From weight management asanas to why you need a trainer, celebrity wellness coach Anshuka Parwani answers all your questions about yoga.
Deepika-Alia-Kareena’s coach told how to do yoga like celebs
It is no secret that yoga offers holistic wellness. This age-old practice promotes balance and harmony between the body, spirit and mind. One thing comes to mind when it comes to learning yoga – where to start. If you are a beginner, it becomes important to consider some essential tips to ensure a safe and effective session. To solve your dilemma, we spoke to celebrity yoga coach Anshuka Parwani. For those who don’t know, Anshuka is known for training Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Rakul Preet Singh, Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday and many others. From weight management asanas to why you need a trainer, in an exclusive conversation with NDTV’s Abirra Dhar, Anshuka answered some of the most common questions related to yoga. Watch her answers in the video below:
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3 Asanas for Weight Management
Talking about how yoga can help you lose weight, Anshuka Parwani claimed that it mainly depends on the way you breathe. If you start breathing correctly, things will automatically fall in place. The wellness coach said, “More than the asanas…it depends on the way you breathe, your pranayama. That is the key. I have been teaching a lot of obese students who can’t move and they started with the right kind of breathing. So, when you breathe correctly you are regulating your endocrine system, which in turn your hormones play a big role in how much weight you gain and lose.”
He continued by demonstrating how one can breathe correctly through “yogic breathing.” To know if you are breathing correctly, place your palms on your stomach. Feel the stomach expand as you inhale and feel it sink in as you exhale.
Next, Anshuka suggests that you make an “L” with your fingers and place it just above your ribs. You will feel a balloon inflating behind the ribs as you breathe.
Place two fingers on your collarbone and feel as you breathe into your throat.
The celebrity wellness trainer advised doing a complete yogic breath by incorporating all three areas. Breathe in three times as if you were drinking water. "Breathe into your belly, breathe into your chest, breathe into your throat and now breathe out," she said. This is called a complete yogic breath.
3 Asanas for Stress Management
Anshuka Parwani said that Bhramari pranayama, Anulom Vilom and Legs up on the wall raise are the best asanas for stress management. She said, "So, I'll come back to pranayama again. I think your Bhramari pranayama is great for you, Anulom Vilom is great for you. Legs up on the wall raise, which is a very simple tool. It really helps to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is your rest and relaxation. Your sympathetic system controls the fight-or-flight responses. Your parasympathetic is rest and relaxation, which really helps to add stress value - better sleep and all that good stuff."
Frequently asked questions about yoga answered by Anshuka Parwani
How many times have you injured yourself while doing yoga?
I haven't injured myself. However, my practice has helped me recover from injuries.
When can I do yoga after eating?
Three hours after a big meal, but maybe two hours if you eat small snacks. The idea is to do it on an empty stomach. But if you can't do that, that's no excuse not to practice. Of course, you don't want your digestive system to be working when you're starting to practice.
Do I need to be flexible to practice yoga?
Not at all. That's a myth I want to bust. If you have a body, mind and soul, you're breathing then you can practice, that's all there is to it.
Can I do yoga if I am injured, have a physical disability, or am pregnant?
Yes, and I want to quickly add that I started my practice after a motorbike accident. And practicing yoga got me back on my feet.
How often should I practice yoga for best results?
So, if you are talking about doing yoga asanas every day, at least three times a week. But if you are looking at yoga as a lifestyle, you are doing it all the time. Just making the right choices for yourself and the environment all the time, what you are eating, how you are thinking, all this is yoga lifestyle.
Click through to see more answers to questions, yoga tips and tricks or favourite postures from some of the top Bollywood celebrities.
Also Read: Celebrity yoga coach opens up about Kareena Kapoor, the famous "Alia pose" and Deepika Padukone's prenatal fitness
