Sun Salutations A Adjustments- Surya Namaskara A
Tadasana-Mountain Pose
To begin Surya Namaskara A or Sun Salutation A, have your student stand with their feet together or hip distance apart in Tadasana or Mountain Pose, place your hands on the top of their shoulders to relax them down and away from the ears. Then place your hands on either side of their hips pressing them down to help anchor their pelvis. If the pelvis is in an anterior tilt then gently scoop the pelvis slightly back.
Urdhva Hastasana- Arms overhead
With their arms reaching up in the sky overhead, take a hold of each bicep with your hands and begin to turn the biceps towards each other for an external rotation of the shoulders.
Uttanasana- Forward Fold
Place your strong heel of your hand at the bottom of the sacrum and top of the tailbone pressing down and back if there is an extreme anterior tilt of the pelvis. With the other hand lightly slide it down the back starting at the top or beginning of the arch of the spine all the way down to the top of the back pressing them deeper into the forward fold.
Ardha Uttanasana- Half Forward Fold/ Halfway Lift
This adjustment is more of an energetic one. Place your thumb and index finger on the upper back below the neck and slide them a couple of inches backwards towards the tailbone to encourage your student to lift the chest for a thoracic opening creating a flat back.
Chaturanga Dandasana
If the student is dropping the hips, hold the hips in line with the rest of the body as they lower encouraging the core to engage.
Urdhva Muka Svanasana- Upward Facing Dog
Place your hands on the front and tops of your students shoulders cupping them and pull up and back for more of a lift in the chest and for a deeper back bend. At the same time you can also place a bent knee between the shoulder blades.
Adho Muka Svanasana- Downward Facing Dog
After completing the upward facing dog adjustment quickly shuffle your feet back and take a hold of your students hips. As they exhale help them lift their hips up and back into Downward Facing Dog. For more information on additional adjustments for Downward Facing Dog click here.
If you have any questions or suggestions for additional adjustments not included here please post below!
I love putting a block under my chest in Chaturanga to encourage not lowering down too low. For extra fun place a block between your upper thighs during the entire salutation. It makes jumping back & forward that much more interesting plus you really get that feeling of leg activation and inner thigh rotation!