Importance of SURYA NAMASKAR and how to do it

Healthy mind and healthy body are indispensable elements of life. Though there are different ways to keep yourself healthy, yoga promotes overall health in a balanced way. Yoga actually simplifies your mind and thought process. One such yoga posture that is actually the simplification form of daily workout for the mind and body is the surya namaskar.

Surya namaskar is basically a sun salutation that leads to healthy body, mind and soul. Surya namaskar consists of a cycle and each cycle may consist of 10 – 24 steps. It is imperative to perform surya namaskar properly, consistently and with a suggested breathing pattern.

• How to Perform?

If you are new to surya namaskar, it is better to start with just one or two sets and then increase the number with practice. Before starting the surya namaskar, prepare your body by doing some fitness activities. Warm up through exercises the neck, arm and shoulder, knee, stomach and back, legs and waist. Once through, you are prepared to do the surya namaskar.

Posture 1 – Stand straight, if possible facing the morning sun. Fold your hands like we do in prayers and bring these close to your chest. Chant the mantra – ‘Om Suryadevaya Namah’ three times.

Posture 2 – With hands still folded, raise you arms up in the air and breathe in. Bend backwards making an arch like structure from hands to feet. Make sure that your spine is flexible enough to do this. Do not overstretch yourself otherwise you can get injured.

Posture 3 – Bring your hands down while breathing out. Touch the floor with hands by keeping them on either side of your feet. Make sure not to bend your knees in this posture. This posture is very helpful in reducing fat around waist by aiding digestion.

Posture 4 – Lower your hips and stretch your left leg backward while breathing in. Balance your left leg on your toe. Keep the right leg bent. Keep your hands firmly on the ground and now raise your head upward as if seeing the sky. This will provide flexibility to spine and leg muscles. With this posture the body’s immune system also gets a boost.

Posture 5 – Breathe out and push your right leg parallel to the left leg. Raise your hips. Keep your arms and knees straight and your head to face your navel.

Posture 6 – Hold your breath while bringing your hips down. Your hands and feet are still in the same position. Stretch your body close to the floor. Keep your face downwards and bring your knees and chest close to the floor. While doing this posture, 8 points of your body touch the floor – palms, toes, knees, forehead and chest.

Posture 7 - Lower the hips while pushing the chest forward and upward with the hands, until the spine is fully arched and the head is facing up. The knees and lower abdomen remain above the floor.

Posture 8 - Move head backwards, keeping the palms flat touching the floor. Place both feet flat on the ground. Raise the buttocks and lower the head between the arms. 

Posture 9 - Extend the right leg back and drop the left knee to the ground. The left knee is bent up and kept between the palms with the sole of left foot flat on ground. Look straight and concentrate at the centre of eyebrows. 

Posture 10 - Bring the stretched right foot forward. Join both legs and bend forward bring the head between the knees.

Posture 11 - Stretch arms backwards. 

Posture 12 - Straighten the body and bring the hands in front of the chest.

The above constitutes one round of Surya Namaskar. Rest for few seconds before starting the second round. After completing the cycle, lay down in shawasan or yoga nidra for some time.

• Who should not do surya namaskar:

1. Avoid surya namaskar if you have back pain.
2. Do not do surya namaskar if you are pregnant. Also avoid it during menses.
3. People suffering from blood pressure, arthritis, slip disc and hernia must not perform this asana. It is better to consult your doctor if you suffer from any other kind of ailment.
4. In case your breathing goes faster than normal, then either take rest or do not perform surya namaskar that day.

• Benefits of the surya namaskar:

1. Surya namaskar is highly beneficial if you want to lose weight.
2. It helps in improving posture and provides strength to the muscles.
3. Surya namaskar assists in stimulating every system of the body. It strengthens the heart, keeps the nervous system in place and makes the digestive system strong.
4. All the glands function properly with the surya namaskar.
5. Surya namaskar regulates your body, removes your stress and helps you in getting sound sleep.

References: www.mapsofindia.com

www.health.india.com