Welcome, yogis! This six-week introduction to Sun Salutations is open to yogis of all levels. We start with an overview of what Sun Salutations are and basics of moving with our breath, adding small steps each week to give students a safe and comfortable place to explore movement and balance. Modifications will be offered for students to explore range of motion, balance, and personal preference in poses.

Schedule (six weeks)
Week 1: Introduction to Sun Salutations
Focus Poses: Mountain Pose and Forward Fold
Overview: We begin with class introductions and an overview of what to expect each week. Today’s practice is a gentle introduction to matching breath with movement. We’ll master Mountain Pose (Tadasana) as a foundational pose, bringing awareness to posture. Our first week of class prepares students for the warm-up portion of the series that we’ll use throughout the weeks ahead.

Week 2: Getting to Chaturanga
Focus Pose: Plank and Downward Dog
Overview: We’ll build upon Mountain Pose and our warm-up series to include core-based strength poses like Plank and Chaturanga, and learning various ways to transition into and out of Downward Dog. We’ll also begin to gently put the pieces of our Sun Salutations together in a flow.

Week 3: Taking a Step Further - Foundations for Lunge Poses
Focus Pose: Kneeling Lunge
Overview: Building upon the basic Sun Salutation foundations in our first two classes, we’ll add beginner-level lunges to the series. We’ll also practice the flow between poses in preparation for our next day of class.

Week 4: Putting It All Together - Full Sun Salutation Practice
Focus Poses: Full Sun Salutations
Overview: Today we’ll bring everything together for a fun and challenging yoga flow class.

Week 5: Fun Spin - Moon Salutations
Focus Poses: Moon Salutations
Overview: Now that we’ve gotten comfortable with various versions of Sun Salutations, we’ll practice familiar poses in a new order as we explore Moon Salutations.

Week 6: Reflections and Yoga Q&A
Overview: Our final class will begin with a gentle seated version of Sun Salutations. We’ll invite everyone to share their reflections before our final Namaste together. You’ll be ready to continue with your newly established yoga routine!

No Yoga Experience or Props Required
New to yoga? Welcome! This course is designed to welcome yogis of all levels, whether you've never reached for the sky before or can easily wrap your arms around your ankles.
Don't have yoga props? That's okay! We'll learn to modify poses to fit each individual’s range of motion. You do not even need a yoga mat to begin a healthy practice. In fact, I'll often practice and demonstrate poses without a mat to show students that you can do yoga with absolutely no props at all.

Focus on Form, Not Sweat
This is not meant to be a workout class that concentrates on breaking a sweat. Rather, this is a safe space to learn and explore yoga poses and build a strong foundational practice. Our goals focus on personal understanding, acceptance, and calm movement.

Regular Practice for Six Weeks
Class meets at the same time weekly to encourage yogis in establishing a regular yoga/movement routine. Students will be muted during practice and are invited to use the chat feature to ask questions of the instructor, otherwise keeping the practice space quiet of background noise while the instructor verbally guides yogis through poses and modifications. I will demonstrate every pose and modification for students and will repeat any pose requested to further guide students. Regular rest and reflection are built into each day's practice, giving students ample opportunity to ask questions and share their experiences with fellow yogis.

Scaffolded Approach
Each week of this course builds upon knowledge and skills from the previous week’s class. It is essential that students commit to attending all six consecutive weeks of class to avoid confusion and/or injury as we reach a flowing practice.

English Instruction with Sanskrit Vocabulary
Class is taught entirely in English with occasional Sanskrit vocabulary introduced for common yoga poses. This way students will feel comfortable and prepared to take more advanced yoga courses in the future.