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Surya Namaskar Pose & Sequence Variations

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Yoga Techniques and Fitness

Overview

In this lesson, we explore general strategies and specific variations for adapting Surya Namaskar to make it more accessible, cooling, or regenerative.

Objective

Gain understanding of how to modify Surya Namaskar for different populations, abilities, and intentions through variations in pace, poses, transitions, and use of props.

What You'll Get

You'll learn countless ways to adapt Sun Salutations without losing their essence. This covers slowing the pace, modifying challenging transitions, offering alternatives for poses like Chaturanga, and using props for support. Whether you're working with beginners, injuries, limited mobility, or simply want a more cooling or gentle practice, you'll have practical options. For teachers, this expands your toolkit. For practitioners, it shows you how to keep practicing through different seasons of life and body.

General Strategies for Adapting

Adaptive / Beginner / Cooling / Regenerative

General strategies for making Surya Namaskar more accessible are:

Slowing the pace
Providing variations or alternatives for particular poses
Providing variations in pose transitions
Eliminating a pose or poses
Using props such as blocks, chair or wall

At its heart, vinyasa—to place in a special way; to move purposefully and with intention—is what makes yoga asana so powerful, regardless of the style and pace of your practice. – Kat Heagberg

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