June 21 has been declared International Yoga Day; Yoga which was earlier associated with only India, especially the Hindu religion. But, now it has been established that Yoga has nothing to do with religion. It’s a way to properly manage and regulate the body, which was adapted by Indians centuries ago. It refers to the union of mind and spirit.
Let’s have a look at some of the yoga asanas to kickstart your day with lot of energy.
1.Meditation: Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana.Close your eyes and bring both the hands in Gyan Mudra and touch the tip of thumb with the tip of index finger. Back and the neck should be straight. Keep all the muscles of the body relaxed. Body should be in a still position.
Benefits: cures high blood pressure, tension, migraine, constipation, gastric problems, indigestion, heart (attack) ailments
2.Vajrasana (Thunderbolt pose): Sit on the floor in kneeling position. Bring the big toes together and spread out heels. Lower the buttocks so that they rest comfortably on the seat made by the feet. Keep your head, neck and shoulder straight. Keep the eyes closed. Put the hands on the knees and your palms should be facing down. This is the only asana, that can be done after eating.
Benefits: Solves all gastric problems
3.Dhanurasana (Bow pose): Lie flat on your stomach with the legs and feet together and the arms and hands beside the body. Bend the knees and bring the heels close to the buttocks. Place the chin on the floor and clasp the hand around the ankles. Take a deep breath and raise your head trunk and legs above the ground in order to lift legs. Pull hands and legs in opposite direction. Support the entire body on the floor. Hold the position for as long as is comfortable and then slowly relaxing the leg muscles lower the legs, chest and head to the starting position.
Benefits: improve digestion by stimulating gastric secretions. The liver abdominal organ and muscles are massaged. This asana is recommended for the management of diabetes, menstrual disorders, back pain and neck pain.
4.Anuloma-Viloma/Nadi Shodhana Pranayama :Sit in a comfortable meditative posture. Keep the head and spine upright. Relax the whole body and close the eyes. Then with the help of your right hand thumb, close the right nostril. Now breathe in through left nostril. Then close the left nostril with ring finger and release the pressure of the thumb on the right nostril while breathing out through the right nostril. Next inhale through the right nostril. Hold and release the left nostril. This is one round of NadiShodhana Pranayama. Try increasing this up to 20 rounds gradually.
Benefits: helps in stress and depression, helps in respiratory disorders and increases oxygen intake capacity and energizes the body.
5.Balasana (Child’s pose): From kneeling, bring your chest down onto your thighs and your forehead to the floor. Your arms lengthen by your side with your hands next to your feet; if it’s more comfortable, stack your hands underneath your forehead.Take a slow, full breath in through your nose and notice the back of the chest expand and the ribs widen. As you exhale through the nose see if you can sink the buttocks back down toward the heels feeling the spine gently curving over the thighs.
Benefits: Releases tension in the back, shoulders and chest, alleviate stress and anxiety, Flexes the body’s internal organs, Relieves neck and lower back pain,
6.Downward Dog Pose (AdhoMukhaSvanasana): Take the palms a little wider than shoulder width, tuck the toes and lift the hips into the air. The chest moves back toward the thighs with the head relaxed and arms straight. Roll the shoulders away from the ears, keep the knees bent and start to walk one heel down at a time. Remember: it’s more important to keep the hips high than to get the soles of the feet to the ground.
Benefits: Strengthens and tones the arms and legs, strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis, The body gets a 360-degree stretch in just one pose.
By:Archa Dave
