Understanding the importance of Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar, It is essential to get the complete knowledge of its benefits to our body. The ancient yogis believe that the different parts of the body are governed by different divine impulses of light. There will be no life on the earth without the sun, and the Surya Namaskaras, as they are popularly called, is an ancient method of showing gratitude or paying respect to the sun that is the source of every creation on the planet and all forms of life on the earth.

These 12 steps of Surya namaskar are a complete body workout. Doing 12 sets of this exercise transcribes into doing 288 powerful yoga asanas in a span of 12 to 15 minutes. The Surya Namaskar also forms an incredible link between the warming-up poses and the intense yoga asanas. The best time to practice the Surya Namaskar is early in the morning when the sun is rising. You must make sure your stomach and bowels are empty

Steps of Surya Namaskar

Practice the following 12 steps of Surya namaskar with us at Yoga classes in Jaipur, which allows you to perform various steps of Surya namaskar with the help of some kind of support such as blocks or cushions. 

Step 1 – Pranamasana (Prayer Pose)

• Stand at the edge of your mat, keep your feet together
• Balance your weight equally on both the feet.
• Expand your chest and relax your shoulders.
• As you breathe in, lift both arms up from the sides,
• As you exhale, bring your palms together in front of the chest in prayer position.

Step 2 Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

• Start by inhaling
• Lift the arms up and back, keeping the biceps close to the ears.
• In this pose, the motive is to stretch the whole body up from the heels to the tips of the fingers.

Step 3 Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)

• Place two blocks near your feet, hip-width apart.
• Start by exhaling
• Bend forward from the waist keeping the spine erect.
• As you exhale completely, bring the hands down to the blocks and try to touch the feet.

Step 4 Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

• Start by inhaling
• Push your right leg back, as far back as possible.
• Bring the right knee to the cushion and lookup.

Step 5 Dandasana (Stick Pose)

• As you breathe in,
• Take the left leg back
• bring the whole body in a straight line.

Step 6 Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with 8 Parts/Points)

• Gently kneel down and exhale.
• Take the hips back slightly, slide forward,
• rest your chest and chin on the floor.
• Raise your posterior a little bit.
• The two hands, two feet, two knees, chest, and chin should touch the floor.

Step 7 Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

• Start by holding the ropes tied at some height.
• Lower down onto your belly, hold the rope with your hands and lie slanting with your toes straight towards the wall.
• Hold and breathe for 5 long deep breaths relaxing the low back.

Step 8 Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

• Start by exhaling out,
• lift the hips and the tailbone up to bring the body into an inverted ‘V’ pose.

Step 9 Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

• Start by placing the block on the mat
• Stand and inhale,
• Bring the right foot forward in between the two hands.
• The left knee goes down on the block.
• Press the hips down and lookup.

Step 10 Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend)

• Breathing out,
• Bring the left foot forward.
• Keep the palms on the floor.
• You may bend the knees, if necessary.

Step 11 Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

• Breathing in, roll the spine up.
• Raise the hands up and bend backward a little bit,
• Pushing the hips slightly outward.

Step 12 Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

• As you exhale, first straighten the body, then bring the arms down.
• Relax in this position and observe the sensations in your body. 

Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar

 Some Health Benefits of Surya Namaskar are as follows:

1. The poses of Surya namaskar are a correct blend of warm-ups and asanas.
2. It helps to keep you disease-free and healthy
3. Regular practice promotes balance in the body
4. Improves blood circulation
5. Strengthens the heart
6. Tones the digestive tract
7. It helps in calming the mind and body
8. Stimulates abdominal muscles, respiratory system, spinal nerves, and other organs.
9. Tones the spine, neck, shoulder, arms, hands, wrist, back and leg muscles, thereby increasing overall flexibility.
10. It helps in boosting energy levels.

This completes one set of Surya Namaskar. Complete the round by repeating the steps. Once done, you would’ve completed one round of Surya Namaskar.

The health benefits of Surya Namaskar is that it will improve memory and enhance the nervous system. The sequence also stabilizes the activity of the thyroid and endocrine glands. By performing these Health benefits Surya Namaskar in routine is a perfect workout. It connects your mind, body, and soul, and brings out the best in you. It enhances your habits and brings about perfect harmony in your life. Just 12 steps of Surya namaskar in one go and you’ll be able to burn 471 calories. So start practicing these 12 steps of Surya namaskar today for a better life.