Sequence · Practise on your own
Surya Namaskar A
Sun salutation A. The first opening of the Ashtanga practice: one breath for each movement, from standing to Downward Dog and back.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
- Tradition
- Ashtanga, Mysore style
- Rounds
- Traditionally practised several times at the start of practice. Your teacher will set the number.
Each movement takes one breath, and the breath leads the movement rather than following it. Downward Dog is the one place you stay, for five breaths. The poses named here link to their own pages, where each is described in full.
Take care
Bend the knees in the folds whenever the back asks for it, and lower the knees for Chaturanga until the shoulders are strong. Go gently with high blood pressure or in pregnancy.
The sequence
- 1Samasthiti
Stand with the feet together, the gaze at the nose.
- 2
Breathe in
Arms overhead
Reach the arms up, palms together, gaze to the thumbs.
- 3
Breathe out
Uttanasana, forward fold
Fold forward, hands beside the feet.
- 4
Breathe in
Half lift
Lengthen the spine, fingertips on the floor or shins.
- 5
- 6
Breathe in
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - 7
Breathe out · Five breaths
Adho Mukha Svanasana - 8
Breathe in
Half lift
Step or jump the feet forward between the hands and lengthen.
- 9
Breathe out
Uttanasana, forward fold
- 10
Breathe in
Arms overhead
Rise with a long spine.
- 11
Breathe out
Samasthiti
A note
The poses marked without a link are transitions rather than poses with their own page.
Related
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 4
- Ashtanga Surya Namaskar A as commonly taught in the Mysore style; awaiting subject review