Surya Namaskar {Sun Salute}  

Surya Namaskara or ‘salutation to the sun’ is one of the most vital and well-known yoga practices. Its versatile and intense nature makes it the most adaptable practice and a complete sadhana (spiritual practice), as it includes the most important components of yoga, i.e. asana, pranayama, mudra, mantra, visualization and meditation.

The history of Sun Salutation dates back to the ancient Vedic period when the Sun was considered the cause and the source of life. Till today, it is considered the most powerful symbol of life, vitality, strength, purity, knowledge, intuition and higher awareness.

Sa esha vaishvanaro vishvarupah pranoagnirudrayate / Tadetadrichyuktam //

Prashnopanishad 7:1

The Sun, which rises every day is the source of Prana (energy) and Agni (fire) is Him (Brahman – Lord of Creation), who assumes all forms and is in all living beings.

Om! Bhoor Bhuvah Svaha, Tatsa Viturvarenyama /
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahih Dhiyo Yonaha Prachodayat //

Rig Veda – 3:62:10

The famous Gayatri mantra, describes Sun as the supremely luminous and creator of the three worlds, the earth, the sky and the space, and also as the guide of our intellect.

A famous ancient text Prashnopanishad talks about the origin of all living beings. It explains how the Lord (the creator) created prana, the Sun (energy), and food, the moon (matter). It says that without the Sun, nothing can exist—time, day or night, seasons, or any creation. Sun Salutation is an act of acknowledgement (or, thanks giving) and a process of receiving the energies from mother nature.

A sadhaka (practitioner of yoga) should always have the right bhava (right attitude) towards the Sun and the nature before practicing Surya Namaskara. It is not just about keeping fit, but about developing faith and gratitude towards the originator and the sustainer of life.

Faith can be developed towards one’s personal symbol of meditation: God, guru, parents, nature or the whole world. Therefore, the practice of Surya Namaskara in India is linked to the traditional ritual of child initiation into the world, the upanayana sanskara or the sacred thread ceremony. Surya Namaskara is deeply rooted in Indian traditions, and its teachings are passed on to every child as a vital tool to keep them physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually harmonized.

Surya Namaskara Sequence of Twelve Practices are as follows-

 Step 1: Pranamasana (Prayer Pose)

  • Stand straight with your feet together and arms by the side of your body
  • Gently close your eyes and visualize the Sun rising in front of you
  • Feel the warmth of early morning sunrays
  • Accept the energy and life given by the mighty Sun
  • Join the palms in front of the chest in Pranama mudra
  • Palms should touch each other with root of joined thumbs touching the sternum
  • Keep your body relaxed and focus on natural breath

Step 2: Hasta Utthanasana (Raised Hands Pose)

  • Stand relaxed in Pranamasana with natural breathing
  • With next inhalation, raise and stretch your arms over the head
  • Keep the elbows straight
  • Raise the chin up and look towards the fingertips
  • Simultaneously arch the upper back
  • Become aware of the stretches in the whole body

Step 3: Pada Hastasana (Hand to Foot Pose)

  • Stretch the body with Hasta Utthanasana
  • With exhalation, start to bend forward
  • Keep the spine straight and arms in line with the body
  • Bend forward and reach the sides of your feet with palms
  • Try to bring the forehead close to the knees
  • Keep the knees straight
  • Stretch the back and contract your stomach

Step 4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

  • Take Pada Hastasana pose
  • Place the palms by the sides of your feet
  • Pull back your right leg as far as possible
  • Bend the left knee and place the right knee on the floor to maintain balance
  • Without hunching the shoulders keep the elbows as much straight as possible
  • The body is balanced on the palms, left foot, right knee and toes of the right foot
  • Raise the chin up and gaze at the center of eyebrows

Step 5:  Dandasana (Stick pose)

As you breathe in, take the left leg back and bring the whole body in a straight line.

How to deepen this yoga stretch?

Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor.

Step 6: Ashtanga Namaskara (Salutation with Eight Limbs or Body Parts)

  • From Parvatasana, hold your breath in this position
  • Touch the knees to the floor
  • Place the chest and chin on the floor one after the other
  • Advanced practitioners can bring knees, chest and chin simultaneously on the floor
  • Make sure the buttocks, and abdomen are raised from the floor

Step 7: Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

  • From Ashtanga Namaskara, with simultaneous inhalation, slide forward and raise the head and chest above the floor
  • Raise upper body above the navel
  • Rest of the body should remain on the floor
  • Without hunching the shoulders, use the arms to support your back
  • Look above the eye level with chin slightly raised

Step 8: Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)

  • From Bhujangasana with exhalation
  • Raise the buttocks
  • Bring the back and arms in one line
  • Keep the heels on the floor and knees straight
  • Make a mountain with legs and back as elevations on both sides of buttocks
  • Squeezing the shoulders push the upper body towards the knees

Step 9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

  • Inhale and bring the left foot between the two palms
  • Bend the left knee and place the right knee on the floor to maintain balance
  • Without hunching the shoulders keep the elbows as much straight as possible
  • The body is balanced on the palms, left foot, right knee and toes of the right foot
  • Raise the chin up and gaze at the center of eyebrows

Step 10: Pada Hastasana (Hand to Foot Pose)

  • With exhalation, bring right foot forward as well
  • Try to bring the forehead close to the knees
  • Keep the knees straight and palms touching the ground
  • Stretch the back and contract your stomach

Step 11: Hasta Utthanasana (Raised Hands Pose)

  • With next inhalation, raise the arms, head and back
  • Keep the elbows straight and arms in line with the back
  • Raise the chin up and look towards the fingertips
  • Simultaneously arch the upper back
  • Become aware of the stretches in the whole body

Step 12: Pranamasana (Prayer Pose)

  • With exhalation lower the arms down
  • Join the palms in front of the chest assuming Namaskara mudra
  • Palms should touch each other with root of joined thumbs touching the sternum
  • Gently close your eyes for a while and visualize the Sun rising in front of you
  • Feel the warmth of early morning sunrays
  • Accept the energy and life given by the mighty Sun
  • Keep your body relaxed and focus on natural breath
  • Once breath becomes normal lower the arms by the sides

This completes first half of one round. To complete the second half of Surya Namaskara follow the same twelve pose sequence except for slight change in the technique to move into fourth and ninth positions.

  • To assume Ashwa Sanchalanasana pull back left leg instead of the right leg
  • Same way while coming back bring right foot forward first to move into Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Contra-Indications:

  • Toxins in the body
  • High blood pressure
  • Knee or ankle injuries
  • Dizziness
  • Slipped disc
  • Sciatica
  • Hernia
  • Hypertension

Benefits:

    • Increases body-mind balance
    • Develops concentration and mental focus
    • Regulates cardiovascular system
    • Regulates digestion and respiration
    • Removes excess weight
    • Tones spinal and back muscles
    • Eliminates abdominal ailments
    • Reduces accumulated fat layers in the abdominal region
    • Strengthens arms, shoulders, chest, back and leg muscles
    • Induces nervous balance
    • Regulates blood circulation throughout the body
    • Regulates blood circulation in the back
    • Improves flexibility of the neck, shoulder and upper back
    • Relieve backache, rounded back and drooping shoulders
  • Helpful in regulating whole endocrine system

By-  Yogi  Yoganand