Like Yin and Yang, Sun Salutation and Moon Salutation are a match made for your mat. The differences between the two sequences are what make this pair perfectly complementary. Just like the sun and the moon, the Sun Salutation is viewed as hot and considered to be energising while the Moon Salutation is cooling and thought of as calming, says Sage Rountree, a USA Triathlon coach, yoga teacher and author of The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga.

Moon salutations complement endurance training by balancing forward motion with a soothing side-to-side flow.

Why: Balance is an essential element of yoga what you do on the left side, you repeat on the right. Yoga stretches like a Moon Salutation works you laterally and improves flexibility with calming poses that help that help you calm down and cool your body and your mind.

Tips: To help protect your knees, keep your knees and toes facing in the same direction, especially in transition poses like squat or lunge, Rountree says. Misaligned knees and ankles can put undue strain on the knees and ankles.

Do this routine...

1. Stand at left side of mat in Mountain Pose. Place hands at heart centre (Namaste). Inhale.

2. As you exhale, tip the fingers down.

3. Inhale as you sweep the arms overhead with palms pressed.

4. Exhale, lengthen, and tip to your left.

5. Inhale through centre. Exhale tip right. Inhale back to centre.

6. Step the right foot wide and lower down into a Goddess squat, knees and toes facing out.

7. Inhale through Star stretch- open your arms and legs wide and reach through your fingers and toes.

8. Pivot your right foot open to the right, slide into Triangle pose. Exhale as you lower down. Inhale as you turn your head to look up.

9. Exhale as you close the left side of your body down into Pyramid.

10. Inhale. Extend the spine long. Exhale.

11. Bend your right leg into a lunge, fingers on the floor.

12. Lower your left knee into a low lunge. Inhale, bring hands to the top of knee and exhale placing the hands on the inner side of the right foot.

13. Inhale, pivot on the balls of both feet. Open your body towards the left (the long side of your mat) into an extended leg squat.

14. Exhale, slide low across the mat so your right knee is bent, left leg extended.

15. Inhale to pivot to face left (the short side of your mat).

16. Lower the right knee. Rest the top of the right foot on the ground. Inhale and bring the hands to just about above the left knee. Exhale.

17. Place the hands on either side of the foot. As the right toes turn under inhale and straighten your left leg for Pyramid pose. Exhale as you fold over your left leg.

18. Exhale and open the right side of the body up for Triangle pose. Take a full breath here.

19. Inhale coming back into Star.

20. Exhale into the Goddess squat.

21. Take a big step over to the right with palms pressed overhead.

22. Tip first to the left.

23. Tip to the right.

24. Exhale coming back to hands at heart centre.

25. Tip the fingers down.

26. Inhale as you come back into Mountain Pose.

27. Repeat the cycle in reverse.