SURYANAMASKARA - my ideal exercise

After a two months exercise and suryanamskara, i felt that i should write a post on my blog on this topic. Suryanamaskara really makes my day beautiful.

Sun Worship/ Salutation has been an important aspect of daily routine of many people in India from the Vedic times. It is one of the six accepted and orthodox forms of worship. But unlike other well known sects of worship like of Siva, Vishnu, Sakti, Ganesa or Kartikeya, which are done in temples and homes usually with icons/idols, the Sun Worship is done in the open during the day time. “Worship the Sun for Health” exhorts the Vedas. (Aarogyam Bhaskaraath iccheth). Thousands of people can be seen saluting the sun at dawn at noon and at dusk, facing respectively the East, North and South, with or without mantras. Some worship the Sun with Mantras alone and some do namaskara or salutation alone without the mantras in several ways.

The physical--alone namaskara usually is made up of a start from standing position, prostrate with the arms stretched forward, then return to the starting position. This is known as danda samarpanam and is perhaps the most common method of physical form of Sun Salutation. The more elaborate method of Surya Namaskara usually involves twelve steps which include some asana like tadasana (mounting pose), uttanasana (forward bend), the dog poses. In the vinyasa karma as taught by my Guru, Sri Krishnamacharya, it involves 12 steps done in a sequence, starting from Tadasana and traversing through asanas like uttanasana, utkatasana, caturanga dandasana, dand samarpana, urdhwa and adhomukha swanasana and returning to tadasana via utkatasana and uttanasana. Further all the movements are done with synchronized breathing.

Here i am describing the 12 steps of suryanamaskara

STEP ONE:Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.

STEP TWO:Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
STEP THREE:Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
STEP FOUR:Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
STEP FIVE:While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
STEP SIX:Exhale and lower the body to the floor until the the feet, knees, hands, chest, and forehead are touching the ground.
STEP SEVEN:Inhale and slowly raise the head and bend backward as much as possible, bending the spine to the maximum (as in the naga-asana).
STEP EIGHT:While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
STEP NINE:Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
STEP TEN:Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
STEP ELEVEN:Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
STEP TWELVE:Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.