As I have been looking again at the practice of Suyra Namaskara - sun salutation - in yoga history and philosophy to give it a little more context, I have come across the greatest compilation of benefits for any one Yoga Kriya (complete action) to date.
Let’s start with the history.
In the earliest written yogic texts, the Vedas, already the practice of yoga was being correlated with the sun. In the oldest Rig Veda (now a UNESCO protected text) book 5. 81.1 there is even the occurrence of “Suyra Namaskara” to salute and honor the power and energy of the sun. Throughout Vedic hymns the sun, Suyra, is hailed to dispel darkness and ignorance. Suyra is the giver of life, warmth and sustenance which can be taken very very literally as well as metaphorically.
Later, as Hinduism emerges from the Vedic periods, Suyra as an embodied deity (one of the top 5) his light and brightness take on the symbolism of courage, authority, leadership, even some say ego. In the symbolism of Suyra’s 7 white horses that drive his bright chariot across the sky in mythology, the sun’s metaphorical connection to our own internal energy centers becomes clearer. The seven horse represent the 7 energy centers in each being that mirror the energy force of the sun internally, the chakra-s.
The practice of physical movements of yoga Kriya and our modern day Sun Salutations, takes on a more formalized movement of bowing devotion and adoration, the moments of pause and reflection, between daybreak and dusk. As the sun is the center of our planetary system, quite literally our solar system, so much of modern yoga revolves around the structure of Suyra Namaskara as it is continually practiced, passed on, and improvised for all people.
What’s the Hype?
As each yoga lineage and style has adopted and advanced its own version of Suyra Namaskara, the list of positive intentions, motivations, and benefits has grown. As a practitioner of yoga, I really don’t believe that any of these benefits are exaggerated as they can be applicable and true to any one individual at any given time. Can western medicine verify all of these benefits through just one yoga practice alone? Not likely as the logistics of a controlled study would be pretty wild. I wouldn’t put it past a Netflix documentary though to draw out the correlations. Again, as a yoga practitioner, I probably have practiced sun salutation at various parts of my life for one or more of the below listed benefits.
List of physical benefits from practicing Suyra Namaskara:
Tone and Stretch muscles.
Massage Inner Organs.
Relieve Constipation
Speed up Metabolism
Reduce Weight
Stimulate the Heart
Strengthen Wrists
Make joints more supple
Alleviate Chronic Pain, Anxiety, and Fatigue
The non-anatomical or physiological benefits of practicing this particular yoga kriya are also impressive. Yogin approach movement as a modality for affecting more internal and existential means toward greater integration and enlightenment. The symbolic bowing to the sun is therefore a way to turn inward to the light, soul, and energy of our own being.
List of Integrative Benefits of practicing Suyra Namaskara:
Expanding our hearts ability to love and feel gratitude
Increase sensation of awe, devotion, and adoration
Tap into willpower, vitality, and courage in day to day life
Add dynamism and vigor to your day
Revitalize personal energy
Increase mental clarity
Develop more awareness and discernment
Expand breathe and life-force
Wowzers! With those two lists combined, you may just want to start your own practice of Sun Salutation right now! Clearly, because the practice has been around for a long time, there are several different variations of this practice that may all have claims to being “the way” to do suyra namaskara. They are. This is the paradox of yoga, that all can be true all at the same time. If you are new to practicing yoga - pick the version that works for you. If you have been practicing for awhile and are not feeling some/any of these benefits in your current style, maybe switch it up a bit. Ultimately, I recommend practicing with a well-trained, perhaps diversified, yoga teacher for some period of time, I will push it to say practice in-person if possible. There is another aspect of yoga practice that I have not yet mentioned, there is power in community. When you are aligned with other humans striving for common positive outcomes something very special happens.
Here are a couple guides of the 3 main styles of yoga practiced in the west and their particular flare for sun salutation.
If you have recommendations of your favorite variations, let me know! Or if you have another claim to benefit from this practice, let’s add it to the list.
Shine On, Nancy
Comentários