For centuries, people from all civilizations have offered prayers to the sun – the ultimate source of life and energy. One such practice is the yogic sequence of Surya Namaskar. Let’s get to know its importance and benefits for a healthy lifestyle.
Surya Namaskar is a sequence of yogic postures along with chants that together comprise a complete yoga called Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). Surya Namaskar is a worship system of worshiping Surya, that has been practiced in India for thousands of years. It is a combination of twelve poses in the series with graceful movement.
Why Should You Practice Surya Namaskar?
- Can be practiced by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
- Takes only 3 to 10 minutes.
- Acts on the entire body.
- Requires no props or equipment.
- Tones up the digestive system by stretching and compressing the abdominal region.
- Massages the viscera (liver, stomach, spleen, intestines, and kidney).
- Synchronizes movements with breathing, thoroughly ventilates the lungs, oxygenates the blood, acts as a disintoxicant, and gets rid of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.
- Increases cardiac activity and blood flow and warms the extremities.
- Tones up the nervous systems by stretching and bending the spinal column and regulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
- Promotes good sleep.
- Improves memory.
- Stimulates and normalizes endocrine glands, thyroid in particular, activity by compression and decompression of the neck,
- Refreshes the skin and clears the complexion.
- Improves muscle structure of the whole body.
- Controls activity in the uterus and ovaries helps PMS and assists in childbirth.
- Prevents flat feet and strengthens the ankles.
- Helps to get rid of fat in the stomach, hips, thighs, neck and chin.
How Regular Practice of Sun Salutation Benefits your Body?
- Increased blood oxygenation by copious lung ventilation and this is great news for your heart.
- Stretches and tones your muscles keeping them supple and flexible.
- Clears your elimination channels helping your body rid itself of toxins. This is especially good in the morning after many hours of lack of movement during sleep (the lymphatic system eliminates toxins through movement).
- Stimulates and tones your Endocrine system (especially the Thyroid, the master gland that controls all the other glands).
- Tones up the internal abdominal organs by alternate stretching, and compression cycles that result in better digestion and bowel movement.
- Increases spine and waist flexibility.
Mental Benefits of Sun Salutation
The mental benefits of Sun Salutation are similar with meditation. You can look at Sun Salutation as meditation in movement. It is not random that Tai-Chi (Chinese) or Kata in Karate, have a similar focused mind on movement approach at the core of their practice. Sun Salutation helps to:
- Increase your mental focus and concentration.
- Reduce depression, anxiety, and stress by reducing key markers like Cortical.
- Increase the quantity of “good mood” neurotransmitters like Serotonin.
- Increase mind-to-body coordination which is very good, especially for older persons.
If done properly, twelve repetitions of Sun Salutation (six pairs of Sun Salutation starting with one leg and then the other), go a long way. It takes roughly 30-40 seconds for one complete cycle (twelve postures flowing from one to the other). Add two minutes of relaxation at the end, to allow your body implement the “reset” you just performed, and you are ready for the new day. Ten minutes all together in the morning will help you look at the unwinding life from a different perspective.
Who Should Not Do Surya Namaskar?
- Pregnant women.
- Patients of hernia and high blood pressure.
- People suffering from the back condition should seek proper advice commencing Surya Namesate.
- Women should avoid Surya namaskar during menses.
Understanding the Scientific Relevance of Surya Namaskar
Despite its ancient Hindu religious interpretations, Surya Namaskar is no less applicable in the modern context. Surya Namaskar is one complete set of sequential yoga posture that reaps the collective benefits of both strength and endurance training. Hence, it has been rightly called “Sarvang Sunder Vyayam” or the best all round exercise. ‘Core Stability’ or the strengthening of the back muscles around the spine and the diaphragm is the objective of Kinesiology. The various yoga posture of Surya Namaskar along with the Pranayam practices achieves this effect more easily and effortlessly. In addition to that, you get a more balanced Frame of mind and sense of wellbeing due to sun salutation.
