surya-namaskar

Surya namaskar

The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara) is a classical yoga sequence that has been practiced every morning by millions of people in India for thousands of years. This series of yogic postures has many benefits, including correcting an imbalance that affects virtually every human being in our modern era.

You probably don't have time for an hour of yoga every day, and that's okay, actually. The sun salutation is enough, it's a great way to keep some consistency in your practice, it's better to do little every day than a lot once or twice a week. Science supports this fact!

It turns out that you don't need to commit to a full hour of practice to reap the many benefits of yoga. Just 20 minutes of Surya Namaskar (greeting to the sun) is enough to reap enormous benefits to your well-being and can even get you out of a mental health crisis, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Yoga.

The researchers divided 124 high-stress students into two groups: one practising greetings and the other doing nothing (control group), no stress-reducing activities or exercises. At the end of two weeks, students who practiced Surya Namaskar reported more peace of mind, feelings of rest and joy, and less worry than the control group.

So 20 minutes may be enough to give you a real boost, give it a try! It's simple and it's worth it! As a beginner, you can start with 4 to 6 sun salutations, then add more as you go along.

 

HOW DOES THE SUN SALUTATION WORK?

This sequence activates the body's breathing and the junction point in the body where the rib cage meets the abdomen. It is at this point that the diaphragm divides the body in two.

Below the diaphragm are the liver and stomach, which are essential for digestion, and above the diaphragm are the lungs and heart, which are vital organs. If this area becomes rigid, the function of the organs above and below the diaphragm can be compromised. Keeping the diaphragm free, as we will see, is essential for optimal health.

The sun salutation is a series of bending and extension postures that are coordinated with each nasal inhalation and exhalation. As the body moves into the extension, one inhales deeply through the nose. During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts to draw air into the lower lobes of the lungs, while the body bends back and up.

In each extended position, as the rib cage moves up and back, the diaphragm pulls the lower chest and abdomen down and inward. The diaphragm pulls the rib cage, heart and lungs down, while the extension of the spine pulls them up. The abdomen, stomach and liver are pulled down in this process, creating more space under the diaphragm for optimal digestion and deep breathing freedom.

The extension postures are immediately followed by a forward bending position that brings the rib cage and abdomen closer together. This occurs as the diaphragm relaxes and the rib cage squeezes the lungs in an effort to exhale. Like an accordion, when the body flexes forward and the rib cage and abdomen come together, the tissues or organs around the diaphragm soften, increasing blood flow and restoring elasticity.

Each stretch or extension position creates more flexibility, while potentially breaking down scar tissue in muscles, organs and related tissues. Each bending position relaxes the associated tissues and increases blood flow, which is necessary to lubricate and maintain the health and elasticity of the associated organs and muscles in that area.

The entire exercise connects a flexion/exhalation posture to an extension/inhalation posture. While creating elasticity and flexibility throughout the body, the effect is concentrated at the junction between the diaphragm and the abdomen, where many health problems originate.

This exercise can therefore promote healthy breathing that is beneficial for stress, weight control, sleep, heart, lungs and structural strength of the back and neck. By creating elasticity between the diaphragm and the abdomen, the sun salutation can promote healthy digestion by preventing occasional heartburn and a host of other digestive problems.

 

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE SUN SALUTATION?

 

1. INCREASES YOUR ENERGY FLOW

Saying hello to the sun is a great way to give your body energy in the morning. It's fairly easy to master and within everyone's reach (if necessary, the sequence can be modified a little)! This sequence improves blood circulation, purifies the blood and tones the body.

The lungs, the digestive system, as well as the muscles and joints all benefit from this practice. It also increases the prana vital energy in your body, which helps to eliminate energy blockages. A series of sun salutations can, in itself, be a great cardiovascular exercise that benefits the entire body.

 

2. IMPROVES THE ELASTICITY OF THE RIB CAGE

As we discussed at the beginning of this article, both the rib cage and the diaphragm can become "rigid" after years of stress and inactivity. This forces most people to breathe primarily in the upper lobes of the lungs. The problem is that the more you breathe with your upper chest, the more rigid the lower rib cage becomes and the less the diaphragm can contract and relax completely.

The lack of elasticity of the rib cage transforms the ribs, which serve as massage levers for the chest, heart and lungs, into factors that compromise the circulation and lymphatic drainage of the rib cage, heart and lungs. Surya Namaskar breaks this diaphragmatic inelasticity, while simultaneously stimulating circulation and lymphatic drainage.

 

3. REDUCES THE EFFECT OF STRESS

Stress causes everyone to take quick, shallow breaths through the mouth. If you were surprised by a bear, for example, you would take a deep breath through your mouth and run up a tree to save your life (which is not a good idea, by the way). This type of shallow breathing or 'emergency gasping' first fills the upper lobes of the lungs in order to activate the receptors that predominate in the upper lobes of the lungs.

Breathing through the nose has the opposite effect, allowing the inhaled air to be processed through the nasal cones, which turbinate the air to bring it deep into the lower lobes of the lungs.

To breathe into the lower lobes of the lungs, the diaphragm must contract completely to draw air through the nasal cones into the lungs. The sun salutation ensures optimal function of lower lung diaphragmatic breathing by linking the postures of flexion/exhalation and extension/inhalation.

 

4. STRETCHES AND TONES MUSCLES

A regular practice of sun salutations will bring more strength, suppleness and tone to the body.

You will no doubt notice it while practicing, the sequence stretches the hamstrings (muscles at the back of the legs), shoulders and chest. By constantly and dynamically changing postures, you also lubricate the joints, which helps maintain the full range of motion in the body.

Sun salutations offer a great release of tension on the spine, which increases flexibility, needless to say how important it is to keep your spine flexible.

 

5. OFFERS A MOMENT OF MEDITATION

This series of asanas works with the breath. As you move from one posture to another, you follow the breath and let it guide you. Breathing provides a bridge between body and mind, making it a perfect time for silent meditation.

Let the mind follow the breath, and when it wanders, bring it back to the breath. Practice being present. Practice enjoying the present moment, without thinking about how many turns you have already done or how many turns you still have to do (a turn being equal to a whole greeting sequence).

This practice also helps you to be grateful. The more you are grateful for the things around you, the more you will find things to be grateful for! It is a wonderful upward cycle.

With our sun salutation, we are able to practice this recognition every morning. For example, be thankful that you woke up, that you are on Earth one more day, that you are able to move your body as you wish. There are so many things that we take for granted and only really notice the importance of when they are no longer there...

The sun salutation is a gesture of respect and gratitude to the sun, but you can also salute any area of your life for which you are particularly grateful. Dedicate each turn to something for which you are grateful, you will feel the elevation of your mood and spirit!

 

6. AN AID TO WEIGHT LOSS

A study published in the British Medical Journal determined that the main organ for fat elimination in the body is the lungs.

Triglycerides are a type of fat stored on the body that is carried in the blood by the food we eat. Triglycerides are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. When fats break down, the hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water (H2O), which is excreted in urine, sweat and feces. The remaining carbon is exhaled from the body as carbon dioxide (CO2).

Science has shown that the body eliminates waste by removing CO2 (fat) from the body by breathing fully and deeply through the nose. Studies show that there is a significant increase in the amount of CO2 released during nasal breathing compared to oral breathing.

The results suggest that by breathing through the nose, at rest and during exercise, more CO2 would be expelled (exhaled), and the elimination of fat in the form of broken down triglycerides would be significantly increased.

This is why I really urge you to do this sequence every morning if you are in the process of losing weight, it is your number 1 commitment, as I mentioned in the article: how to lose weight through an Ayurvedic approach.

Now that we've seen all the benefits, let's get on with the practice because I'm sure you're dying to try it, aren't you?

 

WHAT-ARE-THE-BENEFITS-OF-THE-SUN-SALUTATION

 

PRACTICE THE GREETINGS IN THE SUN...IN THE MORNING!

Although sun salutations can be practiced at any time of the day, the early morning hours are considered particularly conducive to the practice of yoga and meditation. The hour just before sunrise is called Brahma muhurta ("God's time"). "The mind is supposed to be at its calmest and clearest at this time. Ayurveda recommends waking up at this time every day.

For most of us, early morning is the time of day when we can be alone, without demands and distractions. Getting up a little early can allow you to experience inner stillness and offer your energy to a greater purpose for your day.

Surya Namaskar is the perfect morning practice to awaken the body, focus the mind and connect to a sense of gratitude for the new day. An extra one to two hours of sleep cannot match the energy of the sunrise.

During the long winters, you can still face the sun, just visualize that you have the sun inside your heart. Part of the sun salutation is seeing the sun inside yourself.

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Conclusion

The key to breathing, according to Ayurveda, is to use the 5 lobes of the lungs and, above all, to access the lower lobes: both to calm and repair the nervous system and to eliminate toxic waste from the body.

The sun salutation literally pulls the stomach and abdomen down from the diaphragm and rib cage at each inhalation extension/posture. With each bending position, as the rib cage and abdomen are pushed together as the diaphragm relaxes, the adherent tissue between the stomach and diaphragm is fed with increased blood supply which slowly breaks down scar tissue restoring youthful elastic function to the diaphragm, lungs and stomach.

This process will ensure optimal digestion into old age, while maintaining full respiratory access to the lower lobes of the lungs, activating rest, digestion and repair of the nervous system, optimal circulation and lymphatic drainage to the heart, lungs and upper digestive organs, and efficient excretion of fats and toxins from the body.

You know what you have to do!

 

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