Sunrise Yoga

This blog is not only about meditation but also about using Yoga to set you up for the day ahead. Every day the sun will rise, Sunrise Yoga is about welcoming the new day and preparing yourself for what’s to come. Let go of yesterday and embrace today’s opportunity’s with open arms. This yoga practice will warm and strengthen the body, focus the mind and raise energy levels. If possible this practice is done best at sunrise or when you first wake up, with a view of the sun, but this is not crucial.

Start standing in the mountain pose (Tadasana). Feet parallel, hip width apart or together. Activate the leg muscles, but keep your knees soft. Pull up through your pelvic floor and draw your belly button in. Lift and lengthen through your spine. Relax your shoulders and hold your arms at your side palms facing forward. Tuck your chin in slightly and keep it parallel to the earth. In mountain pose you should be feeling tall and strong. Close your eyes and connect with your body, noticing how you feel. You are the connection between the sky and earth, feel your feet are grounding you. Connect with your breath, allowing it to flow naturally in through the nose and out through the nose. Visualise the sunrise in-front of you, see the colours in the sky, feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. As the sun gets brighter and bigger allow your whole-body to glow. Stay here as long as you feel you need to.

When you are ready to start your physical practice, deepen your breath. Inhale and reach your arms out and above your head, exhale bring your hands into pray (Audra) hands together and lower them down to your heart centre, thumbs touching your sternum. As you reach up visualise bringing new light and energy down to your heart and allow it to illuminate your body. Repeat this a few times before moving into Sun salutations.

1. Inhale reach your arms out and above your head (Hasta Uttanasana)
2. Exhale, take hands into pray and fold forwards into a standing forward fold (Uttanasana)
3. Inhale, step your right leg steps back into Horse Riders Pose (Equestrian pose)
4. Retain the breath, step back lowing onto your hands and knees or into a plank position (Phalakasana)
5. Exhale, lower knees (if in plank), then your chest, chin and belly onto the matt (Ashtanga Namaskara)
6. Inhale, lifting into a sphinx or into the Cobra pose (Bhujagasana)
7. Exhale, lowering your chest back to the floor and then lifting your pelvis back into Childs pose or Downward-facing Dog
8. Inhale, step right leg forward into Horse Riders Pose (Equestrian pose)
9. Exhale, step forward bringing feet together into a standing forward fold (Uttanasana)
10. Inhale, reach your arms out and up above your head (Hasta Uttanasana)
11. Exhale, lower hands back down to your heart centre into the pray mudra and repeat the whole sequence this time starting with your left leg.

If you are a beginner aim to do 3 rounds 3 times a week. One round is a set on each side. Ideally you want to work up to completing a few rounds every day. Remember to listen to your body and only do as many as you feel you need. Once you have finished your rounds, take a moment to scan your body, in Mountain Pose. Bring your hands to pray at the heart centre to connect again with your heart. How are you feeling? Acknowledge without judgement, it’s okay if there are no obvious changes.  Little by little, day by day you may feel enlightened.