5 Yoga Poses That Every Indian Has Accidentally Done Without Knowing
Namaste, fellow Indians! The desi-ness in us has risen in this blog post because we are talking about an Indian activity that has gotten famous worldwide. The activity is nothing apart from yoga. On the 21st of June, which is the International Yoga Day, we thought to curate a fun blog post for you all that resonates with you.
When it comes to yoga, some of the poses are inbuilt inside us. Have you ever found yourself effortlessly sinking into a perfect squat while making chana masala in the kitchen? In India, where yoga is an integral part of our culture, it’s no surprise that we’ve been incorporating these poses into our daily routines without even knowing it. Or perhaps you’ve been stretching to reach the top shelf in your cabinet, unknowingly perfecting the Uttanasana pose? It is because we have been unknowingly doing those poses all our lives.
As it turns out, our daily lives are filled with unconscious yoga poses that we’ve been mastering without even realising it! From the humble squat while using a traditional toilet to the elegant stretch while putting away kitchen utensils, our everyday activities are a treasure trove of hidden yoga poses. Whether it’s the way we sit on the floor while watching TV or the way we stretch while getting ready for the day, our bodies have been intuitively finding these yoga poses. See, we talked about so many poses.
In this blog post, we’ll explore 5 common yoga poses that every Indian has accidentally done without knowing. Get ready to laugh, nod in recognition, and maybe even discover a new appreciation for the yoga in your everyday life!
Also, by the end of it, you might get inspired to get on a daily yoga journey. So, it’s a win-win!
- Padmasana – (Lotus Pose)
This pose is as beautiful as a lotus, and hence the name. When you sit in a lotus pose, you actually look like a closed lotus flower. It is a simple sitting on the floor pose with both legs crossed or intertwined. Now, if you look at this pose, you will see that you already do this pose almost every day and that too for hours. In some households, people sit on the floor and eat in this pose because it is healthy.
In all puja or family functions, or even in the wedding rituals, you are supposed to sit in this pose only. We already do this almost every day without even knowing that we are doing this pose. You’ve mastered this meditative pose since childhood as an Indian. Now, let us tell you that just sitting in this pose every day helps in so many ways.
Some of the benefits of this pose are improved flexibility, good mental stability, spinal alignment, improved digestion, physical stability, and stress reduction. Yoga is so amazing that you don’t even have to do anything for this pose, and just sit and get so many benefits. This is the beauty of yoga. So, maybe try to incorporate this yoga pose in your daily fitness routine.
- Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose)
Just check the photo of this pose. It will take you down memory lane. As Indian kids, this pose was one of the top activities we used to do with our siblings. This is one core memory that will be unlocked when you check this out. But let us also tell you that this is one of the best yoga poses, having some amazing health benefits. This is a simple yoga pose in which you either have to lie down on the floor or your bed and raise your legs to the wall by holding your waist with your hands.
You must have either done this pose as a competition with your siblings, just for fun, or even to relax after having a tough day. Some kids were also under the impression that doing this pose would increase their height. It is a very simple pose.
This pose is also called Viparita Karani, which helps in improved circulation, reduced leg swelling, stress relief, and potential benefits for lower back pain and digestion. Believe it or not, just lying down on the floor with your hands wide open and legs up the wall can massively help you with stress reduction and anxiety release.
- Malasana (Garland Pose)
The garland pose, or the malasana, is also called the Indian squat pose. The name ‘Indian Squat Pose’ is the name given to this pose because of how Indians generally sit or squat while doing certain activities. Mainly in the toilet or while doing some puja, people do sit in this pose, and it is quite a tough pose to do daily. The old Indian toilers are made in a way in which you have to sit like this. Many deși households still have this toilet. Whether at a tea stall, catching up with neighbours, or shelling peas, this deep squat is second nature.
This yoga pose has a lot of benefits, like improved hip mobility, strengthened lower body, enhanced digestion, and reduced lower back tension. If you sit in this pose every day, then all the pain or stress that you have on your lower back disappears. This is the best way to treat lower back pain.
Doing this pose is not very tough, as you already do it every other day, either on the toilet or while doing any puja. Doing this pose can help you with spinal alignment, pelvic floor strength, increased circulation, detoxification, and stress reduction.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog)
Now, this pose is a specific pose and not all of us are doing it accidentally every other day. But, there are so many activities that involve us doing this pose. This one is Inverted, grounded, and a little tough yoga pose. You are a true Indian if you are unknowingly doing one of yoga’s most iconic poses. You might be doing this pose by bending to wash your hair under the tap or to pick something up from the floor without folding your knees. It is a fun pose which is not difficult for the Indians to do and gives multiple health benefits.
This is a foundational yoga pose. Doing this regularly opens and strengthens the shoulders and chest, lengthens the hamstrings, and improves circulation with a full-body stretch. If you are someone who regularly does this pose, then you will see the hamstring stretch release.
Doing it regularly will improve your body posture, enhance mobility and agility in the spine, help relax the heart after an intense yoga flow, reduce low back pain, and more. If you are someone who has recently suffered from back injuries, then you must avoid doing this pose without any supervision.
- Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Mountain pose is nothing but just standing still with your hands touching both sides of your waist. There is no simpler pose than this. Doing this is even counted as doing an exercise and gives you multiple health benefits. We do this pose every day for millions of different kinds of work. Patiently standing in line at ration shops, or kids standing in the assembly, standing in the queue at the tailor shops, or so many things. We do it randomly throughout the day.
You will be surprised to know the multiple health benefits of this yoga pose. Right from giving improved posture, body awareness, and balance, it also helps in enhancing strength in the legs, core, and back, and can contribute to better lung function and circulation. It can also reduce stress, improve focus, and promote a sense of calm and alertness.
However, there is a particular posture in which you have to stand to do this pose and it is not just normal standing up, but you got that, it’s similar.
Conclusion
Who knew that our daily lives were secretly a yoga masterclass? We have been doing these poses unknowingly, time and again. From squatting while making delicious parathas to stretching while trying to reach those chargers or remotes, we’ve all been doing yoga without even realising it!
These 5 poses might not have been part of a formal yoga class, but they’re definitely part of our Indian DNA. This proves that yoga is ingrained within us, and we were born to do yoga poses every day, just as naturally as breathing. Whether it’s the majestic squat while using a traditional toilet or the elegant stretch while putting away those Mangalorean pickles, our daily routines are full of hidden yoga poses. We are not all so guilty of doing these every other day.
So, the next time someone asks you to do a downward-facing dog, you can proudly say, ‘Dude, don’t even get me started on this.’ These poses might not be perfect, but they’re proof that yoga is all around us – even in the most unexpected places.
But the main intent of this blog post was to inspire you all to stay fit and start doing those crazy yoga poses right now, right here. Happy practising (or should we say, happy daily living?), and don’t forget to appreciate the yoga in your everyday life!
Namaste, fellow Indians! The desi-ness in us has risen in this blog post because we are talking about an Indian activity that has gotten famous worldwide. The activity is nothing apart from yoga. On the 21st of June, which is the International Yoga Day, we thought to curate a fun blog post for you all…