If you find very little time to spare for a daily workout regime but want to stay fit, there is nothing better than Surya Namaskar. Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is a set of 12 powerful yoga asanas which provide a great cardiovascular workout. It’s also a great way to stay fit, and retain the peace of your mind and soul.

Let’s start with the paratham asam or the first posture.

1.  Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Pranamasana is the start of your Surya Namaskar.Stand at the edge of your mat, keep your feet together and balance your weight equally on both the feet. Expand your chest and relax your shoulders. As you breathe in, lift both arms up from the sides, and as you exhale, bring your palms together in front of the chest in prayer position.

2. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Keeping the palms joined in the previous prayer position, breathe in and lift your arms up and bend backwards slightly. Your biceps should lie close to your ears. This posture is to loosen up your body by stretching the entire body backwards, standing at your tip toes.

3. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Now breathe out, and bend forward from the waist.Go down and try to touch you’re palms to the ground but keeping your spine erect. Do this as you exhale slowly and completely.I have a back problem so my Spine was not so erect but you please make that while doing this asana your spine should be erect. You may bend the knees, if necessary, to bring the palms down to the floor. Now make a gentle effort to straighten the knees. It’s a good idea to keep the hands fixed in this position and not move them henceforth until we finish the sequence.

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Breathing in, push your left leg back, as far back as possible. Bring the left  knee to the floor and look up.Ensure that the right foot is exactly in between the palms.

5. Dandasana

Breathing out, lift the hips and the tailbone up to bring the body into an inverted ‘V’ pose. If possible, try and keep the heels on the ground and make a gentle effort to lift the tailbone up, going deeper into the stretch.

6. Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight parts or points)

Gently bring your knees down to the floor and exhale. Take the hips back slightly, slide forward, rest your chest and chin on the floor. Raise your posterior a little bit.The two hands, two feet, two knees, chest and chin (eight parts of the body) should touch the floor.

7.  Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Slide forward and raise the chest up into the Cobra pose. You may keep your elbows bent in this pose with the shoulders away from the ears. As you inhale, make a gentle effort to push the chest forward; as you exhale, make a gentle effort to push the navel down. Tuck the toes under. Ensure you’re stretching just as much as you can and not forcing your body.

8. Mountain pose – Parvatasana

Breathing out, lift the hips and the tailbone up to bring the body into an inverted ‘V’ pose. If possible, try and keep the heels on the ground and make a gentle effort to lift the tailbone up, going deeper into the stretch.

9. Equestrian pose- Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Breathing in, now push your right leg back, as far back as possible. Bring the right  knee to the floor and look up.Ensure that the left foot is exactly in between the palms.

10. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Breathing out, bring the left foot forward. Keep the palms on the floor. You may bend the knees, if necessary.

11. Hastauttanasana

Now inhale, raise your hands upward, and bend backward to enter Ardha Chakra Asana.

12. Pranama asana

Finally, exhale and stand in a relaxed manner in the namaskara mudra. Feel the positive vibrations in your body. This is how you complete one repetition of Surya Namaskar. Twelve repetitions of this holistic exercise are said to yield maximum benefit.

Gently straighten the knees, and if you can, try and touch your nose to the knees. Keep breathing.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing there’s no time to have a life beyond work, much less one that carves out time for regular exercise. But personal health doesn’t have to become a daunting task that commands large chunks of your day.

If you want to be fit then you have to use your time and energy in the most efficient way possible. You can apply the same mindset to fitness if you follow these 5 simple rules.

1.Make a Plan

The best way to make time for exercise is to have a written plan actually enter it into your computer or cell-phone calendar as a repeat event. This way it shows up daily and there’s less chance of you scheduling something during that time. Also, when you check your schedule in the morning, you’ll see it there and form a mental picture of when and how you’ll be exercising that day, which helps you stay motivated.”

2. Start waking up early in the morning

Morning exercises are the best. If you have a hard time waking up in the morning, set a loud alarm and place it all the way on the other side of the room. A gentle buzz from a cell phone beside your bed won’t cut it. Force yourself to get up.

3. Eat Clean

Eating clean  is more of a lifestyle than a “diet.”  By that, I mean eating clean isn’t a get skinny quick kinda thing.  Instead, it’s a way to approach how you eat and what you put in your body. Your diet should involves choosing whole foods, avoiding processed foods, and creating a healthy, conscientious approach to what foods you eat.  Making the choice to eat clean is to remove unnecessary fats, sugars, and carbs from your diet.  It’s about making better, more nutritious choices for your body.  It’s also about refusing to continue to put junk in your body.

4. Drink more water

By drinking more water, you’ll naturally consume less of all of these junk food. Bonus People who drink more water are the same folks who eat a cup or more of fruits and vegetables a day, exercise more, eat less fast-food.

5. Start a culture of health and fitness at work

It’s no secret that support, accountability and enjoyment increase the likelihood you’ll stick to your goals. However, the biggest predictor of success often lies in the quality of your environment. If you spend most of your time in an office, why not make fitness a part of the conversation? Build a health-minded community within your workplace. Unlike friends, whose lifestyles and schedules might be markedly different than yours, colleagues and peers understand the daily demands and intricacies of your work life. These coworkers can provide a solid network of support and you will feel more enthusiastic.

6. Sleep smarter

Sleep is your foundation to maintain fitness routines and function at your peak performance level like workouts, sleep must be scheduled. Studies have shown that healthy sleep habits can help you keep your waistline under control. Sleep also plays a positive role in increasing your creativity, productivity, energy levels and decision-making abilities.

 

 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton