wake your body up

Practicing yoga not only helps to maintain a healthy body but a healthy mind as well. Sarvesh Shashi tells you more

Yoga is more than just an hour’s practice it is a lifestyle. It doesn’t only work on making your body healthy but also works on mental health.

Enhanced flexibility, muscle strengthening and toning, weight reduction, cardio health, balanced metabolism, stress relief, increase in calmness and clarity of thoughts are just a few of the many benefits of the practice of yoga!

Yoga can be practiced throughout the day when you find the time or you can specially make time for the practice.

You can start off your day with the Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho mukha svanasana)

This is a great asana to wake your whole body up. It works on toning the arms and the legs, stretches and strengthens the abdominal muscles and enhances the circulation of blood to the brain due to the inverted position. 

It gives your morning a calming and stress-free start.

• Steps: First, start on the fours of your body, i.e the hand and the knees. Second, exhale and lift your knees upwards simultaneously stretching your hands. Three, you can start by keeping your knees bent and slowly straighten them out as you place your heels fully on the ground. Four, stay in this position for one to two minutes. Repeat the same as many times as you're comfortable. Five, to relax you can exhale and get into the child's pose.

One can also start their day with sun salutations (surya namaskar). It is a full body yoga workout which helps you tone the mind and body.

During the day when you are at work or travelling, you can practice face yoga to tone your facial muscles. You can do a couple of small exercises during the day time.

To get firm cheeks

Breath through your mouth and holding the breath in your mouth and shifting it from one cheek to another from time to time. Do this two-three times and release. Repeat the same process a couple of times.

This exercise tones and strengthens the cheeks.

Tone the neck muscles

Start by lifting your chin towards the ceiling at the same time move your jaw forward. You will feel a tightening under your chin, hold the pose for five seconds and repeat the process eight-10 times.  This exercise tones the neck muscles and prevents them from sagging.

After returning from work, you can practice the following asana to unwind and tone the body.

Paschimottasana: This asana stretches the body which helps in effective weight loss, it is also effective to reduce stress and anxiety of the whole day. It also gives a good stretch to the spine and enhances the health of the spinal column and nerves. Follow these stepss;

Start by sitting on the mat with your legs stretched in front of you, make sure your toes are pointing forward. Now slowly inhale taking your hand upwards and on the exhale bend your body forward as much as you can. Try to interlock your finger and toes, and hold the position for five seconds or more or for as long as you are comfortable. Release and come back to the original position. Repeat this for as many times as you are comfortable. 

Yoga is a head to toe workout that helps you improve your quality of life, by invoking in positive energy, happiness, fitness and health.

The writer is Co-founder of SARVA — Yoga, Mindfulness and Beyond