This World Yoga Day, try out these five asanas to start off your daily yoga practice

Practicing yoga daily can not only calm the mind, soul, and body of an individual but also increases immunity and can cure various ailments. Yoga originated in ancient India, with a variety of schools of yoga found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. But today, this ancient art of physical, mental, and spiritual combination practices has been adopted by the modern world.

The idea of an International Day for Yoga was conceived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 2014 United Nations address. After the UN adopted a draft resolution, from 2015 onwards June 21, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere—also known as the summer solstice—is celebrated as International Yoga Day.

With the world gearing up for the 8th World Yoga Day, we bring to you a list of yogasanas which can help you in several ways.

Also read | Integrate yoga into community based well-being initiatives: WHO

HASTAPADASANA

With the environmental conditions continuously deteriorating, an increased number of people are suffering hair loss. The problem can be controlled by performing the Hastapadasana or the hand-to-foot-pose. This asana requires control of breath. Performers, while inhaling, must stretch their arms overhead, and while exhaling, bend forward towards the feet. This posture can also help cure other problems such as constipation, a weak spine, and back pain.

BHUJANGASANA

Cobra pose can help prevent hypothyroidism and enhance the health of digestive organs. It also relieves an individual from upper body stiffness. In this, the practitioner imitates a bhujang (Sanskrit word for a cobra) lifting its head. In this pose, one needs to lie down flat on their stomach, and then lift the chest off the floor.

URDHVA-HASTASANA

One of the poses in the Surya Namaskar sequence, Urdhva Hastasana is performed by stretching the hands overhead, thereby arching the spine. This helps to improve the blood flow in the body and eases the sciatic nerve. However, precautions must be taken during stretching as beginners might end up in a spine-lock situation if adequate care is not taken.

PASCHIMOTTANASANA

Painful conditions due to hamstring injuries are a common problem for people, especially sports personalities. Practising paschimottanasana can not only help with hamstring issues, it can also stimulate internal organs, thereby calming the nervous system. In this pose, the practitioner needs to be seated with legs stretched forward. Then the person is to stretch the arms upwards and then bend forward, from the hips and not the back, to touch the toes.

BHRAMARI PRANAYAM

Although not technically a yogasana. It is mostly part of a yoga practice. Translated, bhramari pranayama means the humming bee breath. This pranayama is beneficial for the proper functioning of our nervous system. Ideally, it should be practiced early in the morning when there is the least distraction. The practitioner sits up in an ideally comfortable position, closes each ear with the thumb, while placing the index finger over the eyebrows and rest three over the eyes, and produces a humming sound. It helps relieve an individual from stress and is helpful against migraine.

While yogasanas can benefit an individual in multiple ways, performing them wrongly can result in multiple physical issues. Additionally, one needs to ascertain their health conditions before practising yoga. Hence, one must consult a doctor or yoga practitioner before performing any yogasanas.