Kick Start Your Day With The Sun Salutation
It is no secret that meditation and yoga can do wonders for your health and well-being. Moreover, when these forms of Vedic exercises are performed in the morning, under the rising sun, you can gain a plethora of benefits and a super boost in the health and wellness of your body, mind, soul, and of course, skin!
The Sun Salutation or the Surya Namaskar, are a sequence of exercises or ‘asanas’ combined in a flow. They originated from a a series of prostrations to the Sun God. The complete sun salutation consists of 12 positions, which are performed in one continuous flow. Each of the positions stretches the muscles in different ways, and this is complemented by the expanding and contracting of the chest to regulate the flow of breathing. Practicing the Sun Salutations daily, helps in keeping the body in shape, joints and spine flexible, improve circulation of the blood and reduces weight. It is also said that these 12 exercises can stimulate and regulate the functioning of the central nervous system, the optic never, the stomach, and help calm your mind. Practicing the Sun Salutation in the sun also replenishes the body with Vitamin D due to early morning sun exposure.
The 12 poses/ stretches of the Sun Salutation are
- Pranamasan – Stand straight, hands joined, with the weight of the body equally distributed on both feet.
- Hasta Uttanasan – Stretch the arms straight up with palms facing outward.
- Uttanasan – Bend down at the waist, with head touching the knees and the fingers touching the ground
- Ashwa Sanchalan– ( The horse pose) Stretch one leg backwards, place the knee on the floor, arch back, and look up.
- Parvatasana – Bringing the other leg back, support the body on the toes and the hands, forming a ‘V’ shape, with the bend at the waist as the crux.
- Ashtang Namaskar – Lower the body and lie down, with only the chin, chest, and the knees touching the ground.
- Bhujangasana – (The snake pose) Lift the upper torso and throw the head back. Keep the feet touching the ground.
- Parvatasana – Return to the Parvatasana, supporting the body on the toes and the hands, forming a ‘V’ shape, with the bend at the waist as the crux.
- Ashwa Sanchalan– Return to the horse pose. Stretch the other leg backwards, place the knee on the floor, arch back, and look up.
- Uttanasan – Bending down at the waist, with head touching the knees and the fingers touching the ground, return to Uttanasan.
- Hasta Uttanasan – Come back up while stretching the arms straight up with palms facing outward.
- Pranamasana – Return to the primary pose with hands joined.
The Sun Salutation should be repeated 5 to 10 times for beginners and then the number can be gradually increased. The Sun Salutation will help you all different levels, enhancing the complete wellness of your body, mind, and soul.
Enjoy your Summers! Be good to your skin 🙂
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