The 2nd Surya Namaskar

9th June 2011 · 0 Comments

There are altogether six inhalation steps. This posture starts that inhalation process.

The Techniques

First, slowly exhale completely.
Then, inhale slowly but deeply (First breath). Simultaneously, open up your hands.
Next, turn the palms outwards. Slowly raise your arms upward and forward. You must bend your knees and the elbows as much as possible. Both the elbows and the hands should above the head.
The arms must be straight and stiff. The inside portion of the upper arm must touch the ears. The arms should be in a straight line and parallel with the trunk.
Maintain the shoulder distance between the hands.
After that, complete the inhalation. Look between the fingertips. Hold your breath as you stand straight. The feet must be placed firmly on the ground.
Finally, stretch upwards. Without any pause and in a smooth movement, stretch your arms backwards. Your eyes must follow the fingertips. At the same time, slowly bend backwards from the waist onwards to the farthest position possible from your trunk and head.

Points to remember

While bending backwards, your spine must bend as well as your head, neck and the shoulders. However, the bending backwards must be without strain.
Never strain yourself.
Ensure that you are not bending the knees and elbows.
But push forward your pelvis. Keep your chin up. Arch the neck and the back.
But maintain your balance.
The elbows and the knees must not be bent at any point of time. They must be straight and stiff.
The head must be held steadily between the upper arms.
The upper arms must touch the ears.
Look back between the fingertips to the extreme point you can identify.
As you reach the limit of the stretching-out position (of course, without straining yourself), remain in that posture for approximately five seconds. Hold your breath and then prepare for the third Surya Namaskar posture.

Advantages

The ribcage capacity increases. The chest expands.
The abdominal muscles are straightened when they are gently pulled during the stretching moments.
The back is compressed while the front portion of the neck is stretched.
The spine especially the sacral and the lumbar sections are made supple.

The 12 postures of Surya Namaskar

By Yoga

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