4 Ways to Teach Sun Salutations + Important Insights

In this episode, I’m sharing one of the most essential foundations of yoga practice and teaching — Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar). Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced teacher, understanding how to cue, pace, and embody the right tempo and intention can completely change your experience on the mat.

I break down four variations of Surya Namaskar: the Half Sun Salutation, Full with Lunge, Standard (without Lunge), and Surya B. I’ll walk you through how to teach each one, what to look for in your students, and how to bring back the feeling and awareness that make this sequence so powerful.

One of the biggest mistakes I still see teachers make is rushing through Sun Salutations so fast that it becomes hard to actually breathe and move together. In this episode, I’ll show you how to use a metronome to find a natural pace (around 65 bpm), how to match the breath with the movement, and how to adapt these variations for different levels and body types.

I also talk about the traditional roots — like why Sun Salutations were originally practiced facing east at sunrise — and how that intention connects you to the rhythm of nature. You’ll learn when to use Surya A vs. Surya B, and how to work with your own energy instead of against it.

This is one of those core practices that can feel brand new again when you approach it with awareness and rhythm. Whether you’re practicing at home or teaching others, I think you’ll find a lot of useful, practical insights here.

Key Quotes:

“Your words are the bridge between your students and their own awareness.”

“Sun Salutations are not just poses — they’re a rhythm of breath and movement.”

“If you rush through it, you don’t really feel anything.”

“We can enter a sympathetic state through yoga, but from a relaxed place.”

“If you’re not a teenage boy, you might not need so many Surya B’s in your life.”

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Keywords:

surya namaskar, sun salutation, yoga teacher training, yoga sequencing, teaching yoga, vinyasa flow, yoga cueing, yoga alignment, yoga anatomy, yoga pacing, metronome for yoga, breath and movement, yoga practice, yin vs yang yoga, Surya A, Surya B, hatha yoga, teaching beginners, yoga tradition