International Yoga Day – 15 Minutes of Peace
Yoga – an ancient physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in India. It has become one of the most trusted forms of exercise over the years.
On 21st June, International Yoga Day, this spiritual activity is celebrated worldwide. Groups of kids, adults, and older individuals come together to honor this day by having large yoga sessions, either outdoor or indoor. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.
The main purpose of yoga is to bring in rhythm. It symbolizes the union of body and consciousness. They are a set of movements that cultivate the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude throughout the day.
Yoga is a powerful practice for anyone dealing with anxiety and depression. Turning to yoga before a stressful day can calm down your nerves, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system, helping you spend the day feeling more centered.
There is no better way to start the day than with a morning yoga routine. Whether you need to ground down or energize yourself, the right flow of poses will help you tune your breath and body.
Challenging your body every morning with yoga poses brings stability to your thoughts, giving you the freedom and peace of mind. Starting with some warm-up poses and then eventually winding down –15 minutes of this spiritual practice will leave its positive effect for an entire day.
Grab onto your mat. Choose your favorite spot, preferably where the sunlight falls and the wind touches your face gently. Flow from one pose to another, holding and breathing as noted. Make this practice about moving intuitively. Keep your movement slow to feel serene throughout the day or build up your pace to have a boost of energy. The beauty of yoga is that it can be whatever you need it to be!
Yoga Poses:
- Breathing: Raise your hands upwards while taking a deep breath in, as you move your hands down, slowly exhale.
- Forward bend yoga pose: As you exhale, move down and touch your toes, leaving your body loose.
- Plank: Place your palms onto the ground and place your feet backward, one after another, coming into a plank pose. Stay here until 10 counts or more.
- Inversion yoga pose: Push your feet back, extend your back and come into an inversion yoga pose also known as downward dog. Stretch your back and your hands.
- Upward dog: Slowly come back to plank pose, rest your chin on your mat and slowly lift your upper body as you breathe in, stretch your hands and look up to the sky.
- Walk to hands: Slowly walk to your hands as you breathe normally
- Forward bend yoga pose: Lift yourself slightly up as you straighten your legs, then loosen your body. Roll side to side, leaving all your worries.
- Hands to heart: Slowly reach out to the sky as you breathe in, bring both hands together, and slowly bring them down to your chest as you exhale.
Repeat this 15 times or more as per your stamina. This will bring stability to your breath, balance to your body, and peace to your soul.