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In the previous post yoga guru Nandini Shreesha shared details about the mudras. In this post she provides more insights into SuryaNamaskara.

History of SuryaNamaskara

As per puranas, Anjaneya (lord hanuman) was the first student to perform SuryaNamaskara. Anjaneya requested lord surya to be his guru. Lord Surya presented two challenges. One that he is too hot and would be nearly impossible for anyone to be near him and second, he is forever moving. Anjaneya responded by saying that as a student it is his responsibility to adjust to the guru and asked the guru not to stop moving for him. He also said that he would bear the heat and travel along with him (this meant Anjaneya had to keep moving backward to perform SuryaNamaskara in front of his guru as a gratitude to his guru). Lord surya was happy and thus accepted Anjaneya as his student. This story shows how dedicated a student should be.

In modern times, it is believed that the surya namaskars was conceived by Maharaja of Aundh. Later on it was practiced and popularized by many eminent people including Yogacharaya T Krishnamacharya.

Why should one do SuryaNamaskara everyday?

SuryaNamaskara is panacea for most of the problems. As multiple instruments create an orchestra, multiple asana form SuryaNamaskara. These set of asanas retune our body by equally distributing prana. This is necessary because during various activities the concertation of prana is altered. For e.g. while we are thinking prana is concentrated in head, while we are running prana is concentrated in legs, after eating prana is concentrated in stomach. Hence in order to restore prana to its right position, we have to perform SuryaNamaskara everyday.

What are the benefits of SuryaNamaskara?

SuryaNamaskara is a holistic approach and provides benefit to the 5 sheaths of body as follows:

Annamaya Kosha: activates muscles, circulatory, nervous, excretory, reproductive, digestive system, endocrine glands, balances both hemispheres in the brain, develops stamina, regulates body weight and temperature.

Pranamaya kosha: as sun brightens earth, SuryaNamaskara brightens the whole body and mind by regulating prana.

Manomaya Kosha – induces feel good factor, provides clarity of mind, helps remain more calm and more focussed, promotes awareness.

Vijnanamaya kosha – activates discriminating factor i.e. differentiate between right and wrong, increases urge for higher knowledge and notional correction.

Anandamaya kosha: introduces happiness and directs mind towards higher wisdom.

When should one do the SuryaNamaskara?

It is best to do it in the morning along with sunrise. This will help us sync with universal energy. If it is not possible to do during sunrise, it can be done at any time during the day. It should done on light stomach i.e. not after heavy meals.

How many SuryaNamaskaras should be done everyday?

It is recommended to do as much as one’s body permits and preferably should be done in even counts. If one is willing, to can be started with 12 rounds and gradually increased to 108 SuryaNamaskaras.

Who should NOT do SuryaNamaskara?

SuryaNamaskara is not recommended for women who are in their second and third trimester of pregnancy, women who are menstruating, people suffering from lower back pain and heart issues.

For people with other health issues, please contact a yoga guru who can suggest different variations of SuryaNamaskara which is safe, simple and can be practiced according to your health condition.

SuryaNamaskaras should also not be done in extreme conditions as in extreme hot and cold weathers.

Lastly, SuryaNamaskara is a body mind program, it is beneficial to all. It requires no equipment. It is a pure scientific method of maintaining health. Its is not associated to any religion or caste.