After Meal: DOs and DONTs

ood is important for every living being! For human beings, one has to earn to spend it for food!

The food taken should digest otherwise we will not be able to take any more food. For the digestive system to work, after food we should not do certain things. I have given them below some of them, there could be more to the list, but only few are added here.

Before you follow these guidelines, please talk to your doctor or diatecian and get his inputs!

1. Don't Smoke

Experiment from experts proves that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes (chances of cancer is higher).

2. Don't Eat Fruits Immediately

Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore take fruit 1-2 hr after meal or 1hr before meal.

3. Don't Drink Tea

Because tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the Protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.

4. Don't Loosen Your Belt

Loosening the belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked.

5. Don't Bathe

Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6. Don't Walk or Run

People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

7. Don't Exercise


Do not do any exercise as it would take lot of blood to other parts of the body. You can do vajrasana which would help in faster digestion.(see image for vajrasana posture, taken from web)

8. Don't Sleep Immediately

The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

9. Don't Speak Louder or Fight

Do not enter into an argument or speak louder like doing presentation. Take some time, about 15 minutes and then do it.

Yoga for Women--Yoni Mudra

This is a yoga practice for women to celebrate the female aspect and enhance it in all of us. This is used as part of mind-control practices and also a powerful spiritual practice.

For everything, the starting position is the belief and confidence that it work. Have that confidence and belief, surrender yourself to this practice and sure you will see good results.

1. Choose a calm, quite place;
2. Have a clean Yoga mat;
3. Site in any meditative pose--Vajrasana or thunderbolt;
4. Slowly close your eyes;
5. Except thumb and index finger, interlock rest of the fingers;
6. Extend the index fingers of both hands ensuring the tips are touching;
7. Similarly with the thumb--the tips should touch each other;
8. Hold this pose--Yoni-like shape, at navel level;
9. Focus on the soft movement (up and down) of your breath at the abdomen;
10. Hold this pose and hand gesture for 3 minutes; slowly increse it to up to 5 minutes.

As per Shameem Akthar, yoga acharya trained with Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, this meditation gives the following benefits:

1. Very de-stressing;
2. Helps control chronic ailments like BP, headaches, etc.
3. Helps in higher evolution and personal growth

Benefits of Yoga!

Nowadays the buzz word is YOGA! Everywhere around the world, everyone speaks of Yoga now! Though it started and belonged to India once, the importance of it is getting exposed and the benefits are really seen in real life.

Western, European, Middle East Countries are practicing Yoga. Why this sudden change? I won't say sudden change, but a slow change that is happening. The speed is not enough if one wants to live healthy, peacefully and more importantly happily.

What does Yoga do? Though I have given the definitions already and there are forms of Yoga, the asanas, Karma Yoga and Bhakthi Yoga are easy to do. But, it requires complete committment and dedication.

Physical Benefits of Yoga Asanas:

1. It brings a good practice and habit of exercising in human system;

2. It gives a rhythmic life--you set a time to do the Asanas and it becomes a routine;

3. It helps in shreding weight; throught continuous practice and making it as part of daily routine, all portions of your body goes through physical exercise;

4. The entire body gets a shining; do not use towel or napkin or clothes to wipe out the sweat; just do it with your hands and it really helps;

5. Helps to control or even reduce BP, Cholestrol, mainly sugar in the blood;

6. It helps to control and reduce the sugar level - Diabetics;

7. It helps in eliminating the back ache; with proper guidance if you do the asanas, sure that it will help in back ache;

8. It helps in eliminating the neck pain as well;

9. It helps in controlling and eliminating the Arthiritis; Do it when you are not in pain and know the right asanas to do for arthiritis;

10. Asana is not only about physical movement (postures) of body. It also involves proper breathing; proper inhaling and exhaling through nostrils. This helps in controlling asthma and bronchitis;

Benefits Related to Mind:

1. Through meditation and proper breathing techniques, the mind can be controlled onto something that you really want to focus on during meditation; Normally the mind is not easily controllable; it waves--for a second it is Las Vegas and next second it is in Sydney and the next moment in Delhi. Mind has no speed and it is the fastest travelling machine in this universe;

2. It helps proper breathing practice which is very imporant for a healthy life;

3. Keeps the mind clean and avoids bad thoughts;

4. The big word and most often used word in the machine world is STRESS. It can be easily controlled and you can control your mind rather than you are controlled by it;

5. The focus and concentration improves;

And Many More....... what benefit you wanna get out of Yoga and Meditation? You will get it. Only thing you need to do is to practice them with full committment and dedication. Love doing it and you will get what you want!

All the Best!

Yoga for Back, Arms, Chest, Legs, Hips - Salutation Pose

Another Asana for improving your focus and concentration. This will also help you to have a strenthened and flexible back, arms, chest, legs and hips. The pose helps you to keep back, hips, chest, arms and legs completely healthy because it involves all of these body parts.

Asana is called Anjaneya-asana or the Salutation pose bcause of the posture.

Asana Name: Anjaneya-asana
Pronounciation: Hon-Jha-nay-ya-Asana
Posture: Salutation Pose
Hints: Requires flexibility in hips, legs, shoulders

Meaning and Explanation:

Anjaneya refers to Lord Monkey. Anjaneya is a strong devotee of Lord Ram and helped him during his fight agasint Ravana. The word means Salutation or Praise from the Root. The first syllable Anj means "to honor, to celebrate."

Instructions:

1. Site in the vajra-asana pose. This is a seated posture by sitting back on your heels and placing the knees and legs together. Ensure that the feet are together and the toes of both the legs are close to each other or even touching each other;
2. Keep the back straight and place your palms on the thighs;
3. Kneel up;
4. Ensure that the back, buttocks, thigh and head are aligned;
5. Keep the palms on the thighs;
6. Extend your right foot forward, bending at knee level;
7. Place your right arm in the right thigh;
8. Raise your both the arms, close the palms with (as if you are doing Namaskaram) and bring the arms to the chest; Let the thumb touch the center of the chest; (this is called Anjali-Mudra);
9. Raise your arms straight up and at the same time, bend your head backwards; look up; stretch the left leg as much as possible; do this slowly;
10. Slowly bend your head backwards and taking the arms also backwards; your face should look up as if you are looking up on the sky;
11. Be in this position as long as possible;
12. Breathe gently through nostrils;
13. Slowly come back to the Vajra-asana pose;

Repeat the above set with the left leg. Do it twice on each leg;

Advantages:

This will help reduce your back pain and give strength to the back; raising the arm above the head while keeping the back straight will help the shoulder to be flexible;
stretching the leg would help the nerves to be flexible and not stiff.

General Advice:

Do all of these yogas in a pieceful place; You should be able to spend this 10 or 15 minutes for yourself; If you are in doubt about how to do this yoga or any posture, please seek help from your guru.

To Improve Focus and an Exercise for Hips and Legs

To improve your focus and concentration, do this asana. This will not only help you to improve the strength and fitness of your hips and legs. To start with, this may be little difficult, but without giving up, if you continue to practice this, you will get the result you wanted.

The asana is called "Akarna-Dhanura-asana" and also known as "The Shooting Bow Pose" because of the pose of the asana.

Asana Name: Akarna-Dhanura-asana
Pronounciation: ah-car-nah-da-noor-ah-sa-na
Posture: The Shooting Bow Pose
Hints: Requires flexibility in hips and legs

Meaning and Explanation:

The word "karna" is from sanskrit language which means "ear". The prefix "a" means "near to or towards." Dhanur means bow-shaped, curved or bent. Asana is the posture. So, this is a shotting-bow pose.

Instructions:

1. Sit on the floor with the legs together and extended straight out in front;
2. Keep the back straight, shoulders level and head straight;
3. Place the hands on the thigh with palms down;
4. Inhale deeply;
5. Exhale, take the right hand, take it to the right toe, loop the forefingers (of right hand) around the right toe. Similarly, hold the left leg with the left hand.
6. Inhale and pull the right foot back place the big toe next to right ear;
7. Ensure that the back is straight as much as possible, and hold this posture as long as you can hold the inhale breath;
8. Take the right leg back to the original position; Exhale slowly while doing this coming to normal position; release the hand;

Repeat this procedure with the other leg; Do this for 3-5 cycles a day.

"Having caught the toes of the feet with both hands and carried them to the ears by drawing the body like a bow, it becomes Dhanura-asana." - The Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika I.27.

Advantages:

While practicing this posture imagine yourself as an archer with the gaze focused on the target and the arrow firmly yet gracefully being pulled back in the bow. Hold the posture steady as an archer would hold the arrow aimed at its target. Return the foot to the floor gently. This simple technique will help cultivate a focused and unwavering attention.

General Advice:

Do all of these yogas in a pieceful place; You should be able to spend this 10 or 15 minutes for yourself; If you are in doubt about how to do this yoga or any posture, please seek help from your guru.

No Sleep? Insomnia? Need a Cure? Do Yoga!

Many people in the current world suffer due to no sleep or less sleep. This creates lot of stress in the mind and impacts the rest of the day. The sleepless state also creates anxiety in the mind, which turns into stress and impacts relationships as well.

What can be the cure? There are quite a number of Do's and Don'ts for individuals who suffer from this disease. Few of them are:

Do's:

1. Regular exercise - walk at least 15 to 20 minutes daily;


2. Go to bed early - will be difficult for the first few days, but once you start doing it for 3 weeks, it would become a habit;


3. Site silently for 10-15 minutes in a calm place .

Don'ts:

1. Do not take coffee/tea before bed;


2. Do not take bath, especially in hot water;


3. Do not read books, especially thriller or horror;


4. Do not watch movies related to action, thriller or horror;


5. Do not go for any argument with anybody.

• As far as Yoga, below asanas should definitely help you in getting out of sleepless problem:

1. KAPALBHATI KRIYA

How to do?

• Sit comfortably in Sukhasana or padmasana;


• Keep your nect straight;


• Place both the hands on the knees in gyan mudra;


• Close your eyes slowly;


• Exhale forcefully through both nostrilss, as you pull your stomach in;


• Don't make any effort to inhale;


• Repeat 45-50 times till you feel tired;


• Keep your body still during the Kriya;


• Incrase the process gradully to 80-100 times.

Benefits:

• Eliminates all toxins from the air passages, thus cleansing body and mind and ensuring peace of mind.

Caution:

• If you have any heart disease, high blood pressure or hernia, you must breathe out slowly.

2. TADASANA

How to do?

• Stand erect, heels together;


• Place both the hands on your chest, fingers interlocked;


• Stretch your arms forward and slowly raise them upwards, as you breath in;


• Raise your heels, stand on tip toe and stretch your entire body up;


• Stay relaxed;


• Breath normally;


• Stay in this position as long as you can;


• Then slowly brng your hands to the top of the head and rest it there with the fingers still interlocked;


• While brining the hands to the top of the head, lower your heel and touch the ground;


• Repeat this 4 to 5 times.

Benefits:

• Excellent for relieving physical exhaustion; eases all stress off the spine; ankles, knees, thighs, abdomen and shoulders

3. PAWANMUKTASANA

How to do?

• Lie on your back, your legs outstretched;


• Bend both the legs at the knees;


• Bring them towards your chest;


• Exhale and pull the bent legs further towards the chest with your hands, fingers interlocked;


• Lift your head and try to touch your knees with your chin;


• Hold the position as long as you can;


• Breath normally;


• Bring your head back to base position;


• Now turn your feet to the right and the head to the left;


• Bring the feet to the left and turn the head to the right;


• Repeat 3 to 5 times for each side;


• Unlock the hands and stretch our legs and lie on your back;


• Repeat the entire process 3 to 5 times.

Benefits:

• Impacts the entire digestive area, thus curing abdominal disorders like constipation, diabetes, colitis, indigestion and gastric problems, all of which are major problems that cause sleeplessnes.

Caution:

• Those suffering from neckaches or spondylitis should not raise their head in this asana.


• Please consult our yoga guru or apppropriate person before you begin, in case if you are not sure whether you can do this yoga.

Surya Namaskar - The Sun Salutation - Posture 12 (last)

In the Sun Salutation, let us see the 12th posture:

Posture 12:

1. Ensure that the you are still facing the sun. Throughout all the 12 postures, you have to be facing the sun;
2. Bring both the hands forward; both the palms touching each other, bend the hands and let both the thumb touch the heart;

Breathing: Normal

Click here to read about Posture 1

Click here to read about Posture 2

Click here to read about Posture 3

Click here to read about Posture 4

Click here to read about Posture 5

Click here to read about Posture 6

Click here to read about Posture 7

Click here to read about Posture 8

Click here to read about Posture 9

Click here to read about Posture 10

Click here to read about Posture 11

Click here to read about Posture 12