Yoga For Life - Surya Namaskar

 Surya Namaskar

Recently when I heard of RathaSapthami ( Sun God's Birthday ) the day on  which the sun started enlightening the whole world as per Hindu Vedas,  I reminded of Surya Namaskara. So, I spent some time to gather the info and  come up with both religious and  scientific significance also the benefits of Surya Namaskar.

Surya Namaskar

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 helps in recharging the body by attaining equilibrium, promoting self-healing, removing negative energies and enhancing personal powers. 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. So, if you haven’t stretched your body since ages and considering something effective then the surya namaskar is just right for you.

What is Surya Namaskar?

For centuries, people from all civilizations have offered prayers to the sun, the ultimate source of life and energy. One such practice is the Surya Namaskar.
Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is an ancient technique of paying respects to the Sun. It is a form of expressing gratitude to this source of all life on the planet.

Does it have any base in science?

Yes, it does. In fact, it is important to understand the science behind this ancient technique. This will help you approach this powerful yoga practice with the right outlook. Ancient sages of India have said different energies govern different parts of the body. For instance, the solar plexus located behind the navel is connected to the Sun. Regular practice of Surya Namaskar enhances the solar plexus. This, in turn, increases your creativity, intuitive abilities, decision-making, confidence and leadership skills. This is why the practice of Surya Namaskar is highly recommended.

"All our emotions get stored in the solar plexus. It is also the point from where one's gut feelings arise. The size of the solar plexus is said to be like that of a small gooseberry. However, for those who do yoga and meditation, it becomes three to four times larger than the normal size. The more expanded your solar plexus, the greater is your mental stability and your intuition.  On the other hand, contraction can lead to depression and other negative tendencies.".
~  Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


A workout for ‘busy bees’

Facing a time crunch? Want to feel fit but don’t know how? Welcome to the world of Surya Namaskar. Literally translated as sun salutation, Surya Namaskar comprises a sequence of 12 yoga postures. The best part about Sun Salutation is that it works well for those ‘super busy’ people who often complain about not being able to do yoga because of a time crunch. Doing at least 12 sets of Sun Salutation, preferably at sunrise, at a fast pace provides a good cardiovascular workout. If done at a slower pace, these postures help tone the muscles and can be relaxing and meditative. Moreover, it allows you to enjoy the stretch and makes the body more flexible.

An exercise in itself

Sun Salutation forms an excellent link between warm-ups and intense yoga postures. Start your early morning yoga routine with some warm-up stretches to ease out body stiffness. You can then do a few rounds of Sun Salutation to help increase body flexibility and also prepare the body to stretch more during the intense yoga posture sequence.

When can I do Surya Namaskar?

Surya Namaskar

You can do Surya Namaskar at any time of the day. However, it is best to do it at sunrise. This is when sun rays help revitalize the body and refresh the mind. There are benefits at other times of the day too. If you do it in the afternoon, it energizes your body instantly and at dusk, it helps you unwind.

Can you practice it at any pace?

These 3-speed variations can help you get optimum benefits of Surya Namaskar:
Slow pace: It helps to make your body flexible
Medium pace: It helps to tone your muscles
Fast pace: It acts as an excellent cardiovascular workout and helps in weight loss

What are the benefits of Surya Namaskar ?

Surya Namaskar Benefits

Benefits of Surya Namaskar steps are manifold. It helps in better functioning of the body and mental faculties. To sum up, a few are listed below:

• Postures are a good blend of warm-ups and asanas.
• It helps to keep you disease-free and healthy.
• Regular practice of Surya Namaskar promotes balance in the body.
• It improves blood circulation throughout the body.
• Strengthens the heart.
• Tones digestive tract.
• Stimulates abdominal muscles, respiratory system, lymphatic system, spinal nerves and other internal organs.
• it tones the spine, neck, shoulder, arms, hands, wrist, back and leg muscles, promoting overall flexibility.
• All the glands function properly with the surya namaskar.
• Regulates your body, removes your stress and helps you in getting sound sleep.
• Psychologically, it regulates the inter-connectedness of body, breath, and mind, thus making you calmer and boosting the energy levels with sharpened awareness.

There are also specific benefits of Surya Namaskar for weight loss, hair, and skin.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar for weight loss

It is an intensive physical exercise that works on every part of the body.
You can increase the number by the day and watch the pounds disappear. The bends and stretches help you lose flab evenly.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar for Hair

Surya Namaskar improves blood circulation to the scalp, thus preventing hair loss.
The increased blood circulation nourishes the head and there is a healthy growth.
Different poses help prevent graying of hair.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar for glowing skin

Surya Namaskar improves blood circulation to all parts of the body. This helps keep the skin young.
It increases energy and vitality, making your face glow with radiance, which helps the skin stay firm.
As Surya Namaskar helps relieve stress, it prevents onset of wrinkles.

 How can children enjoy benefits of Surya Namaskar?

With cut throat competition everywhere, there has been a sudden increase in children struggling with stress and anxiety. Surya Namaskar helps calm the mind and improves concentration and endurance. It reduces the feeling of anxiety and restlessness, especially during exams. Regular practice of Surya Namaskar also gives strength and vitality to the body. It is a great workout for their growing muscles. It improves spine’s flexibility and limbs of young aspiring athletes. Even five year old’s can practice Surya Namaskar daily.

Why should women do Surya Namaskar?

Surya Namaskar can do what months of dieting cannot. Hence, it is a blessing for health-conscious women. This is an easy and natural way to stay in shape. Some of the Sun Salutation poses help lose extra fat around the belly. They do this by stimulating sluggish glands, like the thyroid gland, inducing it to increase hormonal secretions. Regular practice of Surya Namaskar can also help regulate irregular menstrual cycles and assist in child birth. Finally, it helps your face glow, prevents wrinkles and makes you appear ageless.

Who should not do surya namaskar?

-Avoid surya namaskar if you have back severe pain.
-Do not do surya namaskar if you are pregnant. Also avoid it during menses.
-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.
-In case your breathing goes faster than normal, then either take rest or do not perform surya namaskar that day.


How to Perform Surya Namaskar?

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. Every time you attain a yoga position, it is very important to maintain correct posture. But 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.

The transition from posture to posture is facilitated by either an inhalation or an exhalation. As you move through the sequence, watch your breath closely. Slow your pace or stop and rest entirely if your breathing becomes labored or shuts down altogether. Always breathe through your nose, not your mouth: Nasal breathing filters and warms incoming air and slows your breathing down, thereby lending the sequence a meditative quality and reducing the risk of hyperventilation.

Step #1: Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

 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.

Pranamasana 

Step #2: Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

 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.

Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
You may push the pelvis forward a little bit. Ensure you're reaching up with the fingers rather than trying to bend backwards.

Step #3: Hasta Padasana (Hand to foot pose)

 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.

Hasta Padasana Pose

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
You may bend the knees, if necessary, to bring the palms down to the floor. Now make a gentle effort to straighten the knees.
It's a good idea to keep the hands fixed in this position and not move them until you finish the sequence.

Step #4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

 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.

Ashwa Sanchalanasana Pose

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
Ensure that the right foot is exactly in between the palms.

Step #5: Dandasana (Stick pose)

 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.

Dandasana Pose

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor.

Step #6: Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight parts or points)

 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.

Ashtanga Namaskara Pose

Step #7: Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Slide forward and raise the chest up into the Cobra posture.You may keep your elbows bent in this pose, the shoulders away from the ears. Look up.

Bhujangasana Pose

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
As you inhale, make a gentle effort to push the chest forward; as you exhale, make a gentle effort to push the navel down. Tuck the toes under. Ensure you're stretching just as much as you can; do not force your body.

Step #8: Parvatasana (Mountain pose)

Breathing out, lift the hips and the tail bone up, chest downwards in an 'inverted V' (/) posture.

Parvatasana Pose

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
If possible, try and keep the heels on the ground and make a gentle effort to lift the tailbone up, going deeper into the stretch.

Step #9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Breathing in, bring the right foot forward in between the two hands, left knee down to the floor, press the hips down and look up.

Ashwa Sanchalanasana

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
Place the right foot exactly between the two hands and the right calf perpendicular to the floor. In this position, make a gentle effort to push the hips down towards the floor, to deepen the stretch.

Step #10: Hasta Padasana (Hand to foot pose)

Breathing out, bring the left foot forward. Keep the palms on the floor. You may bend the knees, if necessary.

Hasta Padasana

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
Gently straighten the knees and if you can, try and touch your nose to the knees. Keep breathing.

Step #11: Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Breathing in, roll the spine up, hands go up and bend backwards a little bit, pushing the hips slightly outward.

Hastauttanasana Pose

How to deepen this yoga stretch?
Ensure that your biceps are beside your ears. The idea is to stretch up more rather than stretch backwards.

Step #12: Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Bring both your arms down from the sides and as you exhale, bring your palms together in front of the chest in a prayer position.
Its a resting position.

Pranamasana Pose

After completing the cycle, lay down in shawasan or yoga nidra for some time.

How many times to do surya namaskar in a day?

One set consists of two rounds of Sun Salutation:first stretching the right side of your body and then the left side. So, when you do 12 sets of Sun Salutation, you are completing 12 sets x 2 rounds in each set x 12 yoga poses in each = 288 yoga poses within 12 to 15 minutes.

Surya Namaskar calorie calculation:

One round of Surya Namaskar burns upto 13.90 calories for an average weighing person. You can now set a target for yourself.  You can slowly increase the number of rounds of Surya Namaskar to 108. By the time you reach this number, you will become more toned and fitter.

Surya Namaskar Calories chart

30-minutes workout calorie meter: How many calories are you burning in your 30 minute workout?

Weight lifting = 199 calories
Tennis = 232 calories
Basketball = 265 calories
Beach volleyball = 265 calories
Football = 298 calories
Bicycling (14 – 15.9 mph) = 331 calories
Rock climbing = 364 calories
Running (7.5mph) = 414 calories
Surya Namaskar = 417 calories
*Data Courtesy:  Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Artofliving.org

So,  Instead of spending a lot of money for gym trainers or in hospitals for reducing weight, for getting a slim body, let's start practicing these Surya namaskar asanas daily at home and get the benefits out of it.

Better Lifestyle Leads to Better and Healthier Life.

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