"The rhythm of the body, the harmony of the mind and the melody of the soul create the symphony of life" ~ B.K.S Iyengar
Surya Namaskara or The Sun Salute, is one of the most important sequences of asanas in yoga. Its name is a way of showing our gratitude to the Sun, and for the way it sustains the entire existence on this planet.
Surya Namaskara traditionally includes a suite of 12 synchronized cyclical postures together with breathing, repeated several times (ideally 12 times), which have the role of detoxifying and stimulating almost any organ in the human body, in addition toning the entire body muscles and making a certain acceleration appear doubled by a harmonious amplification of breathing and heart rate, but without causing fatigue or loss of breath, as is usually the case when we perform gymnastic exercises.
Even if you do not have time to practice all the asanas, it is enough to perform the Sun Salutation every day, to energize you throughout the day. It can be done separately as an exercise in its own right.
It is advisable to perform the Sun Salutation, every morning... along with the sunrise, in order to be able to benefit from the therapeutic effects of this exercise. Besides the effects of heating the muscles and the flexibility of the spine and joints, at the subtle-energetic level, Surya Namaskara awakens and amplifies the yang, solar, masculine energy. The inner attitude of the practitioner during the Sun Salutation is to evocate the solar star and its characteristics: energy, heat, light, true "food" for life.
Also, each posture stimulates a center of force, as seen in the image below. This fact has a significant role in the harmonious functioning of the endocrine system and in obtaining an excellent inner balance.
Sun salutation can be considered as a practice of meditation in motion. Achieving this flow of movements, having a state of centering in the heart and a proper interiorization, can create us a moment of happiness and inner peace, while strengthening our physical body, increasing flexibility and strongly energizing the internal organs. Its long-term effects are obtaining an excellent state of health, a much increased vitality, and even obtaining visible rejuvenation results.