International Yoga Day 2022: Yoga Asanas To Increase Your Life Expectancy

Yoga has numerous benefits for our bodies. As we celebrate International Yoga Day today on the 21st of June, let's raise awareness of yoga's impact on longevity. Yoga has been proven to improve the physical and mental functions of the body. 

Yoga can help increase life expectancy significantly. Along with your lifestyle and what you eat, your workout routine has an important role to play. In this article, we discuss yoga asanas that have been directly linked to increasing one's life expectancy. 

5 yoga asanas that increase life expectancy:

1. Downward-facing dog aka Adho Mukha Shvanasana 

• Lay flat on the ground facing the floor
• Slowly lift your torso and form a mountain-like structure with your body
• Your palms need to be farther apart and reaching outwards (in comparison to your shoulders)
• On the other hand, your feet need to be placed next to each other
• At this point, the only body parts touching the ground should be your palms and feet
• Your face needs to be facing inwards and downwards, at the same angle as the arms
• Your body must form a triangle (your hands, hips, and feet being the corners)
• Hold this position for a few seconds and repeat 10 times at least

2. Chair pose aka Utkatasana

• As the name suggests, you are required to squat in this position 
• Squat as though you would sit in a chair
• At this point, raise your arms and keep them straight positing towards the ceiling
• Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 4-5 times minimum 

3. Mountain aka Tadasana

• Stand straight with your legs at the same distance as your shoulders
• Lift your hands towards the ceiling
• Open your palms and stretch as far up as possible
• At this point, join your hands and entangle them forcing your palms to face the ceiling
• You are encouraged to look upwards
• Hold this stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 3-5 times

4. Standing forward bend aka Uttanasana

• Stand straight
• Now, slowly bend forward
• The goal is to place your palms on the floor (folding your body in half) 
• Touching your toes may also be enough if you are unable to bend far enough
• At this point, your face is supposed to be facing your legs (your head facing the floor)
• Repeat this a few times in small intervals

5. Tree pose aka Vrikshasana

• Stand straight
• Raise your arms the hold them straight towards the ceiling
• Now lift either one of your legs and place your feet on the other thigh
• You can rest your right foot on the left knee on the side or anywhere from that to the thigh
• Ideally, your foot should be as far up on your thigh as it can get
• Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat 4-5 times minimum 

In conclusion, practicing yoga can benefit your body in various ways. These yoga asanas may increase your life expectancy by improving the functioning and health of your organs. We do encourage you to also be mindful of what you eat and your lifestyle if you wish to increase your life expectancy.  

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.