Protein Powder

Lactose
Take it from me first hand if you are lactose intolerant, you will want to get the whey protein isolate. Isolate will contain less than 1% lactose, which is the sugar in milk that causes lactose intolerant individuals to get sick. Digesting a small 1% concentration of lactose is usually tolerated pretty well by lactose intolerant people.
Standard whey protein powder has about 5-6% lactose. I have heard of several lactose intolerant individuals, including myself, who have a hard time with the lactose concentration of regular whey protein powder.
Excess Protein
Your kidneys will have a very hard digesting too much of any protein. Excess protein is responsible for two reactions in the body:
Your blood will turn acidic.
Your blood pH should be in the 7.0 range. When blood becomes very acidic, the body must correct itself by making your blood more basic. The most basic available element in your body is calcium (showing off my college degree here). Your bones will release calcium into your blood, which will then bond to the acidic byproducts of the protein, turning your blood back to a neutral level. Goodbye healthy bones, hello osteoporosis.
You could develop kidney stones.
That doesn’t sound too bad, until you realize that your body is going to need to remove those little calcium deposits that are floating around in your blood. These calcium deposits end up in your kidneys to await your next trip to the restroom. I’m sure you have heard of kidney stones and now you know one of their causes. Ouch! Be sure to limit your initial intake of protein in order to ensure your body responds to well to it.
Ketosis
Another thing excess protein can do, is to put your body into a state known as ketosis. It doesn’t matter what you have heard in the past, prolonged ketosis is bad on your kidneys. Your body will begin to burn fat for energy, which is good; but this is the result of a complete lack of carbohydrates, which is bad.
Most medical resources regard ketosis as a physiological state associated with chronic starvation. Glucose is regarded as the preferred energy source for all cells in the body with ketosis being regarded as a crisis reaction of the body to a lack of carbohydrates in the diet. Ketosis would thus be a dangerous state which unnecessarily stresses the liver and causes destruction of muscle tissues.
This is still the view of the majority in the medical and nutritional science communities, although in recent years it has been challenged by a number of doctors and adherents of low-carbohydrate diets, who dispute both the body’s preference for glucose and the dangers associated with ketosis.
The Protein Shake Diet
Some people also drink straight protein shakes all day long. This wrecks havoc on your body because it loses it’s ability to properly digest fats and carbs. A good principal for protein supplementation, is that that your diet should be consistent by consuming protein, fats, and carbs in moderation.
A 40/30/30 (p/f/c) diet is much better than a protein shake diet, at least over the long term. Moderation is key for healthy eating.
In general there are no side effects related to supplementing with whey protein. Follow some of the tips above to make protein supplementation an important and useful aspect of your diet.

Mantra Yog

Mantra yoga is the chanting of mantras - words, phrases or syllables - in an attentive and thoughtful way, to attain certain goals. It is a form of meditation, in which one has to chant the mantra until he/she transcends his/her mind and emotions. In the process, the person discovers his/her super conscious. Studies suggest that the mantras possess unique healing potential, when they are chanted at a specific time. They are a tool to achieve stillness. The mantra should be discarded immediately after attaining the tranquility.

There are certain things to be considered, when following the path of Mantra Yoga. The first and foremost thing is the time, during which the mantras should be chanted. You should ensure that the mantra is recited only at the designated time. The second thing is correct pronunciation. Pronunciation is given immense priority, because not all the intended effect would come, if the mantras were not pronounced correctly. The third thing is the place, where they are recited. You should chant the mantras at a peaceful atmosphere, free of any external noises.

The mantra can be chanted in three ways. The first way is called 'baikhari', which can be chanted in a loud manner. This type of chanting is advantageous for removing unwanted thoughts from the mind, to make the meditation process easier. The second method of chanting is called 'upanshu', which involves the recitation of mantras in a very low voice, audible only to the practitioner. The third method is neither loud nor too low. It is called 'manasik', which involves the repetition of the mantra in mind. A subtle form of chanting mantras, the manasik method is used only by advanced practitioners.

Mantra Yoga is highly beneficial for improving the overall health and mental stability. It is a way to garner knowledge about the universe and find the unison of body, mind and soul within one's self. Mantras help keep the individual away from the drudgery of everyday life, the material world and deviates the focus towards the essentials of life, which are nothing but a healthy body and a peaceful mind. By chanting the words in absolute concentration, you can control your wavering mind, thereby increasing your level of concentration.

Apart from giving you a peace of mind, Mantra Yoga helps you eliminate psychosomatic disorders. It helps banish nervous tension and sedimentary problems. The holistic path of Mantra Yoga helps you to get closely acquainted to your own self. Due to the increased stability of mind, you will lead a peaceful life, which is free of tensions, anxiety and stress. Mantra Yoga is the ultimate way to achieve peace and tranquility. It increases your feeling of security and boosts your self-confidence. It eliminates negative behavior as well. It is an ultimate cure for various addictions, because it purifies you from within.

Meaning of Aum

Namaste,

Why we chant Aum. There are several reasons.

One is that Aum is a soothing sound that allows us to settle down from the busy-ness of the world and invites us to turn our awareness inward.

Another is that because we begin Aum with our mouths wide open and gradually close our lips as the sound progresses, we transition physically as well as mentally from projecting ourselves into the material outer world to redirecting ourselves into the inner world of the Spirit.

Yet another aspect I mention is that the sound ahhhh starts in our chests at the heart center (Anahata Chakra), moves upward with the ooooo sound in the throat center (Vishuddha Chakra), and ends with the sound mmmmm., which vibrates the higher centers in the head (Ajna and Sahasrara Chakras). Thus, it represents and enhances the upward movement of energy along the spine that occurs as we progress in our practice.

There are many more meanings behind the sacred syllable Aum. In the introduction to Light On Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar says, "A few instances of the various interpretations given to it may be mentioned here to convey its meaning." He then mentions these "few instances" for another page and a half.

Amongst all of these, the interpretation of Aum that is most meaningful and powerful to me is as the representation of the Primordial Vibration, the Original Sound, the First Word. Maybe it's because I'm a musician, but in explaining this aspect of Aum to my students, the image that works best for me is that of a stringed instrument. When you pluck or strike one of the strings on a guitar, for instance, the other strings, though unplucked themselves, nonetheless vibrate in resonance with the vibration from that plucked string. In a very real sense, we are-indeed all of creation is-nothing more or less than strings vibrating in resonance with the First Vibration or Word. Much of what we do in our practice of yoga, it seems to me, is to work on tuning ourselves more and more exquisitely, so that as we resonate with that First Sound, represented by Aum., we do so as harmoniously as we can. Perhaps even more important, our practice prepares us so that if and when we, ourselves, are plucked, our tone is as clear and beautiful as the Earth's song on a spring morning, and the vibrations we send out are steady and balanced, in sync with the pulse of the Great Cosmic Ooze.

Lest this strike you as a complete flight of fantasy, attractive, perhaps, but a little out in the ozone, let me relate it to a story I read in the paper the other day. A headline on the front page had caught my eye. "Calculating Contents of Cosmos," it said, with the subtitle "Ordinary Matter Makes Up Only 4.5 Percent, Teams Find".

Although that may sound like pretty ponderous stuff, I find articles about astrophysics and quantum physics really interesting. Not because I'm a science buff. In fact, in school I avoided mathematics-oriented sciences such as chemistry and physics like I avoid Republican fundraisers. I notice such articles, however, because ever since I read The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra a couple of decades ago, I've been fascinated by the parallels between Yogic philosophy and Western science concerning the origins and nature of the universe.

The newspaper article presented information about the current theory that the universe is made up primarily of stuff astronomers call "dark matter" and "dark energy". Only 4.5% is ordinary matter, which the author, Washington Post Staff Writer Kathy Sawyer, described as "all the shining stars and galaxies, plus people, computers, cats and so on". The "dark matter" and "dark energy" part was intriguing, but I found another piece of the story even more fascinating.

It stated that, "Three independent teams of astronomers yesterday presented the most precise measurements to date of the infant universe..., exposing telltale reverberations they called Ôthe music of creation'.... [T]he research teams reached back across time and space to take precise readings of light emitted about 400,000 years after the Big Bang explosion that gave birth to the universe."

The article quoted John Carlstrom of the University of Chicago as saying, "We're looking back as far as you can go with light-14 billion years, or roughly the age of the universe,... In a sense, [the ancient light] allows us to Ôsee' sound in the early universe."Aum.

When I read those words, I couldn't help but think of the biblical passage, John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."Aum.

I recalled also that in Genesis (1:1-3), the Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deepÉ. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

The Old Testament is saying that in the beginning, even before there was light, God, the Creator who made heaven and earth, existed. And the New Testament declares that in the beginning God was the Word. According to the Bible, then, heaven and earth-the cosmos-issued forth from the Word.Aum.

And the most current scientific beliefs described in The Washington Post article are in fundamental accord with the Bible. The entire cosmos, they say, emanates from the "music of creation". Aum.

I find it exciting that both the ancient Judeo-Christian and contemporary scientific explanation of the Creation seem to point in the same direction. And just as exciting, these explanations agree completely with the teachings and philosophy of Yoga.

B.K.S. Iyengar, for example, in Light On The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, says, "Sound is vibration, which, as modern science tells us, is the source of all creation." (This is in his commentary on the 27th sutra of the first chapter, which refers to the meaning of pranava or Aum.)

The Amrita-Bindu-Upanishad states that, "The imperishable sound [om] is the supreme Absolute."

Georg Feuerstein in The Yoga Tradition says, "The syllable om... is held to be or to express the pulse of the cosmos itself. It was through meditative practice rather than intellectual speculation that the seers and sages of Vedic times arrived at the idea of a universal sound, eternally resounding in the universe, which they saw as the very origin of the created world."

It's so fascinating that the very same things ancient (and contemporary) yogis, sages, and seers discovered by peering through their inner eye into their inner universe, the modern day scientists are discovering as they peer through their telescopes into the far recesses of the outer universe.

The great Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan says it very well: "The one who seeks truth through science, the one who searches for it through religion, the one who finds it through philosophy, the one who finds it through mysticism-in whatever manner one seeks truth, one finds it in the end."

He goes on to say, "A world in the making can be likened to a great jigsaw puzzle whose separate parts have life and are capable of independent movement. The way in which man can find his own place is to tune his instrument to the keynote of the chord to which he belongs. Sound is the force which groups all things from atoms to worlds. The chording vibration sounds in the innermost being of man and can only be heard in silence. When we go into the inner chamber and shut the door to every sound that comes from the life without, then will the voice of God speak to our soul and we will know the keynote of our life." Aum.

Ashtanga During Pregnancy: One Ashtangi’s Experience
June 6, 2006.

[Wendy Spies practiced Ashtanga through her pregnancy - all the way to the day before the birth of a healthy baby boy, and shared some really wonderful insights with us. Wendy started practicing in 1987, and plans to start teaching yoga again in June. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thank you, Wendy, for your thorough contribution. -Ed.]

[See Wendy's follow-up article and baby's photos here (December 2007). -Ed.]


Wendy in Sarvangasana
April 23, 2006 (baby’s due date: May 13)

* how did you practice change as your pregnancy progressed – 1st trimester, 2nd, 3rd?

During the 1st trimester, my heart rate would accelerate, sometimes to the point that I’d get dizzy. You are carrying a lot of extra blood in your body at this point in the pregnancy, which causes these kinds of effects. All of changes also affected my respiration, which made it harder to keep the breath long, so often I’d hold poses for a longer number of breaths to compensate. My body shape also changed a lot in the first three months, so I learned to compensate in a number of asanas.

I wasn’t showing at all, and debated about whether or not to tell my teachers. One thing you learn when you get pregnant is that everyone has advice for you, which is always quite heartfelt, but often misguided. Some teachers advised me not to practice, and the yoga literature is full of contradictory advice about which poses to do or not to do. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t discussed the pregnancy with some teachers, as it caused them to back off from adjustments or look at me with disapproval, at least until they were more confident that I wasn’t going to break because I was pregnant. Lino’s attitude was very different – he had me doing tick-tocks at this stage.

["Tick-tocks" means: going from standing going to a very quick handstand, dropping the feet over the head down into wheel, then coming back up into standing, then from standing dropping back into full wheel, then kicking the feet over the head back to a quick handstand then to standing -Ed.]

The whole advice battlefield had its biggest impact when I took a teacher’s advice to not practice during the first trimester. By my second day off, it was clear that my body wasn’t a fan of that idea at all. I started to get morning sickness, which I hadn’t had before, and generally felt pretty awful. After seeing the doctor, and getting the all clear, I resumed practicing, and started feeling better right away. The morning sickness never returned.


Urdhva Dhanurasana

The only problem with asking doctors about yoga is that they all have a different idea of what yoga is and it is rare that they will understand a practice like Ashtanga. David Swenson had a great suggestion – he advised me to bring in specific photos of postures or video clips into the doctor’s office and say “can I do THAT”, not to ask the general “can I do yoga” question.

The best advice I got at this stage was from my doctor and from reading an article about Nancy Gilgoff’s comments about Ashtanga while pregnant. The doctor basically chuckled at the idea that I was heeding any advice given by non-doctors. She told me my number one job during the pregnancy was to train like I was going to run a marathon – labor was going take as much work as running 26 miles, and being in good physical shape would be crucial. The best yoga specific advice was to keep doing whatever I was comfortable doing before the pregnancy, but also listening and modifying as needed as my body changed as the baby grew.

The second trimester wasn’t dramatically different from the first, but there was definitely more compensation for my growing abdomen. Some of the twisting postures became quite difficult, and I started to make simple adjustments to postures like Utthita Trikonasana by widening my stance. By the end of the second trimester, Anne had me modifying Marichasana C & D by twisting in the opposite direction, which kept my belly from interfering, but kept the basic structure of the asana intact.

The third trimester was a different story altogether. Padmasana was now completely gone (which was a bit shocking, because I had heard that pregnancy opened the hips – it does, but in an unpredictable way). My vinyasas now involved stepping back and forward – no jumping at all. My shoulders and arms got stronger because of the extra weight, but that also caused my shoulders to get much tighter.

Betty Lai has a detailed article about practicing while pregnant on Ashtanga.com. I practiced with Jois during his world tour this year, a few weeks before giving birth. What I found interesting was that he adjusted and modified many postures that I was doing which differed from the advice given in the article. So, again, what is appropriate for one person is not for another and teachers’ advice changes with time and experience as well.


Sirsasana

* later on did the baby react to certain postures? which ones?

In general, the baby loved practicing. Like any kid, he was huge fan of the big movements, especially inversions. The first time anyone saw the baby move was in the end of second trimester when Philippe strolled by while I was in Sirsasana, and saw some movement in my belly that definitely wasn’t bandhas! Through most of the pregnancy, though, the baby wasn’t reacting to postures, and was calm throughout practice. But in the last two weeks, I was feeling movement in almost every posture, which was probably a combination of the asana and the natural movement of the baby moving into “launch” position.

* what was hardest about practicing pregnant?

The difficult things for me were: not practicing too hard and calmly letting postures go. Also, getting used to people staring and not minding that almost everyone is more concerned about your baby than they are about you (while they might not make that explicit or ever admit even to themselves).

* did some postures get easier?

I am “blessed” with very tight hips relative to other parts of my practice. All of the postures that depend on open hips got easier for me, but I was still careful to maintain integrity in the poses. So, asanas like Supta Kurmasana, Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana, and Janu Sirsasana C got slightly easier. It didn’t happen nearly as quickly as I expected, these postures really only came very, very late in the pregnancy and have luckily stuck around afterwards (for now). One of the things people warned me about was the relaxin (a hormone released during pregnancy) allowing postures to become much easier and that causing the integrity of the joints and your strength to dissipate. However, for me, that wasn’t really the case. Due to the extra weight I became very strong and less flexible in many ways due to this strength. Also, because I was practicing every day, the shifting of weight in my body did not lead to problems with balance like it might have otherwise. However, after delivery, the dramatic weight shift did cause my balance to become greatly compromised. I am still trying to regain my Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana.

YOGA IN PREGNANCY

Introduction
To bear a child is undeniably the ultimate dream of the majority of women. It is an almost divine fulfilment that she hopes to attain through this act of procreation. Fear and apprehensions often cloud the mind, the moment pregnancy is confirmed. Will I be able to take this responsibility? Will it be a male or a female? will it be a healthy child? and so on. Child birth is surely the greatest act performed by women. It can be a great emotional experience. The physical and psychological aspects can’t be separated. For most of women labour is a time of apprehension of fear and agony. But with a proper antenatal preparation the majority of women can have and labour that is easy and painless or almost painless and she can actually enjoy the labour and experience a sense of fulfilment.
In the years between the puberty and pregnancy the girl gathers information from many sources : from her schoolmates, from her elder sisters. She overhear the gossip about pregnancies and births. She reads about the subject in news papers and magazines. She watches television. The information is absorbed by her brain and that conditions her mind. The information may be favorable, description of happy and normal birth, but on the other hand it may be of tragedies, of sickness in pregnancy, of a long difficult labours, of still births and deaths and fetal abnormalities and above all, of pain. The word 'labour' itself conveys an impression of unpleasantness. It's a result of her experience and environment during years before her pregnancy, during her antenated period and even during her labour. Patient may be conditioned favorably or unfavorably. If unfavorably, at the contraction of the uterus result will be pain and difficulty. If patient has a pain in labour then fear, apprehension and tension appear which result in release of adrenalin, leading to ischaemia and spasm of the uterus which results in more intense pain, and ultimately prevent desired progress in a process of labour. The end result is long and painful lobour. 'Accept life as it is.' Put in your best efforts wherever it is possible and then let your positive spirits overtake you. Yoga always emphasizes this. It is the mind which makes or breaks a situation. The essence of harmoniously handling a glorious pregnancy lies in the ability to gain complete control over the mind, then the body follows willingly.
During last few decades, the research in yoga has proved beyond doubts, that yoga helps to prevent and cure many chronic ailments. Yogic practices integrate the body, mind and spirit. They bring harmony, develop a restful and positive attitude towards life. This comprehensive programme of yogic practices designed for pregnant women will help, them to have correct posture flexibility of spine improve their breathing capacity, to manage stress. It helps to build immunity, inner strength, improve control over body and emotions. In short it is the best preventive and curative therapy for many ailments that can occur during pregnancy. It will also ensure the baby's healthy growth.

The course comprises of -
1) ASANAS
2) PRANAYAMA - Deep breathing exercises.
3) MEDITATION
4) YOGA NIDRA

Most important
1) Patient must consult her obstetrician before starting yogic practices.
2) Patient can start practices immediately after confirmation of pregnancy. However obstetrician knows best about the patient. As per his advise patient can start yoga practice at a later date. But this postponement apply to practice of asanas only.
3) Patient can start other parts of practices immediately.


1) ASANAS :
Asanas are specific body poses designed to improve the awareness and muscular flexibility. They also control and regulate breathing process and open the energy channels, thus harmonizing the functioning of body, breath and mind. While selecting asanas a special effort is made to consider the prenominal changes in anatomy, physiology and endocrine systems and the restrictions in physical activities due to pregnancy.
Effects of asanas :
1. Performing asanas regularly will boost the confidence of the patient
2. They make spine strong and flexible, ensures correct posture and establish balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic system.
3. Regular practice of asanas improves blood circulation, tones up the muscles of spine, abdomen and pelvis which helps to support the added weight of uterus
4. Prevents common ailments like backache, leg cramps, breathlessness, oedema feet, etc.
5. Regular practice of asanas will hasten the post partum recovery.

2) PRANAYAMA :
Pranayama is a deciplined yogic breathing practice, in which breathing process in conciously regulated. But it is important to learn a under expert guidance only.
Effects of Pranayama
1. It induces tranquility, relaxation and a feeling of well-being.
2. It tunes up the nervous system, improves emotional stability. It also helps to eliminate anxiety, fears and phobias. Enhances efficiency of C.N.S. and there by bring relief from ailments like, insomnia, High blood pressure, breathlessness.
3. It improves breathing capacity and also increases stamina and vitality.
4. Most important of all it helps greatly in promoting an easy delivery with minimum distress and fatigue during labour.

3) MEDITATION :
When you are no longer distracted by external stimuli and when your mind is completely controlled and remain effortlessly at one point, that is meditation. To develop such a one pointedness of mind focus your attention on an objects like your own breath, or a flower or a candle flame, or a mantra or any object that can easily be focused upon. If attention gets diverted and it will - do not get discouraged, gently bring your mind. back to your chosen object. You will experience inner silence and peace. Human beings have on in built ability to re-establish physical and mental equilibrium through persistent meditation. Regular practice of meditation will induce deep sense of rejuvenation and relaxation. Pulse rate, Blood pressure and oxygen requirement comes down. Mind becomes more relaxed and receptive and can quickly pick up autosuggestions.
Guidelines For Meditation :
1. You must learn the art of meditation under an experienced teacher.
2. Practice mediatation regularly and preferably at the same time every day. (early morning is the best time for this)
3. Sit with your spine straight and erect.
4. A mantra like AUM, Soham, or a Gurumantra can be used as an object of meditation. Its power lies in its vibrations when uttered verbally or mentally.
5. Practice for about 8 to 10 minutes initially. You can extend your time later on as per your need and capacity.

4) YOGA – NIDRA :
Yoga-nidra is a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation. Usually practiced in Shavasana or sitting position for 20 to 30 min Yoga teacher can guide you through recorded instructions. Listen the instructions and follow them mentally. It is important to remain awake and aware during the practice. A very special feature of Yoga-nidra is 'Sankalpa' which means a 'resolve' The relaxed body and mind are ideal soil for making a resolve. The 'Sankalpa' is affirmation of a statement, short, positive, precise about what you want to achieve. Your statement may be something like autosuggestion They are easy to memorise and recite e.g.
''I am becoming happier, healthier and more relaxed.''
''I and my baby are experiencing immense joy happiness"
However these auto suggestions can be recited any time during a day. Repeated recitation of auto suggestions, especially when, your mind is relaxed sinks easily into subconcious mind and direct the concious mind to transform the positive thought into reality. Best time to repeat autosuggestion is in the morning or at bed time when body and mind are relaxed and receptive. Regular practice of Yoga-nidra helps to create the most favorable conditions for fetal growth and development.

TIPS TO HELP LABOUR PROCESS
1. Have a family member for emotional support.
2. Yogic postures like marjarasana, Namaskarasana, Sulabh utkatasana fascilitate labour.
3. Keep Yogic breathing, Mukha dhauti is a very effective breathing pattern to release tensions and soften the process of labour. This can be practiced 5/6 times.
The intensity of pain varies from person to person. The more apprehensive and exitable person, the more is the feeling of pain. If person takes a philosophical and relaxed attitude saying, ''OK, this pain is inevitable, but it is temporary and I can cope up with it.'' With yoga practice and meditation the intensity of pain reduces considerably. Yogic practices during pregnancy prepares the mind and body and take the person to a higher level of mind control.


Following Auto suggestions are repeated at the time of labour.
'Something wonderful is going to happen today'
'I am on a way to experiencing a happy motherhood'
'The power of my mind and body are helping my baby come into this beautiful world.'
'I am fully aware and relaxed.'

POSTNATEL ASANAS
Start with Leg raising exercises from 5 th day
Hastha padangusthasana
Konasana
Hastapadasana
Parvatasana
Paschimottanasana
Sarvangasana
Halasana, Shalabhasana
Makarasana

- DR. U. S. DHONDYE (M.D., D.G.O.)

Yoga Practice

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Yoga Practice

Yoga Beauty Tips

Feeling Good is Looking Good
Aside from feeling great yoga can help fight the aging process by using anti-gravity exercises.

Yoga As Part Of An Anti-Aging Plan
Yoga produces physical fitness, encourages overall health of mind and body, helps keep the intellect stimulated, helps with the removal of toxins from the body, increases flexibility and helps improve the effectiveness of the immune system.

Yoga for Weight Loss
Yoga is particularly useful if you're a comfort eater - someone who eats whenever they're stressed. Your yoga exercises help you to calm down.

Balance with Yoga
To be in balance with yourself, your environment, your thoughts, your goals, your values… that is beauty.

Confidence with Yoga
There is nothing more beautiful and sexy than someone with confidence.

The Skin You're In
Since stress is one the biggest causes of emotional, spiritual and physical sickness it also plays a role in the quality of our skin. Yoga helps relax the muscles in your face.

Watering Your Skin
If you want to know the importance of water, just add some to your thirsty plants and watch them grow tall and strong.

Saving Face - Avoiding Premature Aging
It is not possible to escape the process of aging and getting old, but we can avoid it from coming early.

What type of yoga should you use for depression?

Not all yoga is the same. Since its introduction to the West, yoga has branched off into a variety of styles and flavors. The type of yoga you choose should reflect your physical requirements as well as your spiritual interests.

Some kinds of yoga are very physically strenuous and can potentially create more stress if you are in a class where everyone is powering through a challenging set, leaving you feeling inadequate or overwhelmed. Yoga styles such as power yoga or ashtanga can be quite physically challenging. Yoga flow classes may be more about losing pounds and sweating out calories than creating mental peace and clarity. Unless you are already an athlete and looking for a strenuous workout, you might consider trying a more relaxed style.

If you are just starting out with yoga, you might try a beginner's yoga class or a gentle yoga class. Restorative yoga classes can be wonderfully rejuvenating; they consist of gentle poses, often using bolsters and props to allow you to rest and relax in the pose.

Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that involves dynamic, repetitive movements and breath work to move the energy and lift the spirit. It is the only form of yoga that specifically targets certain glands in the brain, such as the pituitary and the pineal glands, to activate them for improved health and well-being. (For an excellent book on the subject, see Meditation as Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. and Cameron Stauth.)

Ideally, if you are looking to yoga to improve mental health, consider finding a class that combines some meditation before or after the postures. Meditation has also been shown to increase positive emotions such as loving-kindness and happiness in some studies.

With the variety of yoga styles available, you may have to try out a few different classes to see what appeals to you the most. Do not be discouraged if you aren't immediately drawn to the first class you attend. Be aware that not all yoga classes are equal. Some classes include pranayama breath work and others do not. Some include chanting and others do not. You may even find yoga classes in your area specifically for Christians, while others may be more secular. It's a good idea to check out a few studios and classes and find the one that resonates with you the most.

Remember, yoga alone cannot cure depression if you are otherwise treating your body and your mind badly. Alcohol, drug use (including mind-altering prescription drugs), poor diet, lack of sleep, and other bad habits can negate the positive effects of yoga.

Doing yoga regularly will also make a huge difference in its effectiveness. Ideally, practice yoga for at least 20 minutes daily, or at a minimum three times per week. You can supplement outside yoga classes with a simple, at-home practice. With the popularity of yoga soaring, DVDs and books on yoga are plentiful.

There's a reason why people who practice yoga often credit it for changing their lives. Unlike no other exercise on the planet, yoga provides physical as well as emotional benefits that can create true happiness and well-being. Best of all, you can do it at home for free, with no negative side effects.

Yoga Side Effects be cautious

When practiced with regularity and properly, yoga can have dramatic and extremely positive effects on the human body, mind, and spirit. People who practice yoga often swear by it and claim that it is the root of all that is good in life; they even argue that practicing yoga can have a direct effect on other aspects of life including finances, career, and relationships. However, it is important to know that there can also be negative side effects to practicing yoga, especially when it is not practiced correctly. Ensuring that yoga poses are performed correctly is essential to experiencing the benefits of the practice.

When a person decides to engage in a yoga workout, many times it is at home with a DVD, no instructor, and very little knowledge of the basics behind the yoga philosophy. This can be quite dangerous and result in serious injury. As with any exercise program, it is extremely important to consult with a physician before structuring a yoga workout regimen. This way, any concerns or health risks can be laid out on the table before the yoga program is begun, and practice may proceed with safety in mind.

In addition to discussing the potential yoga workout program with a physician, it is also recommended that beginners work with an instructor or take a class to become fully knowledgeable of the different poses and proper movements. The most common negative side effect from practicing yoga is physical injury. Typically, these injuries can include, but are not limited to wrist pain, neck pain, back pain, tearing of ligaments and tendons, pulling muscles, ankle pain, knee pain, and vertigo. Other injuries that can occur include biorhythmic imbalance and the emaciation of adipose tissue.

Gastric problems may also occur from practicing yoga. This is especially true with certain types of yoga, namely Hatha yoga. Typically, if Hatha pranayama techniques and poses are not performed in a certain sequence, serious gastric discomfort and symptoms like nausea and sour stomach may appear. In more severe cases, vomiting can occur.

These physical injuries usually occur when yoga poses are not done correctly or when the body is pushed too far during a pose. It is essential that there is a warm up period before engaging in any serious yoga workout, to reduce the risk of such muscular and ligament damages. If such care is not taken, even more traumatic injuries can occur such as internal bleeding, muscle strains, and ruptures. Furthermore, pushing oneself too far during yoga can result in broken or fractured bones. These injuries may require months of recuperation or even surgery.

The negative side effects of yoga are not always physical. Mental instability can also be a side effect of practicing too much yoga or practicing it incorrectly. Some negative, and severe, side effects can include pseudo death, pseudo psychosis, confusion, increased anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal patterns, depression, homicidal urges, and feelings to self-mutilate. Headaches, temporary blindness, sexual pains, and social issues may also arise. A combination of these symptoms when caused by yoga is typically what is known as Kundalini Syndrome, which stems from performing Kundalini yoga poses incorrectly or too often.

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Links for PowerYoga perfomance at Himalaya Mall Ahmedabad.

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Regards,

Samarth