Worship of the sun has been popular right from time immemorial. The reason why the sun is worshipped during ancient times is because the sun provides us with many kinds of benefits. Moreover, humans know that the sun is the only source of energy, light as well as warmth needed for life to survive on earth. Hence worshipping sun became a practice that was common all round the world. Healthy life for even a tiny bacteria depended on the energy provided by this ball of fire.
Worshipping the sun was the prime aim of sun meditation in the early times. This kind of meditation included the person facing the sun’s light and practicing certain meditating techniques such as Surya Namaskar and Sooryayog. It was in the 20th century that Surya Namaskar was developed. It is a set of yoga warm up techniques done while standing in sunlight. Soorya yoga on the other hand, is a sun meditation done from the ancient times. It included looking at the sun directly for some minutes. These two kinds of meditation techniques give a lot many health benefits to us. As these two require the person practicing to be fully exposed to sunlight, we will be able to gain a log of health benefits. Healthy living is possible when we choose the right exercise or lifestyle for our daily life.
Surya Namaskar or the Salutation of the sun was developed around the 20th century in India. A series of yogic asanas or postures are done during sunrise or sunset. There are 12 asanas on the whole with a lot of variations.
Benefits of Sun salutation
Kills Bacteria
Exposure to sunlight kills bacteria. This has been proved by the studies of Niels Finsen who won the Noble Prize in 1903. Lupus Vulgaris can be treated successfully with the help of sunlight radiation
Gives you lots of Vitamin D
Sunlight provides a surplus amount of Vitamin D to the human body. Vitamin D is essential for the growth of bones and will help in bone growth. Teenagers and small babies need a lot of Vitamin D during their growth process to make them taller and stronger.
Prevents Breast Cancer
Sunbathing along with the right nutrition will help in stopping the growth of cancer. Studies show that sunbathing can reverse the cancer metastasization.
Protection against skin problems
Sunlight protects the skin against problems of the skin like fungal infections, acne, psoriasis and eczema.
Blood vessels are cleansed
Sunlight has the ability to cleanse the blood vessels, as per some reputed medical journals. It is found that people with atherosclerosis have improved a lot with exposure to sunlight. This disease is related to the narrowing or hardening of the arteries, which ultimately could damage the blood flow to and from the heart.
Lowers Blood pressure and Cholesterol
Sun rays have the ability to lower the body’s blood pressure. It also turns the high cholesterol into steroid hormones and sex hormones that are needed for reproduction.
Improvement of the cardiovascular health
Surya Namaskar, when done at a fast pace, will act as a great cardiovascular workout, thus improving the cardiovascular health. By making it a part of our healthy lifestyle choice, we can improve our overall health.
