International Yoga Day 2018: 3 Quick Asanas for the Workplace

With International Yoga Day 2018 around the corner, it is time to think about why we need yoga. The modern generation needs it more than ever. Yoga is a connection of mind and body with natural forces. The earlier generation was connected to nature; but not this one. Modern lifestyle induces us to stay indoors in an air-conditioned environment, to work sitting in one place for hours. We have no time to connect with nature. With concrete jungles replacing real jungles, our eyes hardly see the soothing green.

To add fuel to the fire are "workplace dis-eases" like Repetitive Stress Injuries and Carpa Tunnel Syndrome that are common. Do you know a computer keyboard inflicts a higher number of injuries than other tools? This is as per a United States survey.

International Yoga Day 2018: 7 Things To Do In Your Workplace

Does your work involve sitting at the computer for hours together every day? If yes, then start doing the following things from today to ensure your healthy existence in the workplace:

• Stop staring at your computer screen constantly. Gaze off to a distant object every 30 minutes.
• Rub your palms and bring them close to each eye. Hold for a minute. This relaxes the eyes.
• Gulp a glass of water every now and then. You must take 2.5-3.0 liters of water daily.
• Sit correctly on the chair. Do not slouch. As far as possible, keep your spine in natural alignment.
• Stretch your body at regular intervals.
• The screen of your computer should be below or at eye level.
• Take short walks every hour. Do not sit continuously for hours.

International Yoga Day 2018 is on June 21. So, there is enough time for you to inculcate yoga in your life; so that when the D-day arrives, you can feel proud to be associated with this invaluable form of living.

Stretching, bending, and twisting the body creates a tremendous effect on body muscles. It combats stiffness and makes you feel active and raring to go once again. Effects of yoga on mental health are well known. Even a simple stretch or a minute of deep breathing can send "prana" (life force energy) gushing down into you. The following asanas are modified a bit so that you can perform them at your workstation.

International Yoga Day 2018: 3 Quick Asanas

This is a complete body stretch. Stand straight. Inhale deeply. Raise both arms above your head. Join your palms over the head in a "Namaste." Lift your heels. Balance yourselves on the toes. Stretch up as much as possible.

Benefits: This asana stretches all muscles on the body and relaxes them. It eliminates strains and energy blockages. As a result, you can concentrate on your work better and feel more active in the workplace. Letharginess vanishes.

Sit straight. Bend one leg. Hold your knee with interlocked fingers. Exhale and pull your knee to your chest. Hold on this position for 20 seconds. Release the knee while inhaling. Repeat with another leg.

Benefits: This helps to strengthen the abdomen muscles. It also helps to prevent troubles like gas and indigestion that often happen due to sitting long hours.

Keep your feet on the ground. Press your thigh bones to the chair. while inhaling, raise your right leg. Now cross it to your left. While you do this, keep your right hand in a straight position on the chair. With your left hand, hold your right knee. While inhaling, take your knee up and while exhaling take it down. Repeat with the left leg. Please breathe slowly while you twist your torso.

Benefits: This helps to increase flexibility.

The Yoga Lifestyle

International Yoga Day 2018 sends a reminder to all those who have not yet introduced yoga in their lives. Yoga is not like a gym that you set a particular time for exercising and then forget about them. Yoga is a way of life. You breathe and live it every second.

So, it is not that you attended Yoga Day 2018 celebrations and then revert to your incorrect postures and breathing. You must be in "yoga" while sitting, standing, walking, talking, eating, and sleeping.

Simple Hand, Neck, and Back Exercises for the Workplace

With the forthcoming World Yoga Day 2018, it is nice to "arm" yourselves with smart exercises that are quick and convenient to do at your workstation.

Hand exercises

1. Bring your hands forward in a straight position while sitting on the chair. Make fists with full strength. Feel the pressure. Now open them. Repeat this 10 times.
2. Make fists with complete strength. Rotate them clockwise and anti-clockwise, 10 times each.
3. While inhaling pull your hands with full strength and while exhaling, push them with equal strength.
4. Let your hands fall loose from the shoulders. Shake your arms and wrists. Rotate shoulders back and forth.

Neck exercises

1. Sit straight. Your feet must be on the ground and hands-on your sides.
2. Now inhale and turn your neck to your right. Hold in this position for 10 seconds.
3. Exhale and turn your neck to your left. Hold again for 10 seconds. Repeat this two times.
4. Return to the center position while inhaling.
5. Slowly tilt your head to the left and to the right, one by one, holding for 10 seconds each time. Repeat two times.
6. Inhale and tilt your head slowly to the back. Hold it for 10 seconds. Exhale and bring your head down to the front. Be like this for 10 seconds. Repeat this two times.
7. Now rotate your head in clockwise and anti-clockwise manner slowly. Do 5 rounds each.

Back exercise

1. Sit straight. Do your legs apart.
2. Stretch your arms up.
3. Slowly bend forward. Your palms must touch the floor. Be in this position for 20 seconds.
4. Return to the original position. Repeat 3-5 times.

International Yoga Day 2018 is supposed to be held in any one of the four shortlisted cities of India this year: Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mysore, and Hyderabad. However, each one of us can organize a yoga event on this day at our homes or workplaces. Why not start today? Since yoga is the buzzword these days, it is good to be in league with all the yoga enthusiasts and yoga instructors out there.

Author's Bio:

Shipra Singh is a senior content writer at lifepositive.com. She is a kidney donor and has experienced life's many colours, including grey shades, that have helped her discover her spiritual side. The writer believes her life is a novel and she makes sure to turn one page at a time to understand the Divine Plan better. A God-loving person, Shipra has healed herself of life's injuries through cooking and dance therapy.