The uncertain period of the lockdown has not only damaged many people’s finances due to job loss, but it has also increased stress, anxiety, and even depression among them. Sitting at home all day and working hard, few people have the self-discipline to exercise to keep stress levels at bay.
Not everyone possesses the energy, motivation or the will to follow a strict workout session. In such cases, yoga can prove quite essential in safeguarding our mental, emotional, and physical health especially in this time of COVID-19.
Tezpur-based yoga trainer Sanjeev Bhattacharjee says, “Yoga is known to change the underlying biology of any disease. For instance, if a patient is suffering from depression, there are high cortisol levels and low levels of brain repairing chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. When you treat such patients with yoga, their cortisol level drops, levels of brain repairing chemical increases and depression gets better.”
He recommended practising the ‘Siddhohum kriya’ to stay happy and healthy during these tough times. “Siddhohum kriya is a yogic practice that includes a meditation technique combined with a simple 5-step asana practice. The ideal time to do it is during sunrise, where each step is to be held for 1 minute while facing eastwards,” he says.
The five asanas involved are:
- Samasthithi:
Softly inhale and exhale naturally while reaffirming yourself by saying, “I am a part of this existence, and I exist eternally in the past, present, and the future.”
2. Pranam:
Stand straight with your eyes closed, joining your palms in front of your chest while inhaling deeply. Gently bow down and exhale. Hold this position for a minute and get back up. This is just a yogic way of “bowing down to the universe and seeking all its blessings”.
3. Pukar Stithi:
This is a prayer asking the universe for energy and knowledge. All you’ve got to do is to stand straight with your eyes closed, stretch your arms upwards, spread them at a 45-degree angle, and turn your palms inward. Inhale as you raise your arms up and then, continue to inhale and exhale as you normally would.
4. Prapti Stithi:
Stand straight with your eyes closed. Stretch your arms out in front of your chest turning your palms upward in the shape of a cup or a container while inhaling and exhaling normally. Hold this position for a minute and get back to the standing position.
5. Kritagyata:
This position is all about offering gratitude for what you have. So, stand straight with your eyes closed. Place your palms on your heart. Inhale as you raise your arms and continue the natural-breathing pattern as you hold this position for a minute.
Also read: The Do’s and Don’ts of your post-COVID-19 diet
