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Suryanamskar: II
Sun Worship
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In the last issue we discussed the significance of Suryanamaskar. In this issue we will describe the steps to it. Stand facing the Sun holding a pitcher of water at the Anahat (heart) level, offer water to the Sun God with complete reverence, chanting
“om surya namah om
om surya surya jyoti namah om”
First step: Surya Pranam Asana. In the first step we offer salutations to the sun with our hands joined in front of us at the Anahat level. This results in better concentration and induces calmness.
Second step: Hasta Uthaan Asana. Start by taking your hands up, stretching your body completely, bend a little to the back. The movement has to be very gentle and smooth to avoid any back injury. This asana helps stretch all the organs in the abdominal region and improves digestion. The arms and shoulder muscles are also exercised and the spinal nerves are toned.
Third step: Padhasta Asana. Then come down slowly, gently bending forward with your palms flat on the ground. Remember that your back should not be making an arch or slouching forward and your knees should not be bent. This asana helps in eliminating and preventing abdominal ailments, helps reduce weight from this region. It also improves digestion. Also, the spine becomes supple.
Fourth step: Ashwa Sanchalan Asana. Place one leg forward, knee bent and resting your chest on the knee, look up arching your back. Place your palms flat on the ground while the other leg should be absolutely straight stretched back. It massages the abdominal organs thereby improving their functioning. It also strengthens the leg muscles.
Fifth step: Parvat Asana. Keep your feet and your palms flat on the ground and keep your midriff raised forming a pyramidal shape. Again the knees should not be bent and there should be no unwanted curve in the back. Besides strengthening of the muscles and nerves in the arms and legs, the spinal nerves get toned and circulation, especially in the upper spine between the shoulder blades, improves.
Sixth step: Ashtanga Namaskar Asana. With your palms flat on the ground, bending your elbows, bring your body close to the ground keeping it raised and parallel to the surface doing a single push up. This asana strengthens the arm and leg muscles and develops the chest.
Seventh step: Bhujang Asana. Resting your body on the ground, hands at the sides of shoulders, palms flat on the ground with elbows close to your body, raise the torso, looking up. It improves circulation in the back region and tones the spinal nerves. It also stimulates digestion, tones the liver and massages the kidneys. This asana also tones the reproductive organs.
Then doing these seven exercises in the reverse order stand up straight. This one set of seven exercises along with the reverse ones forms one step of Suryanamaskar. The trick is to do these seven steps in seven minutes. The point to be remembered is that each step has to be done in the correct manner. Doing a thing correctly once is any time better and beneficial than doing it a hundred times in the wrong manner. Always take notice of the fact that while doing the steps the knees should not be bent and the back should not be curving at any point even while bending forward.
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—The writer Yogi Ashwini Ji is the
head of Dhyan Foundation, Delhi.
For Details contact: ashwiniyogi@yahoo.co.in
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December 2006
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