SuryanamaskarSurya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) Yagna - FAQ
What is Surya Namaskar?
Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is a series of 10 or 12 poses in a continuous flow, synchronized with the breath. Perform this series every morning and evening, and more if you desire. As always in yoga, practice slowly and consciously. If you practice only a little yoga each day, practice Surya Namaskar. For people with limited time, the Surya Namaskar exercises every muscle and joint while stimulating the body. Surya Namaskar is performed to give reverence to the internal Sun, the creative force that radiates inside the body, and the external Sun, which shines outside the body
Along with our own practice, help us spread awareness of Surya Namaskar and yoga to our near and dear and make it a part of yourlife.
What is Surya Namaskar Yagna?
Yagna means sacrifice. In Indian tradition, there is a havan or yagna kunda where the entire community offers their own contribution to the havan kunda. Yagna brings the community together for a noble cause and builds confidence in the community in their ability to reach a difficult goal. This can be liked to the tradition of Marathon in the west.
Suryanamaskar yagna is a Marathon where an individual will set a goal and practices it and gradually increases the count per day to reach the goal. The idea is to complete as many rounds of Surya Namaskar as possible during the yagna period. The duration of the yagna is for 6 weeks starting January 1st. Surya Namaskar Yagna is associated with Ratha Sapthami and will be conducted every year around this time.
What is Ratha Sapthami?
Ratha Sapthami is a festival celebrated on the seventh day of the bright half of the Magh month. The Sun God is presumed to be arriving in a chariot drawn by seven horses, which represent the seven colors of the rainbow, and is worshipped on this day.
Significance of Sun
Most of the ancient cultures worship the Sun. The Greeks called the Sun god Helius, the Romans referred to him as Titan and Hyperoin, the Egyptians called himRa (Ra-Atum-Khepri). In Mexican culture, he is Kikich Ahau. The Germans call the Sun Sol. In Chinese culture, the Sun represents YANG (Pingala) and the Moon represents YIN (Ida),the basis of everything in nature.
What is the target of the Surya Namaskar Yagna?
Together, let us try to reach the target of 250,000 Surya Namaskars.
How can one register and participate?
Register Online. Registration can be done for individuals or the entire family using one form. You can encourage your colleagues to participate in the event and form a group. This will give motivation to practice regularly and we will eventually make it a habit.
When to start?
New Year Day Jan 1st
Start practicing now. Make it a New Year resolution.
When is the conclusion?
On Ratha Saptami Day
What is suggested count per day?
No limit on how much you can do. Listen to your body and stop when you feel exhausted. Last year, some participants started with 10 and could reach up to 100 per day within a month.
Who can participate?
Open to public. Anyone with normal health including kids who can perform the practice.
Place of practice?
At home, at work, parks, yoga classes and wherever you can. For Yoga Bharati organized classes, please click here.
Is there a fee for the participation?
No, the participation is FREE. If you participante in a class, you may have to pay some small fee to cover the cost of the venue. Click here for details.
Closing ceremony
Awards and/or trophies will be presented to winners (individuals in various categories like men, women, children, etc).
Basic guidelines
Please set a realistic, yet challenging, goal for yourself, be committed to your pledge and complete your goal every week. Make it a New Year resolution to practice Surya Namaskar every day. Every day practice ten or twelve steps at a stretch in the morning or evening (preferably in the morning). A set of 12 counts is considered as one Surya Namaskar. Please keep count of the number of sets you practice every day. Submit the count on a weekly basis to Yoga Bharati www.yogabharati.org/suryanamaskar.
Gradually increase the count every day/week.
References:
Please refer to the following articles, talks, and videos for more information on Surya Namaskar and Yoga-related topics.
Demonstration:
Articles:
Surya Namaskar Philosophy by N.V.Raghuram
http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2006/02/suryanamaskara.html
http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2006/02/suryanamaskara-reg.html
Kundalini and Surya Namaskar:
http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2006/01/kundalini-and-suryanamaskaras.html
Surya Namaskar Practice:
http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2005/12/suryanamaskara-practice.html
Annamaya Kosha and Surya Namaskar:
http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2005/12/annamaya-kosha-and-suryanamaskara.html
Surya Namaskar:
http://nvraghuram.blogspot.com/2005/12/surya-namaskaras.html
