It is well recognised that you can expect many benefits from practising yoga. If you stick at it, you can expect your body to become stronger and much more flexible, especially your back. These means you are less likely to accidentally injure yourself and suffer back low pain.
Yoga will also help your mind to become more settled and clear. The calmness this brings will help you reduce stress and related niggling illnesses.
The Yoga Salute to the Sun is a simple yet powerful exercise that you can do virtually anywhere – your home, at the gym, in a hotel, at the beach etc. It is just a great all round stretching, strengthening and warm up exerise and this makes it a great back exercise too. Its low impact and if you do it long enough and fast enough, you can even get it to be mildly aerobic too.
You will certainly have worked up a sweat at the end after 10 or 20 rounds.
The Yoga Salute to the Sun is widely universally used as a warm up to a yoga routine and it is also a very useful exercise routine in its own right.
The series consists of 12 (or 24) positions per round
Each round is usually repeated a number of times, between 10 and 100, depending on how fit you are.
Position 1: Pranamasana – Prayer Pose
Technique:
- Stand erect with the feet together.
- Place the palms in front of your chest.
- Relax your whole body.
Breath: Normal.
Position 2: Hasta uttanasana – Raised Arms Pose
Technique:
- Raise both arms above the head.
- Keep the arms separated by one shoulder’s width.
- Bend the head and upper trunk slightly backwards.
Breath: Inhale while raising the arms.
Position 3: Padahastasana – Hand to Foot Pose
Technique:
- Bend forward until the fingers or hands touch the ground on either side of or in front of the feet.
- Try to touch the knees with the forehead, but do not strain.
- Keep the legs straight.
Breath: Exhale as you bend forwards. Try to contract the abdomen in the final position to expel the maximum amount of air.
Position 4: Ashwa Sanchalanasana – Equestrian Pose
Technique:
- Stretch the right leg as far back as possible.
- At the same time bend the left leg, but keep the left foot in the same position.
- The arms should remain straight and in the same position.
- At the end of the movement the weight should be supported on the hands, left foot, right knee and the toes of the right foot.
- In the final position the head should be tilted backwards, the back arched and the gaze directed upwards.
Breath: Inhale whilst stretching the right leg backwards.
Position 5: Parvatasana – Mountain Pose
Technique:
- Straighten the right leg and place the left foot beside the right one.
- Raise the buttocks in the air and lower the head so that it lies between the two arms.
- The body should form two sides of a triangle.
- The arms should remain straight and in the same position.
- The legs and arms should be straight in the final position.
- Try to keep the heels in contact with the ground.
Breath: Exhale as you straighten your left leg and bend your body.
Position 6: Ashtanga Namaskara – Salute with 8 limbs
Technique:
- Lower the body to the ground, so that in the final position of this pose only the toes of both feet, the two knees, the chest, the hands and the chin touch the ground.
- The hips and abdomen should be raised slightly off the ground.
Breath: The breath should be held outside. No breathing.
Position 7: Bhujangasana – Serpent Pose
Technique:
- Raise the body from the waist by straightening the arms.
- Bend the head backwards.
Breath: • Inhale whilst raising the body and arching the back.
Position 8: Parvatasana – Mountain Pose
This stage is a repeat of position 5
Technique:
- From the arched back position assume the mountain pose as described for position 5.
Breath: Exhale as you raise your buttocks in the air.
Position 9: Ashwa Sanchalanasana – Equestrian Pose
This stage is a repeat of position 4
Technique:
- Bend the left leg and bring the left foot forwards so that it is near the hands.
- Simultaneously lower the right knee so that it touches the floor.
Breath: Inhale while assuming the pose.
Position 10: Padahastasana – Hand to Foot Pose
This stage is a repeat of position 3
Technique:
- Place the right foor next to the left foot.
- Straighten both the legs and try to bring the forehead as close as possible to the knees.
- Do not strain if you are unable to touch the knees but do not bend the legs.
Breath: Exhale as you perform the movement.
Position 11: Hasta uttanasana – Raised Arms Pose
This stage is a repeat of position 2
Technique:
- Straighten the whole body and raise both arms above the head.
- Keep the arms separated by one shoulder’s width.
- Bend the head and upper trunk slightly backwards.
Breath: Inhale as you straighten the body.
Position 12: Pranamasana – Prayer Pose
This stage is a repeat of position 1
Technique:
- Bring the hands in front of the chest and place the palms together.
- Relax your whole body.
Breath: Exhale as you assume the final pose.
Repeating the Sequence – Steps 13-24
With steps 13-24 the only difference is that you do the exercises using your other leg. Example: with position 4 stretch your left leg as far back as possible.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Keep your fitness level in mind. If doing 2 rounds drains your pacemaker batteries, don’t try for 20. BE SENSIBLE.
