Surya Namaskār Surya Namaskār Surya Namaskar (Sanskrit: सूर्यनमस्कार ; IAST: "Sūrya Namaskāra"), Salute to the Sun or Sun Salutation, is a Yoga practice incorporating a sequence of gracefully linked asanas. The nomenclature refers to the symbolism of Sun as the soul and the source of all life. Mark Singleton argues that the sun salutation is relatively a modern practice that developed in the 20th century. Some scholars attempt to attribute modern Surya namaskar practice to a student of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, the yoga teacher K. Pattabhi Jois. It includes modern day Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the Visesha Vinyasa Sun Salutation subroutine from Vinyasa
Ashtanga vinyasa yoga and never taught by Sharath. However most of his teachers who claim to have been taught by him will teach the above methods, exercises, & postures, even though none of what they teach is part of the Ashtanga method of instruction under Sharath. Pattabhi Jois also did not require students to independently drop back and come up from back bending before progressing to the 2nd series. Sharath changed the requirements, and has now made this mandatory. However, it is important to note that Pattabhi Jois was the founder of the system, and taught each of his original students differently, instructing