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Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations)
By Paul Jerard
Surya Namaskar is now accepted as part of Hatha Yoga, but it was not
always this way. Historically, traditional Hatha Yoga styles did not
contain any of the Sun Salutation sequences, seen today, as an every
day component of a daily Yoga practice.
The reason for the integration of Sun Salutations into the
contemporary Hatha Yoga class is that the Sun Salutations have
multiple mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. Hatha Yoga is an
evolution in progress, and as such, embraced the many healthful
benefits of what we know as the Sun Salutations.
Let’s cover the many benefits of the Sun Salutations and you can see
why so many different sequences have evolved over time. Some of
today’s popular Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, and Ashtanga Yoga
sequences are an expansion of Surya Namaskar. First of all, we will
look at the physical benefits of Sun Salutations.
Physical Benefits of Surya Namaskar
Much like other forms of exercise, the blood is oxygenated by the
practice of Sun Salutations. This one fact is great news for your
heart and the cardio-vascular system. As a result, Sun Salutations
can be practiced by anyone who is interested in maintaining his or
her heart.
It is generally agreed that your heart is the most important muscle
in your entire body, so this is, most likely, the most important
physical benefit of all. This oxygenation of the blood also occurs
when asanas are held for a longer period of time; much like you
would see in an Iyengar or Restorative Yoga class.
Regular practice of Sun Salutations will improve and help regulate
functions within the Endocrine Glands. Of course most of the studies
about Yoga’s heath benefits have been performed in India, the birth
place of Yoga. It seems that we must spend millions of dollars to
research information that doctors in India have documented for
generations.
The Endocrine system is very complex and is composed of glands that
stimulate responses in one way, or another, through the use of
chemicals, transported through the blood stream. These responses can
be emotional or regulatory.
The Thyroid, Pituitary, Parathyroid, Adrenal, Testes, Ovaries, and
Pancreatic Glands are components of the Endocrine System.
If you perform a chin lock during a standing forward bend, you will
increase the blood flow to the Thyroid and Parathyroid. In turn,
this would help regulate Thyroid and Parathyroid functions. This is
just a small example of the many benefits you will discover from
regular practice of Sun Salutations and Yoga.
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