The Sun Salutation yoga pose is recommended for practitioners of all ages and especially for the ones who cannot dedicate a lot of time to their yoga routine. The reason why this pose is so highly appreciated has to do with the fact that it involves most of the muscle groups, as well as the respiratory system.

In fact, the Sun Salutation is a sequence of twelve yoga positions, linked together by a flowing motion and accompanied by five deep special breaths. Each of the twelve positions contributes to stretching a different part of the body and different muscle groups. Moreover, it helps expanding and contracting the chest in order to regulate breathing.

Specialists and yoga trainers recommend this exercise for the daily routine, as it can contribute in a very efficient way to the flexibility of your spine and joints.

* The first of the twelve positions require you to stand up with your feet together. Your palms should be in praying position, in front of your chest. Once you make sure your weight is evenly distributed, exhale profoundly.

* While inhaling, push the arms up, keep the legs straight and relax the neck.

* While exhaling fold your body forward, press your palms down and try to place your fingertips in line with your toes.

* While inhaling bring a leg back and place it on the floor. Arch your back and lift the chin.

* Bring the other leg back and try to support your weight on hands and toes. Keep your chin down and retain your breath, while performing this move.

* While exhaling, lower your knees and then your forehead, but keep your hips up and make sure your toes are curled under.

* Lower your hips, while inhaling. Point your toes and bend as back as possible. Your shoulders should be kept down and your legs together.

* Curl your toes under and, while exhaling, raise your hips. You should end up in a V position. You should push your heels and head down, while keeping your shoulders back.

* While inhaling, step forwards and place one of your legs between the hands. Keep your chin up, while resting the other knee on the floor.

* Bring the other leg forward and bend down from the waist keeping your palms on the floor. Exhale.

* While inhaling, stretch your arms forward and then up and back over your head and try to slowly bend back.

* Return to the upright standing position, while exhaling, and bring your arms to your sides.

This pose is considered to be one of the best yoga asanas and it is very popular with yoga practitioners. However, this pose must be accompanied by deep breathing, otherwise it will not be more than an acrobatic looking position. The shoulder stand pose was also adopted by gymnasiums and sports training facilities and it can be performed both by men and women with maximum efficiency.

Begin the pose by lying on your back, with the legs straight and close together and the arms parallel with the torso. Raise your legs towards the ceiling, and point your toes upward. Let the weight of your body rest on the neck muscles and on the deltoid muscles of the shoulders. Support the back and legs into the vertical position by allowing your hands to give the lower back the balance it requires. While going into the pose breathe deeply.

Hold the pose with your legs and spine straight. Begin to breathe slowly and deeply while concentrating on the thyroid gland. It is located in the neck area so the shoulder stand will have a profound effect on it, increasing its tone. Hold the pose for a couple of minutes for best effects.

When you are ready to come out of the shoulder stand curve your back and knees simultaneously and lower them to the ground. Remove your hands and place them flat on the floor. When the back is completely flat on the floor, straighten the knees and gently lower the legs.

A high percentage of yoga practitioners declare that they practice yoga for its beneficial results on their health. Thus, many consider yoga a great modality of reducing stress, strengthening the muscles, reaching profound relaxation and improving one’s meditation techniques.

Due to the everyday problems and worries, a lot of people have to deal with stress and discomforts. Thus, they realize that it is harder for them to concentrate on things, they become more and more restless and they are unable to relax anymore.

The areas of the body where we inevitably feel the presence of stress are the shoulders and the neck. These parts of our body hold a lot of tension, which produces severe headaches. For that reason, yoga trainers recommend the practice of Shoulder Lifts as many times a day as necessary.

In order to perform these moves you simply have to raise one shoulder at the time or the two shoulders at once and repeat the movement at least five times. Make sure you do it as slowly as possible and you keep your spine straight. Please mind the way you breathe, as a deep breath can maximize the beneficial effects of your exercises.

When slowly practicing the shoulder lift moves you will start to feel relaxed and the tension you feel in your shoulders will gradually go away.

The great thing about these exercises is the fact that one can practice them anywhere, including at work, in front of the TV or during a tiring journey, and the results are always amazing.