You have always loved playing Rummy. You have also played it so many times, but your performance or wins per day doesn't seem to be improving much. What's that you are not doing right?

A great Rummy player maintains a strong mind and body balance. Especially, the mind control and mental strength. So, when you are challenged with a quick decision, you should be able to make a call to play or fold. However, common challenges like distractions, anxiety, fatigue and different weighing issues affect your game play and doesn’t allow you to give your 100%.

As per a recent survey done, 47% of our players practice yoga. Even though most of these players have started yoga for just about a year, 32% confidently say that it has helped them improve their rummy skills and strategy. Right from improving their concentration to keeping the mind calm, yoga can have great benefits for a mind game like rummy.

Here are the five yoga asanas that will help you get better at online rummy and of course do loads of good for your health as well.

As per 38% of our rummy players, distractions is one of the biggest factor that lead to poor game play. Most of these distractions do not come from things happening around you at that very point of time. They are just thoughts and worries that take up our mind space that should actually be dedicated to the game. But, going by our players, yoga can help improve your concentration.

Yoga pose: Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

This pose needs you to concentrate and focus your mind on a single point. It is one of the best yoga asanas for stress management and improving concentration. Other than this, it also helps to free up the tightness in the shoulders and hips that are common health issues due to the emotional tension that we carry every day.

How it helps in rummy: As mentioned, the yoga pose helps to focus on one particular point, making it the focal point. So, right from the beginning to the end of a Rummy game you will always focus on the right move at every single point. Let's show you an example through the game. Here's a Rummy hand situation. Take a look. It's your turn to play.

Now you have everything in place and all you need is a 2 of spades or a 5 of spades to complete the pure sequence and so the hand. But you got a 10 of diamond. Now here you need absolute focus and see that even the 10 of diamond is good enough for completing the hand. It's just easy to pass this away if you are too distracted because you are just on the verge of winning. See below. Your hand is complete:

Well, blame it on our lifestyle or a restless night of sleep, our survey shows that around 15% of rummy players blame fatigue for poor concentration in rummy. After a long work day, it's natural that you are mentally drained and the coffee is just not making you alert enough. Of course, in this circumstance your rummy play will be affected and you will not have the patience to play through big tournaments.

Yoga pose: Child's Pose (Balasana)

Every time you find yourself pushing towards a complete burnout, just try out this simple yoga asana. It would feel like you are giving yourself a big hug, bubble bath and a hot bowl of soup all at the same time. Aren’t you feeling rejuvenated already?

How it helps in rummy: When you play rummy you want to win, have fun and do your best. But if you are already carrying the load of the day and tired, then this 5-minute yoga pose can charge you up, bringing freshness to your mind and body.

Here is one more example. The game looks pretty simple, but your observation here will make all the difference. Don't let fatigue get the better of you here.

Yes, this hand can make you feel pretty confident. You already have your sets done and even pure sequence out of your way. Now all you need to do is close your sequence. So, what's going to be your move?

So, if it's not fatigue, then you can thank the different weighing issues right from deadlines to project plans to weigh us down. So, whether you are trying to put a budget in place for your dream vacation or thinking about all the EMIs on your plate, you still need to put them aside and play your rummy card game well and this is going to help.

Yoga pose: Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Uttanasana yoga helps to quiet a busy mind, balance the nervous system and improve the feelings of calm and peace. It also helps in striking a balance and controls mood swings.

How it helps in rummy: With different things at the back of our mind, we are constantly thinking and feeling impatient and before we realize, some bits of the game go on an autopilot. To look at each card closely and discard or pick a card after a good thought, you need emotional balance maintained. Once you start practicing this yoga, you would feel your worries melting away and you would stay calm from within.

Let's see a situation where you are so close to winning, but if your mind is still debating the argument you had back at work, then it's easy to miss it out.

Could you solve this one. If not, try practicing the yoga and give it one more try.

One big challenge for any rummy player is overcoming its own anxiety. The bigger tournaments you play, the more anxious you feel. Imagine playing the Monthly Finale tournaments where you are going stage by stage, playing confidently till the final round. Suddenly, you now find yourself with the best rummy players and your anxiety just explodes. Your mind is fogged and you just have no ability to play the cards, much less come up with some smart creative play. It is awful, right? But it happens to even the best of rummy players.

Yoga pose: Tree Pose (Vrikasana)

This yoga pose is quite common and gives you a controlled feel on your mind and body. It can open the stress points in your body, helping you relax. It is the simplest way to let go and simply take it easy.

How it helps in rummy: Whenever negative thoughts and lack of confidence make you anxious and disturb your play, this yoga will help reinforce calmness and positive feeling in yourself. Even if you have the most competitive players, you'll not be at your nerves end and will play the game with complete confidence.

Well, even though most of us tend to ignore the weight of anxiety that we carry, our mind definitely takes a toll. Here's an example, saying exactly what we mean:

So, could you solve it or your mind is still somewhere else?

Well, this is the final piece and yes, it's a big one. Approximately, 35% players stress on the importance of a positive frame of mind. Just like you need to play the rummy game well, it is also important to close the game on the right note. Leaving the table feeling miserable, disheartened or worse a complete flop, is actually shutting you out from your favourite game. Finish the game on a positive note and make a fresh start the next day.

Yoga pose: Breathing Exercise or Pranayama

Yoga breathing exercise or Pranayama is one of the fundamental forms of yoga. Yes, you have definitely heard about it and possibly practiced it as well at one point or other. It starts with deepening the breathing that involves 3 part breathing and then it moves on to more advanced forms like Kapalabhati and Alternate Nostril breath. If you practice these 3 forms together, it brings self discipline for both mind and body.

How it helps in rummy: We all know, rummy will have its own ups and downs and feeling either too low or over excited will not let you sleep peacefully. Practice this yoga when you are in an intense game play position and also at the end of the day when you have just ended a rummy game. You'll find yourself waking up fresh and alert for the next day and play your online rummy games with a lot more confidence.

With over 32% RummyCircle players confidently stating that yoga has improved their online rummy game, it is definitely a good habit to kick in. Give yoga a try, improve your health and of course get smart and better at your rummy game as well. Be fit, be healthy and win rummy games everyday.