Benefits of Surya Namaskar: Natural Way to Stay Fit and Active

Benefits of Surya Namaskar: Surya Namaskar is mentioned in ancient Indian texts. It features 12 steps, each accompanied by a particular pose. ​The major benefit of Surya Namaskar is that it not only improves your physical health but also your mental health.

10 Benefits of Surya Namaskar You Must Know Now

1. Makes Muscles and Joints Flexible

Doing Surya Namaskar helps stretch your key muscles. When done regularly, you will notice loosening of the muscles and free movement of the joints. This indeed helps keep the body flexible and reduces the risk of stiffness. This also reduces the risk of injury during sports or regular activities.

If you make Surya Namaskar your daily habit, it will not only help you move quickly but also make you feel relaxed. With time, you won’t find difficulty in bending, stretching, and twisting.

Also, you will be able to climb stairs and comfortably walk long distances. This flexibility not only improves your posture but also enhances your body alignment, making you feel more balanced and active in your daily routine.

2. Strong Arms and Shoulders

One of the benefits of Surya Namaskar is that it helps strengthen muscles in the stomach, arms, back, legs, and shoulders.

But you must make it a practice of doing it every day; only then will it show positive results. Suggested poses to strengthen your arms and shoulders include the plank and the cobra.

Doing lunges and forward bends helps tone and strengthen your legs.

Following a regular routine will help your limbs become stronger and more stable. This helps you in performing physical activities without strain.

When your arms and legs become stronger, it has a positive impact on your whole body, which in turn helps you perform tasks effortlessly.

The best thing about Surya Namaskar is that it is a natural exercise for building lean muscle.

Moreover, it helps the doer feel less stressed and makes their body more flexible.

3. Helps in Digestion

The benefits of Surya Namaskar in twelve specific yoga asanas, is helpful for those who have issues with digestion.

Doing this daily will benefit in rhythmic movements that increase blood flow to your tummy and intestines.

There are people who face problems like bloating, acidity, and constipation as well. For them Surya Namaskar comes as the best exercise as it helps in converting food into energy faster.

4. Improves Blood Flow

Doing Surya Namaskar daily helps in improving blood circulation, since your body is into constant movements.

Every pose in this exercise is beneficial for stimulating the heart, muscles, lungs, and flow of blood reaching to all cells.

If there is good blood circulation, then it will definitely aid in a glowing and healthier skin, strong immunity, and proper organ function.

All these positive symptoms result in making you stay active and alert throughout the day.

5. Aids in Weight Loss

If you have been striving hard to cut down your weight but are failing in it, then maybe you are unaware of the benefits of Surya  Namaskar.

Doing this daily helps you burn calories quickly. The exercise features aerobic movements, strengthening, and stretching your body.

When doing Surya Namaskar, the fat stored in your arms, thighs, and abdomen starts reducing.

Those who find it impossible to hit the gym daily, can opt for Surya Namaskar daily, as it will help in reducing cravings and improves digestion.

6. Works Better in Improving Sleep Quality

Surya Namaskar yoga can improve your sleep by helping your body relax and calming your mind.

Practicing it every day helps you let go of stress and tension, making it easier to fall asleep.

If you feel anxious at night, the steady breathing in Surya Namaskar can help reduce that anxiety.

It also improves blood flow and balances hormones, which both support deeper sleep.

With regular practice, you start waking up feeling refreshed and full of energy instead of tired.

Surya Namaskar helps your sleep patterns become more regular without the need for medication.

Making this yoga part of your daily routine helps your body and mind get the restful sleep needed for good health and well-being.

7. Corrects Poor Posture

In today’s sedentary lifestyle, people often overlook their health especially, those with sitting jobs.

They spend hours working on their laptop and phone while sitting, and not doing enough body movement.

Well, if you have been ignoring it, then you must take it seriously from now on, because sitting for a long time can badly affect your posture.

If you have developed it, then Surya Namaskar comes as the best natural solution to treat it.

Doing this will fix your posture by strengthening your back, and shoulders. However, it will not give instant results, unless you do it regularly.

8. Better Functioning of Lungs

Surya Namaskar links your movements with your breathing. Each pose matches either an inhale or an exhale, which helps your lungs work better.

Practising every day makes your lungs stronger and able to take in more oxygen for your body.

With better oxygen flow, your stamina improves, so you can stay active longer without feeling tired.

Deep, slow breaths also help calm your nerves and lower stress. Many people with breathing problems find it easier to manage their breath.

Surya Namaskar builds the habit of mindful breathing, which supports your health, focus, and mental clarity every day.

9. Lessens Fatigueness, Keeps You Active

Surya Namaskar is the simplest practice to boost your energy. Its gentle movements help your blood flow better and bring more oxygen to your body, so you feel refreshed and active.

Practicing Surya Namaskar in the morning helps you shake off laziness and start your day with energy. It gives you a natural boost without the side effects of coffee or tea.

Doing it regularly makes your muscles stronger and helps you breathe steadily, so you avoid feeling tired in the middle of the day and stay focused.

Over time, it helps your body handle long work hours better, making Surya Namaskar a daily way to feel strong, energetic, and refreshed.

When your body gets more oxygen, your stamina improves and you can stay active longer without getting tired.

Slow, deep breathing helps calm your nerves and lowers stress. Many people with breathing problems find it easier to control their breath through this practice.

Surya Namaskar encourages you to breathe mindfully, which supports your health, focus, and mental clarity each day.

10. Sharpens Concentration and Improves Mental Focus

Surya Namaskar helps you connect your body and mind. When you focus on your posture, breathing, and movement, your concentration and mental clarity improve.

Practicing every day trains your mind to stay present and helps you avoid distractions.

With better focus, you may find it easier to study, work, and make decisions.

Moving and breathing in rhythm can calm your mind, boost your memory, and sharpen your thinking.

Over time, you might notice you get more done and have more control over your thoughts.

Surya Namaskar improves mental discipline and supports your overall well-being.

12 Poses of Surya Namaskar: How To Do It

Below are the Surya Namaskar Yoga poses you must practice daily.

1. Pranamasana

To do Pranamasana, stand upright with your feet together. Inhale deeply and lift your hands out to the sides, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your chest open. As you exhale, bring your palms together in front of your chest. This pose expresses gratitude for everything in life.

2. Hasta Uttanasana

Take a deep breath and slowly raise your hands overhead, keeping your palms together. Gently lean your upper body back to relax. Keep your ears close to your arms. This step welcomes happiness and freedom into your life.

3. Hasta Padasana

Exhale and slowly bend forward from your waist. Try to keep your spine straight as you lower your upper body toward the ground. Hasta Padasana helps balance your mind and supports digestion.

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana

In this exercise you have to stretch your body keeping the balance on the ground. Now raise your arms and bring the right knee to your chest area. Now curve your back and look up. Do this while stretching your left leg behind.

5. Dandasana

Keep your body parallel to the ground as you inhale and stretch your right leg back to line up with your left leg. Dandasana benefits relaxation and reduces stress. toward the ground.

6. Ashtanga Namaskara

As you exhale, gently lower your knees to the ground. Keep your hips raised and bring your chin down, keeping a gentle arch in your back. This pose helps you become more aware of your surroundings.

7. Bhujangasana

Align your torso and chest to the floor. Your midsection and legs remain flat while you support the body with your hands. Make sure not to put all your weight on the arms, and enjoy the strength-building of the pose.

8. Parvatasana

Raise your midsection slowly, keeping your feet and palms on the ground. Breathe out gently as you hold the pose. Parvatasana benefits in helping your body feel more stable.

9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana

Ashwa Sanchalanasana is one of the Surya Namaskar asanas in which you have to return to the pose by bringing your right foot forward and placing it next to your left foot, enhancing strength and balance. Maintain this position as you breathe in.

10. Hasta Padasana

Holding the left foot next to the right, with your left foot next to your right, slowly bring your left foot forward as you exhale.

11. Hasta Uttanasana

Keep your hands in place as you lift your body up. Bend backwards slowly. The chest stretching here improves breathing.

12. Pranamasana

Relax your body and exhale while keeping your hands in the Namaskar position. This completes the cycle and ends with a moment of gratitude for the energy you have gained.

Lord Surya: Knowing The Power and Significance

Lord Surya, the Hindu Sun God, is a respected deity who is known as the ultimate source of life, energy, and the maintenance of cosmic order.

​His divine presence is considered highly auspicious for attracting positive energy into your life.

​Hence, it is advised to wake up and bathe early between 3:30 AM and 5:30 AM (Brahma Muhurat time) and perform Surya Namaskar, a practice to pay respect to the Sun God.

​In astrology, the placement of the sun in the horoscope is considered very auspicious, as having a strong sun in your astrological chart benefits in attaining leadership qualities, good health, high self-esteem, and a radiant personality.

​If your Sun is weak in your horoscope chart, then it is advised to practice Surya Namaskar daily. For speedy results, wear Ruby (Manik) and chant the Aditya Hridaya Stotram or the Gayatri Mantra.

​Like there are specific days of Hindu deities, Sunday is dedicated to Lord Surya. However, that does not mean you have to worship only on this day.

​Surya Namaskar must be practised daily.

Lord Surya Worship: How To Perform It

During festivals like Chhath Puja and Makar Sakranti, devotees worship Lord Surya by standing in water and offering arghya to the rising and setting sun. They even observe strict fasting.

​When worshipping Lord Surya, you must fill a copper vessel with water; it is highly recommended for its spiritual and energetic properties.

​You must also add elements like red flowers, rice, or vermillion (red powder). While offering the water, make sure you do it slowly, letting the sun rays pass through it.

​Do this practice while chanting the beej mantra ‘’ Om Suryaye Namah’’ or the Surya Gayatri Mantra ‘’Om Bhaskaraye Vidhmahe Mahatejaye Dhimahi Tanno Surya Prachodayat’’

​Although it is advised to chant the mantras 108 times, if you are unable to do so, try chanting at least 21 or 51 times.

More Key Facts You Must Know About Lord Surya

• Lord Surya is depicted as a radiant celestial figure with four arms. He rides a golden chariot of seven horses, each representing seven colors of light or seven chakras.
• ​There are several names of Lord Surya, including Aditya (son of Aditi), Bhaskara (light-maker), and Savitr (nourisher).
• ​Talking about his family, he has two wives, Sanjha and Chhaya.
• Among his children are sons Yama (lord of death), Ashvins (Twins), Shani, Revanta, Savarni, Sugriva (Chief of the monkey clan in the Ramayana), and Karna (abandoned son and tragic hero of the Mahabharata). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya
• ​His two daughters are Yamuna and Tapati.
• ​Among the temples dedicated to Lord Surya are the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha and the Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat.
• ​People worship him for a healthy life, wisdom, and the removal of negative energies.

Connection with Lord Hanuman

Lord Surya is known to be the teacher of Lord Hanuman, whom he mistakenly took to be a fruit when he was a child.

Seeing him approaching the sun, lord Indra struck him with his vajra that deformed his chin, and that made him get his name Hanuman, the one with the disfigured jaw.

Later on, the same Surya became his teacher.

Since he could not teach him in a still position, as he had to follow the cosmic rule, Hanuman mastered the scriptures from him while flying backwards alongside with him. 

It is believed that the ape god developed the 12 Surya Namaskar asanas.

Although Hanuman is known as a Brahmachari, he is said to have married Lord Surya’s daughter, Suvarchala, after attaining spiritual knowledge.

He even promised to aid his son Sugriva as Guru Dakshina.

108 Names of Lord Surya

Below are the 108 names of Lord Surya.

• Aditya
• Bhanu
• Surya
• Ravi
• Mitra
• Savitr
• Arka
• Bhaskar
• Divakar
• Vivasvan
• Kiran
• Pushan
• Ravipriy
• Surya Narayan
• Pusha
• Trikakud
• Sahasrara
• Samudra
• Dinesh
• Chhaya Putra
• Vishnu
• Ra
• Aadi Surya
• Jaya Surya
• Aditya
• Bhaskara
• Bhaskaradeva
• Amsha
• Ketan
• Chakora
• Shishira
• Dhanus
• Rudra
• Bhanusvar
• Tanaya
• Padmaja
• Vishvakarman
• Mahadeva
• Sarvagna
• Bhanuputra
• Hamsa
• Prajapati
• Sankara
• Vaidya
• Chiranjeevi
• Bhanuvanshi
• Kshirapa
• Chandra Ketu
• Karala
• Suryanarayan
• Swadhin
• Viswa
• Bhava
• Vairagya
• Bhavana
• Venu
• Pratyaksha
• Vaidyanatha
• Jagatpal
• Agni Putra
• Nirmal
• Sumitra
• Rakta
• Somavansh
• Visveshvara
• Arun
• Parashurama
• Sunaya
• Gayatri
• Pushpadhvaja
• Raghunandana
• Abhaya
• Purnachandra
• Dhanvantari
• Suryadeva
• Brahma
• Rudra
• Tanmayananda
• Amrita
• Vishwarupa
• Divyasvarupa
• Yajnavalkya
• Aadhyaksha
• Rajan
• Tejovanta
• Jwaladeep
• Vijaya
• Gati
• Mangal
• Bhishma
• Balakriti
• Vishveshwar
• Dhruvendra
• Purushottama
• Sarvabhauma
• Nityakarmakari
• Apamrityu
• Ashvattha
• Saptashrungi
• Rajeshwara
• Sushil
• Indri
• Shivashraya
• Swami
• Raghukulatilaka
• Pujan
• Vishwanath
• Sahasraksh