There won't be public gatherings, no live events happening nor doing yoga together with friends—the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way the International Yoga Day will be celebrated this year. Yoga needs no introduction. The benefits of this ancient form of physical, spiritual and mental practice are way too many and over the years, has become an important part of millennials' daily lives. It helps not only one stay physically, but mentally fit as well.
Speaking about the importance of yoga in COVID times, Ira Trivedi, author and yoga acharya, says, “Yoga works on many levels: mental, physical and emotional. And, amid the coronavirus crisis, we need yoga more than before as yoga can help strengthen respiratory system, boost immunity and also help manage stress, tension that these uncertain times have brought with it.”
Deepshikha Deshmukh, Producer
Yoga, for me, is universal goodness. It is that which helps me manage stress, calms my anxious moments and keeps me relaxed. While doing yoga not only do, I feel elevated in mind but also body and soul. A kind of calmness enters me and I feel the stress leaving me by the second, my mind gets devoid of clutter and my thought processes also take a direction. I can’t imagine a morning without pranayama. Everyone who is busy during the day needs to engage in some amount of yoga to feel the energy. While I do it for just 20 minutes given my hectic schedule, the process gets me going for the day ahead. Not only does yoga calm my nerves but it also keeps the muscles in motion. While I am biased towards pranayama and breathing exercises, I wish I could make more time to do the asanas. During work, even during a short break, I do attempt to do simple asanas and pranayams to relax my body and mind. There is nothing like yoga to keep the momentum going. For those who have not tried yoga at all, you must, it will make a world of difference. My favourite yoga asanas are all types of inversions.
Adah Sharma, actor
Padmasana on the mallakhamb rope is my favourite asana. My mother is a yoga teacher and I've been doing yoga with her since I was a child. Now, during lockdown, we have been meditating together. We also do yoga on the mallakhamb rope together of which I shared a video doing shavasana on the rope.
Gurmeet Choudhary, actor
With gyms inaccessible yoga is the only way to keep oneself fit. I have been doing isha kriya twice daily along with chanting 'Om'. Yoga for me is finding my inner peace. I have always been a fitness fanatic. During lockdown it’s important to keep fit mentally as well as physically. Hence I have taken to yoga extensively.
Vatsal Seth
Yoga is one of the most important things people should practice because it has a lot of benefits. Since breathing exercise is an important part of yoga it helps you to control your breath, calms you down. Most of the asanas are inspired from animals, nature and when you start practising yoga regularly you see the difference. I love doing the gomukh asana: It does wonder for the whole upper, lower body and is amazing for the back.
Alankrita Sahay, actor
Yoga is important for me because it’s not a workout it’s a work-in: It helps me inhale the future and exhale the past...it teaches me to live in the present. I am very obsessive about the past and future, but yoga helps me stay calm and focused. I started doing yoga in 2013 along with my best friend Nirupama. She is very spiritual and believes in magic like me. During one of our trips to Goa we attended a workshop on yoga and then there was no looking back for us. When I have hard days, I just breathe and try to let go as the asanas teach us — letting go is the hardest asana. I enjoy being there in the moment that’s the only time I feel free and away from the chaos. I’m still balancing and learning more about me and my body through yoga.
Kranti Prakash Jha, actor
Yoga is a way of life where you not only take care of your body, but also your inner self. It also paves way for you to spend some 'me' time. It teaches you patience. It also teaches you to respect your body. If your body is healthy, your thoughts become healthy and if thoughts are healthy your world is healthy. My favourite is mayurasana, sirsasana and chakrasana.
Karishma Kotak, actor
Photo Credit: Twitter
I guess it’s important to take some out everyday for yourself and just breathe. It helps in keeping our mental and physical health intact. It helps us to connect to nature. Furthermore, your body becomes more flexible after consistent yoga practice and you also develop a great sense of self-discipline and self-awareness. In short, we need to do this to align our thoughts and our chakras. I love surya namaskars.
Tarun Khanna, actor
I was into yoga since childhood. I did a lot of Karate as well and a lot of Karate exercises include yoga asanas, but are known by different names. I practice yoga for an hour every day in the morning, it is a part of my daily routine irrespective where I am. I make sure I sit in vajrasana while having food. I have also mastered mayurasana over the years and now I am practising bakasana and will eventually look at doing a handstand. Yoga is very good for an actor as it helps in concentrating and internalising thoughts. I would recommend yoga to everyone.
Aparna Dixit, actor
I absolutely love yoga specially head stands are my favourite. It soothes me, gives me peace, teaches me balance physically and emotionally. I feel yoga is something that brings a positive change in you from within. The more you practice it, the more it heals and strengthens you. I make sure to do breathing exercises regularly. Yoga is like a calm amidst all the chaos around us.
