Asana is the most familiar aspect of yoga practice. The idea is to prepare the mind for meditation by creating stillness and comfort in the body. The poses, or “asanas” are a way to find that stillness.

Surya Namaskara: The Sun Salutations

For anyone that’s participated in a yoga asana class such as Vinyasa or Hatha, you’re probably familiar with the Sun Salutation. It’s a series of eight movements (and up to twelve) that when coordinated with the breath provides a full-body warmup and mental awakening. Listed here is the basic sequence for Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation). The English translation is listed first, with the proper name of the pose in parentheses.

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
2. Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)
3. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
4. Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)
5. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
6. Plank Pose (Phalakasana)
7. Easy Cobra (Salabhasana B)
8. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This sequence of movements is usually incorporated into a yoga class after the initial warmup. Going through the sequence three times and adding new movements each time stimulates the mind and activates the major muscle groups of the body. As the class progresses, a shortened version of the sequence listed above is used as a transition between sections of the practice.