Balance Your Hormones For a Balanced Life

As the body ages our hormones start acting weirdly and all sorts of problems start arising, tells me my dear friend and yoga expert, Neeti Shukla. Unfortunately with the current day and age lifestyle, this problem does not restrict to any age. Bad food habits, insufficient sleep, physical and emotional stress are the major cause of hormonal imbalance.  Few years back very less people knew about hormonal disorders like thyroid, PCOS etc. But these have become a common name now. 

In Yoga, practising Bandhas everyday can help you to balance the hormones. Just 5 minutes of your life can help you change it for better. "Bandhas" in Yoga can be defined as Interior Body locks for the perfect balance of hormones that are practised to tone, cleanse and energize the interior body and organs. While practising Bandha, the energy flow to a particular area of the body is blocked and when released, the energy flows with an increased pressure through the body. The energy channels are purified, blockages get released and the exchange of energy is improved. Bandhas controls stress and mental restlessness and bring about inner balance and harmony. If you understand Chinese medicine, then it is like balancing Chi.

There are four types of Bandhas:

All the Bandhas are performed in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) or Sukhasana (Easy pose- for beginners)

1. Jalandhara Bandha - Chin Lock

   Steps

·       Inhale

·       Hold your breath

·       Drop your chin to chest

·       Hold your breath as long as possible, maximum 20 seconds

·       After that, first get your chin up and then Exhale.

Benefits

·       Regulates Thyroid function

·       Improves concentration

·       Beneficial in throat diseases

·       Mental Relaxation

·       Helps in weight loss

Important Tips

Practise 3 times.

Hold for maximum 20 seconds each time.

Use your fist for support; if you are suffer from Cervical.

2. Uddiyana Bandha - Lifting of the Diaphragm

Steps

·       Inhale and then exhale completely

·       Hold your breath

·       Pull in your stomach for maximum 20 seconds

·     When it is not possible to hold your breath, Release your stomach

·       Inhale.        

Benefits

·       Strengthens abdominal muscles

·       Improves digestion

·       Prevents diseases like diabetes, constipation

Important Tips

Practise 3 times and hold for 20 seconds each, not more        than that.

Practise it empty stomach.

Do not practise it during menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

3. Mula Bandha - Root Lock

   Steps

·       Inhale and then exhale completely and forcefully

·       Hold your breath

·       Contract your pelvic floor muscles

·       Hold for maximum 20 seconds

·       Release and Inhale

  Benefits

·       Regulate unstable menstrual period.

·       Improves digestion

·       Tones theuro-genital and excretory system

·       Helps to relieve frustration and depression

·       Beneficial for fertility

·       During the pregnancy, it helps to prepare the muscles for easier delivery

 Important Tips

 Practise 3 times and hold for 20 seconds each, not more than  that.

 Do not practise it during menstrual cycle.

4. Maha Bandha - Practice of all three Bandhas at the same time.

IMP: Please meet a trained Yoga Instructor and learn the technique in person. 

10 Steps Yogic Breathing

It is very easy to forget breathing right between the fast paced lifestyle and the stress levels we manage everyday. We may fit in an exercise regime, but still feel stressed. Think why?
Cellular respiration is the source of all physical energy and expression. It is dependent on constant flow of oxygen to every cell in our body. We breathe in a different pattern in every emotional condition. When relaxed, we breathe slow and deep that gives the experience of the best emotional state and positive energy flow.

Practicing full Yogic Breathing or Pranayama is the base of physical well-being and clarity of mind. Weight loss, short and long term health goals are fulfilled at no extra cost. Practicing Pranayama heals the body from inside out and creates a positive energy flow to set your purpose and intentions right. I strongly believe in it as I have seen the results myself. I have been able to change my lifestyle and maintain it for years now as every day when I practice Pranayama, am reminded of my intention. You really do not have to like yoga to learn Yogic Breathing, you just have to love breathing. Rest follows on its own!

1. Get in a comfortable seating position on the floor or your mat. Melt your shoulders back, slightly tuck in the chin and sit up with a straight spine. 
2. Close your eye gently. Put your hands on your knees, release the tongue from the roof of the mouth, unclench the jaws and relax your eyebrows.
3. Gently place your hand on your navel. Slowly breathe into your belly and feel your belly expanding. Imagine the flow of breath from your nose all the way through your belly.
4. Hold your inhale for 10 secs. Slowly exhale all the air out, feeling you belly sinking in to your back. Hold for 10 secs. Try to make your exhales as long as the inhales.
5. Repeat for 10-15 times.
6. Now switch hands and put the other hand on your chest.
7. Gently take a deep inhale from your belly to the ribs and to the chest. Feel your chest puff up. Hold for 10 secs.
8. Slowly, with control, exhale all the air out as it came in; out from the belly through the ribs and then the chest. Hold for 10 secs.
9. Repeat this for 10-15 rounds.
10. Very gently open you eyes and bow down to yourself for awakening your spirit.

Pranayama not only improves our ability to fight stress but it also has great physical impact in toning our internal organs. Exercising does not necessarily move our internal organs and with most of us sitting all day, our internal organs do not get the motion they need. Breathing completely in three stages with control, making exhales longer than inhales, moves the organs, changes their shape and release any extra liquid and food around. Just like our muscles our internal organs need this movement. 

How we breathe directly affects our nervous system and hence our physical, spiritual and psychological well being. So ask yourselves - Did you breathe today?

Simple Stretches To Wake You Up

Unless you are a morning person who wakes up all cheery and happy, you would be stretching your body in the bed trying to wake up. Yawning is also body's natural tendency to stretch the facial muscles. Research shows that heart attacks are most common at this time of the day as the body really works hard to come out of the long overnight lull. We all have done unstructured and unplanned morning stretches. A little extra effort to understand what our body needs when we are trying to wake will go far.

Stretching helps improve blood flow through the muscles, which will keep you energized for the rest of the day. Its not required to be aggressive when doing morning stretches; its not your workout session. Breathing right is important, so just remember to breathe deep during stretching. 

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Back Stretch : Knees To Chest
This is great stretch to relax the lower back, as the motion pushes the discs in opposite direction increasing the blood flow. But consult a physician, if you have any disc problems.

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Neck Stretches
Bad sleep posture, bad pillow or bad mattress can be reasons for neck stiffness. Simple neck stretches will provide relief in the morning and help you start your day.



Heart Opening Stretch

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Fish pose is another simple stretch to open heart, open lungs to make respiration easy. This is absolutely great when trying to wake up.

Runner's Lunge Against A Wall
This is my fav morning stretch. It relaxes the build up tension in the calves and foot by increasing the blood flow. Hold the stretch for 40 sec on each leg.

Relieve To Relive

Pictures communicate best. So I found this one below, highlighting the most common body parts where many of us experience aches and pain. Look closely and am sure you will find a friend. 

I have been there myself. And I feel sad to hear the same from most people I know.  

Most aches and pains are a medium that your body uses to tell you to slow down? Yoga does that for you. I love yoga as it gives me time with myself. Even if you are not a yogi, when you twist and stretch, you are unknowingly doing some form of yoga. 

Here are my fav yoga poses for relieving pain -

Upper Body Aches like head, neck, shoulders and arms can be caused due to muscle tension in neck and shoulders. Also sometimes, just due to lack of oxygen, as unknowingly we forget to breathe properly during a busy day. 

The easy poses below with deep breathing connects body and mind, releasing muscle tension and allowing increased blood flow in upper body. This provides relaxation and hence relief.

                                  PRANAYAM       NECK RELEASE        HEART OPENER             HAPPY BABY

Joint Pain like in knees, wrists, ankle and elbow can also be treated by regular yoga. It also provides instant relief as the fluid movements allow swollen or otherwise painful joints to glide smoothly over one another, increasing mobility and strength. 
Always keep it slow and steady and breathe into your poses.

                               WIND RELIEVE           COBRA                     WA RRIOR          WALL PLANK    

A painfree healthy body and mind is the key to success in any aspect of life.


"No can can save us but ourselves. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection". - Buddha

The Joy of Antigravity Yoga

Antigravity yoga class in session (source)

 Have you ever heard of “antigravity yoga”? What do you imagine it to be? Something that involves levitation, yoga performed from high distances off the ground, or spellbinding acrobatics? Well, not really. Antigravity yoga, also known as aerial yoga, is much more simplistic and grounded than that. It is a unique type of exercise that fuses two traditional art forms - yoga and aerial dance. Think of graceful dance movements that require core strength as well as flexibility intertwined with yoga poses that call for full mind and body focus. It’s a match made in heaven! 

So how does antigravity yoga work exactly? All classes utilize something called a “yoga hammock” which is made from a soft fabric strong enough to support your body weight. This yoga hammock serves as the critical tool in teaching students how to align their bodies within a variety of yoga postures.

I was a little hesitant before my first antigravity yoga class, but I soon got over my preconceived notions once I stepped inside the class. First of all, the yoga hammock is not that far off the ground (just a couple feet) so there is no need to be fearful of heights! Secondly, you have to learn to trust the hammock. It’s your friend. Stick to it and you’ll never fall. The class was an eye-opening experience. It allowed me to do yoga poses with the hammock that I normally cannot do in normal yoga classes. I was even able to do inversions (like headstands) with the help of the hammock without adding any pressure on my spine. Indeed, among the benefits of antigravity yoga is the ability to perform inversions more easily, which stimulates blood flow to your brain and releases any spinal compression. I felt utterly refreshed and rejuvenated after that first class, as if all the kinks in my body had been released. Since then, I've become an antigravity yoga addict!

So what is holding you back from trying this class for yourself? Remember, one does not need any experience in yoga, acrobatics, or aerial dance to reap the benefits of antigravity yoga. All you need is an open mind! 

For more opinions and reviews of various forms of fitness, visit the Urban Mantra blog.