1. Pranamasana (praying pose) #
प्रणामासन [praṇāmāsana]
Stand still and straight. Face the Sun or its direction (if it is hidden by the clouds). Put your hands together in the namaste position. Close your eyes and relax. Actualise your body for at least half a minute. This will prepare you for the practice. Try consciously to relax all the muscles of your body. Breath: some full yoga breathings.
2. Hastottanasana (raised hands pose) #
हस्तोत्तानासन [hastottānāsana]
Inhaling, raise your hands above the head, at the same time standing on tiptoes. In the final position hands are straight in the elbows and parallel to each other; palms ahead. Continue rhyth-mic breathing.
3. Padahastasana (stork pose) #
पादहस्तासन [pādahastāsana]
Exhaling, carefully come down on your full feet, bend ahead and put your hands on the floor before your feet or grab your ankles. All the movement should be fluent with no jerks. The bend-ing should start at lower vertebra and go to the top — as in Paschimottanasana. Try to keep your legs straight. If pos-sible, try to touch your knees with the forehead or the chin. Continue rhythmic breathing.
People with the stiff back (lower back) may find it difficult to achieve the perfect form of Padahastasana. They should work on the constant strain in the posterior part of the body: from toes till the crown of the head.
4. Ekapadaprasaranasana (one-leg pose) #
एकपादप्रसारणासन [ekapādaprasāranāsana]
Inhaling, draw back your right (left for women) leg — slid-ing on the floor, as far as possible. At the same time bend you left knee, keeping the left foot at the same place (in other words, do the left knee lunge ahead), arching from the upper vertebra to the lower ones (as in Bhujangasana). Hands touch the floor, elbows are straight.
5. Parvatasana (moun-tain pose) #
पर्वतासन [parvatāsana]
Exhaling, take the right knee off the floor, at the same time dropping the head forward. Straightening the body in the lower back, stretch the left leg back (straightening the knee at the same time with taking the right leg off the floor) and put both feet together. You will end up in the «set» position, which is the mountain pose.
6. Ashtanganamaskarasana (worship on eight points) #
अष्टाङ्गनमस्कारासन [astāṇganamaskārāsana]
This posture is called like this because in the final posi-tion the body touches the floor in eight points. This pose is also called «zigzag».
Exhaling go down on all fours, slightly touch the floor by the forehead, moving forward your head and the body. In the end of this movement, let the chest slide on the floor and put your chin on the ground. In the final position eight points must touch the floor: chin, chest, both hands, both knees and the toes.
7. Urdhvamukhashvanasana (dog pose) #
ऊर्ध्वमुखश्वानासन [ūrdhvamukhaśvānāsana]
Inhaling, continue the zigzag-like movement of the body, straightening your arms so that the lower back arches. The movement should go from the top down. In the final position the upper body and the head must be dropped back as far as possible and comfortable. Knees don’t touch the ground. Coming into this pose from the previous one, hands and feet must stay in the same position.
8. Adhomukhashvanasana (cat pose) #
अधोमुखश्वानासन [adhomukhaśvānāsana]
Exhaling, lift your pelvis as high as possible, keeping the same position of your hands and feet. As a result, your body will take the arch-like position. The arms and the back must form one straight line. The legs are straight.
9. Ekapadaprasaranasana (one-leg pose) #
एकपादप्रसारणासन [ekapādaprasāranāsana]
This posture mirrors number four of Surya Namaskar. Bend the left knee, put the foot between your hands. At the same time lift your head up (as in the exercise 4, but in the mirror way) and so on. The pose is also entered with the inhalation.
10. Padahastasana #
पादहस्तासन [pādahastāsana]
Is a repeating of the 3nd exercise. Also done with an exhalation.
11. Hastottanasana #
हस्तोत्तानासन [hastottānāsana]
This pose is similar to the 2nd posture of SN, only there is no need to stand on tiptoes, instead you should arch the back in the zone of your heart.
The pose is done with an inhalation.
12. Pranamasana (praying pose) #
प्रणामासन [praṇāmāsanam]
It’s the final position, similar to the first one. Taking this pose you should exhale. Staying in this position breathe rhythmically till you continue your practice (start doing next cycle of Surya Namaskar).
Comments on practicing Surya Namaskar
All exercises are done in one breathing rhythm. Movements should be done according to breathing and not vice versa. Every movement must be smooth and fully conscious. In every pose several cycles of rhythmic breathing should be done.