SURYA NAMASKARA (SALUTE TO THE SUN)

Surya Namaskar is included in the regular routine of prayer and worship. Means it must be practiced regularly. Its greater importance has been described in the scriptures. As per the scriptures, a single day worship of the sun has virtues equivalent to the bestowal presentation of one lakh milk cows. Like worship, Surya Namaskaras too has their own significance. Surya Namaskara means prayer (Vandana) of Lord Surya. Surya Vandana is short. Surya Namaskara is an ancient system of Indian exercise. Stand facing the east at dawn and peacefully chant the mantras to pray Lord Surya and offer red sandals, flowers, rice grains (Akshatas) with water of simply the water alone as ARGHE (libation) and perform Surya Namaskara. This whole process must be performed before the sunrise. Take water in a metal pot and mix all the available veneration materials in it and hold the pot in your fingers alone keeping the thumbs aside and facing the east and chanting the following Mantra offer the libation thrice. EHI SURYA! SAHASTRANSHO! TEJORASHE! JAGATPATE ANUKAMPAYA MAM BHAKTYA GRIHANARGHYAM DIVAKARA !   Now recite the following Mantra to pray Lord Surya. DHYEYAH SADA SAVITRI MANDALA MADHYAVARTI NARAYANAH SARSIJA SANA SANNI VISHTHAH ! KEYURVAN MAKAR KUNDALA VAAN KIRITI, HARI HIRANYA MAYA VAPUR DHRIT SHANKHA CHAKRAH || NAMASKARA  There are twelve positions or a posture involves in Surya Namaskara. With all of these twelve positions, each and every part of the body gets ample execrsie. Surya Namaslara also enhances the vision. Among these twelve positions, ten are Asanas only. The first one and the last one are two positions. All these Asanas and position are very easy to perform and can easily be practised by the people of all ages. Together these twelve positions constitute the process of Surya Namaskara and twenty-five Namaskaras form one Avriti (frequency). Surya Namaskar must be performed at some open and airy place. Perform Surya Namaskara slowly without feeling tired (fatigue) or panting and puffing, changing the feet every time, it must be performed on each of the feet successively. The completely procedure of performing Surya Namaskara is thus: It begins with the Mantras, one each for all the twelve Namaskara. These Mantras are as follows:   OM MITRAYA NAMAH OM RAVAYE NAMAH OM SURYAY NAMAH OM BHANAVE NAMAH OM KHAGAYE NAMAH OM PUSHNE NAMAH OM HIRANYA GARBHAYE NAMAH  OM MARICHAYE NAMAH OM AADITYAAYA NAMAH OM SAVITRE NAMAH OM ARKAYA NAMAH  OM BHASKARAYA NAMAH   POSTURE OF THE FIRST NAMASKARA DAKSHASANA Mantra: OM MITRAYA NAMAH  Procedure : In the first position of Surya Namaskara contemplate the virtues of Lord Surya with concentrated mind and feel that you are the friend of everybody and have friendship with every creature on the earth. Immersing yourself with these feelings stand erect stretching your hand, neck and all other parts of your body. Stretching both of your arms, touch your thighs with palms and inflate the chest and point your vision on the tip of the point your vision on the tip of the nose. This is a position of attention. Since you stand straight in 'Daksha' position hence this posture is named 'DAKSHASANA'. BENEFITS - Disorders of the skin and waists are corrected, the back becomes strength and new life and vigor are pumped into the legs. Focusing of the vision on nose helps to control the mind. The face becomes glorious It is an easy and effective way of attaining good health and development of personality for the students. Meditating with concentrated mind enhances confidence. POSTURE OF THE SECOND NAMASKARA NAMASKARASANA Mantra : OM RAVAYE NAMAH Procedure : Fold together both of your hands in such a way that that both the thumbs begin to touch your chest. Expand your chest and pull in the belly as far as possible. Look straight ahead. The head, the neck and the body should remain in a straight line. Closing the mouth inhale the breath and hold it inside as far as possible and then expose the breath. BENEFITS : Disease of the throat is corrected and voice is enhanced. Both mind and body become healthy. POSTURE OF THE THIRD NAMASKARA PARVATASANA Mantra : OM SURYAYA NAMAH Procedure : Raising the arms up, stretch whole of your body backward while gazing the sky with open eyes. Ben backward as mush as possible, expand your chest at the same time. BENEFITS :  Both the shoulders and the food pipe (Esophagus) get exercise and diseases related to them are corrected. Eyesight is also improved. POSTURE OF THE FOURTH NAMASKARA  HASTAPADASANA Mantra : OM BHANAVE NAMAH Procedure : Inhaling the breath through nostrils retain it and bend forward without folding the knees. Ultimately rest both of your palms on the ground and touch your knees with your forehead or the nose and exhale the breath that you held so far with audible sound. If, in the beginning you are unable to rest your palms on the unable to rest your palms on the ground, simply touch the ground with finger and practice slowly. BENEFITS : Disorders of the belly and digestive system are corrected. The chest grows strong, hands too become stronger and your become well balanced, beautiful and good looking. Disease of the feet, fingers are also corrected and new lease of life is pumped in week persons. POSTURE OF THE FIFTH NAMASKARA EKAPADA PRASARANASANA Mantra : OM KHAGAYA NAMAH Procedure : Inhale the breath through nostrils and pull your right leg backward in such a way that the knee and the fingers of the foot touch the ground. Push forward your left leg pressing the abdomen (belly) hard. Then raising your head as high as possible, look upward. Push down the waist and hold the breath and stay in the osture as long as you can. BENEFITS : The posture stresses the small intestine as well as the seminal vesicles and these are stretched. Thus this posture helps in correcting the constipation and diseases of the liver. Thinness of the semen is also corrected. Diseases of the Throat are also corrected. POSTURE OF THE SIXTH NAMASKARA BHUDHARASANA Mantra : OM PUSHNE NAMAH Procedure : Inhale the breath deeply and hold it and pull both of your legs backward, so that the thumbs of the feet, ankles and knees touch each other. Stabilizing the feet and keeping the head, waist, the back and the elbows in a line bend forward and resting both the palms on the ground keep your body like a bow. BENEFITS :  One get relief from the pains specially of arms, legs and the knees, Bulging waist is trimmed and slimmed this posture is like a panacea for the abdominal disorders. POSTURE OF THE SEVENTH NAMASKARA ASHTANGA PRANIPATASANA Mantra : OM HIRANYAGARBHAYA NAMAH Procedure : Holding the breath, rest both of your knees on the ground. Touch the ground with your chest and touch the lower part of the neck with chin. Also touch the ground with the upper part of the forehead and the nose. Please note that the abdomen should not touch the ground. It should be pulled in. Exhale the breath now, Both the hands (palms) must be kept on the sides of the chest (Fig.) BENEFITS : This posture makes the arms strong. If ladies perform this Asana before getting pregnant, the breast fed babies could be saved from the attacks of many diseases. POSTURE OF THE EIGHTH NAMASKARA BHUJANAGA SANA Mantra : OM MARICHAYE NAMAH Procedure : Keeping the legs, palms and knees in Ashtanga prampatasana position, unfolding the arms rise up simultaneously inhaling the breath, push the chest out and bend the waist in circle and backward. Look as much up as possible and exhale the breath. (Fig.) BENEFITS : Removing the dullness invigorates the body and makes the eyes glowing. Correct all kinds of disorders related to male and female reproductive systems, corrects the irregularities in females menstrual cycles. Blood circulation is also corrected thereby increasing the glow on the face. POSTURE OF THE NINTH NAMSAKARA BHUDHARASANA Mantra : OM ADITYAYA NAMAH Repeat the process of Bhudharasana as described in the step six (6)  POSTURE OF THE TENTH NAMASKARA EKAPADAPRASARANASANA Mantra : OM SAVITRA NAMAH Procedure : Repeat the process of the fifth Namaskara as described in the step five (5) just reverse the position of the legs. POSTURE OF THE ELEVENTH NAMASKARA HASTAPADASANA Mantra : OM ARKAYA NAMAH Repeat the process described in the fourth Namskara, step four (4). POSTURE OF THE TWELTH NAMASKARA NAMASKARASANA Mantra : OM BHASKARAYA NAMAH  Procedure :Standing in the position described in step two repeat the second Surya Namaskara. Thus performing all the postures for Surya Namaskara, each and every parts of the body gets ample exercise whereas the religious significance is also fully met with. Every human being must perform Suyra Namaskara and the anas related to it. By virtue of Surya Namaskara, the poverty of the people is done away with and they remain properous in many births. Results of Surya Namaskara are described thus in our scriptures: ADITYASYA NAMASKARAM YE KURVANTI DINE DINE JANMANTAR SAHASTRESU DARIDRYAM NOPAJAYATE .. Meaning :The man who performs Surya Namaskara daily does not get poor in thousand births. Hence, give Surya Namaskara an urgent place in your daily routine. And like the daily rising of the sun. Surya Namaskara is indeed a daily routine.