Structured Yoga Module for Diabetes Instructions for users This module has specifically designed for Diabetes patients. It has been seen that if it is practicsed daily, it will help control blood sugar level. Besides that, practicing yoga can offer numerous benefits for physical, mental and emotional well-being, but it is important to approach it with caution to prevent injury and ensure a safe practice. Postures (Standing positions) Ardha Kati Chakrasana (Half Waist Wheel Pose) Steps: Stand straight with both feet together. While inhaling slowly, raise your right hand upward from the side. Bring your right hand close to your right ear, bend towards the left side while exhaling. While breathing normally, maintain this posture for one minute. Do it according to your body's capacity. Exhale and return to the normal position and bring your hand down near your thigh. Repeat the same process on the other side. Benefits: Makes the spine flexible. Enhances lung capacity. Precautions while practicing Ardha Kati Chakrasana: This pose is prohibited during pregnancy, hernia, slipped disc or any kind of abdominal surgery. If you have any spinal issues, consult a doctor before performing this pose. Ardha Chakrasana (Half-Wheel Pose) Steps: Stand straight with your feet together and hands resting along the sides of your body. Distribute your body weight evenly on both the legs. While inhaling, take your hands above your head with your palms facing each other. Exhale while pushing your buttocks slightly forward, bend slightly backwards, hold your hands close to your ears, keep knees and elbows straight, lift your chest towards the ceiling while keeping your head straight. Maintain this position for a few seconds while inhaling. Return gradually while exhaling, bring your hands down. Benefits: Creates a stretch in the upper body (torso). Strengthens the muscles of the arms and shoulders. Precautions while practicing Ardha Chakrasana: People with back pain should avoid this pose. Avoid sudden jurking your neck backward. After practicing this pose, it is advised to perform a forward-bending pose to balance the stretch. Vrikshasana (Tree Pose) Steps: Stand straight with your arms by your sides and focus your eyes on one point. Bend your right knee and place your right foot on the inner side of your left thigh. The sole of your foot should be firmly pressed against the upper portion of the thigh. Do it according to your body's capacity. Maintain balance by keeping the left leg straight. Once, a good balance is maintained, take a deep breath, slowly take your hands above your head and join your palms together in a prayer position (Namaskar Mudra). Look straight ahead. A steady gaze helps in maintaining a better balance. Ensure your spine remains straight, your entire body should be tight like a rubber band. Loosen your body every time while exhaling and rest. Smile, keeping your body relaxed and synchronized with your breathing. Slowly straighten your right leg, gradually bring your arms down while exhaling. Stand straight, exactly like starting position, repeat this pose by placing the left sole of your foot against the right thigh. Benefits: It brings mental stability and balance. Helps in building concentration. Strengthens the leg muscles and aids in improving balance. Precautions while practicing Vrikshasana: Practice according to your body's capacity. Avoid this pose if you suffer from insomnia (sleeplessness) or migraine. If you have very low blood pressure, refrain from practicing this pose in such conditions. Avoid this pose if you experience knee pain. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) Steps: Stand straight. Maintain a comfortable distance between your feet (approximately 2 to 3 feet). Turn your right foot outward at 90-degree angle and turn your left foot slightly inward. Bring the centre of your right heel in line with the centre of rotation made by your left foot. Ensure both feet are firmly pressed to the ground and your weight is evenly distributed on both legs. Take a deep breath, while exhaling, bend your body to the right, go down from the hip, keeping your waist straight, raise your left hand up in the air and take your right hand down towards the ground. In this way, keep both your hands in a straight line. Place your right hand outwards, on your heel or on the ground. Stretch your left hand towards the ceiling and bring it in line with the shoulders. Turn your head towards left, keep looking at the palm of your left hand. Keep in mind that your body is turned towards the side. Body should not be tilted forward or backward. Buttocks and chest remain completely open. Remain stable while maintaining maximum stretch in the body. Keep breathing deeply. Give rest to the body with each exhalation. Keep your mind stable with your body and breath. Inhale, rise upwards, bring your hands down and straighten your legs. Do this activity from the other side as well. Benefits: By doing Trikonasana, apart from the legs and knees, the muscles of the hips, neck, spine and ankles also get strengthened. This asana helps in broadening the shoulders and chest. Doing Trikonasana provides energy and vitality to the body, apart from this, it also helps in keeping the navel healthy. Precautions while Performing Trikonasana: Do this according to your body's capability. Avoid performing this pose if you suffer from severe back issues or neck pain. If you have any heart-related problems, avoid practicing Trikonasana. Posture (Sitting positions) Vakrasana (Twisted Pose) Steps: Sit with your legs extended straight in front of you. Bend your right leg and pull it towards you until it is in level with your left knee. As the right leg is bent the right hand should be kept behind your waist. Try to hold the heel/foot of the right foot by placing the elbow of the left hand on the right knee. Pull your right knee as far as you can and exhale, turn your torso to the right and look back over your right shoulder. Take as much support as you can, of the elbow of your left hand. Inhale and return to the starting position. Repeat the same steps on the left side. Benefits: Improves flexibility of the spine. Helps in relieving constipation. Enhances lung capacity. Precautions While Performing Vakrasana: Avoid practicing Vakrasana if you are experiencing abdominal pain. Do not perform the pose if you have neck pain. Do it according to your body's capacity. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist Pose) Steps: Sit with both legs extended straight in front of you, keeping the spine erect. Bend the left leg and place the heel of the left foot near the right hip (or you can keep the left leg straight). Cross your right leg over the left knee and place the right foot beside the left knee. Place your left arm over the right knee and right hand behind your back. Turning the waist, shoulders and neck to the right, look back over the right shoulder. Keep the spine straight. Maintain this position, take deep and calm breaths. While exhaling, first loosen the left hand, then loosen the waist, chest and finally the neck. Sit straight comfortably. Repeat this process from the other side. Come back to the original position while exhaling. Benefits: Strengthens the spinal. Enhances spinal flexibility. Opens up the chest and improves lung capacity, ensuring proper oxygen flow. Precautions While Performing Ardha Matsyendrasana: Avoid practicing this pose during pregnancy or menstruation. Those who have undergone heart, abdominal or brain surgery should refrain from performing this pose. Do not perform the pose if you have severe spinal injuries or problems. Do this according to your body's capacity. Deep Relaxation Technique (DRT) Steps: Lie down in Shavasana (lying on your back), close your eyes. Initially, take deep breaths and gradually come to a normal state. After this, calm your mind and brain, allowing all thoughts to settle and fade away. Then focus your attention on your right leg and foot. Concentrate on this area for a few seconds. Next, slowly move your attention upward to your knee and thigh. During this, ensure full awareness of the right leg. The meditation process adopted for the right foot should also be adopted for the left foot. Afterward, focus your attention on the mid-section of your body, including the genitals, abdomen, navel and chest. Once you have completed the mid-section, shift your attention gradually to your fingers, palms, elbows, shoulders, neck, face and brain, one by one. After focusing on all parts of the body, take a deep breath and feel the healthy waves of relaxation flowing through your body. After this, gradually shift your attention to the external environment. After a short while, turn to your right side and exhale through your left nostril. This will help bring your body temperature back to normal. After some time, slowly sit up and open your eyes. Deep Relaxation Technique (D.R.T.) Steps: Bring your attention to your toes. Gently wiggle them and relax them completely. Let your entire foot loosen and release all tension. Relax the ankles entirely. Allow the muscles of your calves to relax completely. As you inhale, create a slight tension in your knees and as you exhale, release the tension completely. Relax the muscles of your thighs. Inhale deeply, tighten your hips slightly inward and exhale, releasing the tension completely. Let your hips and lower back relax completely. Relax every part of your lower body, from your waist to your toes. Relax your mind. To provide a deeper relaxation to the lower body, chant the sound "Aaa". Take a deep breath. Start chanting the sound "Aaa". Feel the vibrations of the sound travel from your toes to your waist. Shift your attention to your abdomen. Feel the gentle movements of the abdomen. Inhale deeply, allowing your abdomen to expand and as you exhale, let all the muscles and organs in your abdomen loosen and relax completely. As you inhale, let your chest expand fully. While exhaling, relax all the muscles and organs of your chest completely. Gradually shift your attention to your back. Starting from the middle of your spine, relax each vertebra one by one. Relax the lower back, the middle back and the upper back including the shoulders. Bring your attention to the tips of your fingers. Gently move your fingers and relax them one by one. Loosen your thumb and fingers. Loosen your palm. Loosen the wrist joints. Relax the forearms, upper arms and both the shoulders completely. Focus your attention on your neck. As you exhale, turn your head to the right and while inhaling, bring it back to the centre. Exhale and turn your head to the left, then inhale and return to the centre. Allow all the muscles in your neck to relax. Gradually all the tension in the middle section of your body is released, from your waist to your neck. Relax your mind. Chant the sound 'U' (pronounced like "oo"). Take a long, deep breath. Feel the vibrations in your midsection, generating from chanting 'U'. Slowly shift your attention to the upper portion of the body. Loosen your chin, lower jaw, upper jaw and palate. Let your upper and lower teeth relax completely. Relax your tongue and throat, making them loose and free of tension. Shift your attention to your lips. Relax them completely. As you inhale, feel the cool air entering through your nostrils and as you exhale, feel the warm air leaving. Focus entirely on the movement of your breath through your nostrils. Focus on your breathing for some time. Relax your nostrils. Relax all the muscles of your face. Bring a gentle smile to your face and notice the tension dissolving. Let your eyes relax, including the pupils and eyelids. Relax your ears and shift your attention to the top of your head. Loosen the back of your head, as well as the right and left temples. Let the crown of your head and all internal areas of the brain become completely relaxed. Now start chanting the sound 'M' (a humming sound). Take a long, deep breath. By chanting the sound 'M', feel the vibrations spreading throughout the body, from your head to toes. Slowly shift your attention outward from your body. While lying in Shavasana (corpse pose), visualize yourself from the outside. Imagine your body resting peacefully on the ground, fully relaxed and at ease. Visualize a beautiful, infinite blue sky. Let your mind dissolve into this vast, peaceful expanse. Allow yourself to feel completely immersed in the infinite blue, experiencing a profound sense of calm and connection. Visualize infinite peace and serenity around you, akin to the vastness of the sky. Feel the ultimate peace (Param Shanti) and joy (Param Anand) enveloping you. In this state, experience the highest level of consciousness and immerse yourself in the profound tranquillity. Gradually bring your awareness back to your body. Chant 'Om' once more and feel the vibrations traveling through your entire body, from your toes to your head. Visualize these vibrations massaging and energizing your entire body, bringing rejuvenation and harmony. In this deeply relaxed state, select a positive thought and affirm it with conviction. Examples include: "I am healthy. I am happy.""I am healthy. I am happy.""I am healthy. I am happy." Repeat the affirmation silently in your mind nine times with complete faith and confidence. Slowly start moving your fingers and toes to bring gentle movement to the body. Feel the lightness spreading throughout your body, along with the flow of divine energy revitalizing you. Bring your legs together and place your hands beside your body. Move your right arm along the ground, lifting it above your head, while placing your left hand on your abdomen. Bend your left leg at the knee and roll over to your right side. Place your left hand on the ground in front of your chest for support. Gradually bend both knees and use your hands to sit up in a meditative posture. Keep your eyes closed throughout. In the sitting posture, affirm to yourself: "I will carry this sense of peace and calmness into all my actions." Resolve to maintain this tranquil state of mind in your daily life. Pranayama (Breathing Exercises) Sectional Breathing Abdominal Breathing (Chin Mudra) Steps: Touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb. Keep the other fingers straight. In Chin Mudra, place hands on thighs with palms facing upwards and keep elbows in a comfortable position. While inhaling slowly and steadily, the abdomen will expand outward. While exhaling slowly and steadily, the abdomen will move inward. Repeat this breathing exercise 3 times. Chest Breathing (Chinmaya Mudra) Steps: Touch the tips of the index finger to the tip of the thumb and curl the remaining fingers inward towards the palm. Place the hands on the chest for support, moving them slightly forward and upward. While inhaling slowly and steadily, expand the chest outward. While exhaling, allow the chest to relax and return to its resting state. Repeat this breathing exercise 3 times. Clavicular Breathing (Adi Mudra) Steps: Make fists by tucking your thumb inside your palm. While inhaling, raise the collar bones upward and lift the shoulders slightly backward. While exhaling, lower the shoulders down and return to the relaxed state. Repeat this breathing exercise 3 times. Full Yogic Breathing (Brahma Mudra) Steps: Make fists by tucking your thumb inside your palms and place the fists near the navel on both sides, with the knuckles of both the hands touching each other and palms facing upward. Repeat this breathing exercise 3 times. Full yogic breathing is a combination of all these sectional breathing. Benefits: This is the preliminary breathing exercise for pranayama. Corrects improper breathing patterns and improves lung capacity. Nadi Shuddhi Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) Steps: Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and ensure that your spine is straight. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril. Inhale deeply through the left nostril. When you feel your lungs are filled with air, close the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril. While inhaling from right nostril, close your left nostril with your thumb. When you inhale completely, then close your right nostril and exhale from your left nostril. This completes one full cycle. Repeat the cycle for 9 times. Benefits: Balances body temperature, circulation and breathing. It is helpful in treating mental problems like depression, anxiety and stress etc. Very beneficial in respiratory problems. Improves lung functioning. Nadanusandhana (Sound Resonance Breathing) A (Ah) Chanting Sit in any comfortable meditation posture, follow chin posture, with your eyes closed. Take a deep breath, filling your lungs completely. As you exhale, chant the sound "Ah". Feel the resonance in your abdomen and lower body generated from chanting the sound “Ah”. Repeat this three times. U (Oh) Chanting Inhale slowly and fill your lungs completely. Adopt the Chinmaya Mudra (touch the tips of the index fingers to the tips of the thumbs - and bring middle, ring and little fingers are folded to touch the palm) and while chanting the “Oh” sound. Feel the resonance in your chest and mid-section of your body generated from chanting the sound “Oh”. Repeat this three times. M (Mm) Chanting Inhale slowly and fill your lungs completely. Adopt the Adi Mudra (fold your thumbs and make a fist, then fold the remaining fingers inward) and during chanting the sound “Mm”. Feel the resonance in your head region, generating from chanting the sound “Mm”. Repeat this three times. AUM Chanting Inhale slowly and fill your lungs completely. Adopt the Brahma Mudra (create a fist with your hands, keeping your thumbs touching each other and place them on either side of your navel) and during chanting the sound: “AUM”. Feel the resonance generated from chanting the sound “AUM”, in your entire body. Repeat this three times. Bhramari Pranayama Steps: Sit comfortably in a meditating posture, with your spine straight. Close your eyes. Close your ear holes gently using your thumb. Place your index fingers (near the thumb) just above the eyebrows and your middle (middle) fingers above the eyes. Apply light pressure on the sides of the nose with small fingers. Keep the smallest fingers near the lips. Keep your mouth closed, slowly inhale through your nose. While exhaling, make a humming sound “Mmm…” and exhale though your nose. Repeat this nine times. Benefits: Relaxes the mind and calms the agitated mind. Improves breathing and circulation. An excellent way to enhance concentration. Beneficial for relieving high blood pressure. Meditation Om Chanting Steps: Sit in a comfortable meditation posture, such as Padmasana, Sukhasana or Siddhasana. Keep your spine, head and neck straight. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. As you exhale, begin chanting “Om” Feel the vibration of the sound “O” in the navel area and imagine this vibrations rising upwards. As you continue chanting the sound “O”, feel the vibrations moving towards your throat. When the vibrations reaches the throat, transform the sound into the deep “M” sound. Continue feeling the vibrations, until they reach the crown of your head. You can repeat this process nine times. You can also increase it later on. After the last chant, remain seated and feel the vibrations of Om's sound throughout your entire body - experience it in every cell. Source: Structured Yoga Module for Diabetes An initiative of Centre for Community Medicine (CCM), AIIMS, New Delhi