Every year, on June 21st, International Day of Yoga is celebrated in order to provide a holistic approach to the people worldwide for their health and well-being. It is celebrated to let people know that regular yoga practice leads to better mental, physical and intellectual health.
Yoga positively changes the lifestyle of people and increases the level of well-being. Some of the objectives of International Day of Yoga are - to connect people to nature, to reduce the rate of diseases all over the world and to establish a link between protection of health and sustainable health development.
The benefits of practicing yoga are many, and if practised daily, it helps improve-
Muscle strength and tone
Relaxes the mind
Body flexibility
It improves respiration and builds energy
It helps maintains a balanced metabolism rate
It helps in weight reduction
Improves on cardio and circulatory health
Since the profession of teaching is a constant shuffle between long durations of sitting, standing and studying books, here are some exercises to help reduce the daily strain -
For the eyes – Palming
Warm up your hands - rub your palms against each other and then cover your eyes with the palms. Slowly open your eyes and turn towards a source of light. Breathe deeply to calm all the senses and hold this position till you want to. Repeat this several times a day to get a great feeling of relaxation.
For the wrists and fingers - Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana (Upward Bound Fingers pose)
Inhale and take the arms up to shoulder height. Bend the wrists and interlock the fingers, sliding the hands together, right up to the webbing between the fingers. Bring the tips of thumbs together. Exhale and roll the palms out, keeping the tips of the thumbs touching and the fingers well interlocked. Inhale and take the arms up alongside the ears. Hold the position for several breaths. Exhale, bring the arms forward and down.
For the back - Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog pose)
Start on your hands and knees, with your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Pressing back, raise your knees away from the floor and lift your tailbone up toward the ceiling. Hold the position for 5 to 10 breaths, and repeat the pose five to seven times. This helps release the tension of the back muscles.
Yoga is not just a simple exercise that needs to be practiced on a particular day. But a way of life that has to be systematically followed to ensure a proportionate balance between physical and mental well-being.