Photo Credit :- kike-vega-F2qh3yjz6Jk-unsplash
One
evening, as I was walking along the beach at St Kilda, Melbourne and I was
captivated by a lady doing Sun Salutations very gracefully. I didn’t want to embarrass or disturb her privacy by staring at her but kept walking and watching. It was a perfect
rhythm and control of body and mind. I also do Sun Salutations, sometimes at
home but not so perfect and natural and I was impressed. She must be a yoga
teacher or some serious Yoga student. Anyway, this made me think a bit these
ancient yoga postures and the benefits a Sun Salutation or a Surya Namaskar
gives to the practitioner. Traditionally, Sun salutations are performed in the
morning during the Sunrise but, hey with our busy and hectic lifestyle, doing
it sometime is better than not doing at all. Apart from normal physical and
muscular strength, body co-ordination Sun Salutations provides immense benefits
by activating the major chakras and the associated Endocrine glands and thus
generating the important hormones useful for a health body and mind. In Hindu
tradition Sun is worshipped as a visible Deva or God. He is called as Surya
Narayana. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna mentions the name of Sun God as Vivisvan.
Chapter Four, Verse 1 Krishna says
“Sri-bhagavnn
uvaca:-
imam
vivasvate yogam
proktavan
aham avyayam
vivasvan
manave praha
manur
ikṣvakave
bravit
The
Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Kṛṣṇa, said: I instructed this
imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed
it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvaku”.
So,
it is not unusual in India worship Sun God. When Sun is rising, people offer
oblations with water to Sun God, even though many may not do Surya Namaskars,
they at least close their eyes for few seconds, fold their hands in reverence.
Depending
on the Yoga school you visit and the system they are following, the asanas or
the poses are called differently but, basically there are 12 poses as below,
Prayer
Pose (Pranamasana)
Upward
Salute (Hastauttanasana)
Standing
Forward Bend (Hasta Padasana)
Low
Lunge (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)
Plank
(Phalakasana)
Knees-Chest-Chin
(Ashtanga Namaskara)
Cobra
(Bhujangasana)
Downward
Facing Dog (Adho mukha śvānāsana)
Low
Lunge (Ashwa Sanchalanasana)
Standing
Forward Bend (Hasta Padasana)
Upward
Sslute (Hastauttanasana)
Prayer
Pose (Pranamasana)
And,
each set of Sun Salutation starts and ends with Pranam Mudra (gesture) of joining
the hands.
Here
is a nice and easy picture which basically shows the Asana or the pose,
breathing which is very important (inhale/Exhale) and the name of the major
Chakra that is strengthened by the asana.
