Yoga requires warm-up too

What will happen to a machine if it is not lubricated? There is a good possibility that your machines will continue breaking down until you find a good lubricant to help it do the job. Similarly, yoga is a way to keep your body flexible, fit and relax your mind by performing various activities or asanas; warm-up acts as a lubricant. 

Yoga is an art involving various postures targeting different body muscles but the people feel yoga itself is a kind of warm-up which is a misconception resulting in pain and serious injuries in different parts of the body. It offers a wide range of asanas and exercises for each category of people. Since everybody’s body responds differently to various asanas, one should keep in mind to perform it according to their body contradictions. 

Warm-up increase body temperature which leads to increased oxygen supply in muscles helping them to move in a desirable manner. It reduces the risk of injury and boosts up breathing capacity. It also helps in building endurance for tough asanas. In adolescence, if the child doesn’t warm-up before yoga it can one of the reason for not increasing height and can even turn the individual into a volatile person.

Sukshma Vyayama or subtle yoga are the postures and exercises that are in the to-do list of beginners. It is also termed as joint stretching or micro-level yoga. It is good for providing mobility in connecting bones and activates them in a better way. Also if no such exercises will be performed by us there are chances of bones becoming stiff like a log of wood. There are three kinds of body joints that are lower body joints, middle body joints and upper body joints. Sukshma vyayam is recommended to people from every age group or suffering from any kind of ailments. Few common sukshma vyayams are as follows:- 

1. Griva Shakti Vikasaka helps in strengthening the neck and is very beneficial for diseases peculiar to the throat. 
2. Mani-bandha Shakti Vikasaka helps in developing wrist mobility and is beneficial for even improving body posture.
3. Bhuja-balli Shakti Vikasaka helps in strengthening forearms.
4. Vaksha-sthala Shakti Vikasaka is beneficial for chest and for the person suffering from tuberculosis or asthma.
5. Kati Shakti Vikasak proves to be beneficial for back and even a short course of this exercise can add inches to your chest. 
6. Jangha Shakti Vikasaka is performed for developing toned thighs. With this exercise, you can cover long distances without tiring.
7. Janu Shakti Vikasaka is performed for getting smooth movement of the knee joints. It also improves blood circulation in the body.
8. Pindala Shakti Vikasaka also termed as Yogic squats help in strengthening of calves.

Below is a complete body warm-up of a teenager who is totally fit and not suffering from any disease. 

In yoga, we can easily divide warm-up into five categories that are:-

1.Warm-up for neck, shoulders and arms

• Up-down and right-left neck stretch and neck rotation 
• Tricep stretch
• Rotating the shoulders
• Rotating the wrist 
• Shoulder Wingspan

2.Warm-up for back bending

• Halfback bending while standing
• Halfback bending in cobra pose 

3.Warm-up for forward bending

• Toe touches while standing
• Sitting hand hamstring stretch
• Forward bend with legs open wider
• Bound forward folds

4.Warm-up for side stretching

• Side bends
• Mid-back turns
• Bent knee cross-body stretch

5.Warm-up for lower waist

• Sitting groin stretch
• Side-leg swing
• Ankle and knee rotation

This entire sequence has to be performed thrice with different holding capacities for a different group of people. For this healthy whole body warmup, stay tuned to KhushiSeYoga.

For guided assistance on asana/pose practice and further information on do’s and Don’ts for each asana as per each individual body type , please connect with Sunder Bishnoi.