International Yoga Day 2020: Simple yet effective Yoga poses that you can do while working from home

Working a desk job can in itself restrict body movements, more so now, that the whole world has taken to working from home. A dose of healthy exercise does not necessarily begin with a brisk walk around the block or with an expensive trip to the gym. There are a plethora of yoga exercises that can be done at home, at our very own workstations amidst this pandemic induced work trend. Therefore, on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, here is a list of exercises that can be done from the comfort of your home, sitting in your cosy corner workspace.

1 The Seated Arm Raise: With a deep inhale, lift arms above head, interlace fingers, palms facing up. Exhale bringing your arms back to the prayer pose. With a deep inhale, lift arms above head, interlace fingers, palms facing up. Exhale bringing your arms towards the left, inhale, arms back to centre, and finally exhale bringing your arms towards the right. You can repeat this set 10 times every day. This seated arm raise yoga helps boost energy in the body.

2. The Standing Calf Stretch: The Standing Calf Stretch Pose Wall uses props to make the pose accessible. As you hold the wall facing it, inhale and raise the toes from the ground and balance on the heels. Exhale and balance taking the front part of the feet higher up. Hold for three seconds and then lower them slowly. Repeat 30 times or till you feel a burn in the calf muscles. This warm-up yoga pose can help in preventing the swelling of feet due to sitting in one place and can also help tone the calves.

3. The Seated Leg Rotation and Raise: Sitting tall on edge of chair, extend right leg out straight keeping foot on the floor, arms crossed over chest. Inhale, make the abs tight and rotate the torso to the right as the right leg lifts to the left knee, squeezing knees together. Slowly exhale and return to the starting position. You can repeat the same steps 10 times each on both the sides. This will help tone the hamstring muscles.

4. The Neck Rotation: Keep your spinal cord and neck straight. Close your eyes and keep both the palms on your knees. Concentrate on your neck. Now inhale deeply and move your neck backward as much as you can but do not strain. Remain in the same position for 2-3 seconds and feel the tension in the muscle. Next, move the neck downward and try to touch the collarbone with your chin. Exhale completely while bringing the neck downward. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times. This helps in releasing all the tension around the neck region that gets created because of sitting in one position continuously.

5. The Eye Compress or Palming Yoga: Rub your hands together for 10 to 15 seconds until they feel warm and energised. Then gently place your hands over your eyes, with the fingertips resting on the forehead, the palms over the eyes, and the heels of the hands resting on the cheeks. Don’t touch the eyeballs directly. Continue this palming action as long as it feels soothing—for just a few seconds or up to five minutes. When you are ready to emerge, gently remove the hands from the face and slowly open the eyes. This helps in easing tension around the eye that builds up because of looking into screens for a long time.

6. The Eye Rolling Yoga: Sit upright with a long spine and relaxed breath. Soften your gaze by relaxing the muscles in your eyes and face. Without moving your head, direct your gaze up toward the ceiling. Then slowly circle your eyes in a clockwise direction, tracing as large a circle as possible. You can repeat this for about 5 to 10 minutes or just repeat 10 sets. This will help in easing all the strain that goes into your eyes because of focusing on the screen for a long time.

7. Breathing Yoga: Begin by noticing where you already are with your breath. Now, focus your attention on your breath. Inhale through your nose, then open your mouth and exhale slowly, making a “HA” sound. Try this a few times, then close your mouth, keeping the back of your throat in the same shape you used to make the “HA” as you exhale through the nose. Repeat this as long as you want or for 5-10 minutes. This will help in relaxing the brain and the body as a whole.

You may also try the alternate breathing Yoga technique. To do this, close your right hand in a gentle fist in front of your nose, then extend your thumb and ring finger. Gently close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril, then close it with your ring finger. Open your right nostril and exhale slowly through it. Inhale through the right nostril then close it. Open your left nostril and exhale slowly through it. That completes one cycle. Repeat 3–5 times.

For people burdened with tight schedules and no time to unwind or recharge their energy, these Yoga poses come as a blessing as they can be done at a desk to promote physical fitness every day. Whichever exercise you opt for, make sure to create a complete routine. If you’re a beginner, start with five or six exercises and gradually add more. Two or three exercises is obviously better than none.

Inputs from https://www.tummee.com/ and Moneycontrol.com