Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : January 13, 2017 6:29 PM IST
I am a 26-year-old female. I have started doing yoga at home by watching online videos. However, I have a simple doubt about Surya Namaskar. I usually do Surya Namaskar in the evening once I am back from office. But my friend said that the right time to Surya Namaskar is in the morning. I do not have time to do yoga in the morning. Should you not do Surya Namaskar in the evening? What is the right time to do it? Please help.
The query is answered by Abhishek Sharma, Holistic Fitness Expert and Author of the book Fitness On The Go.
There is no strict rule that Surya Namaskar has to be in the morning only. And given the current time and schedule, most busy professionals, prefer doing yoga and Surya Namaskar in the evening, after coming back from work. Mornings are busy for office-goers and housewives, so they prefer doing it in the evening than in the morning. A lot of yoga classes teach Surya Namaskar even in the evening time.
Ideally, it is preferable to do Surya Namaskar in the morning, and that too facing the sun as the rays emit positive energy and also aid in overall health. If you are doing it purely in a meditative way, then the morning is the best time, when it is calm outside. As the name goes by, Surya means sun and Namaskar mean salutation. Hence, doing it in the morning is good. But if you are pressed for time then doing it evening can also help you to reap the benefits of Surya Namaskar. Also, if you are doing it for physiological benefits meaning to improve overall health, then doing it in the morning or evening doesn't matter, you should do it the right way. This is because Surya Namaskar has many health benefits right from improving blood circulation to aiding in digestion and weight loss. Also read about how Ria Salian lost 31kg in just two years with Surya Namaskar.
If you are a beginner or are a learner, then you should do Surya Namaskar in the evening as the body is supple and warmed up in the evening unlike mornings, when the body is stiff. Also, Surya Namaskar might be a bit strenuous for people learning it for the first time. To get the most of it, you need to get the technique right and also make sure you are perfect at it. Here is the right way to do Surya Namaskar at home. However, if you feel that you should do Surya Namaskar in the morning, you can start practising it in the evening till you get perfect at it and then start doing it in the morning. Also, make sure you warm up before doing it as it reduces the risk of injury. Here are easy warm-up exercises you must do before Surya namaskar.
Read this in Hindi.
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