CHENNAI: Ardhkatichakrasan: This is a half chakrasan — an easy to do, side-bending pose.
STEPS: Stand with your feet together arms by your side. Feel mindful and breathe easy. Now inhale and raise your right arm up to shoulder level. Exhale — hold for a few seconds and slowly turn the right palm upwards. Now inhale and bring your right arm upwards so that your right upper arm touches your right ear. Right palm is now facing the left wall. Inhale again and bend laterally to the left as you exhale.
Continue with breathing cycles. Try to look up at your right hand. Feel an intense stretch on your right side and contraction on your left. Your upper body is adding load and making the stretch more intense. This is a passive stretch. Hold for 10-15 seconds. After an exhalation come up to standing with an inhalation. Release the arm the same way towards the sky first and slowly and mindfully lower it down. Repeat on the other side by raising the left arm up. Relax.
(AnshuVyas Seetharaman is a yoga and fitness trainer at Sri Aurobindo Society, Bengaluru)