When festival season rolls around, it’s easy to let your gym routine slide to the bottom of your priority list. However, you can stay healthy by incorporating these five simple yoga poses into your daily routine. Not only will they make you feel better, but they’ll also help combat the effects of overeating with grace!
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Also known as the Cobra pose, this posture helps tone your abdomen, strengthen your spine, and improve your back muscles.
How to perform:
Start by lying down in a prone position. Extend your arms above your head, keeping your legs straight with heels touching. Place your palms under your shoulders, aligning fingertips with shoulders. Inhale and lift your head, looking up at the ceiling. Hold for 30-60 seconds while breathing normally. Exhale and slowly lower your chest, neck, and forehead back to the starting position. Repeat three times with a 15-second rest between each repetition.
Cobbler Pose (Baddha Konasana)
This pose, also known as the Cobbler pose, is great for toning your thighs and buttocks. It’s also beneficial for preventing indigestion, making it a perfect pre-bedtime stretch.
How to perform:
Sit with a straight spine and bend your knees, bringing the soles of your feet together. Grasp your ankles and inhale deeply while straightening your spine and pulling your shoulder blades back. Exhale and press the soles of your feet together. Hold the pose for as long as comfortable. Repeat five times with a 10-second rest between each repetition.
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
The Bow pose
How to perform:
Start by lying on your belly with your chin touching the ground. Keep your hands by your sides with palms facing up. Bend your knees and bring your heels close to your hips. Grasp your ankles with your hands and lift your chin, head, and neck while keeping your chest on the ground. Inhale and lift your abdomen off the ground, arching your body like a bow. Hold the pose while gazing at a point on the ceiling and holding your breath.
Upward Salute Pose (Urdhava Hastotanasana)
This stretching pose helps slim your waist and broaden your chest.
How to perform:
Stand with your feet together and raise your hands above your head in a namaste position. Bend your body to the right, feeling a stretch in your left waist. Hold for 15 seconds, then return to the starting position and bend to the left. Hold for another 15 seconds. Aim to increase the hold time to 30 seconds over time.
Diamond Pose (Vajrasana)
The Diamond pose is excellent for improving digestion, boosting blood circulation, toning thighs, and preventing rheumatism.
How to perform:
Sit on your heels with your buttocks touching your heels and your palms resting on your thighs. Keep your head, neck, and back upright. Hold the pose for 2 to 3 minutes, taking deep breaths. To release, slowly stretch your legs out in front of you.
