Surya Namaskar, or Sun Salutation, is a sequence of linked postures moved through in coordination with the breath, traditionally performed at sunrise as a form of reverence toward the sun and as a means of warming and preparing the body for further practice. It is among the most widely recognized elements of modern yoga, forming the opening sequence of Ashtanga and many Vinyasa-style classes, and is frequently taught as a foundational building block for beginners learning to link breath and movement.
Etymology
“Surya” (सूर्य) means “sun,” and “Namaskar” (नमस्कार) means “salutation” or “bow of reverence,” sharing a root with “namaste.” Together, the term translates directly as “salutation to the sun,” reflecting the sequence’s origins as a devotional practice honoring the sun as a source of life, energy, and consciousness in Vedic and yogic cosmology.
Historical Context
While sun worship has ancient roots in Indian religious practice, the specific sequence of postures now widely known as Surya Namaskar is a comparatively modern synthesis. Its codification is often traced to the early 20th century, associated with figures such as the Raja of Aundh, who promoted a sun salutation sequence for public health, and later refined and integrated into yoga practice by T. Krishnamacharya and his students in Mysore. The version most commonly taught today — Ashtanga’s Surya Namaskar A and B — reflects Krishnamacharya’s synthesis of postural yoga with breath-linked, flowing movement.
The Sequence
A typical Surya Namaskar moves through a set series of postures — commonly including Mountain Pose, Upward Salute, a forward fold, a lunge, Plank Pose, a low push-up (Chaturanga), Upward-Facing Dog or Cobra Pose, and Downward-Facing Dog — before returning to standing. Each transition is paired with either an inhalation or an exhalation, so that the entire sequence becomes a continuous, breath-driven flow rather than a series of separate, static poses. Variations exist across traditions: Ashtanga’s Surya Namaskar A and B differ in postures and repetitions, and many contemporary studios teach simplified or modified versions suited to varying levels of experience.
How It Is Used in Practice
Surya Namaskar is most often practiced as a warm-up, performed in repeated rounds at the start of a class to raise body temperature, increase circulation, and establish the rhythm of breath-linked movement that will carry through the rest of the session. In Ashtanga yoga, a fixed number of Surya Namaskar A and B rounds always opens the practice, regardless of which other postures follow. Outside the studio, some practitioners perform a set number of rounds — traditionally twelve — as a complete standalone practice, particularly at sunrise.
Common Misconceptions
A common misconception is that there is a single, universally standardized version of Surya Namaskar. In practice, the sequence varies meaningfully across traditions and teachers — Ashtanga’s version differs from Iyengar’s, and many modern adaptations exist — so instructions can reasonably differ from class to class without any one version being more “authentic” than another.
Another misconception treats Surya Namaskar purely as a physical warm-up exercise, disconnected from its devotional origins. While it is widely used today for its physical benefits, its traditional framing as an act of reverence toward the sun — and, by extension, toward the vital energy the sun represents — remains part of its classical context, even in largely secular contemporary settings.