Surya Namaskar means worship of Lord Surya Narayan. It is a very ancient Indian exercise method. Surya Namaskar is done in the morning while standing in the east direction, praising the sun with a calm mind. Thus, along with physical exercise, it also has religious significance. Know the 12 steps of Surya Namaskar and their benefits.
What is Surya Namaskar ?
In fact, by bowing to the sun in the morning, which gives energy and light to the world, health and strength, creator of different seasons, generates wealth and grains, the body receives the benefits of both morning rays. By doing this asana, physical exercise is not only done, but it also gives mental and emotional purification. Simultaneously, this exercise has to be done at sunrise, so our body also gets vitamin “D” by the rays of the sun. This purifies the blood and strengthens the lungs and bones.
There are a total of twelve stages or situations in Sun Salutation. Through these twelve stages, almost all parts of the body get proper exercise. The eyesight also increases with Surya Namaskar. In fact, in these twelve stages, ten asanas are the beginning and two positions are of the end. All these actions were very simple. So you can do them easily. These twelve stages are a complete Surya Namaskar Yoga. If you are a fitness freak and want to know more about yoga poses, then you can join a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh India.
Keep this in mind before doing Surya Namaskar and their Benefits:
Any posture should always be done in an open and clean place.
Never do Surya Namaskar in such a way that there is pressure on your body and you start gasping. The action of Surya Namaskar should be done one after the other on each leg, alternately changing the legs.
In this post, these twelve stages of Surya Namaskar. Each stage is shown with the name of the asana. The benefits of each stage are also described.
1 Pranam Mudra
Surya Namaskar begins with Pranam Mudra. To do this, first of all, standing in a careful posture, raise both your hands parallel to the shoulders and move both the palms upwards. Stick the front part of the hands to each other, then bring the hands in the same position in front and stand in the posture of salutation while moving round and down.
2 Hasta Uttanasana
While inhaling, stretch both the hands up close to the ears and bend the arms and neck backwards while bending backward from the waist. The capacity of the lungs increases by taking deep and long breaths during this asana. Apart from this, the health of the heart remains intact by its practice. The whole body, lungs, and brain get more oxygen.
3 Pad Hastasana or Paschimottanasana
In the third stage, while exhaling slowly, bend forward. In this asana, we hold our toes with both our hands, and the ankles of the feet are also held. Since this asana is done by holding the feet with the hands, it is called padahastasana. This asana is done standing.
4 Horse Steering Asana (Ashav Sanchalan Asana)
While doing this mudra, the toes should remain standing. To do this asana, while keeping the hands on the ground, while breathing, take the right leg backwards. After that, while pulling the chest forward, lift the neck up. During the practice of this asana, the spine should be kept straight and vertical so that the waist does not bend.
5 Parvatasana
To do this posture, sit on the ground in Padmasana. While exhaling slowly, take the left leg backwards as well. Make sure that the heels of both your feet meet together. Raise the buttocks so that the whole body is situated on both knees only. Stretch the body backwards and bend the neck by joining the ankles on the ground.
6 Ashtanga Namaskar
- First of all, hold your breath and keep both knees on the ground. Touch the ground with your chest & lower part of the neck with the beard.
- Touch the upper part of the forehead with the ground in such a way that the nose does not touch the ground.
- Now pull the stomach inwards. Take care that the stomach should not touch the ground.
- Then do a complete exhalation. The chest part should come between both the hands.
- Benefits of this asana of Surya Namaskar
- This asana makes the hands strong.
- If women do this asana before becoming pregnant, then breast-feeding children are protected from diseases.
- This posture makes the body light and happy.
- This asana strengthens the bones of the central part of the body.
7 Bhujangasana
- Keeping the feet, knees and palms in the same position, straighten the arms.
- Now draw the breath inwards and chest forward. Fold the waist in a circular manner and look as far back as possible from above. And do kumbhaka.
- Benefits of this asana of Surya Namaskar
- This asana removes radiance and brings redness in the body and increases the light of the eyes.
- This asana removes menstrual irregularities in women.
- With this asana, the blood circulation starts properly.
- This asana gives all the benefits of Bhujangasana.
8 Mountain poses
Make a pose like the fifth position. In this, while exhaling slowly, take the right leg back as well. The heels of both the feet should meet each other. Stretch the body backwards and try to match the ankles to the ground. Raise the buttocks as high as possible.
9 Horse Steering Asana (Ashav Sanchalan Asana)
In this position, make a posture similar to the fourth position. While inhaling, move the left leg backwards. Pull the chest forward and stretch it. Tilt the neck more backward. Leg stretched straight back and toe raised. Stay in this position for 4 to 5 minute.
10 Hastasana
Back in the third position, bend forward while exhaling slowly. The hands should touch the ground adjacent to the neck and ears and the right and left of the feet below. Keep in mind that the knees should be straight and the forehead should touch the knees. Stay in this position for 4 to 5 minute.
11 Hasta Uttanasana
This situation is similar to the second situation. While in the second posture, while inhaling, move both the hands up. In this position, move the hands backwards and at the same time bend the neck and waist backwards i.e. to come in the position of Ardha Chakrasana.
12 Pranam Mudra
This position is like the first mudra, that is, the posture of salutation. After twelve postures, again stand in the resting position. Now repeat this posture again. Do Pranayam 4 to 5 times in the beginning and gradually increase it to 12 to 15 times.
If you are a fitness freak and want to know more about yoga poses, then you can join a Yoga School in Rishikesh, India.
