Asana: Stand and place your feet at a distance of about two feet from each other. Turn your left foot completely to the left. Raise your right hand sideways until your arm is next to your ear and your palm is facing the left. Now bend sideways on your left without moving your torso to the front or back. Turn your neck to face your right palm. Hold this for as long as possible. Repeat the same exercise on the right.
Benefits: This is an extremely useful asana for relieving back pain. Even doing it once and holding it for 30 seconds relieves back pain to some extent. It stretches the arms, legs and back, providing relief from sciatic-nerve issues and cervical stiffness.
Practice: Begin your practice by holding the asana for 30 seconds. Slowly increase the period for which you can hold, in intervals of ten seconds. It is recommended to practice this when you feel the need for a good stretch in the body.
