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Yoga for the beginners: Some myths and benefits

Triangle-PoseCouple 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 :

  1. 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.
  2. Yoga requires time-commitment:If you give 10 min in a day daily to yoga, you can change your life.
  3. 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
  4. 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.

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Suffering from Lower back pain? could be lack of calcium and D3

 

back-pain

Lower back pain?

Degeneration of the spine?

Lumbar disc problems?

Joint pain?

Body aches?

The common solution for all of the above problems is to pop a calcium or D3 supplement. It’s true though, a  deficiency of these vitamins can cause all of the above, but there are many ways of looking at this.

You can be popping the best brand of supplements, but remember, it just does not work that way. For Calcium to get absorbed into the bones, your D3 levels have to be adequate. If it’s not, your calcium supplement is being wasted, so are the foods rich in calcium that you are consuming.

Furthermore, Vitamin K is such an ignored vitamin. You should know that Vitamin K is needed for the bones to absorb Calcium. Vitamin K is found in dairy products and green leafy veggies.

Here’s how it works – For strong and healthy bones, joints and a super strong spine, you need sufficient calcium, D3 and Vitamin K for it to work effectively. I should add in B12 as B12 is necessary for healthy bone marrow and for the body and spine to grow stung and healthy.

Calcium, Vitamin K, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3

A balanced diet should give you all of the above. Apart from nutrition, there are few other tips

– Regular and smart exercise.
– Stretching, warm up and cooldowns.
– Knowing your tight muscles and working on flexibility.
– DO NOT SIT IN ONE PLACE FOR MORE THAN 30-45 MINUTES-This is too much strain and stress on your lower back/sacrum and it leads to lower back, sciatica and lower body aches and pains.

Look for nutrition in fresh and real foods. Supplement only if you have to and if you have a deficiency. The choice of preventing or healing yourself from pains is up to you and how you want to deal with it. But, make sure you keep up with nutrition, exercise, rest and have a positive attitude.

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Role of social media / internet on our kid’s lifestyle and habits

social-media

Recently a girl came to me for consultation, asking specifically for a weight reduction diet. You will be surprised to know that the girl is just about 15 years old and yet to appear for her 10th-grade examination and can easily pass off as being on the heavier side (obese). While I was talking to her, she casually happened to mention that she has a habit of “munching snacks late at night while surfing the internet”. My observation says that this has become a common trend in today’s times.

Social media is now used for a host of different reasons and gone beyond just social interaction. It’s extended to information and even to seek entertainment. A life without internet seems next to impossible and unimaginable, but an excess of anything is bad and that is quite visible in the society in the recent times.

Social networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are increasingly becoming popular among adolescents. Numerous studies have shown that Internet addiction has an adverse effect on several lifestyle-related factors in adolescents. Some important ill effects of the same are:-

  • Irregular dietary habits
  • Physical inactivity
  • Increased use of alcohol and tobacco
  • Adverse impact on the growth and development
  • Indirect negative effects through sleep deprivation
  • Obesity

Studies have shown that people are more likely to have meals while sitting at the computer than at the dining table. Majority of people are multitasking by working on different things at the same time such as eating food while surfing on internet, chatting with friends (Facebook) and writing emails etc. This multitasking is making us less efficient and productive.

Children are socializing through media channels and direct communication has now become limited. I know of a boy who is a champion in some of the online games while he simply hates to play anything in its physical form. He can almost be termed as a “couch potato” at the age of 8, which is very harmful for his overall development. Today, there is an increase in Child, Teenage and adult obesity than ever before. Excess weight issues or Obesity increases the risk of many other chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Research indicates that the light from the screens of TV/computer affects melatonin production, a key hormone in the body’s clock, or circadian system. This causes sleep deprivation as it interrupts deep, restorative sleep eventually causing an increase in stress and depressive symptoms. Thus, teaching adolescents to develop healthy eating habits is of critical importance.

Parents should act as a role model for their children by adopting a healthy lifestyle themselves. Providing nutritious meals and snacks, daily physical activity, and nutrition education can prevent many a life style disorders. Also meal time should be the family time as it provides children great opportunity to learn about healthy foods, balanced meals, and table manners and offers good time to spend with family. Parents should be vigilant on the use of internet by their children. To avoid the conflicts clear guidelines should be set regarding the time of the day your child is allowed to be online and for how long.

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Four pillars to lead a healthy and happy life

yoga-for-healthy-happy-living Recently, I had published a blog on how certain yoga asana, if followed with some attitude, can tune your behaviour and imbibe good qualities in you. If you have not read that blog here is the link to the same https://goqii.com/blog/best-yoga-poses-with-attitudes/

Having said that yoga is not about asana alone and pranayama, yoga is a way of life. Good health depends on the long-term commitment and the foundation for that needs to be built on four important pillars. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is state of physical, mental and social well being.

The Four Pillars of a healthy lifestyle is AHAR (Food), VIHAR (Recreation), ACHAR (Routines), VICHAR (Thoughts)

  1. The first Pillar is AHAAR

AHAR means food. “Annam Brahma—means the food is Brahman (Lord of creation). There is an old adage which says, “As the food so the mind, As the mind so the Man”. This saying depends on what you eat, how you eat and when you eat. Every bite you put in your mouth counts for your well being and lifespan, but this does not mean you start binge eating. Eating in moderation is key to maintain a healthy life.

According to Ayurveda, our food is categorized into three segments: Sattvik, Rajasic, Tamasic,

Satvik food is very simple food and gives loads of energy and keeps the mind stable. This food type includes Milk and milk products fresh fruits, dry fruits, seasonal veggies, unrefined cereals, pulses, spices like ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, honey, jaggery, Ghee, and oil

Rajasic food creates a restless state of mind. These foods are difficult to digest like non-veg, non-sprouted beans and pulses, garlic, onion, unseasonal veggies and salt.

Tamasic food creates a lethargic state of mind. This includes food which is stale or cooked over a long period. All refined, processed, artificial flavoured foods, deep-frozen foods, pickles, jams, beverages, deep-fried foods, liquor, tobacco, drugs.

The ancient literature says, “One should break one’s night long fast at the time of sunrise and end ones last meal at the time of sunset”. Going by what our ancient literature says, we all know BREAKFAST should be our first meal and that should be king sized. Whatever, we eat in the morning is absorbed and assimilated to the maximum. Food taken during the lunch should be easily digestible and dinner should be the lightest meal of the day.

When you eat food. Your state of mind will decide how food is going to be utilised by the body. Eat your meals with full concentration. Chew your food well and enjoy the subtle taste of each food items. Most important avoid using mobile or watch TV while eating food.

  1. The second pillar is VIHAR

Vihar means recreation. The literal meaning is moving or walking. Stress is a common factor these days. Everybody is stressed on a day to day basis and the reasons for stress can vary and spend time with oneself is a big task. Recreation, relaxation and enjoying family time rejuvenates the body and mind. It’s a kind of anti-depressant for us.

Spending some time in activities which you enjoy clears off mind, relieves depression and anxiety, elevates your mood and gives a feeling of well being.

Active creative hobbies like gardening, painting, playing musical instruments engage all sensory organs and releases pent-up emotions and recharges the mind. Playing sports is another way of relaxing body and mind.

Relaxation is the cornerstone of well-balanced personality. Maintain the relaxed attitude throughout the day. Relaxation is an art which needs to be cultivated. It is important for our body, emotions and our nervous system. Regular exercise or relaxation keeps you fit and keeps disorders at bay.

  • The Third pillar is ACHAR—(Routine)

How often is it that your day goes unplanned and you get hassled with too much work in the day? Our mental health and being are dependent on better routines (achaar). Regularity and sincerity are two major components of a good routine. The best example of following a routine is the SUN-It rises and sets daily without any excuse.

Plan your day in advance. Incorporate all necessary task for self, work, food, recreation and sleep. The solutions to many of our difficulties in life lie in setting out right habits and right routines. Dr Abdul Kalam had said, “You cannot change your future but you can change your habits and your habits will surely change your future”

  1. The fourth pillar is VICHAAR (Thoughts)

Our intellectual health is rightly dependent on how we think. Our thoughts are food for our mind. Buddha says, “Based on your thinking you become the person you are”. If you think you are weak, you will be weak. If you think you are strong, you will be strong. Manage your thought process correctly. Always develop a good attitude and enlarge your vision.

Good thoughts process can be added in daily life by reading good books, scriptures, attending Satsang (religious discourses), reciting holy mantras, observing rituals, recollecting good experiences and thinking positive in all situations.

So let me share a quick small recipe for happiness with you.  If you add this in your life this might add spark to your life.

Recipe for Happiness:

Ingredients:

2 heaped cup of patience

1 heart full of love

2 hands full of generosity

1 hand full of understanding

Method:

Mix all the ingredients, sprinkle generosity and kindness

Add faith and mix well.

Add a dash of laughter. Spread over a period of time

Serve smilingly to everyone you meet to spread happiness.

Have a healthy, Happy life ahead!

 

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