Home is the starting place of love, hope and dreams.
As we are all maintaining #socialdistancing and staying home, it is equally important to keep our body and mind healthy.
I am best utilizing this time practicing SuryaNamaskara or Sun Salutation.
SuryaNamaskara or Sun Salutation is one of the basic Yoga Practice.
It consists of 8 Asanas or postures combined in a Yoga Sequence of 12.
This powerful and ancient asanas not only makes you flexible and strong but also boosts metabolism.
Best time to practice SuryaNamaskara is early morning before food intake, but can also be done late evening before dinner.
Each posture stretches different part of the body and has its own health benefits.
But maintaining right posture and breathing rhythm is equally important to get these benefits.
Some of the benefits are
- Tones muscles and improves flexibility
- Keep anxiety and Stress away
- Good for hormonal balance
- Improves Digestion
- Improve your Skin
- Increases Energy
- Enables better absorption of Nutrients.
Sequence of 12 Postures or 1 Set consists of 8 Asanas. Last 4 Asanas being the repetition of first 4 Asanas in a reverse Order.
1) Pranamasana (Prayer Pose) - Inhale/Exhale
2) Hasta Uttanasana (Raised Arms Pose) - Inhale while arching
3) Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot Posture) - Exhale while bending
4) Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose) - Inhale
5) Dandasana (The Plank Pose) - Exhale
6) Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight parts or points) - Inhale
7) Bhujangasana(Cobra Pose) - Exhale
8) Parvatasana(Inverted V) - Inhale and try to hold the position and breath as much as you can in this pose.
9) Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose) - Exhale and Inhale
10) Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot Posture) - Exhale
11) Hasta Uttanasana (Raised Arms Pose) - Inhale
12) Pranamasana (Prayer Pose) - Exhale and Inhale.
Stand in Tadasana (shown in the center), Keep your toes straight, shoulders rolled back letting the chest open and chin parallel to the floor. Keep looking straight.
1) Pranamasana or Prayer Pose
This is the first step where you are surrendering your body to Sun god.
Stand Straight , firm your thigh muscles pulling it slightly inward and locking your knees.
Keep your feet flat on ground with toes point front.
Slowly inhaling and exhaling lift your hands and join palms.
2) Hasta Uttanasana or Raised Arms Pose.
Inhale and Straighten your hands and raise upwards lengthening/stretching your arms and Spine.
Slightly arch towards the back forming a slight arch and arms are pointing upwards and back,
Keep your head between both the arms.
Don't let your front lower ribs protrude forward.
3) Hasta Padasana or Hand to Foot Posture
While exhaling, Squeeze your gluts, lock your knees and bend forward from the hip keeping your back as straight as you can.
Your palm should rest on the floor in line with the foot.
Keep your foot flat on the floor and head is relaxed and down between your arms.
4) Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)
Inhale and take your right leg backward.
Touch the knee to the foot on floor.
Feet should be stretched and flat on floor.
Knee should be straight and tight. Don't let knee fall front in an angle. This will pur more pressure and injure knees.
Keep your head straight and look at the point in front.
lower the hip and balance.
5) Dandasana or the Plank Pose
Exhale and Bring your left leg backwards.
Bring feet closer and raise the heels to stand on fingers.
Lower the hip so that spine, legs and neck all in straight line.
Tighten the abdomen, thighs and squeeze the gluts and balance.
This Pose Strengthens the core muscles ,lower back, arms, shoulders and legs.
6) Ashtanga Namaskara
Inhale and lower your knees and feet to touch the floor.
Keep your hips up and lower your chest to touch the floor.
Keep the chin on floor and look straight.
This asana touches floor at 8 points and hence the name.
Your body touches floor at feet (2) + knees (2) + palms (2) + chest (1) + Chin (1)
7) Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose
Exhale and slide forward and raise your shoulder and head upwards.
Your abdomen touches the floor.
Palms and feet flat on floor. Heels touching each other.
Strengthens lower back and tones abdomen.
8) Parvatasana or Inverted V or Mountain Pose.
Inhale, tuck your toes and Raise your Hip above dropping your head between arms.
Keep feet and palm flat on floor.
Tighten your abdomen and try to hold breath and retain the posture as long as you can.
Shoulder blades are open. Hips are up.
Heart and head is below the hip. This improves blood flow
and stretches hamstring, quants and opens the shoulders.
9) Ashwa Sanchalanasana or Equestrian Pose
This is a repetition of Posture 4 but with left leg.
Exhale and Bring your right foot front in between the arms.
Right knee and foot lie flat on floor
Keep your head straight.
10) Hasta Padasana or Hand to Foot Posture
This is a repetition of Posture 3.
Inhale and Bring your left foot front in between the arms.
Both feet and knee touch each other.
Keep your head between the arms.
Palms flat on floor and close or next to feet.
11) Hasta Uttanasana or Raised Arms Pose.
Repetition of Step 2.
keep your upper body straight and slowly Exhaling raise your upper body from hip joints upwards
all the way up slightly arching your back.
Head should be between your arms and look upwards.
12) Pranamasana or Prayer Pose
Repetition of Step 1.
slowly inhaling bring your arched back straight.
Bring your arms down and hold both the palms touching each other.
At last bring your arms down, shoulders rolled up opening the chest in Tadasana and breathe normally.
Repeat the same steps with keeping left leg backwards first in Step 4 and right leg backwards in Step 9. Total 24 postures complete one cycle.
Need to be very careful with the posture otherwise it results in injury.
Consult your physician before practicing if you have lower back pain or have high Blood pressure.
As we are all maintaining #socialdistancing and staying home, it is equally important to keep our body and mind healthy.
I am best utilizing this time practicing SuryaNamaskara or Sun Salutation.
SuryaNamaskara or Sun Salutation is one of the basic Yoga Practice.
It consists of 8 Asanas or postures combined in a Yoga Sequence of 12.
This powerful and ancient asanas not only makes you flexible and strong but also boosts metabolism.
Best time to practice SuryaNamaskara is early morning before food intake, but can also be done late evening before dinner.
Each posture stretches different part of the body and has its own health benefits.
But maintaining right posture and breathing rhythm is equally important to get these benefits.
Some of the benefits are
- Tones muscles and improves flexibility
- Keep anxiety and Stress away
- Good for hormonal balance
- Improves Digestion
- Improve your Skin
- Increases Energy
- Enables better absorption of Nutrients.
Sequence of 12 Postures or 1 Set consists of 8 Asanas. Last 4 Asanas being the repetition of first 4 Asanas in a reverse Order.
1) Pranamasana (Prayer Pose) - Inhale/Exhale
2) Hasta Uttanasana (Raised Arms Pose) - Inhale while arching
3) Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot Posture) - Exhale while bending
4) Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose) - Inhale
5) Dandasana (The Plank Pose) - Exhale
6) Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight parts or points) - Inhale
7) Bhujangasana(Cobra Pose) - Exhale
8) Parvatasana(Inverted V) - Inhale and try to hold the position and breath as much as you can in this pose.
9) Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose) - Exhale and Inhale
10) Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot Posture) - Exhale
11) Hasta Uttanasana (Raised Arms Pose) - Inhale
12) Pranamasana (Prayer Pose) - Exhale and Inhale.
Stand in Tadasana (shown in the center), Keep your toes straight, shoulders rolled back letting the chest open and chin parallel to the floor. Keep looking straight.
1) Pranamasana or Prayer Pose
This is the first step where you are surrendering your body to Sun god.
Stand Straight , firm your thigh muscles pulling it slightly inward and locking your knees.
Keep your feet flat on ground with toes point front.
Slowly inhaling and exhaling lift your hands and join palms.
2) Hasta Uttanasana or Raised Arms Pose.
Inhale and Straighten your hands and raise upwards lengthening/stretching your arms and Spine.
Slightly arch towards the back forming a slight arch and arms are pointing upwards and back,
Keep your head between both the arms.
Don't let your front lower ribs protrude forward.
3) Hasta Padasana or Hand to Foot Posture
While exhaling, Squeeze your gluts, lock your knees and bend forward from the hip keeping your back as straight as you can.
Your palm should rest on the floor in line with the foot.
Keep your foot flat on the floor and head is relaxed and down between your arms.
4) Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)
Inhale and take your right leg backward.
Touch the knee to the foot on floor.
Feet should be stretched and flat on floor.
Knee should be straight and tight. Don't let knee fall front in an angle. This will pur more pressure and injure knees.
Keep your head straight and look at the point in front.
lower the hip and balance.
5) Dandasana or the Plank Pose
Exhale and Bring your left leg backwards.
Bring feet closer and raise the heels to stand on fingers.
Lower the hip so that spine, legs and neck all in straight line.
Tighten the abdomen, thighs and squeeze the gluts and balance.
This Pose Strengthens the core muscles ,lower back, arms, shoulders and legs.
6) Ashtanga Namaskara
Inhale and lower your knees and feet to touch the floor.
Keep your hips up and lower your chest to touch the floor.
Keep the chin on floor and look straight.
This asana touches floor at 8 points and hence the name.
Your body touches floor at feet (2) + knees (2) + palms (2) + chest (1) + Chin (1)
7) Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose
Exhale and slide forward and raise your shoulder and head upwards.
Your abdomen touches the floor.
Palms and feet flat on floor. Heels touching each other.
Strengthens lower back and tones abdomen.
8) Parvatasana or Inverted V or Mountain Pose.
Inhale, tuck your toes and Raise your Hip above dropping your head between arms.
Keep feet and palm flat on floor.
Tighten your abdomen and try to hold breath and retain the posture as long as you can.
Shoulder blades are open. Hips are up.
Heart and head is below the hip. This improves blood flow
and stretches hamstring, quants and opens the shoulders.
9) Ashwa Sanchalanasana or Equestrian Pose
This is a repetition of Posture 4 but with left leg.
Exhale and Bring your right foot front in between the arms.
Right knee and foot lie flat on floor
Keep your head straight.
10) Hasta Padasana or Hand to Foot Posture
This is a repetition of Posture 3.
Inhale and Bring your left foot front in between the arms.
Both feet and knee touch each other.
Keep your head between the arms.
Palms flat on floor and close or next to feet.
11) Hasta Uttanasana or Raised Arms Pose.
Repetition of Step 2.
keep your upper body straight and slowly Exhaling raise your upper body from hip joints upwards
all the way up slightly arching your back.
Head should be between your arms and look upwards.
12) Pranamasana or Prayer Pose
Repetition of Step 1.
slowly inhaling bring your arched back straight.
Bring your arms down and hold both the palms touching each other.
At last bring your arms down, shoulders rolled up opening the chest in Tadasana and breathe normally.
Repeat the same steps with keeping left leg backwards first in Step 4 and right leg backwards in Step 9. Total 24 postures complete one cycle.
Need to be very careful with the posture otherwise it results in injury.
Consult your physician before practicing if you have lower back pain or have high Blood pressure.
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