New to Yoga Series: Sun Salutations Part 3 - Lunge and Chataranga

From the flat back, people take one of two paths usually: either extend one leg back to the lunge and then go into a yoga pushup, or jump back with both feet straight into the upper pushup position. The style you choose usually has to do with level of strength.

Lunge

So if you are just starting out, I would suggest stepping one foot back into the lunge first. Here are a few points to note for the lunge:

• Stay on the ball of the back foot
• Try to straighten the back leg so you feel a stretch in your groin area
• Push your inner thighs towards each other to keep yourself balanced
• Keep your fingers touching the floor on either side of your front foot
• Keep the front knee bent about 90 degrees to really feel this stretch
• Look up, and try to pull your spine forward with your shoulders still rolled back

Yoga pushup

You may choose to skip the lunge and come straight into the upper pushup position. I would only recommend this if your hands could touch the floor when you were in the flat back, because you want your palms grounded as you jump back. Your palms should be right under the shoulders and your elbows should be tucked into your sides in this position.

From the upper pushup position, lower down into chataranga. Remember to keep your elbows tucked into your sides. You would see that this makes the pushup harder and makes your core works more. When you lower down, your body should not touch the floor, but just hover right above the ground to work those muscles more.

Next, we will be going into the upward and downward dog!

Cheers Eights & Weights!