The guide explains the various aspects of Surya Namaskar along with the benefits, important tips and different poses.
As per the ancient texts of Rig Veda, the sun is the soul of both moving and unmoving beings. Surya Namaskar or sun salutation is an ancient technique that consists of a 12-steps combination of 7 asanas as a way of paying respect to the sun. It is one of the most widely known yoga practices, incorporated into several different traditions such as Hatha, Vinyasa and Ashtanga. The asanas stretch the body while contracting and expanding the chest alternately to regulate breathing. With daily practice, Surya Namaskar Yoga benefits the body by improving the flexibility of the spine and joints as well as by trimming down extra fats from the body. It also prepares the body for other asanas and yoga practices.
Surya Namaskar is a powerful technique to make you more mindful. With regular practice, it increases awareness, forming a deeper connection between the body, breath and consciousness. You can start with 3 to 5 cycles a day as a beginner, and slowly increase it to 12 cycles per day.
Let us now understand more about Surya Namaskar, its health benefits and the correct steps to perform and practice it.
Essential Aspects
Surya Namaskar consists of five essential aspects. All of them must be followed to gain optimum results. They are as follows-
Asanas: There are twelve steps, which have to be practiced in a sequence, one after the other.
Breathing: The complete cycle of Surya Namaskar is synchronized with breathing. Each posture is associated with either inhalation or exhalation or retention or suspension of breath.
Mantra: Each posture is accompanied by a specific mantra repeated either silently or loudly. These mantras add to the benefits. Before integrating these mantras, it is advisable to first perfect the postures and synchronize them with your breathing.
Awareness: Awareness is a crucial part of this practice through which its effects are experienced at the cellular level. It increases the capacity of concentration and chanting brings about harmony at all levels.
Relaxation: For beginners, after completing Surya Namaskar, relaxation is important.
Also read:
What is Contemplative Meditation?
Benefits of Surya Namaskar
Regular practice of Surya Namaskar has numerous health advantages from physical to psychological. Let us see what these advantages are.
Physical
Surya Namaskar influences the health of your entire body. It stimulates and improves all your organs. It strengthens your neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, fingers, back, waist, abdomen, thighs, knees, calves and ankles. It also reduces redundant fat.
Therapeutic
Surya Namaskar alleviates various diseases linked to the digestive system, relieves constipation and helps in the elimination of toxins. It improves the vital capacity of your lungs and the functioning of your endocrine system. It also helps to cope with insomnia and most importantly to regulate the menstrual cycle.
Psychological
Surya Namaskar gives you poise, mental as well as physical. It increases your concentration, optimism as well as self-confidence.
How to do Surya Namaskar?
Pranamasana – ‘Om Mitraya Namaha’ (Salutations to the friend of all). Stand at the edge of your mat, keep your feet together and balance your weight equally on both feet. Expand your chest and relax your shoulders. As you breathe in, lift both arms from the sides, and as you exhale, bring your palms together in front of the chest in a prayer position
Hasta uttanasana – ‘Om Ravaye Namaha’ (Salutation to the radiant one). Keeping the palms in the prayer position, slowly inhale & raise the arms above your head. Stretch the arms back as much as you can. The inhaling and raising of hands should be in unison. As you progress, tilt the pelvic slightly forward.
Padahastasana – ‘Om Suryaya Namaha’ (Salutation to he who initiates all activity). Breathing out, bend forward from the waist keeping the spine erect. As you exhale completely, bring the hands down to the floor beside the feet.
Ashwa sanchalanasana – ‘Om Bhanave Namaha’ (Salutation to he who illuminates). Breathing in, push your right leg back, as far back as possible. Bring the right knee to the floor and look up.
Parvatasana – ‘Om Khagaya Namaha’ (Salutation to the all-pervading one). Lift your hips and tailbone up, chest downward in an inverted V posture. Try as much as possible to keep your heels in contact with the floor. Look towards the navel.
Ashtanga Namaskar – ‘Om Pushne Namaha’ ( Salutation to whom he nourishes all). Gently bring your knees down to the floor and exhale. Take the hips back slightly, slide forward, rest your chest and chin on the floor. Raise your posterior a little bit. Your two hands, two feet, two knees, chest and chin (eight parts of the body) should touch the floor.
Bhujangasana – ‘Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namaha’ (Salutation to the golden cosmic womb). Breathing in, Slide forward and raise your chest into the Cobra Pose. You may keep your elbows bent in this pose with the shoulders away from the ears. Look up at the ceiling.
Parvatasana – ‘Om Marichaye Namaha’ (Salutation to the golden rays of the Sun). Breathing out, lift the hips and the tailbone to bring the body into an inverted ‘V’ pose. Try as much as possible to keep your heels on the floor. Look towards the navel or your knees in the final posture.
Ashwa sanchalanasana – ‘Om Adityaya Namaha’ (Salutation to the son of Aditi, cosmic mother). Breathing in, bring the left foot forward in between the two hands. The left knee goes down on the floor. Press the hips down and look up.
Padahastasana – ‘Om Savitre Namaha’ (Salutation to the stimulating power of Sun). Breathing out, bring the right foot forward. Keep the palms on the floor and come back to posture number 3.
Hasta Uttanasana – ‘Om Arkaya Namaha’ (Salutation to who he is worthy praise). Breathing in, roll the spine up. Raise the hands and bend backwards a little bit, pushing the hips slightly outward.
Pranamasana – ‘Om Bhaskaraya Namaha’ (Salutation to the one who leads to enlightenment). As you exhale, first straighten the body, then bring your arms down as in the posture.
Important tips
- Practice Surya Namaskar on an empty stomach.
- Surya Namaskar can be practised daily according to an individuals capacity.
- Breathing should be natural.
- It is not advisable to perform Surya Namaskar in case of bodily weakness, bad back, menstruation, arthritis or any joint injury.
- In case of a medical condition, practise yoga only after consulting a doctor.
- Surya Namaskar is not advisable to be performed by pregnant women as this puts pressure on the back and the abdominal area.
Now that you know the basics of Surya Namaskar and its advantages it’s time to rise and engage yourself in this invigorating practice. Let us know in the comments section below whether you practice Surya Namaskar daily and what benefits have you experienced from the same.
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Author: Shraddha Chondhe (INFS Yoga Instructor)
