Surya namaskara or Sun salutation is quite popular especially for weight loss. It’s a complete body workout. 12 sets of these poses translate into 288 powerful yoga poses in just a time span of 12 – 15 minutes. The best part of Surya namaskara is that it works well for busy people as well who don’t find enough time for physical workout. Doing at least 12 sets of this namaskara at fast pace every morning is a good cardio. Moreover it stretches your body and makes it flexible.
Why Surya Namaskara?
Regular practice of Surya Namaskara can give many health benefits to your body parts. It has great impact over heart, stomach, intestine, liver, chest, legs, throat, etc. Surya Namaskara purifies blood and improves its circulation ensuring proper functioning of bowel, stomach and nerve centers. It also balances vata, pitta and kapha.
How To Do Surya Namaskara For Weight Loss?
1. Pranamasana: The Prayer Pose
Standing at the edge of the mat, place your feet closer and balance the body weight on the feet equally. Expand the chest and just relax the shoulders. While you breathe in, lift the arms up from your sides and while exhaling, bring the arms together in front of the chest into the prayer position.
2. Hastauttanasana: Raised Arms Pose
While breathing in, lift the arms up and back. Keep the biceps close to your both ears and stretch your entire body onto the tips of the fingers.
3. Padahastasana: Hand To Foot Pose
While exhaling, bend forward from your waist and keep the spine erect. While exhaling completely, bring hands down towards the floor and place beside the feet.
You can even bend the knees if required to keep the palms on the floor. Gently put some effort to straighten the knees.
4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana: Equestrian Pose
While inhaling, push the right leg back as far as possible and bring your right knee to the floor and look upwards.
Make sure the left foot is between your palms.
5. Dandasana: Stick Pose
While inhaling, take your left leg backwards and bring your body into straight line. Your arms should be perpendicular to the floor.
6. Ashtanga Namaskara: Saluting With 8 Points or Parts
Get your knees down to the floor and breathe out. Bring the hips backwards slightly, rest the chest and your chin on the floor. Raise the posterior slightly.
7. Bhujangasana: Cobra Pose
Slide forwards and slowly raise your chest into the cobra pose. Keep the elbows bent in this pose if you want and keep the shoulders away from the ears. Look upwards. While inhaling, try to push the chest forward and while exhaling, try to push the navel downwards. Tuck your toes under and make sure you are stretching well as per your capacity.
8. Adhomuka Shvasana: Mountain Pose
While exhaling, lift your hips and your tail bone upwards, chest downwards in an inverted ‘V’ pose. If you can, try to keep the heels on the ground and gently lift the tail bone upwards getting deeper into the stretch.
9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana: Equestrian Pose
While inhaling, bring your right foot forward between your hands, left foot down to the floor, press your hips downwards and look upwards. Place the right foot perpendicular to the floor and gently push the hips trying to deepen the stretch.
10. Padahastasana: Hand to Foot Pose
While exhaling, put the left foot forward and your palms on the floor. If necessary, bend the knees. Gently straighten your knees if possible and try to touch your knees wit nose. Keep breathing.
11. Hastauttanasana: Raised Arms Pose
While inhaling, roll the spine upwards, hands should go upwards and bend backwards slightly pushing the hips outwards. Your biceps should be beside your ears. Stretch upwards than backwards.
12. Pranamasana: The Prayer Pose
Standing at the edge of the mat, place your feet closer and balance the body weight on the feet equally. Expand the chest and just relax the shoulders. While you breathe in, lift the arms up from your sides and while exhaling, bring the arms together in front of the chest into the prayer position.
Doing these steps or poses 12 times in a fast pace regularly can help you in losing weight. Prefer doing it early in the morning.
