Sun Salutation

The sun is God, giver of light, giver of life to all beings. In India, the sunrise is thought of as the eye of God come to look upon his people. Each sunrise people pour out onto their porches, balconies and the street to acknowledge God with a moving prayer called Surya Namaskara, sun salutation. This worship includes prayer to the sun, energizing the body with mantra (chanting), and twelve rounds of the 12-posture salutation. Each posture corresponds to one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Each round is done with one of the twelve names of the sun. The names correspond to the 12 phases of the sun. This ritual has been part of East Indian culture for thousands of years. Moving our bodies in a way that reflects the path of the sun across our sky honors its life giving power and reconnects us with the great cosmic flow. In addition to being a beautiful moving prayer, sun salutations stimulate circulation, bring strength and flexibility to the spine, energize the nerve channels, heart, lungs and digestive organs, and purify the mind preparing it to focus. In Hawaii, the sacred light of the sun, not the light we see but the esoteric radiation from the spirit of the sun, is called Kala Kea. Radiating outward from the sun, beams of Kala Kea are the petals of the true flower of the sun. Kala Kea is invoked every time the chant of the sun is recited: Ho’o puka e kala ma ka hikina…Make a hole in the sun and seek the light behind the light.

Making it a ritual to honor the sun and receive physical and spiritual energy through sun salutations and chanting can transform our lives. Connecting the mind with the body through med-itative movement reminds us that we are the co-creators of our lives. Moving the body as a prayer to the power and light of the sun connects body mind and spirit; reminding us that our true essence is pure light, boundless love, and limitless creativity. When we ritually cultivate this state of union, we allow ourselves to unfold like a flower under the spiritual light of the sun blossoming into our highest potential.

Thanks to our friends at www.zentomag.com who gave us permission to publish this article.
  
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