Women often manage work and home responsibilities, making them more vulnerable to burnout. A yoga expert shares easy asanas to help calm the mind and body.
Women are hailed as multitaskers, from managing tight office deadlines to juggling multiple household chores, giving their everything to keep all the things running smoothly. But behind the productive grind lies a silent burnout, slowly chipping away at their health. They are stretched thin, working relentlessly and stay stressed the entire day. It’s already well-researched and documented that chronic stress, when left unchecked, causes serious health conditions over time. This is why women must introspect and look for holistic ways to stay calm, to prevent burnout.
Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, yoga expert and founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa, shared the importance of yoga to reduce stress.
He said, “In today’s world, women have a lot more on their plates than a few decades ago. Along with the primary responsibility of running a home and family, working women have taken up a lot for themselves, knowingly and unknowingly. However, this leads to burnout, a huge time crunch for personal care, and stress becoming an accepted part of a modern woman’s life. Though stress might seem like a mental health issue, the body also stores emotions, and physical health is impacted by stress levels, too. Through Yogic practices, stress can be managed holistically, through postures, breathwork and meditative practices.”
The yoga expert shared 4 easy yoga poses, explaining how to do them in simple steps and their potential benefits:
1. Baddhakonasana
How to do:
- Start from dandasana (seated posture with legs stretched out and together).
- Bend the knees and bring the base of both feet together, forming a namaste.
- Pull the feet close to the pelvis while pressing the knees towards the floor.
- Hold both feet together with the hands, lengthen the spine and push the chest outwards, avoiding leaning forward.
- Hold for 30 seconds to begin with, repeat 4-5 times.
Benefits:
- Helps in bringing hormonal balance, improves blood flow towards the pelvic area, and energises reproductive organs.
- It also regulates the menstrual cycle and relieves stress.
2. Balasana
How to do:
- Sit in Vajrasana, slowly place the palms in front of the knees, on the floor.
- Gently walk the palms forward till they fully extend, without lifting the pelvis off the heels, place the forehead in between the palms, keep the eyes closed and relax.
Benefits:
- Helps in releasing stress from the spine, which is directly connected to the central nervous system, reduces anxiety and relaxes the mind.
3. Anulom-vilom
How to do:
- Sit in a comfortable posture with the spine straight.
- Place the left hand on the left knee, with the right hand blocking the right nostril and inhale from the left, then block the left nostril and exhale from the right.
- Now inhale from the right nostril while the left is still blocked, then block the right and exhale from the left.
- This completes one cycle. Practice 5-10 cycles, maintaining the breath as slow as possible.
Benefits:
- It balances both sides of the brain, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, as this asana immediately calms the mind, reduces anxiety and regulates blood flow in the whole body.
4. Shwaas dhyaan
How to do:
- It can be practised at any time to immediately calm the mind and re-focus.
- Sit in a comfortable posture with the spine straight, both palms facing upwards, on the knees.
- With eyes closed, start focusing on the movement of the breath. Inhale for 3 seconds, hold the breath inside for 3 seconds and exhale slowly in 3 seconds.
Benefits:
- This practice calms down an anxious mind, helps increase awareness.
- It also brings the mind to the present, reducing mental clutter and improving focus.
Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar concluded, “It is extremely important to bring the focus back to health, both physical and mental. Besides exercise, the quality of sleep is a major factor in relaxing and restoring the body and mind. Practices like Yoganidra and Bhramari Pranayama have an immense positive impact on sleep quality and are simple to apply. Yoga offers practical solutions to minimise stress and sustain a healthy lifestyle. Women are the influencers of emotional health and lifestyle habits in any society. Yoga helps nurture healthy women for a healthy society.”
