Global Hindu Heritage Foundation has been consistently working to preserve and protect our Sanatana Dharma for decades.  Many people across India have been calling to find out how we are organizing several programs in several states and Bangladesh.  We started Bala Samskar Kendras about three years ago with only a few schools. As of now we have expanded close to 200 villages to ensure that our children are protected from allurement and enticement.  Every Sunday, we include Surya Namaskar activity as part of our syllabus.  Students are learning and Practicing Surya Namaskaras.

What is Surya Namaskar? 
In Sanskrit, surya means sun and namaskar means greeting or salutation. Surya Namaskar is then a greeting to the sun! It is an ancient ritual of twelve steps that warms up the body preparing it for yoga practice. That is why it is practiced at the beginning of a yoga class. This warming sequence has a rich history and holistic benefits for the body and mind. Read more to find out about this widely known and ancient yoga practice! 

The Purpose of Surya Namaskar 
Performing asanas in the rays of the sunrise sounds beautiful and inviting but what really are the reasons why we should practice Surya Namaskar? 
Surya Namaskar comprises 12 steps that are purposefully woven together to benefit mind and body in various ways. Surya Namaskar is a practice as well as a warming-up before performing further yoga asanas. It allows for “opening” of the body as it stretches, strengthens and lengthens all muscle groups. Surya Namaskar stimulates prana, life force energy through the body helping to regulate our mental and physical faculties.   

The Mythology and Tradition Behind Surya Namaskar 
In the Vedas, everything in the universe has a male and female side. The female side of the sun is nourishing and life-giving and in Hindu mythology depicted as Gayatri. The male side of the sun is invigorating, energy giving, and activating, and in Hindu mythology depicted as Surya.  
Gayatri can be likened to yin energy and Surya to yang energy. In Sun Salutations our purpose is to warm-up and invigorate the body for the following asana practice.  

Opposite to common belief, Surya Namaskar Kriya is practicing facing away from the rising sun. The purpose is to receive the stimulating and heating sun on your spine, as you warm up the body with Sun Salutations. Traditionally, one would greet the rising sun with a deep bow and prayer and then turn away from the rising sun to receive energy on the backside of the body.  
As Surya gave life to the world through his powerful energy; heat energy energizes the body through the practice of Surya Namaskar. 

The Benefits of Surya Namaskar 
There are various studies emerging on the investigations of Surya Namaskar and yoga as having physical and mental health benefits. As Western and Eastern medical systems merge, the energetic benefits of Surya Namaskar also emerge. Here we look at some of these benefits and the connection between Surya Namaskar and the chakras.  

Although Surya Namaskar can be practiced at any time of the day, it is best to practice at sunrise as sun rays can help revitalize the body & the mind. Surya Namaskar can be done in a 3-speed variation– slow, medium, or fast pace. A slow pace helps increase body flexibility, and a medium pace helps in muscle toning. Fast-paced rounds of Surya Namaskar are beneficial to one’s cardiovascular health and can aid in weight loss.  

Surya Namaskar helps improve blood circulation and strengthen heart function. It also enhances resting cardiovascular parameters such as systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. 
Surya Namaskar stimulates a rhythmic breathing process as breath is synchronized with each movement. This empties the lungs more vigorously and there is an opportunity for more oxygenated air to refill them.  

More alveoli of the lungs are expanded, stimulated, and then cleansed. Alveoli is a crucial part of the respiratory system associated with breathing. Alveoli are tiny, balloon-shaped air sacks. Their function is to move oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules into and out of the bloodstream. 
Through the rhythmic breathing of Surya Namaskara, the oxygen content of the blood is increased. This improves oxygenation of the body, especially the heart, and brain. The cardiac muscles also improve through this rhythmic breathing and movement.  
 
Surya Namaskar is also beneficial for digestive health and other systems of the body as the practice of Surya Namaskar interacts with the organs of the body directly, by applying pressure, massaging, stretching, and overall toning up the muscles. This aids the elimination processes of the body.  

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