4 Yoga Poses For Overall Well-Being
From children to adults and the elderly, yoga is for everyone. But what do you do when you are pressed for time and don’t have hours to spend on your fitness routine? Here’s an easy solution: Just do these four yoga asanas to ensure overall well-being.
VAJRASANA
This asana involves a kneeling position where you have to sit on the heels of your legs stretched backwards. Ensure that your heels are spread out and your big toes are together. Keep your spine upright and hold a straight posture with your hands resting on your knees (with your resting palms on your thighs) and your head facing forward, hold this position for 5 to 10 minutes every day after your meals, as it improves digestion and bowel movement. This pose also offers relief from gastric problems, tension, pain in the calves, legs, and knees, high blood pressure and heart diseases.
OM CHANTING IN SUKHASANA
Sit upright in Sukhasana. Take a deep breath and chant ‘0m. ‘Typically, it sounds like ‘Aum’ where you begin with the sound of ‘O’ and exhale ending in the sound of You can start by chanting it for 10 counts and then increase it to chant for 15-20 minutes. 0m is the symbol of Brahma (Almighty God) and chanting it brings you closer to the Highest Power, improving and nourishing your inner spiritual being in addition to offering relief from tension, high blood pressure, gastric problems, constipation, migraine, and indigestion. If strenuous gym routines instill fear in you, do these simple yoga poses to ensure overall well-being.
NADI SHODHANA PRANAYAMA
Sit upright in a comfortable meditative position. Close your eyes. Block your right nostril using your right thumb. Use your left nostril to breathe in and then use your ring finger to close the left nostril while releasing your thumb on the right nostril to exhale through it. Next, use your right nostril to breathe in, block it and release pressure on the left nostril to breathe out. This completes one round of the asana. Repeat 10 to 20 such rounds for optimum benefits which include relief from stress, anxiety, and depression, removal of toxins from the blood and an added supply of oxygen to nourish the entire body.
VRIKSHASANA
Stand upright with your arms by your side. While keeping your left leg straight, bend your right knee to position your right foot’s sole firmly, near the root of your left thigh, or vice-versa. Find your balance and then take a deep breath while raising your arms above your head gradually and bring your palms together to form the ‘Namaste’ mudra (the prayer pose with folded hands). Hold the pose for 10 counts and return gradually to your starting position. Switch legs and repeat. Apart from strengthening your ankles, feet, hips, and legs, this asana improves your balance, concentration, posture, and awareness also.