Learn Surya Namaskar Steps & Surya Namaskar Benefits

'Surya Namaskar' yoga is also known as 'Sun Salutation' and it is not only a sequence of poses that helps you to shed down some weight. It is practiced at sunrise facing the rising sun. It is a form of yoga that consists of a number of positions that release your mind and body from all kinds of tension and pain. There are a total of 12 Surya Namaskar steps that will assist you in improving the overall health of your body. Additionally, Surya Namaskar benefits your body by not only building up a beautiful mind but also you can get rid of a few inches off your waist line.

Surya Namaskar Steps: Complete Guide

Here is a step by step guide on how to perform the 12 Surya Namaskar Steps:

1. Pranamasana - The Prayer Pose

• This is the first step of Surya Namaskar, in which an individual must stand straight and bring the feet together.
• Loosen up your shoulders and expand your chest.
• As you inhale, elevate both your arms and as you breathe out, join your palms together in front of your upper body in a prayer position.

2. Hasta Uttanasana - Raised Arm Pose

• This is the second step of Surya Namaskar in which, you need to inhale and raise your arms high up and back, while keeping your biceps adjacent to the ears.
• The main purpose of this pose is to stretch out your whole body right from the heels to the tip of your fingers.
• In order to get the maximum benefit, try pulling your pelvic forward and make sure that you reach up with your fingers instead of going backwards.

3. Hasta Padasana - Hand to Foot Pose

• While exhaling, bow forward keeping an erect spine.
• Breathing out, bring down your hand to the floor, adjacent to your feet.

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana - Equestrian Pose

• While inhaling the cool air, push your right leg behind, as far as possible and bring your right knee to the floor and look up towards the sun.

5. Dandasana - Stick Pose

• While breathing in, bring your left leg behind and get your entire body in a straight line and get your arms in a position that they are perpendicular to the floor.

6. Ashtanga Namaskar - Salute with Eight Parts

• Get your knees gently down to the floor and exhale.
• Bring your hips back slightly and simultaneously, bend forward and rest your chin and chest on the floor and while doing so, raise your bottom a bit.
• Your two feet, two knees, two hands chin and chest i.e. all your eight body parts should come in contact with the floor.

7. Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose

• This is a looking upwards pose, so basically rest your body on the floor with your palms facing the floor.
• Raise your upper body and keep your arms straight as long as possible and take deep breaths very slowly.

8. Parvatasana - Mountain Pose

• In this pose, you have to raise your hips up and bring your head on the floor.
• Keep your eyes fixed at your naval and lock your heels to the floor and take deep breathes.

9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana - Equestrian Pose

• This pose is exactly like the forth pose of Surya Namaskar , hence one can follow the same surya namaskar steps as step 4.

10. Hasta Padasana - Hand to Foot Pose

• This pose again is the same pose as given in step 3, follow the same instructions.

11. Hasta Uttanasana - Raised Arm Pose

• Hasta Uttanasana has the same directions as in step 2. Simply follow the directions from step 2 to carry out this pose.

12. Tadasana

• In this position, stand straight and slowly bring your arms down and relax them.
• As you exhale, observe the sensations that run through your body.

Surya Namaskar Benefits

Here are some amazing Surya Namaskar Benefits that your body should experience after providing it with a daily dosage of this kind of yoga:

• One of the major benefits of Sun Salutation is that it strengthens the whole body.
• Promotes healthy digestion and cures constipation.
• Accelerates the nervous system of the body that includes the spinal cord, brain, lower plexus etc. It also helps in averting memory loss, boosts concentration and focus and enriches the functioning of the brain.
• It is a remedy for blood pressure as well as strengthens the cardiovascular muscles and corrects irregular heart beat.
• Enhances the ability of the lungs, activates oxygen supply and supplies it to all the vital organs of the body.
• Extremely useful in improving the blood circulation in the body which in turns gives the skin a beautiful glow.
• Increases the metabolic rate of the body and thus promotes weight loss.
• It is a well known remedy for reducing menstrual cramps and because of its empowering effects on the uterus, it helps in making child birth relatively easy.
• Releases stiffness in the body and improves flexibility.
• Most of all it fills you with positive energy that makes you feel rejuvenated.

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Surya Namaskar: Takeaway

The surya namaskar yoga exercise activates the endocrine system and the vortexes through which vital life energy or prana is channelled, thereby building strength and flexibility. Because of numerous surya namaskar benefits it is recommended that everyone does this every day!