Decoding the 12 Poses of Surya Namaskar

What’s the meaning of Surya Namaskar & why did dada dadi ask you to do it in the morning? Here’s the tea.

Surya Namaskar has its roots in some practices mentioned in the Rigveda but the exact poses, the mantras & the the whole sequence were later contributed by many people right from the saint Samarth Ramdas Swami & King Pant Pratinidhi of Audh in Maharashtra to Tirumalai Krishnamacharya from the South, who is the Father of modern yoga.

Screw your modern gym HIITs because the 12 poses or asanas of this powerful sanatan exercise gives you a complete body stretch & workout.

It’s nice to do this every morning from 12 - 108 sets depending on how much time you have, as a way of also taking the blessings of the Sun, which is the source of our energy.

Depending on where you learn it, the names can differ but the overall sequence is more or less the same.

No.1 is the Pranamasana with your hands folded, helping you balance & relax the nervous system. It’s done with mantra “Om Mitraaya Namaha,” which means the friend of all.

No. 2 is the Hastauttanasana, in which you raise your arms & stretch backwards. It’s said to stretch your tummy muscles & expand the chest, helping you take in more oxygen. It’s done with the mantra, Om Ravaye Namaha, which means the shining one.

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What’s the meaning behind the 12 poses of Surya Namaskar & how is it the ultimate sanatan workout of all time, Part 2!

No. 3 is the Hastapadasana, in which you bend forward to touch your stretched arms to your toes, which if you’re new to it like me, you can have your knees slightly bended. This flexes your waist & spine, also stretching your hamstrings so it’s great for back pain & it also engagess the hips, shoulders, and arms. We do this with the mantra, Om Suryaya Namah, which means the one who kills all darkness.

No. 4 is the Ashwa Sanchalanasana, in which you keep one knee bended up front with another leg stretched straight backward, your face pointing upward. This pose strengthens your leg & tummy muscles, helping with indigestion & constipation. We do this with the mantra Om Bhaanave Namaha, which means the bright one.

No. 5 is Chaturanga Dandasana in which we stretch both legs back in sort of a semi-plank position. It makes your arm & back solid. We do this with the mantra Om Khagaaye Namaha, which means the one who controls & moves through the Sky.

No. 6 is the Ashtanga Namaskara, in which we fall to the ground only touching our knees, chest & chin, then looking up. This pose is great for your spine & back. We do this with the mantra Om Pooshne Namaha, which means one who nourishes us.

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What’s the meaning behind the 12 poses of Surya Namaskar & how is it the ultimate sanatan workout of all time, Part 3!

No. 7 is Bhujangasana, which is the Cobra pose, in which you move your head & upper body upward like a cobra snake, increasing flexibility by stretching your shoulders, arms & back. We do this with the mantra Om Hiranya Garbhay Namaha, which means womb from which we’ve all been created.

No. 8 is called the Parvatasana, the Mountain Pose, which strenthens your arms & legs, also increasing blood flow to your spine. We do this with the mantra Om Mareechaye Namaha, which means the giver of infinite light & rays.

From no. 9 to no. 12 we go backward, starting with the Ashwa Sanchalana in which one knee is bended up front & the other is straight back, followed by the touching of our toes & hands, ending with the back stretch & the namaskar from the beginning.

We do these with the mantras Om Aadityaaya Namaha - which means the son of the divine mother, Om Savitre Namaha - which means the giver of life & Om Arkaaya Namaha - the one worthy of praise & Om Bhaskaraya Namaha - the giver of wisdom!

So that’s how detailed, & scientific the Surya Namaskar is