Why do we practice Sun Salutation?

A crucial part of our warm-up and flow in yoga is our Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskara.  Ever wonder why we do this practice beyond the physical movements?  Ashtangaworkshop.com gives us more insight into the tradition and history of Sun Salutations:

“For thousands of years, the Hindus have revered the sun, which they call Surya, as both the physical and spiritual heart of our world and the creator of all life itself. The dynamic asana sequence of Surya Namaskara (better known as the Sun Salutations) originated as a series of prostrations to the sun and was traditionally performed at dawn, facing the rising sun. For more than 2500 years human beings have gathered at sunrise to greet and honour the sustainer of life on this planet and to give thanks for a new day filled with life-giving light and sustenance. In the 21st Century such practices may seem primitive, naïve and outdated. However, this devotion to the sun symbolises more than just reverence to a supreme life-creating deity. The outer sun was seen as an image of and a pathway to the Divine; a mirror of our own ‘Inner Sun’. Our Inner Sun is the doorway to our personal experience of Divinity, a concept that represents our own spiritual heart – the eternally shining light that we might call our Higher Self or Soul.”