Surya Namaskar B builds directly on Surya Namaskar A. Where Surya A is a clean nine-pose wave, Surya B threads in Utkatasana (chair pose) at the start and end and adds Virabhadrasana 1 (warrior 1) on both sides between the chaturangas. The result is a longer sequence — usually 16 to 19 movements per round depending on how you count — that builds noticeably more heat in the legs, hips, and shoulders.

This sequence comes from the Ashtanga Vinyasa lineage, where students traditionally move through five rounds of Surya B after their five rounds of Surya A. Outside of Ashtanga, you'll see Surya B used as a standalone warmup, a heat-building opener for a stronger practice, or as the bridge between gentler standing work and the deeper standing pose sequence.

This guide is for practitioners who already know Surya Namaskar A and want to add the next layer. If chaturanga, up dog, and down dog don't yet feel familiar, learn Surya A first — the transitions in B move quickly and assume you can find each shape without thinking about it.

What You Need

  • A yoga mat
  • Optional: a block for tight hamstrings
  • Optional: a towel for grip if your hands slide

Before You Start

You should be comfortable with Surya Namaskar A before learning B. That means you can find chaturanga, up dog, and down dog without coaching, and you can link breath to movement on your own. Practice on a relatively empty stomach — wait at least 2 hours after a full meal. If you have wrist, shoulder, or knee issues, work with a teacher before adding multiple chaturangas per round.

Steps

  1. 1
    Step 01

    Start in Tadasana, then inhale into Utkatasana

    Stand tall at the front of your mat with feet together (or hip-width if that feels steadier). On a deep inhale, bend the knees, drop the hips back as if sitting into a chair, and sweep both arms overhead. Keep the chest lifted and the lower ribs drawing in. This is your starting position for Surya B and your finishing position too.

    Tip: If your shoulders are tight, take the arms shoulder-width apart instead of pressing them together. The lift matters more than the squeeze.
  2. 2
    Step 02

    Exhale into Uttanasana (forward fold)

    From Utkatasana, straighten the legs as you fold forward over them. Let the head hang heavy, bend the knees as much as you need to bring the belly to the thighs, and rest the hands on the mat or on shins.

  3. 3
    Step 03

    Inhale to Ardha Uttanasana (half lift)

    Press the fingertips into the mat or slide hands to shins. Lengthen the spine forward so the back is flat and the chest reaches toward the front of the mat. Look just past your fingertips. This sets up a clean jump or step back.

  4. 4
    Step 04

    Exhale back to Chaturanga Dandasana

    Step or jump both feet back into a high plank, then lower down with the elbows hugging the ribs until the shoulders are at elbow height. Keep the body in one straight line — no sagging hips, no piked-up rear.

    Tip: If your shoulders dip below your elbows, drop the knees first. A strong knees-down chaturanga builds the foundation for a strong full chaturanga later.
  5. 5
    Step 05

    Inhale to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward dog)

    Roll forward over the toes (or flip the feet one at a time), straighten the arms, and lift the chest and thighs off the floor. Press the tops of the feet down, draw the shoulders away from the ears, and look forward. Only the hands and tops of the feet touch the mat.

  6. 6
    Step 06

    Exhale to Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog)

    Roll back over the toes, lift the hips up and back, and press into a full downward facing dog. Spread the fingers wide, root the index finger knuckles, and let the heels reach toward the floor without straining.

  7. 7
    Step 07

    Inhale to Virabhadrasana 1 (warrior 1) right side

    Step the right foot forward between the hands. Spin the back heel down so the left foot lands at about a 45-degree angle. Square the hips toward the front of the mat as best you can, bend the right knee to roughly 90 degrees, and sweep both arms overhead. The right knee tracks straight over the right ankle — not past it.

    Tip: If squaring the hips pulls your back heel up, shorten your stance. A shorter, stable warrior 1 is better than a long one with a floating heel.
  8. 8
    Step 08

    Exhale through a vinyasa (chaturanga, up dog, down dog)

    Plant the hands inside the front foot, step back to plank, and exhale to chaturanga. Inhale to up dog, then exhale back to down dog. This is the connecting vinyasa between sides — keep it efficient, not rushed.

  9. 9
    Step 09

    Inhale to Virabhadrasana 1 (warrior 1) left side

    Step the left foot forward this time. Spin the right heel down at 45 degrees, square the hips toward the front, bend the left knee over the left ankle, and sweep the arms overhead. Hold for one full breath, matching the length of your right side.

  10. 10
    Step 10

    Vinyasa back to down dog, then return to standing

    Exhale through chaturanga, inhale to up dog, exhale back to down dog and hold for 5 breaths. On the next inhale, step or jump the feet between the hands and lift the chest into a half lift. Exhale to forward fold. Inhale all the way back to Utkatasana with arms overhead. Exhale back to Tadasana, hands at the heart. That completes one round of Surya B.

Expected Results

After one round you'll feel heat building in the quadriceps and shoulders — Surya B is noticeably more demanding than A. After 3 to 5 rounds, most practitioners feel warm enough to move into a stronger standing sequence without further warmup, with a clearly elevated heart rate and a light film of sweat. Over weeks of consistent practice, expect stronger legs and shoulders, better stamina under load, more open hip flexors, and the kind of cardiovascular base that makes the rest of your asana practice feel easier. Traditional Ashtanga students do 5 rounds daily as part of the Primary Series.

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the back foot in warrior 1 sit at the wrong angle — aim for about 45 degrees with the heel grounded. (In strict Ashtanga style the back heel is sometimes lifted; pick one approach and stay consistent within a round.)
  • Letting the front knee drift past the front ankle in warrior 1 — this loads the knee joint instead of the leg muscles. Pull the knee back over the ankle even if it shortens the stance.
  • Dropping the back hip in warrior 1 — both hips should square toward the front of the mat. If they won't, shorten your stance until they do.
  • Rushing the chaturangas — Surya B has more chaturangas per round than A, and the cumulative load on shoulders adds up fast. Slow each one down or modify to knees-down before form breaks.
  • Forgetting to switch sides equally — always do warrior 1 on both right and left within the same round, holding for the same length of breath on each side.

Troubleshooting

My back heel won't reach the floor in warrior 1
Lift the heel slightly for now and keep working. Two options: shorten the stance until the heel grounds naturally, or stay in the longer stance with a lifted heel (the Ashtanga approach). Both build toward the same opening over time.
My front hip flexor feels strained in warrior 1
Your stance is probably too long. Shorten it by walking the back foot forward 6 inches. The depth of the front knee bend matters more than how far apart your feet are.
My shoulders are fatigued from all the chaturangas
Drop to knees-down chaturanga for the rest of the round, or skip the chaturanga entirely and step straight back to down dog. Cumulative shoulder strain is the most common Surya B injury — it's smarter to modify than to grind through with bad form.

Variations

Traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa: 5 rounds of Surya B following 5 rounds of Surya A as part of the Primary Series. Single round as warmup: one full round before a longer standing sequence builds heat without taxing the shoulders. Modified Surya B: use knees-down chaturanga throughout to take pressure off the shoulders while still working the legs in warrior 1. Restorative warrior 1 chair version: keep the chair pose but skip the chaturangas entirely — flow chair, fold, half lift, walk back to down dog, walk into warrior 1, and reverse the sequence. Good for early pregnancy or shoulder injury recovery.

Connections

Surya Namaskar B is the natural next step after Surya Namaskar A. Both sequences belong to the broader practice of yoga asana, and the individual shapes — chair, forward fold, chaturanga, warrior 1 — each have their own entries in the yoga pose library. Pair the physical practice with pranayama for breath training that supports the ujjayi breath used throughout Ashtanga Vinyasa.

Further Reading