The 12 Positions of Surya Namaskar, Step by Step

One round of Sun Salutation is a chain of twelve positions that flows out and folds back on itself. Learning them in order — and the breath that goes with each — turns a jumble of poses into a smooth, repeatable sequence. For the wider context, history and benefits, see our complete Surya Namaskar guide; this page is the step-by-step breakdown.

Watch: Divya Rolla on the right postures (Part 1)

The video above opens a three-part Surya Namaskar series taught by Divya Rolla, with the postures demonstrated by Sindura. This first episode concentrates on getting the shapes right before the breath and benefits are added in later parts, so it pairs well with the step-by-step list above.

She begins with the meaning. Surya means sun and Namaskar means salutation; the sequence began as a prayer to the Sun, with twelve postures strung together. She presents it mainly as a way to warm the body before asana practice, since it gives the whole body a stretch.

She also gives some practical guidance before you begin:

• When to practise: on an empty stomach, either early in the morning or late in the evening before dinner.
• Who should check first: if you have lower back problems or high blood pressure, consult your doctor before taking up the practice.

The setup she teaches for standing is worth getting right, because the round starts and ends here:

• Stand tall with your toes pointing forward and your feet parallel, under your hips.
• Draw the shoulders back and open the chest.
• Keep the chin parallel to the floor and the gaze straight ahead.
• Breathe normally.

From this position you bring the palms together at the chest in prayer, which is position 1, and she builds the round from there, one posture at a time.

Watching the postures demonstrated makes the written descriptions easier to follow, especially for transitions such as stepping back into the lunge or lowering through knees, chest and chin. Learn the shapes slowly with this episode first, then move on to the breath-focused Part 2 once the order feels familiar.

The twelve positions in order

1. Pranamasana (prayer pose) — stand tall, palms together at the heart, breathing evenly. 2. Hasta Uttanasana (raised-arms pose) — inhale, sweep the arms overhead into a gentle backbend. 3. Uttanasana (standing forward fold) — exhale, fold forward from the hips over the legs. 4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (low lunge) — inhale, step the right leg back into a lunge, chest lifted. 5. Phalakasana (plank) — exhale (or hold the breath), step the left leg back so the body is one straight line. 6. Ashtanga Namaskara (knees-chest-chin) — exhale, lower knees, chest and chin to the floor, hips lifted. 7. Bhujangasana (cobra) — inhale, slide forward and lift the chest into a gentle backbend. 8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog) — exhale, lift the hips up and back, holding for a breath or two.

The second half retraces the first: 9. Low lunge — inhale, step the right foot forward between the hands. 10. Standing forward fold — exhale, step the back foot up and fold. 11. Raised-arms pose — inhale, rise and sweep the arms overhead. 12. Prayer pose (or Tadasana) — exhale, return to standing, palms at the heart. That completes one round. The next round is usually led with the opposite leg in positions 4 and 9, so the body stays balanced left to right.

Gentler options

Every position can be softened. Bend the knees in the forward folds; take a high lunge instead of a low one; lower the knees for plank and for the knees-chest-chin move; and choose cobra rather than a deeper backbend. If following a video helps, our guided Sun Salutation practice walks you through the whole round at a beginner-friendly pace.