Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is an ancient yoga technique to express gratitude towards the primary source of light, the sun. Surya Namaskar is beneficial for your body as well as mind. According to ancient rishis, practicing Surya Namaskar enhances solar plexus. The solar plexus is the second brain in the human body.
Surya Namaskar is a combination of asanas, pranayama, mantras, and mudras. It is a sequence of 12 yoga poses. If you are a beginner in yoga, you can start by doing Surya Namaskar every day in the morning. We are going to tell you how to do Surya Namaskar step by step in this article.
The 12 poses of Surya Namaskar
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The Pranamasana Or The Prayer Pose
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Hasta Uttanasana Or The Raised Arms Pose
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Pada Hastasana Or Hand To Foot Pose
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Ashwa Sanchalanasana Or The Equestrian Pose
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Parvatasana Or Mountain Pose
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Ashtanga Namaskara Or The Salute With Eight Parts
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Bhujangasana Or The Cobra Pose
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Parvatasana Or The Mountain Pose
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Ashwa Sanchalanasana Or The Equestrian Pose
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Pada Hastasana Or Hand To Foot Pose
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Hasta Uttanasana Or The Raised Arms Pose
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The Pranamasana Or The Prayer Pose
How Many Calories Do You Burn in a Single Set of Surya Namaskar?
A single set of Surya Namaskar helps you lose up to 13.90 calories for a person who is of average weight. With this as the main benchmark, you can decide how many sets of Surya Namaskar you want to do. With continuous practice, you should ideally be able to do 108 sets of Surya Namaskar.
Surya Namaskar Steps
Step 1 – The Pranamasana Or The Prayer Pose
Mantra: Om Mitraya Namah
How to do Pranamasana Pose
- Stand straight and keep your feet together.
- Balance your weight on both feet.
- Fold your palms in front of your chest.
- Take a few deep breaths while holding this position.
Benefits
This pose helps in relaxing your body and mind. It enhances the energy located around your heart( Anahata chakra or pranic center).
Step 2 – Hasta Uttanasana Or The Raised Arms Pose
Mantra: OmRavaye Namah
How to do Hasta Uttanasana Pose
- Breathe in and expand your chest.
- Lift both of your arms and stretch your body as much as possible.
- Bend your body back.
- Hold this position for a while.
Benefits
This asana stretches your body and abdomen. It also boosts the energy from the chest.
Step 3 – Pada Hastasana Or Hand To Foot Pose
Mantra: Om Suryaya Namah
How to do Pada Hastasana Pose
- Exhale slowly and bend your upper body forward.
- Keep your spine erect.
- Your legs and knees should be straight.
Benefits
This asana stretches your spinal nerves and hamstring muscles located at the back of your thighs and calves. It is good for the health of abdominal organs. It improves your digestive system. This posture also regulates blood flow to the brain.
Step 4 – Ashwa Sanchalanasana Or The Equestrian Pose
Mantra: Om Bhanave Namah
How to do Ashwa Sanchalansana Pose
- Release your previous position and breathe in.
- Stretch your left leg as far back as possible.
- Bring the right knee to the ground.
- Make sure your right foot should be flat on the ground.
- Lift your spine and expand your chest.
- Hold this position for a few seconds.
Benefits
This posture improves your lung capacity. It strengthens your ankles, knees and opens up your hip and groin.
Step 5 – Parvatasana Or Mountain Pose
Mantra: Om Khagaya Namah
How to do Parvatasana Pose
- Now exhale slowly and bring your right leg back to join your left leg.
- Raise your buttocks and lower your head.
- Your head should be between your arms.
- Place your heels flat on the ground and focus on your neck and shoulders.
Benefits
This asana strengthens your arms and legs muscles. It also has a positive impact on your spine and spinal nerves.
Step 6 – Ashtanga Namaskara Or The Salute With Eight Parts
Mantra: Om Poosne Namah
How to do Ashtanga Namaskar Pose
- Bring down your knees to the ground while exhaling.
- Take the hips back and rest your chest and chin on the floor.
- The eight parts – two hands, two feet, two knees, chest, and chin should touch the ground.
- Keep your body in this position for a while.
Benefits
This posture strengthens your arms and develops your chest.
Step 7 – Bhujangasana Or The Cobra Pose
Mantra: Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namah
How to do Bhujangasana Pose
- Inhale and lower your hips.
- Raise your chest. Keep your elbows bent in this position.
- Keep your head up and stretch your back.
- Hold this position as long as you can.
Benefits
The Cobra pose is good for your chest and abdomen. It helps to ease constipation, asthma, indigestion, and liver problems. It strengthens your back muscles.
Step 8 – Parvatasana Or The Mountain Pose
Mantra: Om Marichaya Namah
How to do Parvatasana Pose
- Exhale and lift the hips and tail bone.
- Keep your palms and feet flat on the ground.
- Head should be between your arms.
Step 9 – Ashwa Sanchalanasana Or The Equestrian Pose
Mantra: Om Adityaya Namah
How to do Ashwa Sanchalanasana Pose
- Inhale and bring your right foot forward.
- Your foot should be between your palms.
- Keep your left knee down to the floor by pressing the hips down.
- Look up and deepen the stretch.
Step 10 – Pada Hastasana Or Hand To Foot Pose
Mantra: Om Savitre Namah
How to do Pada Hastasana
- Bring your stretched leg forward and join the other leg.
- Repeat the same posture as Step no. 3.
- Keep your head between your knees and exhale deeply.
Step 11 – Hasta Uttanasana Or The Raised Arms Pose
Mantra: Om Arkaya Namah
How to do Hastauttanasana Pose
- Breathe in and stretch your arms back.
- Make sure to keep your biceps behind your ears.
Step 12 – The Pranamasana Or The Prayer Pose
Mantra: Om Bhaskaraya Namah
How to do Pranamasana Pose
- Bring your hands in the namaskar position.
- Repeat the beginning step.
- Resume normal breathing and relax.
Best Time to Do Surya Namaskar
The perfect time to perform Surya Namaskar is during sunrise while facing towards the sun. But it may not be feasible to do it in this fast-paced life and hence rather than missing it, doing it whenever it suits your schedule is preferred as eventually, it’s a workout that has both meditative and physiological benefits. Just assure you do it with an empty stomach or at least a gap of 2-3 hours after a meal.
Remember these points while doing Surya Namaskar
- You should focus on breathing while doing Surya namaskar. Inhale, exhale deeply and hold your breath whenever needed.
- Pregnant women and people with knee or back injuries should not do this exercise,
- This exercise should be done slowly to get the best results.
- Surya namaskar should be done in the morning on an empty stomach. It helps in detoxifying the organs.
Bottomline
Surya Namaskar is a perfect workout. It unites your mind, body, and soul, and brings out the best in you. It improves your habits and brings about complete balance in your life.
