Before you start, stand in Mountain Pose (stand straight with proper posture, feet shoulder width apart, hands at your sides with palms facing forward). Close your eyes and take a moment to focus on your breathing. Take a deep, slow breath in through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Breath deeply and slowly, focusing on your breath throughout the following poses as they flow from one to the next.

1. Downward Dog
Begin on your hands and knees with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Straighten your elbows and relax your upper back, making sure to distribute your weight evenly across your hands. Exhale and tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor and straighten your legs- you should resemble the shape of an “A”. Imagine that there is a string attached to your hips, pulling them into the air. Be sure to continue your breathing. Hold the pose for 3-5 cycles of inhale/exhale. If you have problems with your wrists, see my website for modifications.

2. Plank
With an inhalation, move your shoulders forward and lower yourself into a standard plank position.

3. Lower to the ground
With your next exhalation, slowly lower yourself to the ground so that your abdomen and thighs are flat against the ground.

4. Upward Facing Dog
With your next inhalation, push your upper body up as you straighten your arms, keeping a slight arch in your back.

5. Return to Downward Dog
With your next exhalation, tuck your toes under and thrust your hips back up into the air and tip your head down back into the shape of an “A”. Hold for 3-5 breath cycles and repeat the flow as desired.

Remember that yoga should never hurt. If you have wrist problems or carpal tunnel syndrome, try the flow with the modifications below:
Sun Salutations with wrist/hand modification
1.    Down Dog
Instead of pushing up with your arms and distributing your weight on your palms, push up onto your forearms as you raise your hips into the shape of an “A”.
2.    Plank
With an inhalation, straighten your body into a standard plank position but keep your forearms flat on the ground to support your weight rather than your hands.
3.    Lower to ground
With an exhalation, slowly lower your body to lie flat on the ground.
4.    Upward Facing Dog
With the next inhalation, place your hands beneath your shoulders and push your upper body up, arching your back slightly. To decrease the pressure on your wrists and hands keep your pelvis and legs flat against the ground.
5.    Return to Down Dog
With an exhalation, curl your toes under and return to Down Dog.
If you have problems with your feet/ankles/knees or if the poses feel uncomfortable for your legs or back, see the modifications below:
Sun Salutations with foot/ankle/knee modification
1.    Down Dog
With hands under your shoulders, push up the upper half of your body. Instead of raising your hips to the ski with straight legs, with knees hip-width apart, distribute your weight between your arms and knees, keeping your back flat. Imagine there is a string pulling your hips up to the sky from this position. Raise your feet and point your toes if you like (don’t if it hurts).
2.    Plank
With an inhalation, lower yourself into a plank. Place knees gently on the ground to evenly distribute weight between your arms and legs.
3.    Lower to ground
With an exhalation, slowly lower yourself to lie flat on the ground.
4.    Upward Facing Dog
With the next inhalation, place your hands beneath your shoulders and push your upper body up, arching your back slightly. To decrease the pressure on your wrists and hands keep your pelvis and legs flat against the ground.
5.    Return to Down Dog
With the next exhalation, raise your hips while keeping your knees on the ground to return to Down Dog.