On the longest day of the year, June 21, the international day of Yoga is celebrated to acknowledge and practice the ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice of yoga. The idea was first initialized in 2014 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed this idea during his address to the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. The year after that, International Day of Yoga was celebrated on June 21 and is being celebrated in full swing every since then.
The theme for this year’s International Day of Yoga was announced during the 102nd of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ by Narendra Modi. The theme is, ‘Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘Yoga for the Welfare of All as One World-One Family’, and it highlights yoga as a practice that connects and unites everyone. Why is yoga important? Many believe that yoga is a great, yet simple form of exercise. However, yoga is more than just a physical exercise. Performing yoga asanas is extremely beneficial to one’s overall well-being, as it involves self-awareness, meditation, breath work and chanting. So, here are a few yoga poses that you can practice as a beginner and get into the habit of practising yoga.
Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)
Vajrasana is one of the most basic yoga poses that can be practiced even by beginners as it is a simple ‘sitting asana.’ This helps in easy digestion and strengthens the back and leg muscles and also improves posture. It is also good a warm-up exercise that will be helpful to perform more complex types of yoga poses.
Halasana (Plow Pose)
Halasana is a little-advanced type of yoga pose for beginners as it can cause a great deal of muscle trauma if it is not performed correctly. The term Halasana means ‘plow’ and ‘posture’ in Sanskrit. Halasana is often used to help treat reproductive problems, especially in women.
Chakrasana (Wheel Pose)
Excellent for the flexibility of the spine, Chakrasana helps in burning the fat in the abdomen area and tones the muscles; promoting better functioning of digestive and reproductive organs. Not only does it enhance the oxygen flow to the lungs, but it also purifies the blood and gives good peace and clarity of thought and removes unwanted tiredness.
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
The term Bhujangasana is a combination of two Sanskrit words ‘bhujanga’ meaning snake or serpent and asana meaning posture. Bhujangasana is performed by stretching the muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdomen and thus helps to decrease the stiffness of the lower back and to increase upper body flexibility.
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
This type of yoga must be performed on an empty stomach or after 4-6 hours of an interval from food. Even though this looks a little difficult to execute, it is quite easy with a little bit of practice. This is also called the bow pose and requires stretching of the abdomen, thorax, thighs, ankles, groin, throat, front of the body, etc. It strengthens the back muscles, improves blood circulation, and is also known to cure a lot of menstrual disorders.
Yoga is one of the best forms of physical exercise that one can practice for the rest of their life. If yoga isn’t something you’ve felt like getting into yet, use International Day of Yoga 2023 as the opportunity and get started!
