The benefits of Surya Namaskara (sun salutation)

Surya Namaskara is a sequence most yogis will know regardless of which school of yoga they come from. The combination of asanas linked together by breath provide a complete workout for the physical system as well as empowering us to break free of compulsive cycles and patterns - the connection of the breath to the movements help to quiet the chatter of the mind and connect us deeper to our inner being. 

Surya Namaskara (Surya = Sun, Nama = to adore, to bow to) is traditionally performed in the morning to greet the new day. The sun has a powerful energy and the salutation is a way of reaching out for the sun and its life-giving, life-nurturing powers (Urdhva Hastasana  reaches up to the sun and Uttanasana bows down in honour).  It is about having a gratitude to the life giving force of the sun and also to our own personal life force.

The alternating backward and forward bending asanas flex and stretch the spinal column and limbs giving a profound stretch the the whole of the body. A daily routine can help to revitalise the body and mind, stretch and tone the muscles, as well as taking you on a spiritual journey. So just hop on your mat and make a start with the Surya Namaskara sequence which I have uploaded onto the sequence page.