The Power of Surya Namaskar: A Comprehensive Guide to Sun Salutations for Mind, Body, and Spirit Wellness

We and other life forms—plants and animals—derive their energy directly or indirectly from the sun. Without the sun, life as we know it wouldn’t have existed on earth. Our ancestors also appreciated its importance; that’s why we come across the Sun God’s worship in ancient civilizations.

But can expressing gratitude for the sun also help you stay physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy?
What are the powers of the sun salutations that you should know about?

Keep reading to get answers to these questions and to learn about the benefits of Surya Namaskar, or sun salutations.

Surya Namaskar is a Sanskrit term in which Surya means the sun and Namaskar means greetings. The origins of Surya Namaskar can be traced back to the 1920s, making it a relatively modern yoga practice. While performing the Surya Namaskar, you chant the 12 names of the Sun God while facing the rising sun.

In Surya Namaskar, you work your complete body through 12 different postures in sync with your breath. You may also do it as a warm up before an intense workout session. Surya Namaskar is best recommended to be done early in the morning, at the time of sunrise.

Surya Namaskar has been linked to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being through its different postures.

Let’s explore them in detail.

Surya Namaskar poses are believed to affect the seven main chakras of the human body, which in turn influence the organs in their proximity. It is also thought to balance the three humors or doshas of the human body (kapha, vata, and pitta), which are responsible for a person’s overall health, according to Ayurveda.

Sun Salutation is a complete practice designed to flow seamlessly. Imagine it as a circular journey, beginning and ending in the same standing position.

Throughout this journey, you'll encounter similar postures repeated at different points. But there's a reason for this repetition! It creates a rhythm, building heat in your body and establishing a steady flow.

This rhythmic flow isn't just a great workout; it also mirrors the cycle of the sun itself, symbolizing a connection between your practice and the universe.

Now, let’s get to the 12 poses for Surya Namaskar.

It is meant to convey respect, like the Namaste greeting used in India. The prayer pose helps maintain the body’s balance while relaxing the nervous system and reducing stress. For this pose:

• Stand straight with your feet together and arms relaxed.
• Inhale deeply and relax your shoulders.
• Bring your palms together in a prayer pose as you exhale, and then inhale again.

The hasta uttanasana may help improve your digestion, tone the abdominal muscles, and reduce lower back pain. To do it:

• Raise your arms, bending your back slightly and pushing the pelvis forward, as you breathe in.
• Stretch back to elongate your spine.

It can help improve headaches and migraines, reduce anxiety, and strengthen your knees and thighs. For the standing forward bend pose,

• Keep your neck and shoulders relaxed and bend forward. Try touching the ground with your palms as you breathe out.

If you are a beginner, you may keep your knees bent while bending forward.

It is claimed to infuse willpower and improve the functioning of the lungs, liver, kidneys, and digestive system. For the lunge pose:

• Place your right foot forward and stretch the left one backward with the knees bent and the palms placed flat on the ground as you breathe in.
• Balance the body while looking in a forward direction.

Its benefits include improved posture, a toned abdomen, and strong arms, wrists, and shoulders. The plank pose requires you to:

• Stretch both legs backward, with the elbows and shoulders in a straight line and the wrists at right angles from the ground.
• Look down and engage your core muscles.

By doing the Ashtanga Namaskar, you can improve the flexibility of your spine and strengthen your arms, shoulders, and legs. For this pose:

• Relax the plank pose by exhaling and lowering the knees to the ground.
• Slightly lift your hips from the ground while your chin, chest, hands, and knees rest on the floor.

With the cobra pose, you can strengthen your torso and enhance blood circulation. It is also thought to ease menstrual issues, asthma, and back pain. The steps for the Bhujangasana are:

• Raise your head upward and place your elbows near the chest as you inhale.
• Roll back your shoulders and keep your neck relaxed. Pay attention to keeping your legs and lower torso touching the ground.

This posture is believed to help with stress, back pain, and menopausal symptoms and improve blood circulation. Here are the steps for the downward-facing dog pose:

• Raise your hips from the ground and push down your heels.
• Form a V-shape with your hips in the air and palms and feet on the ground.
• Look at your navel as you inhale and exhale.

This is the same as the fourth pose that we did. Starting with the high lunge pose, we’ll repeat the poses until the first pose (Pranamasana) to complete the cycle of the twelve yoga postures for Surya Namaskar. Here, you’ll have to:

• Bring your right leg forward and stretch the left one backward.
• Gently push your rear toward the ground and raise your head, looking forward.

For this pose:

• Bring your left leg toward the right one as you breathe in.
• Breathe out slowly and bend forward to touch the ground with your fingers. Keep your spine and knees straight.

Get back to the Hasta Uttanasana with these steps:

• Slowly stand up with your arms raised as you breathe in.
• Bend backward and gaze at the ceiling.

Arriving at the final posture of Surya Namaskar, which is also the same that you started with:

• Stand straight with your feet together and palms joined at chest level, and exhale.

Will you have to stick to the twelve poses that we just covered, or are there more forms of Surya Namaskar? Keep reading to find out.

Different variations of Surya Namaskar have evolved with time, based on the same principle but varying in the difficulty of the postures and speed. Some of them are suitable for both newbies and pros, while others demand some experience with yoga. We’ll briefly cover them here:

The most traditional and basic form of Surya Namaskar is performed at a slow pace with long pauses at each posture, making it suitable for beginners. Hatha Yoga Surya Namaskar has twelve yoga postures.

In the Sivananda variation, there are 12 poses that are performed as a continuous exercise. Any two consecutive postures are complementary in nature, alternately involving breathing in and out and stretching the body differently.

It involves a fast-paced sequence of yoga postures that align your breathing with the movement of the body, as in Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic version of the more classical Hatha yoga. This type is further divided into two categories:

1. Sun Salutation A

It consists of 10 poses, starting and concluding with the mountain pose (Tadasana).

2. Sun Salutation B

The sun salutation A sequence follows this more intense version, which has 19postures.

Though similar to Hatha Surya Namaskar, it is performed relatively faster and is more experimental.

Wondering what the different postures are for the four Surya Namaskar variants that we listed?
Here is a concise overview of them:

Though sun salutations are generally safe, people who have certain medical conditions need to exercise caution. If you suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease, cervical pain, or hernia, or have an injury, consult a professional yoga instructor before starting with Surya Namaskar.

Before beginning to practice Surya Namaskar, those who have issues with their spine or back may want to get medical advice. After you have completed the first trimester of your pregnancy, you can do Surya Namaskar.

When one is just beginning their yoga practice, it may be beneficial to choose the classic Hatha yoga version. Follow some basic tips to avoid injury:

• Do a light warm-up before Surya Namaskar.
• Modify the body postures to suit yourself.
• Don’t overdo the exercise to avoid fatigue-related injuries.
• Follow the prescribed pace for a given variant of sun salutations.

Including Surya Namaskar in your daily yoga schedule can help promote your overall well-being. Choose a variant that suits your body and everyday routine the best. Before starting with it, understand the basics of the different yoga postures that you’ll be doing and the benefits and precautions related to them.