International Yoga Day 2022: 5 Yoga Poses To Cope With Stress And Rejuvenate Mental Health

New Delhi: Annually International Yoga Day 2022 is celebrated on June 21 to educate people about Yoga’s importance and the pivotal role it plays in leading towards a healthier lifestyle by rejuvenating our mind and body. The Ministry of Ayush chose ‘Yoga for Humanity’ as the theme for the eighth International Yoga Day. It focuses on how yoga helps people in achieving holistic health and also depicts how yoga has helped humanity during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic by easing suffering.

The pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Whether it was dealing with at-risk family members or patients, a roller-coaster economy, trying to juggle work, keeping kids occupied, or simply adjusting to a new, unfamiliar situation, several of us faced challenges that were stressful and overwhelming.

As stress impacts negatively on the body both physically and mentally, hence yoga helps to cope with it in a healthy way.

Also Read: International Yoga Day 2022: Quick Yoga Poses For The Children

Yoga for stress is one of the tools to cope with it. When inner peace is nowhere to be found, it’s time to tune into the body. So, set aside just a few minutes each day to practice any of these poses, as the key to maintaining that zen and unlocking yoga’s benefits by making a habit out of that practice.

1. Balasana

Excellent for relieving stress and anxiety, this pose involves curling up into a ball with your knees tucked under you and your chest near the mat. Keep your arms out in front of you and rest your forehead on the mat. Stay in that position for at least 10 deep breaths.

2. Anulom Vilom

It’s a specific type of pranayama, or controlled breathing, in yoga. It involves holding one nostril closed while inhaling, then holding the other nostril closed while exhaling. The process is then reversed and repeated. Doing this can bring better balance to your nervous system and less stress response and activity over time.

3. Vriksasana

Take one foot and place it above the thigh of the supporting leg. Vriksasana is an advanced mountain pose, intended to improve the yogi’s balance and concentration. It also helps in strengthening the balancing muscles of our legs.

4. Bhujangasana

It is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga. Begin by lying flat in your stomach and lift your upper body. Bhujangasana is said to help relieve stress and it strengthens your arms, shoulders, and upper back.

5. Savasana

Even if you want to opt-out of every other pose, please don’t miss out on this one as it simply involves laying down on your mat with the eyes closed. But from this small, deliberate movement come big changes for your stress levels.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.