You have all heard of Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation), but a beautiful parallel practice is Ding Namaskara. Ding namaskara (dik+ namaskara) actually is part of the daily routine in India. Each movement is combined with the mantra honoring the specific direction and the guardian associated with it.
You can practice with Ujjayi and the Bandhas in traditional Vinayasa Krama style, or just use slow diaphragmatic breaths for all the movements. Best to practice early in the morning towards the rising sun, outside if you can.
My teacher Srivatsa Ramaswami says this about the practice: “One view is that in the olden days when spiritual discussions by scholars and sages took place in the Gangetic plain, many laymen and even the celestial beings travelled long distances through difficult terrain over a long time usually by walk to attend the gathering. So the first thing they would do is to pay respects to the divine beings (gods)guarding the direction, east, south, west, north, the upward direction, the downward and the intermediate directions, and also thanking the guarding angels for giving them safe passage. This ding namaskara became a part of the daily routine.”
Level I Duration 7 min
