CHENNAI: At a time when gyms, Corporation parks are closed and large public gatherings prohibited, physical fitness may take a toll during the period of home-quarantine. Along with this may come mental stress and anxiety as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps spreading across the globe.
In this time, experts say that yoga can be the ideal stress-buster for people and keep them fit even when they are in home quarantine, practicing social distancing. Express spoke to various certified yoga teachers, who said that people in home quarantine can take free live tutorials online.
‘‘People can find basic beginners’ yoga sessions on YouTube or the Zoom app. They can start practicing step by step,’’ says Saatvika Mangharam, a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher, who now conducts live yoga sessions on her Instagram page ‘Ekya Yoga’.
Saatvika, who has been a yoga teacher for more than three years, has started exploring virtual teaching after the recent developments on Coronavirus. ‘‘Virtual teaching has been in demand for a while. I do one session a day and even if people miss the session, it remains available for 24 hours so they can catch up later,’’ said Saatvika.
Yoga teachers say that parents can keep kids engaged through yoga too. ‘‘Incorporating more movements like jumps, kicks, crawls and the likes in the asana practice will keep the kids engaged,’’ says Aruna VN, a yoga teacher, who provides free virtual assistance through e-handbooks for beginners in her website www.yogadarshini.com.
Aruna said that practicing sun salutations or Surya Namaskar can be the ideal preliminary practice for beginners as it improves breathing and gives a full-body workout.
Though in home-quarantine, yoga teachers advise that a large number of people gathering to practice is unsafe. ‘‘It is definitely advisable to practice alone or in a small group of three people and not more than that,’’ said Shruthi Shankar Kumar, a yoga teacher.
She advises people to practice standing yoga postures, cat, cow poses and some floor exercises for strengthening. ‘‘People can check the KinoYoga Youtube Channel or there’s also a 15 day beginner yoga course on the Ventuno Youtube Yoga Channel,’’ said Shruthi.
Yoga teachers say that a person’s practicing time is completely up to their capacity and there’s no strict schedule. ‘‘Your practice is for you and it is okay even if you practice for 15 minutes,’’ said Niranjani Chandrasekaran, a city based yoga teacher.
However, Aruna of Yogadarshini says that an ideal practice time can be 45 minutes day.
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Some yoga poses advised by experts which people can find on YouTube
1. Padahastasana- hand to foot pose
2. Prasarita padottanasana
3. Viparita karani- legs up on the wall pose
4. Adho mukha savanasana- downward dog
5. urdhva prasarita padasana
6. Matsyasana - fish pose
7. Sarvangasana- shoulder stand
8. Halasana - plow pose
9. Sirsasana - headstand
10. Balasana- child pose