Health yoga

Surya Namaskara Edit Adho Mukha Svanasana  is the 5th and 8th asana in Sun Salutation. Main article:   Surya Namaskara Surya Namaskara, or the Salutation of the Sun, which is very commonly practiced in most forms of yoga, originally evolved as a type of worship of   Surya , the   Vedic   solar deity, by concentrating on the Sun for vitalization. [16] The physical aspect of the practice 'links together' twelve asanas in a dynamically expressed   series . A full round of   Surya namaskara   is considered to be two sets of the twelve asanas, with a change in the second set where the opposing leg is moved first. The asanas included in the sun salutation differ from tradition to tradition. [17] Surya Namaskara is the opening sequence of Ashtanga practice. There are two rounds of Surya Namaskara: Surya Namaskara A and Surya Namaskara B. Surya Namaskara A will be done five rounds, followed by 3 rounds of Surya Namaskara Surya Namaskara A consists ...

In  yoga , an  asana  is a posture in which a practitioner sits. [1]  In the  Yoga Sutras ,  Patanjali  defines "asana" as "to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed". [2]  Patanjali mentions the ability to sit for extended periods as one of the eight limbs of his system, known as  ashtanga yoga . [3] Asanas are also performed as  physical exercise  where they are sometimes referred to as "yoga postures" or "yoga positions". [4]  Some asanas are performed just for health purposes. Asanas do promote good health, although in different ways compared to physical exercises, "placing the physical body in positions that cultivate also awareness, relaxation and concentration". [5]  Through the practice of yoga asanas one puts the body into positions that are not often practiced in modern, everyday life and thus helps to maintain longterm range of motion as we age.