Conscious Change9: Surya Namaskar : Tutorial

Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar Poses

In addition to the general health benefits associated with performing Surya Namaskar, each of the yoga poses in the series provides specific health benefits:

Pose 1 (and 12): Promotes balance, stimulates the respiratory system, exercises shoulder, back and neck muscles
Pose 2 (and 11): Promotes balance, promotes digestion, exercises arms and shoulder muscles, tones the spine, promotes flexibility in back and hips
Pose 3 (and 10): Promotes blood circulation, tones abdominal tracts, stretches back and leg muscles, stimulates spinal nerves, stimulates lymphatic system
Pose 4 (and 9): Exercises spine, strengthens hand and wrist muscles
Pose 5 (and 8): Stimulates blood circulation, strengthens the heart, strengthens wrist and arm muscles, relieves neck and shoulder tension
Pose 6: Strengthens leg and arm muscles, increases flexibility in neck and shoulders, stretches arms, shoulder, neck and back muscles, exercises back muscles, releases tension in neck and shoulder
Pose 7: Stimulates circulation to abdominal organs, tones digestive tract, stretches upper and lower body, promotes flexibility in the back, stimulates nerves in spine

Poses 8 through 12 are essentially repetitions of poses 5 through 1, respectively. The health benefits of each are similar to their corresponding poses.

Surya Namaskar is an exercise in itself, but it is also sometimes used as a warm up for other, more strenuous workouts. You can also perform Surya Namaskar at the end of other exercise routines as a way to relax and wind down. One of the best things about Surya Namaskar is how flexible and versatile a form of exercise it is for individuals at all fitness levels.

Mantras to pronounce

The following mantras are pronounced at start of each Surya Namaskara when in Pranamasana.

	Mantra		Chakra
	Seed	Salutation	Chakra
1	om hrām (ॐ ह्रां)	om mitrāya namaḥ (ॐ मित्राय नमः)	Anahata
2	om hrīm (ॐ ह्रीं)	om ravaye namaḥ (ॐ रवये नमः)	Vishuddhi
3	om hrūm (ॐ ह्रूं)	om sūryāya namaḥ (ॐ सूर्याय नमः)	Swadhisthana
4	om hraim (ॐ ह्रैं)	om bhānave namaḥ (ॐ भानवे नमः)	Ajna
5	om hraum (ॐ ह्रौं)	om khagāya namaḥ (ॐ खगाय नमः)	Vishuddhi
6	om hraḥ (ॐ ह्रः)	om puṣṇe namaḥ (ॐ पूष्णे नमः)	Manipura
7	om hrām (ॐ ह्रां)	om hiraṇya garbhāya namaḥ (ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः)	Swadhisthana
8	om hrīm (ॐ ह्रीं)	om marīcaye namaḥ (ॐ मरीचये नमः)	Vishuddhi
9	om hrūm (ॐ ह्रूं)	om ādityāya namaḥ (ॐ आदित्याय नमः)	Ajna
10	om hraim (ॐ ह्रैं)	om savitre namaḥ (ॐ सवित्रे नमः)	Swadhisthana
11	om hraum (ॐ ह्रौं)	om arkāya namaḥ (ॐ अर्काय नमः)	Vishuddhi
12	om hraḥ (ॐ ह्रः)	om bhāskarāya namaḥ (ॐ भास्कराय नमः)	Anahata

	om mitraya namah
	om ravayé namah
	om suryaya namah
	om bhanavé namah
	om khagaya namah
	om pushné namah
	om hiranyagarbhaya namah
	om marichayé namah
	om adityaya namah
	om savitré namah
	om arkaya namah
	om bhaskaraya namah

STEP ONE:				STEP TWO:
Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.				Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
STEP THREE:				STEP FOUR:
Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.				Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
STEP FIVE:				STEP SIX:
While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.				Exhale and lower the body to the floor until the the feet, knees, hands, chest, and forehead are touching the ground.
STEP SEVEN:				STEP EIGHT:
Inhale and slowly raise the head and bend backward as much as possible, bending the spine to the maximum (as in the naga-asana).				While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
STEP NINE:				STEP TEN:
Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.				Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
STEP ELEVEN:				STEP TWELVE:
Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.				Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.