The sun is the ultimate source of energy for our planet. In Indian culture, the sun has always been considered a god, and praying to the Sun God is also a common practice. Surya Namaskar, or sun salutation, is a form of full-body workout that comprises multiple yoga asanas that aid in holistic well-being. In this article, we will be looking at what Surya Namaskar is, what steps are involved, and how it benefits your mind and body.
A Step-By-Step Manual for Practising 12 Poses of Surya Namaskar
How to do Surya Namaskar? There are 12 different yoga asanas that together form one sequence. In this section, we will be looking at the 12 poses of Surya Namaskar.
- Pranamasana or the prayer pose
- Hasta Uttanasana or the raised arm pose
- Hastapadasana or the standing forward bend
- Ashwa Sanchalanasana or the equestrian pose
- Dandasana or the stick pose
- Ashtanga Namaskara or the salute with eight parts
- Bhujangasana or the cobra pose
- Adho Mukha Svanasana or the downward-facing dog pose
- Ashwa Sanchalanasana or the equestrian pose
- Hastapadasana or the standing forward bend
- Hasta Uttanasana or the raised arms pose
- Tadasana or the mountain pose
Multiple Benefits Associated with Surya Namaskar
Practising the 12 poses of Surya Namaskar is associated with multiple advantages for the human body and mind. In this section, we will be taking a look at how performing it the right way and at the right time benefits your overall health and well-being.
1. Improves Blood Circulation
It is said that the Surya Namaskar benefits your overall physical, mental, and emotional health. One of the first benefits of Surya Namaskar is that it improves blood circulation in your body. The dynamic breathing process ensures that the blood is freshly oxygenated and also helps the body get rid of any poisonous substances.
2. Facilitates Detox
The active breathing process when performing Surya Namaskar ensures that the lungs are well-ventilated and the blood is oxygenated. This also ensures that the body is detoxified of any poisonous gases, including carbon dioxide.
3. Helps Lower Blood Pressure Levels and Reduce The Risk Of Heart Diseases
Heart problems can be highly dangerous for you. Surya Namaskar helps you reduce the risk of heart problems by strengthening the heart muscles and regulating heartbeats. Blood pressure and blood sugar levels can also be regulated with yoga poses.
4. Activates The Heart
Yoga mudras are known to activate different chakras of your body. In the Pranamasana yoga step of Surya Namaskar, your hands clasped together in front of your heart activate the heart chakra. According to the Yogic norms, the lotus heart is encouraged to open up with attention.
5. Relaxes The Body
Yoga asanas are known to calm your mind and relax your body if performed correctly. The Surya Namaskar pose of the cobra and the downward dog pose have a calming effect on your mind. These asanas stimulate the nerves to relieve anxiety and strengthen the nervous system. These are some of the positive impacts.
6. Improves Digestion
The increased blood flow in the body that reaches the stomach-related tract ensures that the digestive organs function better. Improved digestion is hence one of the important benefits.
7. Aids Weight Loss
Wondering how to lose weight fast? Well, doing the Surya Namaskar steps regularly at a fast pace along with maintaining a healthy diet indeed helps you lose weight fast. It aids fat loss around the belly and also tones your abs.
8. Strengthen The Joints And Muscles
Practising the sun salutation poses every day strengthens your joints and muscles, improves flexibility, and makes your limbs more symmetrical. All these lead to the better functioning of your internal organs.
9. Beneficial For The Lower Body
The Pranamasana yoga Surya Namaskar pose, which is the first and last pose in the cycle, is known to strengthen your lower body. Other than strengthening the legs and feet, this asana is also beneficial for strengthening the hips, relieving sciatica, and preventing flat feet.
10. Healthy Skin And Hair
Last but not least, Surya Namaskar benefits your skin and your hair. We have discussed how oxygen and blood flow are improved by the yoga asana you perform in it. This leads to younger, wrinkle-free, and glowing skin and shinier hair. Other than these, the Surya Namaskar mantra that you can chant with each posture has a positive impact on your body and mind.
Conclusion
If you are a yoga enthusiast, you must have already tried the Surya Namaskar poses or be looking forward to the same. With this, we conclude this guide on Surya Namaskar, where we have looked at the steps and benefits in detail. We hope that this article will help you understand it better and that you will be able to practice it.
FAQs
In this section, we will be answering some of the frequently asked questions regarding the Surya Namaskar 12 steps and their benefits.
How long should each sun salutation stance be held?
An effective sun salutation session does not have to be a certain number of minutes long. As long as you are comfortable holding each stance and can prevent any injuries due to the same, you are doing it all right.
Some Yoga gurus suggest 3 to 5 seconds of holding each pose as a beginner and slowly increasing it as you practice more and get more used to the same.
Does it help with belly fat loss?
Yes, if your goal is weight loss, It can be a great way to achieve it. You can lose belly fat with it if you also follow a proper diet along with it.
Also read: 8 Super Easy Yoga Exercises To Get Relief From Menstrual Cramps
