Popularised in India by Baba Ramdev, 'Nauli' yoga is now trending on Instagram by the name 'Alien Yoga'!

Image courtesy: YouTube

New Delhi: The fitness craze has taken over the world by storm with experts coming up with numerous forms of exercises, diets and other routines.

Fitness is a word that people around the world reckon with because it certainly has become a sort of trend. Today, fitness is no more a requirement, but a lifestyle, especially among the youth.

The ancient Indian spiritual and physical discipline,Yoga – which uses breathing techniques, exercise and meditation to boost health – is one such form that has been embraced as a lifestyle across the globe to promote physical, emotional and mental well-being.

When one says yoga, Baba Ramdev is definitely one person who comes to mind. The proven effectiveness of Baba Ramdev's yogic practices led to the entire nation adopting them as a daily routine.

However, one asana that he popularised, leaving people stumped is the 'Nauli' – the stomach-churning yoga.

Nauli kriya yoga may be hundreds of years old but it became popular in India only when Baba Ramdev performed it on stage during his televised yoga sessions.

The fascination with Nauli is such, that he has often been asked to perform it at award functions, talk shows and even press conferences.

Now, dubbed as 'Alien Yoga', the asana has taken over the west too, thereby adding another Indian tradition to the list of those that they already follow.
Yes, Nauli has been trending on the photo-sharing app Instagram, with many users from across the globe posting videos showing them performing it.

But what exactly is nauli, and is it a fitness trend we should be following? According to nauli.org, nauli is a yogic cleansing exercise, or “kriya”, which cleanses the internal organs and strengthens the abdominal area. It involves rolling the abdominal muscles from side to side in a wave-like movement. It may look difficult, especially in some of the Instagram videos, but this movement can be practiced by most yogis and by any age group.

The nauli exercise comprises a series of four movements in total, and nauli.org says you must master uddiyana bandha before attempting the next three:

• Uddiyana bandha: An abdominal lock accomplished by emptying your lungs and pulling the abdomen in and up under the rib cage.
• Madhyana nauli (central nauli): The isolated contraction of the central abdominal muscles.
• Vama nauli (left side nauli): The isolated contraction of the left side of the abdominal muscles.
• Daksina nauli (right side nauli): The isolated contraction of the right side of the abdominal muscles.

The website cautions that nauli is considered an advanced practice, and recommends learning the technique from an experienced teacher.

Many advise that pregnant women, and those with hernias, hypertension, heart disease, ulcers, or various gastrointestinal ailments do not practice nauli. Even for a fit and healthy person, nauli should not be painful — it should always still be practiced with care and caution.

(With AFP inputs)