Stress is a basic “trend” in our modern lives.
Society creates stress in our lives every single day. As individuals, we are reacting to every single daily stressor. This means not just our mind, but our body is fulfilled with stress, meaning our muscular tensions are higher, our posture is bad, and our hearts are pumping more, but in a chaotic way.
We heard all the time, that “you are what you eat”, I could put more pressure on what is the meaning of what we eat. eating, or getting nutrients, and fluids is what our body structure needs, but how about getting stress? Stress can be also helpful sometimes, as a positive approach, but our body needs relaxation, stretching, strengthening, and moving.
Yoga is one of the best long-term used stretching-strengthening “exercises” which involves all our Musco-skeletal system, body, mind, and soul, as well.
Of course, body movement can also be a stress on our system, but if we are doing it regularly, with calm and joy, everything will settle down in a very short time.
Yoga poses are proven to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, strengthen the body and mind and help maintain a level of stamina and youth. Practice is also helping in spine stretching, stability issues, circulation, and menstrual issues.
I have chosen this time the most powerful posture which really helps in lengthening, menstrual pains, strengthens the legs, opens the chest, helps in back and especially lower back pain, lengthens, and stretches the spine and side body. We call this pose Utthita Parsvakonasana or the Extended Side Angle pose.
How to do it:
- Stand facing the long side of your mat with your feet about a leg distance and take 1-2 deep breaths.
- Turn your right foot out, so your toes are pointing to the short edge of the mat, and then turn your left toes about 45 degrees. Find stability in this way.
- Exhale slowly and bend your right knee, thigh parallel to the floor, and knee above the ankle.
- Take a deep breath, inhale, and firm your lower abdomen in, pushing it a little back.
- Exhale and extend your body over your right leg, and bring down your right arm, either with your elbow on your right thigh, or place your hand on the floor to the inside or the outside of the right foot. We focus on stability here, so choose what is right for you. You can also use a block to place your hand on it.
- Bring up your left arm over your head and next to your left ear, slowly and breathe.
This posture has more variations, you can extend further the outside of your left heel through the left fingertips and push and extend your ribcage up and if your neck allows, you can look up through your left armpit right to the ceiling or to your hand.
7. Stay there and breathe slowly in and out, exhale and inhale for 10-15 breaths, relax and enjoy.
8. Come out from this pose slowly by moving down your arms, putting a pressing little bit into your legs, exhaling, then inhaling and changing sides slowly.
To ease the posture you can hold it only for 5 deep breaths, with a closed mouth. You can also put your right hand/elbow on your left thigh.
If you just had a vacation or an extended car journey, it is the best you can do to help your gluteus major and sciatica. Remember sitting is the worse “exercise” you can do 🙂
Many studies show that the Extended Side Angle pose is beneficial for those who have constipation, osteoporosis, menstrual imbalances, they are facing perimenopause or menopause symptoms. Opens not the chest but the heart, too.
Stiffness after a hard day spent in your office behind your computer can be managed by only this exercise, not to mention the work on your core muscles.
Stay with #vegnewworld to find more useful tips to live well and balanced in this stressful world.
Don’t miss out “Mind & Body in the Digital Era” session this November!!!
