Burn Fat With The Sun Salutation Yoga Workout!
You only have to look at Madonna to know that Ashtanga yoga is a great way to get fit and lose weight. However, few people realise that the key element in any Ashtanga yoga session is the Sun Salutation sequence. Most Ashtanga yoga classes use the Sun Salutation as a warm up first, and then in between each series of yoga postures a Sun Salutation sequence is performed. This turns an otherwise calm yoga session into an intensive exercise that is guaranteed to help you lose that post baby fat.
Below is the Sun Salutation sequence as shown by our yoga expert and mother, Marcia Gomes. Within just 18 months of child birth she managed to get her slim and sexy body back with an Ashtanga class once a week combined with a healthy well balanced diet.
The Sun Salutation combines a series of yoga postures performed in a single flow of movements in harmony with the breathing. The regular practice of the Sun Salutation improves your core body strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. It helps to burn body fat, tone the muscles and improves breathing capacity. It stimulates circulation and works the lymphatic system helping the body to get rid of toxins.
1. Start standing upright, feet together positioning the hands in prayer.
2. Take a deep breath in and lift the arms up, open the chest and bend backwards slightly.
3. On the next exhalation bend forwards with the palms touching the floor, you may need to bend the knees.
4. Breathe in and extend the back gazing forwards.
5. Breathe out and step or jump back to the plank position.
6. Breathe in and bring the pelvis down to the cobra position
With knees touching the floor or upward facing dog position (knees not touching the floor – the toes can be either tucked in or stretched out putting less pressure on the lower back). Keep the shoulders down and the chest open.
7. Breathe out lifting the pelvis up into the downward dog position, lifting from the pelvis.
8. Bend the knees, breathe in and on the next exhalation step or jump up into a standing position keeping the torso bent downwards.
9. Breathe in lifting the torso and arms up slowly. Open the chest bending backwards slightly.
10. Breathe out and bring the arm down in prayer.
You can repeat this sequence as many times as you like. Breathing normally through out. Avoid the Sun Salutation if you have hernia, hypertension or venous blood clots.
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