Yoga postures to protect your back and neck

You have started preparing for TSPSC exams, chalked out your schedule and planned meals that don’t make you sleep. But have you kept aside time for meditation and yoga? Over time, studying for long durations can affect your mind and body significantly. It’s important to balance yourself with breathing exercises and also practise yoga postures on a regular basis to strengthen your spine and protect your neck after longer hours of sitting.

Ravindra Kapadia, who has been a yoga practitioner and teacher since 1992 at Gandhi Gyan Mandir Yoga Kendra in Koti, shares some beneficial poses for students preparing for TSPSC exams.
It is ideal to do yoga first thing in the morning on an empty stomach for at least 10 minutes. Students can also perform these yoga postures in the evening depending on how empty their stomach is.

Salabhasana
The ‘salabhasana’ can help people who have back issues due to being hunched over books for hours. “It can relieve back pain, fix an abnormal curvature of the spine and prevents slouching. It strengthens your back muscles, especially your spine, pelvic organs, legs, hip joints and arms,” explains Ravinder Kapadia. This can give a good relief after long hours of sitting and forward bending while studying on table top or benches.

Steps:
Exhale and in three seconds, raise the right leg (kept straight) as high as possible without lifting the hips; keeping the left leg firmly on the ground. While raising the leg, secure the palms and contract the lower back muscles. Maintain this pose for six seconds and suspend the breath in the final pose. Return to starting position, then inhale and in three seconds, gently bring the raised foot down. Follow the steps with the left leg. Then perform the ‘asana’ raising both legs simultaneously, while exhaling to complete one round. Also, do the pose at a slow pace so you do not hurt your back muscles in a hurry.

Markatasana
Also called monkey spinal twist pose, this is another posture which helps alleviate lower back pain. It also improves memory and calms the body. It will also help you strech your back muscles and relax your body from the stiffness of sitting almost all day for studying. It will also help ease up your shoulders a bit.

Steps:
Lie down straight on your back. Spread both hands at the level of your shoulders and keep palms open. Now fold your right leg to the knee, and while inhaling, turn to the left side as much as you can. Turn your neck to the right side and hold this position for a few seconds. Preferably, try to touch your knee to the floor without lifting your hip for a better result. Now while exhaling, come to the starting position. Straighten your leg to ease up and get back to folding your left leg at knee to do the ‘asana’ on the other side. While inhaling, turn your left knee to the right side as much as you can and turn your neck to the left side. Hold this position for a few seconds and while exhaling, come back to the starting position. Repeat this for 10 times.

— Kota Saumya