Cultivating Dynamism: How to Do a Sun Salutation

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You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.

- William Faulkner

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There has always been some debate about the role of a spiritual seeker.  Many have misidentified calmness as stillness, apathy, or ineffectiveness. 

To one not experienced with meditation, mindfulness, and the spiritual path, it may seem like we spend an awful lot of time sitting with our eyes closed, lying on the floor, and/or considering rather than doing.  But we know that behind what seems to be a lack of movement is actually an incredible process of evolution.

I’ve heard this described like the appearance of a top.  When the top is spun correctly, it seems motionless, even though it is spinning rapidly.  This is the behavior of a spiritual seeker as well.  Behind the calm is an active, dynamic change-maker.

This is easily observed in a hatha yoga class.  When we hold a pose, from the outside it seems like we are still.  But internally, we are making minute adjustments to our skeleton, muscles, connective tissues, breathing, and even our mind, in order to hold the pose with steadiness and ease.

This month is both the celebration of the sun at its peak in the northern hemisphere and International Day of Yoga.  These two events go together hand in hand.  On the day that the sun is most dynamic, we celebrate the power of yoga to transform.

What better way to invoke the power of dynamism this month than by practicing a sun salutation, or Surya Namaskar?  Sun salutations are the basis of many styles of yoga and are endlessly adaptable. 

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