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July/August 2010 Alternative Health
Heart Yoga: Sun Salutation

by Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson

Uniting transcendence and immanence, the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) invokes the all-transforming light-energy of the sun. This Shakti energy awakens our subtle energy centers and illuminates every cell. By practicing Sun Salutation as a profound prayer, we unveil the embodied suns that we are and experience the holy joy of living as the light.

In Heart Yoga Sun Salutation we practice consciously drawing down and embodying this transcendent light.

Invoking the Light 

Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) by imagining yourself surrounded by a circle of golden light, and visualize your heart as a softly pulsing sun. This enables you to consciously enter your mystical light-body. When your visualization is strong and vivid, tenderly and with devotion, draw your hands together in front of your heart center, feeling its radiant warmth.

Open your hands from your heart center, releasing your arms down to your sides, palms turned out. Feel your arms and hands extend from the core of your heart. Become aware of the vibrant line of energy streaming from the heart sun, through your shoulders and down your arms into the glow of your fingertips.

Let your arms slowly rise like wings spreading from your heart center.

Experience the light radiating from you, and with your hands draw that circle of golden light around you. As your hands gradually come together, feel your left and right sides uniting as one. Sense how your fingertips flare upwards from the sun of your heart, your belly and your feet.

Empowered by the light-energy you have invoked, now gratefully draw down that divine radiance into the core of your body and awaken your sacred centers.

Very slowly lowering your joined palms, pull the transcendent light down through the crown of your head, the third eye and the center of your throat.

Bring your hands to rest in front of your heart, visualizing your heart center like a burning golden chalice, glowing with light.

Simple Sun Salutation 

Once again, empty your hands and sweep your arms out, letting the golden wings of your heart open.

Join your hands above you, and then open them out to the sides, sweeping your arms down from your heart as you bow forward. Hinge deeply from the hip joints, bending your knees if that is more comfortable for you. Release your hands to the earth, and touch it with reverence.

Slowly slide one foot back and then the other, balancing in the Plank Pose, like a high push-up position.

From Plank Pose, you can either: release your knees, chest and chin to the floor, then lift your heart up, like the sun rising, its rays illuminating the sky, into a simple Cobra Pose. Or if you have the strength, release down into a low push-up position, then straighten your arms, lifting your heart up.

From Cobra or Upward-facing Dog Pose, either rest in Child’s Pose or go directly into Downward-facing Dog Pose.

From Downward Dog Pose, bend your knees and lengthen back into the total surrender of Child’s Pose. Release your forehead onto the floor, softening your eyes, quieting your mind and resting on the earth.

Feel the blessing of your body kissing the earth.

Now slowly sweep forward again to your hands and knees. Curl your toes under, lift your belly, and come back to Downward-facing Dog Pose. Step one foot forward between your hands, again coming into a lunge, and then bring the other foot forward, returning to the Standing Forward Bend. Bend your knees, rise up through your belly and heart, and sweep your arms out to the sides and over the head, as you float up to standing. Lifting your heart, keep your eyes soft as they gaze upward into the light. Your feet rest firmly on earth, while your heart opens to the transcendent.

Again draw the light down with your palms joined, through the thousand-petaled lotus of the crown chakra, through the diamond light of the third eye, through the rich red rose of the throat, into the luminous golden chalice of the heart. Arrive back in the heart center, with gratitude and wonder. Remember, throughout, that this practice of honoring and embodying the divine light is one of the holiest of prayers.

Andrew Harvey and Karuna Erickson are coauthors of Heart Yoga: The Sacred Marriage of Yoga and Mysticism (excerpted with permission by North Atlantic Books at www.northatlanticbooks.com). Harvey is the founder and director of the Institute for Sacred Activism and the author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism. Visit www.andrewharvey.net. Erickson directs the Heart Yoga Center in British Columbia. Visit www.yogakaruna.com.