Yoga Teacher's Companion #26: How to Teach the Most Essential Sun Salutations to Beginners

Learn how to teach your new yoga students the four most essential sun salutations. This episode includes the benefits, most essential cues, and key focal points to teach your students. It even shows you how to troubleshoot the most common challenges.
✅ Check out Jason's Online Course, "Mastering the Art of Teaching Beginner's" at learn.jasonyoga.com/beginners
✅ Deepen your teaching knowledge & skills with one of the world's most respected, trusted and sought after yoga teacher for more than 20 years at jasonyoga.com/study-yoga-with-us
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Video Highlights
0:00 Overview of Content
1:25 How to Teach Half Sun Salutations to Beginners
1:51 The Benefits of Half Sun Salutations
2:53 Key Focal Points and Cues when Teaching Half Sun Salutations
4:03 How to Teach Simple Lunge Sun Salutations to Beginners
5:13 The Benefits of Simple Lunge Salutations for Beginners
6:31 Key Focal Points and Cues for Teaching Lunge Sun Salutations
7:26 How to Troubleshoot Lunge Sun Salutations
8:51 How to Teach Crescent Sun Salutations to Beginners
10:27 The Benefits of Crescent Sun Salutations
11:56 Key Focal Points and Cues when Teaching Crescent Sun Salutations
13:34 How to Troubleshoot Crescent Sun Salutations
14:25 How to Teach Low Lunge Sun Salutations to Beginners
15:53 The Benefits Low Lunge Sun Salutations for Beginners
17:21 Key Focal Points and Cues for Teaching Low Lunge Sun Salutations
ABOUT JASON:
Jason Crandell is a natural teacher and author with more than 20 years of experience. Named “one of the teachers shaping the future of yoga,” by Yoga Journal, Jason has been an in-demand teacher at conferences around the world for more than two decades.
For the past 10 years, Jason has honed his approach by looking to peers outside of the yoga community, in the fields of physical therapy, orthopedics, and sports medicine. These collaborative partnerships have enabled Jason to offer the most up-to-date to asana technique, cueing, injury management, and hands-on adjustments. Jason’s goal is to blend the timeless wisdom of yoga philosophy with evidence-based information to create yoga curriculum that helps modern practitioners grow and evolve.

[@CristinaMolinaYoga]

Highly recommended course! It has has opened me up to the simple (but often forgotten concept) that if we want to serve our students well we must remember that teaching is not about teaching everything we know... It's about teaching to the student in front of you. It's about teaching from the foundations and building from there. I'm learning so much. I'm even applying what I am learning to everything I teach. And I even talk about Jason as "my teacher" even though I have never interacted with him yet! That's how effective and connected his teaching is. Very pedagogical, step by step, repetition, emphasis on key aspects.

[@kurrarahistoricguesthouse5288]

thankyou for sharing your knowledge

[@nnder321]

I’m watching learning doing taking notes thanks Andrea😉I know you’re the brains. Jkidding

[@CPYPDX]

Thank you - love the sequential layering of the flows.

[@snehayogish]

I am teaching sun sals to beginners this Sunday, thanks Jason. I absolutely love your tips and cues for teaching beginner's. I am enjoying teaching, troubleshooting and supporting beginner students :) Can't wait to finish the last module of 300 hr :)

[@JasonCrandellYoga]

Thanks so much, Sneha! It's great to hear from you!

[@RussNehrig-hc8nw]

Thank you, Jason! Always appreciate how you break things down so thoughtfully, based on scientific knowledge and your own teaching experience. I am currently taking Art of Yoga Sequencing for the 2nd time. It is all new from when I took it 9-10 years ago. I continue learning from you how to be a better teacher. Two things I didn't learn in my 200 hour are 1) how to sequence a class, and 2) how to teach a beginner series. That's why I see these two courses as so valuable.

[@shannalinn7230]

Incredibly thought through, well organized, and clearly conveyed. Amazing. Thank you!

[@Bossy978]

Thank you ✨👏🏽

[@tanyabooysen3958]

Love the way you teach.

[@evayoga9500]

So thankful Jason and Andrea. LOVE your tips and your podcasts guys!

[@Lestina2024]

You’re amazing, I am so used to your voice makes me relaxed and encouraged

[@simplyyogaom-yogawithmary1075]

Great cues to help our beginning students. Thank you so much for sharing! Mary

[@shivapatel2873]

Thank you Jason for your great tips for teaching beginners, incredibly helpful 🙏🏽☺️🌟

[@mutugui]

Thank you for this video, this is so helpful ! I love the way it is sequenced and how you introduce each piece of information. I am looking forward to teach those !

[@mjhugs3]

Thank you excellent love the podcast. Finally watched a video…

[@wabi-sabiyogaandwellnessce10]

Absolutely wonderful information. Thank you so much! I will definitely be implementing these Sun Salutations into my Beginner’s Yoga Series. The cues are so clear and precise!

[@lauracemin807]

Thank you! very informative video! Looking forward to learn more during the course! and nice video with these infographics..always something new coming out from the Crandell/Ferretti's home :)

[@lorrainechick7023]

Hi Jason, so helpful. I do teach a beginners course and one of the most difficult things for students is to step forward in a lunge. I will try having them come down onto one knee. Thanks again Lorraine

[@Futoonae]

you’re the best

[@susananderson7920]

This is incredibly helpful. Thank you!

[@JasonCrandellYoga]

You're welcome, Susan!

[@maureencleary8244]

I was just told by my 'hand therapist' NEVER to tent my fingers when working thru yoga. I have a degenerative thumb issue & therapist says 'tenting fingers jams the joints' Just a little info - and ive been tenting for years and asking students to try tenting. I will not be doing this any more....i say this because i see you tenting hands in poses. Thank you and I do so appreciate you.

[@janetan2016]

❤❤❤

[@margiecanfield5537]

If your right leg is back in the lunge, is your left knee DIRECTLY under your shoulder (mine bumps into my chest) or can it vere outside the shoulder space (angled left). When my knee bumps into my chest I feel it prevents me from going lower.

[@margiecanfield5537]

I also tend to lose my balance when bringing my hands/arms up for the cresent part (when in the lunge) any pointers for that?