FURTHER RESOURCES ON SURYA NAMASKAR: THE SUN SALUTATION

Posted in Blog by Eric Shaw

I teach a workshop called Secrets of the Sun Salutation.  Here are more resources.

Books:
Jois, Sri Krishna Pattabhi, 2005, Suryanamaskara, NY: Ashtanga Yoga New York.

This is an excellent little book by Jois with very cool pictures of him doing the practice as a young man. It provides a welter of information that gives rarely found background information on Jois’ understanding of the practice and his knowledge of how the practice is rooted in scripture.

Jois, Sri Krishna Pattabhi, 1999, Yoga Mala, NY: North Point Press

A developed treatise by Jois, but still a relatively short book (130 pages).  It includes some of the same info of his Suryanamaskars book.

Pant, Apa, 1998 (1970), Surya Namaskars, Mumbai: Disha Books.

Apa Pant was a successful diplomat in the new India, and was the son of Bhavanrao Pant (below), the King of Aundh–which dissolved upon the attainment of nation status for India after 1947.  This is also small book.  It includes some wonderful stories, philosophical perspectives and a basic outline of the practice with both photographs and drawings. 

Satyananda Saraswati, Swami, 1983 (1973), Surya Namaksara:  A Technique of Solar Vitalization, Munger, Bihar, India:  Yoga Publications Trust.

This is an excellent complete guide that gives the positions, philosophies  and mantras by a master of the tradition.

Nithyananda, Paramahamsa Nithya Yoga Surya Namaskar

A new book by  this famous living swami in India.

The Raja of Aundh, Bhavanrao Srinivasrao Pant Pratinidhi, 1989 , Surya Namaskars

This is the king who had SN taught throughout his land in the 1920s and 30s.  It is the first book on the practice in the modern age (reprinted).

Scott, John, 2001, Ashtanga Yoga:  The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga, Three Rivers Press

John Scott gives a breakdown of the two forms of SN from the Ashtanga system with very clear photographs and explanations.

Singleton, Mark, 2010, Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice, Oxford University Press

Mark gives a detailed history of how SN was brought into Modern Yoga and is a great resource for understanding the modern practice generally.

Stenhouse, Janita, 2001, Sun Yoga, The Book of Surya Namaskar,

This is a paper-bound, homemade encyclopediac work on the topic.  It offers a broad swath of information on the practice.  Most interestingly, it includes diagrams of over 20 different forms of Sun Salutation

 

Websites

 

http://www.suryanamaskar.info/guidelines.htm

This site is the greatest resource I’ve found on the web.  It is encyclopediac in its information and the details agree with other trustworthy authorities.

 

http://www.harekrsna.de/surya/surya-names.htm

A very full  website with fascinating details.  It’s information also agrees with other authorities and seems trustworthy.

 

Wikipedia has two pages on SN which are very useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya_Namaskar_Origins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surya_Namaskara

 

http://chrysalisyog.homestead.com/surya.html

This site includes information not found elsewhere