Step-by-step guides to common yoga poses

Salute the sun

To give you a little taster, here’s our yoga instructor Christina Robinson performing the Sun Salutation sequence…

Feeling inspired?

Why not try the moves yourself with our 12-step guide?

1. Mountain Pose:

Start with your feet together on your mat. Relax your shoulders. Place your palms together in prayer position.

2. Upward Salute:

Inhale and raise your arms above your head, stretching through the hips.

3. Standing Forward Fold:

Exhale and reach down towards your toes, bending the knees slightly. Focus on the movement in your hips and feel the stretch in your hamstrings.

4. Half-standing Forward Bend:

Inhale, raise your head and move your arms out in front of you, touching the mat with your fingertips.

5. Plank Pose:

Exhale and step back, one foot at a time, into the plank position. Lift your head and tighten your core.

6. Four-limbed Staff Pose:

Lower your body and bend your elbows while keeping them tucked in.

7. Cobra:

Lower yourself towards the floor, inhale, and then raise your chest and head towards the sky. Relax your legs and feel the stretch through your arms and your abdominals.

8. Downward Facing Dog:

Exhale, move your heels to the floor and lift your hips to make an upside-down V-shape. The hands should be shoulder-width apart and the feet hip-width apart. Lengthen through the spine.

Repeat steps 4, 3, 2 and 1:

To complete the 12-step sequence, repeat the Half-Standing Forward Bend, the Standing Forward Fold, and the Upward Salute. Then, finish as you started with the Mountain Pose.

Ready to get your yoga on?

Feeling flexible? Read more about the benefits of outdoor yoga and check out our holiday suggestions for active types.

Pssst. Head to the Discover homepage for our latest articles.

Author: Sarah Robinson