Surya Namaskar Benefits and the Poses of Surya Namaskar stand at the forefront of Yoga practices, symbolizing profound gratitude towards the Sun, the sustainer of life on Earth. Known as Sun Salutations, this sequence comprises 12 distinct steps, each designed to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. As the cornerstone of Yogic sciences, Surya Namaskar pays homage to the solar energy that fuels life and promotes a harmonious balance within the practitioner, offering a comprehensive workout that transcends mere physical exercise.
Each Step in the Surya Namaskar has deep meaning and provides numerous benefits when done correctly. It’s the time to perform regular sun salutations and learn more about the names of each step in Sun Salutations and the benefits of the same
Exploring the 12 Steps of Surya Namaskar: Comprehensive Benefits Unveiled
What are the different steps in Surya Namaskar?
1 – Pranamasana
The first pose in the Surya Namaskar is Pranamasana. It’s the first step in which you stand up straight and Pray to the Sun. In this pose, you have to stand straight with your feet together, relax your chest, join your hands in a prayer pose, and breathe slowly to relax.
This pose is the beginning of the Surya Namaskar and helps you relax your mind, control your breath, keep your spine erect, and relax the nervous system.
2 – Hastauttanasana
The second pose is Hastauttanasana, which means the Raised Arms pose. In this pose, you keep your hands touched like in Prayer mode and stretch the body backward. Keep your biceps to the ears, as this is the optimal level at which you should stretch your body.
This pose can immensely help you relax all the muscles and have flexibility in the long run. Also, this reduces back pain and strengthens the abdominal muscles, which improves your core.
3 – Hastapadasana
Now, the Surya Namaskar gets a little tricky. The Third phase is called Hastapadasana, in which you have to touch your palms to the feet. Keep your spine erect, breathe in, and start stretching forward to take your hands to the feet and touch them gently. At first, this pose can be tricky, and not everyone is flexible enough to touch their feet with their stretched spines and hands. So, you should stretch as per your flexibility, but your aim should be touching the feet with your palms.
This is an extreme stretching Asana, which has more than a few benefits. The stretches relax the back and shoulder muscles and strengthen the abdominal muscles, forming a solid core.
4 – Ashwa Sanchalanasana
Ashwa Sanchalanasana is a very unique Asana. In this asana, you must put both hands on the floor in line with your feet. Now, take the left leg backward and stretch it. At the same time, bend the right leg and make sure the knee touches your chest. The right feet and both hands should be in parallel. It should be held for 10-20 seconds.
This unique pose enhances lung capacity. As your right knee is on the chest, it stresses your lungs and helps you breathe deeply, enhancing lung capacity. Additionally, it helps reduce the load on your liver and kidneys, helping them work without any issues.
5 – Dandasana
This step is familiar to most people as it resembles the Push-up pose. It is a Plank pose in which you must put all your pressure on your hands. Just like you hold the planks, you have to stay in Dandasana.
The benefits of this posture are improved postures, strengthening your arms and shoulders, and strengthening your core muscles. This position can reduce the pain if you are suffering from foot pain.
6 – Ashtanga Namaskara
The Ashtanga Namaskara is one of the intense poses in the Surya Namaskara. The literal translation of this pose is a limb salutation to the sun. In this pose, you must tough eight body parts to the ground. In this pose, you touch the feet, knees, groin, stomach, chest, chin, nose, and head. You must breathe deeply and hold this position for as long as possible.
7 – Bhujangasana
The Bhujangasana is nothing but the Cobra Pose in Sun Salutations. From the Ashtanga Namaskara, you stretch your chest upwards. You have to keep your elbows straight and stretch the shoulders as well.
Bhujangasana is perfect for improving upper body strength. It strengthens everything, including the shoulder blades, neck, chest, and arms. This posture is perfect for relieving back pain and even sciatica in some instances.
8 – Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana looks like a dog looking downward. In this pose, you must extend your hips upwards and keep your hands on the floor. You must maintain a posture that resembles the Reverse “V” alphabet. You must breathe out and maintain this posture for a few seconds.
This posture has many benefits, including strengthening the lower back and arms, improving digestion, relaxing all of the muscles, and reducing stress.
9 – Ashwa Sanchalanasana
This is the same Ashwa Sanchalanasana that you performed in the fourth step. But you have to do it differently. In this asana, you must put both hands on the floor in line with your feet. Now, please take the right leg backward and stretch it. At the same time, bend the left leg and make sure the knee touches your chest. The left feet and both hands should be in parallel. It should be held for 10-20 seconds.
10 – Hasta Padasana
Like the third pose, you have to do it in the ending phases of the Surya namaskar. In this pose, you have to touch your palms to the feet. Keep your spine erect, breathe in, and start stretching forward to take your hands to the feet and touch them gently. The Hasta Padasana done a second time will be easier as your body is stretched well in the previous poses.
11 – Hasta Uttanasana
Raise both your hands with open palms, stretch your spine, and look backward. You have to focus on stretching while breathing out. Stay in this position for a few seconds and move on to the final position to complete the Surya namaskar.
12 – Pranamasana
After completing the above poses, it’s time to conclude the Surya Namaskar with Pranamasana. This is where you started, and the salutations end with the prayer pose. First, exhale and stand straight in Namaste with your palms at the center of your chest. This is the same as praying to the god. Once you complete this, a complete cycle of Surya Namaskar is complete. You can do as many cycles of Surya Namaskar as you want.
Frequently Asked Questions for
Q1 – What is the importance of 12 asanas in Surya Namaskar?
Answer:- The importance of the 12 asanas in Surya Namaskar lies in their holistic approach to health and wellness. Each pose offers unique bodily and mental benefits, including increased flexibility, strength, proper functioning, and mental clarity.
Q2 – Can people of other religions do Surya Namaskar?
Answer:- Yes, people of other religions can practice Surya Namaskar. While it has roots in the Hindu religion, Surya Namaskar is a physical and spiritual practice that people from other religions can practice.
Final Words
Surya Namaskar is one of the most essential aspects of Yogic life sciences, and it’s recommended for everyone. The Yoga Teachers have to perform it daily to honor the Sun for giving life and powering this science of life. In this post, we tried our best to share everything about the various poses of Surya Namaskar and their benefits. If you have questions, please use the comments section below.
