Feel those muscles knotting up?
Stress today, has become an integral part of the modern man’s lifestyle – leaving no age group untouched. Work pressure, emotional discord, friendship/relationship problems, pressure to excel at academia or sports…all of us go through stress in some form or the other.
Sadly, what we don’t factor in with stress are long work hours, improper posture, agitation, muscle pains etc., all of which result in faster wear and tear of cells all leading to weak and bent spines, cervical issues, frozen shoulder etc. not to mention some life-long problems.
The human body is a complex system of organs, senses and consciousness. From conception to old age, it is a constant change. Cells multiply and cells die. This continuous process goes on and the body goes through the process called life. In any normal person’s lifespan, the complete life is a continuous exercise to satisfy the five senses, that’s it. Result, the destruction of the body.
Infact, when you look around, you will find that people are not very different from one another. They go through similar life experiences – each one stressed, disturbed by the same set of problems – health, finances and relationships. It is these stresses that weigh down an individual all through the life keeping him/her entangled in the everyday struggle.
…While stress…it only increases, never subsides – deteriorating the body further and faster.
In the book ‘ Sanatan Kriya Ageless Dimension’, I have detailed techniques to reduce stress and arrest the body’s ageing process.
Here, I list below some asans that help bring down stress levels while simultaneously also easing the muscles most affected by stress.
Shroni Chakra (hip circles) – The shroni chakra works on your hip joints and stimulates the muscles around the rectum and the bladder. For this, rest the right ankle on the left thigh, place your right hand on the right knee and with the left support the ankle. Next holding the ankle in position, make circles with the folded right leg – seven in forward direction and seven backward while synchronising the breath with the rotation, keeping eyes closed and maintaining awareness on that part of the body. Repeat on the other leg.
Skanda Sanchalan (shoulder rotation) – Place the middle three fingers on your shoulders, thumb and little finger pointing outwards. Keeping your neck straight, begin the shoulder rotation – moving from front to back, touch your elbows in front of your nose, then point your elbows towards the sky, then your wrists touch each other at the back and come down. Inhale for half circle, exhale in the other half. Repeat this seven times and then do the back to front movement in the same manner seven times. Besides maintaining the shape of the chest and the shoulders this asan is extremely effective in releasing the strain of driving or office work and is specifically helpful in cervical spondylitis and frozen shoulder.
Greeva Sanchalan (neck rotation) – Sitting in prarambhik sthiti, slowly start rotating the neck clockwise and then anticlockwise. Synchronise the rotation with your breath and repeat seven times in both directions. It is a known fact that all the nerves which connect the different limbs and organs in the body pass through the neck. This asan releases tension, heaviness and stiffness in the shoulders, neck and the head. Those suffering from cervical spondylitis should avoid forward bending of the neck.
It is important to note that asans are not exercises, and is only 1/8th limb of Yog. To truly experience and benefit from yog one has to practice it in its entirety and under the guidance of a Guru, not bound by maya.
Healthy Tip# Massage your body with sesame oil to reduce stress, tiredness and pain. Massaged especially on joints and swollen areas, it helps in bringing down the pain while also making joints and bones stronger.
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