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How to Do Surya Namaskar: The Twelve Positions, Breath by Breath

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 27 June 2026

This is the full walkthrough: twelve positions, one breath each, with the alignment that matters and the modification to use when a range is not there yet. Read it through once, then practise one slow round with the page open. Slowness is the method — speed is what remains after the method has settled.

The short answers

  • Twelve positions, one breath per position: inhale to open, exhale to fold.
  • The push-up shape (Chaturanga or knees-chest-chin) is where most injuries happen — take the easy version for months.
  • The backbend is a lift of the chest, not a collapse into the lower back.
  • A full cycle is two rounds: one stepping back with the right leg, one with the left.
  • Learn the twelve stations as static positions first; link them only when each one is familiar.

Before you start

Stand at the front of your mat with bare feet and quiet breath. You will move through twelve stations and return to standing. One breath per station, no holding, no rushing. If any breath turns ragged, pause in the nearest comfortable position until it settles.

The twelve stations

1. Pranamasana — standing, palms together. Feet together or hip-width. Weight spread across both feet. Shoulders soft. One full exhale here, settling.

2. Hasta Uttanasana — arms overhead, gentle arch. Inhale, sweep the arms up, lift the chest. The arch comes from the upper back; the lower back stays long. Mistake to avoid: flinging the head back and compressing the neck.

3. Padahastasana — forward fold. Exhale, hinge from the hips. Bend the knees as much as you need; a folded torso with bent knees is correct, straight legs with a rounded strained spine is not. Hands to the floor, shins or blocks.

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana — low lunge, right leg back. Inhale, step the right foot far back, knee down, chest lifted. Front knee stacked over the ankle, not past the toes.

5. Dandasana — plank. Exhale, step the left foot back. One line from head to heels. Shoulders over wrists, belly gently firm. If the hips sag, drop the knees — a straight line on the knees beats a broken line on the toes.

6. Ashtanga Namaskara — knees, chest, chin down. Exhale (or hold the breath out, depending on school): lower knees, then chest, then chin to the floor, hips slightly raised, elbows hugging the ribs. This is the traditional beginner-safe alternative to a full low push-up. Take it.

7. Bhujangasana — cobra. Inhale, press the tops of the feet down, draw the chest forward and up with little or no weight in the hands. Elbows soft. The lift is small and from the back muscles, not a heave from the arms.

8. Parvatasana — downward-facing shape. Exhale, tuck the toes, lift the hips high. Knees can stay bent; heels do not need to touch the floor. Length in the spine matters more than straight legs.

9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana — lunge, right foot forward. Inhale, step the right foot between the hands. If it lands short, walk it there — never wrench it.

10. Padahastasana — forward fold. Exhale, left foot meets the right, fold again with soft knees.

11. Hasta Uttanasana — arms overhead. Inhale, rise with a flat back, arms sweeping up, chest lifting last.

12. Pranamasana — standing. Exhale, hands to the heart. One full breath of stillness before the next round begins, leading with the left leg.

The mistakes that matter

The three that cause real trouble: dumping into the lower back in stations 2 and 7, collapsing through the shoulders in station 6, and forcing straight legs in the folds. All three are fixed the same way — reduce the range until the breath stays quiet there, and let the range grow over weeks rather than visits.

Pacing

One slow round takes about ninety seconds to two minutes. That is not too slow; that is the correct speed for learning. Practised daily at that pace, the sequence memorises itself within a fortnight, and only then is there anything to deepen.

In practice

  1. Pranamasana

    Standing, palms together. Exhale and settle — the round starts from stillness.

  2. Hasta Uttanasana

    Inhale, arms up, chest lifts, lower back stays long.

  3. Padahastasana

    Exhale, fold from the hips with soft knees. Hands to floor, shins or blocks.

  4. Low lunge, right leg back

    Inhale, step back long, back knee down, chest open.

  5. Plank

    Exhale, step back. Straight line; knees down if the hips sag.

  6. Knees, chest, chin

    Lower with control, elbows in. The safe alternative to a full push-up.

  7. Cobra

    Inhale, chest forward and up, feet pressing down, hands nearly weightless.

  8. Downward-facing

    Exhale, hips high, spine long — bent knees are fine.

  9. Lunge, right foot forward

    Inhale, step or walk the foot between the hands.

  10. Forward fold

    Exhale, feet together, fold again.

  11. Arms overhead

    Inhale, rise with a long spine, chest lifting last.

  12. Return to standing

    Exhale, hands to heart. One quiet breath — then the next round leads with the left leg.

Cautions worth reading

  • Sun Salutations are repetitive, weight-bearing movement. Warm wrists and shoulders first, keep the breath unforced, and treat sharp, shooting or radiating sensation as a signal to stop — never as something to push through.
  • Station 6 (the low push-up shape) is the highest-injury moment in the sequence. Use knees-chest-chin until you can lower through a full Chaturanga without the shoulders dipping.
  • In station 7, any pinching in the lower back means the lift is too high or the legs are inactive. Press the feet down, halve the height.
  • Stepping the foot forward (station 9) is where hamstrings and groins get pulled. Walk the foot forward in two or three small steps if needed.
  • Wrist pain in plank and the downward shape usually means weight on the heel of the hand only. Spread the fingers and press through the knuckles.

Where the evidence stands

No trial has tested this specific twelve-station choreography against another, so the honest claims are mechanical: the sequence moves every major joint through a moderate range, loads the upper body isometrically and dynamically, and pairs movement with breath — all of which are well supported as general training principles. The alignment advice above (neutral spine in folds, stacked knee in lunges, control in the lowering phase) reflects mainstream movement and physiotherapy practice, not a tested property of the sequence itself.

Questions people ask

+ How long should one round take?
About ninety seconds to two minutes while learning — one comfortable breath per position. Faster rounds are a different practice (closer to cardio) and should wait until the slow version is effortless.
+ Should I hold each position?
In the classical flow, no — one breath each. But holding the downward-facing shape or the lunge for three to five breaths is a common and useful variation once the sequence is familiar.
+ Knees-chest-chin or full Chaturanga?
Knees-chest-chin until you can lower through Chaturanga with the shoulders level and the body in one line — which for most adults takes months. There is no prize for the harder version done badly.
+ My heels don't touch the floor in the downward shape. Is that wrong?
No. Heels down is a consequence of ankle and calf range, not a requirement. Prioritise a long spine; the heels arrive when they arrive.
+ Do I have to chant the mantras?
No. Some traditions pair each position with a name of the sun. It is a beautiful addition if it draws you and entirely optional if it does not — the breath pairing is the non-negotiable part.

Sources

  • Standard alignment conventions shared across modern hatha and vinyasa teaching literature.
  • The posture library on this site — individual pages for Bhujangasana, Parvatasana and the lunge positions go deeper on each station.
  • Singleton, Yoga Body (2010), on the sequence's modern assembly.

Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.