Surya namaskar, or the sun salutation, is a yoga pose that offers gratitude to the sun for giving life energy to sustain life on Earth. There are a total of 8 Surya namaskara postures that complete one round of the yoga practice.
If you are always on the run and barely have time to do a full-fledged workout, it is advised that you do Surya Namaskar postures at least ten times in the morning. Doing the Surya namaskar is beneficial to both the mind and body as it helps one become aware while connecting both the mind and the body.
Engaging in Surya namaskar postures is the best way to become more mindful as you will be forming a deeper connection with your body, mind and soul. The Surya namaskar postures tone your entire body while aiding weight loss, combating insomnia and reducing stress, among other benefits. If you are keen on starting this yoga practice, we will show you how to perform the Surya Namaskar postures correctly.
- Prayer pose: Begin your practice by standing straight and joining your palms as if doing prayer. Keep your weight equally balanced on both your feet.
- Raised arms pose: You can breathe in and lift your arms up and back while ensuring that your biceps are close to your ears. Try stretching your entire body from head to toes while pushing your pelvis slightly forward.
- Hand to foot pose: As you breathe out, bend forward from your waist while keeping your spine straight. Try bringing your hands down to the floor beside your feet.
- Equestrian pose: As you breathe in, push your right leg back as far as possible while bringing your right knee to the floor and slowly lookup.
- Stick pose: While breathing in deeply, take your left leg back as you bring your whole body in a straight line. Keep your arms straight to the floor.
- Salute with eight parts: Slowly bring your knees down to the floor as you exhale. Take your hips slightly back and slide a bit forward. Relax your chin and chest on the ground and slightly elevate your posterior.
- Cobra pose: As you slide forward, raise your chest with the support of your arms and your elbows bending a bit while keeping your hips intact with the ground. Keep your shoulders away from your ears and slowly lookup.
- Mountain pose: Lift your hips and tailbone and put your chest downwards to create an inverted V-pose.
- Equestrian pose: As mentioned above, go back in the equestrian pose, making sure that your right calf is perpendicular to the ground.
- Hand to foot pose: Go back to this pose while trying to keep your knees straight.
- Raised arms pose: Slowly go back to the extended arms pose while aiming to stretch up instead of stretching backwards.
- Standing mountain pose: Straight your body while bringing your arms down and relaxing.
Engage in the Surya namaskar by doing the poses correctly to reap maximum benefits.
