This article was co-authored by Jennifer McVey, Cht. Jennifer McVey is a Spiritualist, Seer, and the Spiritual Director of Spiritual Answers and Solutions. With more than 22 years of experience, she specializes in manifesting, ghosts and spirit attachments, hypnotherapy, channeling, and spiritually based life coaching. Jennifer has also published 13 Affirmation Image and six Word Search Puzzle books in spirituality and self-help and has produced over 600 audio sessions.
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Surya Namaskar is a sequence of 12 steps of asanas performed as a warm up in a yoga session. It originated in India to salute the Sun, which is considered a deity and worshipped. One Surya Namaskar has 12 steps and one set of Surya Namaskar comprises 12 Surya Namaskars. You can start with a set of three or six and gradually increase the number to 12. It is customary that 12 salutations be chanted before each Surya Namaskar (12 step sequence).[1]
Steps
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Join your palms and stand straight. Make the salutation: ॐ मित्राय नमः (om mitrāya namaḥ).
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Raise your hands and stretch them back. Make the salutation: ॐ रवये नमः (om ravaye namaḥ.)Advertisement
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Bend down and try to hold your ankles with your hands. Make the salutation: ॐ सूर्याय नमः (om sūryāya namaḥ).[2]
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Place the right foot at the back, left foot under the torso and look straight. Make the salutation: ॐ भानवे नमः (om bhānava namaḥ).[3]
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Put both legs together at the back, keep your elbow straight and keep your spine straight. Make the salutation: ॐ खगाय नमः (om khagāya namaḥ).[4]
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Bend your elbows and push your body towards the floor, keeping it stiff like a push-up. Make the salutation: ॐ पूष्णे नमः (om pūṣṇe namaḥ).
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Push your hips towards the floor, hands straight, chest up and stretch your shoulders up. Make the salutation: ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः (om hiraṇya garbhāya namaḥ).[5]
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Keep your hands in the same position, raise your hip and back to form a curve. Make the salutation: ॐ मरीचये नमः (om marīcaye namaḥ).
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Retract to form position as in step 4 using the opposite legs. Make the salutation: ॐ आदित्याय नमः (om ādityāya namaḥ).
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Retract to form position as in step 3. Make the salutation: ॐ सवित्रे नमः (om savitre namaḥ).
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Stand straight as you raise your hands above your head. This is the same as step 2, without a stretch. Make the salutation: ॐ अर्काय नमः (om arkāya namaḥ).
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Bring your hands back to the position in step 1. Make the salutation: ॐ भास्कराय नमः (om bhāskarāya namaḥ).