November, it’s becoming cold. One best morning practice is the Sun Salutation, Surya Namaskara. I learned from Hatha Yoga, also practised in India yoga classes. In Kundalini yoga, it’s used as warm-up exercise before kriyas. As the name, the exercises will raise the Sun or Yang energy quickly. I enjoy the energy flow. After 2-3 rounds, can feel the body warming up.
1) Standing Straight (Samasthiti), Stand up Straight, feet together, toes and heels touching, weight evenly dustributed between both legs. Find your balance. The arms are by tour sides, fingers together.
2) Stretching Up. Inhale, bring your arms up over your head, palms touching. Elongate the spine, lifting he chest and relaxing your shoulders. Be sure not to compress the vertebrae of the neck and lower back. Look up at the thumbs.
3) Front Bend (Uttanasana). Exhale and bend your torso forward. As you bend forward, keep your spine straight, elongating it as if reaching forward with thr top of the head. When the spine can no longer be held straight, relax the head as close to the knees as possible. Ideally the chin will be brought to the shins. Keep the knees straight and place the hands on the floor on either side of the feet, with fingertips and tips of the toes in line. Gaze at the tip of the nose
4)Inhale, raise the head up, straighten the spine, keeping the hand or fingertips on the floor. Gaze at the third Eye Point
5 ) Push-up (Chaturanga Dandasana). Exhale and bend the knees, stepping or junping back so that the legs are straight out behind, balancing on the bottoms of the bend toes. Elbows are bend, hugging the rib cage, and palms are flat on the floor under the shoulders, with fingers spread wide apart. The body is in a straight line from forehead to ankles. Keep yourself equally balanced between hands and feet. Do not push forward with the toes.
6) Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana). From this position, inhale, straighten the elbows and arch the back. Stretch the upper back so that there is no pressure on the lower spine. Point the forehead at the sky and gaze at the tip of the nose. Fingers are spread wide apart
7) Triangle Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Exhale, lift the hips up so that the body is balanced in an inverted v-shape. Feet and palms are flat on the floor; elbows and knees straight. Fingers are spread wide apart. Gaze toward the navel and hold this position for five breaths.
8) Inhale and jump or step back into position 4.
9) Front Bend (Uttanasana). Exhale and bend forward into position 3.
10) Stretching Up. Inhale and come all the way up into position 2.
11) Standing Up (Samasthiti). Exhale and return to the starting position with arms by the sides, position 1
Comment: When Yogi Bhajan was studying with his Teacher, the Sun Salutation was used as a warm-up exercise before starting the Kundalini Yoga kriyas. This is an excellent warm-up and is beneficial as an exercise in its own right. It increases cardiac activity and circulation, stretches and bends the spine, massages the inner organs, aids the digestive system, exercises the lungs and oxygenates the blood. Synchronize your breath with the movements to create an uninterrupted rhythm throughout the sequence of postures. Start by practicing three rounds and then gradually increase to five or six. When practiced with awareness, this improves one’s ability to maximize performance and enjoyment of all yoga postures.
