The sun salutation is the most well-known sequence of yoga poses and is an integral part of many yoga styles. The sun salutation is often practiced as a warm-up at the beginning of a yoga session. Because the sequence gets the body moving and activates the circulation and all important muscle groups. The combination of different asanas, a mix of forward bends, back bends and inversions, is therefore considered the best preparation for yoga practice.
The tradition of the sun salutation is thousands of years old
“Surya Namaskar”, as the sequence of movements is called in Sanskrit, literally means “greeting to the sun” or “sun prayer”, which points to the spiritual background of the sequence of movements. The tradition of the sun salutation dates back many millennia and is rooted in the ritual sun worship that was once common in many ancient cultures. The modern sun salutation, as practiced in yoga today, probably dates from the 19th century. The first record of the well-known sequence can be found in a commentary on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, one of the fundamental scriptures of yoga.
On the one hand, the sun salutation is intended to symbolize gratitude for the sun, since it makes life on earth possible. On the other hand, the sun salutation also stands for turning to “the spiritual light within ourselves”, as the “” reports. “You salute the outer sun for its life-giving power and your inner sun for creating awareness,” the magazine quotes yoga teacher and author Richard Rosen as saying. It’s about cultivating a conscious connection to both yourself and the outside world.
Mental and physical preparation for the day
Traditionally, the sun salutation is practiced at sunrise as a mental and physical preparation for the day. Because the movements wake up the body, mobilize the joints and the spine. In addition, the sequence offers a whole range of other physical advantages. When done regularly, the Sun Salutation strengthens the entire body, especially the muscles in the arms and legs. The sequence of movements also promotes flexibility and endurance. The sun salutation also trains the respiratory system, so that the breathing spaces and breathing volume can expand over the long term. The sequence of yoga poses should have an awakening and activating effect on the mind. The asanas can increase concentration and mental stamina, as the attention should always be drawn to one point: the seamless execution of the movements. By connecting these with the breath, body and mind should also come into harmony.
As a rule, one performs an asana with each breath. This results in a quick and dynamic sequence that gets the cardiovascular system going. However, it is advisable, especially for beginners, to remain in one pose for several breaths. This makes the sun salutation slow and more meditative. The focus here is on stretching and inner peace rather than strength and endurance. With these two variants, the sun salutation can be adapted to the current form of the day during each yoga session. Thanks to its balanced sequence of movements, the sun salutation can also be completed as an independent yoga unit. Especially when there is little time left for yoga practice. If you only have ten or 15 minutes, you can simply do several sun salutations in a row.
Jelena Lieberberg, certified yoga teacher, alternative practitioner and osteopath from Berlin, shows the classic sun salutation, consisting of twelve asanas and some transitional postures. If you integrate the sequence of movements into a regular yoga practice, it quickly becomes routine, so that you can soon perform the sun salutation as a smooth sequence of movements.
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Source: Stern
