Morning snarls, rush hour traffic, and the pollution can weigh the best of us down, even before reaching the work place, drawing from our productivity. The result is, we reach work half tired, irritated and ready to unleash our wrath on the slightest provocation. But what if there were ways to retain the loss of energy and simple exercises that you can practice while stuck in a thick unrelenting traffic! Here are seven yoga exercises from yoga expert Kamlesh Barwal, author of the book, Log Off To Log In, that you can do right at your steering wheel to relax and find peace in the moment.
Seated Head Massage
Keep the spine erect and the head straight
Breathing in, raise the right arm
Place the palm on top of the head
Gently massage the top of the head, in a circular motion, in a clockwise direction
Keep breathing smoothly and deeply throughout the exercise
Feel the tension in the head region easing
Feel more relaxed.
Blink, Squeeze, Eyes Open Wide
Keep the spine erect and the head straight
Close your eyes
Blink your eyes rapidly about 10-15 times
Blink your eyes slowly about 10-15 times
Shut your eyes as tightly as possible
Open your eyes as widely as possible
Repeat the action a few more times
Keep breathing smoothly and deeply throughout the exercise
Feel the tension around the eyes being released.
Jaw Release
Keep the spine erect and the head straight
Place the tips of your three fingers on the cheekbones
Look for muscles that make knots
Keeping your mouth relaxed, press firmly and massage the knots in a circular motion
Pressing down firmly, run your fingers, down along the jaw line towards your chin
Repeat the action a few more times
Keep breathing smoothly and deeply throughout the exercise
Feel the tightness in the face easing out.
Neck Rolls
Keep your spine, neck and head erect
Breathing in, raise your chin up and take the head back
Feel the stretch on your throat and the compression in your neck muscles
Hold the posture for a few seconds
Breathing out, bring your chin towards the chest
Rotate your head slowly a few times in both clockwise and anti-clockwise motion
Feel the relaxation in your neck.
Ear to Shoulder Stretch
Keep your spine, neck and head erect
Breathing in, raise your shoulders to your ears
Hold the posture
Breathing out, drop your shoulders
Repeat the action a few times Feel the muscles being squeezed in your upper back
Feel the energy move up as the spine is being stretched.
Quick Body Shake
Sit straight and tall
Keep your spine, neck and head in a straight line
Bring your hands near your chest
Relax and loosen your wrists, shoulders, and head
Shake your wrists, body and head together (more like when you dance)
Feel the stiffness leaving your body.
Simple Seated Twist
Sit straight
Keep your spine, neck and head in a straight line
Breathe in and twist your body towards the right
Twist your spine as much as you can
Stay in this position for 5 seconds
Breathe out and come back to your previous position.
Repeat on the other side
Investing 5-10 minutes in such short Yoga breaks can work wonders for the body and mind, says Kamlesh Barwal also CEO, Sri Sri School of Yoga. So, the next time you are stuck in a jam and find your head blowing a little steam, do these exercises and arrive at your destination with a lighter mind.
