Ultimate Guide for Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)

You can practice Surya Namaskar in the morning and evening. The best time for practice is in the morning at sunrise and sunset in the evening.

The best place to practice Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is in the outdoors i.e. close to nature, facing the sun. You can also practice it inside a room, hall, or studio. Make sure the indoor premises have proper ventilation. But do practice it under the AC ( air conditioner)

Incorporate the following elements in the practice to do Surya Namaskar correctly:

1. Correct Posture alignment.
2. Synchronous movement of breath and body.
3. Awareness of body, breath, feelings, and thoughts.

For Instruction and Benefits of Surya Namaskar refer this article.

No, it is not recommended to practice Surya Namaskar late in the night. It will increase & trigger the energies of the body, which will make sleeping difficult at night. So, the Best time to practice Surya Namaskar is morning and evening on an empty stomach.

As a Beginner, you should practice 4-6 rounds of Surya Namaskar. But, then you can increase the limit and pace as per your comfort level.

Surya Namaskar is a complete exercise routine. Further, if you practice fast-paced Surya Namaskar it increases cardiac activity & respiratory rate. Hence we can say it is a cardio exercise.

Yes, Surya Namaskar helps in reducing diabetes. Regular practices of Surya Namaskar tones and massage the abdominal organs. It helps to shed the excessive fat deposited on the internal digestive organs. Further, it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Hence the Secretion of insulin and glucagon happens naturally.

Regular practice of Surya Namaskar tones the digestive system. It also balances the metabolic rate of the practitioner, hence helpful in weight loss. Increasing the number of repetitions and pace of Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation will help in weight loss.

Research claims that 1 round of Surya Namaskar burns 13.90 calories. The burning of calories depends on the weight/fat of the person and the intensity of the practice.

No, it is not recommended to practice Surya Namaskar if you have back pain. In the case of back pain, one should avoid forward-bending postures. On the other hand, we recommend you practice back-bending postures.

Generally, it is not advised to perform any intense yoga asanas /Surya Namaskar or exercises during the first few days of menstruation. But it completely depends on a particular female and her body type. Further, it depends upon the amount of discomfort or pain, females experience during menstruation.

No, it is not recommended to practice Surya Namaskar during pregnancy. It can create extra pressure in the abdominal region. But, we recommend pregnancy yoga during this phase.

Generally, a woman can start practicing yoga after 6-8 weeks of the delivery. But, I advise you to consult a doctor before starting your yoga practice.

Start your practice with simple postures and gradually progress to more intense postures. After practicing simple postures for 3-4 weeks, you can start practicing complex yoga poses & sequences such as Surya Namaskar. But always listen to your body.

Practice some Sukshma Vyayama i.e Antirheumatic exercises or gentle warm-up stretches before doing Surya Namaskar.

One should do yoga asanas after doing several rounds of Surya Namaskar.

In case if you are a busy person then you can practice short meditation or yoga Nidra i.e. guided relaxation after the last round of Surya Namaskar.

Ideally, it is not recommended to practice Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure since it will increase the cardiac activity & respiratory rate.

But in case your high blood pressure is under control due to medication then you can practice the Surya Namaskar at a slow pace with some modification in postures.

You can replace the Parvatasana the Mountain Pose & Adho Mukha Svanasana i.e.Downward facing dog with Balasana i.e. child pose.

Yes, the regular practice of Surya Namaskar will help you to reduce belly fat. Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation tones the muscles, and digestive system and increases the metabolic rate which in turn decreases the belly fat.

Asthma is not a curable disease but, the regular practice of Surya Namaskar can act as a treatment for asthma. Surya Namaskar increases cardiopulmonary activity and generates heat in the body. This helps to reduce extra mucus in the airways. Further, it helps to reduce the production of phlegm in the lungs.

Yes, Surya Namaskar increases the immunity of the body. The practice of Surya Namaskar increases blood circulation. Further, it stimulates the lymphatic system thereby increasing the circulation of lymphatic fluids in the body, thus it increases the immunity of the body.