Welcome to Your 20 Minute Sun Salutation Flow for Beginners to Learn the Basics. 

Today’s vinyasa sequence is a beginner 20 minute sun salutation flow that breaks down, slows down and teaches important posture cues! This is the perfect beginner yoga class for those looking to build strength, learn more about alignment or for yoga teachers who’d like to teach beginner yoga vinyasa classes. This class includes a simple warm up sequence, modifications for new students, as well as breath work to help create a whole body experience. 

Related: Want more beginner yoga? Sign up for the 30 Pose Journey!

If you landed here because you’re new to yoga, welcome! I’m so excited to have you here, beginning and living your yoga journey with me. 

And if you’re not new, stick with me because this class has something to offer everyone. 

How you may ask? 

It’s my belief we always benefit from remaining in the beginner’s mindset, and in this yoga sequence I’m asking you to approach it with a sense of newness, an open mind, and a curiosity for learning. 

When we’re willing to be students we build more than physical muscle and strength. 

Throughout today’s class, I invite you to ask yourself the following…

• Where can I begin again?
• How can I remain a beginner?
• What habits help me do this? 

Strengthening your beginners mindset opens you up to lifelong growth, opportunities to learn, and to continue living your yoga on and off the mat. It serves as a reminder that yoga is more than physical postures, but that it’s also about taking the lessons you learn on the mat (breath steady, stay present, beginner’s mindset) off the mat and into your daily life. 

Now, let’s break down the traditional sun salutation. 

For my beginner students, let this breakdown help you get into the learners mindset, and for my experienced practitioners as a tool to refresh. 

A traditional sun salutation typically follows this sequence: 

• Mountain (Tadasana) into Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)
• Upward salute to standing forward fold (Uttanasana)
• Forward fold to half-way lift (Ardha-uttanasana)
• Forward fold into plank pose
• Plank pose into low pushup (Chaturanga Dandasana)
• Low push up into upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
• Upward facing dog into downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
• Downward facing dog to half-way lift (at the top of the mat)  
• Half-way lift to standing forward fold 
• Standing forward fold to upward salute to mountain pose 

Cues and tips to keep in mind: 

• Forward Fold: Find length in the spine by bending the knees and folding at the hip crease.
• Plank into Low Pushup: Practicing chaturanga with knees down is the perfect way to build strength for this posture! It is important to keep elbows in while not dropping the shoulder below the elbow. 
• Upward Facing Dog: Make the legs work here! Firm your tree trunks, spin the inner thighs up towards the sky, send your sacrum towards your heels, lengthen from pubic bone to the stern, roll shoulders open, and breathe. 
• Downward Facing Dog: Engage shoulders here by turning the biceps out and pressing equally throughout the entire hand. Keep the knees bent to help lengthen and support the spine! Spinal health is more important than getting those heels down. 

Related: Want more sun salutation help? Check out this tutorial here!

Your class today will include aspects of the traditional sun salutation, as well as modifications and important cuing to help with alignment. We’ll close with seated breathwork where I’ll encourage you to drop into that beginner’s mindset before stepping off the mat. 

So whether today is your first sun salutation or your 1,000th, it is my hope you learn, experience and appreciate something new about the yoga practice and your body. 

I’ll meet ya on the mat, 

Allie, xx

PS. Comment on the YouTube class when you finish with “I AM OPEN TO GROWTH” to let me know you’re on this learning journey with me!