Skip to main content

Sun Salutations: Surya Namaskar

Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a series of 12 asanas that are done rhythmically synchronized with the breath. Surya Namaskar is a fundamental aspect of every yoga pose as it stretches and warms up the entire body. The breathing during surya namaskar is very important as it guides the rate of movement and helps to improve co-ordination and control. It can either be practiced quickly or slowly, depending on the nature of the class. When practiced slowly it provides muscle regeneration and deeper stretches and when preformed quickly it has an immediate aerobic effect burning calories and increasing blood circulation. If you are a beginner it can be considered the challenging portion of the class and for those more advanced it’s considered a warm up.

The breath should be used to move you from one posture to the other- most attention is paid to the breath during the transitions. When holding a pose it is important to continue breathing normally, the only point where the breath is retained is in plank pose. In combining breathing with the movements, always inhale when you stretch upwards and exhale when stretching downwards. For example, moving from arching back to bending forwards exhales helps to deepen the pose, if you go against the flow and inhale during forward bends you will feels unnatural because your chest, diaphragm and abdomen lifts up and expands during inhalations whereas and you need it to hollow down so you have the space to fold downwards. Thus, the breath not only guides the movements it also helps to ensure that the pose is performed fully bringing together all aspects of the body.

Our fitness booster yoga program is taught in the sequence of sun salutations, we vary the pace and intensity of the poses depending on our clients but this fluid movement helps us increase the heartrate, challenge our stamina and improve our strength and flexibility. We will use the traditional surya namaskar to start the class before adding variations to focus on different areas of the body such as the hips, legs, arms and core, all in all a work out is guaranteed!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yoga at Home: A Beginner’s Guide

  Yoga at home   offers a rejuvenating way to achieve inner peace and holistic well-being. In this blog, we will explore the incredible benefits of practicing yoga at home, guiding you through a transformative journey toward a healthier mind, body, and spirit. How to do Yoga at home   Our aim at Inspire Yoga is to give you the confidence to create a self-practice, where you can start your day by rolling out a yoga mat in the comfort of your own home and have the know-how of what you need, a gentle stretch, an energizing workout or a calming practice, all depending on the day and being mindful to what your body is asking for. Most of the time we push our body and let our mind be in charge of what needs to take place, yoga is the time of listening to what the body needs, to understand where the areas of tension and stiffness are and how to systematically and compassionately release the areas that are feeling stuck, so you enjoy a greater freedom of movement and an increased...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stress Management Program

  Stress is embedded into our lifestyles, even children nowadays suffer from stress and anxiety. We have seen radical shifts from the global pandemic, with widespread fear and uncertainty people were worried for their lives, and the safety of their loved ones, they also felt threatened by others. In Hong Kong, we were the last city in the world to drop the mask mandate and social distancing measures, yet you still see many wearing their masks as a choice to protect themselves, many feel exposed and anxious without it and a sense of social awkwardness being put into group gatherings again after 3 years. Our  stress management programs  help our clients feel safe and comfortable again, especially in a changing and highly unpredictable world. The workshops provide a space to feel quiet within and to stop the constant mental chatter. When we are able to feel at peace within we are more willing to connect deeply with others, the program has both these factors intertwined, pers...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hatha Yoga Poses – Inspire Yoga, Hongkong

The name ‘Hatha’ is made up of two Sanskrit roots: ‘ha’, which means the sun, and ‘tha’ which means the moon. In the science of hatha yoga, the right side of the body relates to hot masculine energy (sun side) and the left side of the body relates to cool feminine energy (moon side). Through the practice of hatha yoga the two sides and their characteristic forces and brought into balance. Hence, one can achieve physical health, mental clarity and emotional stability, eventually it results in a balanced and strong body and mind. Yoga seeks to restore our bodies’ inner balance or harmony by uniting the mind and the body. In yogic philosophy, it is said that the mind can transcend the body and what is happening on the physical level is a reflection of the mental realm. Hatha yoga is the philosophy of physical well-being and takes a top-down approach; by attempting to heal the body the mind, in turn, is nurtured. The goal is that through postures, Asanas, we gain control of the body’s ...
Post a Comment
Read more