Don’t Forget About Sun Salutation C! Here’s a Refresher of How to Practice (Photo Tutorial)

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Sun Salutations are a wonderful way to warm your body up, set your breathwork for practice, and get into the yoga zone. Sun Salutation C (Surya Namaskar C) is the perfect sequence to use to add variety to your practice when you may be on autopilot with Sun Salutation A and B or when you’ve had enough Chaturanga push-ups but still want to flow.

Like Sun Salutations A and B, this sequence links breath with movement but has a slightly different cadence.

Sun Salutation C (also referred to as Sun C) has a few variations across yoga traditions, but this tutorial covers the most common and foundational flow.

But Wait, How Do I Link My Breath to My Movements in Yoga?

If you want a breakdown of how to link breath to motion in your yoga practice, Breath to Motion is what you’re looking for! Linking breath to motion is often found in Sun Salutations and Vinyasa Yoga, yet it applies to any form of yoga that you practice. Experience Breath to Motion with this quick, all levels yoga class on YA Classes. Not yet a member? Try it out for free for 14 days.

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Learn How to Practice Sun Salutation C:

If you’ve taken a Vinyasa, Power Yoga, or Ashtanga class before then you are probably already familiar with Sun Salutations A and B, but you might not be familiar with Sun Salutation C.

Follow along with this step-by-step yoga pose tutorial of Surya Namaskar C.

Want a refresher on Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B? Learn Surya Namaskar A and B: Sun Salutation Flow Photo Tutorial

1. Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Let’s Try It:

Stand with your toes together and a small space between your heels
Distribute your weight evenly across both feet as well as the balls and heels of your feet
Stack your shoulders and hips over your feet
Lengthen your spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head and broaden across your collar bones
Release your arms to your side, spread your fingers with your palms facing forward

2. Inhale: Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)

Let’s Try It:

Keep the alignment and weight distribution from Mountain Pose
Inhale as your sweep your arms up overhead
Bring your palms together overhead and gaze up towards your hands
Draw your navel towards your spine to keep engagement in your core
Some yogis like to add a small standing backbend here

Looking for more yoga tutorials and yoga tips? Check out our full library of Yoga articles here

3. Exhale: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Let’s Try It:

Exhale as you fold forward, hinging at the hips
Bend your knees as much as you need in order to plant your palms on the mat
Engage and lift your quadriceps to help release your hamstrings
Let your head hang heavy to release tension in your neck and gaze towards your shins

4. Inhale: Half Standing Forward Fold, or Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)

Let’s Try It:

Inhale as you lift your torso, lengthen your spine, and flatten your back
Place your fingertips on the floor or gently rest your hands on your shins
Gaze towards the floor
Bend your knees slightly as needed to flatten your back

5. Exhale: Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

6. Inhale: Step Back Into Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

Let’s Try It:

On your inhale, step your right leg back into a Low Lunge
Lower your right knee to the mat
All your hips to sink forward and down
Keep your left foot steady on the mat between your hands and your left knee stacked over your heel
Keep your palms on the mat or reach your arms overhead
Bring your gaze forward and relax the shoulders away from your ears

7. Exhale: Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Let’s Try It:

Exhale to plant your palms and step your left leg back to meet your right, feet hip-width distance apart
Lift your hips up and back, stretch your heels towards the ground (it’s ok if they don’t touch the ground – many don’t in proper alignment)
Your legs can be straight or have a slight bend in the knees
Spread your fingers apart and grip the mat slightly with your fingertips
Draw your navel in as you lengthen your spine and firm your shoulder blades into your back
Evenly distribute your weight between your hands and feet
Release tension in your neck and gaze towards your shins

8. Inhale: Plank Pose (Kumbhakasana or Phalakasana)

Let’s Try It:

Inhale and shift forward, stacking your shoulders over your wrists
Spread your fingers wide and grip the mat with your fingertips
Lengthen from your heels through your spine all the way to the crown of your head, and gaze straight down at the mat
Pull your navel towards your spine to engage your core and entire body
Modify by dropping one or both knees down to the mat

Want to make sure you’re practicing Plank Pose correctly? Here’s How!

9. Exhale: Knees-Chest-Chin (Ashtanga Namaskara)

Let’s Try It:

Exhale and lower your knees to the mat, keeping your toes tucked
Lower your chest to the mat between your hands, hovering your shoulders just over your hands
Gently lower your chin down towards the mat
Hug your elbows in close to your sides
Keep your hips and bum lifted high off the mat
Move slowly and fluidly through this pose as you take a long exhale

10. Inhale: Cobra (Bhujangasana)

Let’s Try It:

Inhale and pull your chest forward as you lift your chest and shoulders off the mat and lower your thighs onto the mat
Keep your elbows tucked in close to your sides
Release your feet so the tops of your feet are resting on the ground
Press your feet, thighs, and pubic bone into the ground
Broaden across the sternum and pull your chest forward and up instead of back
Bring your gaze forward

11. Exhale: Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Let’s Try It:

Send your hips up and back
Roll through or step onto the bottom of your feet
Take 5 breaths in Down Dog

12. Inhale: Step Forward Into Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

Let’s Try It:

Inhale and take a large step forward with your right leg coming into a Low Lunge
Place your right foot between your hands
Lower your left knee to the mat

13. Exhale: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Let’s Try It:

Exhale as you step your left leg up to meet your right, finding a fold forward

14. Inhale: Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)

15. Exhale: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

16. Inhale: Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana)

17. Exhale: Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

That completes one half of Sun Salutation C (Surya Namaskar C). Repeat the steps on the left side by stepping backward and forward with your left foot into lunges in Steps 6 and 12.

Final Tips and Guidance for Surya Namaskar C:

Sun Salutation C can serve as a complete practice when repeated several times if you’re crunched for time or can’t make it to your favorite yoga class.

Sun C is also great for class sequencing as you can easily add variations to low lunges such as lifting your arms up, adding a bind or twist, or lifting into Crescent Lunge variations.

Remember to keep breathing slowly and intentionally with each movement in this sequence to create a moving meditation, and as always listen to your body and adjust as needed.

Next time you feel like you’re in a bit of a yoga slump give Sun Salutation C a try and see how it invigorates your practice. Namaste!