What is Surya Namaskar and how should you do it?

Tell us if this sounds familiar. You wake up every morning with an aching body and a mind which is already exhausted from work. If getting up after fighting a battle with your alarm, eating a quick breakfast, bathing, getting dressed in a jiffy and rushing to the office has become your usual drill, we may have some bad news for you.

Even if you feel drained out at the end of the day with little to no energy left to entertain anything else, the fact still remains that you have not dedicated any time to exercise. Now we do understand that in between juggling work and family life, there is hardly any time left to catch a break, let alone doing some physical activity. But this poor lifestyle can actually lead to disastrous and sometimes irrevocable consequences if not taken care of. We tell you how.

If you are constantly sleep-deprived, lethargic, irritated and suffer from constant body aches, we do have a solution for you which promises to take away your woes. All you have to do is wake up a little early (approximately 15 minutes) and include Surya Namaskar in your everyday morning ritual.

Yes, sun salutations can not only get rid of the constant stiffness in your body but can also take care of your mental fatigue.

While many people know about the standard steps of sun salutations, not a lot of people are aware of the fact that there are several variations of the same. These variations can depend on your goal and what you want to achieve from the salutations.

The name ‘Surya Namaskar’ literally means sun salutations or bowing down to the sun. It is said that when you sync your body’s cycle with the solar cycle, one can enjoy overall well-being and transform into an energetic version of themselves. Surya Namaskar is also known to balance the chakras in our body.

1. Prayer position

Stand comfortably and join your feet together. Relax your shoulders and balance the weight equally between both your feet. Take a deep breath and lift the arms on your sides. Join your palms together in the front of your chest in a prayer position as you exhale slowly.

Lift your arms up and backwards as you breathe in and keep your arms near your ears. Stretch your body backwards as much as possible, from the tip of your fingers to your heels. Make sure you are not bending backwards instead of stretching.

Exhale as you bring your arms forward and bend down from the waist. Make sure that you keep your legs and spine straight as much as possible. Try to touch the floor beside your feet. If you are a beginner, it might be a little difficult for you to keep your knees straight. Don’t worry as your posture will improve with regular practice.

Take a deep breath and take your right leg back while keeping your left knee on the ground. Now, look up.

Slowly, push your left leg back as well and get in a plank position. Align your whole body in a straight line, in a stick like position.

Breath out slowly and bend your knees, chest and forehead down on the floor into ashtanga namaskar — with eight parts of your body touching the floor.

Take a deep breath and keep your hands firmly on the ground. Make sure that your elbows are close to your ribs and shoulders away from your ears. Look up and feel a gentle stretch in your neck. Make sure that you tuck your toes under.

Lift your hips up as you take a deep breath. Align your body in an inverted ‘V’ pose.

Now breathe in and bring your right foot forward in between the two hands. (Check posture number 4.) Make sure your left knee touches the floor. Press the hips down and look up.

Straighten your body and stretch it from your toes to the tips of your fingers. Make sure that you stretch properly instead of bending backwards. Keep your biceps close to your ears while stretching your arms.

Bring your arms down and straighten your body. Relax and bring your arms to your sides. Continue breathing and observe the sensations in your body.