Advanced Practices
摘要
Surya means “Sun” and Namaskar means “Salutation” or “to greet”, which makes Surya Namaskar a traditional Yoga practice to praise the Sun [1]. Surya is the God of the Sun [2]. This identifies the Sun as the soul and source of all life [3]. The sanctity of God Sun is explained in Taittriya Aranyaka under Krishna Yajur Veda, containing 132 verses named Surya Namaskara. It is a set of dynamic postures, considered neither as asanas nor a part of traditional Yoga. Surya Namaskar is a set of physical exercises that is believed to have been introduced by the King of Aundh, late Shrimant Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi, in the 1920s and later by Shri K. V. Iyer and Shri Krishnamacharya. Earlier, the practice was introduced for wrestlers and gymnasts as Danda practices to gain more strength [4]. Surya Namaskar balances body, mind, consciousness and soul. In this way, Surya Namaskar helps us deal with a holistic effect in day-to-day problems and worries. Surya Namaskar helps better understand self and the purpose of life [5]. Furthermore, simplified versions were introduced by the different schools of Yoga and incorporated into modern practices.