‘Sitting is the new smoking’ – we’ve all heard this by now. If you look at the statement from the copywriter’s viewpoint, it’s a great one. In one line you’re brought to terms with this revelation that sitting for extended hours is harmful for health. Obviously the statement is grossly exaggerated and in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health, researchers from Canada, the US and Australia debunked this myth as well. Sitting for long hours however harmful it is, its dangers cannot be compared to smoking.
The fact still remains that one shouldn’t sit for prolonged hours, and that’s why inventors invented standing desks and yoga stretches for office hours. That’s all good but if you’re working in any major city in the world, you’re spending a reasonable to considerable, depending on the city, time of your day commuting to and fro from the workplace. What about all the hours spent sitting inside that little 4by4 space with wheels? The time spent in traffic jams could be better spent for our health, if we add some yoga to the mix. So, without further ado, here are some yoga postures you can try the next time you’re stuck in a traffic especially in cities or simply when you’re driving for long hours for a work trip or a vacation.
a) Shoulder Rolls:
Drop your shoulders to gravity, and gently and slowly roll them while syncing it with breath. Do it 3-5 times in both clockwise and anti-clockwise direction
b) Car Gomukhasana (Cow face pose):
Start with the left arm by raising it above your head and bend the elbow, dropping the hand behind your shoulder. Simultaneously, bring the right arm behind your back and interlock both hands. Take 3-5 deep breaths, release and repeat with the right arm
c) Neck stretches:
Up and down: Breathe in and look up, pointing your chin towards the roof of your car. Breathe out and look down, bringing the chin close to your chest. (5 times)
Sideways: Breathe in, and look towards the right, breathe out come to the centre, and breathe in and go to the left. (5 times)
Roll: Now let’s combine the above two and roll your neck 360 degrees. Breathe in while going up and breathe out going down
d) Seated Spinal Twist:
Grounding your lower portion of the body firmly, take your left arm behind your seat, and turn your upper body and head in the same direction and look back. Breathing in, elongate your spine, breathing out, twist more. Do this for 5 breaths and then repeat for the right arm
e) Lotus pose or Padmasana:
while keeping the spine erect, bend the right knee and place it on the left thigh. Make sure that the sole of the feet point upward and the heel is close to the abdomen. Now, if you can repeat the same step with the other leg or stay in Ardha – Padmasana (Half – Lotus pose) by placing any resting one leg on the opposite thigh.
Details: Padmasana
f) Seated Cat pose:
Keep both hands on the steering wheel at the same level, sit erect and while breathing in, backbend and push your stomach out towards the steering wheel and let your head fall back a little. Breathe out, hunch forward and pull your navel in towards the spine. (5 times)
g) Nadi shodhan pranayama (alternate nostril breathing technique):
Nadi shodhan pranayama (alternate nostril breathing technique): It calms and centres the mind by bringing harmony between both the hemispheres of the brain. It’s best to try this only if you are sure you can get 2 uninterrupted stationary minutes to practice this. Watch this video to learn it now:
We promised you 7 yoga exercises but here’s a bonus one – meditate - with open eyes.
Whenever you get a chance, relax and let go of all efforts, and simply be mindful of the breath flowing in and out of the body. They say there are as many yoga poses in the world as there are species, so there are a lot more than seven that you can do while driving or riding. We recommend you to try a Sri Sri Yoga program near you, become a yogi yourself and make your yoga poses on the go
