

• Cobra15s

  Press the tops of the feet down, lift the chest — keep the bend gentle.

• Downward-facing dog35s

  Hips up and back, long spine, heels reaching toward the floor.

• Standing forward fold15s

  Hinge at the hips, soft knees, let your head hang.

• Mountain pose12s

  Stand tall, feet rooted, crown lifting — breathe.

What it's good for

• Teaches and paces the canonical sun salutation, breath by breath.
• A full-body flow — mobilises the spine, opens the shoulders, warms the legs.
• Scales from a quick 5-minute wake-up to a 15-minute flow.

The evidence. Yoga flows like the sun salutation reliably improve flexibility, balance and how you feel, and offer light full-body movement; build intensity gradually and keep the knees-down options when learning.

Safety

• Move within a comfortable range and ease out of any pose that pinches or sends pain into a joint. Use the gentler option — bent knees, knees-down chaturanga, a hand on the shin — whenever you need it.
• Yoga is generally safe but isn't medical advice — check with a clinician first if you're pregnant or managing a back, neck, joint or blood-pressure condition.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sun salutation?

Surya Namaskar is a flowing sequence of poses linked to the breath — mountain, forward fold, halfway lift, plank, chaturanga, cobra and downward dog, then back to standing. This routine guides the A variation, repeating it to fill your chosen length.

Is sun salutation good for beginners?

Yes, with the gentler options — bend the knees in the folds and drop the knees for chaturanga. This guided version cues those throughout, so it's a good place to learn the sequence.

How many sun salutations should I do?

As many as fit your time and energy. This routine repeats the cycle to fill 5, 10 or 15 minutes; a few rounds is plenty for a wake-up or warm-up.

Try another routine

• Sun Salutation B→
• Morning yoga flow→
• Yoga for beginners→

Related calculators

• Coherent breathing→