By Shilpi Bhatt:
We lead very busy lives today. We often run after money, try and maintain a certain ‘status’ in the society and what not. Experiencing anxiety and stress isn’t something rare, given our unhealthy lifestyles. I am a woman in my thirties and migraine runs in the family. If you don’t attend to a migraine at once, it could ruin an entire day.
My husband is a firm believer in the saying – “Prevention is better than cure.” He would always encourage me to do yoga, but I never felt like doing it. I would do it for a few days and then quit. I wasn’t motivated enough till I figured that practising yoga could minimise the effects of a migraine, reduce anxiety, stress and back pain. I did it continuously for a week and felt the difference. Earlier, I used to get a migraine once or twice a week, but after incorporating yoga into my routine, the frequency has reduced drastically.
I found (after a little bit of internet research), that one could trace yoga’s origins back to ancient Indian philosophy; wherein it’s understood as a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices. There are various yoga practices, schools and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
If you carefully select and follow certain sets of yoga asanas (poses), it’ll improve the overall quality of your life, reduce heart rate and blood pressure. You’ll be able to concentrate better at work. Yoga improves the overall physical fitness and flexibility as well.
Following is my daily yoga routine that could give you an idea about how intensive it is:
Pranayam: 2 minutes
Surya Namaskar: 10 minutes (10 rounds)
Anulom Vilom: 2 minutes
Brahmari: 1 – 2 minutes
Brahshtika: 1 – 2 minutes
Kapalbhati: 1 – 2 minutes
And 5 minutes of meditation to finish the routine.
A 20 – 25 minutes investment is all it’ll take to lead a better life.
Yoga isn’t a panacea for all illnesses; it needs practice and a good instructor. Do not postpone seeing the doctor or replace proper medical treatment with yoga.
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