Sun Salutations, also known as Surya Namaskars form an integral part of many yoga styles including Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Power Yoga. These affect all the major muscle groups in the body and provide them the necessary strength. Many yoga practitioners are curious about the benefits of sun salutation for weight loss in the long term.
There is no doubt that sun salutations are effective at burning extra calories and increasing lean muscle mass. These increase the metabolic rate that assists in weight loss. You only need to take out time and follow each sequence at its correct pace to achieve the results.
However, it is important to first understand what the term sun salutations actually means.
Sun Salutations – In Brief
The term sun salutations refer to a series of poses you perform in a specific sequence. There are a total of 24 variations of sun salutations.
As far as the spiritual aspect of sun salutations is concerned, each sequence in sun salutation for weight loss is done to pay respect to the Sun as it eliminates darkness.
On the physical plane, these poses help create heat inside the body and get the blood flowing for practicing deeper sun salutation poses.
Let us now understand how exactly do sun salutations help you lose those extra pounds.
How Sun Salutations Help with Weight Loss
Sun salutations help you in shedding those extra pounds. Given below are the three reasons to make this a part of your daily yoga practice.
The Best Cardio Workout
Depending on the place where you practice these poses, sun salutations provide you some major benefits including an improved heart rate and a great cardio workout. The quicker your pace of practice, the more calories you burn, thereby helping in weight loss.
Helps Build Lean Muscle Mass
One of the major benefits of practicing these postures is they help develop lean muscle mass and that is also how you lose weight. So, the more muscle mass you have, the faster the metabolic rate and faster the weight loss.
Read More – 5 Surprising Facts You Can Learn On a Vipassana Yoga Retreat
Relieves Stress
Do you know that Cortisol, the stress-inducing hormone is also responsible for unhealthy weight gain? In short, the more stressed out you are, the harder it becomes to lose that extra weight.
Sun salutations force you to focus on the breath and create a better mind-body connection. Not only do you get a full-body workout but also get to keep your mind calm.
With that said, it is time to find out the three major sun salutations you can learn during a 15 day yoga retreat in Rishikesh that will burn those extra calories. Sun salutations also improve blood flow, along with bowel movement. These improve the functioning of the nervous and digestive system.
Pranamasana (Prayer Pose)
The Pranamasana is a centering and traditional sun salutation asana. Given below is how you can practice this posture.
1) Stand tall on your yoga mat.
2) Keep your legs straight and broaden the shoulders.
3) Inhale and lift your hands together while bringing them in a Namaskar Mudra and gently exhale.
Hasta Uttanasana (Raised Arm Pose)
The best sun salutation asana for strengthening the spine is Hasta Uttanasana. It is the best yoga technique to practice deeper breathing. Given below is how you can perform this asana.
1) While remaining in the Pranamasana gently raise your hands up and backward.
2) Remember to stretch your body from the toe to the tips of your fingers.
3) Do not bend backward straightaway but stretch beforehand.
4) Lastly, make sure the biceps are close to the ears.
Dandasana (Stick Pose)
Dandasana prepares your body and mind for other seated postures. Given below is how you perform this asana.
1) Bring the right leg backward and balance the upper body on your palms.
2) Make sure your body remains straight. Keep your toes on the yoga mat.
3) Lastly, ensure both palms are perpendicular to the floor.
Conclusion
Sun salutations are a great way to kickstart your yoga practice every day. If you are looking to burn those extra calories, then sun salutation for weight loss makes sense. These will not just help you get rid of the extra weight but also offer the best cardio workout that you’ve been looking for.
