Getting into the meaning of Surya Namaskar clearly expresses that it is a technique of saluting the Sun with all dedication. Going deeper into Surya namaskar’s origin gives us a glimpse of the importance of this practice.
According to Hindu Mythology and Vedic literature description, Sun is the ultimate source of energy for every matter that exists in the Universe. Rig Veda even emphasizes its importance by declaring, “Surya is the Soul, both of the moving and unmoving beings“. Therefore, Surya namaskar is not only a yogic practice but also considered a pious one.
The term, Surya Namaskar has been originated from Sanskrit roots. “Surya” refers to “Sun” and “Namaskar” is further a combination term composed of “Nama” means “to pray” and “Kara” is “hand”.
Surya Namaskar is the most practiced sequence in yoga. In order to practice it correctly and for maximum benefits, keep these preparatory points in mind;
- Before you begin Surya namaskar practice, a few rounds of gentle warm-up stretches is a good idea to open joint & muscle movement. However, in itself Surya namaskar is practiced as a warm-up exercise before asana & pranayama.
- When doing sun salutation in the morning (ideally), face towards the sunrise in the east direction. While in the evening, perform it facing towards the west.
- While doing Surya namaskar, make sure your every body movement (pose) is synchronizing with breathing in & out. Inhale in poses you stretch up and exhale in poses you bend forward or gaze down.
- If sun salutation is your stand-alone exercise, keep enough time to end this practice in a relaxation pose like Savasana.
- Do 1st set of Surya Namaskar at a slow pace. Slowly increase the speed in consecutive rounds.
One set of Surya Namaskar comprises 2 rounds of 12 yoga poses. In the first round, the 4th pose of the sequence (Ashwa Sanchalanasana) is performed by stepping the right leg forward while in the second round, Ashwa Sanchalanasana is performed by stepping the left leg forward. This way, 1 set of Surya Namaskar means 24 yoga poses (2*12).
In general, 12 sets of Surya Namaskar are performed at the beginning of a yoga session. In this way, a practitioner performs 288 yoga poses (2*12*12) in a single sun salutation session.
| Description | Asana |
|---|---|
| Stand Straight with Hands in Namaskaar Mudra | Pranamasan |
| Raise both hands upwards and bend the upper back standing straight | Hastha Utthanasan |
| Slowly bend downwards from the lower back and keep hands straight | HastaPadasan |
| Take the left leg backwards and bend the knee as in the picture | Ashwa Sanchalanasan |
| Bend both legs backwards and look down, keep legs and spine straight | Parvatasan |
| Bring the 8 parts (mentioned above) of the body to the floor, rest stay up | Ashtang Namaskaar |
| Keeping hands beside the shoulders, raise the arms and keep elbows bent | Bhujangasan |
| Recline back from the lower spine into parvatasan | Parvatasan |
| Bring the Right leg forwards, Bending knee, Look upwards | Ashwa Sanchalanasan |
| Bring both legs forwards and keep hands touched ( or at least try to) | HastaPadasan |
| Take both hands upwards bending slowly till the upper back is bent | Hasta Utthanasan |
| Bring the hands back down and join them (preferrably with eyes closed) | Pranamasan |
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