The idea of driving a car on the Dubai roads is nothing less than a fantastic tour. However, regularly commuting to the office, college, or anywhere else on the same route and in the same old traffic can often kill all the enthusiasm. Prolonged sitting on the office chair and then on the driving seat can eventually lead to an irreversible impact on your muscles, joints, and spine. A tensed physique and mind may often result in stressed and restless driving, especially among anxious beginners. Yoga is a well-known healing method, popularized as a significant fitness method. Do you know Yoga can also calm your body and mind while driving? Yoga has proven to be highly influential in helping the drivers keep calm and practice focused on driving. Here are a few yoga techniques to calm yourself on the drive.
Breathing the Right Way
Breathing is the core of the whole yoga culture, and it is considered to be a mirror of the mind. Hence, it is essential to watch your breath always by inhaling and exhaling the same count with the same intensity. When you face any provoking situation while driving, you can easily monitor your emotions and calm yourself by practicing yogic breathing techniques.
Belly Breathing – This technique entails placing one hand on the stomach, feeling it expand while deeply inhaling, and then exhale through pursed lips, leaving a small gap to release the air. Repeat it three to ten times.
Equal Breathing (Sama Vritti) - is an excellent method to calm down and avoid distracted driving. You need to slowly inhale by counting four and then exhale on the same count. Equal breathing can relax your heart rate and help release tension that enables focused driving.
Twist Your Spine
The spinal cord plays a significant role in ensuring your body posture remains intact, and it's highly essential to relax it with spinal twist exercises. Upon sitting in the car, you need to sit straight on the car seat and place your feet flat on the floor. Twist your torso towards your right while holding onto your seat with both your hands as it helps deepen the stretch. Continue in the same position for 8-10 breaths and repeat the same exercise on your left side. This yogic move can help you loosen tension in the spine that has built-up due to prolonged sitting on the car seat.
Seated Cat/Cow Pose
This is an ideal yoga to perform while you are stuck in any heavy traffic. Hold the steering wheel with one hand, raise the other hand overhead and slowly bend it at the elbow, trying to touch your shoulder. You may also try to hold the back of your seat for enhanced grip and extended stretch. Perform the same yoga move with the opposite hand.
Roll Your Joints
The multiple joints in your body and the neck require proper exercise to make them flexible and increase blood flow. There are easy, quick-rolling yogic exercises to keep your bone joints healthy. Quickly de-stress your ankle by slowly twisting them clockwise and anti-clockwise to feel flexibility in your feet. As driving involves constant use of hands, shoulders tend to get stiff and stressed. Hold the steering wheel with one hand and slowly roll the shoulders back and forth while breathing deeply. To give flexibility to your neck, start by lowering your chin and providing a quick shoulder roll. Then slowly roll your lowered head towards your right shoulder. Hold it for eight to ten breaths and slowly bring back your head to the previous center position. Repeat the same on the other side.