How Does Yoga Beat COVID Stress And Build A Happier You: Find Out With Yoga Expert Nishtha Bijlani

In 2020, all of us hoped that by this year with the coming of the vaccines, COVID would be in control. Normalcy would slowly return, and masks and sanitizers would become a thing of the past. But, with new variants and funguses hitting us so frequently, somewhere we know that a COVID-free world is far-fetched.

Accepting this fact, we’re all going ahead in life, this period of uncertainty has now started affecting our peace of mind. Anxiety and stress are becoming common problems.

To address this issue, ThinkRight.me recently held a webinar with yoga expert Nishtha Bijlani. She answered so many questions that are troubling people today. Her responses were aimed at helping people cope with this renewed lifestyle and keep themselves happy and healthy.

Question – How can yoga help in getting rid of the fear of death in this pandemic?

Nishtha – You can never deny this truth, and neither is it in our hands. But what we can do is strengthen our inner feelings and body. For this, first of all, keep your body healthy, practice yoga, and eat the right food. Take care of your family and loved ones, spend time with them. Keep in mind to start yoga slowly. You can make it a part of your routine by doing it twice a week in the beginning and then three to four times. When the mind and body are strong, such thoughts will automatically not affect us.

Question – It is difficult to get out of the house at the moment, so exercising has become almost impossible, so how to keep yourself fit by staying at home?

Nishtha – Firstly, it is very important to know that yoga exercises the body, as in the gym, but the biggest difference between the two is that while practicing yoga, the emphasis is on the process of inhalation and exhalation. Focusing on the breath is very crucial to yoga. The movements of all our yoga postures are related to the process of inhalation and exhalation. You can keep yourself perfectly healthy, and for now, you can join online classes. Start with easy yogasanas and then gradually include pranayama in your yoga.

Question – Pranayama should be done before or after yoga?

Nishtha – So before starting yoga, you can do Kapalbhaati. This will remove the carbon dioxide that is accumulated inside you. At the end of the yoga posture, you can do Anulom-Vilom Pranayama. If you’re sweating and feeling hot, then you can also do Sheetali and Sheetkari Pranayama to cool down.
After this, you can practice deep breathing, followed by meditation.

Question – It is said that while doing yoga and meditation, you connect with your mind, but I cannot do this, how do we connect ourselves from within?

Nishtha – When we start something new with precise expectations in mind, we find it all the more difficult to experience it. Same with yoga or meditation. When you start feeling pressurised that you’re not able to connect with the practice or notice any difference, then you are depriving yourself of that experience. Never meditate or practice yoga with intense planning or thinking in advance. Have faith in yourself and your practice. You will definitely see results this way.

Question – People can people with less flexible bodies practice yoga?

Nishtha – Your body does not have to be flexible to practice yoga, yoga will ensure that your body slowly becomes more agile and flexible. All you need to do is prepare your mind and make it flexible enough to try yoga. That’s it. So, even though your body might not be flexible, you’ll feel that you can practice yoga after the very first session itself.

Question – How does yoga help in preventing problems related to today’s lifestyle?

Nishtha – Not eating and sleeping at the right time, constantly being on the phone or laptop is the root cause for so many lifestyle problems today. Even while sitting or standing, we do not pay attention to our posture at all. Nowadays people are not able to sit on the ground with cross legs because their posture is incorrect.
Our spinal cord is directly connected to the brain, so when our posture is correct, only then our brain can function better. Our digestion and breathing improves, so these lifestyle problems will eventually reduce.

Question – What should be done for good sleep?

Nishtha – Try to wake up early in the morning before sunrise or around that time. Avoid having dinner after sunset because as it gets dark, our digestion process slows down. When we eat late, the food does not digest properly, leading to difficulty in sleeping.

As the day slowly ends, our body starts becoming lethargic. Which is why it is not recommended to exercise at night. Doing so takes our body out from a state of rest, and puts it in an energy-driven mode.

You can also dim the lights after your day’s work and avoid screen time immediately before bedtime. You can also have caffeine-free chamomile tea at night if you want, this helps induce sound sleep.

Question – How to avoid loneliness during corona?

Nishtha – Before COVID, we were all busy with so much. So, things like thinking about ourselves or feeling lonely rarely happened. Since now we are all at home, we’ve forgotten how it is like to be alone, enjoy our own company, or think about ourselves. Use this time to know and understand yourself. You’ll not only get clarity on various things, but you’ll also become a better person. Although, if you feel that the situation is bit more serious, then you should definitely reach out for professional help.