SURYA NAMASKAR : AMAZING MYTHOLOGICAL STORY BEHIND IT’S IMPORTANCE

SURYA NAMASKAR

HOW IMPORTANT IS SURYA NAMASKAR

surya namaskar is traditionally performed at sunrise. that is the time when the sun’s rays are most Appropriate and beneficial to revitalize and rejuvenate the body

engaging the mind body and spirit in a discipline to offer gratitude to sun god by doing surya namaskar, on a fundamental level, it is simply about connecting us to our natural roots, so we can learn to live in harmony Within the world around us

it is the ultimate asana that strengthens The back and the muscles of the body

this asana is a complete workout for the entire physical system that can be performed Without any equipment

it increases our body flexibility and keeps our body agile

surya means sun, namaskar means greetings or salutations

it is an ancient ritual of 12 steps along with the breathing pattern

this yoga is used for centuries to show gratitude to the sun

it has a series of yoga postures which dates back more than 2500 years to a time when ancient cultures revered to the sun

sun is considered the ultimate source of life and hindus worship SURYA as god

do watch my earlier blog on surya namaskar

https://reflectwithsmitha.com/surya-namaskar-with-mantras-powerful-yoga-for-good-health/

THERE IS A MYTHOLOGICAL TALE FROM AN INCIDENT IN RAMAYANA of SRI HANUMAN

when sri hanuman was small, his mother, mata anjana, was concerned about hanuman’s Education while he was growing up

she asked hanuman to approach the sun god and request him to get him educated about sacred scriptures

initially, the sun god refused hanuman’s request as sri hanuman never stayed at one place

but sri hanuman assured him that he will keep pace with the sun god and learn the scriptures

the sun god agreed and taught sri hanuman all the sacred texts involving all the vedas and shastras

after learning all the sacred texts, hanuman wished to pay guru dakshina ( traditional fee for the teacher ) but sun god refused

thus sri hanuman decided to express his gratitude by regularly practicing surya namaskar Dedicated to sun god

this is how surya namaskar came into being

ANOTHER STORY IN THE BHAGWAD GITA RELATING TO SURYA NAMASKAR

The sun god represents the transcendental knowledge.

in gita, sri krishna says to arjuna, that originally the knowledge of gita was taught to sun god and eventually he taught to his son manu

hanuman, a great devotee of sri rama, as mentioned above also received knowledge from sun god

therefore it is observed that intelligent class of people in india never fail to worship sun god through the proper process

getting connected to sun god and it’s supreme energy gives rise to higher levels of intelligence

in gita, it is also said that the sun god is the eyes of the lord brahma.

it is believed that sun god is a witness to all our activities like an external camera Which cannot be tampered with and remains a constant active witness

IMPORTANCE ON CHAKRA WITH SURYA NAMASKAR

ancient sages of india, had always revered surya namaskar Highly due to its impact on different energies that govern our physical and mental well being

it is said that the chakra near the navel of our body which is called solar Plexus where there are connecting 72000 nerves is connected to the sun

with regular practice of surya namaskar, the solar plexus is enhanced, which increases creativity, intuition, confidence making abilities and leadership qualities

so let us make our asana to be an act of gratitude and devotion to develop healthy body, healthy mind and grateful heart

BENEFITS

1. allows to open up the body engaging all the muscles thus improving flexibility and removing conditions that arise out of joints and muscle stiffness

2. stimulates the life force energy, the prana in the body, physically and mentally

3. helps improve blood circulation and strengthen heart functions

4. the rhythmic breathing along with the asanas while surya namaskar helps to increase the oxygen content in the blood, thus improving the oxygenation of the whole body

5. each inhalation and exhalation correspond to the specific movement of 12 steps

6. it is said to have meditative effect since the breath and mind are kept in harmony

7. Hence it is a great way of improving focus and concentration

8. surya namaskar can also be done with mantra chanting. each pose has 12 names of sun god

9. mantras vibrate the energies through postures which circulates through the body thus calming the mind

10. concentrating on each posture along with breathing and mantras make the flow of the movements like dance and bring equilibrium on both sides

thus proving that surya namaskar is a powerful yoga for good health

RULES TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE DURING SURYA NAMASKAR

1. gentle stretches, head, shoulder, wrist, knee warm ups and hip rotations must be done before performing the surya namaskar

2. always inhale when doing upward facing asanas and exhale while bending down and doing asanas

3. be consistent and constant with surya namaskar daily

4. practice on empty stomach preferably in the morning or before sunset

5. start with few rounds of sets daily. it is not the quantity but the quality that matters

WORD OF CAUTION

If you have any under lying disease, please do consult a physician and then start practicing

TO CONCLUDE

i am no yoga expert but i am regularly have been doing surya namaskar for many years now and i have yielded a lot of health benefits most important flexibility

so that is the main reason for me sharing my insights with my friends and also with a humble request to start including surya namaskar into your daily regime and see the magical results

so that’s all for now friends

hope you found this blog informative

until next time, keep smiling

much love … stay happy … stay blessed … ALWAYS

SMITHA