Now that you’ve gotten warmed up with Sun Salutations A and are a teen yogi, it’s time to move on their more intricate and challenging cousin, the Sun Salutations B. The Sun B series starts off in much the same way as the Sun A series and there is a focus on flow and breath. Every inhale is a rising, lengthening or extending motion and every exhale is a sinking, contraction or deepening motion. This can take some getting used to for many teenagers, but it can be a powerful tool for becoming centered, calm and in tune with oneself.

Up until now, the movements have been identical to the Sun Salutation A -- you’ve jumped, hopped or stepped to the front of the mat, gone through flat back and reverse swan dived your way up to Tadasana.  Here’s a How-To for the postures that come next:

Tips for Sun Salutation B

1. Begin in Chair Pose. Utkatasana position (also sometimes called ‘Chair Pose’ or Lightning Bolt): sink the hips and reach the arms overhead. Glue the knees and inner thighs together, creating static contraction in the muscles, working them harder. This will allow you to draw the hips further back and down, rocking your weight back into the heels. Naval is drawn in and up and spine is long. Gaze is slightly lifted and arms are lifted as they would be in a Warrior I position. Glance down and notice your toes; if you can’t see them, you need to draw your hips further back and down, as if you’re sitting back into a chair. Lifting your toes is a good way to check that you’re placing an appropriate amount of weight in your heels.
2. High to Low Plank. On an exhale, draw the palms together and fold forward. On the next inhale, lift to your flat back, pressing shoulder blades together, staying engaged through the core. Next exhale, fold forward, plant the palms on the mat on either side of the feet and step to high plank then lower to low plank. From here, you’ll inhale and lift the chest up to upward facing dog; again, press shoulder blades together and think of pulling the chest forward, through the arms. Gaze lifts upward slightly.
3. Downward Facing Dog. Press the tops of the feet into the mat, press into the palms and lift the hips on the exhale, rolling them back into Downward Facing Dog. Lift the right leg behind you on an inhale. Press the palms firmly into the mat and think of extending and lengthening the body out through the right foot. On the exhale swing the right foot forward, planting it flat on the mat between your hands. You can use a hand to help your foot into place if it doesn’t seem to want to come between your hands on its own (this is very normal, especially among newer yogis!)
4. Shift to Warrior I Pose. Pivot the back foot (left, in this instance) at a 45 – 60 degree angle, with toes pointing to the front left corner of the mat. Press through the outside edge of the foot. Next inhale, sweep the arms forward and up, rising up to Warrior I. On the exhale, float the hands down to the mat, planting them on either side of the right foot, then step the right foot back to high plank. With knees lifted or planted on the mat (to offset any strain in the shoulders), lower to low push up.
5. Inhale to Upward Facing Dog. Exhale to downward facing dog. Repeat the Warrior I sequence on the left side.

By adding these postures (a chair pose and a Warrior I) into the flow for Sun B, you’ll reap the physical benefits of strengthening and toning the muscles of the legs and the butt, as well as stretching the legs, hip flexors, and improving ankle strength AND balance. All good things, if you ask me!