Little kids would be hauled off their beds, told to wash themselves clean and told to salute the rising sun. Soorya (Sun) Namaskaram (Welcome) literaly means saluting the Sun God. In our part of the world (we are practically on the Equator) there is no extended twilight. It is pitch dark and then, half an hour later, the Sun has risen and is smiting down on everything in full glory. Looking at the sun is possible only during a few minutes after sunrise. This ritual ensures that the kids develop the habit of rising before sunup, well in time for them to finish their morning ablutions and present themselves with clean bodies and a fresh mind.
Yoga, however, is about developing the mind. The excercises and deep breathing are all for developing the body in order for the kids to be able to endure the hard lessons to follow.
The positions excercise virtually all joints of the body. If you go through these excercises regularly you will remain healthy for a long time. Conversely, it takes a healthy person to carry out these excercises properly.
People of any age may start on these excercises, provided they start the easy positions first and graduate to the difficult ones in good time.
Sanil is preparing animation sequences so that everybody can join in and learn to do it properly. He is sort of busy at the moment, what with the marriage approaching. It is kind of difficult for him to concentrate on this right at this time. Until he gets married. Then it is going to be impossible.
Interested? Send him an email!