127: 4 Ways to Teach Sun Salutations + Important Insights

127: 4 Ways to Teach Sun Salutations + Important Insights

From Yoga Teacher Training Podcast: Learn Anatomy, Philosophy, Business and More by Jeremy Devens

October 22, 2025 · 16 min

About this episode

This episode explores the teaching and practice of Sun Salutations, offering insights on pacing, breath, and variations.

In this episode, I’m sharing one of the most essential foundations of yoga practice and teaching — Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) . Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced teacher, understanding how to cue, pace, and embody the right tempo and intention can completely change your experience on the mat. I break down four variations of Surya Namaskar: the Half Sun Salutation, Full with Lunge, Standard (without Lunge), and Surya B. I’ll walk you through how to teach each one, what to look for in your students, and how to bring back the feeling and awareness that make this sequence so powerful. One of the biggest mistakes I still see teachers make is rushing through Sun Salutations so fast that it becomes hard to actually breathe and move together. In this episode, I’ll show you how to use a metronome to find a natural pace (around 65 bpm), how to match the breath with the movement, and how to adapt these variations for different levels and body types. I also talk about the traditional roots — like why Sun Salutations were originally practiced facing east at sunrise — and how that intention connects you to the rhythm of nature. You’ll learn when to use Surya A vs. Surya B, and…

People in this episode

Host: Jeremy Devens

Topics covered

  • yoga teaching
  • Sun Salutations
  • breath and movement
  • yoga variations
  • yoga philosophy

Keywords

  • yoga
  • Sun Salutations
  • Surya Namaskar
  • breath
  • movement
  • yoga teaching
  • yoga variations

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Sun Salutations, Surya Namaskar, Surya A, Surya B

More episodes of Yoga Teacher Training Podcast: Learn Anatomy, Philosophy, Business and More

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Yoga Teacher Training Podcast: Learn Anatomy, Philosophy, Business and More podcast page.