If you are in the state of your life, where you don’t have that much time for your daily practice, you can still keep your practice alive by practicing a few rounds of Surya Namaskara. Always remember that the length of your practice is not important, but practice in general is. Once you get into a habit of practicing Surya Namaskara daily, you will just fall in love with the flow of the sequence.
Here are some of the benefits of Surya Namaskara.
By practicing the sequence you can energize your body. If you have a moment in the morning to practice a few rounds of Surya Namaskara, you will have a great and energetic start for your day. In case you feel stressed out in your day to day life, Surya Namaskara is one way for you to relieve that stress. It smoothens the stiff joints and muscles, and you might feel more relaxed in no time. When practiced continuously, you can notice your body having more strength, flexibility, and tone.
2. Improves health
Regular practice improves heart health. Surya Namaskara improves your blood circulation, purifies your blood and strengthens your body. It amplifies heart rate and effects the entire circulatory system. The asanas (=yoga poses) of the Surya Namaskara improve the blood flow and effect to the function of endocrine glands. The asanas cause a gentle rub to the endocrine glands, which can correct faults of secretion of hormones in the body.
Surya Namaskara is a series of asanas, which are bound together with the breath. By following your breath, you move from one asana to another, letting your breath be the guide that leads the way. The sequence gives you an amazing possibility to quiet your mind, and by doing so, it can be your moving meditation. Once you become really familiar with the sequence, it is easier to find the meditative state, but also observe the sensations in your body, while you are in the asanas.
Remember, that every day is different, and your body is different every day. Listen to it and respect what it is telling you while you practice. And since this present moment is the only moment that exists, there is no need to compare yourself or your body to practice you did yesterday or last week.
Be grateful for this unique moment.
because the current is always shifting and changing.
You’ve never stepped into this exact river before today.
Not with this body, not with today’s particular energy,
with the specific number of bites of breakfast in your belly,
with the earth tipped on its exact axis.”
Baron Baptiste in the book Perfectly Imperfect