What is the purpose of Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)?

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Paper : Yoga FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for beginners | Platform : Yoga FAQs | Category : Health and Wellness FAQs

"Surya Namaskar" is also known as  Sun Salutation.

Surya Namaskar constitutes 12 powerful yoga postures. It is an ancient technique of paying respects to the sun and is best done early in the morning. it is a form of expressing gratitude to the Sun which is the source of all life on earth.  Sun Salutations move the body in all directions, it helps to clear the energy pathways. It is a  gracefully linked sequence of poses and each movement touches at least one of the chakras. It helps to invigorate the body while creating space.

With each posture, a particular mantra is chanted. like

"om military Namah, om ravye namah, om suryay namah" and so on..

which are different names of the sun god.

Here are some benefits of Surya Namaskar:

The postures are a right blend of warm-ups and asanas

  • It helps to keep you disease-free.
  • Helps in bringing balance in the body
  • Strengthens the cardiovascular system in our body
  • Tones the digestive tract
  • Stimulates abdominal muscles, lymphatic system, respiratory system spinal nerves, and other internal organs
  • Tones the spine, neck, shoulder, arms, hands, wrist, back, and leg muscles, thus enhancing overall flexibility
  • The primary intention of this series of poses is to awaken the energy of the sun that normally lies dormant at the navel center.