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With Chuseok, the traditional Korean Thanksgiving holiday, comes nationwide migration and gridlock on the country¡¯s highways. Singer Ok Ju-hyun has just released her second exercise video, which may help people to withstand a long journey. Here, she recommends seven yoga poses which are especially useful for the Chuseok holidays.
¡ß In the car, stuck in traffic
Put both hands on your knees in a sitting posture. With your lips closed, inhale through your nose to expand your thorax and fill air up to your collarbone. And exhale with your stomach pulled in so your ribs come down. Release the tension in your neck and shoulders and close your eyes. Repeat 10 times.
¢Ñ This breathing exercise refreshes your head and helps blood to circulate well through the heart and other internal organs, which can be strained by driving a car for too long.
¡ß Out of the car, in gridlock
Stand up with your legs apart, interlace your fingers and put them behind your cervical vertebra. Tighten your elbows inward and bend forward slowly. Keep your elbows facing the floor and keep your shoulders and waist straight.
¢Ñ This pose relaxes your neck, back and waist.
¡ß After overeating 1
This is called a pulling the bow string. Lie on your face and place your arms on your back with fingers interlaced. Attach your heels to each other and while slowly inhaling, lift the upper part of the body and legs. Slowly return to the original lying posture again before relaxing your body. Then grab your ankles with your hands and lift the upper part of the body and legs, turning your body into a pulled bow string. When lifting the upper part of the body, inhale and roll up your coccyx. Keep that posture for about 10 seconds and relax.
¢Ñ This pose stimulates internal parts of the abdomen, thus helping digestion and making your body well proportioned.
¡ß After overeating 2
Sit with your legs half-crossed, put your right hand on your left knee and your left hand on the back of your hips. Inhale, hold your spinal column erect and twist your waist. Then lift your arms. Keep your waist straight and bend the upper part of your body forward with arms stretched to relax your shoulders and neck. Repeat for the other side.
¢Ñ This pose makes your body pliable and massages the lower internal organs.
¡ß After overeating 3
Prepare a small cushion. Lie on your back and lift your legs straight at right angles with the floor. Put the cushion between your thighs and put your hands behind your neck with fingers interlaced. Inhale to expand the thorax and then lift the upper part of the body when exhaling. Repeat four times.
¢Ñ This pose strengthens the abdominal muscles and prevents them from drooping. It also corrects the out-toed gait.
¡ß To restore energy 1
Stand up with your arms extended right and left, and grab your waist with your hands. Then, bend the upper part of the body so your right hand reaches the floor in front of your left foot and your left hand may grip your right ankle. Keep breathing and maintain the posture. Repeat this for the other direction.
¢Ñ This pose makes hips and shoulders flexible and relaxes the whole body.
¡ß To restore energy 2
Lie down and extend both arms right and left with palms turned upward. Lift both legs, and cross your right leg over your left leg. Then pull the right leg down to the left and look upward. Keep the posture for a while and repeat for the other side.
¢Ñ This pose relaxes the muscles of your neck and back by twisting the body. This restores energy to the entire body including the liver, the stomach and the kidneys, which may endure some abuse during the Chuseok holidays.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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