This exercises every joint, starting from the toes to the neck area. This frees up the joints and removes blockages, says yoga expert Kamini Bobde
Winter is around the corner which is a bane for people suffering from all kinds of joint problems. Osteoarthritis, which is caused mainly by the degeneration of the cartilage between the joints, is also impacted by cold weather as it aggravates inflammation and stiffness in the joints.
One of the main reasons for osteoarthritis is excess body weight, stress, a poor lifestyle and a diet rich in meat, fat and sugar. Any excess or imbalance in daily living impacts the complex systems of our body right down to the cellular level, thus disrupting the auto-immune system and the central nervous system. The simplest but most effective practice to start with for osteoarthritis is Sushma Vyvyan. This
exercises every joint of the body, starting from the toes to the neck area. This helps free up the joints, releases excess wind from the joints, removes blockages in the flow of pyranic energy and blood in the whole body. Synchronised with breath awareness, it helps better exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, resulting in better oxygenation. All this helps in preserving and reversing the cartilage degeneration.
SUKSHMA VYAYAM OR PAWANMUKTASANA SERIES 1: This whole practice can be done in a sitting posture either on the yoga mat, a reasonably stiff sofa or bed.
Sit comfortably with legs stretched out in front and palms behind your body with fingers pointing outwards, so that you can rest your back.
Toe movement
- Focus on your toes. With every inhalation, pull the toes of both legs up and with exhalation, bend them towards the floor. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds.
Ankle joint movement
- Bringing attention to the ankle joints, inhale and pull them towards yourself and with exhalation, stretch and bend them away from yourself. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds.
Knee joint movement
Inhale, then squeeze and tighten your knee joint with the kneecap automatically moving upwards. Exhale and relax the knee joint. This is one round. Do five to 10 rounds.
Hip joint movement
- Fold your right leg and place your right foot on your left thigh. Place your right hand on the right knee and left hand on your right toes. Rotate the hip joint by moving the leg in circular motion, drawing an invisible circle with your right knee. Inhale as the knee moves down and exhale as you pull your knee up. A clockwise rotation makes one round. Do five rounds in clockwise and five rounds in anti-clockwise direction.
- Do the same with the left hip joint.
Finger joints movement
- Sitting with legs stretched out, stretch your arms out in front of you along your shoulder with palms facing each other. Inhale, stretch all your fingers out maximum. Exhale and relax all finger joints. This is one round. Do at least 10 rounds.
- Wrist joint movement
- Then make a fist with your arms still stretched out and rotate the wrist joint for five rounds in the clockwise direction and five rounds in an anti-clockwise direction.
Elbow joint movement
- Cup your right elbow joint in your left palm. Then rotate the forearm in clockwise then anticlockwise direction for five to 10 times.
- Do the same for the left elbow joint.
Shoulder joint movement
- Fold both arms and place the tip of your right hand fingers on the right shoulder and the left hand fingers on the left shoulder. Join the elbows in front of the chest. Breathe in, pull both arms behind, then bring them back together in the front, thus completing one full rotation of both arms in the clockwise direction. Do five to 10 rounds.
Neck movement
- Inhale, throw your head at the back and look up. Exhale and lower your chin to the chest in slow, smooth movements. This is one round. Do five rounds.
- Sideways bending movement of the neck is done by inhaling when your head is straight. As you exhale, bend your head towards the right shoulder. Then inhale as you look straight and with exhalation bend the head to the left. Do five rounds.
- Keep your head straight and inhale. As you exhale, turn and twist your neck to the right looking as far back as possible. Repeat on the left side and do five rounds each.
- Sitting upright, rotate your neck area first in a clockwise and then in an anti-clockwise direction. Inhale as your head goes back and exhale as your chin moves towards your chest. Do five clockwise and five anticlockwise rotations.
Practise five minutes of Shraavana daily.
visit – https://shorturl.at/notvw
