Vinyasa & Science of The Sun Salutation

Vinyasa 1 @ Pure Yoga Chevron House Pure Yoga

Follow up from my Saturday 6th March 12:30pm class 

Class focus was traditional sun salutation building the sequence slowly to understand each individual posture and then rhythmically, in order to learn how to connect the breath with each posture.  There are many positive physical and psychological reason why we would want to do sun salutation far beyond using is as a warm up.          



In traditional sun salutation we do 12 postures to the right side and then 12 postures to the left equalling 24 postures for 1 set/round. The 12 postures represent the 12 zodiac signs in astronomy.  

“Their performance, in a steady, rhythmic sequence, reflects the rhythms of the universe; the twenty-four hours of the day, the twelve zodiac phases of the year and the biorhythms of the body. “ - Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha - Swami Satyananda Saraswati

And that's all we are really told, so lets look into it a bit deeper…… 

The Earth due to the gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon it causes the rotation of the Earth to wobble on its axis like a fast spinning top. This unique motion results in the precession of the equinoxes. equal to about one degree of arc every seventy-two years, according to the British physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton. 

Some people called it the Yuga cycle, others called it the Grand cycle and others the Perfect Year...But the most common name found in use from ancient Europe to ancient China, was simply the Great Year”."The term Great Year has a variety of related meanings. It is defined by NASA as "The period of one complete cycle of the equinoxes around the ecliptic, about 25,800 years." - Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Year  

But mathematically to me this does not make any sense as -

72 (one Degree according to Sir Isaac Newton)  x 360° (Full circle) = 25,920 

It takes 25,920 years, which constitute one Great Solar or Platonic Year or Yuga (indian tradition), each one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac occupies a position at the vernal equinox for nearly 2,160 years, then gives place to the previous sign of the zodiac.
2160 x 12 = 25,920

Coincidently enough 2160 miles is the diameter of the moon.

Tibetian monks and Indian yogis all use a mala with 108 beads, even the Catholic Church uses a rosary which is 54 beads, half of 108. This will become relevant in just a bit.

Back to the Sun salutation:

12 postures to the right side and then 12 postures to the left equals 24 postures. The 12 postures also represent the 12 zodiac signs in astronomy. =

*12 × 2 = 24 = 24 hours of the day. 

*24(hours in a day) x 108 (beads on a mala) = 2,592 

so if we add a zero we get.....

25,920 = 1 great year :)

This is why it is important to incorporate the sun salutation into our regular practice even if we only do 9 rounds,  or if time allows as well as endurance we do 27, 54 or 108 rounds.  This act will help us to align us with the rhythms of the universe and create equilibrium.

*Please note these observations and calculations were made by me after years of wanting to understand the secrets of the sun salutation and how it mathematically connects us to the universe,  I do respect the great yoga masters and their teachings who learnt their knowledge through deep meditational practices, however my logical mind likes to understand it mathematically and scientifically so that i do not follow someone/something blindingly as in faith/belief or dogma. 

Which leaves me aptly with......

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” -

The Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

Namaste

With Metta,

Michael

For my previous post click here