Many yoga classes begin with sun salutations, or Surya Namaskar. The energising, heating sequence of postures and movements helps warm up the body, prepare it for further asanas, and awaken the mind too. Do you practice or teach Surya Namaskar? Do you know where it comes from, or what this energising flow represents? Read on to discover the deeper meaning behind sun salutations, and the different forms you can choose to practice.
God of The Sun
A few thousand years ago, one of the most revered gods in Vedic culture (the culture said to have given birth to yoga) was Surya, god of the sun. Riding across the sky in his chariot pulled by seven horses, Surya is also depicted in Buddhism and Jainism. Literally meaning ‘sun’, Surya was worshipped for his life-giving energy, and featured in ancient Vedic hymns and astrological texts. It’s pretty clear to see why Surya was thought of as the ‘giver of life’, as the sun is such a vital aspect of life itself. The sun gives our bodies and minds energy, as well as giving the plants and animals around us energy to grow too. This life-giving energy is just one of the reasons Surya was so highly revered, and the sun thought of as one of the most important aspects of nature to connect to.
Ancient Rituals
When you think of sun salutations today, you may visualise a sequence of repetitive movements, perhaps practiced rhythmically, dynamically and in synchronicity with the breath. The very first forms of Surya Namaskar however, looked – and sounded – very different! The word Namaskar refers to an honourable greeting or ‘salutation’, so many of these practices were performed as the sun was rising, thus greeting it as it arrived. Sun gazing was one of the first forms of honouring and greeting the rising sun, practiced either by gazing into the sun’s rays (which I definitely don’t advise, as this can damage your eyes!), or by gazing at the sun through running water. This practice is still going strong today across the world, although a safer way to do it is to sit in front of the rising sun whilst looking into the sky as opposed to actually at the sun. As you gaze, visualise the sun’s energy beaming into your body, filling you with new life and vitality for the day.
Another ancient form of Surya Namaskar is simply sun bathing, which has a lot more depth to it than it sounds. Of course, mainstream advice is that prolonged sun bathing is not safe, and so take all the necessary precautions needed, and consult a professional if you’re concerned about sun bathing. Yoga’s ‘sister science’ Ayurveda prescribes sun bathing as part of balancing and detoxifying regimes, promoting its ability to elicit sweating and stimulation of circulation, as well as enabling the absorption and production of beneficial vitamin D. As a yoga practice, sun bathing was all about allowing the energy of the sun to project into the physical and subtle body. Today, sun therapy or heliotherapy is used to treat various skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, and getting enough natural sunlight is one of the most important and simple ways we can optimise mood levels, and bring the body clock into a healthy rhythm.
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The next ancient form of Surya Namaskar is the chanting of sacred mantras. The Gayatri Mantra is traditionally chanted to the rising sun as a way to honour and invoke this energy at the beginning of the day. If you’re able to wake at sun rise, chanting this mantra is a wonderful way to connect to the energy of the sun, and serves as a ritual to connect you more deeply to nature too. Using a mala can enhance the mediative quality of the practice, and guide you to chant the mantra 108 times as is considered auspicious.
oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
– Rigveda 3.62.10
There are many translations of this mantra, but these are some of the most literal and poetic:
“We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may She enlighten our minds.” Swami Vivekananda
“Let us meditate on that excellent glory of the divine vivifying Sun, May he enlighten our understandings.” Monier Monier-Williams
“May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the god: So may He stimulate our prayers.” – Ralph T.H. Griffith
Movement-Based Practices
As rituals and sequences began to take centre-stage in yogic practice and Vedic culture, Surya Namaskar progressed to a movement-based form. The first of these saw people offering water up to the sun as a way of thanking it for their own life, the ability to grow food and crops from the sun’s energy as farming became more widespread, and often asking the sun to bestow healing upon those who were sick. These movements included squatting (the yoga posture Malasana) followed by scooping up water and rising upward to stand with outstretched arms. The movements are likely to have been repeated twelve times, corresponding to the twelve ‘sun’ signs of the zodiac recognised in ancient Vedic astrology.
With the introduction of hatha yoga, movement practices became the main focal point for ‘yoga’, with hundreds of postures and sequences of movement. By the time ashtanga yoga was widely practiced across India and the West, the three modern forms of Surya Namaskar were fully formed, including the classical sun salutations, Surya Namaskar A, and Surya Namaskar B. When it was first created, the classical sun salutations were practiced with a different mantra for each of the twelve postures in the sequence. These mantras are said to hold the vibratory energy of the sun, whilst corresponding to the twelve astrological houses the sun ‘moves’ through, and linking to the sun’s various qualities and characteristics. One of the most beautiful parts of chanting these sun mantras in each morning practice, is that they reflect qualities we can aspire to cultivate that day too. The next time you roll out your yoga mat to practice Surya Namaskar, perhaps chant these mantras out loud or in your mind, and set an intention to bring some these illuminating qualities into your day. To learn more about Surya Namaskar, books like Surya Namaskara: A Technique of Solar Vitalization by Swami Satyananda Saraswati gives insights into the mystical and ancient wisdom of the practice.
Om Mitraaya Namaha: One who is friendly to all.
Om Ravaye Namaha: The shining or the radiant one.
Om Suryaya Namaha: The dispeller of darkness, responsible for generating activity.
Om Bhaanave Namaha: One who illuminates.
Om Khagaya Namaha: One who is all-pervading.
Om Pooshne Namaha: Giver of nourishment and fulfilment.
Om Hiranya Garbhaya Namaha: One who has a golden coloured brilliance.
Om Mareechaye Namaha: Giver of light with infinite rays.
Om Aadityaaya Namaha: The son of Aditi, the cosmic divine mother.
Om Savitre Namaha: One who is responsible for life.
Om Arkaaya Namaha: One who is worthy of praise and glory.
Om Bhaskaraya Namaha: Giver of wisdom and cosmic illumination.
