24) Yoga Teachers or Spiritual Healers ?

In post No:22 on the Topic "Multiple disciplined Yoga teachers " I dealt with the issue of how a Yoga Teacher must be having the knowledge of multiple disciplines to be an effective yoga teacher .I will be discussing about that topic again because time and again the question comes as to" what is the role of a yoga teacher" ? , is he a person just teaching you some asanas and pranayama ? is he a person giving you some yoga therapy to cure you from backache , diabetes ? is he another form of fitness instructor ? is he a stress reliever etc ? Is he a spiritual guru ?
Most of the current yoga teachers ususally play one of the above goals but only very few play an integrated goal of all of the above and much more and able to switch gears according to the type of student they face and always end up making the student feel much better and more clear in their association with them .Very few yoga teachers are there who are able to do a complete role as not just a yoga teacher but an integrated spiritual healer .Such sort of teachers have a magical effect on the student .Even if they teach you asanas at the external level they silently tune you in to understanding yourself at the deeper level .At the physical level due to asanas you get lot of physical relief , at the mental level due to pranayama and meditation you get a form of mental rest but still the person feels a void and you get full spiritual clarity only when you understand yourself at the deepest core .That is the highest form of healing and all yogas are directed to that end only . Unfortunately not many yoga teachers are equipped to take a student to such a deeper level as most of them stop purely at the physical level and not many are intersted in learning and assimilating the deeper truths contained in Advaita Vedanta .Yoga practice without Vedantic knowledge is like driving a car without knowing the destination and similarly studying Vedanta without the foundation of a yogic discipline will lead to producing just dry arrogant vedantic teachers / students who will be just talking and talking without having any impact on the students to whom they talk .They will be unable to help a student especially a beginner to spirituality in progessing from where they are i.e at the gross physical level and will be just talking about the end .Many students keep listening to these vedantic lectures for many years and with not much transformation .The problem is not in the subject matter of Vedanta but in the lack of preparation of the student who is listening to the same . So an effective Yoga teacher is one who is not only thorough in the Yoga subject but also on the subject of Vedanta and knows how best to apply the same to each student and help them progess step by step till they develop ultimate spiritual clarity .That is one of the reason Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu devananda combined the science of Yoga and Vedanta and urged all their students to assimilate both these sciences for their own welfare and also for the world . This is the qualification every Yoga teacher must have to be effective as a true spiritual healer in all respects and this is also the path I am orienting myself also in to .

23) Soorya Namaskar( Sun Salutation)

Whenever a student starts a yoga practice the first thing that he encounters is a stiff back and tight muscles and many students give up their yoga practice in the first few days itself because of the "initial discomfort" in their yoga practice due to stiff back and tight muscles . The main cause of body stiffness is due to a lifestyle that does not include any form of exercise and fitness especially exercises that involve some basic spinal stretching and second reason for stiffness is a poor diet ( diet will be discussed later ) .Our body is like an instrument and just as an instrument if it is not used properly get rusted and worn out similarly a body that is not being properly used and lubricated get rusted and worn out .So in order to help a person first develop a minimum amount of body flexibility in order to do a regular yoga practice the "Soorya Namaskar" or "Sun Salutation" is first practiced as a warm up exercise . Traditionally in ancient India the students in the Gurukula ( Vedic School ) used to do this Morning Sun Salutation or Soorya Namaskar facing the Sun chanting the Soorya Mantras.Though it was done as a form of Prayer it was equally an excellent exercise to develop body flexibilty , give energy to the students and make them alert ,fresh and energetic .
In modern context this Sooryanamaskar has become the part of initial warm ups in many Yoga System notably in the Sivananda System and Ashtanga System . There are various types of Surya Namaskar and in this message we will be discussing the Soorya Namaskar that is being followed by the Sivananda System .
Sivananda System of Soorya Namaskar :

The Sun Salutation is a graceful sequence of twelve positions performed as one continuous exercise. Each position counteracts the one before, stretching the body in a different way and alternately expanding and contracting the chest to regulate the breathing. Practiced daily it will bring great flexibility to your spine and joints and trim your waist. It limbers up the whole body in preperation for the Asanas (postures) .

One round of Sun Salutation consists of two sequences, the first leading with the right foot in positons 4 and 9, the second leading with the left. Keep your hands in one place from positons 3 to 10 and try to co-ordinate your movements with your breathing. Start by practicing four rounds and gradually build up to twelve rounds.

1. Stand erect with feet together and hands in the prayer position in front of your chest. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed. Exhale.

2. Inhaling, stretch your arms up and arch back from the waist, pushing the hips out, legs straight. Relax your neck.

3. Exhaling, fold forward, and press your palms down, fingertips in line with toes - bend your knees if necessary.

4. Inhaling, bring the left (or right) leg back and place the knee on the floor. Arch back and look up, lifting your chin.

5. Retaining the breath, bring the other leg back and support your weight on hands and toes.

6. Exhaling, lower your knees, then your chest and then your forehead, keeping your hips up and your toes curled under.

7. Inhaling, lower your hips, point your toes and bend back. Keep legs together and shoulders down. Look up and back.

8. Exhaling, curl your toes under, raise your hips and pivot into an inverted "V"shape. Try to push your heels and head down and keep your shoulders back.

9. Inhaling, step forward and place the left (or right) foot between your hands. Rest the other knee on the floor and look up, as in position 4.

10. Exhaling, bring the other leg forward and bend down from the waist, keeping your palms as in position 3.

11. Inhaling, streach your arms forward, then up and back over your head and bend back slowly from the waist, as in position 1.

12. Exhaling, gently come back to an upright position and bring your arms down by your sides.

For a video demonstration of the same kindly refer the following video :
Dashama Gordon of www.perfect10lifestyle.com demonstrates a yoga sun salutation. Follow along with her explanation. Remember to breathe through your nose as you go through each step.The system demonstrated here is similar to the Sivananda System of Soorya Namaskar .

Warning : Soorya Namaskar is not suited for people who have a back injury , high blood pressure and heart problem .So kindly consult a doctor before attemptiong the same .The video demonstration is given purely to educate you and ecncourage you for practicing Soorya Namasker and it is better that you learn it personally from a yoga teacher .