International Yoga Day: 4 ways in which you can inculcate it in your everyday life

Yoga has really caught up in modern day India, with popular figures like Baba Ramdev and Shilpa Shetty spreading awareness on its benefits. On the occasion of International Yoga Day, we need to understand that the regular practice of yoga is something sorely needed at a time when quick-fix solutions are taking over from age-old natural remedies.

Instead of balancing the various aspects of our lives, we have succumbed to excesses and become dependant on artificial things for happiness and comfort. As a result, lifestyle diseases have become the norm and we face problems eating, sleeping and concentrating.

However, keeping in touch with yogic principles can help us shun expensive material solutions for problems of everyday life. Here are some ways to inculcate yoga in our everyday lives:

Stop and smell the roses: You need to learn to breathe in the hustle bustle of your fast-paced lifestyle. The air you inhale provides you with prana energy, and when you breathe rapidly or take short breaths, this prana energy starts to reduce. “Breathing exercises or pranayama, which are part of an ayurvedic lifestyle regimen, revitalise your body. Pranayama drives the energy of the air (prana) through your body, restoring it and preserving its vitality,” says Dr Partap Chauhan, director, Jiva Ayurveda, Delhi.

Just 5 minutes of pranayam daily can lead to a host of health benefits for you. (Shutterstock)

Strength building: You don’t get stronger just by doing bench press or sweating it out in the gym. Simple yoga postures (such as hatha yoga) can make your body strong, supple and healthy. Your body will become more agile and flexible, so you can do your best in all situations at work or outdoors.

Healthy eating: If you eat healthy, you won’t need medicines. The secret to eating healthy is to eat in accordance with your body type and have a sattvic diet. How should one do this? “It is easy. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables for your diet; eat freshly prepared, easy-to-digest foods. Avoid fast food as it slows you down,” says Dr Partap.

Sattvic practices: In order to attain sattva (purity and positivity), just avoiding non-vegetarian food items, onion and garlic is just not enough. “The things you read, the music you choose to listen to, the images and videos you watch – everything influences your gunas. If you watch and listen to sattvic information, your sattva guna will increase. Similarly, if you are surrounded by tamasic (dark and negative) things all day, your tamasic guna will increase. How you behave with people around you should also be sattvic,” says Dr Keshav, a senior ayurveda physician based out of Delhi.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more