Surya Namaskar. Posture number 6

Posture n. 6 is Ashtangasana

Body: Bend your knees, put them on the floor, make a deep curve in your lower back, put the chest and forehead on the mat. Keep your hips up, chest under the hands, the palms are in one line with arms.
Breathing: exhaile
Mantra:  ॐ पुष्णे नम: (Om Pushne Namaha)
              The nourisher of all
              Prostration to Him who nourishes all


This is one of the most obvious thing- Sun is the source of natural nourish: herbs, trees, flowers and then fruits and vegetables. More Sun- more sweetness in fruits, more colours in vegetables. Even single flower blossom will not open in the morning without sun rays. And obviously, with the nourish we begin the day, this is our physical and mental energy.

Om Tat Sat

Surya Namaskar. Posture n. 5

The fifth posture is Phalakasana


Body : Bring left foot back to the plank position. The body is in one straight line. Look between the hands.              Elbows are straight. 
Breathing : Hold
Mantra:  ॐ खगाय नमः  (Om Khagaaya Namaha)
                Stimulator of the senses
                Prostration to Him who moves in the sky

     

Eyes open when the sun rays touch the face. It is the most precious time to wake up. In Yoga the moment before the sunrise called Brahmamuhurta (Brahma period). Between 4 to 6 AM (depends of the season)  the nature is waking up, and this is the best time to do the Sadhana, the spiritual practise and best time to begin the day. 
       In the Christians monasteries, the monks start the day before 6 AM, in Islam, the first Al Salat ( صلوة)* - Al Soubh  is just before sunrise, the Buddhists monks start the meditation at 4 or 5 AM, and maybe you remember, your grandparents came to the filed when the sky had the first flashes of the rays.        
Naturaly, the day begins with the Sun.  


*the daily prayer 

Om Tat Sat

Surya Namaskar. Posture number 4

The fourth posture is Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Body: The palms stay in the same position as in Padahastasana. Bend left knee. Stretch right leg far backwards. Right foot place on the floor (exterior part touch the ground) as well as the right knee. Pull the loins to the ground. Left knee is between the arms. Look up. 

Breathing: Inhale

Mantra : ॐ भानवे नमः (Om Bhanave Namaha)
              The bestower of Beauty
              Prostration to Him who diffuses Light


"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness" - according the Bible , the Light was created the second day, just after the earth. The universe is nothing without the light. Light is the knowledge. That's why latin words "fiat lux" often is used as motto in university* or schools. 
The knowledge that we are looking for is different: about us, the world, universe, animals, history etc...The knowledge is the key to better life- more we know (understand)  the world and the Self, easier to decide what to do, where to go. Nobody can confuse you. As long you have the light with you - you know the way, even somebody try to show the wrong way.  Trust your memory and your eyes. 


*for example in University of California

Hari Om Tat Sat

Surya namaskar. Posture number 3

The third position is Pada-hastasana

Body: Bend forward and touch the floor with your hands, fingertips in one line with toes. If you need -bend the knees. Forehead touch the knees. The muscles of stomack are relaxed. Feel the stretching of the back.

Breathing: exhailing

Mantra :  ॐ सूयाय नमः (Om Suryaya Namaha)
                 Prostration to Him who is the Guide of all


In the beginning of the life, this world for everybody is something new, unknown and sometimes it's still incomprehensible enigma. In new places we need somebody to guide us, to shaw the way, to explain how to live. Before the time when differents electronic systems  as gps, compass, or simple watch were discovered the humans used the sun position , the shadows during the day to designate the time, the geographical location and the direction when they need to go. The sun was the guide during the day, in the evening the guide is no more with us, so it was a clear sign that we need to take rest, no more activity, the body should accumulate the energy, the walk without the guide in the night can be dangerous.

Source: "Anathomy Of Hatha Yoga"- H. David Coulter
             "The complete Illustrated book of Yoga" Swami Vishnudevananda

Surya Namaskar. Posture number 2

In the previous post I had written about the general meaning of the sun salutation and the first position "Namaskar".

Next step in the Surya Namaskar is "Urdhva-hasta-asana"

Body:  The hands are on one line with the head. Stretch the body up to the top and back. Feel the muscles of your abdomen. Less tension in the upper limbs more stretching in the abdomen.


Breathing: inhalation

Mantra : ॐ रवये नमः  (Om Ravaye Namaha)
               Prostration to Him who is the cause of                      Change

The sun is the source of changing. Day, night, summer, winter, that's all is coming and going due to the sun position. Sun is changing the mood and activity, most of people is going out for a walk or visit friends when the sun is shining, they decide to do sport, they feel more energy and determination to do something.


The sun heating changes the nature. Groving of the trees, flowers, snow melt, greening of the leafs , all these is coming only when the sun rays are in the sky.

And what happen with people when the sun is hiding in the evening? The brain prepares the body to sleep by producing  the hormon that we call melatonina. Melatonina regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Light inhibit the production of melatonina and awake us up.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Source: "The complete Illustrated book of Yoga" Swami Vishnudevananda
              "Anathomy of Hatha Yoga" H. David Coulter
               www.harekrsna.de/surya/surya-names/html
             

Surya Namaskar and 12 names of the Sun

Every yoga classes begin with the sun salutation Surya Namaskar. It's a great heating exercise that prepares each part of our body to the series of asanas. Also it is recommended when you have no time for the full yoga class.
But Surya Namaskar it's not only the physical exercise, as every movement in yoga, it contains a deep philosophy. This knowledge makes that practise more consious and more precise.
Each position in sun salutation  corresponds to the 12 names of the Sun. One question that can come in our minde: Why it is the sun that we salute and not the moon, the water , the trees etc. The answer is simple- the sun is the life. Sun is coming in the morning , giving us the energy to continue the life, sun enlights the world for us, sun is heating us and the earth, thanks to the sun the trees, flowers, fruits ans vegetables growing and this is the only energy that gives also the vitamins! Thanks to the sun rays our organism is producing vitamin D that is very important for the human skeleton and the immune system. Also the lack of the light can cause one of the seasonal affective disorder (winter depression). Due to all  this factors we see that the sun is inseparable part of our life, that's why we are full of greet for his energy. In the old days , this exercise was the part of the spiritual practise.

We begin the cycle of explanation of 12 positions and the names of the sun.

Position Number 1 "Namaskar Position"

Breathing: Exhalation
Body: Hands together on the center of the chest. Body is streight yet relaxed.
Mantra :  ॐ मित्राय नम:  (om mitraya namaha).  Prostration To Him Who Is Affectionate to All. 


In the first mantra we call the sun our friend, Mitra means "friend"or "friendship". The sun is with us during the day, we are sad when in the morning no sun outside, we are not in good mood when the sky is grey we are missing the sun as we miss our good friend. 


Hari Om Tat Sat



Source: "The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga" Swami Vishnudevananda
                http://www.harekrsna.de/surya/surya-names.htm

Become a bee for a moment or Bhramari practise

One of my favourite pranayama (after kapalabhati :)  is Bhramari. It's quite funny, that's why it's also very good for the children (they like do it ) . Bhramari can be the first pranayama for them.
Bhramara means "bee" , because during exhale we are making the humming sound and it's really beautiful sound when 10 or more persons doing it.

There how Swami Sivananda writing "Sit on Padmasana or Siddhasana. Inhale rapidly through both nostrils making sound of Bhramara, the bee, and exhale rapidly through both nostrils, making the humming sound. You can carry the process till the body is bathed in respiration. In the and inhale through both nostrils, retain the breath as long as you can  do it comfortably and then axhale slowly through both nostrils(...)"

 Thanks to increased circulation of blood this pranayama heat the body, so it's very good exercise for this winter .

*Swami Sivananda "The science of pranayama"