surya namaskar: salute the sun /// saluez le soleil

Happy summer solstice! In honor of this day when we see the sun for the longest, I share with you the Sun Salutation, or Surya Namaskar: a flowing series of yoga postures that make up the foundation for the vinyasa style. Sun Salutations are a complete cycle of movements that balance the body and its energies as we move between postures that rise and that descend, that bend forward and backward, and work the left and right sides, all the while coordinating breath with movement. The sequence is a complete mind-body exercise that will stretch and strengthen almost every muscle of the body and leave you feeling both invigorated and relaxed.  There are many wonderful variations of the Sun Salutation, here you will find a classical variation with the lovely Shiva Rea, set to music as a nod to the Fête de la Musique.