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Ans: Yes, yoga and meditation can certainly help you relax and get better sleep. But before that it is important to identify what could be the reasons for poor quality sleep. Basic sleep hygiene practices are also important - such as not taking caffeine or naps after 4pm, minimizing anything that'll put you in an alert state around bed time such as intense exercise or work discussions, cool room at around 21C, room to be dark with minimal disturbance, getting appropriate sunlight exposure upon waking up, going to bed at the same time each day and getting out of bed at the same time. And if you have a habit of thinking/worrying/planning while lying in bed yoga/pranayama/meditation can help you come into a nice relaxed state conducive to sleep. Look up guided practices like body scan, and yoga nidra. You can also explore Pranayama such as Bhramari. All the best!

Ans: Yoga is relatively low impact and you can start a gentle practice online if you don't have any other pre-existing health conditions or injuries. While it will not be as good or rewarding as learning through a teacher, it is better than not practising at all. Do remember to listen to your body, and don't do things that you don't understand or feel uncomfortable when doing an online practice. To get the benefits of Yoga, please make sure you also practice pranayama and meditation. That's what makes it complete and most powerful.

Ans: Hi, There are two things that can be explored - (1) A gentle yoga routine which focusses on stress management and deep relaxation through stretches, breathing, chanting etc, and (2) Breath Retention exercises such as in Butyeko Breathing for which there is anecdotal evidence that it helps with Asthma. This should be done under the supervision of a trained teacher or in consultation with your physician. All the best.

Ans: Hi, the way to reduce belly fat is through lifestyle change and not one or two yoga postures or exercises. These are the elements that need to be added to your lifestyle - (1) walking more, gradually start adding 250-500 steps more per day till you start averaging ~ 7000 steps a day. (2) Be more active for a minimum of 10 mins at a time. This means any activity which gets you slightly breathless, but you can still talk. (3) Eat well, follow the 80-20 principle; 80% of the diet should be nutrient-dense and whole foods. 20% can be your favourite, not-so-healthy food, if any. (4) Drink sufficient water (5) Maintain a calorie deficit - which means eating less energy than we burn. (6) Manage Stress through gentle yoga stretches, pranayama and meditation. Doing all this for even just 60-90 days you will see significant changes in your life and the belly fat will also melt away.

Ans: Hi, yes, it is technically possible to do that. In terms of diet, you should consult a dietician. But minimizing processed foods, sugar, and liquid calories is generally suitable for everyone and helps give good results. This can be further supported by eating more fibre, whole foods and sufficient protein. Please keep in mind that other factors like sleep, stress, and hormonal health also have a role to play in weight loss/gain. So getting a good night's rest and taking time to recover and/or manage stress levels is also important in any weight loss journey. All the best!

Ans: Hi Sumukh, for any lifestyle disease, a lifestyle change is required. Yoga can help to some extent with exercise and to a large extent with stress management. Other contributors to lifestyle are Diet, morning routine, sleep, social life etc. So keeping all those in mind and creating a balanced and healthy lifestyle can certainly help in managing diabetes.

Ans: Hi Satish, I have already answered this question before; please look up the previous answers. To reiterate, In terms of postures, it is best when yoga is combined with breathing exercises, so please make time for both. Here are a few options to consider for Blood Pressure - Child Pose (Balasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana), Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani), Corpse Pose (Savasana), Diaphragmatic Breathing (Adham Pranayama), Sectional Breathing (Vibhaga Pranayama), Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anulom Vilom), 4-7-8 breathing and Bhramari. For Diabetes, you can additionally try including Bow Pose or Dhanurasana as well. You should always listen to your body and not practice anything that feels uncomfortable. It is also good to check with a physician before starting any new exercise routine.

Ans: Hi Rahul, Online classes are absolutely fine. But she should start with classes that are specifically for beginners. Most teachers will tell you if their classes are suitable for beginners or not. It can be a little challenging to keep up in the beginning, but eventually, everyone picks up momentum. The second thing you need to remember is to listen to your body. When you are not in the physical presence of a teacher, there's a greater responsibility on the practitioner to be wise about what they are doing. Eagerness or urgency to get into postures or excessively pushing the body can be detrimental. So patience and prudence are needed. :)

Ans: Hi M, It is awesome that you want to get started with yoga. Reducing body weight is primarily dependent on diet and, secondarily, metabolism. Exercise helps improve our metabolism and makes the body function more efficiently. Yoga would be an excellent starting point for you. Here's what I would recommend - your routine should be moderately challenging for you - it should be optimally difficult, not severely. This means you should be able to recover from it easily - you should not feel tired or fatigued all day, and you should have the energy to practice the next day as well. This will be a discovery process. Let's take the example of walking - if your current limit is 5 minutes, you could set a goal to increase it to 6 mins in week 2. 8 mins in Week 3, 11 mins in Week 4, and 15 mins in Week 5. This is just a rough example of how you progressively increase intensity - the actual numbers can be higher or lower. You can do the same with yoga - the point is to constantly up the intensity just a little bit each time you come to the practice. I hope this helps; please consult your physician if you have any pre-existing health conditions. All the best.

Ans: Hi Ramesh - that sounds excellent! Congratulations on nailing down such a comprehensive routine. When it comes to allergies, yoga practices can greatly help alleviate the symptoms, but they need to be supported by additional lifestyle changes. And these changes primarily involve a gut-friendly diet as well as reducing allergens in our environment. This includes things like using Air Purifiers, regularly cleaning and replacing our pillows, deep cleaning the mattress we use as well as the curtains, dry brushing of the walls etc. Particularly for people with allergies, it is important that they shower or change clothes when they come home from outside before using the bed. Additionally, kumbhaka or breath retention practices help improve allergy and asthma symptoms. There is some research where practices like Butyeko breathing method and increasing our tolerance to CO2 levels have given people long-term relief from allergies. However, both these practices should be done judiciously and with supervision. All the best!

Ans: Hi SKJ, I get this question very often here. So, I have answered it on video and you can watch it here: https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/yoga-day-how-to-reduce-belly-fat/20230621.htm
Hope it helps you in your journey. Wishing you all the best.

Ans: Hi, I have answered your question on video! You can view it here: https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/yoga-day-how-to-reduce-belly-fat/20230621.htm
Wishing you all the best in your Yoga Journey!

Ans: Hi Gouri, I have answered your question on video! You can view it here: https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/yoga-day-how-to-reduce-belly-fat/20230621.htm
A good nights sleep is very important and I would prioritize that first, it will support your weight loss journey as well. All the best.

Ans: Hi Sumukh, I have answered your question on video! You can view it here: https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/yoga-day-how-to-reduce-belly-fat/20230621.htm
Hope it helps you in your journey to manage your sugar levels better. Wishing you all the best in your Yoga Journey!

Ans: Hi Deepak, I have answered your question on video! You can view it here: https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/yoga-day-how-to-reduce-belly-fat/20230621.htm
Hope it helps. Wishing you all the best in your Yoga Journey and hope you find a resolution soon.

Ans: Hi TRS, I have answered your question on video! You can view it here: https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/yoga-day-how-to-reduce-belly-fat/20230621.htm
Hope it helps. Wishing you all the best in your Yoga Journey!

Ans: Hi Rajesh, sorry to hear about your problem. I hope you're taking due treatment for Acid Reflux. One of the most effective yoga techniques for GERD is Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing. You should practice it for at least 10-12 minutes a day on an empty stomach (you'll find a follow-along practice video on my channel, specifically for acidity). Practising it twice a day is also good. Secondly, you should carefully identify trigger foods that aggravate your acidity; some common ones are tomatoes, caffeine, and chocolate. By temporarily eliminating trigger foods, you give your body time to heal. These foods can always be added back. In terms of sleep, do not sleep on a full stomach, have a light meal, eat at least a few hours before sleeping (in other words, don't eat close to bedtime), sleep on the right side and get yourself an elevated wedge pillow which will help prevent reflux at night. These pillows are easily available online. The traditional practice of walking 100 steps after eating is also worth exploring. All the best!

Ans: I have already answered this question in detail; please look it up in the previous queries. In terms of postures, it is best when yoga is combined with breathing exercises, so please make time for both. Here are a few options to consider - Child Pose (Balasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana), Legs up the wall pose (Viparita Karani), Corpse Pose (Savasana), Diaphragmatic Breathing (Adham Pranayama), Sectional Breathing (Vibhaga Pranayama), Alternate Nostril Breathing (Anulom Vilom), 4-7-8 breathing and Bhramari. Please note you should always listen to your body and not practice anything that feels uncomfortable. It is also good to check with a physician before starting any new exercise routine.

Ans: Yes, especially if interventions are done in the early stages. Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease, and changes in lifestyle can help you manage or occasionally even reverse it. Typically there are three pillars of a healthy lifestyle - Diet, Stress Management and Physical activity. A diet should be rich in whole foods with minimal processed or junk consumption. Fasting is also a possible intervention. You can connect with a dietician for more personalised recommendations. For Stress Management, we need to make time for recreational activities, meet our friends, practice pranayama/meditation, gentle yoga stretches, get enough sleep etc. And any physical activity that we inherently enjoy, that challenges us moderately, is good to get your daily dose of exercise. Please note that "reversing" diabetes doesn't mean it's permanently cured. It usually implies significant long-term improvement, which is sustained as long as the lifestyle is sustained. This is why when we make changes to how we live, we should do it in a way that we truly enjoy and find inspiring.

Ans: Yes, you are right; yoga can definitely help with Blood Pressure. Because managing blood pressure is about eating a wholesome diet, managing stress levels and improving physical fitness. Yoga practices that involve deep breathing induce profound states of relaxation, which reduces the work of breathing, dilates the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Improving our physical fitness by way of yoga or other physical activities also makes our hearts more efficient. To achieve this, you need to make yoga and breathing exercises a part of your lifestyle, just like brushing your teeth or taking a shower every day. There are many success stories of people maintaining their heart health with yoga. Typically you would need to practice 30-45 mins of yoga asanas followed by 10-15 mins of Pranayam at least 3-5 times a week. This is a generalised suggestion, and the requirements will vary for each person based on their individual health and lifestyle. You should also never stop BP medicines without checking with the doctor. Additionally, the reason doctors prescribe medicine is that most people do not practice yoga consistently and are not physically active. Since high blood pressure can be very dangerous and life-threatening, doctors cannot rely on the possibility of a patient successfully changing their behaviour and diet without supervision. Most people do not have that type of discipline, but those who do manage to get off medicines with the help of their physicians. In our current medical environment, the onus is on the patient to push through and change their lifestyle, and once they demonstrate such consistency to their doctor, I am sure a joint decision can be taken to slowly wean off medicines. This should be a medically supervised decision.

Ans: Hi, Thank you for your question. Covid infection can result in metabolic imbalances, and amongst them, low energy and fatigue are very common. When trying to recover from fatigue, it is important to pace yourself and not rush into intense activities. The first thing you'll want to look into is a wholesome and healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables and whole foods. Food is the most essential fuel source, and without good nutrition, it is hard to recover from fatigue. Along with diet, you should actively start Pranayama or breathing exercises (you can look up my 21-Day Power of Breath Program, which is free). Breathing exercises are very powerful in improving your metabolism and helping your cells unlock the much-needed *energy* from the food we eat. They are also accessible and can be done by everyone. In terms of physical activity, begin with gentle walking or Sukshma Vyayama and gradually start increasing intensity. There's only one tip I will give you here - PACE yourself properly and listen to the body. There's no need to push yourself beyond capacity, as that often backfires, with fatigue making it worse. In summary - diet, breathing exercises, and gentle activity at a pace that is sustainable should be your starting point. All the best.

Ans: Hi, Beginners can start by keeping the length of inhale and exhale equal. And over time, increase the length of exhalation so that it is double that of inhalation, a ratio of 1:2. In general, a longer exhalation is more relaxing and improves respiratory efficiency.

Ans: Hi Vikas, Many people find sciatica relief with yoga, as certain yoga stretches relieve the pressure felt on the nerve. These include Pigeon Pose, Downward Facing Dog, Cobra, Seated spinal twist, child pose, and also standing forward bend. Do note that individual experience tends to vary, so please listen to the body and don't force any stretches that don't feel comfortable. All the best!

Ans: Hi VSK, you can look at the 12-pose Yoga sequence by Swami Sivananda. You can also purchase the book by BKS Iyengar called Light on Yoga.

Ans: Hi Kamal, I'm sorry to hear about your experience and glad to hear you're following the treatment protocol and taking your medicines. Our body has tremendous healing capacity, and Yoga can help us unlock a lot of that inherent healing potential. I would highly recommend starting a Pranayama and Meditation practice. Breathing exercises help us balance our hormones and support the regeneration processes of our body. Start with Diaphragmatic breathing and eventually include Box Breathing. once you're comfortable, You can also start practising Nadi Shuddhi or alternate nostril breathing with mild breath retention. Do get clearance from your doctor before starting any new exercise routine. All the best in your journey of healing and recovery.

Ans: Hi Balkar, this would require a review of your diet, and you can consult a dietician or your physician to review your diet and gut health. The addition of carminative herbs like ginger, fennel, and clove can also help. In terms of yoga, postures like Pavanmuktasana or Apanasana and Sarvangasana can be helpful. Since bloating is linked to increased stress levels, relaxing practices like 1 min in child pose, 3 mins in Shavasana, 5-10 mins of Pranayama and 5-10 mins of Meditation should also be included to start with. Wish you all the best.

Ans: Hi Prafulla, Yoga can certainly be a great addition and complement to your overall treatment plan for Gastritis. Since you have not specified which type of gastric issue, I am assuming you're referring to GERD or acid reflux, which seems to be the most common. One of the most effective techniques for managing reflux is Diaphragmatic breathing or Deep Belly Breathing. Regular practice for at least 10 mins every day for 2-4 weeks can help strengthen the diaphragm, which in turn, helps in reducing acid reflux. you can practice this while sitting on a chair or in Vajrasana, which is also a posture you can practice after eating food. But breathing practice should only be done on an empty stomach. Additionally, people with an anterior pelvic tilt tend to have more reflux issues. So working on your posture with Lunges (Ashwa Sanchalasana), Bridge Pose (Setubandhasana), Plank (Phalakasana), or Supermans (Shalabhasana) can also help. Wish you a speedy recovery.

Ans: Hi Deepak, For Fatty Liver, you would need to prioritise dietary changes and follow that up with a regular exercise routine that is moderately challenging. Yoga can also be used as a way to exercise - to do that, you should spend at least 30-45 mins practising Yoga, 3-5 days a week. The pace should not be too easy; you should feel challenged. A meaningful practice would include Sun Salutations, 5-10 diverse postures and Pranayama practice. Specifically, you can bring more focus on any posture that impacts the mid-section of the body, such as Ardha Matsyendrasana, Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana or Naukasana. Kapalbhati is also a powerful practice that can be included in your routine. Wish you all the best.

Ans: Hi, anytime you can give towards being active is good. So five minutes is certainly better than zero. However, the current recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise over a week. This should be spread evenly through the week, such as 30 mins of exercise for 5 days a week. To get the maximum benefit one should do a mix of cardio, strength training and flexibility exercises (like gentle yoga) throughout the week.

Ans: Hi, that must be very difficult and sleep is very important for a sound body and mind. Please start including 20-30 mins before bedtime for some mindful sleep-supporting activities. The best of them is Yoga Nidra, there are many videos available online, and I would recommend the ones by the Bihar School of Yoga. You can practice them 2-3 times a week. On the remaining days, you can include any of these in your evening routine - 61 Point body scan, Mind-space resonance technique (MSRT), Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or Bhramari Pranayama. These are usually very helpful in helping you go to sleep and get a good night's rest. It is also important that you analyse other components of your lifestyle - Are you getting enough sunlight exposure during the day? Are you having caffeine after 4 pm which can impact sleep quality? Are you exposed to bright light or blue light at night that can keep you awake? Are you going to bed at the same time every night or not? Is there a lot of stress in your life? are you doing something to manage that stress and regulate your nervous system so you can sleep better? Are you having a heavy dinner close to bed time? So, you see there are multiple factors that can impact sleep, and unless you address the root cause, the problem will keep coming back. So, take time out to introspect and review what could be impacting your sleep quality the most and start by addressing that first. And of course practices like Yoga Nidra, MSRT, PMR and Body scans are excellent to start doing anyway. All the best!

Ans: Hi, Subhash, Yoga can certainly help with pain management. While it is not possible to suggest the best postures without knowing your particular situation. In general, including postures like cobra, locust, camel, pavanmuktasana, triangle etc can help. When you do yoga postures gently and mindfully they carry minimal risk. You can also use Iyengar Yoga props to make other postures accessible and I would highly recommend them for anyone with backpain. You must also include pranayama and meditation for pain management. People who regularly practice breathing exercises show a marked reduction in back pain, so please don't ignore them. All the best!

Ans: The best way to strengthen any part or organ of the body is to appropriately challenge it with moderate amounts of stress and to then give it time to recover. You put stress on the muscles by lifting weights at the gym and they grow stronger when you take time to recover. Same concept would apply to the heart - you would challenge it with appropriate and moderate amounts of stress with cardio-vasuclar activity and then give it enough time to recover. Sun Salutations and Vinyasa styles of Yoga would be suitable for that. These should be supported by regular Pranayama practices like Box Breathing and mindfulness practices like meditation and Shavasana. Alternatively, you can consult a fitness trainer for other fitness activities suitable for your specific body type and needs.

Ans: You can start including Sun Salutations as they help improve circulation and breath through the congestion. Kriyas like Neti are also useful for allergic rhinitis. You can also include Kumbhaka Pranayama and Bhramari in your routine as both are useful for sinus congestion. However, the best way to manage allergies is to reduce your exposure to allergens - this could be by wearing a mask, using air purifiers and deep cleaning of the house every spring and autumn.

Ans: Here's what you should do
1. Add a variety of postures for the whole body (don't focus on just the back)
2. Move in all directions (side bending, twists, back bend, forward bend etc), but keep it slow and keep checking what feels good and what doesn't
3. Avoid perfectionism or pursuit of 'one correct alignment'
4. Gradually make it more challenging as you start getting comfortable
5. Lastly, practice pranayama and meditation as they are immensely helpful for pain management.

I cannot emphasise enough the sheer power of yogic breathing exercises and meditation in reducing pain and improving quality of life. So, do not ignore them. All the best!

Ans: The simple answer would be do what you enjoy more and along with it start including 15 to 20 mins of Pranayama and Meditation. Because weight loss results from repetition and consistency - whichever form of movement you enjoy the most will be the most rewarding as you will be highly regular with it. I would also like to highlight that weight loss is a result of many different elements that must work hand in hand. These include a healthy and enjoyable diet, stress management and activity levels. If someone is very active but highly stressed and eating poorly they may not get the desired results. It is also much harder to eat well when we are stressed, which is why I recommend that everyone should do pranayama and meditation for the mind. For the body you can do yoga, walking or gym - it all depends on your personal preference.

Ans: Hi, the muscles waste away due to disuse and because not enough stress is placed on them. So, if your yoga practice is challenging enough then it can certainly preserve muscle strength. Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana), Goddess Pose (Dhruta Utkatasana or Utkata Konasana), Lizard (Utthanprishtasana), Butterfly (Baddhakonasana) are some postures that you can explore for hip opening.

Ans: Cobra (Bhujangasana), Locust (Shalabhasana), Camel (Ushtrasana), Mountain (Tadasana), Cow-face (Gomukhasana), Phalakasana (Plank), Child pose (Balasana), spinal twists and Sukshma Vyayam for neck and shoulders are some ways you can maintain the health of your neck, shoulders, and spine.

Ans: It is best to consult your doctor and/or physiotherapist to follow the appropriate protocol for recovery from surgery. In terms of Yoga, gentle practices like Suksham Vyayam would be ideal in the early stages. You should also follow the breathing exercises prescribed during this time to restore pulmonary function. After that whenever you are medically cleared to start exercising again you can progress to the next level. Now, you can start doing simple yogic breathing practices as well as gentle postures like Standing Side Bend (Ardha Katichakrasana), Triangle (Trikonasana), Tree (Vrikshasana), Eagle (Garduasana), Cobra (Bhujangasana), Seated spinal twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana), Shavasana (Corpse Pose) and Vajrasana. Please note, these should be started only after due consultation with your doctor. Wishing you all the best in your recovery.

Ans: In order to lose fat a multi-pronged strategy would be required and that strategy needs to be customised to your personality type, lifestyle, eating habits etc. Yoga should definitely be one of the elements in your overall strategy along with a suitable diet, and exercise routine. Specifically you can explore practices like Sun Salutations, Kapalbhati, and Agnisara. Since belly fat is often associated with high stress levels, you must make time for Pranayama and Meditation as well. Start small with 5-6 mins and gradually build up to dedicating 30 mins a day for mindfulness. All the best!