Author: Namratha Gopal | Illustrator: Parvathi Nayanar
Sun has been a great source of spirituality and vitality on Earth since time immemorial. Sun salutation or Suryanamaskar provides an opportunity to express gratitude to the sun for sustaining life on this planet as the life and energy are given by the Sun to the entire world and why not do a Sun Salutation to honor the life nourisher and sustainer?? Suryanamaskar is a powerful sequence of 12 effective yoga poses. It’s been told to have immensely positive impact on the body and mind. With that said, let’s check out the benefits of practicing Suryanamaskar early in the morning and also check on to their sequence of steps that needs to be followed. Let’s begin –
Health benefits of practicing Suryanamaskar
1. Tones muscles and improves flexibility
2. Improves digestion
3. Promotes weight loss
4. Increases energy
5. Keeps you active throughout the day
6. Reduces moods swings
7. Brings in more emotional stability
8. Enables better absorption of nutrients
9. Improves the skin glow
10. Balances hormone levels
11. Works as best cardio training
12. Strengthens the heart
13. Improves blood circulation
14. Regulates interconnectedness of body, mind and breath
15. Good for hair
16. Stimulates respiratory and lymphatic system, spinal and internal organs
Sun salutation / Suryanamaskar steps to follow
Step 1: Pranamasana (Standing prayer pose)
Suryanamaskar begins with greeting the Sun God in a prayer position while standing upright. Stand at the edge of your mat and balance your weight by keeping your feet together equally. Relax yourself and as you breathe in, lift both the arms up from the sides. As you exhale, bring your palms together in front of the chest in a prayer position.
Step 2: Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)
In this asana, arms are gradually lifted up and the back is bent backwards. Slowly inhale and bring your biceps close to the ears. This helps in stretching your chest as well as abdomen and in turn surges the energy flow towards the upper part of your body.
Step 3: Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)
After stretching your abdominal region, this asana helps in further massaging and stretching your belly region. This helps in improving the digestion while also enhancing your blood flow to the brain which also helps to keep your blood pressure normal. Just exhale and bend while trying to touch down the floor with your hands keeping spine straight. Make sure to exhale thoroughly. This is very effective in eliminating all period-related issues like PCOS.
Step 4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)
This asana helps in stretching your spine further along with quadriceps and iliopsoas muscles and also helps in stimulating abdominal organs. In this step, just start bending your knees towards your right side of the chest while moving your left leg backwards. Keep your hands at the ground taking support while stretching as much as possible. Make sure to inhale thoroughly.
Step 5: Dandasana (Stick pose)
This asana helps improves your body posture and helps to reinforce your back muscles and spine. It also helps in stretching your shoulder and chest. Just perform a plank while making sure to inhale thoroughly. Also make sure that your hands are just below your shoulders and the body is parallel to the ground.
Step 6: Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight points/parts)
Ashtanga namaskara asana helps in strengthening your chest, arms and legs. Exhale slowly and bring your chin to the ground. Keep up your hips in the air. Chin, chest, hands and knees must be on the ground.
Step 7: Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Slide forward and raise the chest up in this pose in which your pose resembles cobra in this asana. As you inhale, make sure to put a gentle effort to push the chest forward and as you exhale, make the gentle effort to push the navel down while making sure to tuck your toes tight. This asana helps in relieving the tension from the back and spine.
Step 8: Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog pose)
Slowly exhale and lift the hips and the tailbone up to bring the body into the inverted ‘V’ pose. This helps in improving the blood flow to the brain and improving the body posture. It also helps in strengthening the arms and bones.
Step 9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)
Repeat Ashwa Sanchalanasana by lunging your left feet forward this time.
Step 10: Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)
Repeat Hastapadasana by bring your left foot forward. Keep the palms on the floor and bend the knees to give a good stretch. Exhale thoroughly.
Step 11: Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)
Repeat Hastauttanasana by inhaling slowly and rolling the spine up. Raise the hands up and bend backwards keeping the hips straight.
Step 12: Tadasana (Mountain pose)
Exhale and straighten the body and then bring the arms down. Relax and feel the sensation in your body.
This completes one set of Surya Namaskar.
Disclaimer
Practicing the yoga helps in developing the mind and body. It’s nowhere a substitute of medicine. It is always essential to practice and learn yoga under the supervision of Yoga professionals. Consult your doctor in case of any medical emergency and practice yoga only if you feel better.
