Skip to main content

I tried 21 Suryanamaskars for 5 days

As mentioned in the title, i stuck to a routine of performing 21 suryanamaskars in succession for a period of 5 days. My purpose via this post is to document if there were any changes observed and how was my experience overall. 

As you know, a Suryanamaskar comprises of 2 rounds of 12 asanas each performed both on the left and right side of your body. It is considered to be a holistic workout if the asanas are performed correctly and ideally it should be performed during the early hours of the morning along with the rising sun. Having said that, even if you practise during any other hour then it is perfectly ok. The rationale is to move your body and that doesn’t depend on the hour of the day.

I will not walk you through how it should be performed as there is already a rich amount of information available on the world wide web on this. What I would walk you through is my views, difficulties encountered and overall experience. While I admit that 5 days is too less a number of days to record any visible changes, I would still consider it as tiny steps towards my path of learning and embracing Yoga as a lifestyle.

So without further ado, i list my views as below:

1. On the first day, I could barely make it to 3 rounds ( comprising of 3 left & 3 right ) without taking a break. I huffed & puffed endlessly as I drenched myself in a pool of sweat. Flexibily was an issue for sure along with my endurance levels. I completed the 21 rounds but was famished at the other side of the challenge.

2. Next day, the experience was much better with me being able to complete 21 rounds by taking a mini-break of a couple of minutes after 10 rounds. There was no co-ordination between my body & the breath. Flexibility was still an issue with my left side of the body being less agile compared to the right side.

3. The third day was as good as a second with similar observations.

4. This was the best day according to me as I noticed an increased range of motion in my body, visibly more flexibility and rather increased endurance levels. I can vouch for this because I noted that my heart rate hit peak levels for a major part of the workout. This is a win-win because a sustained peak heart rate also leads to increased calorie burn. A single workout session helped me burn 300 calories unlike the 200-250 calorie range on other days.

5. I felt weaker owing to the exertion the previous day or perhaps it was a case of a delayed onset of muscle soreness syndrome. However, I pushed myself through and managed to strike the number 21 by taking frequent breaks after a couple of rounds. 

I wouldn’t say that i aced the challenge like a pro and saw amazing results. However, unlike other forms of training, there was less muscle soreness and fatigue involved for sure. Also, since there is an increased emphasis on mind-body-breath connection, one does end up feeling refreshed mentally on the other side of the workout.

I would like to continue this trend for a couple of weeks more to notice if there are any visible changes in my body. As for now, I am happy that I have embarked on this journey and I would urge you to give it a try. You do not have to ace at each asana like a pro.What matters is your willingness to try. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The lessons that Last

She was walking mindlessly on the beach this evening. The soft wind felt comforting against her skin. The irritating migraine she had all day seemed to wane making her head feel lighter and her mane now wavering carelessly like a flag on a windy day. The beach was isolated to its core, Goans are not early risers she wondered. She could see the vast shoreline until the end where there was a fort stationed – the Sinquerim fort. She remembered having visited it a couple of years ago with her gang of college friends. The photos taken then, the memories, all of it flashed in her mind. There was a smile on her face. “ Help ” “ Help me ” a cry was heard. It was very faint and she could not trace the source of it. Infact she wondered if she was hallucinating and quickly scanned the expanse of sand to her left assuming the sea has nothing to do with it. “ H-H-H-E-L-P-P !”   she heard amongst gulps of water. The cries were too evident and she couldn’t ignore them anymore. Suddenly it...
Post a Comment
Read more

From the archives: Let’s be friends?

She was haphazardly running towards the bus stop after swiping her card at the office exit gate. She noticed her bus from a distance as she limped while balancing her dupatta with one hand and her laptop bag with the other. This was the last bus for the day & hence she had to board it at any cost. Luckily, the driver noticed her and decided to wait until she had hopped on safely - a very rare perk of being a woman in a country like India sometimes. The bus was crowded beyond an imaginable point. People struggled to chat/converse or play candy crush on their phones while attempting to balance themselves by dangling from the handles. The bus was supposed to be equipped with air conditioning - which was only in theory and certainly not in practice. The only respite - it was filled with the educated IT lot.  As the bus progressed its journey one bus stop at a time, the seats too started getting vacant one at a time as people started to alight. I looked at my watch & realised I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

House of Commons

She pushed away the branch of a shrub which came in her way as she struggled to follow the muddy path in front of her. It left a scratch on her elbow.  “Ouch!” she screamed. Somehow, the pain she experienced was inversely proportional to the depth of the wound on her skin. When she once rammed into the  edge of a wall as a kid, her mother’s alarmed reaction made her realise she was bleeding from her forehead. Until then, she was oblivious of the damage and was happily frolicking around butterflies in the garden. Her brother tapped on her shoulder to gain her attention. She shrugged with irritation and moved her head to see a palatial bungalow in front of her. Close to 10 feet in height and orange in colour, it flaunted the Portuguese style of architecture replete with circular windows which were lined with oyster shells, an art which is already declining in the state. The roof was lined with Mangalorean tiles, half of which were in a dilapidated state. The porch had a tiny wel...
Post a Comment
Read more