Sun Salute (Surya Namaskar) - 2: Upward Salute

April 5, 2025

Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana) is the second pose in the Sun Salutation sequence. From the Prayer Pose, you inhale deeply, sweep your arms out to the sides and up overhead, and gently arch your back while lifting your gaze.

This movement opens the chest, lengthens the spine, and engages the core, encouraging a full, energizing breath.

The pose helps improve posture, stretch the shoulders and sides of the body, and awaken the mind for the practice ahead. By reaching upward and creating space between the vertebrae, it also relieves tension in the back and prepares the body for deeper forward folds and strength-building poses that follow in the Sun Salutation.