Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series on sun salutations
There’s a lot to respect in the sun, the giver of life and source of light.
A great teacher of strength, steadiness and ease, the sun empowers the body and inspires the mind to flow in harmony with all of nature.
Yoga teaches that opposites exist everywhere, from the lift and fall of the oceans’ waves to the rooting down and sprouting up of seeds. Awareness of the fusion of opposites through the practice of yoga — which means union — ignites an inner fire in the belly. This fire within digests food as well as experience and endows us with health, warmth, creativity and wholeness.
The oscillating rhythms of the sun and its opposite, the moon, inspired ancient yogis to explore the energetic fields of nature. They found that Hatha Yoga could relieve stress and suffering by restoring balance to intersecting fields. Literally meaning sun-moon union (ha = sun; tha = moon), yoga has been proven to transform the ordinary person’s life into an extraordinary one by attuning the physical body to the vital forces of nature.
At the beginning and end of the sun salutation, we stand vertically and reach to the sky, but we come close to the Earth horizontally here, in the middle passage of the sequence. We ground and release negative energy by touching the heart to the ground, and then, like an emptied bowl, we are open. We become magnetic to positive life energy, prana, and our inner light rises again.
On inhalation, feel the lungs and chest expanding, activating your sense of inner movement, the kinesthetic sense. On the exhalation, lift the lower belly and ground the pelvis and legs in a rooting action. This grounding action releases the prana in the heart area, which floats up and radiates out like a blossoming rose.
In last month’s yoga column, we practiced mirror the sun, or Ardha Suryanamaskar, the first third of the flowing 12-pose sun salutation. Please begin with those poses to warm up before performing this series. (http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-features/yoga-mindful-life-steps-sun-salute).
Check with your physician before exercising and attend classes with a seasoned professional yoga teacher or yoga therapist if you have issues. Keep two blocks handy if you need them.
Take a few nurturing ocean breaths, cultivating soft, whispering “ahhhh” at the back of the throat, with mouth closed, breathing in and out through the nose to quiet the mind. Stay centered in the heart and be aware of your soft, friendly gaze. Steady your outward movement by bringing awareness inward, which opens the soft palate, the gateway into the central axis of the body.
Steps to lunge, plank and 8-limbed postures
1– High lunge or monkey pose
Inhale to lengthen the right leg back straight with the right toes pushing down.
The left leg forms a 90-degree right angle. Fold over the thigh (parallel to the ground) and broaden the collar bones. Keep the inner left knee aiming toward the left outer toes. Opposing this action, draw the left sitting bone toward the inner right thigh. Sink the hips down. Open the chest forward. Keep the back knee lifted or place the knee to the ground for a low lunge. The best pose is the one that feeds the inner rivers of power and light in your body.
2– High plank pose
Exhale while reaching the left leg back to join the right leg. Spread the fingers wide and feel weight evenly across the hands, palms directly under the shoulders. Middle fingers point forward. The entire abdominal area is drawn inward to engage your core, belly button lifting to the sky. Keep the neck, spine and bottom in a straight line.
Inhale. Remember to breathe. Your breath is your fuel for this pose!
3 – Gateway and 8-limbed pose
Exhale, lower the knees, elbows and forearms to the ground. Eight parts of the body touch the mat: two feet, knees and two hands for forearms, chest and chin. A gentle gateway into the full 8-limbed pose that improves thoracic mobility and prevents strain on the shoulders as you move into the full pose.
Broaden the collarbones carefully and draw the shoulder blades back as you glide your chest forward to touch the ground. Stretch the chin forward and place it on the mat, allowing the front of the neck to stretch.
For the full pose, press hands into the ground by the side chest to activate arm and shoulder muscles, reducing pressure on the chest. Reach elbows up and back. Keep the legs parallel and elbows tucked in. Point the tailbone upward. Let your heart open.
In next month’s column, this sun salute series continues as it soars upward into cobra pose, downward-facing dog pose and flowing to center in mountain pose.
Breathing in the gifts of the sun, breathing out gratitude, we feel complete, in kinship with the full circle of life. We are each responsible for aligning our clear intentions with positive action. The sun salute quickens our commitment and unifies opposites, giving birth to a radiance unlike any other, one that truly shines like the sun.
Marya Mann, PhD., is co-author of Healing Our Planet, Healing Our Selves, is an energy medicine specialist and yoga teacher at Kona Coast Wellness, Yoganics &Yano Hall. Contact marya.mann@gmail.com