Sun salutations (in Sanskrit, surya means sun, and namaskar means to bow or honor,) come in many different forms, but all have a breath-based movement and contain the entire yoga practice within: your body moves through a complete range of motion and all major muscle groups are used (forward bend, back bend, being still, lengthening the spine, grounding the feet, strengthening the upper body, stretching the hamstrings, expanding the lungs).

By binding the breath to movement, holding a gaze point (drishti), and going through repeated motions, the body and mind become centered and quieted.