Sun Salutation B
sun-salutation-b
When I flow through Sun Salutation B, I want you to feel a steady, warming rhythm that wakes up every major muscle group. Good reps should leave your joints feeling lubricated and your spine elongated, never strained. Focus on matching your breath to each transition, letting the heat build naturally in your thighs and core. You will notice a light, energizing sweat and a grounded sense of calm that carries through the rest of your practice.
If you're new to this
If you are new to this sequence, prioritize breath and joint alignment over depth. Step your feet back rather than jumping to protect your wrists. In Warrior One, keep your back heel grounded and your front knee tracking over your second toe instead of collapsing inward. When you transition to downward-facing dog, allow a generous microbend in your knees to protect your hamstrings and lower spine. You will know you are pushing too far when your breath becomes shallow, your shoulders creep toward your ears, or your lower back aches. At that point, pause in child’s pose, reset, and shorten your range of motion. Common compensations include overarching the lumbar spine during upward-facing dog and letting the front knee drift past your toes. Keep your ribs knitted down and engage your core to maintain a neutral spine. This sequence builds steady endurance, not forced flexibility. Trust that consistent, mindful practice will naturally unlock your range of motion without strain.
Common mistakes
Practitioners often rush the transitions, sacrificing breath rhythm for speed, which turns a mindful flow into a disjointed series of poses. Another frequent error is collapsing through the shoulders during chaturanga, allowing the elbows to flare outward and dumping excessive weight into the wrists. In Warrior One, many people leave the back foot turned out at forty-five degrees, which destabilises the hips and strains the knee joint. During upward-facing dog, the tendency to grip the shoulders and overarch the lower back replaces genuine chest expansion with lumbar compression. Finally, holding tension in the jaw or gripping the toes instead of spreading them evenly across the mat disrupts the full-body connection required for a smooth, grounded practice.
Routine
- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 5-8 rounds
- Rest
- 30s
- Frequency
- 4-6x/week
Increase flow duration by adding rounds or deepening poses while maintaining steady breath synchronization.
Muscles
- Hip flexors
- Shoulders
- Quadriceps
- Glutes
- Abs
- Lower back
Equipment
- Bodyweight
- 1
Stand at the front of your mat with feet hip-width apart, weight evenly distributed, and arms resting by your sides.
- 2
Inhale deeply while sweeping your arms overhead and bending your knees to sink into Chair Pose.
- 3
Exhale fully as you hinge at the hips and fold forward, keeping your knees slightly bent and letting your head hang heavy.
- 4
Inhale to place your fingertips on your shins and lift your chest until your spine forms a flat back.
- 5
Exhale to plant your palms firmly on the mat and step both feet back into a high plank position.
- 6
Lower your knees, chest, and chin completely to the floor while maintaining a steady exhale.
- 7
Inhale to press your palms down, slide forward, and lift your chest into Upward-Facing Dog.
- 8
Exhale to tuck your toes, press through your hands, and lift your hips high into Downward-Facing Dog.
- 9
Inhale to step your right foot forward between your hands and lift your torso halfway with a flat back.
- 10
Exhale to step your left foot forward to meet the right and release into a forward fold.
- 11
Inhale to bend your knees, sweep your arms overhead into Chair Pose, then exhale to straighten your legs and lower your arms to stand tall.