Bela K.

It began as a spiritual practice but has become popular as a way of promoting physical and mental well-being. Although classical yoga also includes other elements, yoga as practiced in the United States typically emphasizes physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana).

The morning is generally the coolest part of the day, making it a good time to energize yourself. If you start your practice in the early morning before 6.00 am you will be surprised how pliable and flexible your body is. The longer you sleep in the morning the stiffer the body gets. Until the evening when it softens again. Doing asanas first thing in the morning, after your meditation, is a way to de-clutter your mind and ready your body for the day. You’ll also benefit from exercising on an empty stomach, with all those twists and spine-bending postures becoming that much easier.

Shishuasana or the child pose calms your mind and body. This pose also stretches your body.

How to do it: Start by kneeling down on the floor. Now, sit back on your heels and then bend forward. Try to touch your forehead on the floor and stretch your hands forward. Hold this position for a couple of minutes and return to the original position.

All exercise can boost your mood by lowering levels of stress hormones, increasing the production of feel-good chemicals known as endorphins, and bringing more oxygenated blood to your brain. But yoga may have additional ben­efits. It can affect mood by elevating levels of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is associated with better mood and decreased anxiety.