Sun Salutation - Surya NamaskarSurya Namaskar or the Sun Salutation is a set of Yoga Postures done in quick succession that limber up and warm up the whole body in preparation for the Asana session
A graceful sequence of thirteen postures, it is to be performed as one flowing, uninterrupted exercise.
Technique 1. Namaskar – Salute
Stand erect, feet together and join the palms at the center of your chest in an Indian salute. Inhale, then exhale and push your hands forwards and out straightening and stretching them out.
2. Ardha Chandrasana – Half Moon Pose
Inhale your raise your arms above your head arching your back from the waist and stretching the spine backwards. Move your hips forwards as much as possible. Let your head roll up to the ceiling, neck relaxed.
3. Uttanasana – Hands To Feet Pose
Exhale bending from the waist downwards and place your hands on the floor besides each foot. Relax in this pose
4. Surya Darshan – Sun Sight Pose
Inhale and bring your right foot forward between your palms. Look straight ahead.
5. Purvottanasana – Inclined Plane
Hold your breath. Inhale and lean back into your arms, using them to lift the hips up toward the ceiling. As your hips lift, squeeze your legs by pulling in your knee caps and thighs. Press the bottoms of your feet flat down into the floor. Straighten both your legs and hands. Keep your neck straight and gaze fixed forwards
Ensure that your neck, spine, thighs and feet are in a straight line.
6. Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog Pose
Exhale, curl your toes under and push your back up raising your hips and straightening the legs. Let your head hang down and move your shoulder blades away from the ears towards your hips. Lift your hips up high like a mountain. Try to push your heels flat down and look at your toes with your head down between your arms.
7. Sashtang Dandawat – Forehead, Chest, Knee To Floor Pose
Sashtang means With Eight Limbs and dandawat means paying homage by touching the floor. For this, first rest your knees down and then your chest and finally your forehead down to the floor Slightly raise your hips above the ground. Keeping your feet together, inhale and exhale in this pose.
8. Bhujangaasan – Cobra Pose
Inhale and stretch your toes backwards. Tilt your head backward and begin raising your trunk. Push your hands against the floor and slowly start straightening your arms. Raise your head slowly up, arch your spine and neck and look up. Keep your legs together and elbows alongside your body slightly bent, shoulders back.
9. Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog Pose
Exhale, curl your toes under and push your back up raising your hips and straightening the legs Let your head hang down and move your shoulder blades away from your ears towards the hips. Lift your hips up high like a mountain. Check that the distance between your hands and feet is equal. Push your heels and head down and look at your toes with your head down between your arms as in pose 5.
10. Surya Darshan – Sun Sight Pose
Inhale and bring your right foot forward between your palms exactly as pose number 4.
11. Uttanasana – Hands To Feet Pose
Exhale and bring your right foot forward and assume pose number 3.
12. Ardha Chandrasana – Half Moon Pose
Inhale and stretch up standing Stretch your arms up and bend backwards just as in pose 2.
13. Namaskar – Salute
Exhale and stand erect feet together bringing the palms at the center of your chest in an Indian salute back to the center of the chest as in pose 1. This series of thirteen motions are form one round of Surya Namaskar. In the second round stretch your left leg backwards in Surya Darshan. Always ensure that Surya Namaskar is done for an even number of rounds like 2-4-6-8-10 or 12 rounds each day, stretching each leg backwards. After each round you should be in the same spot as started. Starting with 1 or 2 rounds gradually increase the tempo and number of rounds to 12. Maintain your own pace, slow or fast according to your age, agility and stamina. |
