Warm-up Series

Whenever and wherever you practise yoga, always remember to include an appropriate and relevant warm-up series. Noticed that I mentioned "relevant" - the warm-up series that you select must be beneficial to the yoga practice that you intend to go into.

Most yoga teachers conducting studio classes will incorporate warm-up series as it generally forms part of the lesson structure. Is Surya Namaskar considered a warm-up? Yes, performing Surya Namaskar is sufficient if you are not planning to execute intermediate or advanced poses.

What are some of the warm-up series that you can incorporate into your practice?

These are some of the common warm-ups that I will incorporate into my yoga practice:

• Parsva Sukhasana ("Seated Side Bend Pose")

• Parivrtta Sukhasana ("Seated Spinal Twist Pose")

• Bitilasana ("Cow Pose")

• Marjayasana ("Cat Pose")

• Dandayamana Bharmanasana ("Balancing Table Pose")

In case you are planning to go for arm balances or inversions, you can consider below additional warm-ups:

• Tolasana ("Scale Pose")

• Wrist Stretches and Rotations

Considering the intensity of your practice, you can structure an appropriate warm-up series. For each movement, you can stay for about 3-5 breaths.