“Movement without awareness is exercise. Movement with awareness is yoga.”This sequence of postures is essentially a series of prescribed motions that begins and ends with Tadasana (Mountain Pose). The poses take you through all manner of stretches, forward folds, and backbends that build heat and happen in a rhythmic cadence that’s aligned with your breath.

1. Tadasana : Stand with your feet together and your arms at your side. Distribute your weight evenly between your feet and turn your palms to face forward in Tadasana. Let yourself come to a slow, steady breath.Find your own center as you bring your palms together

2. Urdhva Hastasana:Inhale and sweep your arms straight out to the sides and up alongside your ears into Urdhva Hastasana. Your palms should face one another, and you can bring them to touch if desired. Reach your heart and arms toward the sun..

3. Uttanasana:Exhale and bend forward at your hips, bringing your chest to your thighs. Keep your legs strong by drawing your knees toward your hips. Let your shoulders and neck relax. Your hands can rest on your shins, ankles, or blocks in Uttanasana.

4.Ardha Uttanasana:Inhale as you lift your chest parallel to the mat in Ardha Uttanasana. Draw your shoulder blades away from your ears and lengthen through your back. You can keep your palms or fingertips on the floor or bring them to your shins or blocks.

5.Plank Pose: Exhale and step your feet back into Plank Pose, which is essentially the top of a push-up. Align your body so your shoulders are directly over your wrists, your palms are flat on the mat, and your feet are hip-distance apart. Gaze down and slightly forward.

6. Chaturanga Dandasana:Exhale and bend your elbows as you slowly lower your entire body, keeping yourself straight. Hug your elbows in toward your sides and pause when you find a right angle between your upper and lower arms. Gaze down and slightly forward.

7. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana:Inhale and draw your chest forward and up as you roll forward over your toes onto the tops of your feet into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. Press the tops of your toes into the mat and keep your legs strong but relax your gluteal muscles. Pull your shoulders back and broaden through your collarbones.

8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog):Exhale as you lift your hips up and back, coming into Downward-Facing Dog. Press down through your knuckles, lengthen through your back, and release your heels toward the mat.Remain here for several breaths(Don’t worry if your heels don’t touch the mat.Just let your heels feel heavy.)

9.Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge):At the end of your exhale and just before you inhale, step your left foot forward between your hands into Anjaneyasana. Quickly bring your right foot forward next to your left. If you’re doing more than a single round of Surya Namaskar A, alternate which foot you step forward first with each round.

10. Ardha Uttanasana (Half Standing Forward Bend):Inhale and lift your chest halfway to standing in Ardha Uttanasana.

11. Uttanasana:Uttanasana is a yogic term that covers the entire back body.Exhale and bend forward at your hips into Uttanasana.

12. Urdhva Hastasana:Inhale and reach your arms out to the sides and overhead into Urdhva once again.