As stated earlier, the practice of Surya Namaskara was not explained and practiced in any of the ancient Yoga manuals. As per the yoga historians, the story goes back about 157 years ago, in 1920 Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi, the Rajah of Aundh, now in Maharashtra. The king was both a yoga practitioner as well as the practitioner of the Surya Namaskar rites as a form of sun worship. He came up with the idea of integrating Surya Namaskar, which has the combined merits as physical, mental, emotional as well as a spiritual point of view into his daily yoga practice.

Surya Namaskar should be done facing the early morning mild sunlight from the east.