The sun is often a symbol of life and wellness in cultures around the world.
The source of light on the earth, the sun, is an important part of maintaining life on the planet. Kicking off a yoga session with sun salutation has benefits on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level. ?
Honoring Life and the Heart
According to Yoga Journal (1), it is not a coincidence that salutations place the hands in front of the heart. Sun salutation is a method of mentally and spiritually honoring the life and the emotional aspects of life.
It is recognition of the sun as a source of life and an essential part of existence
Starting a yoga session with sun salutation recognizes and honors life in each individual in the class. It also honors the sources of life and provides a salute to the key elements that make life possible on the planet.
Providing an Excellent Warm-up Exercise
Sun salutations are not a simple practice of standing still. It is a form of exercise that helps improve circulation, warms up the muscles, and prepares the body for the next part of the yoga session. By kicking off the class with sun salutations, it is possible to prepare the muscles and body for more challenging yoga poses and practices.
Even the simplest sun salutations tense and relax the muscles throughout the body and focus on preparing for the next step in the yoga class.
It is a good warm up and preparatory tool for yoga practitioners
Meditative Benefits
Since sun salutations are not necessarily the most strenuous movements and pose in a yoga session…
…it can have meditative benefits for practitioners at every level
The movements can be gentle, slow, and focused, which allows the mind to focus on every step and adjustment. ?
Beginners may discover that salutations are a focused effort that causes the mind to clear and drives away stress. Focusing on saluting the sun, honoring the life, and moving the body in a controlled fashion can help improve the mental state as much as the physical state.
According to The Art of Living (2), salutations relax the mind. Since it is important to focus during a yoga session, starting with an exercise that naturally relaxes the mind and causes a meditative state can help improve the ability of practitioners to avoid accidents and injuries during the session.
Providing a Total Body Workout
Although sun salutations alone are not enough for perfect health, exercise is a total body workout that is ideal when time is limited.
Going through sun salutations when it is hard to work in a full exercise regimen or when a yoga session needs to be cut short for any reason can help ensure that the body is getting enough exercise for a particular day.
Starting with sun salutations allows a session to help each individual get a good workout. If individuals must leave early, then they are still getting many of the benefits of a full session.
Improving Knowledge of the Self
The intense focus and meditative state allow individuals to discover their own mentality and inner self. Sun salutations are not a reflection of light, but rather the embodiment of recognizing the importance of light. It helps improve the inner knowledge of the self so that it is possible to work on flaws and improve strengths.
Sun salutations are an essential part of yoga ✅
It is about honoring life and the self. Starting a yoga session with the movements is beneficial on several levels, including the emotional and spiritual levels.
Don’t be destructive, be productive
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(1) http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/928
(2) http://www.artofliving.org/us-en/yoga/health-and-wellness/sun-salutation-for-beginners
