Since the title of this blog is Adam Hunter *Yoga*, I guess it’s time we finally got around to some yoga! Recently I’ve started a micro-practice of doing 10 sun salutations every day. What is a micro-practice? Well, I’ve started doing a number of things to try to improve myself that only take somewhere around 5-10 minutes each day. I figure, for my personality type, that’s a good match and there’s a chance I’ll actually do it. It’s all well and good to say you’ll get to a yoga class every day, but that’s a 1 and a half to two hour commitment, and some days it just isn’t going to happen. But doing 10 sun salutations only takes about 5 minutes, including rolling the mat out and back - once you get in the groove, anyway.
So what is a sun salutation? Well, other folks have done a better job of describing it than I can whip up in a short time, so I'll just point you to this article: http://wildernessdave.com/yoga-practice-for-hikers-sun-salutation/. A sun salutation is essentially the basis of modern vinyasa. It's not really an ancient practice; it combines elements of ancient practice with some modern understanding of alignment. It's a good way of stretching out the spine but it also is a bit of a meditative flow. Those of you with bad backs will want to be careful; there's a few modifications I suggest. First of all, don't "jump" back into the chaturanga. Just step back. Second, don't go into a full upward dog unless you are very confident in your alignment. Just do a low cobra. Basically, if it hurts, twinges, or feels funny, leave it out until you can meet with a yoga teacher and go over it in person. But done properly, a sun salutation can be an amazing tool for slowing the heart rate down, getting the blood moving a little bit, and setting the body up right.