Every hatha yoga practitioner must've been quite familiar with Surya Namaskara. In Sanskrit language, Surya Namaskara means Sun Salutation and it is part of Indian's ancient tradition. Ideally it is done in dawn when the sun is just about to rise. However, most yoga classes that are done on anytime of the day are also started with this routine.

Surya Namaskara is one of the most complete practices of hatha yoga. The primary intention of this series of poses is to awaken the energy of the sun that normally lies dormant at the navel centre. Surya namsakara allows us to reach deep into our solar plexus and awaken and circulate the sun's healing power to restore a radiant body and cultivate a clear, calm and tranquil mind. With a couple of cylces of the sun salutation, you can fan your digestive fire, energize your nervous system, balance your pranic flow, activate both the lower and upper extremities, and influence your moods. -- by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait & Sandra Anderson, Yoga+ Magazine.

When I did my vacation a month ago, about a week I spent it in Ubud, Bali. Apart from spa-hopping and meeting some local Ubud artists, what we basically did in Ubud is yoga, yoga and more yoga. Since then I feel a need to start the day with a bit of surya namaskara. Wake-up 60min earlier, take a shower and do this sequence when the sun is rising. You would think I would be sleepy and exhausted the whole day. In contrary, I feel fresher during the day, and is feeling more able to keep up and be more patient to some annoying details at work. Did not happen a lot before! :)

There are many versions of surya namaskara, and this clip shows one of those. I pick this video from youtube not because I prefer this version over others, but just because of the nice settings, hehe. But beware... If you do not have a yoga asana background, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, must be under guidance of a yoga teacher.

Video is taken from youtube