Almost seven months have passed for the schoolchildren, the youth and the elders; more than six months enclosed in their houses. Only social workers, doctors and police personnel have been toiling hard; this is what the situation has forced us into.

Now, the situation is very tough. Nobody knows what’s going to happen; not even the Government, I think. Every day, the children expect qualitative food which would soothe their tongues, particularly in the afternoon. They would be like- “Mom, what are you going to prepare today?” IT professionals and others, who have been working from home, want something to satisfy their taste buds every now and then. In the beginning, we expected this to end within a month or two at most, because of rules being enforced, and our hopes of vaccines being created. But I think, now we all know the gravity of the situation; I don’t think I need to explain regarding this.

Curiously, a few days back, I enquired from our ration shopkeeper, and he said that the purchases of every family have definitely hiked by Rs 1,000-Rs 2,000 per month. We can observe it at the time when we wear our clothes. It will definitely indicate that our intake has increased and we’re doing nothing to take care of it. In the beginning, we used to do something, and following the rules and regulations implemented by the Government was not that arduous. But keeping in mind the severity of the situation, the Government has undeniably, become stringent. Another fact is that we can just study the situation by observing the school-going children. They are currently seated in front of the electronic appliances for not less than twelve-fourteen hours, which involves school, coaching sessions and homework, and then compare it with the time when they were using it for one or two hours at most for their entertainment. The pandemic has made an effect to our lives, hasn’t it?

We have forgotten a saying in this situation- “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy and wise.” Those who had been working from home are now sitting 5-6 hours more at a stretch. But in the office premises, they used to be able to move around in every one hour or two for snacks, tea, coffee and lunch. They used to move from cubicle to cubicle. But here, in the same particular space, they spend long hours in a 10x10 feet room.

As yoga professionals, myself and Dr Prativa are observing, that we- starting from the youngsters to old-age people, will face another hazard in the form of physio-psychological problems. We are sure that everybody will be running after the eye-specialists and psychologists in the time of financial crisis. So, as a Yoga professional, it is my advice to each and every guardian and parent to not take this lightly. Like the rules and regulations which are being imposed by the Government, practice of Yoga should also be made mandatory. It can be made possible and influential very easily in a 6x4 feet room space- be it our room, or on the roof, maintaining social distance. Just after victory over the ongoing pandemic, we will face another hazard for which we ourselves will be responsible.

Regular practice of Jala Neti, a few rounds of Suryanamaskar with a backward-bending, forward-bending, spinal-twisting, balancing and inverted asana, along with Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari pranayama of nine rounds each, and sitting down in meditation for 10 minutes is very effective. Suryanamaskar in a steady, rhythmic sequence reflects the body-mind complex generating a transforming force for a fuller and dynamic life. Jala Neti balances the left and right brain hemispheres inducing a calming and soothing influence on the brain. Backward bending asana like Dhanurasana massages the spinal muscles and ligaments and activates the spinal nerves. Forward bending asana like Paschimottanasana stretches the back muscles and massages the entire abdominal and pelvic region. Spinal twist asanas like Ardha Matsyendrasana has a strong influence on the abdominal muscles, stimulates the back muscles and nourishes the internal organs.

Balancing asanas like Ekapada Pranamasana improve muscle coordination and posture, inducing physical and nervous balance. The inverted asanas like Halasana strengthens the abdominal muscles, relieves spasm in the whole back side of the body and improves the immune system by balancing the body’s metabolic rate. Nadi Shodhana stimulates the brain centers by an extra supply of oxygen. Bhramari pranayama relieves stress and cerebral tension by increasing the healing capacity of the body. Meditation induces a deep state of rest and encourages the repair and improved health of all the cells and tissues of the body.

Now there are some facilities via online meets, which we can take the advantage of and the advice of a professional, just for a month or two. It’s not that expensive and we need not learn from someone throughout our whole life. But this is definitely high-time, without wasting time, take a step ahead and make a bright, and disease-free future for your kids and family.

(Dr Swain is an Assistant Professor, Department of Yogic Science, Sri Sri University. Mob: 7894424506)