Do you inhale or exhale in downward dog?

Exhale as you lift the hips back into downward dog, then take a breath or two there before moving on. The move into the pose is a contraction of the front body, so it rides the out-breath.

What if my breath and movement fall out of sync?

Slow down. The movement should never outrun the breath. Pause, take a full breath where you are, and resume at a pace where each transition gets its own complete inhale or exhale.

Understand

The Breath Pattern in Sun Salutation

How to breathe through a round of Surya Namaskar — the simple inhale-to-open, exhale-to-fold rule that turns the sequence into a moving meditation.

By Yoga & You Teaching FacultyUpdated 23 July 2026

4 min read

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The breath is what makes Sun Salutation flow rather than feel like a series of poses. The rule is simple: inhale as you open or lift, exhale as you fold or lower. This guide maps the breath onto each of the twelve positions and explains how to let the breath, not the body, set the pace.

If Sun Salutation ever feels breathless or rushed, the breath pattern is usually the fix. Done well, the breath leads and the body follows, and the whole round becomes a moving meditation. This page focuses just on the breathing; for the full sequence and context, see the complete Surya Namaskar guide.

The one rule that governs it

Inhale as you open, lift or lengthen; exhale as you fold, lower or contract. That single rule covers almost the whole sequence. Opening the chest and reaching the arms up are expansions, so they ride an inhale; folding forward and lowering down are contractions, so they ride an exhale. Once this logic clicks, you rarely have to memorise the breath pose by pose — it follows naturally from what the body is doing.

Breath by position

Prayer pose: breathe evenly to centre. Arms overhead: inhale. Forward fold: exhale. Low lunge (stepping back): inhale. Plank: exhale, or hold briefly. Knees-chest-chin: exhale. Cobra: inhale. Downward dog: exhale, then take a breath or two here. Low lunge (stepping forward): inhale. Forward fold: exhale. Arms overhead: inhale. Return to standing: exhale. The pattern is symmetrical, which is part of why the sequence feels so balanced.

Let the breath set the pace

The most common mistake is moving faster than you can breathe. Slow the movement until each transition has a full, unhurried inhale or exhale of its own — if you're gasping, you're going too fast. Many practitioners use a soft ujjayi breath through the sequence, which naturally lengthens each breath and gives the movement a steady rhythm to follow.

Practise this

Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is a flowing sequence of twelve linked postures moved with the breath, traditionally practised fac…

Frequently asked questions

Do you inhale or exhale in downward dog?: Exhale as you lift the hips back into downward dog, then take a breath or two there before moving on. The move into the pose is a contraction of the front body, so it rides the out-breath.
What if my breath and movement fall out of sync?: Slow down. The movement should never outrun the breath. Pause, take a full breath where you are, and resume at a pace where each transition gets its own complete inhale or exhale.

References

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Chapter 2 — on the primacy of breath in practice · Classical text — Traditional emphasis on breath-led movement.

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