Sūrya namaskāra (Salute to the Sun), also commonly called Surya Namaskar, is a vitalising exercise, commonly used as a 'warm up' to more demanding activity. As with any action in life, this sequence of movements and poses can be practised on varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of the physical exercise from which it originates, to a complete sadhana. A Sadhana is a ritualistic meditation practice from Hindu and Buddhist spiritual traditions which is followed in order to achieve a form of spiritual purification or enlightenment. ...

Despite numerous and persistent claims of ancient, even 'Vedic' origin and sun worship, the prevalent Surya Namaskar sequence has no ancient foundation whatsoever. Rather, it is a 20th-century invention of Bhawanrao Pantpritinidhi, the Rajah of Aundh. He derived it from his favourite sport of vyayam, the fitness regime of traditional Indian wrestlers, which develops strength, flexibility and muscle bulk. The sequence now termed Surya Namaskar was only first described in 1929. It only gained popularity after the Rajah taught his personal exercise programme to an admiring British journalist whilst he was studying Law in London, in 1937. A book soon followed ('The Ten Point Way to Health', J.M. Dent & Sons, 1938) and thus Surya Namaskar spread throughout the world, until it came to be commonly, and yet wholly erroneously, accepted as an ancient yogic practice with some historical, spiritual lineage. A solar deity is a deity who represents the Sun. ...

The physical base of the practice links together twelve physical poses in a dynamically performed series. These positions are ordered in such a way that they alternately stretch the spine backwards and forwards, in preparation for combat. Today, the late Rajah’s Surya Namaskar routines remain the preferred cardiovascular exercise for the older wrestlers in India, as a safe way in which to maintain their physique and stature.

Proponents of the use of Sūrya namaskāra as part of the modern yoga tradition are remarkably common, considering its true origin. They prefer to perform it at sunrise, which the orthodox Vedantin considers to be the most 'spiritually favourable' time of the day. Now embraced and taught by such modern, westernised yoga schools as those of Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bihar and British Wheel, it has become popular to add to this vyayam wrestling exercise the appearance of some authentic spiritual lineage by talking of asana and pranayama, to which are added mantra and chakra meditation, as follows: Iyengar (or Aiyangar) is the name of a community of Tamil Brahmins of South India whose members subscribe to the Visishtadvaita philosophy codified by Ramanuja. ... Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga or short Ashtanga Yoga is a style of Hatha Yoga taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. ... For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ... Eka-Pada-Rajakapotasana or Single Legged Pidgeon Asana is Sanskrit for seat. It is no accident that this word be chosen to describe the posture of Yoga. ... Pranayama (Devanagari: प्राणायाम, prāNāyāma) is a sanskrit word that means control (yama) of the life force (prana). ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation describes a state of concentrated attention on some object of thought or awareness. ...

Series summary

Anahata is the fourth primary chakra according to the Hindu Yogic and Tantric (Shakta) traditions. ... Vishuddha chakra symbolizes the pure consciousness, and creativity. ... Swadhisthana is the second primary chakra according to the Hindu Tantric tradition (Shakta). ... Ajna is the sixth primary chakra according to the Indian Tantric tradition (Shakta). ... Vishuddha chakra symbolizes the pure consciousness, and creativity. ... Manipura is the third primary chakra according to the Hindu Tantric tradition (Shakta). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Swadhisthana is the second primary chakra according to the Hindu Tantric tradition (Shakta). ... Vishuddha chakra symbolizes the pure consciousness, and creativity. ... Ajna is the sixth primary chakra according to the Indian Tantric tradition (Shakta). ... Swadhisthana is the second primary chakra according to the Hindu Tantric tradition (Shakta). ... Vishuddha chakra symbolizes the pure consciousness, and creativity. ... Anahata is the fourth primary chakra according to the Hindu Yogic and Tantric (Shakta) traditions. ...

Practice suitability and cautions

Sūrya namaskāra can be as gentle or as strenuous as the practitioner wishes. Indian wrestlers, for example, use the series of postures with great force and speed, prior to a fight. Whichever approach is preferred, it is important to have not eaten for at least three hours before practising, in order not to overdo the exercise and to rest adequately afterwards. Usually practitioners of modern yoga rest in shavasana (the corpse pose) while their respiration and heartbeat return to normal. Shavasana (Corpse Posture), also known as mrta-asana, is a yoga asana (posture) often used to begin and conclude a yoga session. ...

As with all exercise maximal benefit is obtained by performing the practice regularly, rather than excessive performance in any one session. (for options, see option exercise) U.S. marine emerges from the water upon completing the swimming portion of the triathlon. ...

References

• Sūrya Namaskāra, A Technique of Solar Vitalization, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, ISBN 81-85787-35-2.
• Sūryanamaskāra, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, New York: Ashtanga Yoga New York, 2005.
• Yoga in Modern India, Joseph S. Alter, Princeton University Press, 2004.
• Ten Point Way to Health, Rajah of Aundh, J.M. Dent & Sons, 1938

Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati (born 1923), is an important yoga master and guru in both his native India and the West. ... Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, born on the full moon day of July, 1915, in Kowshika, near Hassan in Karnataka State, India, heads the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India. ...

See also

Surya – Hindu sun god This article is in need of attention. ...

External links

• Exposition of practice from Prana Yoga Ashram
• Surya Namaskaras in Ashtanga yoga
• Sun Salutation yoga video