Surya Namaskar means to bow down in front of the sun in the morning. The sun is the life source on this planet. Only if you learn how to make it a part of your system, you will truly benefit from this process.

This basic yoga exercise improves the digestion by alternate stretching and compression of abdominal organs.
Moreover, it thoroughly ventilates the lungs, and oxygenates the blood.Surya Namaskar promotes sleep and calms anxiety.
It helps in strengthening up the nervous system and improves memory and also promotes health, strength, efficiency and longevity.

There are 12 basic steps of surya namaskar:

Step 1: Pranamasan

Stand in an erect position, facing the sun with palms folded near the chest in namaskar. Keep the feet together and breathe normally.

Step 2: Hasta uttanasana

Breathe in, raise the arms upwards, and bend backwards with the face pointing upwards and towards the sky. The back should be arched while bending backwards.

Step 3: Pada hastasana

Exhale and keeping the knees straight, bend down till the head touches the knees. The hands should touch the floor on either side of the feet with the palms pressing against the ground.

Step 4: Ashwa-sanchalan-asana
Inhale and stretch the left leg backwards, and balance the leg on the toes with the heel raised upwards. The right leg is bent at the knee and the head is lifted upwards to face the sky, while the hands remain stretched with the palms pressing against the floor.

Step 5: Parvatasana

Exhale and keeping the palms pressed against the ground, the right leg is pushed back to stay parallel with the left leg. The hip is raised with the head bent downwards to face the navel.

Step 6: Ashtanga namaskar


Inhale and lower the hips. The toes, knees, chest, and face should touch the floor while the hips are slightly raised.

Step 7: Bhujangasana

Exhale and stretch arms. Lift the chest so the back arches and the head is bent backwards to face the sky.

Step 8: Parvatasana

Exhale and perform as in step 5

Step 9: Ashwa-sanchalan-asana

Inhale and perform as in step 4

Step 10: Pada hastasana

Exhale and perform as in step 3

Step 11: Hasta Uttanasana

Inhale and perform as in step 2.

Step 12: Pranamasan

Bring back the hands in a folded namaskar to the chest, and breathe normally as in step 1.

Yoga practices can make us more and more sensitive to subtler and subtler sensations in the body. Paying attention to and staying with finer and finer sensations within the body is one of the surest ways to steady the wandering mind.

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