4 Yoga Exercises You Must Do Daily

Unlike most other forms of exercises, yoga is about gentle, conscious movements that are well timed with the correct breathing techniques. The beauty of the postures listed here is that they can be performed by anyone, regardless of age or expertise. Moreover, one may perform these exercises either early in the morning, evening or at any other suitable time in the day. Do remember, however, to perform these asanas 3–4 hours after a heavy meal.

* TADASANA

‘Tada’ in Sanskrit means mountain. Considered one of the foundational and most beneficial poses of yoga, Tadasana is the base of every other standing posture in yoga. It encourages proper body alignment and helps one understand the muscle movements that are involved while standing.

Drishti (the gazing technique): Your gaze should be fixed at a point in front of your eyes, and maintained at the eye level.

* PARVATASANA

‘Parvat’ in Sanskrit means mountain. Translated to ‘mountain pose’, the asana helps stretch the whole body, accelerating blood circulation and thus bringing many benefits.

Drishti: Your gaze should be fixed at a point in front of your eyes, and maintained at the eye level.

* UTTANA VAKRASANA

‘Ut’ in ‘Uttana’ means intense while ‘tan’ means to stretch; ‘vakra’ means twisted—‘uttana vakrasana’ means to come to an intensely twisted posture. This spinal-twisting posture helps soothe and help reduce back problems.

Drishti: You are to gaze at a point on your right side when your head turns to the right, and vice versa.

* BHUJANGASANA

‘Bhujanga’ translates to cobra in Sanskrit. Known as the ‘cobra pose’ in English, Bhujangasana strengthens the spine, chest, shoulders, abdomen and buttocks.

Drishti: Gaze in between your eyebrows (bhumadhya drishti)