Bharat Thakur

NESS FIT

Bharat Thakur is a yoga guru and founder of Artistic Yoga

Work from home has drastically reduced activity. This can affect your health adversely in the long run

HOLDTHATPOSE

WEare living through unprecedented times when life and work have been thrown into total disarray. During this time of pandemic, many people are working from home. The internet, computers, mobile phones and modern technology have made this possible and it’s a trend that may continue.

Work always carries some health risks and especially work at home as we may not have the right seating and set-up that we have at the workplace. This can result in bad posture that stresses our joints and muscles. Without the physical movement of commuting, meetings, interactions with work colleagues, working from home is likely to be much more sedentary. Sitting for long periods causes muscle fatigue. This reduces blood circulation to your muscles, tendons and ligaments and can result in stiffness and pain. Overuse of mobiles and keyboards, can lead to elbow, wrist or hand numbness and pain.

Yoga can help us to counter these negative effects. First of all, every single cell, of the 30 to 40 trillion cells, in our body needs good oxygen supply, nutrition and water. They get all of these through our blood. To get our circulation going, we need physical movement. The ancient yogis formulated an entire system with asanas that stretch and contract the muscles by holding postures.

Stretching is instinctive and the body’s reflex response when it’s cramped. When we stretch, stiffness, tiredness and spasms disappear. Asanas (postures) like Tadasana, Vrikshasana (Tree), Bhujangasana (Cobra) stretch the spine and benefit

the body and mind in many other ways as well.

The other vital aspect of yoga is holding postures. This is known as an isostatic form of exercise and many people don’t realise its benefits. When you hold a particular posture, a group of muscles contract and stay contracted as long as you are in that position. The maximum force is produced by the muscle, the maximum muscle fibres are used and the muscles reach their peak performance. This induces a much greater level of blood circulation than if you were moving the muscles. The more the contraction, the greater the blood circulation. This boosts our fitness and health.

The yogis included stretches in asanas along with contractions and often applied a stretch on top of a contraction. When the muscles are engaged like this, the endocrine system releases hormones to cells throughout the body. The glands, spine, bones, systems, skin and every single part is affected and benefits. So, if you are working from home, build some time for yoga into your day. You don’t need a lot of space and only a yoga mat or a thick towel to practise it. Vrikshasana and Bhujangasana will stretch and relax your spine and body. Vayu Nishkasana and Ardha Matsyendrasana are both stretches and contractions. If you are stiff, be gentle with yourself and do only as much as you can comfortably. When you practise asanas regularly, the body gradually opens up. It comes back into its natural alignment. All its systems resume their natural balance. This results in good sleep, good digestion and elimination. Your energy levels will be higher and you get that famous yoga glow. You actually start looking younger because the ageing process slows down at the cellular level. So much can happen if you can be still and hold a posture.

VAYU NISHKASANA

o Squat with feet two feet apart o Place fingers under the feet’s sides with thumbs above o Elbows are slightly bent, upper arm presses against inside of knees. Keep eyes open o Slowly inhale as you move the head back o Slowly exhale, as you gently straighten knees, raise buttocks, bring head towards knees o Inhale as you resume squat position and begin round two o Do three-five rounds BENEFITS: o Stretches and tones the entire spine and spinal nerves o Stretches the nerves and muscles of the thighs, knees, shoulders, arms and neck o Relieves flatulence in the body

ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA

o Sit with back straight, legs stretched out in front o Bend left knee and place under right leg, with foot close to right buttock o Bend right knee, place right leg across left knee o With left hand, lock right knee in place by holding on to right foot or ankle or place left hand on the left knee or simply hold right knee with your left palm or elbow o Place the right arm behind your back o Now twist the back and look behind you o Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally o Reverse legs and repeat BENEFITS: o Stretches the back, increases flexibility and tones spinal nerves o Exerts gentle pressure on liver, strengthens and stimulates it o Massages all abdominal organs, helps digestion o Helps diabetics as it exerts gentle pressure on pancreas and stimulates insulin production VRIKSHASANA

o Stand straight, feet together o Fold one leg, place it close to groin o Focus on a point in front of you to keep balance o First straighten arms horizontally to your side o Raise arms up and bring palms together o Hold for 30 seconds o Repeat with other leg BENEFITS: o Develops balance, helps to prevent falls o Straightens the spine o Strengthens the ankles, knees and legs o Strengthens the hip and pelvic bones

BHUJANGASANA

o Lie on stomach, chin on ground, palms beside shoulders, elbows close to body, feet together o Inhale as you stretch upper body upwards, straighten elbows, arch back to look up at the sky o Hold for 10-30 seconds, breathing normally o Exhale and gently come down to start position BENEFITS: o Removes stiffness from chest, shoulders and neck o Increases spine flexibility and strength o Strengthens back muscles and removes lower back pain o Increases blood circulation to spinal column nerves o Stimulates the thymus gland that matures white blood cells that fight infection