Stretch It Baby!

Are late night card parties, even later fancy dinners, crazy drinking sessions and endless slouching finally taking a toll on you? Don't fret…just stretch. Practice these simple asanas and you'll be ready to roll again!

Feeling lethargic? Try this… TADASANA
Stand erect, heels together and put both hands on your chest and make sure your fingers are interlocked. Now stretch out your arms in front of your chest, and slowly raise them while breathing in. Raise your heels, stand on a tiptoe position and stretch your entire body upwards. Stay relaxed and breathe normally. Stay in the position as long as you can. Then slowly unlock your fingers and bring your arms down to your sides and relax. Repeat this asana two or three times in a day.
Benefits: Strengthens spine, ankles, knees, thighs, abdomen, shoulders and arms; beneficial for the spine, as it counters backaches, slip disc and even sciatica pain.
Rid your chest, back, shoulders and arms of all the fatigue ARDHACHAKRASANA
Stand erect, with your feet about a foot apart. Put both hands behind you; fingers interlocked. Inhale and bend your neck and waist backwards, according to your flexibility. Keep stretching your hands downward. Breathe normally in the final posture and hold it for as long as you can. Return to base position. Repeat twice.You can do this asana two to three
    times a day.
Benefits:
Strengthens spine and enhances flexibility; counters aches caused by slip disc, sciatica or other back problems. ON THE GO
Meeting, greeting and gifting can be quite exhaustive. And especially when it entails travelling or braving traffic jams! So, if you're getting really tired of all this, practise these simple exercises to overcome stress–on–the–move!

• With your full strength, clench your hands into fists and then unclench.

• Rotate your fists in both directions.

• Outstretch your arms ahead to shoulder level with your palms facing upwards. Keep arms fully flexed and bend them at the elbows to bring them towards your shoulders. Return them to original position with the same strength.

• Keep your hands on your shoulders and rotate elbows in clockwise and anticlockwise directions.
Benefits: These exercises remove weakness in the arms and alleviate joint pain; very helpful in curing stiff shoulder and neck. All you couch potatoes, take a break by watching TV in this pose
MAKARASANA
Lie on your stomach. Rest your elbows on the ground and make a receptacle with your palms and cup your chin. Bend your right leg at the knee and as you inhale, touch your hip with your right heel. Exhale and return leg to base position. Repeat for the left leg. Do this 3–5 times in a day.
Benefits:
Eases stiffness in the back. Strengthens knees, hips and spine; beneficial for those suffering from a slip disc

YOGACHARYA DR SURAKSHIT GOSWAMI