Yoga for the soul: Follow these effective techniques to calm down COVID 19 stress

Yoga is known to bring mental peace and is effective in calming those nerves. Currently, a lot has been happening in the country, people are dealing with losses of their close ones, medical facilities are lacking and there is chaos everywhere. At such times, it is very crucial for an individual to take care of their mental health. Just like masks, sanitisers, and now vaccines are helping people cope with the pandemic.

Yoga definitely helps in dealing with the toll that this pandemic is taking on your mental as well as physical health. Have a look at some effective yoga techniques shared by Yoga expert, Ira Trivedi, to calm down the COVID 19 stress to help you stay calm during this pandemic. 

1. Sit up straight in a comfortable posture while keeping your spine straight and begin to slow down the breath. Try to make the breath long without breathing in extra. Breathe in slowly and exhale. You can also count to make your breaths longer. Inhale for 4 counts and exhale for 4 counts. 

2. Take a deep breath in and take two fingers and close the upper part of the ear while pressing it down. Then make a sound of humming bee upon exhalation. Breathe in through your nose and exhale while making the humming bee sound. Bring the hands down slowly. This yoga technique, known as humming bee breath, helps in calming down the mind and in reducing anxiety.

3. This practice, known as Kumbhaka in yoga involves retention of the breath and is effective in strengthening the mind. Sit comfortably while keeping your spine straight and take a deep breath in. Hold the breath and envision the point between the forehead and stay for at least 20 seconds at this point. Exhale slowly when you feel a slight pressure in the lungs. 

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