This is the only case where 20 must be greater than 120. I mean 20 minutes of yoga everyday is way better than 2 hours of yoga once a week. Keeping 20 minutes aside to move the joints of the hips, knees, shoulders, ankles, spine makes a big difference for me. Until a year back, I would always go for intensity and the sweat. Now I realize I cannot keep 2 hours aside if I work full time and have  a meaningful yoga practice. Sometimes, I cannot even take one hour for yoga, either it is a goof up with the alarm clock or the day is really tight. I have noticed that I can always find 20 minutes.

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In the west, Surya namaskars are generally associated with building heat and sweat. If you want a sweaty class, just add in some Surya namaskars at the beginning, is what I was told. This probably was one of the reasons that I did not like Surya namaskars apart from the fact I could not do a Chaturanga before. I used to think, if I need to sweat, I could easily run up and down the hills of SF. This was quite unsettling as I always felt there was more to this.

Then I ended up at KYM, where one can find the real explanation to all things Yoga. One of my teachers at KYM mentioned that Surya namaskar is a complete exercise. (more…)

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When I hear Sun and Moon in the same sentence, I cannot help but think Hatha yoga (pronounced hatttta yoga). The total/partial solar eclipse that happens today on August 1^st this year, makes me wonder how this might affect somebody’s practice. Especially if one practices mindfully keeping track of the time of the day and changing the practice according to Nature’s rhythm. Maybe, no Surya namaskars today as the rays of the sun will be blocked momentarily in some parts of the world.

Surya namaskars which mean Sun salutations are supposed to be performed at dawn coinciding with the rise of the sun. The classic form of Surya namaskar which is a vedic ritual says one has to face the sun, in praise of the Sun. One prays and welcomes the Sun in, who is the sustainer of life to enhance good health. I found this related post on Darren’s blog.

With the yoga practice completely shifting inside studios, this kind of traditional practice cannot be kept up by all. Surya namaskars are used even in the 8 pm classes inside a room to build up a sweat before proceeding with the rest of the asanas. Even though the traditional meaning of Surya namaskar is lost here, there is a lot to be gained in terms of health.

Coming back to the dance of the Sun and Moon today, hatha yoga is the union of Sun “ha” and Moon “tha”. It also means the pairing of the opposites, the divide of day/night, the male/female, Shiva/Shakti, force of life/force of consciousness, exhale/inhale, strength/flexibility leading to balance and equanimity in any given situation.