Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)
Swami Vishnudevananta says this exercise gets its
name because it is practiced early in the morning
while facing the sun. It is a good exercise to begin a
session of Hatha Yoga, regardless of the sun’s
current position. Vishnudevananda goes on about
the sun’s being a deity of physical health and
longevity. He suggests that we repeat the twelve
names of this divinity while we perform the
exercises.
I find that the Sun Salutation is of great value even
without the theological twist. I have had times in my
life when I didn’t sit down on a mat to bend, stretch
and twist for an hour or so everyday.
During these periods I maintained my flexibility by
doing only one Sun Salutation a day.
Bending and stretching is the essence of Hatha
Yoga, with twisting bringing up a close third. One of
the hard-to-ignore features of aging is the general
loss of flexibility. When we were children, most of us
could do incredible contortions. As we get older,
this ability fades away. Touching ones’s head to the
knees goes from easy to difficult to impossible.
The salvation is that, if a person bends and stretches
to the maximum on a regular basis, he or she will
stay flexible.
There are many reasons or excuses for not doing
this as one matures. You’re not a kid anymore. You
don’t get down and roll around on the ground and
pretend to be an animal. You have some dignity.
You don’t want to get your clothes dirty. You don’t
have time for such silliness.
People grow stiff with age. Sometimes unfortunate
accidents or diseases rob the body of its
limberness. In fact, therapies similar to yoga
exercises are commonly used to reverse this effect.
The basic rule is, “Use it or lose it.” More than
anything else this slogan applies to bending and
stretching. One of the unfortunate side effects of
success in family, society, livelihood and prosperity
is that other people do your bending and stretching
for you. Eventually the day comes when you have to
do it for yourself, and you discover that you no
longer can. You have grown old.
Back to the Sun Salutation: I have found through my
own experience that this one asana, performed once
a day, will keep the brittle demon at bay.
It is suggested that the routine be done twelve
times. Doing this will do more than prevent the
creeping rigidity of age from gaining ground. You
will actually become more flexible as time goes by.
One day you will be pleased to find that you can
press your head to your knees once again.
This is a good time to introduce the idea of a
gradient. With all of the Yoga asanas, it is best to
start slow and easy. In the case of the Sun
Salutation, do only one at first. During the next
session, do two. Continue to increase one each time
until you are doing twelve Surya Namaskars.
Swami Vishnudevananta says this exercise gets its
name because it is practiced early in the morning
while facing the sun. It is a good exercise to begin a
session of Hatha Yoga, regardless of the sun’s
current position. Vishnudevananda goes on about
the sun’s being a deity of physical health and
longevity. He suggests that we repeat the twelve
names of this divinity while we perform the
exercises.
I find that the Sun Salutation is of great value even
without the theological twist. I have had times in my
life when I didn’t sit down on a mat to bend, stretch
and twist for an hour or so everyday.
During these periods I maintained my flexibility by
doing only one Sun Salutation a day.
Bending and stretching is the essence of Hatha
Yoga, with twisting bringing up a close third. One of
the hard-to-ignore features of aging is the general
loss of flexibility. When we were children, most of us
could do incredible contortions. As we get older,
this ability fades away. Touching ones’s head to the
knees goes from easy to difficult to impossible.
The salvation is that, if a person bends and stretches
to the maximum on a regular basis, he or she will
stay flexible.
There are many reasons or excuses for not doing
this as one matures. You’re not a kid anymore. You
don’t get down and roll around on the ground and
pretend to be an animal. You have some dignity.
You don’t want to get your clothes dirty. You don’t
have time for such silliness.
People grow stiff with age. Sometimes unfortunate
accidents or diseases rob the body of its
limberness. In fact, therapies similar to yoga
exercises are commonly used to reverse this effect.
The basic rule is, “Use it or lose it.” More than
anything else this slogan applies to bending and
stretching. One of the unfortunate side effects of
success in family, society, livelihood and prosperity
is that other people do your bending and stretching
for you. Eventually the day comes when you have to
do it for yourself, and you discover that you no
longer can. You have grown old.
Back to the Sun Salutation: I have found through my
own experience that this one asana, performed once
a day, will keep the brittle demon at bay.
It is suggested that the routine be done twelve
times. Doing this will do more than prevent the
creeping rigidity of age from gaining ground. You
will actually become more flexible as time goes by.
One day you will be pleased to find that you can
press your head to your knees once again.
This is a good time to introduce the idea of a
gradient. With all of the Yoga asanas, it is best to
start slow and easy. In the case of the Sun
Salutation, do only one at first. During the next
session, do two. Continue to increase one each time
until you are doing twelve Surya Namaskars.
| Yoga for Carnivores by Brahmananda |
| Asanas |
A part of Hatha Yoga is the practice of a number of physical exercises that involve bending,
stretching and twisting the body to produce strength, flexibility and agility. These positions are
called asanas.
I am only going to refer to the asanas that I do myself. All of my observations I derive from my
own experience. Like you, I can only learn that way. I can learn a workout like Hatha Yoga,
from a book, a video, a life teacher or casual observation. Then I can try it. I can find out the
following:
You will be able to answer each of these questions very soon after you start doing yoga.
The first series of asanas that I wish to present to you is a sequence called the " Sun Salute,"
"Sun Salutation," or "Sun Exercise."
stretching and twisting the body to produce strength, flexibility and agility. These positions are
called asanas.
I am only going to refer to the asanas that I do myself. All of my observations I derive from my
own experience. Like you, I can only learn that way. I can learn a workout like Hatha Yoga,
from a book, a video, a life teacher or casual observation. Then I can try it. I can find out the
following:
- Do I want to do this?
- Is this pleasant?'
- Is this challenging?
- Is this rewarding?
- Does it work?
You will be able to answer each of these questions very soon after you start doing yoga.
The first series of asanas that I wish to present to you is a sequence called the " Sun Salute,"
"Sun Salutation," or "Sun Exercise."
| Cougar Press PO Box 894 Meadview AZ 86444 |
| As you relax between asanas, observe four cycles of inhalation and exhalation. Following the Sun Exercises, I like to continue with either the headstand, plough, shoulderstand or nauli. |
1. Begin the Sun Salutation by standing with your
feet close together but not touching. Relax. Take
several calm breaths.
feet close together but not touching. Relax. Take
several calm breaths.
| 2. Exhale and bring your hands together in an attitude of prayer, palms together and fingers pointed upward. |
4. As you exhale, raise your arms and torso back to the vertical and continue in a smooth bend until your head, hands and arms are hanging downward. |
| 3. As you inhale, raise your hands until your arms are straight. Arch backward, beginning with your arms and head. |
| 5.As you inhale, bend your left leg at the knee while extending your right leg out behind you. Place your hands flat on the floor as you do this, fingers pointed forward. Raise your head. |
| Keep your balance, and arch only as far as comes easy. |
| Bend only as far as comes easy. |
| 6. As you exhale, extend the other foot and leg. You will now be in the “pushup” position. Slowly lower yourself to the mat. |
| When you come to rest you will be touching the mat with your forehead, chest, hands, knees and the balls of your feet. |
| 7. As you inhale, let your body flatten and point your toes back. Supporting yourself with your hands and arms, begin to arch up and back, starting with your head, neck and upper back. |
| Continue until your arms are straight. |
| 8. As you exhale, lower your head, keep your arms straight, move your feet so that your soles are flat on the mat, and bend your body so that your butt is the highest part. |
| 9. As you inhale, bring your right foot forward, bending your right leg at the knee and raising your head. |
| You will now be in the same position as in step 5, but with your left leg extended. |
| 10. As you exhale, bring your left foot forward and place it beside your right foot. Lower your head as you straighten your legs. |
| If necessary, let your hand lift from the floor. You will now be in the same position as you were at the end of step 4. |
| 11. Beginning with the small of your back, bring yourself slowly back to a vertical position and continue to arch backward as far as comes easy, extending your arms and hands over and behind your head. |
| You will now be in the same position as you were at the end of step 3. |
| 12. As you exhale, return to the vertical position, and bring your hands together, or let your arms drop to your sides. You have now completed one Sun Salutation. |
Beginners may feel that they have had a pretty good
workout after that one sequence. You will have
exercised every joint and muscle in your body.
In your next session, try repeating this asana. In each
subsequent session you may add one repetition until
you are doing twelve Sun Salutations. When doing
repetitions, you may move continuously from step
eleven, where you are arched backward with a full
breath back into step four, where you are bent
forward. You will then be into your second Sun
Salutation.
In any particular session, do not add more repetitions
of the Sun Salutation if you are experiencing pain or
exhaustion. When it is time to rest and relax, do so.
workout after that one sequence. You will have
exercised every joint and muscle in your body.
In your next session, try repeating this asana. In each
subsequent session you may add one repetition until
you are doing twelve Sun Salutations. When doing
repetitions, you may move continuously from step
eleven, where you are arched backward with a full
breath back into step four, where you are bent
forward. You will then be into your second Sun
Salutation.
In any particular session, do not add more repetitions
of the Sun Salutation if you are experiencing pain or
exhaustion. When it is time to rest and relax, do so.