Sun Salute for Yoga

In our Spring into Health yoga program, we’ve been exploring the plant world for lessons on staying healthy. Seeds and seedlings need water, food, and, of course, the sun to grow into strong and healthy plants. Just as plants need light, we too need to receive some sun for overall wellness.

And, in yoga, we’re doubly excited about the sun. Why is that? Well, there’s a well-known yoga sequence called the Sun Salutation. Let’s explore how the sun is good for us and how we salute the sun in yoga.

Dark vs. Light

Really quickly, before we dive into our exploration of the healing benefits of the sun, let’s take a moment to touch on the dark. Now, we don’t mean dark like in evil or bad. We mean dark as in less daylight hours during each day.

Think: wintertime.

Yes, in winter the days are shorter. The nights are longer. And it’s much darker through more of the hours we’re awake. Winter can make it difficult for us to want to get outside and do things.

Winter is the time of year for hibernation. It’s a good time to get quiet and still, to reflect on things, and to recharge ourselves for upcoming active seasons. It’s actually OK, even encouraged, to rest more during winter. So, don’t feel bad if you aren’t out and about as much as you’d like to be during the winter months.

That being said, it’s still important for us to at least try to get outside a bit, even during winter. Why is that?

Sunlight is Nourishing

The sun is actually as healing as the darkness is. Just as we rest during winter, the sun (and subsequent light it puts off) is good for our wellbeing too.

We’ve likely all heard how the sun can provide Vitamin D. But did you know that the sun can help regulate hormones, strengthen bones, improve our immune system, enhance our nutrient absorption, improve sleep, and decrease depression?

Think about it. If you’re outside most of the day, active and full of energy, don’t you think that you’re likely to sleep better through the night?

And have you ever sat outside on a sunny day and noticed a tingly session all the way to your bones? It’s like you can feel the sun warming your insides. Do you have any pets? Ever notice how cats and dogs seem to curl up in the sunniest parts of the room? They (like us) are trying to soak up all that warming energy.

Speaking of warming energy, what about this sun salute from yoga?

Sun Salutation 

In our yoga classes, we practice a whole variety of yoga types. We’ve done restorative poses, practiced Yin yoga sequences, and even done a bit of Qigong throughout some of our warmups. Well, another type of yoga (and one that is often most heard of or known) is called Vinyasa. It’s a fluid, more flow like yoga style.

The sun salutation for yoga is a sequence of 12 (or so) yoga poses that blends rhythmic movement with the breath. I say “or so” because there certainly are many ways to modify the sun salute to fit your yoga needs.

The sun salute is a warming, energizing flow that awakens the body, deepens the connection with the breath, and even can put our minds into a meditative state. It truly can be a spiritual experience.

The neat thing about the sun salutation is that it can be modified in many ways to suit the needs of the practitioner. In fact, we often practice a modified version of the sun salutation in many of our classes. We’ve even created shorter sequences that have several modified sun salutes built into them.

Get Outdoors!

The sun salutation in yoga can be a great way to energize the body. And you can also get outside into the great outdoors to feel that warming energy from the sun. Perhaps, trying a yoga class outside!??

Some ideas for enjoying the sun include taking a long bike ride, going for a hike, sitting by a lake, playing by the pool, having a cookout, or even taking a boat ride. Hey, maybe you even set up your tent at your house and sleep outside!?!?? Wouldn’t it be nice to sleep under the stars?

So, what about you? How do you like to spend time under the sun? What does the healing energy from the light do for your mind, body, or spirit?

And, of course, we’d love to see you in a future class! Check out our yoga schedule and sign up for a future program.

About the Author: Elizabeth Scala MSN/MBA, RN, RYT (200) is a holistic nurse, registered yoga instructor, and reiki master.

Elizabeth received her dual master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She is a certified coach, nature lover, and avid meditator.

Elizabeth lives in Maryland with her supportive husband and playful pups. She enjoys gardening, jigsaw puzzles, baking, music, and hiking.