health Archives - yogawithpragya

Travels

My Overnight Yoga Retreat

November 19, 2018

When I plan a yoga retreat location is the first thing I home in on. To find a place that resonates with you and the experience you want to create is challenging. So I’m always on the lookout for interesting places to conduct retreats.

A few weeks ago I drove a little out of Bangalore to a farm called Hollas Halla. You can check out their Instagram profile here. I’d already spoken to Manali Holla and we had decided to meet to see the property and see what kind of experience we could create there.

10 years ago Suresh Holla, chanced upon some acreage of absolutely barren land and a lake. An MTech from IISc, no one really expected him to buy 5 acres with the dream of bringing this land to life. Everyone dismissed it as madness. There were no proper roads, no electricity, nothing.

When I went there a couple of weeks ago I saw the fruits of Suresh Holla’s labor. The lake is still there, but now there is a lush jungle around it. The Holla family conducts camps, retreats and treks at Holla’s Halla.

Initially I planned the usual yoga retreat with a morning yoga session followed by lunch etc. But as we looked at the lake I thought it would be a dream to practice yoga next to it. I spoke to Swetha, my co-teacher, and we decided to modify the plan so that we can practice yoga as the sun sets and rises. An experience that few yoga retreats can offer.

The itinerary for this exciting is below:

Day 1 (Sat 8th Dec):

3-4 pm: Arrive at the farm. Receive the grand tour. Check-in to your tents.

4-6 pm: Tea/Coffee/Relax

6-7 pm: Sunset yoga session.

7-8.30 pm: Dinner

9 pm onwards: Bonfire

Day 2 (Sun 9th Dec):

5 am: Wake up

6-7 am: Sunrise yoga session.

7.30-8.30 am: breakfast

9 am: Trek to the nearby hills/enjoy the lake/get a water massage!

12 noon: Lunch

This retreat is priced at Rs. 5000/- all inclusive.

Call 9686233003 or 9886062268 to register.

You can check out Hollas Halla’s facebook page here.

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Yoga

Carrots – Eat Clean and Green

January 31, 2018

Most days between classes you’ll find me writing. Always on the lookout for calm, quiet and interesting places, nothing works better for me than a cafe where I can have some delicious tea, and some lunch. Last week a friend of mine and I decided to go to Carrots in Koramangala to get ahead on a bit of work. Note to writers: Change your location. I find it kills writer’s block instantly.

Eating at a vegan restaurant ensures that most of the stuff available is also ‘clean’. We ordered a Greek salad and a pizza, and as I write this I’m hungry again! The salad and pizza are to die for. The vegetables are fresh and smell of healthy goodness. Those who know a bit about veganism will know that vegans don’t eat cheese. I’ve met many a pizza lover who won’t believe that it’s possible to have extremely yummy pizza sans the cheese. Go to Carrots and taste just how delicious a vegan pizza can be.

Luckily Susmitha, one of the owners and a vegan for the last 15 years, dropped by our table for an informal (and informative!) chat.

We spoke about how Operation Flood (White Revolution) completely changed the way we consume dairy. We concurred that cases of childhood obesity, various gut diseases, skin problems etc can be directly linked to the consumption of milk and other dairy products. As an aside I have to mention that I love the fact that I can eat/drink anything at Carrots and not worry that it contains dairy.

Interestingly, there are several products manufactured by Amul which are vegan by accident. Such as their dark chocolate. Amul, the biggest participant in Operation Flood, ‘accidentally’ manufactures several vegan chocolates too! This called out another assumption I had – vegan and healthy aren’t necessarily the same thing. As a vegan I might eat the Amul Dark Chocolate, but as me (yogini trying to eat clean), I wont touch that stuff. (#nosugar)

Honey is also not vegan nor whole. Susmitha had the explanation. From a technical standpoint honey is basically bee vomit. Bees collect pollen and then regurgitate what we know as honey. She also told us that it takes forty thousand bee flying miles to make 1 tsp of honey! Which is why commercially available honey is so suspect (for those of you who use honey as replacement for sugar). Also, many farms clip the wings of the Queen Bee so that she doesn’t fly away. That way, the worker bees are tricked into staying (and therefore making honey) in the same place. The natural behavior of bees is to fly from place to place building their hives and doing their work. By clipping the Queen Bee’s wings you ensure that the worker bees stay in the farm and work only for you.

As it often happens, those of us who are seriously into wellness have compelling personal narratives. Susmitha and I share the same reason – both had gained unhealthy weight! I asked Susmitha if she had experienced any internal changes; such as on the emotional and mental front; after she started living the vegan life. And she said yes! Her fear of stray dogs has evaporated and her Reiki and meditation practices have improved. And all of us who practice wellness will agree that your physical and your mental health are connected. If compassion drives your actions, it’s not long before compassion infuses your entire being.

Carrots has actually become a hub for holistic health. All kinds of events related to health, lifestyle and wellness happen here and its actually become a meeting place for like minded individuals. We can certainly vouch for that. We met like minded individuals and had the most delicious and healthy food. Looking forward to returning for some more healthy food and nourishing conversation.

Do check them out on their Facebook page and drop in for some vegan latte :).

P.S. I’m honored to say that I will be holding a talk on Valentine’s Day at Carrots. On the day when we celebrate relationships I thought it would be great to talk about the relationship we have with ourselves. Promises to be an awesome session and it is absolutely free, so do drop in! You can book your spot here: http://bit.ly/2Fb5dy8

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Yoga

It Starts With You

January 22, 2018

A few days ago a friend of mine showed me a video clip that she found inspiring. It was about being interested in your goals vs. being committed to your goals. The video was a montage of footage of a man talking about the pursuit of his goals and a people busy in physical pursuits. As this man speaks about commitment we see a boxer practicing. As he speaks of doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals, we see someone surveying the terrain, presumably to run through it. As he talks about upgrading your knowledge, we see a someone running through the snow.

When the video finished I said that it’s quite interesting that they’ve used fitness to illustrate the main idea of the video. There are many ways to depict smashing and achieving goals. We can show people in a boardroom bagging a successful deal. We can show an actor executing a scene perfectly. We can also show a student getting an acceptance to a prestigious university. So why is fitness the preferred approach to depict motivation and dedication?

Associating fitness with achievements in other aspects of life is not a coincidence. Think about it, when you think of that friend of yours who works out regularly, is on track with the diet and exudes a sense of wellness, don’t you get a sense of awe? If you’re not on the path yourself don’t you feel a tinge of jealousy or pride (depending on your relationship with said friend and the kind of person you are)?

A healthier lifestyle, a fitter body, a cleaner diet, more strength, more stamina, more flexibility, glowing skin, luscious hair, clear eyes – all these are more than skin deep. These don’t translate only to a physically well-proportioned human being. These translate to a human with a confident gait and an easy smile. A person who wears their clothes and skin well. A person who is involved daily in self improvement more than in passing judgment on others.

A person who works out daily depicts the wholesome personality that we all aspire to. A person who is dedicated to making things happen. A person who creates life, rather than one who responds to it. A person who doesn’t sit in a corner crying about a missed opportunity, but someone who moves confidently towards the next challenge. After all, you win some and you lose some. Someone who lives rather than exists.

And taking care of your physical and mental health is the first step to demonstrating that you care. That you can commit to changing yourself before you change an empire. That you can first bring a revolution within yourself, before you revolutionize the world. If you can commit to yourself, then you can commit to anything. If you can change yourself, then you can change anything.

It starts with you.

And below is the video that got me thinking.

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Food

You Really Wanna Drink That?

December 14, 2017

Healthy and hydrated.

My parents have been visiting with me for the past couple of days and we’ve been going around sight seeing and exploring the Bangalore food scene. Before I leave the house I always double check that I’m carrying my water with me. You’ll never find me carrying those ridiculously small purses which can only hold a chapstick and a Rs. 5 coin. My bag needs to hold a large bottle full of water and stay hydrated.

We don’t know conclusively how long a person can survive without water, but we know that its less than the time without food. You’re are likely to die of thirst before hunger. I’m surprised when I find out that some students haven’t had a full glass of water by the time they show up to class. Which is 8 am!

Tips to Stay Hydrated

Start your day with a little warm water. It kick starts your system, flushes out toxins and increases metabolism. Hello weight loss! Hello glowing skin! Hello luscious hair! Also warm water is easier to ingest so you will feel like drinking more of it.
Add a little something to your water for a little zing. You can add: mint, ginger, cinnamon, lemons/limes to your water to increase the immunity boosting properties. Make the H2O really work for you.
Now, make drinking this healthful, flavourful water a calm, meditative morning ritual.
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink up. Because when your body actively indicates thirst, it means that the water volume in our body has already fallen below a certain threshold. Basically, you’ve already started to dehydrate.
Have a sweet craving? You might just be thirsty. Down a glass of water. Also consider trying this recipe.
Absolutely do NOT use a plastic water bottle if you hope to imbibe healthful stuff. Plastic in water bottles contains many chemicals and these chemicals seep into the water over time. Eventually, these chemicals will interfere with your hormonal balance.
Get a metal water bottle and never leave home without it. I’m actually suggesting a good grade metal water bottle, not a bpa-free, environment friendly water bottle made of some-percent recycled plastic. Get a metal water bottle. I’ve been considering getting a copper water bottle myself.

Think About Your Bottle

The thing I see people defaulting on most? It’s the water bottles. It’s simply horrifying to see people chugging water from a ratty old plastic Bisleri bottle to quench their thirst. Bottles that have been sitting in their car for days, with water of questionable integrity. With all you do (or don’t do) for your health, do you really want to drink that?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need a glass of water.

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Yoga

Getting My Asanas Back

October 29, 2017

The Lake as the sun comes up. Notice the little boat in the water.

I think just a little bit of effort towards health can ensure that we prevent most ailments. But what do you do if you get attacked by a virus in those rare moments of low immunity? I’ve already done a blog on what to do if you have Dengue fever.

My only concern after I started to feel better was my yoga practice. I spoke to a few friends who had experience with Dengue and realized that it will take me some more time to get my strength back. Until then I had to work with where I was and do what I could.

So I practiced a lot of patience. I took it easy and experimented in equal measure and made some progress. Here’s a snapshot of the week. I’m writing this after a delicious lunch of rice and kala channa; satisfied with how this week has been for my practice.

I started Tabata workouts on Monday. I didn’t expect myself to be able to do it, and I didn’t. I had to take breaks, but I didn’t give up. I wanted to focus on stretching my lower body so I did the Janu Sirsasana and Paschimottanasana. The Adhomukha Svanasana had my legs shaking and I decided to stick to the seated postures. Interesting enough, the Hanumanasana came to me!!! I took classes on Monday but rested for the rest of the day.

It’s difficult to get out of bed, but this view makes it worth it.

On Tuesday my legs and shoulders ached like never before. From the Ashtangis and the Kalari practitioners I learned the benefits of massaging sesame oil on achy muscles and creaky joints. Before I went to sleep I tried to rub the aches away, knowing full well that they would still be there tomorrow. I tried to do as much Tabata as I could and focused only on seated asanas. I ended with the Hanumanasana again. Any kind of inversion was out of the question.

Things started to improve on Wednesday. I felt stronger and decided to practice a few standing asanas. I did the Tadasana, Uttanasana, Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Virbhadra 2 and felt my energy levels flagging. I tried the Downward Dog and sure enough, my legs started shaking. I closed the practice.

However, by Friday I felt markedly stronger. I did standing poses and the seated ones after Tabata and felt energized instead of drained. I registered for the Go Heritage Run Srirangapatnam run and decided I would test my stamina over the weekend.

Saturday – did Tabata and headed to the lake to do a 5 km walk. Legs were a bit shaky, but overall I felt good. I also felt encouraged to head out for a 5km run at Cubbon Park with a friend.

Sunday(Today) – Tabata is becoming easier and the aches are almost gone. Did the 5 km with no problem. Very thrilled and determined to get all my strength, flexibility and asanas back!

Next week is to build strength for the Go Heritage Run and to experiment carefully with handstands. I’m also focusing on good wholesome meals since I have a tendency to be a bit lax about that. All in all, a great weak.

Hope you guys are having a great day too!

Waking up early isn’t just about the exercise, it’s about the serenity and beauty that you can see in nature.

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Yoga

We’re Working Hard And…

June 18, 2017

moving

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new,” -Socrates.

The last couple of months have been crazy busy for me. I’ve been meaning to do this post for many many weeks now, but was only able to get to it today. I’ve been teaching my regular classes, have a couple of retreats and workshops under my belt, have designed new classes and modules (including The Yoga Practice, which I’m so incredibly excited about) and have found time to travel as well!

The year is far from over, and I have my annual trip (study retreat?) to Pune coming up in August and September. We’re also working on refining The Yoga Practice and getting the word out there as much as we can about it. My practice is going well, and I see improvement in my students almost daily! The first half of this year has been very rewarding.

I’ve also been working on consolidating everything I do under one platform. As my practice gets more focused, so does my vision for ‘Yoga With Pragya’. At the beginning of this year I had an idea of where I was headed and over the past couple of months the vision has became clearer. Our new website is a step towards a more organised initiative. As my practice deepens, my teaching becomes more refined and I’m getting very creative with how I can help people across the board.

We’re building something useful, helpful and, most of all, accessible to all those who are interested in yoga, holistic health and a wholesome lifestyle. Most of you have been following this blog for many years. I hope you will stay with me as I grow, expand and evolve further. Subscribe to our new blog here: http://yogawithpragya.in/blog/. While you’re there, please browse the site and leave us constructive feedback. We’re really excited about the great things we have in store for you. Please share with all your friends and subscribe to our other platforms as well (Facebook, YouTube & Instagram).

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Yoga

A Milestone and Some Tips

May 23, 2012

A few days ago I hit my first milestone. A friend of mine called me and asked for tips to lose her post-delivery weight. Though frantic, she was concerned about doing it the right way, and at the same time she had a deadline of the end of June! Talking to her about health, diet and weightloss made me think that I should share the helpful content of my first consultation with others.

1. What is the best way to drop a few pounds in a short span of time? There is no ‘best way’ to lose weight. Weight loss is an arduous and difficult process. It’s a commitment that you need to make to yourself. Also, if done in the right manner, you will be able to shed your weight and keep it off too. My friend had to tweak her diet a bit. We didn’t want her to go on a crash diet, but she could eliminate her dinner time carbs (rotis in most cases) and eat her veggies and soups. Cutting a little bit from her diet would ensure that her body doesn’t go into starvation mode. And doing this over a prolonged period would definitely show results.

2. She had hardly exercised during her pregnancy and after it – how should she start again? Yoga provides the most holistic approach to wellness, and I told her to get back into her yoga routine. Since her body had been through quite a bit in the last few months, it is necessary that she should not overexert and overstretch. That will only lead to injuries and her enthusiasm will fizzle out before she has even begun. So I suggested that she start with a few stretching exercises, perhaps 30 minutes in the morning to begin with. After the stretching she can do a few surya namaskars. The sun salutations will stimulate her chakras releasing positive energy, and this will hold her in good stead and keep her motivated. Also, I suggested doing some light walking on the treadmill in the evening, perhaps 15-30 minutes at a time.

3. Post delivery her skin and hair had started to become dull. Flaxseeds! I’ve mentioned in one of my previous blogs about the wonders of flaxseeds. I told her to buy a packet and religiously spike her food with it.

4. All the previous tips sound quite do-able, but she wants to remain focused throughout the day and ensure that she doesn’t deviate. Is there anything she can do to stay focused? The best thing would be to plan your meals and really stay involved in the eating process. Plan the timings as well. Since my friend cooks at home, she has a lot of flexibility and choice. So I told her to start her day with a banana. Post her workout she should have her first meal. And eat 6 times a day at even intervals, say 1.5 – 2 hours. This way her dinner time will be early, and her body will have ample time to digest the food. This will also aid in a good night’s rest, and that in turn will show on her skin! Wellness is really about all the little steps that you take.

5. She wanted to do something for her husband as well. He’s very busy and simply does NOT have the time to eat 6 times a day! A challenge, but an easy one. I told her to get one of those lunch dabbas that have 6 compartments. Fill each compartment with a mini-meal for husband dear. So food, and that too wholesome home cooked food will be available for him within arm’s reach. He must of course be reminded that it’s time to eat, but once our bodies get used to food at regular intervals, then we begin to feel hungry at regular intervals. This is also a good way to rev up your metabolism, so your body is constantly working to burn calories.

6. Lastly (and most importantly) I told her that fitness is a continuous process. There are no shortcuts to good health. It requires effort on a regular basis. By following the above tips she might not be in the ‘perfect’ shape (whatever that is), but she will feel better and be more energetic.

Listening to my friend made me realize that there are lots of people who have questions about health and yoga and may not have access to a forum where these queries can be addressed. So I invite all those who happen to read my blog to leave me a question and shall respond!

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