Jumping Forward

During sun salutations you’ll hear me say, “Step or jump forward.” Stepping forward is fine. It increases your flexibility, allows you time to work on your alignment, and gives you a chance to catch your breath. But jumping forward is a lot more fun. And it isn’t all that hard. Here’s how:

1. From downward dog, inhale and look forward, stand on your tip toes, and bend your knees.
2. Exhale and jump forward.
   

A good way to practice is to do downward dog about a foot from the wall. Do step one, but rather than jumping forward, jump your butt as high up the wall as you can. Pretend you're going to do a handstand. Float for a second. Then let your feet fall where they will, hopefully close to your hands. Doing this forces you to engage your abdominals (so that you don't crash into the wall), which builds strength and stamina. And it prepares you for bigger and better things, like floating forward.