Wednesday 1 April 2015

Salute the Sun

Times are tough and fast-paced but health is valuable and fragile. Enter Suryanamaskar or Sun Salute – a yoga sequence that promises good overall health and flexibility. An ancient form of a complete body workout, suryanamaskar is popular in Western countries as well.

Suryanamaskar is a single mantra to fitness when you are in a time crunch. Who isn’t? You only need to do 12 sets of these 12 asanas or postures to keep your mind calm and body fit.

It is also believed that by doing suryanamaskar consistently over a period of time, one can lose and maintain their weight. Yoga unlike cardio or aerobics takes its time to show effects on the body. Hence a lot of patience is required while doing the asanas and like any other exercise it requires proper technique.

This workout comprises of the following twelve asanas: 



1. Pranamasana

2. Hastauttanasana

3. Hasta Padasana

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana

5. Dandasana

6. Ashtanga Namaskara

7. Bhujangasana

8. Parvatasana

9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana

10. Hasta Padasana

11. Hastauttanasana

12. Tadasana

You can begin the workout with either leg and repeat with the other. One round of suryanamaskar comprises of these exercises or asanas done twice, one with each leg in posture 4 and 9. 


With 12 asanas laid down, let’s go through 12 benefits of suryanamaskar and yoga in general:

1. It helps to lose weight

2. It lowers one’s stress levels

3. It makes the body flexibility making you less prone to muscle wear and tear

4. It lowers the blood pressure and sugar level in the blood

5. Yoga helps to cure back pains

6. Yoga lowers the risk of heart disease

7. When done in the morning, it helps to calm your nerves and give mental clarity

8. Yoga helps you relax and as a result sleep better at night

9. If you are an athlete, yoga improves your athletic performance

10. Yoga is beneficial even for the children as it helps to gain good body balance

11. Suryanamaskar targets almost every part of the body and releases tension in that part.

12. Suryanamaskar regulates the thyroid glands and keeps its activity normal.

Suryanamaskar, as the name suggests, is best done in the morning as it releases energy in your system that helps you get through the day with maximum productivity. One should do it on an empty stomach and if possible take a bath with cold water prior to doing the exercise. With time, you will feel your joints and muscles loosening up which might make you go faster. Try and go slow when you do yoga as it will allow you to enjoy each asana and revive your spirit.

Content source:
1. www.m.huffpost.com
2. www.ommmm.com
3. http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/news/surya.aspx
4. http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-poses/sun-salutation
5. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/Surya-Namaskar-12-Yoga-poses-for-weight-loss/articleshow/22326709.cms

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