In Hinduism and in many other ancient religions the Sun is seen as the light of all life, an image of the Divine and the spiritual heart of our world. Ancient yogis teach us that the sun is a visible representation of the Self or spirit. We are all rays of the Sun, it’s just that we have become disconnected in the modern world. In yoga we strive to re-unite with this truth and to our soul and thereby become liberated.

One way of honouring the Sun is through a dynamic asana practice known as Sun Salutations or in Sanskrit Surya Namaskars. ‘Surya’ means ‘Sun’ and ‘Namaskars’ are respectful greetings. The Sun Salutations were traditionally practised at sunrise, facing the direction of the sun. Each one begins and ends with the hands in Namaskara or Anjali Mudra -with the hands at the heart – where our inner Sun resides. They draw in the spiritual energy of the Sun into our minds, hearts and bodies leading us along the path to enlightenment.

There are many variations of Sun Salutations but with each one it is important to keep a meditative quality to the sequence, using the breath to transition from one posture to another and remembering to always turn your attention inwards towards the heart, being mindful of your own and so the universal light.

In this workshop we will learn in depth the Classical Sun Salutation, Surya Namaskar A and Surya Namaskar B. We will break down the physicality of each asana, we will learn when and how to breathe during the sequences and we will discuss common difficulties and how to manage them. By the end of the workshop you will have learnt your favourite Salutation to take home and practise whenever you like.

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