English-speaking yoga teachers often challenge the place in the names of their poses, with examples including “crescent” and “star” positions.
An astronaut is now performing these movements during a microgravity exercise on the International Space Station.
Expedition 67 astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti recently shared a photo of herself on Twitter taking a “triangular pose” at Japan’s Kibo Lab, a popular place for astronauts to pose for photos and press conferences.
Who says you can’t do yoga in space? At least you can try, “tweeted the astronaut of the European Space Agency (opens in a new section) on Tuesday (June 21st), along with the photo. The Italian space pilot added that he wants to try an even more ambitious routine soon.
Related: Astronaut Samantha Christophoretti makes a story with the 1st TikTok from the International Space Station
Christophoretti, who is at TikTok to reach a younger audience, recently teamed up with Cosmic Kids Yoga (opens in a new section) (a private company operating since 2012) to develop a yoga routine optimized for research. of space.
“You know what? I love doing yoga here on Earth, and I wonder if it will work up there in space? ”Christophoretti asked in a video on May 23, posted on the YouTube channel of Cosmic Kids (opens in a new section).
In response, certified yoga teacher Jaime Amor played a possible space routine for Christophoretti in the 20-minute video, adding a package of yoga activities in space (opens in a new section) for young people who want to stretch and do resistance training together. with the astronaut.
Who says you can’t do yoga in space! At least you can try 😁 I look forward to trying out the full @CosmicKidsYoga yoga plan made for me! ️ ️ #InternationalDayofYoga pic.twitter.com/uIUFMxzBYr June 21, 2022
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Other astronauts have successfully practiced yoga in orbit before Christophorettes. For example, NASA astronauts Jack Fisher and Peggy Whitson showed some balancing positions in 2017, although Fisher joked on Twitter (opens in a new section) that they are much easier to hold “without gravity.”
In addition, NASA’s Christina Koch – who spent nearly a year in space – lists yoga as one of her entertainment activities in her official biography of the agency (opens in a new section).
Yoga has many health benefits, including improved strength, balance, and flexibility, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine (opens in a new section); Yoga is also associated with more energy and better stress management, among other health outcomes.
The United Nations marked International Yoga Day on Tuesday (June 21st) and noted that yoga has been crucial to global health since the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
“People around the world have embraced yoga to stay healthy and rejuvenated and to fight social isolation and depression during the pandemic,” the UN said (opening in a new section).
“Yoga also plays an important role in the psychosocial care and rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19 under quarantine and isolation. It is especially useful for calming their fears and anxieties.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and so on Facebook.
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