Half-day seminar on Science of Suryanamaskara in collaboration with Asiatic Society, Kolkata – 21 Mar 2024

Preamble

Suryanamaskara was an integral part of daily obligatory routine (nitya vidhi) in Vedic times. The earliest form of Suryanamaskara is called the Tṛcā kalpa mantra and is found in the first maṇḍala of Ṛgveda (RV 1.50.11-13). These mantras also appear in Hridrogkāmalānāśana sūktam of Atharva Veda. A careful study reveals that through these mantras one prays to the Sun to rise up high and with its all conquering vigor remove two specific diseases – heart disease or hṛdrogaṃ, and bilious disease or harimāṇaṃ (in Atharva Veda, it is called kāmalā, a particular form of bilious disorder). These mantras indicate that one of the non pharmacological methods of treatment by the Atharvan priest was the use of sun rays in treating specific diseases. There are other references in Atharva Veda regarding the germ killing power of sun rays and how sun dispels diseases and sickness. The Atharvan priest used various charms in the treatment according to the aetiological factors and origin of diseases. Charms are mantras infused with energy and were extensively used in healing. Ayurveda also uses divine intervention (Daiva-vayapāśraya cikitsa) as an established method of treatment  to cure the unknown and unnoticed causes of diseases.

Physical prostrations showing complete surrender to the Sun was also an important aspect of Sun salutation. In modern times Dynamic Suryanamaskara (DSN) is widely practiced as an alternative to cardio and fitness exercise. It has twelve postures involving stretching, supine, prone, back bending, and standing and in a sequence one moves from standing position down to sashtanga namaskara and then back to standing position. Each step is counterbalanced with the previous one, alternately contracting and relaxing the abdominal area, helping the lungs to breathe naturally and synchronously by alternating inhaling and exhaling.

The linkage between a healthy heart and healthy bile was established later in Ayurvedic literature. According to Suśruta, heart disease is caused due to flow of impure blood in the heart, mainly for digestive issues and one of the five principal causes of heart disease is pitta  doṣa. Modern scientific studies also establish the link between cardiac and gastrointestinal disorders and how the postures practiced in modern Suryanamaskar plays a bi-directional role in modulating the gut–brain axis and thereby help attenuate the problems associated with the heart and digestive system.  Similarly studies have also found how blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases can be attenuated with regulated sun exposure.

The half-day seminar on Science of Suryanamaskara aims to present the vedic roots of Suryanamaskara and how sun rays were used in treatment of diseases. The seminar will also highlight results of modern scientific findings on the health benefits of Suryanamakara, with particular reference to the heart, brain and gut.

Schedule of seminar

View the seminar on YouTube