11/3/2016

SunSalutationMantras|SuryaNamskarMantrasMeaning|ArtofLivingIndia

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Sun Salutation Mantras Love Song to the Sun

Sun Salutation mantras add a profound spiritual touch to the practice

Add the attitude of gratitude to your Sun Salutation practice with sun salutation mantras. That's when through Surya Namaskar, you can
honor not only the Sun but also the whole Nature. (Honoring the creation brings in a sense of sacredness to your yoga practice.)
I stand on my yoga mat, getting ready to start my Sun Salutation practice. My hands are folded in front of my chest, in prayer position. I
chant the rst mantra for Sun Salutation, my hands go up and then as I recite the second sun salutationmantra, they come down and touch
the oor, as if bowing to this higher power the Sun. I have a gentle smile on my face as I carry on with each Sun Salutation (Surya
Namaskar) posture and coordinate it with a mantra recital. My whole Surya Namaskar practice turns sacred. This is what mantra chants can
do to the Sun Salutation practice, which can otherwise seem like a physical exercise intended to lose weight or stretch and tone the muscles.

Sure, sounds good, you say. But what are 12 Sun Salutation mantras?
Mantras refer to a combination of syllables, sounds, or phrases, which can be chanted or sung. In case of Sun Salutation, they are sung in
praise of the Sun. Chanting mantras extends Sun Salutation benets; it has subtle yet penetrating eects on both mind and body. There are
12 mantras which praise dierent qualities of Sun and add a profound spiritual touch to the entire practice.

How to chant the Sun Salutation mantras?

The only rule to remember is to chant them with gratefulness. Each sun salutation mantra has a specic meaning, but it is not important to
delve into what each mantra means.
For instance, Om Bhaanve Namaha means 'one who brings light'. When you recite this mantra, feel a sense of deep gratitude to the Sun for
giving us light and making life possible on Earth. Similarly, addressing the Sun as a friend with the chant, Om Mitraaya Namaha, where we
look at this glowing ball as our friend.

How to include mantras in Surya Namaskar?

You can either chant the sun salutation mantras verbally or in your mind.
Now let's see how you can chant the mantras while doing the Sun Salutation sequence. One set of Sun Salutation comprises two rounds
one with the right leg, one with the other. It is ideally recommended to practice 12 sets of Sun Salutation daily. But you can choose your own
number, according to what seems comfortable. If you choose to do 6 sets or more, chant one mantra each at the start of every new
sequence. Recite the rst mantra as you start one set, nish the two rounds in that set and then start the next set with the second mantra
and so on. This way, you would have chanted 12 mantras with 12 sets of Sun Salutation.
If you practice less than 12 rounds of Sun Salutation 2 or 4 you can recite one mantra each with every posture in the sequence. This
would make it 12 Sun Salutation mantras corresponding to 12 poses of Surya Namaskar which are

Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms pose)
Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot pose)
Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)
Dandasana(Stick pose)
Ashtanga Namaskara(Salute With Eight Parts Or Points)
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Parvatasana (Mountain pose)
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SunSalutationMantras|SuryaNamskarMantrasMeaning|ArtofLivingIndia

Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot pose)
Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms pose)
Tadasana

Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

What to chant:
Om Mitraaya Namaha

Meaning:
Who is friendly to all

Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms pose)

What to chant:

Om Ravaye Namaha

Meaning:
The shining one, the radiant one

Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot pose)

What to chant:

Om Suryaya Namaha

Meaning:
Who is the dispeller of darkness and responsible for bringing activity

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Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

What to chant:

Om Bhaanave Namaha

Meaning:
One who illumines, the bright one

Dandasana
(Stick pose)

What to chant:
Om Khagaya Namaha

Meaning:
Who is all-pervading, one who moves through the sky

Ashtanga Namaskara
(Salute With Eight Parts Or Points)

What to chant:
Om Pooshne Namaha

Meaning:
Giver of nourishment and fulllment

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SunSalutationMantras|SuryaNamskarMantrasMeaning|ArtofLivingIndia

Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

What to chant:

Om Hiranyagarbhaaya Namaha

Meaning:
Who has golden color brilliance

Parvatasana (Mountain pose)

What to chant:

Om Mareechaye Namaha

Meaning:
The giver of light with innite number of rays

Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

What to chant:

Om Aadityaaya Namaha

Meaning:
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The son of Aditi the cosmic divine Mother

10

Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot pose)

What to chant:

Om Savitre Namaha

Meaning:
One who is responsible for life

11

Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms pose)

What to chant:

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preferred language:
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Om Aarkaaya Namaha

Meaning:
Worthy of praise and glory

12

Tadasana

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