The clouds bearing hues of grey, rainy days and cool weather are tempting enough reasons for people to stay indoors and relax. Instead of sweating in the gym a hot cup of chai with pakoras excite us all. While enjoying rains cannot be ignored, staying fit and active is essential for all of us. Drenching in rain for a gym session or running on a cloudy day might not seem fit, but some indoor yoga exercises during monsoons can bring about all the difference!
Bharat A Raikar of power yoga instructor and fitness trainer at Atmantan Wellness Centre, recommends a 45-minute indoor yoga workout session daily to stay fit and active during monsoons. There are simple yoga exercises that focus on strength, agility, meditation, relaxation, and awareness.
Surya Bhedana Pranayama
Pranayama focuses on a breathing technique that improves lung capacity, nerve cells and also improves focus. Surya Bhedana Pranayama is a way of alternative breathing where you inhale from one nostril, hold on to the breath and exhale from the other. In the cross-legged position, this breathing technique works much like meditation to bring in positivity, relaxation, and focus.
Surya Namaskar
Although the sun might not come out during a rainy day, Surya Namaskar is still a workout to indulge in monsoons. The concentrated movements of Vinyasa bring in strength, fluidity, and stamina. With a number of repetitions, Surya Namaskar can get you sweating and empowered with its poses. Makes for a great workout session!
Cat/Cow Pose
Get on your all fours with knees below the hips and palms below the shoulders. The cat-cow pose is an alternative body asana whereas you breathe in you drop the belly and raise the heard towards the sky, and with an exhale pull the belly in to form an inner curve and contract the belly muscles. Alternatively shifting from cat/cow poses helps bring flexibility, strength and meditational feel.
Bridge pose or Setu Bandhanasana
An excellent workout for the glutes, Set Bandhanasana helps build up immunity, strength, and flexibility. Lying on your back fold the knees and rest the feet on the ground. Gently raise the abdomen above the ground while tucking chin to the chest. Form a bridge pose and hold on to it for 10 seconds. Slowly land on your back and rest!
Naukasana
What better than a Naukasana or the boat pose during the monsoons? Laying on your back gently raise the upper and the lower body to form a boat in the form of an inverted V. Balance your hands parallel to the mat and hold on the pose while feeling the strength on the hips. This asana is a great core workout, muscle toning, and strength.
Downward facing dog or the Svanasana
From all fours pull your hip up and stretch the leg muscles to get into downward-facing dog pose. Make a firm hold on the ground with your foot and palms and experience the full-body stretch. This asana focuses on back muscle strength, hamstrings stretch and core. Paddle your legs, glide on to plank or raise one leg up for an intense version.
Bujangasana or the Cobra Pose
From the Downward-facing, dog poses glide to plank and rest all the way down on the mat. Planting your palms on the mat gently raise your shoulders off the ground to look at the sky. Bend the back and waist on to an outer curve to experience a stretch on the back. Cobra pose helps ace the breathing techniques, tones the muscles of the back and strengthens arms and shoulders.
When the rainfall doesn’t allow walking out of the house, make-at-home Yoga your go-to practice. It makes you fitter, stronger and more self-aware!
