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It was a historic day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the United Nations General Assembly. The world decided to honor the glorious practice of yoga by giving it formal international recognition. I am very happy that on the 21st of June, India’s first International Yoga Day was announced. On 27th September 2014, the Prime Minister of India convened the General Assembly of the United Nations and proposed that International Yoga Day be celebrated on the 21st of June. In just 75 days, this proposal was fulfilled with 177 countries as co-presenters, and it became a new milestone in itself that 177 countries became co-presenters. Yoga is not just an exercise. Yoga takes away the stress of a stressed person and makes him stress-free. Yoga calms the restless mind, so come, let us all adopt yoga, let our mind also calm down and move forward on the path of world peace. Yoga is a cultural heritage of India. Thousands of years ago, through our ancestors, yoga methods and practices were developed through the human body, mind, and soul. Today, yoga is spreading all over the world, and many yoga gurus have contributed to its spread. Through yoga, people all over the world are taking advantage of the health benefits. I wish you all the best for the successful organization of Viśva Yoga Day. Welcome to the world of yoga. Let us start yoga sādhanā with chalana kriyās or loosening practices to increase microcirculation. Neck exercises: forward and backward neck bending. Stand in an alert posture. Keep your feet comfortably apart and your arms on your waist. Exhale and bend your head forward slowly, trying to touch your chin to your chest. Inhale. Inhale. Move the head as far back as is comfortable and come back with exhalation. Right and left neck bending. Exhale. Bend the head slowly to the right. Bring the ear as close as possible to the shoulder. Inhale. Bring the head to the normal position. Exhale. Bend the head to the left side. Inhale. Bring the head up to the normal position. Right and left twisting. Exhale. Gently turn the head to the right side so that the chin is in line with the shoulder. Inhale. Bring the head to the normal position. Exhale. Turn the head to the left side. Inhale, and bring the head to the normal position. Neck rotation: Bend the head forward, trying to touch the chin to the chest. Inhale, slowly rotate the head clockwise while coming down. Exhale, rotate the head in the anti-clockwise direction. Feel the stretch around the neck, the loosening up of the joints and muscles, and the release of tension in the neck. People with neck pain and spondylitis should do the practice gently. Trunk twisting. Keep the legs about two feet apart. Raise both arms up to chest level with the palms facing each other. Exhale, twist the body towards the right side so that the left palm touches the right shoulder. Come back with inhalation. Now, exhale, and twist the body towards the left side so that the right palm touches the left shoulder. Come back with inhalation. Repeat, do it slowly with breathing. Avoid this practice in case of vertebral and disc disorders and during menstruation. Relax in a standing posture. Knee movements. Inhale. Lift your arms up to shoulder level. Exhale. Bend the knees and bring down your body to the squatting position. Inhale and straighten the body. Repeat two more times. This practice strengthens the knees and hip joints. Avoid this in case of suffering from acute arthritis. Exhale while bringing down the hands. Now, let us move to Yogasana. Tārāsana. Tār means palm tree. Keep your feet two inches apart. Interlock the fingers and turn the wrists outwards. Inhale. Raise the arms up and bring them in line with the shoulders. Raise the heels off the floor and balance on the toes. Stay in this position for 10 to 15 seconds. This asana brings stability in the body. Helps to clear up congestion of the spinal nerves. Corrects faulty posture. Exhale, bring the heels down. Release the interlock of the fingers and bring the arms down parallel to the trunk. And come back to a standing posture. Vṛkṣāsana. Vṛkṣa means tree. Stand with the feet two inches apart. Focus on a point in front. Exhale, bend the right leg. Dīp Karatā Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā He Kevalam. Pāda Hastāsana: Pāda means foot, Hasta means hand. Inhale slowly and raise the arms up. Stretch the body up from the waist. Exhale and bend forward until the entire palm rests on the ground. Maintain this final posture for 10 to 30 seconds. Those who have a stiff back should bend according to their capacity. Now inhale, come up slowly to the vertical position, and stretch the arms above the head. Exhale and slowly return to the starting position in reverse order. Relax. Ardha Chakrāsana. Support the back at the waist. Purījī, Purījī... Trikonāsana. Trikon means triangle. Stand with your feet comfortably apart. Slowly raise both arms sideways until they are horizontal. Exhale. Slowly bend to the right side and place the right hand just behind the right foot. The left arm is straight up in line with the right arm. Remain in this posture for 10 to 30 seconds with normal breathing. This prevents flat foot, strengthens the calf, thigh, and waist muscles, and makes the spine flexible. As you inhale, slowly come up. Repeat for the left side. Avoid this posture in case of slipped disc, śāyatika, and after undergoing abdominal surgery. Do not go beyond your limits. Bhadrāsana. Let us now get ready for sitting postures. Bhadrāsana: Bhadra means firm. Sit erect with the legs stretched out straight in front. Keep the hands beside the hips. This is Daṇḍāsana. Now, put the soles of your feet together. Exhale and clasp your hands together over your toes. Pull your heels as close as possible up to the perineum region. This is the final position. Stay here for some time. Bhadrāsana keeps the body firm and stabilizes the mind. Now stretch your leg and come to Viśrāmāsana. Avoid this practice in case of severe arthritis and sciatica. Ardha Ustrāsana. Uṣṭra means camel. Come to Daṇḍāsana. Fold your legs and sit on your heels. Keep the thighs close and the big toes touching. Place the hands on the knees. This is Vajrāsana. Now, let us start Ardha Ustrāsana. Inhale and rise, and stand on your knees. Exhale, keep your palms on the hips with fingers pointing downwards. Keep the elbows and shoulders parallel. Bend the head back and stretch the neck muscles. Inhale and bend the trunk backwards as much as is comfortable. Exhale and relax. This is the final position. Now inhale and come up. Exhale, put your hands down and sit in Vajrāsana. Avoid this āsana during abdominal injuries, vertigo, and pregnancy. Śaśāṅkāsana. Śaśāṅk means hare. Spread both the knees wide apart. Keep the toes touching. Keep the palms between the knees. Exhale and slowly stretch them to full length. Bend forward and place the chin on the ground. Keep the arms parallel. Look in front and maintain the posture. This helps to reduce stress and anger. Inhale and come up. Exhale and come back to Vajrāsana. Stretch your legs back to Viśrāmāsana. Patients with osteoarthritis should do this with caution. Vakrāsana. Vakra means twisted. Bend the right leg and place the right foot beside the left knee. Bring the left arm around the right knee and place the palm beside the right foot. Exhale, twist the body and neck to the right. Comfortably remain in this posture. Turn your head back, take out your hands with exhalation, and stretch your legs. Now, come back and relax in Viśrāmāsana. This asana increases the flexibility of the spine. It helps to overcome constipation and dyspepsia, and in the management of diabetes. Repeat the same on the other side. Turn your head back. Take out your hands with exhalation. Stretch your legs. Now come back and relax in Viśrāmāsana. Pūjaṅgāsana. Now let us be ready for prone postures. Pūjaṅgāsana. Pūjaṅg means snake or cobra. Lie down on your stomach, rest your head on your hands, and relax the body. Now, join your legs and stretch your arms. Keep your forehead on the ground. Keep your palms beside the chest and raise the elbows. Inhale, lift the chin and chest up to the navel region. This is Pūjaṅgāsana. This āsana is best for stress management. It also helps to manage backache and bronchial problems. Exhale. Rest your forehead on the ground and stretch your arms. Spread your legs. Place your palms and rest your head on your palms, and relax. Śalabhāsana. Śalabha means a locust. Lie down on your stomach. Now join your legs. Rest the chin on the floor. Keep both hands beside the body. Palms facing upwards. Inhale. Raise the legs off the floor as much as you can without bending the knees. Extend the arms and legs well to ease the lift of the body off the floor. Stay in this position comfortably. This asana helps in sciatica and lower backache. It tones the hip muscles. Now exhale. Bring the legs down towards the floor. Take out your arms and rest on the floor. Cardiac patients should avoid this posture. Makarāsana: Makara means crocodile. Lie down on your stomach with your feet wide apart and pointing outward. Rest your head on your hands. Relax. This is Makarāsana. This asana is practiced for relaxation in all prone postures. It promotes relaxation of the lower back. Setubandhāsana. Now we move to supine postures. Setubandhāsana: Setubandha means formation of a bridge. Join your legs. Keep your arms beside your body. Bend both legs at the knees and bring the heels near the buttocks. Hold both the ankles firmly. Inhale. Slowly raise your buttocks and trunk up as much as you can to form a bridge. Remain comfortable. This is the final position. This asana relieves depression and anxiety. It strengthens the lower back muscles. Now, exhale. Slowly return to the original position and relax. Lie down on your back. Please note, women in advanced stages of pregnancy should not practice this āsana. Pavan Muktāsana. Bend both the knees and bring the thighs to the chest. Interlock the fingers and clasp the shin below the knee. Raise the head and shoulders. Try to touch the knees with the chin. This removes constipation, gives relief from flatulence, and tones up the back muscles and spinal nerves. Bring your head back, exhale, stretch your legs, and relax. Avoid this practice in case of abdominal injuries, hernia, sciatica, and during pregnancy. Śavāsana. Śav means the dead body. This asana is meant for complete relaxation. Lie down on your back with your arms and legs comfortably apart, palms facing upward, and eyes closed. Relax the whole body consciously. Become aware of the natural breath and allow it to become rhythmic and slow. Remain in this position until you feel refreshed and relaxed. This asana helps relieve all kinds of tensions and gives rest to both the body and the mind. Kapālabhāti Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and relax. This is one round of Kapālabhāti. Each round should be followed by deep breathing. Now do two more rounds. Kapalabhati purifies the frontal air sinuses and helps to overcome cough disorders. It is useful in treating colds, rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma, and bronchial infections. Please avoid this practice in case of cardiac conditions, high blood pressure, vertigo, migraine, stroke, hernia, and gastric ulcers. Prāṇāyāma, Nāḍī Śodhana or Anuloma Viloma Prāṇāyāma is alternate breathing through the left and right nostrils. Sit in a meditative posture. Keep the spine straight and the head erect, with eyes closed. Relax the body with a few deep breaths. Keep the left palm on the left knee in Jñāna Mudrā. The right hand should be in the Nāsikāgra Mudrā. Place the right thumb on the right nostril. Breathe in from the left nostril. Close the left nostril. Exhale through the right nostril. Next, inhale through the right nostril. Close the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril. This is one round of Nāḍī Śodhana or Anuloma Viloma Prāṇāyāma. Repeat for another five rounds. For beginners, the duration of inhalation and exhalation should be equal. Gradually make it one into two: inhalation, exhalation. The breath should be slow, steady, and controlled. The main purpose of this Prāṇāyāma is to purify the principal channels of energy. This nourishes the whole body. It induces tranquility and helps to improve concentration. It increases vitality and lowers the level of stress and anxiety. It also alleviates cough disorders. Brahmārī Prāṇāyāma: Brahmārā means a black bee. During the exhalation of this prāṇāyāma, the sound produced resembles the buzzing of a black bee. Inhale deeply through both nostrils. Exhale slowly. In a controlled manner, making a deep, steady, humming sound, as that of a black bee. This is one round of Bhramarī. Repeat two more times. This is a great tranquilizer. It is found to be good in the management of stress-related disorders. Now, do the Bhramarī with Śaṇmukhī Mudrā. Close your ears with your thumbs. Place the forefingers on your eyes, and the middle fingers on the nostrils. Pranayama for Concentration and Meditation Keep your spine comfortably erect, hold Gyāna Mudrā, keep your palms facing upwards upon the thighs, arms and shoulders should be loose and relaxed, close your eyes and sit with a slightly upturned face, you need not concentrate, just maintain. A mild focus between the eyebrows, and be conscious of your breath. Dhyāna keeps the mind calm and quiet; it increases concentration and memory. Purījī, Purījī...