Free Sun Salutations Lesson Plan Template, Plus…
9 Steps To Teach Sun Salutations

Planning a yoga lesson can take even experienced yoga teachers several hours.  That time is significantly reduced when using a Yoga Lesson Plan Software.  Below is the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) yoga lesson plan I created using the 15 Minute Yoga Lesson Planner Software for my yoga class in Mid Wales, UK.

Step 1
Download the yoga class plan template

Sun Salutations Yoga Lesson Plan Template  | MS Word Version

Sun Salutations Yoga Lesson Plan Template | ODT Version (If you don’t have MS Word or use a MAC, you can download a free open source software called Open Office.  You can open .ODT files when you download Open Office Software)

Sun Salutations Yoga Lesson Plan Template | MAC version

Step 2
Choose A Sun Salutations Theme

You can instantly turn an average yoga class into an inspiring yoga class by giving your class the gift of a “theme”.    There are lots of Sun Salutations themes you can use.  Here are some examples of “Sun Salutation themes” you can use for your class to get your brain cells activated…

Theme #1 | Feel The Ground Beneath You

Most of us in this crazy, fast Word don’t feel very secure and stable physically or mentally.   Practicing Sun Salutations is a great way to “become grounded” by being aware of the ground beneath us.    Ask your students to  to feel roots growing under their feet when they’re in Mountain, Forward Bend and Downward Dog poses.   The longer they stay in the pose, the deeper the root grows and the more “grounded” they become.

Theme #2 | Let Your Inner Sun Shine

Ask your students to allow themselves to really enjoy the sequence.   A nice trick to help this is to ask them to smile while practicing Sun Salutations.

Theme #3 | Invent Your Own Sun Salutations

Ask your students to use their tuition to come up with their own variations of Sun Salutation.   It’s one of the easiest sequences to spice up.  For example, the advanced students may want to make it a wee bit tougher by adding Chair Pose or Side Stretch Pose.   And a student with arthritis may get a chair and do some Chair Sun Salutations.  Let your students know there are no rules and no right or wrong.  Just let your hair down and unleash the child within.

Theme #4 | Mantra Chanting

Adding mantras to Sun Salutations is a whole lot of fun for the class.   It also adds a spiritual and meditative aspect to the practice.  The Sun Salutations Lesson Plan you downloaded in Step 1 has a Sun Salutations With Mantras Handout.   Or you can come up with your own mantra for each pose.   Or maybe you could even ask the class to come up with a mantra for each pose.  You could split the class up into groups of two and each pair has to come up with a mantra to share with the group.  The class then learns the mantras while performing the poses.   This is a great way to unleash creativity in the group and will turn into more of a “laughter yoga class” which is a lot of fun.

Step 3
Teach the Sanskrit

Here’s a great way of remembering Surya Namaskar by using the memory tricks of memory champions.

Imagine you’re teaching a class at your favourite venue.  You’re teaching Sun Salutations B.  All of a sudden a sewer(sounds like SURYA) opening up under the floorboards and the smell is terrible.  If that’s not enough an ass (sounds likeAS) eating nan bread (sounds like NAM) crashes through the door in car (sounds like KAR) and gets stuck in the sewer.

You can create your own bizarre and wacky story to remember Surya Namaskar.  The more bizarre you make it, the easier it is for your memory to recall it.   Another trick is to use all your senses.  Smell the sewer and nan bread.   See yourself at your yoga venue.  Hear the crash of the car.  The more connections you can make in your brain, the easier it is for your memory to recall it.

Step 4
Practice In Your Mind

Make sure you know this sequence so well that you could do it backwards.  That means practicing it during your home practice. Follow the sequence on the Sun Salutations Class Handout you downloaded in step 1.  You can either practice the sequence physically (on your mat) on in your mind.   I’ve found that practicing a sequence that I’m going to teach “in my mind” is great because it puts me in “teaching mode”.    Instead of turning the sequence into my own yoga practice, when I “practice in my mind”, I imagine lots of teaching scenarios.

For example…

I see myself walking up to students to give adjustments (especially the ones who have injuries).
I hear myself saying,  “Sun Salutations are amazing for awakening your entire body.”

Step 5
Teach The Benefits 

Standing Poses

• sprouted Feet |  feet sprout roots so you feel secure and grounded
• build body awareness
• help you find your center

Forward Bend & Halfway Lift

• elongate spine
• stretch hamstrings
• cleanse digestive system

Plank & Four-Limb Staff

• engage muscles in arms, shoulders, chest and abdomen

Upward-Facing Dog

• stretches upper body
• frees your breathing

Downward-Facing Dog

• works muscles in your entire body
• calms your nervous system

Step 6
Teach The Precautions

The main tip for students with injuries is to go slowly.

Tell your students to avoid over stretching.  Although it is good to allow your body to have a little stretch, over-stretching your body is counter productive.

Step 7
Teach The Sequence 

Go to step 1 and download the Sun Salutations Lesson Plan Template.  Print it out and place it in front of your mat.   Practice the sequence.  Or see step 4 (practice in your mind).   I usually print out the lesson plan for my evening class in the morning, fold it up and put in my back pocket.   Then throughout the day, I reach into my back pocket, unfold the lesson plan and practice “teaching” the sequence (teaching is very different to practicing – see step 4).   I learned this “teaching in the mind” from my days as a golf professional.   I was taught to play the golf course in my mind before a competition.   It worked like a charm.   And 99% of Olympians use “visualization” as part of their preparations.    So, if you haven’t “taught in my mind” before a class, give it go.   You may be surprised at how effective it is.

Sun Salutations Teaching Tips

• Build up to the sequence with  warm-up stretches
• Ask your students to smile during the practice
• Add a mantra chant & awareness on chakras for each position.
• Ask students to feel grateful for the life-giving sun.
• Start slow, go fast, finish slow.
• Don’t arch lower back when raising hands in Tadasana (mountain pose).
• Don’t tilt back too much when raising hands in Tadasana (mountain pose).
• In Uttanasana (forward bend) release the head completely.
• Press legs together in cobra.
• Use breath to float up when jumping up to Uttanasana (forward bend).
• Aim for a silent landing when jumping up to Uttanasana (forward bend).
• Challenge your advanced students to do 108 sequences at home.
• In forward fold drop nose towards knees (prevent neck strain).
• In downward facing dog bend knees to keep from rounding back.
• Go lightly until warmed up.
• Slight bend in knees before the step back into runner pose.
• Keep arms straight in cobra.
• Explain that Sun Salutations brings the mind to a calm, serene yogic state.
• To open the body, hold each pose for 10 breaths.
• Flow through at a pace of one inhalation or exhalation per pose.
• Ask students to add the sequence to their home yoga practice.
• Engage abdominal muscles on the exhalation in cobra.

Step 8
Teach A Bit Of Spice

Ask your students to use their tuition to come up with their own variations of Sun Salutation.   It’s one of the easiest sequences to “spice up”.

For example, the advanced students may want to make it a wee bit tougher by adding Chair Pose, Side Stretch Pose and raising a leg when in Downward Dog Pose.   And a student with arthritis may get a chair and do some Chair Sun Salutations.  Let your students know there are no rules and no right or wrong.  Just let your hair down and unleash the child within.

Step 9
Give Adjustments

If you see a student not performing one of the poses correctly, use it as chance to teach the class by adjusting her/him.

Downward Facing Dog Adjustments

Downward Dog Adjustment #1:  Leg Leverage
Ask the student to go into Downward Facing Dog.  Stand on the front of the mat and take your hand to the student’s sacrum (top of the hips) and apply a little pressure to help release weight onto the student’s back legs.

Downward Dog Adjustment #2: Shoulder Rotations
Ask the student to go into Downward Facing Dog.  Kneel on the front of the mat and take your hand to the middle of the student’s arms  (between shoulders and elbows) and rotate (the neck will release a little).   Click here for a video showing how to do this adjustment.

Downward Dog Adjustment #3: Perfect V
If the student is struggling to get the classical V shape, ask him/her to go into Downward Facing Dog.   Ask him/her to bend their knees a little.   Click here for a video showing how to do this adjustment.

If you enjoyed the “Sun Salutations Lesson Plan Template“,  here are some more yoga lesson plan templates for you.

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