How To Do Surya Namaskar A: Tips, Technique, Correct Form, Benefits, and Common Mistakes

There are many benefits of doing a Surya Namaskar (Image via Unsplash)
There are many benefits of doing a Surya Namaskar (Image via Unsplash)

The Surya Namaskar is an ancient Indian yoga technique that's been around for thousands of years. It involves a series of 12 postures that have been designed to help you tone your body, stretch and strengthen the muscles, and get you in shape.

Don't worry if you're new to yoga. We'll walk you through each step so that by the time you're done reading this article, you'll be ready to try it out yourself. Let's get started.


How To Do Surya Namaskar A

Surya Namaskar is a 12-step sequence of asanas that you can do to start your yoga practice. Here are the three main poses:

  • Tadasana (mountain pose): This is the basic standing position in which you can ground yourself and develop balance. It's good for circulation and helps relieve stress.
  • Urdhva Hastasana (upward hands pose): This is similar to the Tadasana, but with your arms held outstretched above your head while keeping them parallel to one another and close to the ears on each side of the head. It gives stability and improves balance.
  • Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog pose): The downward facing dog is an excellent stretch for your back muscles, hamstrings, calves and shoulders -- and also strengthens them.

Tips

To effectively do the Surya Namaskar A effectively, keep the following points in mind:

  • Keep your spine straight while performing this exercise.
  • Bend your knees and elbows till they're at 90 degrees to each other (straight).
  • Keep your head straight, and look down at the floor with a neutral gaze—not up or down—to avoid strain in the neck muscles, which can cause headaches later on during the day.

It's best to keep your eyes about a foot away from where you are looking so that there isn't any strain on your neck muscles when you do this pose.


Technique and Correct Form

Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A) is a version of Surya Namaskar. It begins with the prayer pose and ends with the plank pose. The first three rounds are done on the ground, while the final round is completed in a plank position.

  • Downward Dog: Take a deep breath as you bend your knees, and lift yourself up into a downward-facing canine position.
  • Plank Pose: Hold for 2-3 seconds before bringing your knees to meet your elbows in a 'high plank' pose, keeping your elbows directly beneath shoulders.
  • Child’s Pose: Bring forehead to the floor, hands resting underneath hips or lower back as desired; hold for a minute before repeating the cycle again.

Benefits

Surya Namaskar A is a great way to get started with yoga. It's simple and easy, requiring only a little space. This asana can be done anywhere, such as at home or in the office break room.

Surya Namaskar A also helps to alleviate stress and promote a sense of well-being. It improves flexibility and muscle tone while strengthening the body. In addition to these physical benefits, Surya Namaskar A helps relax the mind and improve concentration levels by allowing you to focus on slow movements instead of thinking about work or other stressful situations.

This pose also has numerous health benefits for seniors over 60 to boost their longevity. That includes improved circulation which helps prevent heart disease and more flexibility for activities like walking up stairs; better muscle tone (which increases bone density).

Other benefits include increased bone density through weight-bearing exercises like push-ups or squats, increased joint mobility from stretching muscles, better balance from shaking off tension after sitting still too long at desks or computers.


Common Mistakes

It's best to learn Surya Namaskar in a yoga class with a trained teacher, but if you are unable to do that, here are some tips:

  • If you have any injuries or health problems, talk with your doctor before starting the asanas. It's especially important not to perform them if you have heart or blood pressure problems, high or low blood sugar levels, chronic back pain and other acute medical conditions.
  • Don't practice during pregnancy unless it's cleared by your doctor.
  • Practice only when you feel comfortable enough with the poses; don't push yourself too hard or too fast.

Takeaway

They say there’s no such thing as a perfect human being, but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive to be the best version of ourselves.

If you want to improve doing this yoga pose, the aforementioned tips and tricks should help you do just that.

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Edited by Bhargav
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