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Surya Namaskara

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Surya Namaskara

Surya namaskara — the salutation to the sun — is a sequence of twelve physical postures performed as a single flowing round, each posture married to a breath, a sun mantra, a seed (bija) sound, and a point of concentration in the subtle body. In the Bihar School of Yoga lineage it is taught not as a warm-up but as a complete technique in its own right: a method of solar vitalization that recharges the practitioner “like a battery,” tones every major system of the body, balances the pranic flows of ida and pingala, and serves as a preparatory discipline for kundalini yoga. It works on the gross body (asana), the energy body (pranayama and chakra awareness), and the mind (mantra and archetypal image) at once — which is why a single round reaches the physical, pranic, and mental planes together.

This is the umbrella page for surya namaskara. Its primary source is Surya Namaskar: A Technique of Solar Vitalization by Paramahamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati, first published by the Bihar School of Yoga / Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, in 1973 — the founding modern codification of the practice. The page is built for the practitioner: Part One lays out what the practice is and the macro fundamentals that apply to the whole round; Part Two then takes the twelve asana postures, one at a time; and for each asana, shows the appendix figure followed by every angle the book examines it from — its mantra, its seed sound, its breath, its chakra, and its physiodynamic, psychodynamic, and endocrine effects.

Part One — The Practice and Its Fundamentals

What Surya Namaskara Is

Surya namaskara is a series of twelve physical postures. These alternating backward- and forward-bending asanas flex and stretch the spinal column and limbs through their maximum range, and the series as a whole gives a profound stretch to the entire body that few other forms of exercise can match. The twelve positions are performed in sequence as one half-round; the sequence is then repeated, leading with the opposite leg in the lunging postures, to complete a full round — so balance is maintained on each side of the body.

The practice was devised, in Swamiji’s words, with two main aims:

  1. To maintain good physical health as part of an enlightened system of living.
  2. To prepare the practitioner for the techniques of kundalini yoga and spiritual awakening.

What distinguishes it from ordinary exercise is its direct vitalizing effect on the solar energies of the body — energies centred at Manipura chakra and flowing through pingala nadi. The single governing instruction throughout is avoid strain: each movement uses only the muscles required to assume and hold the posture, the rest of the body staying relaxed, the movements made to “flow loosely, like a dance.”

Etymology and the Names of the Sun

Surya (सूर्य) is the sun — both the visible body and the deity and principle it represents. Namaskara (नमस्कार) is salutation, reverence, the act of bowing. Surya namaskara is therefore “salutation to the sun,” and Swamiji reads salutation in its full devotional weight: the practice is a form of worship of the sun, on both the microcosmic level (the sun within, the solar plexus at Manipura) and the macrocosmic level (the sun without, the centre of the planetary system). Each of the twelve postures carries one of the twelve names of the sun, because each year the sun passes through twelve phases — the signs of the zodiac, the rashis — and in each phase is given a different name expressing a different quality. (The names appear with each posture in Part Two.)

The Solar Tradition

“The origins of surya namaskara date, for lack of better, to the earliest epochs of history.”

The adoration of the sun was one of man’s first and most natural forms of inner expression — the moment a human being became aware of a spiritual power within, reflected in the material universe outside.

In the Vedic tradition. In ancient India the great avatar Rama became king of the solar race (surya vamsha), recorded in the Ramayana; “the roots of present Hindu culture lie in the ancient Vedic scriptures, which contain numerous slokas referring to the sun.” Among the Rig Veda verses Swamiji quotes:

Aloft his all-wise shining God, / His beams of light are bearing now, / That everyone the Sun may see.

The seers described the sun as “the remover of all weakness, healer of all illness, lord of all that stands and goes,” and — in the line that is the seed of the Gayatri — “We meditate on the adorable glory of the radiant sun; may he inspire our intelligence.” The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad gives the prayer: “Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.”

Architectural marvels. The sun temples that still stand — most famously Konark in Orissa (13th century AD, built as the sun god’s chariot), and others in Kashmir, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh — testify to how seriously ancient India took solar worship, alongside a genuinely scientific analysis of the solar system.

The modern re-reading. As old religions faded, science became, in effect, the new worship — and science is now circling back to what the ancients knew. Swamiji cites the sun’s surface flares (sunspots) and the American Foundation for the Study of Cycles, which found over 1,500 phenomena correlated with the sunspot cycle: auroras, comets, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, germ-cell maturation, the electrical potential of trees, fashion and voting trends, stock-market prices, the incidence of high blood pressure and diabetes, and population migrations. His conclusion is integrative, not astrological:

“Surya namaskara takes on a new dimension when we become aware of the effect of the sun on our lives… by awakening our own inherent solar forces through this integrated practice, we can attune ourselves to the cosmic nature and revitalise our lives.”

Relevance Across All Ages

One of the book’s strongest claims is that surya namaskara meets the human being at every stage of life. “There is no limitation as far as age is concerned. Surya namaskara can be practised beneficially throughout all stages of growth, maturity and old age.”

  • Children — under about eight years of age generally do not need it, though they are usually quite capable of performing it.
  • Adults — it is the core daily practice, building flexibility, endurance, and the efficient use of muscles, and coordinating the muscle groups with one another.
  • The elderly — benefit, but are advised to avoid over-exertion.
  • Women, menstruation and pregnancy — a woman may continue through menstruation, though it is sensible to pause during a heavy or painful period. In pregnancy it may be practised until about the twelfth week; after childbirth it may be gradually resumed, to retone the uterine muscles, roughly forty days after delivery.

Cautions apply regardless of age: it should not be practised by those with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, a history of stroke, a weak heart or blood-vessel system, hernia, or intestinal tuberculosis; and those with spinal problems (slipped disc, sciatica) must consult a medical expert first, as these can be aggravated. The deeper teaching, though, is that surya namaskara teaches us our own limitations — and that, by developing sensitivity to the body, those limitations gradually recede.

The Macro Fundamentals

These four lenses run through the whole practice; Part Two applies each of them to the individual postures.

The breath

The breath principle is physiological and simple: inhale during the backward-bending (chest-expanding) postures, exhale during the forward-bending (chest- and abdomen-compressing) postures. In position 6 the breath is retained. The asanas should first be mastered individually, then linked, and only then synchronised with the breath.

Mantra

A mantra is a combination of sounds designed to produce a specific effect on the mind. It may be spoken aloud, whispered, or repeated mentally — but mental repetition is the superior method, because the thought then takes the form of the sound and the energy inherent in the sound manifests in the mind. The mantras are built from the fifty-two letters of Devanagari, each with its own vibrational frequency, “realised” by the rishis in deep meditation at the source of all sound, the shabda brahman. The book gives two parallel sets: the twelve sun mantras (the names of the sun) and the six bija (seed) mantras — Om Hraam, Hreem, Hroom, Hraim, Hraum, Hrah — evocative sounds with no literal meaning that “set up very powerful vibrations of energy within the mind and body.” The six bija are “repeated four times during a complete round.” Which set to use depends on speed:

  • Very slow — sun mantras with chakra awareness.
  • Moderately faster — bija mantras with chakra awareness.
  • Faster — either mantra alone without chakra rotation, or chakra rotation without mantra.

Piercing the chakras

Surya namaskara is, at the higher level, a method of chakra stimulation. In each posture the practitioner locates the associated chakra and concentrates there (no more than a minute per asana unless under guidance). With proficiency, asana, pranayama, and chakra awareness fuse: one visualises the psychic breath carrying prana into the body through the chakra on inhalation and out on exhalation, and during retention becomes aware of prana and apana meeting at Manipura. Crucially, the sequence touches every chakra except Mooladhara — by design. It develops the other centres in preparation for the awakening of kundalini from Mooladhara, but does not attempt that awakening, because the body must first be strong enough to withstand the forces it releases. At this level surya namaskara becomes one of the preparatory practices for kundalini yoga.

The pranic generator — Ida, Pingala, Manipura

We live in a world of duality — day and night, light and dark, action and awareness — represented in yoga by the two nadis ida and pingala (and, in Taoism, yin and yang). Of the 72,000 nadis, pingala conducts prana shakti (vital energy, solar, active, right side) and ida conducts manas shakti (mental energy, lunar, introverted, left side). When the two are balanced and merge, a third force arises — the flow in sushumna, correlating with the awakening of energy in the spinal cord. Surya namaskara is part of the long preparation for this: the ongoing release of prana and the balancing of pingala. Its hinge is Manipura (“the jewelled city”) at the navel — the body’s centre of gravity and the seat of the solar plexus, governed by the sympathetic nervous system (pingala) and responsible for digestion. As the macrocosmic sun grows food in the world, the microcosmic sun at manipura digests it. Practised quickly, the series works mainly on pingala; practised slowly with mantra and chakra awareness, it stimulates both ida and pingala almost equally and turns “from a series of asanas into a series of mudras.” Swamiji therefore recommends combining fast and slow practice.

Psychodynamics

Each asana conveys an archetypal image to the deeper mind — the cobra a powerful, dynamic charge; the prayer pose stillness and surrender. Beyond its pranic effect, the round walks the practitioner through a complete inner arc, from the calm of dawn (pranamasana), down into surrender (ashtanga namaskara), and up again into awakening (bhujangasana) — mirroring the sun’s own transit. The interpretations in Part Two are offered as a starting point; the practitioner is invited to visualise each posture and feel for themselves what the image evokes.

The endocrine system

The endocrine glands are “the most vital and mysterious of all systems,” coordinating every physiological process through hormones. Surya namaskara is presented as a systematic tonic for the whole network — the pituitary (master gland, via the hypothalamus and the inverted postures), the pineal (the “third eye” of intuition), the thyroid/parathyroid (metabolism, via the alternate pressing and stretching of the throat), the thymus (immunity, via Anahata), the adrenals (stress, via mid-back pressure and Manipura), the pancreas (insulin, via abdominal compression), and the reproductive organs. Swamiji cautions against a purely mechanistic reading: although the practice presses on individual glands, “health comes from total body harmony,” and the gland-by-gland effects must be seen in that broader perspective.

Practice Guidelines

Learning the sequence. Learn the asanas one at a time, then piece them together in two stages — first positions 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, then positions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 — before joining the whole. Keep the legs straight in padahastasana; once the hands are placed beside the feet in position 3 they stay there until position 5; the feet stay together from parvatasana (5) until moving out of position 8; the knee of the extended leg touches the floor in the lunge; work the heels toward the floor in parvatasana.

Number of rounds. No fixed rules — but never push to the point of strain. Beginners start with 2–3 rounds and build to 12; a good practice is 3–6 rounds slowly, then a few quickly. Advanced students may do 24–54 rounds daily; in cases of disease, up to 108 rounds daily, only under competent guidance. Always finish in shavasana.

When and where. The ideal time is sunrise — the most peaceful part of the day, the atmosphere filled with the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Practise in the open air, facing the rising sun, on bare ground or grass where possible.

Overcoming stiffness. Stiffness has three causes — muscular tension/bulk, tight tendons and ligaments, and toxic deposits in the joints. Regular slow practice with relaxation, a toxin-free (preferably vegetarian) diet, and reduced salt overcomes all three. For very stiff bodies, the pawanmuktasana series is recommended as preparation.

Preparation. Stand with feet together, eyes closed, and rotate awareness through the body as in Yoga Nidra — “your awareness is like a torchlight piercing into the darkness of the body” — releasing tension. Feel two opposing currents: the crown drawn upward by a thread, and the soles drawn downward by gravity, with the vital force rising through the body. Hold this for a few moments, then begin.

Quick Reference — Surya Namaskara in a Nutshell

#PostureBreathSun MantraBijaConcentration
1PranamasanaExhaleOm Mitraya NamahaOm HraamHeart — Anahata
2Hasta UtthanasanaInhaleOm Ravaye NamahaOm HreemNeck — Vishuddhi
3PadahastasanaExhaleOm Suryaya NamahaOm HroomBase of spine — Swadhisthana
4Ashwa SanchalanasanaInhaleOm Bhanave NamahaOm HraimEyebrow — Ajna
5ParvatasanaExhaleOm Khagaya NamahaOm HraumNeck — Vishuddhi
6Ashtanga NamaskaraRetainOm Pushne NamahaOm HrahNavel — Manipura
7BhujangasanaInhaleOm Hiranya Garbhaya NamahaOm HraamBase of spine — Swadhisthana
8ParvatasanaExhaleOm Marichaye NamahaOm HreemNeck — Vishuddhi
9Ashwa SanchalanasanaInhaleOm Adityaya NamahaOm HroomEyebrow — Ajna
10PadahastasanaExhaleOm Savitre NamahaOm HraimBase of spine — Swadhisthana
11Hasta UtthanasanaInhaleOm Arkaya NamahaOm HraumNeck — Vishuddhi
12PranamasanaExhaleOm Bhaskaraya NamahaOm HrahHeart — Anahata

Part Two — The Twelve Asanas, Angle by Angle

Each posture is shown below as it appears in the book’s appendix, followed by every angle the text examines it from. The second half of the round (positions 7–12) repeats the same physical asanas in reverse with the opposite leg, but each carries its own sun mantra — so the body returns by the same path while the mind is led through a different set of solar qualities.

Position 1 — Pranamasana (Prayer Pose)

At a glance · Breath: exhale · Sun mantra: Om Mitraya Namaha · Bija: Om Hraam · Concentration: heart centre, Anahata

The mantra — salutations to the friend of all. The first position embodies reverence to the source of all life. The sun is the universal friend, endlessly giving light, heat, and energy to this and every other planet; in the scriptures Mitra calls man to activity and beholds all creatures without discrimination — just as the morning sun signals the start of the day and sheds its light on all life equally.

The chakra. Concentration rests at the heart centre, Anahata — the centre of stillness and devotion with which the round opens and closes.

Physiodynamic effect. The prayer pose induces a state of introversion, relaxation, and calmness, and activates anahata chakra. It is the still point that gathers the body and breath before the dynamic asanas begin.

Psychodynamic effect. As the first and last pose, pranamasana marks the beginning and end of the sun’s transit from dawn to dusk — the peace and tranquillity of sunrise and sunset, the calm of the two spiritual junctures of the day when the forces of dark and light, ida and pingala, merge to produce the third force of sushumna. Performed only on exhalation, it signifies inner introversion and the giving of oneself to the world; it lets the practitioner find equipoise before the busy day and re-establish serenity once activity is over.

Endocrine effect. In pranamasana, prana is sent to anahata, whose physical correlate is the thymus — the gland of immunity. The introspective, giving attitude of the pose, combined with the exhalation, can beneficially stimulate and activate the thymus via anahata chakra.

Position 2 — Hasta Utthanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

At a glance · Breath: inhale · Sun mantra: Om Ravaye Namaha · Bija: Om Hreem · Concentration: neck centre, Vishuddhi

The mantra — salutations to the shining one. Ravi ushers in change and offers divine blessings upon all life. In this posture we stretch the whole being upward toward the source of light, opening to receive those blessings.

The chakra. Concentration at the throat centre, vishuddhi, as the neck arches back and the throat is stretched.

Physiodynamic effect. The pose stretches the body upward and backward. The muscles of the back and neck are relaxed while the front of the chest and abdomen are stretched; combined with deep inhalation, this gives a gentle massage to the abdomen and improves digestion. The upward stretch gives traction to the spine, helping maintain the health of the spongy discs between the vertebrae and toning the spinal nerves. Through its effect on vishuddhi and the thyroid, the pose is said to help remove excess weight.

Psychodynamic effect. The hands and head reach to their highest point — and from here the body will descend, so that at the middle of the series the body is at its lowest while the sun is at its highest. Hasta utthanasana signifies drawing in the energy of the newly risen sun, not only through the breath but through every pore of the body — the energy that will be used to dive into the day.

Endocrine effect. As one of the postures that acts powerfully on the neck, it stimulates balanced secretion of the thyroid and parathyroid glands (linked to vishuddhi) through the alternate pressing and stretching of the throat region — the thyroid governing metabolism and body heat, the parathyroids governing calcium and bone health.

Position 3 — Padahastasana (Hand-to-Foot Pose)

At a glance · Breath: exhale · Sun mantra: Om Suryaya Namaha · Bija: Om Hroom · Concentration: base of spine, Swadhisthana

The mantra — salutations to he who induces activity. Surya is the dynamic aspect, worshipped in Vedic mythology as Lord of the Heavens, crossing the sky in a fiery chariot drawn by seven horses — the seven emanations of supreme consciousness manifesting as the seven planes of existence (bhur, bhuvar, swar, maha, janah, tapah, brahman). Surya controls all these planes.

The chakra. Concentration at Swadhisthana, at the base of the spine, as the forward fold compresses the lower abdomen.

Physiodynamic effect. Padahastasana combines the effects of an inverted pose with those of a forward bend. It massages the abdominal contents — especially the liver, kidneys, gall bladder, pancreas, adrenal glands, uterus, and ovaries — toning the whole abdomen, increasing the power of digestion, and eliminating complaints such as constipation. It relieves female disorders such as prolapse and menstrual irregularities. A good flow of blood is brought to the spinal nerves as they are stretched and toned, and the hamstrings and calf muscles are stretched, relieving varicose veins and aiding the return of blood to the heart.

Psychodynamic effect. Padahastasana (with parvatasana) represents not the deep withdrawal of pratyahara but the everyday introspection needed to carry out one’s duties — looking inside for the inspiration and answers to the problems that must be faced in daily life, a balance to the extroversion of ordinary living.

Endocrine effect. As a forward-bending inversion, it increases the flow of blood to the head and so acts — with parvatasana — most powerfully on the pituitary (the master gland, via the hypothalamus) and supports the pineal. Its abdominal massage tones the adrenals, pancreas, and reproductive organs, making it one of the key postures for the female reproductive system.

Position 4 — Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

At a glance · Breath: inhale · Sun mantra: Om Bhanave Namaha · Bija: Om Hraim · Concentration: eyebrow centre, Ajna

The mantra — salutations to he who illumines. The sun is the physical representation of the guru, who removes the darkness of our delusion just as sunrise removes the darkness of night. We turn the face toward this illumination and pray for an end to the dark night of ignorance.

The chakra. Concentration at the eyebrow centre, ajna — the seat of inner guidance and intuition, directly linked with the back of the skull and the medulla.

Physiodynamic effect. The lunge gives a backward bend to the spine, relaxing the back muscles, while the abdominal area is stretched as one leg goes forward and the other stretches back. The pelvis is pushed down and forward, and the main stretch falls in the pelvic region.

Psychodynamic effect. Ashwa sanchalanasana represents the power and courage required to face the problems of life — and the self-confidence that arises after one has looked within (in padahastasana) and made contact with the inner guide at ajna. Having looked to the earth for inspiration, we now look up with resolve.

Endocrine effect. As one of the postures with a powerful effect on the neck, it supports the thyroid/parathyroid; concentration at ajna engages the intuitive faculty associated with the pineal; and the stretch through the pelvis tones the reproductive organs (male sexual function in particular is said to be improved by the stretch this posture gives).

Position 5 — Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)

At a glance · Breath: exhale · Sun mantra: Om Khagaya Namaha · Bija: Om Hraum · Concentration: neck centre, Vishuddhi

The mantra — salutations to he who moves quickly in the sky. It is the sun’s daily movement across the sky that is the basis of our measurement of time. In this posture we offer obeisance and pray for progress in life.

The chakra. Concentration returns to vishuddhi at the throat as the head drops between the arms.

Physiodynamic effect. Parvatasana physically strengthens the nerves and muscles of the arms and legs, stretches the calf muscles and Achilles tendons, and makes the spine straight and taut. It relieves varicose veins, tones the spinal nerves, and is said to remove fat.

Psychodynamic effect. Like padahastasana, the inverted “mountain” represents the introspection that balances the extroversion of daily life — a turning inward that is practical rather than renunciatory, preparing the practitioner to act in the world.

Endocrine effect. As an inversion, it acts with padahastasana on the pituitary (master gland) by increasing blood flow to the head; and as a posture that works the neck, it stimulates the thyroid/parathyroid through vishuddhi.

Position 6 — Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute With Eight Parts)

At a glance · Breath: retain (hold the exhalation) · Sun mantra: Om Pushne Namaha · Bija: Om Hrah · Concentration: behind the navel, Manipura

The mantra — salutations to the giver of strength and nourishment. The sun is the source of all strength; like a father, he nourishes us with energy, light, and life. Here we touch all eight corners of the body to the ground — two feet, two knees, chest, two hands, and chin — offering the whole being in the hope that he may bestow mental, physical, and spiritual strength.

The chakra. Concentration rests at Manipura, behind the navel — the solar centre — and in the retained breath the practitioner may sense the meeting of prana and apana here.

Physiodynamic effect. Ashtanga namaskara develops the chest and strengthens the arms, shoulders, and legs. It accentuates the normal curves of the spine and sends additional blood to the muscles, helping to regenerate the nerves, while the back muscles experience a profound relaxation. Manipura is stimulated, and the held breath concentrates energy at the solar centre.

Psychodynamic effect. This is the point of lowest ebb — the sun at its extremity, noon or midnight; the moment of inertia, of tamas, when most people feel the need to rest or sleep. Ashtanga namaskara is the practitioner’s complete surrender to the power of the midday sun.

Endocrine effect. By applying direct pressure to the mid-back over the kidneys, the pose massages and helps re-balance the adrenal glands (linked to manipura) — the glands of the stress response — helping them to function optimally rather than in chronic overdrive.

Position 7 — Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

At a glance · Breath: inhale · Sun mantra: Om Hiranya Garbhaya Namaha · Bija: Om Hraam · Concentration: base of spine, Swadhisthana

The mantra — salutations to the golden cosmic self. Hiranya garbha, the “golden egg/womb,” is the seed of causality within which the whole universe is contained in potential, prior to manifestation — just as all life is potential in the sun. In this posture we pray for the awakening of creativity.

The chakra. Concentration at Swadhisthana at the base of the spine, the centre associated with creativity and the reproductive sphere.

Physiodynamic effect. The cobra gives a compression to the abdominal contents, relieving ailments such as asthma, constipation, indigestion, and complaints of the kidneys and liver. As the backbend is assumed it stretches each vertebra in turn from top to bottom, toning the back muscles and the spinal nerves.

Psychodynamic effect. Bhujangasana represents the awakening from sleep — the rising of knowledge out of ignorance, the awakening of rajasic vital energy out of the inertia of tamas. The serpent, symbol of wisdom, rises, and the practitioner begins the ascent back toward the balanced, sattwic state. From here the postures of the second half mirror the first.

Endocrine effect. The backward bend puts pressure on the pancreas (insulin, behind the stomach at the solar plexus) and, through the mid-back, on the adrenals; the compression and the swadhisthana focus make it one of the key postures for toning the reproductive organs.

Position 8 — Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)

At a glance · Breath: exhale · Sun mantra: Om Marichaye Namaha · Bija: Om Hreem · Concentration: neck centre, Vishuddhi

The mantra — salutations to the Lord of the Dawn. Marichi is a son of Brahma; his name also means mirage. All our life we chase a true meaning like a thirsty person chasing water in the desert, fooled by the mirages the sun’s rays produce. Here we pray for true discrimination — the power to tell the real from the unreal.

The chakra · body. Physically identical to Position 5: concentration at vishuddhi; the same strengthening of the arms and legs, stretch of the calves and Achilles, and toning of the spinal nerves; the same inversion effect on the pituitary and the throat effect on the thyroid/parathyroid. What changes is the mantra and the mood — the return journey is now coloured by the prayer for discrimination rather than the prayer for progress.

Position 9 — Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

At a glance · Breath: inhale · Sun mantra: Om Adityaya Namaha · Bija: Om Hroom · Concentration: eyebrow centre, Ajna

The mantra — salutations to the son of Aditi, the cosmic Mother. Aditi is a name of the cosmic Mother (Mahashakti) — boundless, inexhaustible, the mother of all the gods — and the sun is one of her children. Here we salute the infinite cosmic mother.

The chakra · body. The lunge to the opposite leg from Position 4: concentration at ajna; the same backbend relaxation of the back, the same pelvic stretch, the same support for the thyroid (neck), the pineal/intuition (ajna), and the reproductive organs. The body retraces Position 4; the mantra turns the salutation from illumination toward the cosmic Mother.

Position 10 — Padahastasana (Hand-to-Foot Pose)

At a glance · Breath: exhale · Sun mantra: Om Savitre Namaha · Bija: Om Hraim · Concentration: base of spine, Swadhisthana

The mantra — salutations to the stimulating power of the sun. Savitr is the arouser, the stimulator. Savitr represents the sun before rising — stirring man toward waking activity — while Surya (saluted in Position 3) represents the sun after sunrise. Here we salute Savitr to obtain the vivifying power of the sun.

The chakra · body. Identical to Position 3: concentration at Swadhisthana; the same inverted forward-bend massage of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, adrenals, uterus, and ovaries; the same relief of constipation and menstrual irregularities; the same powerful effect on the pituitary (inversion) and the reproductive organs. The salutation shifts from the risen sun (Surya) to the sun that arouses (Savitr).

Position 11 — Hasta Utthanasana (Raised Arms Pose)

At a glance · Breath: inhale · Sun mantra: Om Arkaya Namaha · Bija: Om Hraum · Concentration: neck centre, Vishuddhi

The mantra — salutations to he who is fit to be praised. Arka means “energy.” The sun is the source of most of the energy in the world we know; here we offer respects to this source of life and energy.

The chakra · body. Identical to Position 2: concentration at vishuddhi; the same upward-and-back stretch giving traction to the spine and a gentle abdominal massage with the inhalation; the same thyroid/parathyroid stimulation through the throat. As the body rises back toward standing, the salutation honours the sun as the praiseworthy source of energy.

Position 12 — Pranamasana (Prayer Pose)

At a glance · Breath: exhale · Sun mantra: Om Bhaskaraya Namaha · Bija: Om Hrah · Concentration: heart centre, Anahata

The mantra — salutations to he who leads to enlightenment. In this final salutation we honour the sun as the great revealer of all transcendental and spiritual truth, lighting the pathway to our ultimate goal of liberation. We pray that this pathway may be revealed to us.

The chakra · body. The round closes where it began — concentration at the heart, Anahata, stimulating the thymus; the same introversion, relaxation, and calm of Position 1. But the half-round has carried the practitioner through the sun’s whole transit, and pranamasana now holds not the anticipation of the day but its completion — the equipoise to which all the dynamic asanas return.

Why It Matters

The deepest claim of the book is in its subtitle. Surya namaskara is a technique of solar vitalization — not a stretch, not a warm-up, but a complete instrument that meets the human being on all three planes at once: it tones every gland and system of the physical body, it cleanses the channels and balances the flows of the pranic body around the solar centre at Manipura, and it works the mind through mantra and archetypal image. Practised quickly it is exercise; practised slowly, with breath, mantra, and chakra awareness, it becomes a series of mudras and a doorway to the preparatory ground of kundalini yoga. That is why a practice that looks like twelve simple movements is treated, in the Bihar School of Yoga lineage, as a foundation discipline — the daily means by which the practitioner attunes the small solar system of the body to the great one outside it.

For the wider treatment of the sun-and-body theme in this wiki, see the essay The Body That Outshines The Sun; for the convergence of the chakra–endocrine map with modern endocrinology, see Upstream of the Lab Report.

  • Chakras — the seven psychic centres, six of which the round stimulates
  • Manipura — the solar centre at the navel; the hinge of “solar vitalization”
  • Mooladhara, Swadhisthana, Anahata, Vishuddhi, Ajna — the centres touched in the sequence
  • Ida and Pingala — the lunar and solar nadis the practice balances
  • Sushumna — the central channel awakened when ida and pingala merge
  • Kundalini — the dormant energy surya namaskara prepares the body to receive
  • Prana — the vital energy circulated and balanced by the practice
  • Gayatri — the solar mantra whose seed verse the book quotes from the Rig Veda
  • Three Planes — the seven/three planes the “seven horses of Surya” represent
  • Pratyahara — the deep withdrawal the forward bends only gesture toward
  • Rajas, Tamas, Sattva — the gunas mapped onto the psychodynamic arc of the round
  • Yoga Nidra — the rotation-of-awareness method used in the preparation
  • Bihar School of Yoga — the lineage institution that codified the practice
  • Swami Satyananda Saraswati — author of the source text (1973)

Sources

Surya Namaskar: A Technique of Solar Vitalization by Paramahamsa Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Bihar School of Yoga / Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar. First published 1973. Material drawn from: The Solar Tradition; Salute to the Sun; Hints and Guidelines; the chapter on chakra stimulation (Piercing the Chakras); Sun Mantras (the twelve sun mantras and the bija mantras); Pranic Generator; Psychodynamics; The Endocrine System; and the appendix table and figures Surya Namaskara in a Nutshell (the posture figures reproduced in Part Two are cropped from that appendix).

Cross-reference for the chakra and trigger-point detail: Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Yoga Publications Trust, 1984), as directed within the source text. See also Chakras.

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