Yoga Sutra by Raahat Yoga Studio

THURSDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2012

YOU, ME AND YOGA

Yoga sutra with a romantic touch Bored of working out alone? On this Valentine’s Day, stretch your love and bend your body. Yes, it’s time to extend your intimate love to even yoga and burn the extra fat together. So stretch, curl, bend, plow and bust the calories. k ShehrebaNu

his Valentine's Day, forget the boring chocolate and withering flowers. Spend some time together connecting with your spouse or lover by doing ‘partner yoga’. Lunch and dinner can wait as its time to innovate your romance not just by physical relationship but also through yoga. Try something special with yoga that will deepen the connection with your loved one. Try a few intimate partner poses that require more trust and closeness and that should bring together the best of your relationship! These six mutually supportive partner yoga

poses will definitely stretch your bodies but on the other side burn your fat with love. Supported Uttanasana/

Standing forward bend:

Kamarchakrasana: Warm up with your partner

Sit facing each other with legs wide apart. © Join feet with your partner. © Hold partner’s hands, tighten thighs and clasp each other’s hands. Pull each other backward and forward as much as you can. Do this 8-10 times © When done, bring legs together and shake them well.

Stand with backs facing each other at a distance of about 10-12 inches. Inhale and raise your arms up, stretch your arms and your fingers. Exhale and slowly both the partners bend from your waist, keeping your neck long and with no effort on your back, grab your partner’s hands. Depending upon your flexibility, walk your hands so that you either hold one another’s, wrist/forearm/ shoulders When you inhale, stretch your spine and when you exhale push your body towards the knees. Stay in the pose for 10 breaths. When both are ready to come out, let go of your partner’s hands and slowly come out of the pose in the same way as you went into it

Bhujangasana-Supta Vajrasana/ Cobra-Hero ©

This pose calms the brain and helps relieve © stress, headache, insomnia, mild depression and reduces fatigue and anxiety

Partnered Baddha Konasana/Supported butterfly forward bend © Sit facing each other; partner1in the

butterfly pose and the partner2 in long sitting pose with legs a little wider than hips distance. Then partner1 slowly lowers down from his waist, extends the arms and reaches partner 2’s thighs or if possible wraps arms around her lower back. Then partner2 slowly lowers down and rests her torso on 1’s upper back and arms on her lower back. Both can pull against each other to get a deep stretch. Hold the pose for 20 breaths or more, when ready to come out both slowly raise up and switch roles.

Try soy for your heart’s joy

Hold the pose for a minimum of one minute and when ready to come out, use your core strength and gently lower your hips down.

yurveda has always found out new techniques to redeem patients suffering with different ailments. Sinusitis, one of the most common diseases we find in the modern days, is the inflammation or infection of the mucous membrane lining the nasal sinuses (air-filled cavities in the bones surrounding the nose; above the eyes, in the cheekbone, behind bridge of nose, upper nose).

What causes sinusitis?

neck

and

Anjaneyasana/Doubles Crescent Moon

Dr V L Shyam

A proper diet will keep your heart hale and healthy

Soy protein has proved handy in preventing heart attacks. Also soy makes an excellent protein substitute for red meat, which will reduce your saturated fat intake. In addition to knowing which foods to eat, one also needs to know how much one should eat. Overloading the plate, taking seconds and eating until stuffed can lead to eating more calories, fat and excess cholesterol . Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs. Keep track of the number of servings eaten.

unique idea, DocSuggest.Com is an online portal which allows you to find a doctor in the desired location and books an appointment with the doctor on your behalf. The website has contacts of more than 2,500 doctors across two statesHyderabad and Bangalore. All you have to do is log on to the website, type in the problem you want to consult a doc and the location you want the clinic to be at. Once you select the doctor that suits your requirement, the portal will ask you for the appointment timing. And all this for free of charge! In three simple steps, you can get yourself checked!

www.docsuggest.com

Sinusitis is of two types. Non infectious- It is caused by irritants or allergies. Chronic inflammation of the nasal passages also can lead to sinusitis. If you have allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, you can develop episodes of acute sinusitis.

fats also work to keep your cholesterol levels healthy. Olive oil reduces your risk of heart disease by lowering your LDL cholesterol levels. Oats contain a soluble fibre which reduces total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Apples contain a phytochemical called quercetin which acts as an anti-inflammatory and will help prevent blood clots as well. Almonds contain healthy oils, vitamin E and other substances that will help keep cholesterol levels in check. Tomatoes are packed with vitamins and lycopene, which reduces heart disease risk.

back, shoulders and improves the digestive power.

Therapeutic for thyroid, hormonal imbal- © Partner 1 sits up on the knees and, ance, diabetes and hernia. Activates the uterus, partner also sits up on her knees, and strengthens the hips and waist. both their backs facing each other. The bhujangasana will open up one person’s © Their feet are placed alternately, and spine, chest, heart, lungs and shoulders, and the Partner Ushtrasana/Doubles Camel then both extend their right leg forVajrasana will help getting a nice quad and shin pose ward, folding it with knee facing up, stretch. © Partner 1 sits up on the knees and thigh parallel to the mat and calfs 90 partner 2 also sits up on her knees, Partner Halasana/Double plow degree to the thighs Gently bend the back facing the other partner’s © An intense pose, which when done knees forward so that they extend front. with a partner, helps support each over the foot. © Partner 1 places hands on his or her other’s legs. A restorative pose with © Extend hands up above the head and back and then arch back and slowly less pressure on the neck. deepen them backwards to hold each places palms one by one on the soles © Both lie on the floor, with each other’s wrist/palms. of feet. other’s heads touching. © Be in the pose for 30 counts and then © Partner 1 exhales and bend the neck © Extend your arms behind and hold switch legs. fully. the partner’s shoulders This pose opens up the hip muscles, stretches © Pushes the pelvic region forward. © Then both raise legs up 90 degrees the hamstrings, quad and the groin Strengthens Stays in the pose for 30 counts using your ab strength, lifting up the knees and helps build mental focus. © Inhales and slowly returns to the your hips off the ground and bringstart position. ing your feet towards the partner’s (The writer is a chief yoga instructor hips. at Raahat Yoga Studio) This pose strengthens knees, thighs, waist, ©

milk to cure the irritating nasal allergy. Saline nasal spray works too Dr. V L ShYam

Fishes like Salmon, tuna and sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that protect your heart by reducing both inflammation and the risk of blood clots. These

Couple performing the Baddha Konasana asana. Photo: Abbas

Your doctor is Ginger works for sinus just a click away! Try ginger mixed with milk or pepper powder with hot

Namita NaNaL

Food that is beneficial for heart:

A wonderful back bend and very challenging, but a little help from your partner can make a lot of difference. Partner 1 lies in the prone pose on her stomach with arms beside, feet together and head on the chin. Partner 2 places her shins on partner 1’s buttocks. Hold partner 1’s hands and lean back towards partner 1’s legs. This lifts partner 1’s chest off the mat. Partner 1 should make sure he or she is not sitting on heels and also far away so that her knees are not pressing into partner 1’s back. Hold the pose for 20-30 breaths and slowly leave partner 1’s hands and lower her back to the mat. Now both partners switch roles.

AYUrEMEDY

HEAltH zONE

eart, the vital organ which supplies blood to all your body parts, needs a constant check. Any damage to it can take a toll on your entire body. Coronary heart diseases, Cardiomyopathy, Ischemic heart disease, etc are some of the few examples which may result in a heart problem. So it is important to take proper care so that heart functioning is maintained at its best. Weight control and regular exercise are critical for keeping your heart in shape. By understanding how the food you eat impact the health of heart, may help to prevent or manage heart diseases and blood pressure. Dietary advice for reducing risk of heart diseases includes eating a balanced diet with u Less saturated fat from red meats u More fresh fruits and vegetables u Less sugar u More fiber and u Fewer total calories (varies with people)

Deep stretch in the hips, lower back, and shoulders from the Baddha Konasana/Butterfly, as well the hamstrings stretch from seated forward bend.

Infectious sinusitis- It is caused by bacterial growth in the sinuses as a complication of cold or flu. When the opening to the sinus gets blocked Useful tips: and the mucus inside cannot drain, bacteria flour- t Inhaling steam from a vaporiser added with ishes and the infection begins. few drops of lemon juice or camphor can Sinusitis can be correlated with the disease soothe inflamed sinus cavities. named Pratisyaya described in Ayurveda. The t Cold bath, cold wind, dust, smoke, day sleep, causes described in Ayurveda for this pratisyaya oily foods, etc are all the avoidable for a paare excessive use of cold water, use of foods with tient with sinus problems. cold potency, polluted air, dust, fog, smoke, cold t Saline nasal spray, which you can buy in a wind, lack of sleep in the night, day sleeping, any drug store, can give relief. cause that reduces the normal immunity of the t Gentle heat applied over the inflamed area is body, climate changes, exposure to extreme heat comforting. or cold etc. t Better use warm food and water. Emotional factors & mental stress can also pro- t Ginger mixed with milk or pepper powder voke the disease. Ayurveda also highlights the mixed with hot milk is advised as drink. role of allergens, which is the most important t Taking dried ginger powder mixed with jagamong non infectious causes, in provoking the gery is good. sinus problems. t The strong smell of garlic or acorus calamus Getting allergy and sinusitis can be a sign that powder can open the blocked nose it hints at an imbalance in your system. When t Various Ayurvedic medicines like Indukanyou have an imbalance, you are susceptible to vartha ghritha, Kooshmanda rasayana, Agastya ious diseases which can settle in weak areas of rasayana, Dasamoolarishta, Guggulu pancha your body. Your resistance may be low, which can pala choorna, Chyavana prasa etc can imbe caused by poor nutrition. Natural methods can prove the body's natural immune response help your body's immune system to function corand thereby their regular use as per prescriprectly and resist bacterial invasions that cause sition reduce the sinus problems nusitis. t Take Aswagandha powder, (Withania Somnifera) 10 gms mixed with milk at bedtime.

Cooking methods Boiled, steamed, baked, grilled, roasted forms are always better than frying. While selecting foods for each meal and snack, emphasize on vegetables, fruits and What is the Ayurveda treatment? whole grains. Choose lean pro- For acute conditions: Home Remedies: tein sources and limit high-fat t Steam inhalation is effective. t Intake of lemon juice daily in the morning and salty foods. with a teaspoon honey. t Decongestants to reduce congestion Watch your portion sizes t Pain relievers to reduce any pain t Chew a few leaves of Basil (Tulsi) leaves daily and add variety to your menu t Herbal antibiotics to control a bacterial infec- t Drop two drops of anutaila daily in the noschoices. For example, if you tion, if present trils. have grilled salmon one t Anti histamines if it is due to allergies t Use Tulasyadi taila as head oil evening, try a roti and dal the t Rub a pinch of rasnadi choorna on the crown next night. This helps ensure For chronic conditions: after bath. that you'll get all of the nutri- t Nasya (nasal drops) t Daily practice of yoga and its breathing techents your body needs. Variety t Dhoomapana (medicated fume inhalations) niques under an expert's supervision creates also makes your meals and t Neti (nasal wash with water added with a protective shield against the allergic envisnacks more interesting. ronment and thereby enhance the resistance honey & rock salt) etc. which may hyposen(The writer is a nutritionist to ailments. sitise and immuno-modulators are found to (The doctor is the senoir be effective treatment measures. with Evolve Medspa, part of Vice President at Birla Kerala Vaidyashala) Birla Wellness)