The right bend over! 6 yoga asanas for fitness and their benefits

Yoga is one such form of exercise that can be done anywhere; whether you are home or travelling or camping under the stars. Here are some easy but effective yoga solutions.

Things to remember while doing Yoga asanas:

1. The pace of your breath

Let the breath be as natural as possible. Breathe deeply at every movement2. 

2.Listen to your body

Stretch as instructed, sure, but if you are not able to push yourself beyond a point, don’t worry. Go only as far as you can!

3. Relaxation

Letting your body relax and after every yoga session is as important as yoga itself.

4. Diet

Yoga should always be practiced on empty stomach, early mornings are the most recommended. If not, 3- 4 hours of gap after your meals would be ideal.

So, let’s get started with a 15 minute detoxifying routine that will help with thinking clearer, and a relaxed body!

Start with a quick 2 minute warm up (All rotations clockwise and anti clockwise)

Head rotations: Breathe out when you are taking your head down towards your chin and breath in when you are taking it back.

Shoulder rotations: Do the back and forth rotations while breathing normally.

Waist rotations: Place hands on your hips, and rotate your torso clock wise and anti-clock wise while breathing normally.

Ankle rotations: Lift your leg and rotate your feet from the ankle-down in clock and anti-clock wise directions. Repeat with the otherleg. While doing this as well, breathe normally.

Vrukshasana (Tree Pose)

Improve your confidence

How to:

Stand straight and steady with your feet together and spine straight. Take a deep breath, now, bring both of your hands together at the heart center in Anjali Mudra position. Inhale and raise your left leg and place it high up on the right thigh keeping the right knee slightly bent to avoid strain. Take 5-10 breaths in the position. To balance, gaze at an imaginary point in front of you and keep breathing. Repeat with the other leg. This asana can be repeated 2-3 times.

Benefits:

The benefits are almost immediate the moment the base of your foot touches your inner thigh area! It’s a wonderful exercise for pelvic and sacroiliac health which helps your balance, posture and also promotes spinal health. It also heals sciatica pain by

Tadasana (Mountain pose)

Stand with feet hip width apart and arms at your sides. Take deep breath, exhale and feel grounded and shift the entire weight of your body onto the feet evenly managed on both the feet. Firming your thigh muscles and lifting your knee caps up, feel a straight line of energy passing through your tip to toe and back. Push your shoulder blades together and stand erect but relaxed. Raise your chin upwards and stand in the position for a minute. Keep breathing. This is the basic relaxing posture for all standing asanas.

Badddhakonasana  (Seated posture)

Sit in a butterfly position on the floor with your back straight and legs in a diamond shape with the base of your feet touching each other, a few inches away from your groin. Clasp your feet with your hands. Take a deep breath and while exhaling, slowly bend down while keeping your neck in line with your back. Go as far as possible. Stay there for a few breaths and while inhaling, come back to the previous position. You can also practice Butterfly Pose (Titilasana) before getting into this posture

Benefits

Soothes menstrual discomfort and sciatica

Stretches the inner thighs, groin and knees

Consistent practice helps ease childbirth

Relieves depression and promotes good heart and lung health and improves overall circulation.

Stimulates abdomen, ovaries, prostrate glands and kidneys.

Naukasana

Lie on your back flat on the mat with feet together and arms at the sides of your body. Taking a deep breath, slowly raise your chest and legs off the mat stretching your arms and feet towards each other. Make sure your eyes, fingers and toes are all in one line. Take 5 breaths. Use your abdominal muscles and buttocks to balance the pose on your shoulder blade. Exhale and come back to the initial position and relax. Repeat if you feel your body needs more of this asana. Make sure your hands and legs are stretched and straight.

Benefits:

Good for people with hernia

Tones arms and legs

Strengthens neck, shoulder and back and abdominal muscles

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Lie on your stomach with legs together, toes and forehead flat on the mat. Place your palms under your shoulders with elbows close to your torso

Taking a deep breath in, lift your upper body up with head first, neck and then chest. Keep the elbows tucked into the rib cage and shoulders down and  away from ears. Raise as high as you can. Stay in the position for 3-5 breaths, next, while exhaling, slowly come back to the initial position. Relax for a few breaths and repeat.

Benefits

Relaxes the shoulders and neck muscles. Improve blood circulation. Strengthens the spine, stretches chest, lungs, shoulders and abdomen. It soothes sciatica and is therapeutic for asthama.

Please note: Do not overdo the back bend. Once you have become comfortable and can be flexible, that is when you can deepen the pose by straightening your arms and raising them even higher.

Matsyasana

Lie flat on your back; bend your knees and feet flat on the mat together. Inhale and lift your pelvis off the floor and place your palms below your buttocks with palms facing the yoga mat. With your elbows close to your rib cage, inhale, lift your torso without disturbing the lower body. The crown of your head can touch the yoga mat but with no stress or weight of your head. Straighten the legs. Stay in this position for at least 10 breaths. Now exhale and lie flat on the ground. Repeat until you can.

Benefits

Stretches the spine, cures spondylitis and reduces the pain, reduces back ache, respiratory ailments, constipation, fatigue, anxiety and menstrual pain