My Yoga Routine

Namaskaram

Image courtesy of blogs.plos.org

People ask me how do I find the time to fit in yoga practices into my day. Yoga makes me happy, very happy. When i go by a day that I do not get to do some yoga practices, I find myself feeling sad. Yoga practice, any sort, it can be asanas, meditation or a simple headstand in the morning, can rejuvenate my spirit for the day. I would feel happy, like I just moved a whole mountain ;)

When we do it in class, everything feels very lengthy and time consuming, how do we make our own yoga routine with selected types of asanas to energize the body.

Ever since, I have lost my sleep at early hours in the morning, I decided to see it as a good sign for me to include something to the extra time to compensate my beauty sleep. And so i did, i included yoga.

In the beginning, it has been just 6 rounds of sun salutation. Then I began including lateral stretches and forward bending to loosen my side and back muscles. Little by little, the 1/2 hour yoga time became an hour of yoga practice.

Surya Namaskaram (Sun Salutation)

I have shortened my salutation to 3 sets a day and I do a 12 set of salutation once every week.

(I have written a detail post on surya namaskaram, linked above)

Forward bending 

5 sets, 5 counts, I do it while sitting and sometimes while standing. (Picture below)

Lateral stretch

5 sets on each side, 5 counts each. I do this position while standing or sitting positions on alternate days. (Pictures below)

Arm strength routine

This consists of 3 poses combined into one routine. I do 2 to 3 sets of this, depending on my energy :)

Abdominal Crunch

• Upper Abdomen - Heads up, with arms behind the head. Exhale, and lift up both your legs, inhale and slowly bring it down, but do not touch the floor. Repeat this for 5 counts. 
• Lower Abdomen - Lift up your legs. Put your arms behind your head and lift up your chest. Do this for 5 counts.

Bridge Pose

Hold in the position as long as you can. 5 minutes a day is ideal. I do this because this helps to maintain the reproductive organs in good condition.

Headstand

My ultimate addiction. I use the wall to do this pose for now. Hence, the reason for adding no.5 into my yoga asanas to build up my abdominal muscles. In future, this would help me to kick up with balance and come down with good balance and strength.

All this fitted into an hour.

Sometimes, I do not get to fit all of it in the morning, so I split them. I do my sun salutation, Bridge pose and Headstand in the morning and move the rest of it in the evening. Though I prefer to do them all in the morning, because I know my food is completely digested and I have an empty stomach. Yoga is best practiced in the morning from 4 to 6am with empty stomach.

Hope this would help you plan your own yoga routine at home.

Wishing you Peace, Love and Harmony
Om