My Yoga Routine

By Rita Putatunda

Here is a set of yoga exercises that I do to keep myself flexible and fit.

Let me begin by saying that I hate exercising. Period. But, I’m forced to exercise because things tend to get too out of hand otherwise (I tend to put on weight easily). So, over the years I’ve pared my exercise routine down to the barest of the bare minimum. About a 15-minute yoga workout which has 13 asanas (positions), including the Shavasana (the death pose), which is the last one, and is nothing but lying flat on your back with your eyes closed – the best asana of all, according to me. Here they are for you to check out.

To begin with, put on some soft, soothing music… try Hariprasad Chaurasia’s bansuri (bamboo flute), or Ravi Shankar’s sitar. The names of the asanas sound complex, don’t let that scare you off, most of the positions are fairly simple. Oh, and breathe normally through all these exercises. And also, don’t force your body to stretch beyond its capacity. Take it easy, and stretch further as you become more flexible with regular practice. So, here goes –

Utthita Trikonasana
Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. Turn the foot of your right leg outward, and the foot of your left leg a little inward. Raise your arms by your sides and hold them parallel to the floor. Now, bend sideways from the waist to touch your right foot with your right hand, with the left arm stretched toward the ceiling. Hold this position for a minute. Straighten up. And repeat on the other side. (Gives a great stretch and improves the flexibility of the body. Improves the balance too.)

Padahastasana
Stand with your feet together. Raise your arms overhead and bend forward from your waist and touch your toes. As you become more flexible, you can grab hold of your ankles and try to get your forehead to touch your knees. Hold for one minute. And return back to the starting position. (The spine and the hamstrings get a great
stretch.)

Janushirsasana
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend you left leg at the knee so that the sole of the foot rests on the inside thigh of your right leg. Now raise your arms and bend forward, and get hold of your right leg’s toes with both your hands. Try and get your face as close as possible t your right knee. Hold for one
minute and come up. Repeat on the other side. (Good stretch for the hamstrings and the back. Gives your internal organs a massage.)

Upavishtakonasana
Sit with your legs stretched sideways as far out as possible. Bend forward to try and touch your chin on the floor in front of you, while you grab hold of your toes on either side with your hands. Try to keep your spine as straight as possible, and try not to bend your knees. Hold for one minute. And release the stretch. (This gives an intense stretch to the inner thighs. Improves the flexibility of the pelvic region.)