Sun salutations are a staple in many yoga classes, but have you ever considered whether they might be driving students away? For some students, these sequences can feel discouraging, inaccessible, or even overwhelming. But with a few simple modifications, you can make sun salutations work for everyone—and set your classes apart as creative, inclusive, and engaging.
Here, I’ll explain:
- Why traditional sun salutations might be alienating some students
- How to modify sun salutations to reduce strain and frustration
- Creative ways to add variety and accessibility
- Adaptations to make your class more inclusive for all levels and all ages
- How these changes can boost retention, reputation, and revenue
And to bring it all together, I’m sharing two follow-along videos: one explaining the issues with standard sun salutations and another guiding you through a hands-free, spine-friendly variation. Follow along to feel what I’m saying really land in your own body—then serve it to your students.
why sun salutations might be driving your yoga students away
Sun salutations are NOT one-size-fits-all. While they can be a great way to warm up, they also introduce challenges that can make yoga feel unapproachable for some students.
potential problems with traditional sun salutations:
- Too Many Up-and-Down Transitions: Students with blood pressure issues or vertigo may feel dizzy moving between standing, forward folding, and stepping back.
- Wrist, Elbow, and Shoulder Strain: Plank, chaturanga, and down dog put a lot of pressure on the upper body, which can be painful for students with sensitivity or injuries. Do you remember how long it took for your wrists to condition when you first started practicing yoga? For me, it took months, if not years, to build up the strength that keeps my wrists comfortable.
- Strength Barriers: For beginners or those building strength, holding planks and lowering through chaturanga can feel overwhelming.
- Flexibility Challenges: Stepping forward from down dog into a lunge isn’t accessible for everyone, making transitions feel frustrating or even humiliating.
When students feel unsupported or incapable, they’re less likely to return. And when retention drops, so does your class attendance—and ultimately, your teaching momentum.
how to make sun salutations more accessible
The good news? You don’t have to eliminate sun salutations—you just might need to tweak them to ensure everyone can participate with confidence.
try these simple modifications:
✅ Reduce wrist and shoulder load. Instead of stepping back to down dog, have students start at the front of their mat and step back into a lunge. This eliminates weight-bearing on the hands. (Bonus: it keeps the front-leg knee in a comfortable position, too!)
✅ Minimize big postural shifts. Replace full forward folds with standing cat-cow, where students keep their hands on their thighs. This reduces dizziness while still allowing for spine movement. (Bonus: it allows for students to customize the back stretch without overloading their hamstrings.)
✅ Incorporate more planes of motion. Traditional sun salutations keep students moving only forward and back (sagittal plane). Add side bends and twists in mountain pose, in chair pose, and in lunges to introduce movement in the frontal and transverse planes, creating a more balanced practice.
✅ Offer hands-free options. By focusing on standing movements rather than floor transitions, you give students a chance to build strength and confidence without the frustration of inaccessible steps forward.
With these adjustments, sun salutations become more welcoming, ensuring that every student can engage fully in class.
And when you engage your students, they return. As you retention increases, so do your referrals and your class numbers—and then you are helping more people with yoga! Win/win.
watch these videos to see these concepts in action
Want to see the difference these modifications make? Watch these two videos:
Why Sun Salutations Might Be Sabotaging Your Classes
Follow Along with a Hands-Free, Spine-Friendly Sun Salutation
Apply these tweaks to create a class that supports all students—keeping them engaged, comfortable, and coming back for more.
get more creative sequencing ideas inside my Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing Mentorship Membership
Making sun salutations more accessible is just the beginning. If you want to feel more confident in your class planning and learn how to create sequences that are both inclusive and engaging, join Mastering the Art of Yoga Sequencing Mentorship Membership (MMM).
Inside MMM, you’ll get:
- Expert guidance on sequencing for different student needs
- Ready-to-use lesson plans that save you time—get a full month of creative, sustainable lesson plans that your students will love
- Personalized feedback and mentorship to refine your teaching
- A community of like-minded yoga teachers supporting each other—this group is fantastic!
Join us and immediately start crafting classes that keep students coming back!
Your students deserve a practice that meets them where they are and makes them feel successful and at ease in their practice. And you deserve to feel confident in your teaching. Try these sun salutation modifications and see the difference they make in your classes!
