Amrita Lohia tells you how to stretch away your aches and flab before the party season. 

Naukasan (boat pose)

Step 1: Lie down flat on the yoga mat, with your feet together and your arms on the sides.

Step 2: Keep your arms straight and your fingers outstretched towards your toes.

Step 3: Start inhaling and as you exhale, lift your chest and feet off the ground, stretching your arms towards your feet. Feel the tension in your stomach area as the abdominal muscles contract.

Step 4: Let the weight of your body rest entirely on the buttocks. Make sure your eyes, fingers and toes are all in one line. Hold your breath and remain in this position for a few seconds.

Step 5: Now exhale slowly as you bring the body down to the starting position and relax. You can perform three-four repetitions daily but do not overdo it.

Benefits:
•Strengthens arms, thighs, shoulders and abdominal muscles.
•Improves the health of all organs in the abdomen, especially the liver, pancreas and kidneys.
•Helps in regulating blood flow and sugar level.
•The stretching, compressing and relaxation of the abdominal region involved in this asana is a really effective way of burning belly fat if practised on a regular basis.
•The stimulation while performing the pose helps improve and regulate your digestion, including alleviating excessive gas and easing constipation.

Avoid Naukasan if you: 
Have asthma and heart conditions.
Have low blood pressure, severe headache and migraine.
Have chronic diseases or spinal disorders.
Are pregnant; and on the first two days of the menstrual cycle.

Ushtrasan (camel pose)

Step 1: Kneel on the yoga mat and place your hands on the hips.

Step 2: Your knees should be in line with the shoulders and the sole of your feet should be facing the ceiling.

Step 3: As you inhale, draw in your tail bone towards the pubis as if being pulled from the navel.

Step 4: Simultaneously, arch your back and slide your palms over your feet till the arms are straight.

Step 5: Do not strain or flex your neck but keep it in a neutral position.

Step 6: Stay in this posture for a couple of breaths; breathe out and slowly come back to the initial pose. 

Step 7: Withdraw your hands and bring them back to your hips as you straighten up.

Benefits:
•Improves digestion.
•Strengthens the back and shoulders.
•Relieves lower back ache.
•Improves flexibility of the spine and posture.
•Helps overcome menstrual discomfort.
•Tones up the abdominal muscles, reducing inches from the belly as well. 

Trikonasan (Triangle Pose)

Step 1: Stand with feet one leg-length apart, knees unbent.

Step 2: Turn your right foot completely out and the left foot less than 45 degree to the inside, keeping the heels in line with the hips. The arms are spread out to the sides, parallel to the ground, palms facing down. The trunk is extended as far as it’s comfortable to the right while arms remain parallel to the floor.

Step 3: Once the trunk is fully extended to the right, the right arm is dropped, so that the right hand reaches the shin in front of the right foot, with the palm down if flexed.

Step 4: The left arm is extended vertically and the spine and trunk are gently twisted counterclockwise using the extended arms as lever while the spine remains parallel to the ground.

Step 5: The arms are stretched away from one another and the head is often turned to gazing at the left thumb, slightly intensifying the spinal twist.

Step 6: Hold this position for five to 10 breaths and then change side. Repeat the posture but change your leg position.

Benefits:
•Stretches the spine.
•Gives strength to the thighs, calves and buttocks.
•Improves flexibility of the spine; corrects alignment of shoulders.
•Relieves backache, gastritis, indigestion, acidity and flatulence.
•Assists treatment of neck sprains, reduces stiffness in shoulders and knees, strengthens ankles and tones the ligaments in the arms and legs.
•Also stimulates the nervous system and alleviates depression, strengthens the pelvic area and tones the reproductive organs.

Vashishthasan (side plank)

Step 1: Start from  Chaturanga Dandasana (the plank position). Inhale and place your right hand at the centre of the mat, exhale and take the left hand up towards the sky and twist your body to the right. Hold this position for a couple of breaths as per your body strength. Now exhale and come to the first position.

Step 2: Repeat the same with the other side .

Benefits:
•Focuses on improving concentration and hence combats depression or fear. It is widely used to deal with anxiety and depression.
•Improves core body strength, balance and coordination. 
•Strengthens the arm muscles and tones the legs.

Janushirasan (Head to Knee Pose)

Step 1: Sit straight and stretch your right leg sideways. Bend your left leg so that its sole is against the right thigh.

Step 2: While inhaling, stretch your right hand up. Exhale. Bend and take it to the right toe. Now take the left hand up and move towards the right side.

Step 3: Hold the position for a couple of breaths, exhale and come back to neutral position.

Step 4: Repeat the same procedure on the other side.

Benefits:
•Helps massage the heart and the abdominal organs. 
•Useful in reducing excess fat in the abdomen, hips and thighs. 
•Cures constipation, dyspepsia, seminal weakness, and belching and digestive disturbances. 
•Helps overcome several menstrual disorders. Helps in reducing side belly fat and quickens inch loss.

Avoid Janushirasan if you:
Have hernia, colitis and slipped disc. 

Hear Amrita speak at...
The Fit Expo 2017 presented by Bodyline and partnered by t2
Where: Science City exhibition area
When: November 25-26
Register: Log on to www.fitexpo.in. 
You can also get season passes at bookmyshow.in or allevents.in.
A season pass (both days) will cost you Rs 200

Amrita Lohia is a Delhi-based yoga trainer