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August 9, 2018 By Parwage Alam 196 Comments

Yoga for the beginners: Some myths and benefits

Couple of months ago I had written a blog on meditation.(http://goqii.com/blog/author/parwage/). I now follow this written piece with a blog on Yoga which is also one of the ways to get stress free in your life and relax. I have been practicing Yoga for the last 8 years and have full faith in this form of exercise. Yoga can bring about positive changes in your life if practiced well. I personally feel the ‘Power of Yoga’.

Yoga is a precious gift given to us by our elders and can be practiced to better our lives. Originated in India, almost 26,000 years ago, Yoga is believed to have evolved during the period of the ‘Sat Yuga’, also called the Golden age. The term yoga can be derived from either yujir yoga (to yoke) or yujsamadhau (to concentrate).

While Yoga originated in India today, many people across the world practice yoga. Yoga in a way is helping many to achieve their physical fitness goal. Through this blog post, I would like to talk about the myths that are attached with Yoga and the benefits of Yoga for one and all.

A strong and flexible body, glowing beautiful skin, peaceful mind, good health – whatever you may be looking for, yoga has it on offer. Yoga helps you to achieve your overall fitness level. If you do follow Yoga regularly you are not just physically fit but, also mentally and emotionally balanced.

Ten minutes of yoga during the day can be a great way to get rid of stress that accumulates daily – in body and in the mind. This will also help you to achieve your inner peace. Some of yoga asanas are effective techniques to release stress.

Some myths regarding yoga :

There is only one type of yoga:Vinyasa is the most popular type of yoga right now and involves using your breath with movement. Hatha yoga is slower with more static postures. Power yoga is more strengthening and cardiovascular. These are just a sampling of the many available styles today.
Yoga requires time-commitment:If you give 10 min in a day daily to yoga, you can change your life.
Yoga is only for women: This is not true. It has been proven by many schools of yoga that one and all can practice Yoga
You have to be extremely agile: Yes, it’s true that there are some difficult yoga positions but, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be super agile to practice yoga. Most postures can be modified to fit all skill levels or you can choose a position that isn’t so hard on the body.

Benefits of Yoga:

Yoga has both physical and mental benefits to the body and mind.

Health Benefits:

Physical benefits: Yoga improves flexibility and muscle joint mobility (Moving and stretching in new ways will help you become more flexible,).

Tones, strengthens and builds muscles; corrects posture; strengthens the spine (Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Holding poses over the course of several breaths also builds strength.

Eases back pain; improves muscular-skeletal conditions such as bad knees, tight shoulders and neck, swayback and scoliosis; increases stamina; boosts immune response; stimulates the glands of the endocrine system; creates balance and grace; improves digestion and elimination; increases circulation; improves heart conditions; improves breathing disorders; decreases cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Mental benefits:

Mental Calmness, Stress Reduction, Body Awareness

Asanas are good for developing coordination and helps to improve your concentration levels and memory. Regular practice can enable young people to keep their natural flexibility for many years. There is no age bar for Yoga.Yoga allows each and everyone who is practicing it to retain mobility and relieve problems such as arthritis and poor circulation. During pregnancy, yoga promotes good health in both mother and the unborn child. Yoga asanas lessen the effects of problems such as overweight, backache, and depression.

Here are some Yoga Asanas for the Beginners:

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) :Stand tall with feet together, shoulders relaxed, weight evenly distributed between your soles, arms on the sides.Take a deep breath and raise your hands overhead, palms facing each other with arms straight. Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.

Downward Facing Dog (Adhomukhasvanasana): Get on all fours with your hands and knees and shoulder-and-hips-width apart. Walk with your hands a few inches forward and spread the fingers wide, pressing the palms into mat. Curl toes under and slowly press hips toward ceiling, bringing your body into an inverted V, pressing shoulders away from ears. Feet should be hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold for 3-4 full breaths.

Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana): Stand with legs 3 to 4 feet apart, turning right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in slightly. Bring your hands to your hips and relax your shoulders, then extend arms out to the sides, palms down. Bend right knee 90 degrees, keeping the knee over the ankle; gaze out over right hand. Stay for 1 minute. Switch sides and repeat.

Tree Pose (Vriksasana): Take mountain pose. Then shift your weight onto your left leg. With your hips facing forward, place the sole of your right foot inside your left thigh and find your balance. When you’re there, take a prayer position with your hands. To kick it up a notch, reach your arms up as you would in a mountain pose. Be sure to repeat with the other side.

Bridge Pose (Setubhanda): Lie on the floor with your knees bent and directly over the heels. Place the arms on your sides, palms down. Exhale, then press feet onto the floor as you lift your hips. Clasp hands under lower back and press arms down, lifting hips until thighs are parallel to the floor, bringing chest toward chin. Hold for 1 minute.
Make it easier: Place a stack of pillows underneath your tailbone.

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): Take warrior pose on your right side without lunging into your knee. Then touch the inside of your right foot with the outside of your right hand. Reach up to the ceiling with your left hand. Turn your gaze toward and pass your left hand to stretch your back. Don’t forget to repeat it on the other side.

Upward Facing Dog (Urdhvamukhasvanasana): Lie face down on the floor with your thumbs under shoulders, legs extended with the top of your feet on the floor. Tuck your hips downward as you squeeze your glutes. Keeping your shoulders down, push up and lift your chest off the ground. Relax and repeat.

Pigeon Pose (Ekapadarajakapotasana): Start in a push-up position, your palms under your shoulders. Place your left knee on the floor near your shoulders with your left heel by your right hip. Press your hands to the floor and sit back with your chest lifted. You can also lower your chest closer to the floor for a stretch. Try it on the other side.

Child’s Pose (Balasana): Sit up comfortably on your heels. Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you. Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you. Hold the pose and breathe.

What are you waiting for, get up, plan your day and bring Yoga into your lifestyle and stay stress-free lifelong.

June 28, 2018 By Samar Hafeez 7 Comments

Reduce Anxiety, Sleep Sound

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Anxiety and Fear are a part of life. You may feel anxious before you take a test or walk a dark street. This kind of anxiety is useful as it can make you more alert, careful and productive, however, it usually ends soon after you are out of the situation that caused it. But, for millions of people, the anxiety does not go away and gets worse over time. This can make one, more restless, clumsy and unproductive thereby causing dysfunction in daily activities, and ultimately begins to take over lives.

Anxiety has plagued millions around the world from time immemorial. Anxiety is defined as a feeling of excessive worry, nervousness or unease about something. In this people are always preoccupied with ‘what- if’ thinking, what if something bad, dangerous or threatening could happen, what if anything bad happens to someone I love etc.

Symptoms of Anxiety:

Physical symptoms include:

Muscle tension, Muscle Twitching
Chronic indigestion, constipation, Diarrhoea
Increased or heavy breathing
Hyperventilation/Palpitations
Nausea
Cold chills, Hot flash, Frequent urination, sudden weight loss, headaches

Emotional symptoms include:

Feeling of dread, feeling tense and jumpy
Irritability
Restlessness
Sleep problems
Panicky most of the time

Cognitive symptoms:

Poor concentration Negative thoughts and Apprehension
Confusion
Poor communication, attention and memory skills

Now let’s move on to discuss how Anxiety may cause sleep problems

Many of us toss and turn and watch the clock when we can’t sleep for a night or two. But for some, a restless night is routine.

The growing cases of sleep disorders due to anxiety are not to be ignored. Indian women outnumber men when it comes to disturbed sleep due to anxiety.

Anxiety and sleep have a bidirectional relationship, meaning high amounts of anxiety tends to disrupt sleep and disruptions in sleep tend to increase anxiety.

In case of Anxiety, it begins in anticipation of an event. When you reflect on a stressful event at night, the emotional centres of brain namely Amygdala and Insular cortex get activated. This stimulates a chain of events that raise both your adrenaline and blood sugar levels. This sudden source of energy then keeps you alert, tense and restless. Ultimately disrupting your sleep.

Sleep on other hand is an integral part of emotional regulation. A lack of it leaves your emotions unstable and in disarray. You are more prone to falling sick often, show irritability and lack of patience and discontent often.

What your Anxiety at night may look like

An individual usually experiences either racing or stagnant/fixed anxious thoughts. These thoughts build on each other or spiral around making it harder and harder to fall asleep.

Some people describe this feeling as being stuck in their head.

Due to the consistent rise in adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormone) levels more and more physical symptoms may result.

Reduce Anxiety

Melt Anxiety with mindfulness meditation: Focusing on your breath and physical sensations can help you stay in the present moment. This can help you recognize what your thoughts may be, allowing them to pass without reaction or judgement.
Rationalize and not Awfulize: Accept the what if thinking as a projection that connects horrifying thoughts and images to anxiety. Think that a what if disaster does not validate or guarantee a disaster, Awfulizing things real or imagined situations as horrible, Awful or terrible will only make symptoms worse
The shift from passive to active perspective: Talk to yourself in a realistic self- assuring way
Relax your body Relax your mind: Practice Diaphragmatic breathing these exercises are simple to learn and can have relatively quick effects. This technique involves breathing in a way that your belly expands as you breathe in and contracts as you breathe out. Psychologist Jon Carlson describes belly breathing as a technique that can send calming signals to the brain and promote a feeling of relaxation and improved attention and awareness.
Imagination and Relaxation: Rolodex of anxiety thoughts can be controlled by using Guided imagery, Guided imagery serves to redirect people’s attention away from what is stressing them and towards an alternative focus, this includes only visualizing pleasant and relaxing image like on a beach or on a serene hill or whatever may soothe a person. This practice is extremely portable, as it relies on nothing but one’s imagination and concentration abilities.
Exercise: Regular exercise provides an outlet for frustrations and releases mood-enhancing endorphins/hormones
Play music: Soft calming music can lower blood pressure and muscle agitation, usually found symptoms in people who get anxious often
Direct anxiety elsewhere: Lend a hand to relative or neighbour or volunteer in your community services. Helping others will take your mind off your own anxieties and will help you count your blessings.

Sleep More Soundly

Make good sleep a priority: Block out 7 hours for a full uninterrupted sleep
Maintain regularity: Try to sleep and wake up on same time daily even on weekends, this helps circadian rhythm your ‘biological clock’ to tick properly.
Avoid stimulants: Say no-no to alcohol, coffee, chocolate or nicotine post sunset
Keep it cool: sleep in a dark room which is slightly cold, this helps the temperature in the brain to fall and help fall asleep quicker, the cool room takes your brain and body in the right temperature direction to get good sleep.
Dark- deprived society: We need darkness in the evening to allow the release of a hormone called Melatonin(sleep hormone) It helps the healthy time of our sleep. In this modern era, we are severely deprived of darkness. So try to dim lights down in your home an hour before bed. Stay away from LED screens as they emit blue light that actually puts break on melatonin and fools brain into thinking it’s still daytime, even though night time.
Do not stay in bed awake: If you haven’t fallen asleep within 30 mins of getting into bed or have woken up and finding difficult to fall back asleep, the advise is to get up go to another room and in dim light just read a book, no screens, no email checking, NO FOOD. And only when you feel sleepy should you return to bed and that way your brain can actually re-learn the association between bed being a place of sleep, rather than a place to stay awake.
Avoid big meals before bedtime and avoid working out 2 hours before bedtime.
Try magnesium-rich foods/supplements like fish or fish oil, almonds, bananas, pumpkin seeds, warm milk, cherries, mushrooms and dark green leafy veggies in dinner. Magnesium relaxes muscles and eases anxiety which contributes to insomnia
Chamomile magic: Try having a cup of chamomile tea 30 mints before bed chamomile is regarded as a mild tranquillizer and sleep inducer, It relaxes nerves and muscles and help fall sleep quicker.

The power of sleep has always been known to be significant but now there’s more and more evidence demonstrating just how important it is for those who experience anxiety. By using above mentioned techniques you can hope for relief from anxiety and eventually will sleep your anxiety away!

March 20, 2017 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 8 Comments

All you wanted to know about Premature ejaculation

It is a pity that the rate of separation amongst couples has increased due to sexual dissatisfaction. I recently got a call from a friend whose wife asked for separation on the basis of the husband’s inability of physical love.

Unfortunately, the stress of ‘sexual performance’ is mostly on men. And one of the common issues faced by men is pre-mature ejaculation. This common problem has a common solution- in one’s mind itself! Before we delve into that-

Pre mature ejaculation mostly happens due to the psychological factors. But, I am describing biological factors also for the readers benefit.

Psychological Factors

Anxiety about intercourse,
Being in a situation in which you hurry towards a climax,
Cultural guilt related to sexual pleasure,
Erectile dysfunction,
New partner,
Problems or lack of understanding between you and your partner,
Long time since last ejaculation.
Injury or trauma.
Sexual abuse
Guilt
Depression Image 1
One or combination of factors

Biological Factors

Long standing illness
Hormonal problems with the thyroid gland or abnormal levels of sexual hormones in the body,
Problems with neurotransmitters in the brain, which therefore fail to carry right signals to the pleasure centers of the brain,
Problems with the reflex mechanism of your ejaculatory system,
Infection in the urethra or prostate,
Damage to the nervous or sensory system due to either surgery or trauma.
Side effects of some drugs.
One or combination of factors

There are no physical or biological complications of premature ejaculation. However, it could strain your relationships. Many men also find it humiliating due to our social construct. Occasionally, premature ejaculation may cause fertility problems. If you have been ejaculating too often or too prematurely, your sperm count may be low. Ejaculating prematurely may also prevent fertilization from taking place.

What can you do?

Enjoy..it is sex not a race!Pre-mature ejaculation gets better on its own with time and experience.Relax! Look at intercourse as something pleasurable and not a trophy to be won!

Talk it out- Talk to your partner about your anxieties if it helps. It is ok to be not comfortable and feel stressed. Talking might help you feel ‘lighter’.

You might wish to take therapy from a sex therapist who will undertake a physical examination, talk to you and your partner about your sexual life to understand the root of your sexual problems. You could be prescribed medications along with techniques to delay orgasms. While the therapy ensures that your sexual encounters are stress free, medications ensure that your hormonal levels are in check and that you are healthy enough to have normal, pleasurable intercourse. While antidepressants and topical anesthetics are used, none of these drugs are medically approved for specifically treating premature ejaculation.

Kick the stress out: One of the best ways is to be happy and stress free. Keep your “mind” in check. Relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing relieves stress and gradually it settles down anxiety of intercourse.

If you have a lot of stress or if you are depressed as well, your doctor may advise cognitive behavior therapy. This is a psychological treatment for you to be more open and less anxious about sex. Counseling and cognitive therapy is usually used in conjunction with drugs like antidepressants or mood enhancers.

Try the “Start-Stop” Technique. This is by far the simplest technique and can be done alone or with a partner.The technique involves stimulating the penis and stopping just before you feel you are about to ejaculate. Stop the stimulation for 30-60 seconds and start again once you feel that you have regained control. Repeat this process 4-5 times, stopping and “resting” every time you feel that you are about to have an orgasm. Finally, let the ejaculation occur, so that you can identify the “point of no-return”

“Squeeze” Technique- works by squeezing the penis in the area between the shaft and the glans (for about 30 seconds), just before you are about to ejaculate. This stops the ejaculation, but may affect your erection, at least until you are stimulated again. You should then repeat this process 4-5 times until you decide not to delay orgasm anymore.To be effective, this method has to be used for several months and it requires great perseverance from the man and his partner.The idea behind the “squeeze” technique is that, after a while, you are able to recognize the “point of no return” and may be able to delay future ejaculations.

Ayurveda prescribes gentle message of the penis with 1 ounce of sesame oil, 5 to 10 drops of mustard oil 1 hour before intercourse. Wash it off thoroughly before intercourse. You can also use medicated ghees like brahmi ghee, shatavari or ashwagandha ghee to message the pubic bone and the glans penis before making love.

Yoga Asanasas answers!

Matsayasan- Fish pose Helps improve posture, strengthens the upper back and back of the neck muscles, stimulates and stretches belly and front of the neck muscles.

Vajrasan relieves stress and tones the body.

Bow Pose stimulates the spine, expands the shoulders and chest, and strengthens the lower back, hip’s gluteus, hip flexors and hamstrings. It helps strengthen the low back musculature which plays an important role during intercourse. This pose can stimulate organs of the neck and tone the abdominal organs.

Ustrasana- Camel Pose helps improve the posture, strengthens the back muscles and stretches the hip, groins, ankles, chest, abdomen and the entire front body.

For optimal results take deep 5 breaths in each asana. These asanas are not only effective in premature ejaculation but are also known to increase the libido.

So friends, it will be great if you recognized that there are numerous reasons for premature ejaculation and the most common of these being the cluttered mind. The issue is over once you gain confidence. Hopefully the above given techniques will of help all those trying to find a solution to this problem.

February 10, 2017 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

How to train for High Altitude Trekking?

Almost a decade ago when I started trekking in the Himalayas, it was just a few enthusiasts who did this. It was not considered normal and people were under the impression that this is meant for only those who were super fit. Trekking is normally associated with arduous trudging on some hard and uneven ground, climbing and walking on moraines and all that’s associated with laborious tasks amidst hostile environments with bare shelter, food and clothing essentials.

While trekking you might come across situations where you are stuck and most times hit by the sheer untouched beauty of a picture perfect image that embeds itself permanently in your memory as you are exposed to the wilderness for a longer duration in a day. This beauty can be seldom enjoyed while in a car.

Having said this, trekking is not tough. If you know to walk then you can trek as well. But, this does not mean that one ventures into unknown territories on their own to explore the unknown. Walking along a trail around with a backpack does not require exceptional skills but does require certain amount of physical fitness, planning, the right clothes, shoes and above all old common sense.

For high altitude trekking it requires much more physical and mental preparation. At higher altitudes, the air is thinner, there is less available oxygen and it becomes more difficult to breathe. There are serious risks involved with high-altitude hiking, including altitude sickness, acute mountain syndrome that can lead to pulmonary or cerebral edema, all of which can result in death.

Therefore, before you go on a high-altitude hike, you need to train your body to work efficiently and effectively in environments with less oxygen.

Here are few steps that will help train for high altitude:

** Begin training at least four tosix months in advance. This is especially important if you plan to hike at altitudes of more than 14,000 feet.

**See a doctor for a medical checkup in the early stages of training to ensure that high-altitude hiking is a safe and recommended activity for your age and physical condition.

** Hike as often as possible. The best thing you can do to prepare for higher-altitude hikes is to hike closer home as often as you can and at higher altitudes if available. Start gradually, increasing the distance and altitude of your treks with each week of training so that your body and lungs can become accustomed to functioning at increasing levels of altitude.

** Participate in interval training. Interval training is a method of training the cardiovascular system by elevating the heart rate significantly and then allowing it to recover for a period before elevating it again.

** Interval training could consist of running sprints, running hills or using the interval setting on a treadmill or exercise bike. Choose one day of the week for interval training and doing six repetitions of whatever exercise you have chosen. Each week, increase the intensity by running a faster sprint or a steeper hill. You also can train with your back pack with about 6 kgs in it to add weight and simulate the weight that you might be carrying during the high-altitude hike.

** For trekking you should work on developing a breathing rhythm and deep breathing. Your ability to control and conserve your breath and expand your breathing capacity will come in handy when the oxygen supply is reduced. Developing a breathing/stepping rhythm will prevent you from overexerting yourself at higher elevations. It also recommends practicing deep breathing on training hikes.Whenever you begin to feel breathless, concentrate on taking deep breaths and smaller steps until a more normal breathing pattern returns.Yoga asanas such as Kapalbhati, Vastrika, Anulom Vilom all of which entail breathing exercises.

** Lastly, you could also train with professionals who are trained in mountaineering to learn few basic techniques and nuances that may help while trekking.

My final advice: Try not to skip your work out if you can help it. Your safety and success depends on an how fit you are.

Yoga for the beginners: Some myths and benefits

Reduce Anxiety, Sleep Sound

All you wanted to know about Premature ejaculation

What can you do?

How to train for High Altitude Trekking?

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