5 Reasons Why You Should Practice Sun Salutations

What are Sun Salutations?

Surya Namaskara translates to English as sun salutations, often shortened as sun salute or salute to the sun. Sun salutations are a sequence of gracefully linked asanas (poses) that are synchronised with your breath, to create an intelligent and graceful flow of movement. The classical sun salutation contains seven asanas, (poses). Sun Salutations are often used as a warm-up or part of a vinyasa yoga flow class, but they can be practised by themselves.

Sun salutations offer a treasure trove of health and wellness benefits, even for a beginner. Though sun salutations are comparatively simple, the benefits remain significant. Indeed, just a little stretching and breathing with focused intention can reset your mind and body for the rest of the day.

Even if you don’t have time to do an hour of yoga daily, sun salutations can be a good way to check in and keep your practice alive. As little as ten minutes can enrich your day.

It’s more beneficial to do a daily 20-minute practice than one longer just once a week. I can maintain my strength and flexibility by doing 20 minutes a day if I’m busy, even with a couple of days off.

Sun salutations - if you are a beginner, you can start with 2 to 4 rounds, and work up to as many as 10-12 rounds; they can also be modified to all levels and abilities.

5 Reasons to Do Sun Salutations

1. Lengthens and tones muscles.

A continuous practice of sun salutations will bring more strength, flexibility, and tone to the body. It will open the hamstrings, shoulders, and chest, as well as release tension. As you move through the poses, you are also lubricating the joints, aiding in keeping the full range of motion in the body. Sun salutations offer a great release of tension on the spine, which creates length and increases flexibility. Forward bends and the slight back bend of cobra pose help add space and breathe into areas of tightness; the health of the spine is especially important to our overall well-being. We are as young as our spine is supple.

2. Sun salutations will help increase your energy and circulation.

Sun Salutations will energise the body first thing in the morning. Sun salutations themselves are a great cardio exercise that gets your heart pumping to increase and improve circulation: purifying your blood and strengthening your physical body. Furthermore, it supports the lungs, digestive system, muscles and joints.

3. A form of meditation.

A sun salutation is a series of asanas (poses) woven together with the breath. As you move from one posture to another, you follow the breath and let it lead the way. The breath provides a bridge between the body and the mind, allowing a perfect moment for a quiet, moving meditation.

Let the mind follow the breath, and when it wanders, bring it back to the breath. Practise being present and enjoying the moment: be aware of the stories in your mind letting them float away on clouds.

4. Honour and respect.

A daily practice of sun salutations gives us the perfect place to observe our bodies. We are different every day, and the practice should reflect this. Some days the body feels supple and capable, and on other days it may feel stiff and tired. Respect your body every day as it is. Watch it grow with your daily practice, and modify the sequence as needed. Try not to worry you don’t need to prove anything

or go any faster or deeper, there are no end goals or requirements in yoga. It’s just you and your body, slowly moving and enjoying the journey.

5. Be centered and grateful.

Gratefulness is a wonderful gift; share it with yourself. The more you are grateful for things around you, the more you will find things to be grateful for: it’s a fantastic upward cycle. Sun salutations give you a chance to be grateful each morning. Be grateful to have woken up, that there is a new day, and that you are able to move your body as you wish. There are so many things we take for granted and appreciate only when they are gone. As stated sun salutation, translated indicates a gesture of respect and acknowledgement to the sun, but you can also salute any area of your life for which you are particularly grateful. Dedicate each round to one thing you are grateful for, no matter how small or big, and soon after, you will feel an uplift in your mood and spirit!

With so many benefits in so little time, how can we not afford to practise Sun salutations every day? Happy practising! Kay xxx