Why I Don’t Practice Sun Salutations Upon Waking and I Recommend You Avoid Them Too
Apr 09, 2024
Hi there
In the realm of morning yoga practice, enthusiasts embrace the serenity and potential of the day's start. In my opinion, dawn is the perfect time for meditation due to its natural tranquility. In the Ashtanga tradition and other schools, sun salutations are practiced first thing. I do not recommend this and you will see why below.
There is a curious contradiction surfaces concerning the age-old tradition of sun salutations as well.
On one side, many yoga schools and instructors, uphold Surya Namaskar as an ancient ritual. Conversely, academics warrant that they are a relatively recent development.
Made more common knowledge thanks to Mark Singleton in his book Yoga Body:
“The emergence of postural yoga that we take for granted in modern yoga, such as the Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar are neither millennia-old nor rooted in ancient texts but a relatively recent vintage.”
This disparity presents a puzzling scenario for yoga students. Leaving them to wonder about the origins and authenticity of their practices.
So, don't believe the ancient yogis did them!
Then there is the scientific evidence that warns against sun salutations first thing. This is thanks to a world renowned authority on spines, Dr Stuart McGill. It is an inconvenient truth for yogis. Not to mention, fitness enthusiasts.
This is the concept of "creep".
As we sleep our spines elongate and we wake up stiffer and taller. There is a a gel inside the nucleus of the disc which is hydrophilic. Throughout the night we reabsorb water. The water that gets squeezed out from being vertical all day long. The hydrophilic nature of the discs mean that it expands the discs and the stresses are much higher. In other words your spine is much more likely to suffer a disc bulge first thing in the morning. 3 times more likely in fact. As it’s much more vulnerable.
Dr McGill found this out in his studies with cadavers. Once you get up, you lose 90% of this height and stress (creep) after an hour. Dr McGill recommends walking first thing. Not sun salutations or any movement that moves your spine out of neutral.
Which further complicates the narrative for early morning yoga. If ancient yogis did practice sun salutations it would be because they were unaware of creep. I'm of the belief that the sun salutations practiced today were not practiced in the early days. They are not mentioned in the ancient scriptures.
Unfortunately the concept of 'Creep' is not well known or understood in the yoga or fitness world.
I am lucky enough to be aware of it thanks to my studies with Dr Stuart McGill and Bernie Clarke. Bernie Clark is a world renowned yoga teacher, scientist and anatomy geek.
Creep also happens in other scenarios. But I'll leave that for another time.
If you wish to start your day with yoga, practiced seated meditation. This allows the creep to dissipate. Or some seated pranayama. Or if you feel the need to move your body. Practice asana that doesn't involve moving your spine out of a neutral position. For example avoid:
❌ Flexion (forward bends);
❌ Extension (backbends):
❌ No lateral flexion (side bend); and
❌ No twisting
Instead focus on hips or warrior poses. Here are some examples:
✅ Lunges
✅ Gomukhasana (cow face pose) or shoelace in yin but not coming forward with your torso.
✅ Tadasana (mountain)
✅ Virabhadrasana 1 (warrior 1)
✅Virabhadrasana 2 (warrior 2)
✅ Vrksasana (tree)
Note that a full forward bend is the worst thing to do with your spine first thing. Worse than a backbend. Yes, so putting on your shoes is an issue too! Lift up your foot to put on your shoes and do it after you've been up having breakfast, cleaning your teeth etc so your spine had at least a bit of creep.
I cover such things like this and more in my online courses and private sessions. Contact me for more information.
By the way, 'hydrophilic' means water loving!
Yours in good physical and mental health,
Liz
