Surya Namaskar For A Healthier You!
What is Hatha Yoga?
Hatha Yoga is the term used to refer to the most basic style of yoga, which is one of the first yoga styles that beginners will learn. This is also when you get to initially encounter Surya Namaskar and learn how to properly execute the 12 poses in the series. Each of these poses have their own significance to the sequence, which are responsible for delivering the health, mental, and physical benefits that one can enjoy.
Hatha yoga is combined with pranayama and meditation in order to optimize the benefits of surya namaskar or sun salutations. Aside from practicing it to get in shape, there are a huge number of yogis that adapt sun salutations due to its nurturing properties to both mind and body.
Incorporating Surya Namaskar to Your Daily Fitness Routine
In order to experience the benefits of Surya Namaskar, regular practice is important. If you do it once, you can expect to achieve the enriching health benefits that is promised. If you are interested to develop a daily yoga routine that involves Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations, below are tips on how you can perform it:
- Wake up earlier than usual. Make sure you are already up even before the sun rises.
- Then, go outside or anywhere that you are exposed to the power of nature. More importantly, it will enable you to experience the rising of the sun. In addition, the gentle rays from the morning sun is good for your health.
- Lay down your yoga mat and begin your performance of the Sun Salutation.
- After completing the 12-pose series of Surya Namaskar, end it with breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation.
Health Benefits of Sun Salutation
Each of the 12 exercises included in Surya Namaskar each have their own benefits to your health system. Therefore, it is important to take note of the actual sequence of exercises and follow them in particular order. By doing so, you can enjoy the following benefits to your health:
- It promotes function in your digestive system by stretching your abdominal muscles. Sun Salutation exercises also loosen up excess belly fat, giving you a well toned stomach.
- It enables you to combat effects and symptoms of insomnia, or some other sleeping disorders due to the calming ability of the exercise.
- It helps regulate your menstrual cycle.
- It boosts blood circulation throughout the body and slow down the process of aging.
- It provides skin care benefits, due to your exposure to the morning sun.
- It enhances your endurance level, thus giving you more strength and vitality.
- It makes your entire body flexible and more limber.
More Than Warm-Up Exercise
Although Surya Namaskar has earned its reputation as a gentle form of exercise that is ideal to kickstart each session, it has actually proven its ability to produce a wide range of health benefits. Thus, it is more than just performed these days to warm up your muscles for the workout ahead. It is an essential exercise component by itself.
Combining Exercise With Surya Namaskar Chants or Mantras
While there are 12 exercises incorporated into this exercise sequence, there are also 12 corresponding mantras available. You need to recite each mantra or chant soon after completing one round of Sun Salutation exercises. Ancient yogis believe that chanting the mantras are intended to call on the supernatural powers to nourish your body and mind while you are doing Sun Salutations. This is believed to be one reason why such powerful benefits are delivered by Surya Namaskar. Some yogis would also perform the Gayantri Mantra after completing all 12 poses in the sequence.

