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Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 2)

November 11, 2013

In ‘Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 1)’ I gave you what, to my mind, were very compelling reasons to supplement your daily workout with a few yoga sessions a week.  Here are 5 more reasons for why you have no excuse NOT to practice yoga.

6.  Lets talk about abs.  The real kinds.  Anyone who has them will tell you they need a strong back and strong sides.  Ever seen anyone with washboard abs slouching?  Or do you associate their mien with that of a proud pigeon?  Well that tall, proud profile is a result of the strong back muscles which hold up the abs.  And the strong back muscles are a byproduct of a regular yoga practice.  Ofcourse you still have to work like crazy for the abs … but every bit counts in the quest for Those Perfect Abs.

7.  Do you workout before work?  Then the guided meditation in the savasana post a yoga session can refresh you mentally and physically, so you won’t feel fatigued for the workday, Au contraire, you might experience new found energy due to the increased oxygen flow through your system.  You will get that perfect bod and that perfect appraisal.

8.  Breath control.  You can harness this natural process to increase your body’s ability to breathe better and increase your performance and well being.  Whether you’re a casual gym goer or an athlete, being able to breath better will bring about an immeasurable improvement in your performance and overall well being.  Breathing exercises form an integral part of any yoga class.

9.  Balance.  I’m not talking of the Natrajasana variety.  I’m talking about mental balance.  Your first yoga class may make you feel like you’ve been beaten into a corner.  Everyone else will seem to be effortlessly gliding into poses and smiling while doing unbelievable contortions.  And in the middle of it all, there’s you, an adrenaline driven gym rat who competes with himself/herself every single moment they’re in the gym.  So when you’re unable to do an asana, it can be more than a triffle de-motivating.  However, think of the unbelievable mental strength that you will cultivate when you take yourself back to yoga class every day and then see your body and mind becoming stronger and more supple.  This point is about the mental strength, the physical aspect is a byproduct.

10.  It’s fun!!!  Have you ever seen anyone frowning or grimacing during yoga class?  It won’t kill you to add some fun to your daily workout.  Fun is good for you!!!

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Yoga

Roar Like a Lion

November 7, 2013

Simhasana/Lion’s Pose

How To

  1. Sit on your heels with the toes touching (Vajrasana).
  2. Spread your knees apart a little bit, making sure that you can still sit comfortably.
  3. Lean forward and place your hands in between your knees, with the fingers pointing towards you.  Make sure the hands are flat on the floor.
  4. Make sure that you aren’t hunched over.  Your spine should be straight and shoulders should not be hunched.
  5. Inhale deeply and as you exhale stick your tongue out as much as you can, opening your mouth as wide as you can.  Imagine trying to touch your chin with the tongue.  Simultaneously look towards the centre of your forehead (Ajna Chakra) and roar like a Lion.
  6. Make sure that you can feel the vibrations of the roar in your throat.  Also, try and get the roar to originate from your stomach.

Variations

  1. You can do this asana seated on a chair, placing your hands, fingers facing away from you, on your knees.
  2. You can also place a blanket under your knees and do this asana.
  3. You can sit in the Virasana while doing this pose.

Benefits

  1. This asana helps in preventing diseases of the throat, gums, mouth, ears and nose.
  2. It helps in eliminating bad breath.
  3. It’s great for combating asthma and bronchitis.
  4. Promotes clear speech (thereby helping with stuttering).
  5. It strengthens your voice.
  6. Gives your jaw bone and face greater definition.
  7. Removes fat around your face (double chins)
  8. The asana promotes strong knees, ankles, feet and legs.
  9. It promotes stronger lungs and diaphragm.
  10. Allows you to physically relax by promoting tension release in the face and shoulders.
  11. Helps to calm you down, reducing anger.
  12. Massages and stimulates the tonsils alleviating the discomfort brought about by this condition.
  13. Prevents wrinkles!!!!
  14. It gives vent to a lot of pent up emotion and fears and makes you feel lighter afterwards.

Contraindications

  • If you have arthritis of the knees, a knee injury or recent surgery on the knees then do this asana seated on a chair, placing your hands, fingers facing away from you, on your knees.
  • Do not practice if you have suffered a recent injury on the face, neck or tongue.

Watch the video for this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFJCDOhynD4&feature=youtu.be.

Don’t for to ‘Like’ and leave a comment!

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Yoga

Easy Brown Rice for Lunch

November 6, 2013

Easy Brown Rice

I managed to whip up some delicious lunch using all the veggies in the fridge and some brown rice I recently bought.  Prep time is about 15 mins (excluding the time needed to steam the rice).  So here goes:

1.  Take out all the veggies in your fridge and chop them roughly.  The veggies I found were carrots, bell peppers, some spring onions and frozen corn.

2.  Heat some olive oil in a pan and add all the veggies.  Stir for some time.

3.  Sprinkle some black pepper and any other spice you fancy on top of the vegetables.  I added some table salt and some turmeric.

4.  Add the cooked rice and stir for some time.

5.  I added some olives at this point, but this is optional.

6. You can sprinkle some cheese on top.

7.  Enjoy!

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Yoga

Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 1)

November 4, 2013

Often people feel there is a conflict between an adrenaline powered, iron pumping lift-til-you-drop gym workout and a deep breathing, body contorting and meditate-like-you-mean-it yoga session.  Well, the news is, there is no conflict.  In fact yoga can complement your gym workout.

Here are 10 reasons why gym goers MUST practice yoga:

1.  Practicing some yoga postures before your workout reduces the risk of injury and loosens your body to start your gym workout.  NO, this is not like any other stretch that you do before your workout.  Yoga asanas have evolved after careful study of the human body and its alignment.  So when you practice a posture, you’re not only opening up tight muscles, but correcting the alignment of your body, which may have gone haywire after years and years of slouching on a chair in front of the laptop…or carrying heavy loads, or cooking in a kitchen not designed for your height, or sleeping on the wrong mattress, or watching tv from the wrong angle…you get the drift.

2.  Post a workout asanas will help you stretch your muscles.  Asanas help the protective and connective tissue around all your muscles and muscle cells (called the fascia) grow.  When the fascia grows the muscles encased in it have more room to grow.  If the muscles experience this kind of freedom, then they achieve a better shape and help you look great as well.

3.  If you’re one of those gym rats who can’t do without your daily gym workout and pump some serious iron then you’d do well with a post yoga workout to relax your nervous system and release all the tension that accumulates in the muslces during the gym training.

4.  Often gym goers have a lot of stress stored in their bodies and very few outlets for stress release.  Now I’m not talking about the kind of stress that makes you kick and punch extra hard (that’s just aggression, which can also be taken care of with yoga).  I’m talking about the kind of stress that makes a permanent home in your muscles.  The kind of stress that prevents you from truly relaxing and easing into a deep sleep.  The kind of stress that gives you tight hamstrings, tight shoulders and that painful lower back.  Ever seen a yogi try really really hard to kick up into the handstand, topple over and sit up smiling like a goofball (albeit radiantly)?  Compare that to someone trying to lift that extra 5 kgs, and grunt in frustration when they can’t?  I’m just saying….

5.  Have you experienced muscle cramps after or during weight training and heavy lifting?  A yoga session a few times a week could work to ease out muscle cramps and reduce the risk of reoccurence.  Could that help you lift more and lift better?  Think about it…

(To be continued in Why Gym Goers MUST Practice Yoga (Part 2)

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Yoga

Why You MUST Have Yogurt

October 30, 2013

In my morning class we’ve started a Health Tip Tuesdays where a student brings in a health tip every Tuesday.  Yesterday’s health tip was about yogurt but I found out new stuff about yogurt and wanted to share it with everyone.  A few of these facts are comonly known, others are not so well known.

1,  Yogurt promotes healthy bones.  It is loaded with Calcium and Vitamin D.  Both are essential in maintaining healthy bones.  Calcium helps in maintaining bone density and this helps in preventing osteoporosis.

2.  Yogurt is easy to digest than milk.  So people who are lactose intolerant can benefit from all the nutrients of this milk-based product.

3.  It contains good bacteria.  It has live and active culture of probiotics.  These ‘bugs’ live in your intestinal tracts and help remove micro organisms that can cause intestinal damage.  Probiotics help regulate digestion and strengthens the immune system.

4.  Yogurt helps in lowering high blood pressure.  It’s not only rich in Calcium but also in Vitamin K.  Vitamin K helps in lowering high blood pressure because it helps in flushing out Sodium.

5.  Yogurt is good for skin.  It gives you a clear and smooth complexion.  The lactic acid in curd acts as an exfoliator and helps get rid of dead skin cells.

6.  Yogurt boosts immunity.  The presence of probiotics helps in stimulating white blood cells which fight infection.

7.  It reduces the occurence of yeast infections.

8.  It reduces gut health.  Yogurt helps in relieving gastrointestinal conditions like lactose intolerance, constipation, diarrheoa, and bowel disease.

9.  Yogurt helps to lose weight.  The Calcium in it helps the body in utlizing the stored fats.  The fat around the waist produces cortisol, a stress hormone which tells your body to accumulate more fat.  The Calcium tells your fat cells to pump out less cortisol making it easier to lose fat.

10.  Yogurt helps keep the cold away.  People who consume 4 ounces every day don’t catch a cold that often.  They have active T cells which hlep in fighting the infection.  People who suffer from allergies  have low levels of T cells.

11.  Curd helps in easing migraines.

12.  Curd prevents wrinkles.

13.  If applied on hair it helps in treating dandruff and is an excellent conditioner for hair.

However, not all yogurt is equal.  Next time you go shopping for your yogurt read the labels.  Some things to keep in mind:

1.  Fruit yogurt has less Calcium as compared to plain yogurt because the sugar and fruit make up most of it.

2.  Yogurt is a high protein food.  Traditional yogurt has 5 grams of protein.  Greek yogurt has 20 grams.  Go for a yogurt that provides at least 10 grams of protein per serving.   Also your yogurt should have at least 20% calcium.  It should containt 20% vit D.  Sugar should be 20 grams or less.  The fat content should be 3.5 grams or less.

 

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Yoga

Getting Over That Hangover – Pose 2

October 23, 2013

Utkatasana (Chair Pose) with a Twist

How To:

  1. Start with your legs together, toes touching, knees touching, back straight, shoulders relaxed.
  2. Start to inhale and as you inhale bring your hands up and over your head making sure to align your arms with your ears.
  3. Lock your elbows.
  4. As you exhale sink down as though you were sitting in a chair.
  5. Make sure that you can see your toes and that your knees are not leaning too far forward and covering your toes.  Also make sure that your knees are together.  Your knees should be directly above your ankles.
  6. Hold your torso as erect as possible. [Note:  If you are new to this pose, you can stand with your feet hip-width apart.]
  7. Now bring your hands into the Namaskar mudra in front of your chest.
  8. Twist your torso to the right so that your left elbow makes contact with the outer edge of the right knee.
  9. Leverage the strength of your left arm to gently push your chest forward.  Look up at the ceiling.

Benefits

  • Great to increase flexibility of the spine.
  • Strengthens legs, hips and back.
  • Helps in alleviating flat feet.
  • Great to stretch the torso, shoulders and chest.
  • Stretches your abdominal muscles as well.
  • Great for sciatica and for arthritis of knees and ankles.
  • Tones the abdominal organs.

Contraindications

  • Practice with caution during menstruation.
  • Those with lower back problems should be careful when practicing this posture.
  • Avoid if you have a meniscus problem in the knee or any other knee problems.

seated_chair_twist_crossfit

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Yoga

Getting Over That Hangover – Pose 1

October 10, 2013

Marichyasana (The Spinal Twist)

How To

  1. Sit on the floor with legs extended out in front of you.  Make sure your toes point straight up and knees are pushed into the ground.  Make sure your back is absolutely straight.
  2. Start with the right leg.  Bend the right leg at the knee and place the right foot on the inside of the left knee.
  3. Take the right hand and place it behind you so that your torso also twists to the right.
  4. Keep the left arm straight and elbow locked and place the elbow on the outside of the right knee.  Hold on to the left knee.
  5. Now push slightly with the left arm and deepen your twist.  Exhale as you do so.
  6. Look over your right shoulder.
  7. Repeat on the left side as well.

Variations

  1. This pose can also be performed without crossing the bent leg over to the inside of the other knee.
  2. Instead of holding the opposite knee you can also just keep your elbow bent

Benefits

  1. Great for digestion.
  2. Helps flush toxins out of your system.
  3. Revitalizes you.
  4. Helps in reducing the fat around the sides and therefore gives shape to your body.
  5. Tones and massages the abdominal organs.
  6. Helps to improve the functioning of liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and intestines.
  7. Helps to relieve backache.
  8. Relieves lumbago.
  9. Increases the flexibility of the neck and shoulders.
  10. Helps to improve the alignment of the spinal cord and keeps it supple.
  11. Cures indigestion.
  12. Relieves flatulence.

Contraindications

  1. Do not practice if you have diarrhoea.
  2. Pregnant women shouldn’t practice this asana.
Marichyasana will wring out all the toxins in no time.

Marichyasana will wring out all the toxins in no time.

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Yoga

Why Athletes Should Practice Yoga.

September 25, 2013

Frequently athletes who are into competitive sports don’t give enough emphasis to a regular yoga routine to supplement their workouts.  This leads to workouts that are not holistic.  Such workouts result in bodies that are tense, stressed and inflexible.  I’ve found that gym-goers have flexibility as the lowest priority in their fitness goals.  But it should be the most important.  Why?

Flexibility ensures that you’re limbs and muscles are well conditioned and this leads to a greater resistance to injury.  Ask me.  I see big strong muscular army officers who can run 5 km in under 30 minutes but who have weak knees, shoulder issues, ankles that haven’t fully recovered from injury.  If they would only listen to me and just incorporate a few yoga stretches into their daily workouts they would reap the results of bodies which are more resistant to injury and also which, once injured will heal faster.  Also, yoga ensures that even if you have been injured, your rate of recovery is faster because your muscles and tissues have more oxygen and therefore more regenerative abilities.

Also, the more elasticity your body retains the easier and quicker you can achieve your physical goals.  Whether it’s hitting a ball far far away or kicking it through everything that stands in its way, a person who has a mind-body connection will be able to harness the elasticity, strength, and stamina of their body to achieve the goal.  Usually, those who don’t practice yoga are unable to make the most of the resources their bodies have and so end up not achieving the goals that the yoga practitioners do.

At a purely physical level, yoga helps in increasing your range of motion.  And athletes particularly need greater range of motion to increase their speed and agility.  This directly impacts how they move.  They will move faster, but, at a more subtle level it will improve how they move when they move fast.  Athletes who are also yogis retain a greater degree of motor control when they move fast.  Yoga makes your muscles lean and long and makes your body supple.

Competitive sports are stressful.  Yoga routines help to relieve tension easily so you relax sooner and better.

And most importantly – yoga will help you WIN at your sport.  Yogis feel easy in their bodies and mind.  This translates to tackling life’s problem with ease.  Therefoer yogis find it easier to focus all their efforts on the goal.  This focus comes effortlessly.  So while the other guy or team is working hard on focusing and concentrating, you will be calm and tuned in to your meditative and observant side.  This will give you that edge that non-yogi athletes don’t have…and before you know it, you will be winning at your sport and in your life.

dancing

Supplementing your workout with a few yoga classes a week can go a long way in helping you achieve your fitness goals more holistically.  Come practice yoga with me from Mon-Thurs from 10-11am @Namma Crossfit and see for yourself.

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Yoga

Lessons in Peace and Calm

September 16, 2013

Recently I had the chance of getting to know one of my students over coffee. Despite her hectic schedule this wonderful woman took me to her home and offered me amazingly good filter coffee and healthy mid-morning snacks to go along with it. She was considerate enough to ask me whether I eat once I’m done with the class and what I eat if I do. During the course of our conversation I realized that by virtue of being a wife and a mother, there were so many unavoidable responsibilities that she was loaded with, and that she probably had to juggle her schedule a bit to accomodate our little coffee break. She has two daughters in high school, a family business, older in-laws to take care of, and of course the everyday hassles of running a house. Looking at her I wondered where she got the energy from. She seemed the embodiment of ‘Ces’t la vie’…with a smile.

That day I learned from her that if you accept your lot in life with ease then you make space for peace and you are able to deal with things in a calmer manner. Having no time is the bane of modern existence, but sometimes in the middle of it all you meet some individuals who manage to stay focused and calm. These individuals are busy, have responsibilities, and with that, numerous sources of stress in their lives. Yet, they manage. How?

They create an oasis of calm and peace in which they reside and refuel. According to yogic philosophy, everything is an illusion. An event is just a combination of moments put together. Whether the event is good or bad depends on who it happens to and how that person responds to it. So if you choose to respond with peace and calm, you significantly reduce the damage caused by events over which you sometimes have no control.

The valuable insight I received from our chat over coffee:
1. There are sources of stress, worry, strain and anger in everyone’s life. Waiting for the source of stress in your life to disappear so that you can live peacefully again is in vain because there will always be something to worry about.
2. The best way to deal with life is to create reserves of calm and peace within yourself by recognizing that you need to spend time by yourself. Whether it’s going for your closest yoga class, or doing some deep breathing for 5 minutes before you start your day, or reading the paper with your coffee and watching the world wake up…whatever it is, you need to take time out for your body and mind.

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