Rise and shine with North Atlantic Books lifestyle coach Dashama, author of Journey to Joyful: Transform Your Life with Pranashama Yoga, for surya namaskar (sun salutation). Dashama overcame a serious autoimmune disorder and spinal injuries to become a living example of yogic vitality and peace of mind. Known for her spontaneity and playful approach to yoga, she teaches internationally, is the star of five yoga DVDs, and is the founder of the Global 30-Day Yoga Challenge and the Perfect 10 Lifestyle Online Community.
1. Mountain pose: Start with feet grounded into the earth, spread your toes, lift your arches, and root down through the soles of your feet. Spine long, crown of the head lifted to the sky. Tilt your chin down slightly and tilt your tailbone down toward the earth. Pull in your lower belly and close your eyes.
2. Inhale, reach your arms toward the sky, bring your palms together above your head, interlace your fingers, drop your shoulders down and back, and lift your heart (chest) to the sky. Gently arch back while maintaining the rooted foundation at your feet as with mountain pose.
3. Exhale, forward bend, palms reaching toward the earth. Your neck is relaxed, the crown of your head toward the floor. Keep your knees as straight as possible.
4.Inhale, step back into a low lunge. Placing your left knee to the earth, shift your hips forward, pull in your lower belly, tuck in your front ribs, and interlace your fingers above your head. Gently arch back to lengthen the hip flexors.
5. Exhale, forward bend, place both palms to the earth on either side of your front foot. Shift your hips back, straighten your front knee and reach toward your front foot. Flexing the toes in toward your face, pull the outer edge of your foot toward you to stretch the hamstrings, and lengthen the spine. Relax your neck and breathe.
6. Step your right foot back into plank position. Both palms are directly under your shoulders, spine straight, like a horizontal mountain pose. Engage your core as your exhale, lower your body to the floor.
7. Inhale, press firmly into both palms, drop your shoulders down and back and engage your triceps, lifting your chest into cobra pose. Gaze is either directly forward or slightly up if your neck and back flexibility allow.
8. Exhale, press back to downward-facing dog. Palms pressing firmly and evenly into the earth, fingers spread wide, root down through the base of the hand where the thumb and the index meet at the wrist. Relax your neck, allowing the crown of your head to fall toward the earth. Tailbone tilted toward the sky, heels pressing into the earth, knees straight, lower belly engaged, tuck in your front ribs and breathe
9.Inhale, step your left foot forward between your hands (either low the knee or keep the back of the knee lifted for strength and power). Have either flat palms or fingertips to the earth on either side of the front foot. Lengthen your spine, pull in lower belly and look forward. Tilt your tailbone down and lift the crown of your head to the sky. Leading with your heart, lengthen the right hip extensors by lifting your back knee a little higher. Inhale back to a standing position. With your palms resting gently at the second chakra, close your eyes and feel peace within you.
Repeat, this time leading with your left foot.
