Surya Namaskar is the single most worthwhile practice a yoga student can learn. In a single, flowing sequence, it warms the whole body, opens the breath, and settles the mind, which is why for hundreds of years it has been the way yogis greet the morning. Its name says it plainly.
“Surya” means sun, and “namaskar” means to bow or to honour. It is a way of bowing to the light, both the sun in the sky and the light within you.
This guide walks through all twelve steps of Surya Namaskar, in order, with the right breath for each, simple enough for a complete beginner so that you can begin at home today.
What is Surya Namaskar?
Surya Namaskar is a set of twelve yoga poses joined together into one smooth, flowing round. You move from standing down to the floor, and back up to standing, linking each pose to a breath as you go. It is a graceful balance of stretching and strengthening, forward bends and gentle backbends, all in one continuous wave.
What makes it special is that it works on so much at once. The body grows strong and supple, the breath deepens, the heart gently warms, and the mind, which has only one sequence to follow, naturally grows calm and focused. It is a complete practice in a small package, and it suits almost everyone.
A few simple things will make your practice safe and good.
Practise early in the morning, on an empty stomach. This is the traditional time, and it is the best, when the air is fresh and the body is light.
- Face the rising sun if you can, or simply face east. It is a lovely way to connect the practice to its source.
- Move slowly at first. Learn each pose one at a time before you try to flow. Speed comes later, and on its own.
- Let the breath lead. This is the heart of the practice. In simple terms, you breathe in as you open and lift, and breathe out as you fold and lower. Never hold your breath by force or strain.
The twelve steps of Surya Namaskar
The twelve steps go like this:
1. Prayer pose (Pranamasana). Stand tall at the front of your mat, feet together. Bring your palms together at your chest, and breathe out gently as you centre yourself.
2. Raised arms pose (Hasta Uttanasana). Breathe in as you sweep your arms up overhead and gently arch back, lifting through the chest. Keep the arms by your ears and reach up, not just back.
3. Standing forward bend (Hasta Padasana). Breathe out as you fold forward from the hips, bringing your hands down toward your feet. Bend your knees as much as you need to. Never force the fold.
4. Equestrian pose (Ashwa Sanchalanasana). Breathe in as you step your right leg back into a low lunge, dropping the knee if you wish. Lift your chest and look gently forward or up.
5. Plank pose (Dandasana / Phalakasana). Step your left leg back to meet the right, so your body is one straight line from head to heels. Hold the breath here for a moment, keeping the belly firm and the shoulders over the wrists.
6. Eight-limbed salute (Ashtanga Namaskara). Breathe out as you lower your knees, then your chest, then your chin to the floor, keeping the hips lifted. Eight points of the body touch the ground: two feet, two knees, two hands, the chest, and the chin.
7. Cobra pose (Bhujangasana). Breathe in as you slide forward and lift your chest into a gentle backbend, keeping your elbows soft and your shoulders down. Lift only as far as feels easy on the lower back.
8. Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Breathe out as you lift your hips up and back into an upside-down V shape, pressing your hands into the floor and your heels toward it. This is one of the foundational poses you will meet again and again in yoga, so take a moment to feel it.
9. Equestrian pose (Ashwa Sanchalanasana). Breathe in as you step your right foot forward between your hands into the low lunge again, lifting the chest.
10. Standing forward bend (Hasta Padasana). Breathe out as you step the left foot forward to meet the right, and fold forward over your legs.
11. Raised arms pose (Hasta Uttanasana). Breathe in as you rise all the way up, sweeping your arms overhead and gently arching back once more.
12. Mountain pose (Tadasana / Pranamasana). Breathe out as you bring your arms down and your palms back together at your chest, standing tall and still. Rest here for a breath and feel the effect of what you have just done.
That is one half of a round. To complete a full round, do the whole sequence again, but this time step the left leg back first in step 4 and forward first in step 9, so both sides of the body are worked evenly.
How to breathe through it
You breathe in when the body opens and lifts, and you breathe out when the body folds and lowers. So you breathe in as you raise the arms, reach into the lunge, lift the cobra, and rise back up. You breathe out as you fold forward, lower to the floor, and press back into the dog. Let each breath be slow and full. The breath is not just timing here; it is the very thing that turns a set of poses into yoga.
How many rounds should you do?
Start gently. For a beginner, three to five full rounds are plenty, and it is far better to do a few rounds slowly and well than many in a rush. As your body grows used to it over the weeks, you can slowly build up. Many practitioners settle at around twelve rounds, which is a beautiful daily practice, but there is no need to chase a number. Listen to your body and stop before you are strained or out of breath.
The benefits of the Sun Salutation for the body and mind
- A strong, flexible spine and looser hips, hamstrings, and shoulders.
- Real strength in the arms, core, and legs.
- A gently exercised heart and better circulation, since the flow warms the whole body.
- Better digestion, as the forward bends and backbends massage the belly.
- A calmer, clearer, more focused mind, because the breath and movement settle the nervous system.
It is one of the most complete things you can do for your health in just a few minutes a day.
Common mistakes to avoid
A few gentle corrections will keep your practice safe and let it grow.
- Rushing. Beginners often move too fast and lose their breath. Slow down. The flow should match your breathing, not the other way round.
- Holding the breath. Apart from the brief pause in plank, the breath should keep moving. If you find yourself holding it, you are going too fast.
- Forcing the backbends. In the raised-arms pose and the cobra, lift only as far as feels easy. Never crunch the lower back.
- Locking the knees in the forward bend. Keep a soft bend in the knees so the stretch stays in the muscles, not the joints.
- Skipping the rest. The stillness in mountain pose at the end of each round is part of the practice, not a gap. Let yourself feel it.
Who should take a little care?
Surya Namaskar is safe for most people, but a few should practise gently or check with a doctor first. If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or a heart condition, a hernia, or any back or wrist injury, please be cautious, modify the poses, or learn under guidance before practising on your own. As always, never practise on a full stomach, and stop if you feel pain or dizziness.
A word on the sun mantras
In the traditional practice, each of the twelve poses can be paired with a short mantra that honours a different quality of the sun, beginning with "Om Mitraya Namaha."
You do not need the mantras to gain the benefits, and as a beginner, it is best to focus on the poses and the breath first. But once the sequence feels natural, adding the mantras turns the practice into something deeper still, a true morning prayer of body and breath.
Make it your morning
Of all the things I could give a student, a daily sun salutation is among the most useful, because it is short, complete, and it follows you through life. A few rounds each morning will keep your body strong and supple and your mind clear, long after any single class is forgotten.
Begin slowly, let the breath lead, and be patient with yourself. And if you would like to learn it properly, with the alignment and the breath guided in person, that is exactly the kind of foundation we teach in a residential yoga teacher training or retreat. But you do not need to wait. Roll out your mat tomorrow morning, face the light, and take your first breath.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Surya Namaskar?
Surya Namaskar, or sun salutation, is a sequence of twelve yoga poses joined into one flowing round, each linked to a breath. The name means to bow to the sun. It moves the body from standing down to the floor and back up, blending stretching, strengthening, and breathing into a single, complete practice used to greet the morning for centuries.
2. How many steps are in Surya Namaskar?
There are twelve steps, or poses, in one half of a round: prayer pose, raised arms, standing forward bend, equestrian lunge, plank, the eight-limbed salute, cobra, downward dog, equestrian lunge again, forward bend, raised arms, and mountain pose. To complete a full round, you repeat the twelve poses, leading with the other leg, so both sides are worked evenly.
3. How many sun salutations should a beginner do?
Start with three to five full rounds. It is much better to do a few slowly and with steady breathing than to rush through many. As your body adjusts over the weeks, you can gradually build up, and many people settle at around twelve rounds a day. There is no need to chase a number, listen to your body and stop before you feel strained.
4. What is the best time to do Surya Namaskar?
Early in the morning, on an empty stomach, is the traditional and the best time. The air is fresh, the body is light, and facing the rising sun connects the practice to its source. If mornings are not possible, you can practise later in the day, but always leave a few hours after eating.
5. Can beginners do Surya Namaskar?
Yes. It is one of the most beginner-friendly practices in all of yoga. The key is to learn each pose slowly, one at a time, before joining them into a flow, and to let the breath lead. You can bend your knees in the forward bends and drop your back knee in the lunges as much as you need. The practice meets you where you are.
6. How do you breathe during Surya Namaskar?
The simple rule is to breathe in when the body opens and lifts, and breathe out when the body folds and lowers. So you inhale as you raise the arms, step into the lunges, lift into cobra, and rise back up, and you exhale as you fold forward, lower to the floor, and press back into downward dog. Keep the breath slow and full, and never force it.
7. Is Surya Namaskar good for weight loss?
It can be a helpful part of it. Practised at a steady pace for several rounds, the sun salutation gently raises the heart rate, builds muscle, and supports digestion, all of which help. On its own, it is not a quick fix, but as a daily habit alongside mindful eating and a calmer life, it is a genuinely supportive practice.
8. How much time does it take to do 12 Surya Namaskar?
At a comfortable, breath-led pace, one round takes about 3.5 to 4 minutes, so 12 rounds work out to roughly 12 to 15 minutes in total. If you move more slowly, lingering in each pose and letting the breath stretch out fully, it can take longer; some beginners, doing it very deliberately, find a single round can stretch to around 3 minutes on its own, so 12 rounds at that pace would take closer to 30–35 minutes. Speed isn't the goal here, though. A few rounds done slowly and well are worth more than many rushed through, so let your own breath set the pace rather than the clock
9. Will Surya Namaskar reduce belly fat?
It can help, but not by targeting the belly alone. Spot reduction, losing fat from one chosen area, isn't really how the body works; fat tends to come off all over as your overall activity and calorie balance improve. What Surya Namaskar does well is raise your heart rate, build strength through the core, and support digestion, all of which contribute to fat loss generally, including around the waist over time. Done briskly and consistently, with a sensible diet alongside it, many people do see their waistline shrink, but it's the daily habit and the whole-body effect doing the work, not any single pose targeting the belly. Be patient. It is a matter of weeks and months, not days.
