Modern yoga āsana practitioners will be familiar with ‘Sun Salutations’ as a flow of physical movements
Traditionally, Sūrya Namaskar is an inner bow, often by offering water to the rising sun or by placing the palms together at the heart
This gesture has been practised for thousands of years in India (long before the postures on a mat that developed only in the last couple of hundred years)
🌞 The sun (sūrya) is revered as a source of life and light is often a symbol for knowledge, wisdom & growth
Along the river Ganga it’s common for people to take a dip and offer water to the sun as a gesture of devotion
Though it can be done anywhere - I’ve seen people pause in a loud, crowded street in Mumbai, join palms and quietly salute the rising sun
🪷 What a beautiful reminder of inner humility, reverence for the rhythms of nature & trust in the greater whole