Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation

Surya Namaskar Benefit Your
Body, Mind, and Spirit

Surya Namaskar is not just physical exercise for
weight loss but it is a complete workout for
your body to stay healthy and to keep your mind.
at the spiritual level.
If you have been doing Sun Salutation so far
only to shed off those extra inches, here’s some
food for thought. This wonderful gift of yoga, if
practiced regularly, can work wonders for every
part of the body – from head to toe! Surya
Namaskar is a set of 12 yoga postures that helps
improve overall health and well being.

The obvious advantages of Surya Namaskar are:

It is the complete workout for
the muscles, it benefits joints,
ligaments and the skeletal
system by improving posture
and balance. The limbs become
symmetrical while the internal
vital organs become more
functional.

Surya Namaskar is beneficial
for the health of digestive
system. It increases blood flow
to your digestive tract and
stimulate the intestinal action
known as peristalsis so
digestion is more efficient.

It also calms you, which in turn
relaxes your digestive system
and leads to more effective
elimination.

Forward bends increase the
space in the abdomen and
facilitate the release of
entrapped gases. These poses
heat the front of the body and
cool the back body. For vatas,
it is important to stay warm.
Surya Namaskar is the ideal
exercise to cope with insomnia
and related disorders. Surya
Namaskar practice calms the
mind, thus helps to get sound
sleep.

Surya Namaskar practice
regulates irregular menstrual
cycles . Practicing Surya
Namaskar ensures the easy
childbirth. It helps to decrease
the fear of pregnancy and
childbirth.

Surya Namaskar practice
boosts blood circulation and
helps to prevent hair graying,
hair fall, and dandruff. It also
improves the growth of hair
making it long.

Regular practice of Surya
Namaskar helps to lose extra
calories. It helps to stay thin.
Practicing Surya Namaskar is
the easiest way to be in shape.
It stretches the abdominal
muscles. Regular practice of
Surya Namaskar helps to lose
excessive belly fat and gives
flat stomach. Some of the
asanas stimulate sluggish
glands to increase their
hormonal secretions. The
thyroid gland, especially, has a
big effect on our weight
because it affects body
metabolism.

Sun salutation exercise helps
to add glow on your face
making facial skin radiant and
ageless. It is the natural
solution to prevent onset of
wrinkles. Overall, yoga is
excellent for the skin and it can
also provide good benefits for
people with blemishes and even
acne.

Regular practice of sun
salutation boosts endurance
power. It gives vitality and
strength. It also reduces the
feeling of restlessness and
anxiety.

Daily practice of Surya
Namaskar makes body flexible.
It improves flexibility in spine
and in limbs.
Although Sun Salutation can be practiced at any
time of the day, morning or evening, it is a good
idea to do it at the time of sunrise. When the first
rays of the Sun fall on the solar plexus, it is
good for the body. The early morning sun rays
are rich source of vitamin D that is necessary
to get strong bones and clear vision.
Besides offering physical benefits, the Sun
Salutation practice also helps calm the mind.

Doing a few rounds of Surya Namaskar at an
easy pace can be very relaxing and meditative.
And adding a touch of gratitude to the Sun,
chanting mantras while doing Sun Salutation,
adds a whole spiritual dimension to the practice,
making it more sacred.
The physical and spiritual benefits of Sun
Salutation are not just for adults to enjoy. Surya
Namaskar is equally a lot of fun for children.

Note: Persons suffering from slip-disk, arthritis,
heart attack etc including pregnant women are
suggested to take medical opinion before they
start the practice of Surya Namaskar.

Surya Namaskar with right postures.