Suryana Maskara – Sun Salutaion

“I rise to the call of the son of eastern suns,

inevitably the day has began,

its quarter to just right o’clock…”

I find my own sunsalutaion is a beautiful way to start any day, it should be fluid, kind and juicy.  Allow each round to be different, allow the body to soften, allow the heat to rise and burn off any unwanted dross.

Suryana Maskara can be performed any time of the day and is different when done so.

There are so many variations out there, find one that suits you.  i have put a link to a video here, please, beginners should not attempt to move into these poses fully, experiment with baby steps firsts.

TRY THESE TIPS (even intermediate students will learn some thing here)

-Roll down the front of the body with spine curved rather than going to uttanasana with a neutral back (Or even worse extension!)

-Rather than steping forward from dog, step forward with small ‘walking meditation’ steps into  Tadasana and then back into lunge.

-Allow your dog to easy, moving the pelvis in circles, padding the heals up and down.

-Forget about planks for awhile and focus on the fluidity of transitions.

-Maybe put standing Asana in the flow and make a complete work out.

-Before back bend sequence use the full prostration to open the sides of the body with a lateral extension (which if you notice is the only thing missing in this glorious vinyasa).

Video Here is a great link to a lyrical sun salutation.

‘In one Salutation to thee, my God, let all my senses spread out and touch this world at thy feet.

Like a rain cloud of july hung low with its burden of unshed showers let all my mind bend down at thy door in one salutation to thee.

Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current and flow to a sea of silence in one Salutation to thee.

Like a flock of homesick cranes flying day and night to their mountain nests let all my life take its voyage to its eternal home in one salutation to thee.’

RAINDRANATH YAGORE (Gitanjali)