An Ultimate Guide to Surya Namaskar: Instructions and Benefits

Name and Details of the Asanas with Instruction and benefits:-

1: Pranamasana or Prayer Pose

The first pose among 12 Surya Namaskar steps can be simply performed by standing upright on your mat bringing your feet close together keeping your arms relaxed. Then slowly inhale taking a deep breath raise your arms and join your palms in front of your chest exhaling your breath.

Benefits: Prayer Pose relaxes your entire nervous system and helps relieves stress and anxiety and can keep a person calm and composed.

2: Hasta Uttanasana or Raised Arms Pose

Secondly, staying in the same prayer pose take a deep breath. Then, lift your arms up while slightly bending backward. Focus on inhaling while bending back. Keep your biceps close to your ears while simultaneously stretching the whole body up from the heels

Benefits: This will allow you to push the pelvis forward, stretch back, and lengthen the spine. It helps tone abdominal muscles. This asana expands the entire body. People suffering from asthma and lower back pain can get maximum benefits by doing this pose.

3: Hasta Padasana or hand-to-foot pose

The third pose is done by standing and then slowly bending forward in order to touch your feet. Exhale and begin to bend forward down to your knees keeping your spine long touch your toes with your fingers be sure not to bend your spine. Stay in the position for a few seconds.

Benefits: Hasta Uttanasana stretches and expands the spine, making it flexible and also helps to stretch the hamstrings and open up the legs. This pose is very helpful in curing insomnia, osteoporosis, headaches, anxiety, and stress

4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana or Lunge Pose

Next, you need to bend your knees slightly and rest your palms on the floor in line with your feet. Now inhale and bring your right knee towards the right side of your chest while stretching the left leg backward. Balance your body and raise your head facing forward. You will feel a good stretch in your left hamstring and right quadriceps. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then switch sides.

Benefits: Legs and spine are strengthened.  Improves digestion, strengthens your knees and ankles, massages your kidneys, and stimulates the abdominal organs of the body. This pose helps in the better functioning of the liver.

5: Parvatasana or Mountain pose

The fifth asana is done by exhaling and bringing your palms to the floor and lifting your hips into the air by moving the left foot back beside the right. Now bring your shoulders towards your ankles while lengthening your spine. By breathing out, lift your waist to make an ‘inverted V’ with your body. Keep your heels on the ground.

Benefits:  Makes your arms and legs stronger and relieves varicose veins. It stretches calf and spine muscles.

6: Ashtanga Namaskar or Eight-Limbed Pose

Next, exhale and bring your knees down to the floor. Resting your chin on the floor and raising your hips slightly from the ground. Your hands, knees, chin, and chest should touch the floor, while your posterior should be suspended in the air. Breathe normally, and hold the position for as long as it is comfortable.

Benefits:  Increase flexibility and stretch the back and spine. Strengthens the muscles and relieves stress. It helps to reduce fatigue and insomnia. It helps in stimulating the digestive system, good for treating constipation and other digestion problems. It is also helpful in strengthening the muscles of the respiratory system and also regulates the menstrual cycle in women.

7: Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose

To perform this pose begins by reclining your legs and abdomen onto the ground. Now, place your palms close to your chest, and as you inhale, use the pressure from your hands to raise your upper body off the ground while keeping your pelvis in contact with the floor. Hold this position and keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, keeping your feet tucked in and your head and torso held in a raised cobra position.

Benefits:  Strengthens the entire spine, the abdomen, and the diaphragm. It is a great asana to tone the liver, spleen, and abdominal organs. Helps improve the functioning of the heart, lungs, and thyroid gland.

8: Parvatasana or Mountain pose

Next, we need to repeat the same set of yoga to complete the cycle of the Sun Salutation. Now slowly exhale, bringing your palms to the floor and lifting your hips into the air by moving the left foot back beside the right. Next, bring your shoulders towards your ankles while lengthening your spine. Take deep breaths in and out.

9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana or Lunge Pose

Now push the pelvis forward by bringing the left foot forward between the palms. Raising your body, tilt your head back, arching your back and gazing up at the sky.

10: Hasta Padasana or hand-to-foot pose

Now Exhale and pull the legs together, just bend your knees enough for your chest to rest against your thighs and your head to rest on your knee. Same as pose 3.

11: Hasta Uttanasana or Raised Arms Pose

Next, take a deep breath and stretch your arms forward and up over your head (same as pose 2). Look up and press your pelvis forward and bend to extend your body slightly rearward.

12: Pranamasana or Prayer Pose

Next, come back to where we had started, you must have noticed that we made a circle of these 12 poses. Repeat pose 1.  Exhale and stand straight, relaxing your body. Bring your arms in front of your chest in a Namaste position.