How to do Surya Namaskar -Guide for beginners

Surya Namaskar is the ultimate full body workout for beginners who are new to exercise, yoga in particular and do not know where to start. The salutation is simple and is combined with breathing exercises too. After practicing this, I can confidently say that my flexibility has increased and I feel rejuvenated in both body and mind. It sets the right tone for my day.

Surya Namaskar – Beginners Guide

Surya Namaskar translated to Surya – Sun ; Namaskar – Salutation.The Sun sustains all life in this planet and this is a prayer of thanks to the mighty Sun God. The Surya Namaskar is the synchronisation of 12 powerful yoga steps in an orderly manner. This means along with being a sequence for a good body stretch , it also rejuvenates the mind. It boosts the cardio-vascular system. Surya Namaskar is best done on empty stomach early in the morning.

There are many variations to these basic steps. It is best to stick to one style and continuously practice it. You can start with one complete cycle and do reps of 4, 8 and 12 as you progress. 12 sets of this cycle is the highest you can reach in this Namaskar. It is important to do with this with the appropriate breath patterns.

Benefits of Surya Namaskar

• Improves the cardio-vascular and nervous system.
• Rejuvenates the mind and body
• Builds the immune system
• Increases flexibility and core strength
• Helps in weight loss

Surya Namaskar for beginners

Step 1 : Pranamasana

Begin with the prayer pose. Legs together. Shoulders straight. Body weight equally distributed on both legs. Breathe in and lift both arms from the sides and while breathing out join the palms in front of the chest in prayer.

Step 2: Hastauttanasana

Breathe in and lift your arms in parallel together, bend and stretch the whole body backward. The stretch should be felt from heels to the hands.

Step 3: Hastapadasana

Breathe out and bend forward from the waist. Keep your hands,palms down next to your feet after bending down and exhale completely.

Step 4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Breathe in, shift your right leg back while keeping the left foot between your palms. Rest the right knee trailing on the floor and look up.

Step 5: Dandasana

Now take the left leg back and bring the whole body in a plank supported by your extended arms. The arms should fall in a straight line from the shoulder.

Step 6: Ashtanga Namaskara

( The word Ashtanga denotes Eight. This is essentially establishing an eight point contact with the ground using your feet, hands, knees, chest and chin). Exhale and gently bring the knees down to the floor. While resting your chest and chin on the ground, raise your hip. Hands are to be placed palm-down on either side of chest with the elbow in the air making a vertical line to the ground.

Step 7: Bhujangasana

Inhale and raise your chest from the ground supported by the palms from the same position as in step 6. Your elbows can bend. Stretch back as much as possible and look up at the ceiling.

Step 8: Adho Mukha Svanasana

Exhale and lift the hips to make an inverted V-pose. Bring the feet closer a little to enable the heels to lie on the floor. Grounding your palms lean back into the stretch.

Step 9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Breathe in, bend your right knee and bring the right foot forward between the palms. Rest the left knee on the floor behind you and look up. Similar to step 4.

Step 10: Hastapadasana

Breathe out and bring the left foot forward. bend and touch the ground with your palms. In the initial stages, the knees will bend and strain. With practise, the knees can be straight.

Step 11: Hastautanasana

Breathe in, raise your hands up and bend and stretch backward. This is the same as step 2.

Step 12: Pranamasana

Come back to step 1 and finish with the prayer pose.

This completes one set of Surya Namaskar. 12 sets of surya namaskar is the ideal 15 minute workout for beginners.

Do these before you start

As with any normal exercise, warm -ups are necessary for this too. Simple warm-up exercises can help you loosen your limbs and prepare you mentally and physically for the salutation. For beginners, Surya Namaskar is best done as stand alone exercise along with some simple asanas.

The salutations can be done as stand alone exercises with repetitions. Do not hurry through the sets though. Do at a pace that lets you do the postures correctly and completely. With time you will see yourself progressing into more reps.

People who are well-versed in yoga even go up to 108 salutations!!

Surya namaskars can be done during sunrise or sunset. It has a better effect in a serene outdoor location when done while facing the sun (east direction in the morning and west in the evening.)

Smile and be sincerely grateful to the sun. This is a prayer of gratitude after all.

Surya namaskar beginners note

• There is no fixed pace for the postures. Avoid jerks and allow the poses to flow into each other gracefully.
• Pick a comfortable pace and get started. Do not exert too much initially in the front and back bends.
• And as with any physical activity, do not soldier on if you feel pain in any part of your body. Feeling the stretch of your muscles and actual pain are two different things.
• Pregnant women and people with pre-existing medical conditions are advised to seek a consultation before diving in.
• Menstruating women should take it easy during that period (pun intended!)
• Try to ease the breathing into a comfortable rhythm. There should be no strains or grunts while doing the asanas.

Finally do your salutations with awareness about your stretches and your breathing. It enhances the actual experience. If done right, surya namaskar makes you feel highly rejuvenated.

Relaxation

Relaxation after completion is as important as warm-ups. Savasana is a simple relaxation asana usually done on the heels of Surya Namaskar. Lie flat on the ground facing the ceiling with your palms also facing upwards. Close your eyes and watch your breath as you slowly inhale and exhale. Feel the rush of air filling your belly when you inhale and the swoosh of air as you breathe out. Keeping your attention on your breath is an easy tip to meditate for a few minutes.

12 mantras of surya namaskar

Every asana is actually accompanied by a mantra. If you are ready with the poses, try to learn the mantras as well if possible. These mantras correspond to the seven chakras in the body intended for various vital organs.

These chants provide a sense of oneness with this primordial creation of the universe recharging your body and mind. They can be chanted out loud or in your mind in silence. Both are equally effective. These mantras tell us about the virtues of the sun, the primary energy source of the universe. These positive words when dwelt upon everyday give us the positive vibes needed for the day.

Full body workout for beginners

When we normally think of workouts we do not take yoga into consideration because we assume that yoga is slow and would not burn the necessary calories. But the surya namaskar for beginners is actually a full body workout. Do as many reps as you can, as you progress. You can see the results for yourself in due course in terms of maintaining weight and body flexibility. Yoga relieves you of stress and teaches you to be aware of every moment.

Do you know of any other simple full body workout for beginners? Or have you experienced the wonders of the Surya Namaskar? Share it in the comments below.