US & CA TRIP (20th to 31st May 2015)

A 11-day USA & Canada trip covered Manhattan, Philadelphia, Washington D.C, New Jersey and Toronto. Activities included sight seeing, shopping, photo shooting, enjoying food, wine tasting, meeting friends old and new, also yoga workshops. The weather was a little bit chill than what we expected in the first few days but it started warming up with the beautiful sun shine. All the way, 7 of us were companied with greenery landscape, colorful flowers, birds and wide-open sky. Intensive and worthy trip.

In the first 4 days uptown, middletown and downtown NY city tour, we experienced the energetic New York city life. Our footsteps reached most of the landmarks like Zero Ground, Wall Street, South Street Seaport, Korean Street, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Park Central Hotel, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Soho, Little Italy, Time Square, Empire State Building, City Skywalk, subway stations etc… Fantastic!

Early start on the 5th day, we traveled 15 hours on the mini bus to Toronto, Canada. By this route, we managed to feel the spectacular Niagara falls from US and CA side. For the 6th, 7th & 8th day, we met Wendy and Roger and visited their Yoga studio. We practiced Yoga together with her students and we took the Aerial yoga workshop by Wendy. We had a King Crab & Lobster dinner with them and very lucky to be invited to a grand BBQ dinner at their place. Also, we went to the winery at the Niagara-on-the-Lake and a little bit shopping for another day. Excellent!

On the 9th day, the highlighted activity had started, we spent half-day at the Woodbury outlet village. In the night time, we met Lily in New Jersey, who was taking care of our shopping, breakfast & snacks, the famous donuts from her shop! The 10th day was intensive. We had travelled across 3 states of USA - New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland in one day to visit the historical cities of America, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Ending up on the 11th day with light shopping at Costco, famous wholesaler and stopped by the same University where Albert Einstein went to, Princeton University. Magnificent!

Quotes from the team:

“It seems I did not shop much”

“Window shopping is all good for me”

“This meal is even better than the last one, honestly”

“LOL”

 

                                                                          Joyce King

 

 

 

 

OUTING ON MONDAY 12th JANUARY 2015

Thirty of us were prepared for a perfect day of sunshine for a yoga outing...

The weather did not want to hear about sun instead gave us cold and rain.Did that stop us surely not ,we were a bunch of real warriors ..Haha!!!!

 

We decided to have a great day,no exceptions...Even with the rain, our day was filled with shine.Because all of us believe where ever we go ,regardless of the weather , we carry in each of us our own sunshine.

We start to warm up on the field of grass with some meditation until some heavy drops of rain dropped on our noses so we have to run and retreat on the top of the roof of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

 

We find a protect area against the rain but neither less it was so windy on the roof. Despite grunting our teeth, having frozen toes,hands,legs we still managed to practice the complete flow of Hatha 1 by teacher Diva (pre recorded on tape)..Trust me our asana were pretty frozen.

But our joy came when each of us lay out all our home cooking  specialities for gigantic picnic ,better than a five stars hotel. Fresh bean sprout salad,roasted chicken , curry,noodles,ham ,salmon only to name a few.

The beauty of this outing day is mostly the energy and spirit of twenty beautiful souls. Nobody was complaining ,demanding, selfish, self centred. We were all together in the most truthful simplicity wanting to connect with each other.

We were all happy because nobody compared themselves with others,we were all equal and no ego were involved.

Our thank go to our teacher Deva  for sharing and teaching us over the years that the greatest wisdom is in SIMPLICITY, LOVE, RESPECT, TOLERANCE, SHARING,GRATITUDE,FORGIVENESS..

A big bravo for our teacher/friend Deva and big thumps up and reasoning claps for the thirty beautiful souls .

All of us made an unforgettable happy day.....

 

 

                                                                  Alice Chauvet-Stevens

 

 

Detox Camp_15-16 Nov, 2014

In Hong Kong, we are always tempted by foods accessible nearby. Do we really need that much and frequent or it is just a want to do so ? Food is essential to sustain life but over portion and taken unhealthy foods will cause a reverse effect to our body. Having joined the detox experience camp

with Deva has brought me to learn more about a regulated approach to clean up those unwanted substances from our body.

 

A group of about 30 Deva students had participated a day and half camp in Yuen Long Recreation Centre under The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association. Location of camp site was a bit remote from city but accessible via light train which was a perfect venue to let Hong Kong people to extend a short excursion there without necessary to travel abroad. There was hall for group activities, basketball court , tricycles, soccer game machine, big kitchen that could allow feast cooking and big sharable bedrooms for 20 persons. Of course, there was clean and adequate bathrooms and restrooms to accommodate the campers. The environment really brought us back to our school days like

we were having outing with our classmates. The program comprised of introduction to different kinds of detox drink and its function, yoga practice and other detoxification methods, but the most important part of the program was it was a charity camp that students were paying more than the direct expense to support the needy. It was also the main theme of the program that we gathered together to learn something benefit to ourselves and also could share our joy and caring to others.
 
On the first day, we learnt how to prepare drinks like lemon, orange and mint leave water; cinnamon, strawberry, orange drink by cut and chop of the ingredients and shake it with lukewarm water into lightly flavour water that you could have it along the whole day ; we boiled parsley in hot water to
make parsley water that could help to drive away unwanted substances in your kidneys; and we boiled mint leaves in hot water and added honey to make it into a soothing drink; We squeezed the juice from celery, green pepper, cucumber, green apple and bitter melon to make it into "five green juice" to drive away cholesterol and hot devil from our bodies ; while blending milk or soya milk powder with fresh banana and strawberry and water could bring banana and strawberry smoothies that could fulfill the call from our stomach for foods; and pure coconut water was well known for its isotonic substances to replenish minerals from natural. All the drinks tasted so refreshing and
in fact could replace some daily meals in terms of its nutrients. Most students had refrained from having solid foods but just taken the detox drinks during the day and half camp. They all said experience was good and refreshing, in particular, good for bowel movement to clear the waste from
intestine. On the second day morning, we started with nasal breathing exercise and neti pot cleansing, followed by "mummy detox wrapping", a traditional and organic detoxification in India , i.e. using banana tree's leaves to wrap the body and expose the body under the sunshine for half an hour to allow sweating. Though it was a bit strange, the students who got this experience shared the feeling was so awesome. Like being part of the stem to interface with the leaves.
 

Again, in addition to the knowledge attained and experience came across from the camp , it was another very relax and fun memory but also a very meaningful program led by Master Deva.
 
Master Deva, please keep up your momentum to drive us contributing to the
society in order to make everyone's life go better.
 

Namaste!

                                                                               Catherine Chow

 

An introduction of Yoga for kids

One day, a kid asked me what is Yoga.....
There is an old proverb - Good mind dwells in good health. Thousands of years ago, the sages of India realized it and created a very unique life style, which is called Yog. Yog means 'union'. Union of body and mind. In broader sense - The union of mind and the supreme. Yog is the only knowledge and wisdom, which initially rejuvenated the body, the body which is made of blood and flesh and with the unique mechanism of different organs, glands, etc. Eventually the sound body helps to strengthen and focus the mind to bring it to a meditative state. Proper implication of Yog in the schools can create the strong foundation of the individual characters. And only strong characters can help to build up a strong, stress free, prosperous nation. Yoga is our proud heritage
and we must adore it.

Joy Yog Joy Yog Joy Yog

Bali Yoga relaxation excursion (29 May to 3 June 2014)

For a yoga relaxation trip, where else can be better than Bali, the Indonesian island, one of the most wonderful places in the lap of Mother Nature? We chose to stay in Hotel Melia at Nasa Dua, Bali. Beside the green sea, it is a luxurious resort with pleasant greenery and inviting facilities. Nature welcomed us, a group of 23 yoga practitioners, led by Deva.

The first morning practice session began with neti pot nasal irrigation, which was already a new experience for many of the students. Relax and breathe through the mouth is the key, and this cleansing process turned out to be very enjoyable especially for those who had never tried it. Of course, the nasal cleansing helped prepare the students for effective breathing for their asana practice.

Subsequent practice sessions focusing on core, back bending, hip opening, balancing and inversions respectively involved quite a bit of partner work among the students. One of the highlights was that the students paired up and stood facing each other. Holding each other by their forearms, each student took turns to push their partner off balance. Instead of quickly pushing back, the one who was pushed simply started thinking about which parts of the body were moved and then slowly adjusted those parts back to the original positions to regain balance.

The idea behind this exercise is that we may be surrounded by many people who are actually not kind to us and may even create irritation in our body and mind. Instead of quickly fighting back or trying to make these people change, we stay calm and see what we can adjust ourselves to live in peace with or even love these people.

Apart from yoga practice, the group also visited some of Bali's stunning scenic spots such as the breathtaking Uluwatu Cliffs. Many students also had fun posing for pictures in yoga postures in front of the spectacular sunset at the Tanah Lot Temple.

After the six-days trip, the students flew back home with better knowledge in yoga, stronger friendships among themselves as well as great memories.

                                                                                     Louis Won






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What are the principles of yoga postures?

Usually in the name of yoga we practice yoga postures to keep ourselves healthy and attractive. This is a very superficial result of yoga practice. Still these postures also have some fundamental principles. In these postures , the great emphasis laid on 'static' stretching, which is safer than dynamic isotonic or isometric exercises. It should be practiced in a slow and steady manner and all jerks should be avoided. And when you attain the posture, you should maintain it in a comfortable and relaxed manner. So from starting to attain the comfortable posture, the whole practice process is a coordination between muscular system, nervous system and also involves related systems including mind, which we can call the tonic reflex system.
When we decide to practice yoga, we have to consider our bodily condition, age and sex. As yoga is very individual practice, one must give the due regards considering the limitations of one’s bodily condition, age and sex. Specially in group practice, we tend to forget this principle and easily get attracted by our neighbor practitioner, which may cause injury or ill effect of yoga .
During yoga practice, mental engagement or following the certain sensation produced by the posture is important. In order to receive that sensation, we may keep our eyes closed during practice. Mind should not be allowed to wander. Sometimes music in the yoga class room may destroy the real purpose.
When it comes to the breathing, one should exhale when muscles are in flexion and inhale when muscles are in extension. Hold the breathe when you feel the posture difficult, but target to keep breathe normal and ease when you attain the final posture. Or rather you watch your breathe - when its near normal means your posture becoming ease, comfortable and relaxed. And then only you can get maximum benefit out of the respective posture.
Finally the selection of the postures is also important. Should proceed from simple to advance. Ask your body and mind if you are really ready.

Yoga for stress management

1. Why is the Yoga considered a practical way to reduce stress?

Before answering this question, I need to say what is stress. Accumulative tension results stress. Stress is an exaggerated response to internal or external stimulus. This tension can be physical and also can be mental. Specially in the fast pace of city life, people become restless machine. They have no time to rest. Even they have no time to sit As they never sit, their mind also never sit. Mind always wonders around , gets tired and tensed. Never settle down. That creates tension. Mind even cannot released when one goes to sleep. Actually apparently the body goes to the bed to sleep, but the muscles never relax, nerves never relax, mind never relax and it happens day after day, year after year. As a result the layers of tension become thicker and thicker and covers the mind. And mind cannot breathe. The being of the mind changes slowly and turns into stressed mind.
Actually Yoga is a life style. Yoga teaches us to be in present moment. Yoga teaches us to be conscious about every action. Yoga teaches us how to be far from attachments, which is the cause of all unfulfilled desire and anger. When a person is in present moment and conscious about his all actions, he or she cannot be affected by tension. And if there is no tension, how stress can come to knock the door of our mind. It is a matter of practice and that practice can minimize our tension and stress.

2. Can you explain how specific Yoga techniques reduces stress?
Often we misunderstand Yoga as an exercise. But in fact it is something more than that. It is a philosophy. In Yoga, action without realization results nothing. So, when people come to Yoga to get relief from stress is different from using Yoga to prevent stress. Those who want to prevent tension and stress in life and want to use Yoga as a shield, need to know the basic principles and discipline of Yoga, before they start practicing it. And those who are already stressed and suffering and want to use it as an weapon in life to fight against stress, they should go under Yoga counseling first to know the stage of the stress, like psychic phase, psychosomatic phase, somatic phase, organic phase. Yoga therapist will handle the patient accordingly. As I said before - Yoga doesn't mean the postures only, it's a collective systematic postures to invigorate all the systems in our body, along with external muscles even skin and even it can change the habit. Other than asana posture, breathing has a very important role. Just as the physical body ( gross body ) is ruled by the brain, the subtle body is ruled by the mind and both the bodies are sustained by Prana or Chi. Prana thus controls both the bodies. Pranic manipulation is effected mainly by breath manipulation, which is called Pranayama, the science of breathing in Yoga. Now let's come to the relaxing part of Yoga, which is called Sabasana or Yoga Nidra in Yogic language. It's really difficult to relax or even sleep for a stressed person. In the beginning some passive relaxation will help. Gradually commanding relaxation technique, alternate stimulation and relaxation combination, stretch and relaxing technique will be applicable according to the progress of the patient. One needs to remember - once you are out of stress , doesn't mean that it will never come back. So, take Yoga as a style of your life to keep tension and stress away from yourself.

3. Is there some moves that employees can do during their lunch break or at work to relax?
Some easy stretches like Tadasana ( Standing stretching all joints , muscles and even skin), Uttanasana ( Standing forward bend ), Ardha Chandrasana (Standing back bend ), Ardha Chandrasana ( Standing side bend ), Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half twist pose ) etc. help to relax the body and mind. Along with these poses, a couple of deep breathe with short meditation and relaxation will help a lot.

4. What type of yoga do you recommend for busy people in Hong Kong, who wants to be less stressed and why?

For busy people in Hong Kong, I would specially recommend some Yoga classes like Hatha, Yoga stretch and relaxing class, Pranayama (Yoga breathing), Dhyana ( Meditation ), Yoga nidra ( Yogic relaxation ), Yoga therapy, Yin Yoga, Laughter Yoga, So Ham meditation, etc . Because these classes will help your muscles and tissues to get gentle stretch and after that proper relaxation , which will help to shuffle the joints, supply fresh blood to all parts of the body and also will help to flow the prana energy. Concentration on every breathe will help you to forget the outer world and bring you to the present moment and as a result, mind will slowly enter into the state of meditation, which is the tranquil world, free of all stresses.

Published in Hong Kong Human Resource Official Journal, September, 2012.

Breathe Breathe and Breathe

Often we get bored hearing the command from the teacher in the Yoga class. The teacher again and again repeating the same and asking to breathe, as if we are not breathing in the studio. But how can we be alive if we are not breathing? Then why the teacher asking us to breathe? Actually breathing has a very important role in the world Yoga.

Breathing is life. It is one of our most vital functions of the body and that breathing exercise promotes proper breathing. Proper breathing from a yogic point of view is to bring more oxygen to the blood and to the brain, and to control prana or the vital life energy. Pranayama - the science of breathe control which consists of a series of exercises to meet these needs and to keep the body in vibrant health.

Breathing is important for two basic reasons. First it is vital for our survival, because it is the only means of supplying our bodies and its various organs with oxygen. And secondly , it is the way to get rid of waste products and toxins from our body.

Oxygen is the most vital nutrient in our body. It is very essential for the proper and the efficient functioning of the brain, nerves, glands and other internal organs. It is more important than food we eat. Without food or water we may survive for few weeks, but without oxygen we will die within few minutes. If the brain does not get the proper supply of the essential nutrient, degradation of all the vital organs of the body will result. The brain requires more oxygen than any other organs in the body. If it doesn't get enough, the result is mental sluggishness, negative thoughts, depression and eventually vision and hearing declines. Normally because of poor life style and also for the age, the oxygen supply declines in our body. Insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain causes quick irritation, sight problems, hearing problems, heart problems, including stroke, and also for a long time- lack of oxygen has been considered a major cause of cancer.

Thousands of years ago Yogis realized the vital importance of an adequate supply of oxygen and they developed and perfected various breathing techniques. These techniques are particularly important for the people who have sedentary jobs. So, in present days it has become very applicable for those people , who spend most of the day in the office and does not work out. As their brain does not get enough supply of oxygen, it get starved and they start feeling tired, nervous, irritable, and not very productive. It slowly ruins their immune system.

Vitality and rejuvenation depends on the purified blood stream. The most effective and the quickest way to purify the blood stream is by taking in extra supply of oxygen we breathe. Oxygen burns up the waste products ( toxins ) in the body, as well as recharges the body. In fact, most of our energy requirements come, not from food, but from air we breathe. By purifying the blood stream, every part of the body benefits, as well as the mind. Your complexion will be clear and brighter while wrinkles will begin to fade away. Actually, rejuvenation will start to occur.

In Yogic science, the breathing part is called Pranayama. The word derived from two Sanskrit words - 'Prana' means life force or vital energy, while 'Ayama' means to control or to increase or to extend. Therefore in its broadest description, Pranayama would mean to control of the flow of life force or to increase the vital force in the body. Normally man goes on breathing, but when we voluntarily control the breathing, it becomes Pranayama.

But before starting Pranayama or controlled breathing, we need to know how to breathe. Normal breathing or shallow breathing is just to keep us alive. It does not exercise the lungs enough and it does not have enough effect on our body and mind. Even if you do not do any exercise, at least regular practice of fifty times long and deep breathe can give you a long and healthy life and also you can keep many diseases away from yourself. This deep breathing will help to exercise the lungs, will supply fresh oxygen to blood, which is the food of cells. As a result the active cells get rejuvenated in all over the body and it is full of vital energy or Prana. So one becomes the symbol of energy, just by giving up the bad habit of shallow breathing and breathing through mouth.

In Yogic science initially there are three kinds of breathing, normally which is called Yogic breathing. First is abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, second is chest or thoracic breathing and third is clavicular breathing. These three types of breathing will make you aware of your breathe and also aware of the three vital parts of the body. By the exercise of these three parts, the body will slowly get ready to start Pranayama. Pranayama will not only give you a healthy lungs, but also will help the other systems of the body, like digestive system, circulatory system, excretory system, glandular system, reproductive system, including co-ordination of all organs to function well. Thus the Pranayama becomes the key of healthy life.

There are eight classical Kumbhakas (Pranayamas) according to Hatha Yoga Pradipika, an ancient yoga text --

1. Surya Bhedana -- Sun Cleaving breath
2. Ujjayi -- The Victorious breath
3. Sitkari -- Hissing breathe (cooling breath)
4. Sheetali -- Break tongue breath (icing breath)
5. Bhastrika -- Bellows breathe
6. Bhramari -- Sound of bee breath
7. Murccha – Fainting or swooning breath
8. Plavani -- Floating breath

According to the stage of one's individual practice, one should follow the instruction of his or her Guru or Pranayama guide, because lungs is a very delicate organ and one's over enthusiasm can harm the lungs, specially 'kumbhaka' or retention Pranayama. And as a result of good practice of Pranayama, mind becomes calm. Easy to concentrate. When the mind is good in concentration, automatically it will enter in to the world of meditation, followed by spirituality. So it is the finest way to live in the world at the same time keeping oneself detached from the poison of this materialistic world. One can control the worldly problems by himself instead of problems controlling him in the name of stress or tension. This is an art of living , a pleasant renunciation even staying in this world. So Pranayama can be used not only to improve health and lengthen the life span, but also to attain super-conscious states. Gurus, the ancient yoga scientists with their long experience on practicing Pranayama came to the conclusion that only breathe can control our mind and thus we can bring our mind to the present moment, which is the key to open all the mysteries of happiness rather peace.

OUM SHANTI OUM SHANTI OUM SHANTI

Teacher's Voice (published in Namaskar_Oct 2011)

What is your most challenging asana and why?
Padmasana - Lotus posture is the most challenging asana to me. In Sanskrit the word asana means to sit. I started practising asana when I was a kids and it was a fun to and at the same time challenging because my mother used to make me sit to settle me down - when I was naughty or during regular evening prayer. Padmasana is the first posture in my life. With the growth of time and age, it started blooming its petals, and it became more and more challenging to me.
What have you learned from this asana?
Like many other Indian kids, I started Padmasana out of fun during my childhood. That time it was not at all a challenging postures. It started becoming challenging when I actually started learning yogasanas. Bending the knees and dropping them on the ground, placing the heels close to the groin, keeping the spine straight , shoulders balanced but relaxed, grounding into Mother Earth, finding out the most centred balancing point of the body. This is the root of Muladhara Chakra and to generate the energy flow from that very point like the serpent standing up on its tail and opening up the Chakra one after the other - this is extremely challenging. Now in my 28 years of asana teaching life, it is another everyday challenging for me to make my students understand the beauty of a Lotus, the effect of keeping the spine straight, how it works on the knee joints and pelvis how to ground down on the hips and finding out the finer balancing point, and to explore the one lotus posture to hundreds of variations. Sitting quietly and settling down in this fast pace world is challenging and Padmasana is the tool to handle the challenging in both my student and teaching life.
What is the most challenging part of your practise?
The most challenging part of my practise is 'to be in the present moment'. I don't want to keep my Yoga practise confined to a 6" X 2" yoga mat. What you learn on the mat, if you cannot explore it off the mat, then it's useless. I understand the meaning of perseverance (practise) on the mat. The result is - success and the meaning of success changes in life, because it's relative. My challenge is to face that success. And that's what I am doing everyday.

Yoga Sushama_Nov 2011

 

What is the difference between exercise and yoga practise ?

First of all that depends on you, what you mean by the word "exercise" and why a person take exercise at all. Because they want to be fit, live longer and finally improve their imagine and make them look better. We cannot say all these are false claim. But exercise mainly builds the body and neglects the mind side. There is a common misconception that yogic exercises are physical exercise. But the basic difference is - physical exercises are repetitive movements, whereas yogic exercises involve a very little movement and are only postures which are to be maintained for a period of time. That's why this is called yoga asana means yoga postures, which should be static and comfortable. Yoga postures tone up body and mind, whereas physical exercise affects mainly the body. In yoga postures we use less energy and can store that energy to use for something better and greater, but in exercise we use the whole energy in the gym, get exhausted and fatigue. As because the yoga postures are static, we can engage out mind to focus or concentrate on the particular part of the body with the help of the easy breathing which results to minimize stress and tension and tones up both body and mind , gives a feeling of relaxation and exhilaration. Yoga postures are not meant to increase the muscle mass, on the other hand they are meant to improve the functioning of the internal organs, including glands. And the main advantage of yoga is - it is applicable for the people of all age, even for the week people. We can use yoga as a preventive measure and also as a therapeutic treatment for different diseases.

Do you have any dietetic advice ?

First of all you have to clear your mind - why you are practicing yoga. What is the purpose? If you take yoga a physical exercise, build up your muscles, be physically strong, the diet will be different. In this practice as you focus on the muscles, strength, power, endurance, stamina, you have to take sufficient protein, vitamins, carbohydrate, minerals, etc. to maintain your body. But when you relate you practice with physical and mental both, the diet system should be changed. Yoga is a blend of philosophy and science. So, modification of diet and improving our eating habit is very essential in Yoga. It is said that the purity of mind depends on the purity of diet. But in modern life the diet may be modified according to many factors. Climate, way of life and availability of food are most important among those factors. Even these factors support you, to keep good yoga body, you have to avoid wrong eating habit, such as eating too much, eating too fast, eating too hot or cold, not eating balanced food or having hot discussion when eating, etc. Remember all these are external. It's most important to assimilate the food. Feeling full is not that important when you eat, feeling satisfied is more important. And one more important thing is , only eat when you feel hungry.
Yoga is purely an Indian Sadhu culture. As the availability of the varieties vegetables in India is easier and the Sadhus and Gurus proved that it's easy to practice yoga, if you are vegetarian, so in yoga to be a vegetarian has become a culture. But again in some yogic path ( like Tantra sadhana ) you no need to be a pure vegetarian.
At present, yoga has become more international. People exploring yoga and trying to adopt yoga in their lifestyle. In that case some times it is difficult for a practitioner to be a pure vegetarian if he is is from a place where all live on meet only.
In yoga, the main purpose of asking you to be vegetarian is because they want you to be nonviolent. Which is a very important teaching in yoga? The first stop of Ashtanga yoga is Yama and the first step of Yama is talking about Ahimsa of nonviolence. So eating meat 'tamasik' food is not the only message of nonviolence. It's only a path. Even thinking violent can destruct the focus. The most important thing is to be full conscious about your action. If you know what you are doing and if your 'vivek' ( properly educated conscience ) agree with it, just go ahead.
One of the most important purposes of doing yoga is to store energy in out body. But when we eat meat, out digestive system needs lot of energy to assimilate it. So, instead of storing energy , we are misusing the valuable energy by merely choosing wrong good. Satwik of proper vegetarian food can help us to restore the energy and we can use the energy for better purpose. It is also not a good idea to be vegetarian in over night. If you want a change, take time, or this sudden change can trouble your body and mind. Even can help to grow up ego, so taking easy can help you to show your right path.

Can yoga reduce fat?

It's a very common thinking that yoga can reduce fat. Actually the role of yoga is to balance our body and mind. It’s very easy now a day to see some people who crazily work out to burn fat from the body. They don't know what should be the measurement of fat in ones body and don't know the role of fat in human body. Slime always doesn't mean healthy. Excessive fat in the body is sickness at the same time right label of fat in the body can keep us healthy. Fat helps to keep the body worm, supplies food and energy to the cells, protects the bones and muscles and makes the body graceful. But excessive fat or obesity is really a burning problem now a day. Unhealthy wrong and irregular life style, heavy diet, constant use of high fat food, lack of physical exercise, comfortable life style, glandular or genetic problems are the main causes for gaining unnecessary extra fat. Yoga is a life style. The practice of yoga will give you a clear idea about body, health, diet, rest, life style, exercise and thinking. Only balanced diet, balanced rest and balanced exercise can give a healthy body. Imbalance of any one of these three can cause disease in the body. If you choose yoga to balance your fat, you cannot choose only the exercise part of yoga to get the maximum benefit out of it. Of course yoga postures will help you to burn calorie, make your body heated to sweat, stretch the muscles to maintain its elasticity, make your internal organs active, glands' secretion perfect, but these are the physical part of yoga. Along with yoga posture practice, one needs to do fasting periodically and methodically. Kriya or cleansing has a very effective part to reduce fat. One needs to cut down excessive fat food, high calories food and high carbohydrate food from the diet. It’s better to avoid consuming carbohydrate and protein together in one mill. Introduce more fibrous food and vegetable in diet. It’s good to avoid sleeping immediately after meal.

But one should have a clear idea about how much he or she wants to be slim. Some times too much die ting and too much exercise make people crazy. Even the skin on the bone cannot make them happy. They need to balance their mind before they go for yogasana or diet.

Yogic Remedies for Digestive Problems(3)

This issue we are going to talk about some common digestive problems and ways to handle these through yoga. Hyperacidity and hypoacidity are more commonly known as indigestion. Indigestion occurs when food starts fermenting in the stomach. It is actually a sign of failing digestive power.
Hypoacidity occurs when insufficient salivary enzymes and gastric acid cause stunted digestion. This can happen when a person eats in a rush without chewing properly, eats with anxiety, has too much water during a meal, eats when they are not hungry, or does not set a fixed time for proper meals It can also occur when there has long-term liver and intestinal abuse.
Hyperacidity is the other extreme. Even when the stomach is empty the gastric acid still accumulates in the stomach because the taste buds and salivary glands are too active. This situation can lead to the development of gastritis and peptic ulcers. Over eating, poor diet, smoking and drinking wine can cause hyperacidity, gastritis and peptic ulcers.
People suffering with this kind of indigestion should avoid the factors causing the indigestion. It’s good to start the treatment with proper fasting or a fruit diet followed by easily digested light food (sattvic) with no oil or spices. Further treatments can include enemas, hipbaths or wet abdominal packs. Kunjala kriya are also recommended with breathing exercises, meditation and yoga nidra.
Indigestion usually occurs when the navel is displaced towards the lower side. Patients should practice the4 sequence of uttanasana, dhunruasana, chakraasana, and matsyasana to readjust their navel to the right position. After a few days practice, patients can do surya namaskar, bujangasana, salvasana, mastyendrasana and pada hastana under supervision. Patients should change their daily routine and try to remain patient and happy. They should also avoid drinking cold water and should not drink water immediately after meals.
Flatulence or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen usually occurs when someone has eaten too fast. Eating without awareness of with anxiety, as well as too much drinking water pulling high from the throat, can be the cause of flatulence and can leave a person feeling heavy and noisy in the stomach. Gas sometimes presses up in the esophagus and comes out as burp from the mouth. This is fairly common but when it is excessive it becomes a problem. The feeling of fullness can press upon the diaphragm and can sometimes cause an abnormal heartbeat and breathing problems.
Patients with flatulence should practice sputa pawanmutasana (right leg first because the small intestines are there), uttanpadasana, biparitkarani, ardha kurmasana, ardha matsyendrasana and jatra parivritanasana. They should also avoid cold drinks and try to drink a glass of lukewarm water before bed.
A modern lifestyle can regularly result in constipation. This is a common chronic disease of the lower digestive system where the elimination of solid waste from the body becomes slow and inefficient. The causes of constipation can include a lack of physical exercise, increased mental stress and tension, a hectic lifestyle, irregular eating habits and the consumption of oily, spicy and heavy food. Tea, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol and other intoxicants can provoke a bout of constipation. In addition, grief, anger, anxiety and irritation can also be contributing factors.
Constipation can leave a person feeling dizzy and heavy in the head and it can leave a bad smell in the mouth and a coating on the tongue. Food digestion becomes delayed due to constipation. Food putrefies in the intestine and re4sults in gas, digestion, colitis, abdomen pain, backache and loss of appetite. Suggested yoga postures include jasthiasana, tadasana, kotichakrasana, pawanmuktasana, bakasana and basti. A hipbath with cold water can also alleviate the symptoms. In addition lghusankhabakrasana, practice of agni sara and breathing through the right nostril can be beneficial. Try not to take laxatives because they are habit forming and kill the natural mechanism and motion. They can cause piles, diabetes and premature ejaculation so it is better to eat fibrous food, plenty of green vegetables, salads and adequate fruit and drinks.
There are many digestive diseases but these are the most common ones. For advanced disorders like peptic ulcers and colitis, please seek professional medical advice from the doctor. I recommend a daily yoga practice as a preventative measure through which we can understand our bodies more and identify the specific postures the body needs to address common ailments.
The intimate relationship between the function of the body and mind has now become widely accepted in all forms of healing. It is very commonly thought that yoga means just doing asana of postures.
Actually the idea of yoga is not that narrow, especially when one deals with diseases. From the moment you wake up in the morning, all your activities including eating, relaxing, drinking, breathing, sitting, talking and seeing should be conducted in a yogic manner. The apprentice period is always tough but once you are on the right track, your yoga life run smoothly.

Yogic Management for Digestive Disorders(2)

In the previous issue of Namaskar I talked the human digestive system, the process of chewing, swallowing, assimilation, absorption and peristalsis. This process is governed by strong pranic energy that creates the fire that governs the action of the entire digestive process. This energy is governed by the third, and very important, Manipura Chakra. Manipura Chakra is located at the solar plexus area, which is also where the main part of the digestive system lies. There are organs, glands and nerves being governed by this Chakra. It is just like our solar system, the Manipura is like the SUN, it is the source of energy , it governs the life of the planet. Mani means ' jewel", Pura means " city", Manipura means" the jewel of city". The development of Manipura Chakra is very important. It is our source of prana, which is associated with heat, vitality, dynamism, generation and preservation. It regulates and gives fuel to all the processes of life. The physical location of the Manipura Chakra is at the level of the navel. Its bija mantra is R A M. It has ten petals in yellow color. It carries the fire element. At this Chakra carries the element fire, just like the power of a lion, it has to be handled carefully and skilfully. It has the capacity of cleansing and clarification and also has the power to refine and transform matters from one state to another. The muscles and the structural muscles of this chakra are the intercostals, traps, lats, diaphragm and erectors. The organs that are governed by it are the stomach, duodenum, liver and gall bladder. The endocrine glands that relate to this area are the adrenal and pancreas. the bones that form this area are the ribcage and the thoracic spine. The malfunction of this solar plexus area, which is also an imbalance of Manipura Chakra, may cause physical issues such as indigestion, diabetes, peptic ulcer, losing appetite and all kinds of abdominal disorders. On the psyche level, Manipura Chakra governs our individuality and independence, and these change according to our age and mental growth. By maintaining Manipura chakra we may begin to know ourselves, our potential and learn how to handle our ego too. Blockage in this area may cause an emotional blockage too. for example, if the energy is blocked around the diaphragm, the erectors, and the long muscles along the spine, it may create some frustrated energy in the body. The continuous and persistent tension in these muscles may change the nature of person and the condition of their health. It is common that we unconsciously learn to tense up these muscles in order to hold back our anger and aggression. As a result we may feel it is difficult to take a deep breath, the diaphragm then becomes tight and energy is blocked. The rigidity of our psychological attitude can also be reflected in our body, this may in turn also spread to the other charkas and tissues of the body. this rigidity may cause many other problems with breathing, sleeping, the liver and other chronic abdominal disorders. At the same time it can develop tension in the erector muscles, which results in stiffness of the spine and compression of the vertebrae that may crate anger, which very harmful to oneself and the people that surround us. this explosive, or suppressed anger is physically and emotionally toxic. When Manipura Chakra opens, we feel empowered and able to manifest our desires. If we can learn how to harness and redirect the fire from the Manipura Chakra we can harness a great source of energy. In the next issue, discussion will be on some common abdominal diseases and the relative yogic managements.

Yogic Management for Digestive Disorders(1)

When we talk about the digestive system, it is a process. The process takes place when we put things into the mouth until they become waste and are released from the body. It is long path. Digestive disorders can arise from different causes. To deal with the problems, we need a full understanding of the system, find out the causes and them tackle them accordingly.

The digestive process starts when we put something into our mouth. We chew it, it will be mixed with our saliva, then we swallow, when swallowing, the food goes down by a pranic force. The place where this process takes is called the upper digestive tract area. Disorders of this area will result in Hyper of Hypoacidity, Gastric, Belching, Wind Indigestion problem, etc.

The whole small intestinal area is the middle tract. The function of this area is to absorb and assimilate the digested matter into the blood stream. This process is controlled by a pranic force called samana, which circulates between the navel and the heart. This force also controls the temperature and metabolic rate of the body. In this middle tract area, other than small intestine, major organs like the liver and the pancreas are located. Therefore disorder in this area causes liver disease, imbalance of insulin secretion, which results in diabetes, and gastro-enteritis.

At the end of the small intestine there is ileocecal value, from here down to the large intestine can be considered as the lower tract area. That means from the navel region to the perineum. This area is governed by the apana force. After the extraction of all nutrients in the passage of small intestine, the process of dealing with waste matter including water happens in this area. Acute disease like Constipation, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Appendicitis, Colitis, etc is the results of malfunctioning of lower digestive tract.

The whole process needs energy to move things along, and heart is needed to create such energy. There must be a great force to govern and manage such a complicated process. There is a close relationship between this energy and all the digestive disorders.

How yoga helps arthritis

The meaning of Arthritis: Arthra = joint, itis = inflammation. Arthritis is the inflammation of joints, which creates joint pain. Though there are many types of joint inflammation, the most common are Osteo arthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteo arthritis may be caused by overuse of the joints, aging of the joints, sustained injury and sustained gout. It usually affects the weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, lumber and cervical spine. Meanwhile, Rheumatoid arthritis can be a genetic problem or can occur in people who carry excessive uric acid in their blood. These acid deposits in joints are more alkaline in nature, and cause swelling and pain. Improper diet, stress and an undisciplined lifestyle are also possible causes of excessive uric acid in the body.

Sometimes bad climate worsens arthritic conditions. Sustained arthritis problems lead to deformity and stiffness of the joints, and can gradually result in immobility. In acute cases where the joints become deformed, it is difficult to reverse. However the arrest of mobilisation and pain can be overcome with yoga.

The physical yoga exercises provide a systematic and gradual training to improve the range of movements. If the patient practises with a deep internal awareness, it doesn't just help to mobilise the stiff joints but can also prevent further deterioration. Although the damaged cartilage may not fully regenerate, further wearing out can be arrested.

In cases of chronically damaged joints with pain and deformities, the surrounding muscles may be very weak due to long periods of inactivity. Practising yoga with full internal awareness and regularity can help to strengthen these surrounding muscles and thus improve the joints' mobility. Breathing exercises that are a fundamental part of yoga increase the supply of fresh oxygen and purify the blood, helping to improve blood circulation to the cartilage. What's more, deep relaxation techniques can alleviate muscle fatigue.
According to yoga philosophy, there are two types of pain - stress-born and non-stress born. In both cases, yoga has proven to be an effective form of prevention and remedy.
We have five bodies - in yogic language they are called pancha kosa. Annamaya Kosa - physical body, Pranamaya Kosa - vital energy body, Manomaya kosa - mind body or astral body, Vijnanamaya Kosa - knowledge body, and Anandamaya Kosa - bliss body. The imbalance of these five bodies causes different ailments in the human body, resulting in psychosomatic diseases - one of which is arthritis. Through dynamic movement exercises, postures (asana), conscious relaxation (dharana), meditation (dhyana ), breathing exercises (pranayama), proper diet (yogic aahar) etc., yoga restores balance of the five bodies, thus improving the condition of arthritis, releasing its associated pain, and rebuilding self-confidence.

Just 60 minutes a day with yoga can keep you away from medicine and foster a healthy, happy, disease-free life.