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Mantras

 

This month we continue with the Mantras. This time we discuss about ‘Surya Namaskara’

 

Surya Namaskara

Sūrya namaskāra (Salute to the Sun) is a modern form of sun worship and self vitalization. Sūrya namaskāra can be practiced on varying levels of awareness ranging from that of simple physical exercise to a complete sadhana which incorporates asana, pranayama, mantra and chakra meditation.

Despite numerous and persistent claims, the prevalent Surya Namaskar sequence has no ancient foundation, but is rather a 20th-century invention of Bhawanrao Pantpritinidhi, the Rajah of Aundh. Based upon vyayam, the fitness regime of traditional wrestlers that develops strength, with flexibility and muscle bulk, it was first described in 1929, and only gained popularity after he taught it to an admiring British journalist whilst he was studying Law in London, in 1937. A book soon followed ('The Ten Point Way to Health', J.M. Dent & Sons, 1938) and thus Surya Namaskar spread throughout the world, until it came to be commonly, and yet wholly erroneously, accepted as a traditional yogic practice with some historical, spiritual lineage.

Today, the late Rajah’s Surya Namaskar routines remain the preferred cardiovascular exercise for the older wrestlers in India, as a safe way in which to maintain their physique and stature.

The physical base of the practice links together twelve asanas in a dynamically performed series. These asanas are ordered so that they alternately stretch the spine backwards and forwards. When performed in the usual way, each asana is moved into with alternate inhalation and exhalation (except for the sixth asana where the breath is held in external suspension). A full round of sūrya namaskāra is considered to be two sets of the twelve poses with a change in the second set to moving the opposite leg first through the series.

Modern attempts to 'spiritualize' the practice have now layered it with mantras and chakra awareness meditations, which are performed in each position.

Proponents of the use of Sūrya namaskāra as part of the modern yoga tradition prefer to perform it at sunrise, which the orthodox consider to be the most 'spiritually favorable' time of the day.

Series summary

 

Asana

Breath

Mantra

Chakra

Seed

Salutation

1

Pranamasana

exhale

om hrām

om mitrāya namah

Anahata

2

Hasta uttanasana

inhale

om hrīm

om ravaye namah

Vishuddi

3

Padahastasana

exhale

om hrūm

om sūryāya namah

Swadhisthana

4

Ashwa sanchalanasana

inhale

om hraim

om bhānave namah

Ajna

5

Parvatasana

exhale

om hraum

om khagāya namah

Vishuddi

6

Ashtanga namaskara

suspend

om hra

om puṣṇe namah

Manipura

7

Bhujangasana

inhale

om hrām

om hiraNya garbhāya namah

Swadhisthana

8

Parvatasana

exhale

om hrīm

om marīcaye namah

Vishuddi

9

Ashwa sanchalanasana

inhale

om hrūm

om ādityāya namah

Ajna

10

Padahastasana

exhale

om hraim

om savitre namah

Swadhisthana

11

Hasta uttanasana

inhale

om hraum

om arkāya namah

Vishuddi

12

Pranamasana

exhale

om hra

om bhāskarāya namah

Anahata

Practice suitability and cautions

Sūrya namaskāra is a gentle practice. This makes it open to people of all ages and levels. However, teachers caution that it is also a very powerful practice and that it can be unobvious while performing the series how much effect it is having on the body. They advise that it is important to have not eaten for at least three hours before practicing, to not overdo the exercise and to rest adequately afterwards. Usually practitioners rest in shavasana (the corpse pose) while their respiration and heartbeat return to normal.

As with all exercise maximal benefit is obtained by performing the practice regularly, rather than excessive performance in any one session.

References

 

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