Hair Care Tips in Yoga ( Prevent Hair Fall or Reduce Hair Loss.or Improve Hair Growth )

Certain asanas can help you look like a million dollars. It will give your hair a shine and your skin a glow. Over a period of time, if you master these asanas and do them regularly, you wouldn’t ever fear hairloss.

It all started when girls around me wouldn’t stop complaining of hair fall and were feverishly rubbing their fingernails in the hope of better hair growth.

First things first! Let’s zero in on the four major culprits of this beauty menace – stress, hormonal imbalance, digestive problems and inadequate nutrition. Please note that using amla, reetha, henna or any other home remedy for that matter will not drive away these culprits. Instead of weird home-made concoctions or the super expensive hair treatments in the salon, we turn to yoga and nutritious food for help. Because not only do they promote healthier hair, they will also add glow to your skin and give you a fabulous bod! 

Let’s start with yoga first: Don’t let stress kill your hair… Instead kill stress with some breathing exercises. Pranayam is considered to be the God of stress-busting exercises. I recommend “Especially anulomvilom where you breathe in from one nostril and breathe out from the other is excellent for relaxation.” 

• Anulom Vilom Pranayam Procedure

The elixir for your hair… Is blood circulation to the scalp. Three asanas for that are: 

• Sirshasana – balancing your entire body on your head.
• Sarvangasana – balancing your body on your head and shoulders by placing your hips on the palms of your hands. 
• Ustrasana or the camel pose – wherein you bend backwards as you kneel and clasp the heels of your feet with your hands.

These asanas boost circulation to your scalp, face and thyroid thereby promoting super healthy hair and glowing skin. Please note that none of these asanas must be performed without expert supervision unless you want a broken spine!

Constipation is bad for your hair too! Yes, that’s true! If your tummy suffers, your scalp loses hair. Talwalkar says, 

• Pawanmuktasana: helps cure constipation. Lie on the floor and breathe in and as you breathe out, hug your knees to your chest. 
• Ustrasana along with Pawanmuktasana is very good for digestion and metabolism.

Practice these asanas over a period of time and your hair will look and feel divine. But not without some healthy food… Deficiency of certain vitamins and fat (that’s right, dieting is bad for your hair) cause hairfall.

Nutritionist Naini Setalvad says, “If you are on a low-fat diet, you risk losing hair because fats are necessary for absorbing Vitamin A and E which are a must for healthy hair. Other essential nutrients are – Vitamin B complex, B12, 

Vitamin C, proteins and carbohydrates.” She lists these foods which are rich in the above mentioned nutrients:

• Vitamin A – pumpkin (richest in Vit A), dried apricot, carrot and spinach.
• Vitamin E – wheat germ, almond, avocado and coconut (therefore coconut oil is good for hair).
• Healthy fats to absorb Vit A and E – Kachi ghani tel also known as coldpressed oil like extra virgin olive oil, mustard oil, and coconut oil. Omega 3 fatty acids like flax seeds, walnuts and oily fish are also very good.
• Vitamin B – complex – Available in most food items rich in carbohydrates like wheat and rice.
• Vitamin C – berries (like amla), lemon, oranges and guavas (these have four times more Vitamin C than any other fruits).

Last but not the least, if you have been in the habit of vigorously rubbing the tips of your fingernails against each other in the hope of having healthy hair, acupressure specialist Omar Farooque reveals, “There is no science that proves that doing so will promote healthy hair. Rather this practise is a belief, since the tips of our nails have reflex points that stimulate blood flow to the eyes, sinuses and head onwards.

Sex & Yoga

A branch of yoga called Kundalini Yoga is specifically concentrated about sex and asana for harnessing the sexual power. Yoga through its various asanas and breathing techniques help one redefine one's sexual life. It is also very necessary in relieving stress and relaxing one's body, preparing one for a healthy sexual life and relationship. Read on to explore more…

How Is Yoga Beneficial In Your Sex Life?
Yoga is very beneficial in improving your sex life. Here are few reasons…

Improved sensitivity
Yoga helps in improving one's sensitivity. Its breathing exercises help a person overcome his anxiety and participate in sex with a fresh vigor. When a person is relieved from tension and stress, he/she will actively participate in sexual activity. Other than this yoga helps in improving better understanding of self and surrounding leaving a person more understanding and emphatic about other's need.

Better orgasms
Yoga helps in achieving better orgasms. Most importantly, it helps in a strengthening one's pelvic floor muscles and sex organs. Several Yoga asana are also helpful in harnessing better sexual powers. As Yoga also helps in relieving stress, it also enables to liberate muscle strain, which in turn helps in gaining flexibility.

Enhanced energy level
Yoga is very helpful in accumulating energy. Several yoga asana are extremely beneficial for energy harnessing as well as gaining more endurance and fortitude. Body with endurance can retain long in sexual activity without getting tired. Thus yoga provides one with more energy to deal with sexual activities.

Improved Fitness Level
Yoga makes one feel more active and fit. It also makes one aware of his potential capacity. Apart from giving vigor and endurance, it helps in improving posture coordination and balance. The muscles are also greatly toned during yoga and respond more positively during intercourse leaving a better experience with sex.

Knowing And Experimenting More Positions
Yoga helps in knowing about several sex positions. However many of them can't be performed with a stiff and flabby body. Later toned muscles and flexible body achieved through yoga help you experiment with these positions also.

Yoga asana beneficial for sex

•     Lotus posture
•     Halasana
•     Matsyasana
•     Supine Pelvic Posture
•     Viprita Karani
•     Sarvangasana
•     Sirhasana

Eight Limbs Of Yoga

These are the eight limbs of the system found in the famous Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Yama
It is known as Moral observances for interactions with others. Broken down into five wise characteristics, they tell us about our fundamental nature that of being compassionate, generous, honest and peaceful. It teaches the directives of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy) and Aparigraha (non-covetousness)

Niyama
It is known as Moral observances for interactions with yourself. The word itself means rules that are prescribed for personal observance. The niyamas are far more than an attitude, and are more intimate and personal. The directive include Shaucha (internal and external purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (study of religious books and repetitions of Mantras) and Ishvarapranidhana (self-surrender to God, and His worship).

Asanas
It is the practice of physical postures and is the most commonly known aspect of yoga. The practice of moving the body into postures helps in improving health, strength, balance and flexibility. On a deeper level, the practice of asana, which means staying or abiding in Sanskrit, is used as a means to calm the mind and move into the inner essence of being.

Pranayama
It controls the energy, in order to restore and maintain health and to promote evolution. Pranayama is the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. It further provides perfect relaxation and balance of body activities are realized.

Pratyahara
In yoga, the term pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects. It is most commonly known for sensory inhibition.

Dharana
Immovable concentration of the mind is the underlying principle of Dharana. The essential idea is to hold the concentration or focus of attention in one direction. The mind needs to be stilled in order to achieve this state of complete absorption.

Dhyana
Dhyana focuses on Meditation. It means worship, or profound and abstract religious meditation that involves concentration upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it. The concept holds that when one focuses their mind in concentration on an object the mind is changed into the shape of the object.

Samadhi
It is the final step in the eight-fold path of Yoga. It means pleasurable fascination of one's individual consciousness in the essence of God. Samadhi means to bring together to merge. In this state, the body and senses are at rest, but the faculty of mind and reason are alert. You need to control the feelings of Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (egoism), Raga-Dvesha (likes and dislikes), Abhinivesha (clinging to mundane life).

Take a Walk...

If you're not getting much exercise, you needn't buy a home fitness centre. Try walking. An eight-year study involving 13 000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised.

Take action: Begin with a five-minute stroll and increase your distance gradually. Walk at a comfortable pace, focusing on good posture. Breathe deeply. If you can't catch your breath, slow down or avoid hills. If you can't talk and walk, you are walking too fast. 

More Info...

Worry and anxiety self-help tips

A healthy, balanced lifestyle plays a big role in keeping anxiety, fears, and worry at bay. Read on for a number of ways you can stop anxiety and worry by taking care of yourself.

 
Reach out for support
Anxiety and worry get worse when you feel powerless and alone, but there is strength in numbers. Focus on building a strong support system. The more connected you are to other people, the less vulnerable you’ll feel. If you start to feel overwhelmed with worry, call a trusted family member or friend. Just talking out loud about your worries can make them seem less threatening.

Adopt healthy eating habits

Tips for a Healthy DietStart the day right with breakfast, and continue with frequent small meals throughout the day. Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar, which can make you feel anxious and irritable. Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Not only do complex carbs stabilize blood sugar, they also boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects.

Limit caffeine and sugar

Stop drinking or cut back on caffeinated beverages, including soda, coffee, and tea. Caffeine can increase anxiety, interfere with sleep, and even provoke panic attacks. Reduce the amount of refined sugar you eat, too. Sugary snacks and desserts cause blood sugar to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling emotionally and physically drained.

Exercise regularly

Making Exercise Fun Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. For maximum anxiety relief, try to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity on most days. Aerobic exercise relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins, the brain’s feel-good chemicals.

Avoid alcohol and nicotine

Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but it actually causes anxiety symptoms as it wears off. Drinking for anxiety relief also starts you on a path that can lead to alcohol abuse and dependence. Lighting up when you’re feeling anxious is also a bad idea. While it may seem like cigarettes are calming, nicotine is actually a powerful stimulant. Smoking leads to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.

Get enough sleep

Tips for a Good Night's SleepAnxiety and worry can cause insomnia, as anyone whose racing thoughts have kept them up at night can attest. But lack of sleep can also contribute to anxiety. When you’re sleep deprived, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you’re well rested, it’s much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with anxiety and stopping worry.

More Info...

Tips for Healthy Weight Loss your Way

Eating and drinking tips

Focus on fruits and veggiesFocus on fruits and veggies – The high water and fiber content in many fruits and vegetables make them ideal for healthy snacking and incorporation into meals. Add veggies to your favorite main courses (made from lean meats and whole grains) to make your dish “go” further. In addition, vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help your overall health and vitality.

• Upgrade your carbohydrates – Switch from simple to complex carbohydrates. This means eating fewer products like white bread and white rice and eating more whole grains such as whole wheat bread, whole grain brown rice, millet, quinoa and barley. They give you long-term energy, and have a high-fiber content so you feel full longer.
• Experiment with protein. Protein keeps you full longer than carbohydrates, but most of us in the U.S. eat more animal protein than our bodies need. In addition, animal protein often comes with high amounts of fat. Figure out how much and what type of protein is the right amount for your body. Choose lean, high quality protein or vegetarian options like beans and nuts.
• Drink more water. You can easily reduce your daily calorie intake by replacing soda, alcohol or coffee with water. Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories, plus it will help you break down food more easily.
• Take a multivitamin. This will help you be sure that there are no nutrient gaps in your diet. But remember that it does not substitute for eating a healthy well balanced diet.

More Info

Vegetables , Fruits & Fibre Eating Habits

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and are packed with vitamins, minerals, protective plant compounds and fiber. They are a great source of nutrients and vital for a healthy diet.

Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal, and be your first choice for a snack. Eat a minimum of five portions each day. The antioxidants and other nutrients in these foods help protect against developing certain types of cancer and other diseases.

Greens: Dark leafy green vegetables are a vital part of a healthy diet since they are packed with nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and Vitamins A, C, E and K. Greens help to strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. They are currently the most lacking food in the American diet. Be adventurous in your choice of greens: kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the many options.

Sweet Vegetables: Naturally sweet vegetables are an excellent way to add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets. Some examples of sweet vegetables are corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes or yams, winter squash, and onions.

Fruit: Eating a wide variety of fruit is another very healthy part of any diet. They provide us with beneficial properties such as natural sugars, fiber, Vitamins and antioxidants. Choose fresh or frozen, and focus on variety. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

Go for the brights: The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Fiber: Dietary fiber is found in plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole grains) and is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps support a healthy diet by:

• Helping you feel fuller faster and longer, which can help prevent overeating.
• Keeping blood sugar levels even, by slowing digestion and absorption so that glucose (sugar) enters the bloodstream slowly and steadily.
• Maintaining a healthy colon - the simple organic acids produced when fiber is broken down in the digestive process helps to nourish the lining of the colon.

Strategies for healthy eating

Eat a wide variety of foods. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat.

Keep portions moderate, especially high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce

Drink more water. Our bodies are about 75% water. It is a vital part of a healthy diet. Water helps flush our systems, especially the kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins. A majority of Americans go through life dehydrated.

Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products.   Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.

Don’t be the food police. You can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!

Get moving. A healthy diet improves your energy and feelings of well-being while reducing your risk of many diseases. Adding regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better.

Top 10 Yoga Instructions

If you are planning to learn yoga by yourself or if you haven’t been practicing it for a long time, these yoga tips may help you get back on track. The following tips are very important and should be followed to reap all the benefits of yoga practice. One should also be regular and dedicated to the practice.

1. One of the important things to consider is the right time of the day for practicing yoga. This would be early in the morning as you will relaxed after sleep and the yoga postures can be performed with ease.

2. Choose a place that is free of dust and pollution, well ventilated and free of distractions. See to it that it is quite and moisture free.

3. Choose clothing that is loose. It should not restrict movement. Before you start, clear your bowels and have a glass of warm water. You should also clean your nostrils of all mucus.

4. Be systematic with your yoga postures. Start off with easy ones and perform the difficult ones as you progress.

5. If you are learning from yoga images, make sure you take into consideration the breathing techniques as well. Inhale and exhale through your nose. Practice periods of relaxation between poses.

6. Before you start yoga, choose a suitable yoga mat. It should be comfortable and not rough. While doing poses that require you to lie down, you can use a woolen carpet with a sheet over it.

7. You can use yoga music while meditating as it helps you relax faster and energizes you. This kind of music is not loud or high pitched. Its soothing, calm tones will help relax your mind and body.

8. Don’t tire yourself while practicing yoga. If you have performed a difficult pose, take a break and calm your body before performing the next one. Never force your body to do a pose. Stop when there is pain and try again tomorrow as it gets easier with each day.

9. Rather than reading only instructions, go through books that show you yoga images. This will help you follow the instructions better. A lot of DVDs are available where you can watch videos of various postures. A lot of people find this easier to follow.

10. While practicing yoga consume medium quantities of food. Enough to just satisfy your hunger. One should eat at an interval of 4 hours and should include grains, dairy, vegetables, roots, fruits and nuts in the diet. Fasting or overeating is not encouraged in yoga.

Before you begin, you should talk to your doctor about the different poses you plan to practice if you have had a surgery or a severe injury. If you are attending a class, tell the yoga instructor about your injury or any other health problems that you have. You will be advised on what to do and what not to do. Regular practice will give you amazing health benefits, both mental and physical.

Top 10 Yoga Sites

Yoga is a great way to bring a balance between one’s body and mind. A lot of yoga sites have come up that will help you learn everything about yoga. Some of them are also designed to serve local population by announcing events, etc.

1. At www.yogaweb.com, you will find everything including history, benefits, basics, poses, weight loss routines, etc. related to yoga. In addition to everything you will also find a yoga dictionary explaining all the complicated terms involved in the practice. You will also get yoga-wear advice along with tips on yoga sequences.

2. www.thesecretofyoga.com is another site which has impressive yoga blogs and articles on breathing, meditation, yoga for men and women, mudras, benefits, etc.

3. www.abc-of-yoga.com, like the name suggests includes ABCs of yoga. You will not just find the basics of yoga but also easy to follow yoga images that you can refer to.

4. http://www.a2zyoga.com/ is on of the most easy to understand yoga websites. It tells you about yoga videos which are easier to follow than written material. It also has yoga blogs which will give you insightful material that will help you understand yoga well.

5. If you are looking for a site which lists all the instructors, events, holiday yoga retreats, etc, http://www.yogafinder.com/ is the site you should visit. You can also start your own yoga business and advertise on this site as well.

6. Yamarama.com is another site that specializes in yoga clothing. It was started by somebody who was helped by yoga to de-stress and become healthy again. This website brings fashion and function together and gives you perfect activewear for practicing yoga.

7. http://yoga.gotop100.com/index.php is the site where all yoga sites that you will ever want to visit are listed. It also include products, retreats, workshops and classes will be listed which can help you go about learning and practicing yoga.

8. www.yogamovement.com is a great site which tells you about learning yoga yourself, relaxing your mind and body, etc. It also tells you about ways to condition your body during your weight-loss program.

9. If you are looking for a site that gives information about power yoga, postures and poses, www.yogawiz.com is the site you should visit. The articles that will come in useful for beginners as well as the ones who have been practicing it for a while can be found here.

10. http://www.thesecretsofyoga.com is a good site which has information on all asanas with clear description and pictures.

The above websites are popular for the amount of useful information they hold. Some of them also have a set of articles related to yoga. Anybody who wants to learn yoga by themselves can carefully study these websites and learn it themselves. The videos, step- by-step instructions and the images can teach you the poses without any trouble.

Simple Tips For Healthy Weight Loss

Maintaining a healthy weight can be hard enough, and healthy weight loss can be a real struggle. Adding to the difficulty is the large quantity of fad diets and quick-fix plans that tempt and confuse us and ultimately usually do not work.

Weight management not only makes you look and feel better, it influences your future health. A healthy weight decreases your chances of developing serious health risks such as heart disease or diabetes.

If it happens that your last diet attempt was not a success, or some occasions have caused you to gain weight, do not be discouraged. The solution is to find a plan that works with your body’s individual needs so that you can avoid common diet pitfalls and instead make lasting lifestyle changes that can help you find long-term, healthy weight loss success. Try these tips for you to be able to have a healthy weight loss for long.

Eat fruits and veggies. Because of its high water and fiber content in many fruits and vegetables, they are ideal for healthy snacking and incorporation into meals. Add veggies to your favorite main courses to make your dish go further. In addition, vitamins and nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help your overall health and vitality.

Improve your carbohydrates. Switch from plain to composite carbohydrates. This means eating fewer products like white bread and white rice and eating more whole grains such as whole wheat bread, whole grain brown rice, millet and barley. They give you long-term energy, and have high-fiber content so you feel full longer.

Experiment with protein. Protein keeps you full longer than carbohydrates. In addition, animal protein often comes with high amounts of fat. Figure out how much and what type of protein is the right amount for your body. Choose lean, high quality protein or vegetarian options like beans and nuts.

Drink more water. You can easily reduce your daily calorie intake by replacing soda, alcohol or coffee with water. Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories, plus it will help you break down food more easily.

Take a multivitamin. This will help you be sure that there are no nutrient gaps in your diet. But remember that it does not substitute for eating a healthy well balanced diet.

Get plenty of exercise. It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism.

Get proper sleep. Get proper sleep. People with improper sleep have a much higher risk of obesity.

Turn off the TV. You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping. Cook your own meals. Cooking meals at home allows you to control both portion size and what goes in to the food. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium, fat, and calories than food cooked at home, plus the portions sizes tend to be larger.

Eat early, eat often. If you start your day with a healthy breakfast, you can jumpstart your metabolism. And will help to keep you from binging later in the day. Likewise, craving on healthful snacks like fruits, veggies and protein-packed almonds, and eating 6 small, healthful meals throughout the day, rather than the standard 3 large ones, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks.

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S. Sharma

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds:your mind transcends limitations your conciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new great wonderful world"

"Quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts"

"There are no mistakes- only lessons. See setbacks as opportunities for personnel expansion"

The Techniques:

(i) Opposition Thinking (think positive when you are in negative mood).

(ii) The secret of lake (Imagine total day in advance)

Good Quote: "Secret of happiness is simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it"

Follow your purpose

Set clearly defined personnel, professional and spiritual goals, and then have the courage to act on them.

Good Quote: "YOu will never be able to hit a target that you cannot see"

Techniques:

(i) Write goals on a piece of paper.

(ii) 5 step method for attaining goals.

- Imagine mental image of outcome of goal.

- Get some positive pressure (Pressure can inspired you to achieve great ends).

- Attach a timeline to a goal.

- Follow majic rule of 21(if we repeat same action daily for 21 days it will become our habit).

- Take every experience as a lesson.

Self Leadership

1. Do things you fear.

2. 10 Rituals of self leadership (or) 10 Rules to Self Leadership

i) Gym exercises 5hrs a week.

ii) Yoga 30mins (breating exercises or pranayama)

iii) Vegetables , Fruits & grains should be part of the meal.

iv) Read 1hr daily to upgrade the knowledge in interested areas.

v) During the day end write all actions done by self and do self assessment for improvement.

vi) practice to wakeup early (i.e. sleep daily not more than 6-7 hours).

vii) Start day very positively with music " Spend every day like last day in life"

viii) Spoken word (Self affirmations work like mantras to reach our targets)

for exmaple: " I am inspired, disciplined & energized".

ix) "You sow a thought, you reap an action

Reap and action, you sow a habit.

Sow a habit, you reap a character.

Sow a character, you reap your destiny."

Do little things every day to build character.

x) Last but not least important principle is "Live a Simple Life".

-Focus only on priorities & activities truly meaningfull.

-Reduce your needs, unless you reduce your need you will never be fulfilled.

Time Management

i) The Ancient Rule of 20( 80% of the our results depends on only 20% of tasks what we do daily).

ii) Have the courage to say 'No' (learn to say to the things which are not important and not urgent)

iii) The death bed mentality (Live like today is last day in life and do what ever you can finish before end of the day)

For Richer Relationships

i) Practice daily acts of kindness

ii) Give to thos who ask.

iii) Cultivate Richer relationships by remembering the most important days(like birthdays, marriage anniversaries). Also small tokens of affections to members of family & friends is must to show our affection.

iv) Practice gratitude and grow your destiny.

v) Finally Live in present not in past or future.

Look Beautiful, the Natural Way

Yoga is the art of meditation aimed at training a human soul the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. It is basically achieved through the three paths- the path of actions, knowledge and devotion. Though yoga is always popularly recognized with fitness and health concerns, the art of Yoga hardly untouches anything on earth. Be it health, weight loss, devotion, concentration, spiritual enlightenment, ego-shedding or beauty, yoga is effective in each of them. Many famous personalities in the health and beauty industry swear on the names of yoga. Read on to explore that how yoga can redefine your beauty.

Yoga: The Real Aura Of Beauty

Yoga is a wonderful art that brings a perfect blend of physical strength and gracefulness in your life. Also, the beauty attained through Yoga is not an artificial and temporary achievement like cosmetic surgery and other such means. Yoga helps you lose all the flab in a right manner to the right extent. Apart from this the enlightenment achieved through yoga brings a shine of confidence over one's face. Yoga also acts as a stress buster which is in it self a very wonderful method to avoid ageing. The flexibility attained through Yoga also makes one feel good and thus look good.

How to attain beauty through yoga?

• The first and foremost principle of Yoga is that until you do not feel good, you can't look good. Thus yoga through its asana like Sukhasna and Shavasana aims to provide complete relaxation to your body.
• Yoga helps you gain physical fitness, helps in the healthy maintenance of mind and body. It also acts in removal of toxins from the body and increases flexibility of your body making you look younger. The Dog and Cat Pose of Yoga is certainly helpful in gaining flexibility and vigor.
• Yoga helps improve the efficiency of the immune system. Through regular Pranayams like Kaplabhati and Anulom- Vilom, you can easily avoid little daily problems of health. Yoga is equally active in thyroid and weight loss leading to perfect shaping of the body and thus making you beautiful.
• The perfect oxygen dose which we get through various Yoga Asanas and Mudras also helps in skin glow.
• Regular yoga brings contentment in your life which reflects on your face.
• Yoga helps you in delaying ageing. A regular yoga practitioner remains young and active for quite longer than others who do not practice yoga.

Yoga asanas to maintain slim body (Video Links)

Navel Power Kundalini Yoga by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh

Beautiful Yoga

Shilpa Shetty Sexy YOGA

Weight Loss using Yoga

Yoga has become a mainstream practice in the West, as many have discovered the holistic health benefits that have been practiced in the east for centuries. Yoga very help to loose your body weight.

Yoga is renowned for its capacity to reduce stress, enhance flexibility and improve muscle tone and strength. But it’s not typically associated with helping you lose weight. Yoga isn’t typically your first thought when it comes to burning off calories. That’s why many people are surprised to find that it’s a great way to help you lose weight.

At the core of yoga is the discipline of both your body and mind. This should lead to stronger motivation to stick with your fitness routine and to eat healthfully. A core tenet of yoga is to develop the relationship between your mind and body. Therefore you feel more motivated to care for your body. This is very helpful for people who want to lose weight but have trouble getting motivated.

Here some of the more common kinds of yoga.

Vinyasa Yoga:

Vinyasa yoga is centered on shifting from one asana, or pose, to another while concentrating on your breathing. There are lots of different poses that you might recognize the name of, including the Sun Salutation. This style of yoga is typically performed in an overheated room so that you sweat profusely.

Yoga Sun Salutation- Vinyasa Yoga with Dashama Demo

Ashtanga Yoga:

Ashtanga yoga is an intricate approach to yoga, integrating six series of individual poses, or asanas. The moves become progressively more difficult, so you have to learn them in the correct sequence so you can slowly develop the skills necessary to handle the more complex positions.

Astanga Yoga video demo

Power Yoga:

This modern adaptation of yoga mixes active, high-speed actions with yogic breathing.

These yoga techniques offer more of the heart healthy benefits of aerobic exercise than the usual kinds of yoga. You won’t experience the full benefits of an aerobic workout. However, you still get the dual advantages of aerobic fitness along with the muscle toning and flexibility of yoga. Your weight loss program will surely benefit. As well, these yoga routines are ideal if you’re too time pressed to handle more than one kind of workout.

Power Yoga Strength for Beginners

Yoga exercises for Better Eye Sight (Youtube video's)

First Exercise

Second Exercise

Final Relaxation Exercise

How to Improve EYESIGHT by YOGA

The yoga practitioners attach special importance to eye exercises, for two reasons.

Firstly, a lot of eye problems in later life are due to a loss of tone in the eye muscles. These muscles become rigid, and this loss of elasticity reduces the ability of the lens of the eye to focus at different distances. It also causes the eyesight to become weaker. These exercises tone the eye muscles up and keep them elastic. If you already have eye problems when you begin these exercises, you will find your eyesight improving after a few months.

Secondly, any eye tension present will tend to produce a general feeling of tension, due to the eye's connection to the brain via the optic nerve. What happens is that eye tension produces an increase in the nerve impulses in the eye muscles. This increase in nerve impulses travels along the optic nerve and bombards the brain, causing a general feeling of tension and anxiety. The eye exercises will reduce tension in the eye muscles, as well as reduce general tension.

It is best to do these eye exercises while lying down after you've finished the asanas. This way you're resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises at the same time, thus reducing the time taken to do your yoga routine.

When doing the eye exercises keep your eyes open and don't move your head.

Sitting (as in the exercises for the neck given above), open your eyes, then check on your posture. Is your spine erect? Hands on the knees? Body relaxed? Head straight? That is how you should always remain while doing eye exercises. The whole body must be motionless; nothing must move except the eyes.

Raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, of course, without moving your head. While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes.

Next, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor which you can see clearly when glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Breathing should be normal. In other words, you don't have to do deep breathing.

Exercise 1

Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.

Exercise 2

Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining.

Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.

Exercise 3

Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless.

Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Exercise 4

This exercise should not be done until three or four days after you have begun eye exercises given here.

Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise.

Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds.

When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.

Exercise 5

Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times.

Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly.

Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.

Exercise 6

Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly.

This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.

Exercise 7

This exercise is called 'palming' and is very relaxing to the eyes. It is also most important for preserving the eyesight. Palming also has a beneficial, relaxing effect on your nervous system.

It's an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises.

Remain seated on the floor. Draw up your knees, keeping your feet on the floor and slightly apart. Now briskly rub your palms to charge them with electricity and place the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should rest on your raised knees and the neck should be kept straight. Don't bend your head. Do the deep breathing while palming your eyes.

If you are going to do the palming for longer than a few minutes, better sit down at a table, place some books or pillows in front of you to support your elbows so that you will be able to keep the neck straight, and palm the eyes in this position. If the palming is done for only a short period one can do deep breathing for half a minute or so at first, gradually increasing it every week.

Benefits:

This exercise helps to do away with eye strain, and tension. Your vision will get better and clearer as the ophthalmic, or eye, nerves receive a richer supply of blood. Some people use this to improve their vision.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION LINKS:

Short Video on EYE sight improvement

Video demo for EYE CARE excercises

Yoga Asanas for Good Sleep

Breathing techniques and movements to induce relaxation

Tension which has built up through out the day can lock up your upper body and shoulders, neck and head. When your neck and shoulder muscles are tight, you cannot fall asleep easily as relaxed muscles are essential for this. Practice these simple relaxation techniques to help you sleep peacefully.


Caution: Those with cervical problems should avoid Exercise 3.


Exercise 1









(i) Sit with your legs stretched out, and keep your back straight. Bend one leg; place the ankle on the opposite thigh close to the groin. Bend the other leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin


(ii) Interlock your fingers at chest level, with the palms facing towards you, and keep elbows at same level


(iii) Inhale deeply as you turn palms out and slowly stretch your arms out in front


(iv) Exhale through the mouth as you turn palms in and slowly bring palms back to the starting position


(v) Repeat five times.
Exercise 2:














(i) Repeat steps one and two of the first exercise


(ii) Inhale deeply as you turn palms out and slowly stretch your arms, shoulders and chest upwards


(iii) Exhale through the mouth as you turn palms in, and slowly bring the palms back to the starting position


(iv) Repeat five times.




Exercise 3:



(i) Repeat step one of the first exercise


(ii) Place your hands on your knees


(iii) Slowly move the head as far back as comfortable. Do not strain


(iv) Slowly bring the head up and move it forward so that the chin touches the chest


(v) Repeat five to 10 times.




Exercise 4:

(i) Sit back on your heels

(ii) Place your palms on your knees

(iii) Keep your back straight, and close your eyes

(iv) Hold this posture for five minutes.

This is also called vajrasana which has digestion benefits also along with others. This will also build confidence and help to enforce the flow of blood towards head.

Exercise 5

(i) Sit in the padmasana position. Sit with your legs stretched out, keeping your back straight

(ii) Bend one leg; place the ankle on the opposite thigh close to the groin. Bend the other leg and place the ankle on the thigh of the bent leg, close to the groin. Place your hands on your knees

(iii) Bend the forefinger and middle finger of your right hand. Close your eyes and practice deep breathing

(iv) Close the right nostril with the thumb, and place the ring finger between the eyebrows and inhale to the count of five

(v) Close the left nostril with the ring finger. Hold your breath till you complete 10 counts

(vi) Raise the thumb to between the eyebrows, exhale slowly through the right nostril till you complete 10 counts

(vii) Now: breathe in again through the right nostril to a count of five. Close the right nostril with the thumb and hold your breath for 10 counts. Place the ring finger between the eyebrows and exhale through the left nostril for 10 counts

(viii) Repeat the complete cycle for two to five minutes.

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Padmasana: The Lotus Posture (padma-asana)

Instructions:

1 Sit on the floor with the legs stretched out straight in front.

2 Bend the right knee and grasp the right foot with both hands and place it on top of the left thigh bringing the heel as close to the navel as possible.

3 Bend the left knee and grasp the left foot with both hands and place it on top of the right thigh bringing the heel as close to the navel as possible.

4 Both knees should be on the ground and the soles of the feet are pointed upward. The spine is held straight but not rigid.

5 The position of the legs may be switched after a period of time if the posture becomes uncomfortable.

Benefits:

When in the padma-asana the hands can be placed in one of the following three positions:

Place one hand on top of the other, both palms up, and rest the hands on the heels (this is known as the dhyana-mudra). This variation is recommended for meditation.

Place the hands on the knees, palms down.

With palms up, place the hands on the knees, form a circle with the thumb and forefinger and extend the remaining fingers straight ahead (this is known as the chin-mudra). Recommended for pranayama (Yogic breathing).

The padma-asana facilitates relaxation, concentration and ultimately, meditation. The posture creates a natural balance throughout the body/mind. When the knees are stretched enough to remain in the padma-asana without discomfort the posture creates a feeling of effortlessness and ease that will soothe the nervous system, quiet the mind and bring about the condition of one-pointedness.

Durations/Repetitions:

The length of time to sit in the padma-asana depends on your intention. In the course of a typical asana routine you might hold it for several minutes or until you experience discomfort in the legs. When used as a meditation posture you hold it for the duration of the meditation.

Exercise 1:

(i)Sit in padmasana and close your eyes

(ii)Take in a deep breath and feel the air going to the bottom of your spine

(iii)Get fully aware of your spine

(iv)Slowly exhale and relax.

Exercise 2:

(i) Sit in padmasana. Close your eyes

(ii) Close one nostril with the thumb

(iii) Inhale slowly with beej mantra "Ra" in your mind

(iv) Exhale through the same nostril

(v) Repeat 15 - 20 times

(vi) Practice the same by closing the other nostril.

Video Links:

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-practice-the-lotus-yoga-pose-padmasana-235128/

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-practice-the-yoga-lotus-pose-174963/

Naga-asana - The Cobra Pose Translation:
The Sanskrit word naga means snake or serpent। The naga-asana is also known as the bhujanga-asana। The Sanskrit word bhujanga, which also means snake, is derived from the root bhuj which means to bend or curve।

The Cobra Pose (Naga-asana) Instruction:
1 Lie on the stomach with the head turned to one side and the arms alongside the body with palms facing upward.
2 Turn the head and place the chin on the floor. Inhale then exhale slowly through the nostrils and swing the arms around until the hands are placed just below the chin with the palms down and the finger tips of each hand almost touching and the elbows on the floor.
3 Inhale slowly through the nostrils, press down on the hands and lift the torso from the waist up off the floor, arching the spine backwards and straightening the arms. Keep the hips on the floor.
4 Tilt the head as far back as possible and hold the posture for the duration of the inhaled breath.
5 Exhale and reverse the process to return to position #1.
Benefits:
If you find it uncomfortable holding the breath while the posture is held, breath gently through the nostrils. Some may find that they are able to arch the spine back even more than in the initial arch in step 3. In this case try "walking" the hands toward the pelvic region and stretching the head further back.
In addition to the obvious benefits to the spine and lower back, the standard variation of the naga-asana strengthens the wrists and stretches the muscles in the chest. By maintaining a constant exertion to create a greater arch in the spine, the stomach and pelvic muscles are strengthened. Greater strength in these areas can be cultivated by performing the variation where the arms remain on the ground. B.K.S. Iyengar, a renowned expert in yoga-asanas, claims that displaced spinal discs can be placed back in their original position by practicing the naga-asana.
Durations/Repetitions:
Hold the posture for either the duration of a held inhaled breath or from one-half to three minutes। Repeat the naga-asana two to five times.

Basic Yoga Asanas with clear steps

The Plow Posture (hala-asana) Instruction:
1 Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana।
2 Inhale through the nostrils. Place the palms face-down on the floor. Keeping the hips on the floor, bend the knees and bring them up toward the stomach while exhaling.

3 Inhale, then while exhaling, raise the legs straight up perpendicular to the floor. You may support your hips with your hands or leave the arms flat on the floor, whichever is most comfortable.
4 Exhale and continue to raise the legs over the head, bending at the waist, lifting the back and buttocks until the toes touch the floor directly in back of the head. Keep the feet together. If the lower back is supported by the hands try returning the arms flat to the floor with the palms facing down. If you are unable to comfortably place the arms on the floor continue to support the lower back with the hands. 5 Keep the knees straight. Breath slowly through the nostrils and hold the posture for several minutes. If you cannot touch the floor with your toes hold them as close to the floor as possible and continue to exert effort to lower them. 6 Reverse the steps to return to the shava-asana
Benefits:

The benefits of this posture, like the sarvanga-asana, are numerous। All of the muscles and ligaments in the calves and thighs are stretched resulting in greater leg flexibility। People suffering from leg cramps will find great relief from the hala-asana। Since the abdominal area is contracted, blood compressed out of this area releases toxins and when the contraction is released the area is flooded with richly oxygenated blood। The contraction also helps to relieve gas and stimulates a sluggish digestive system। Similar effects take place as the neck and chest area is compressed effecting the throat, thyroid, parathyroid and lungs। Upper and lower back pain or discomfort is relieved due to the forward stretching of the spine। It is highly recommended that this posture be accompanied by the sarvanga-asana. In fact, many of the benefits of the sarvanga-asana apply to the hala-asana as well with the added benefits detailed above. The hala-asana is an excellent morning posture although some might find it more difficult then. During sleep the spine can become somewhat compressed resulting in the experience of tightness or stiffness in the back. A few repetitions of the hala-asana will quickly restore flexibility to the spine as well as promote alertness.

Durations/Repetitions: Hold the hala-asana for as long as you are comfortable. 20-30 seconds is fine for early attempts, increase the time gradually as you become more comfortable.

Posture: Anjanaya-asana - The Salutation Pose

i. Sit comfortably in the vajra-asana (thunderbolt pose).
ii. Kneel up on your knees until your back, buttocks and thighs are aligned.
iii. Extend your left foot foward bending your left knee at about a 90 degree angle.
iv. Place the palms of your hands together at the heart in the anjali-mudra.
v. Raise your arms stright up keeping the palms together while bending the head backward and looking up.

vi. Slowly bend backward stretching the arms backward and straightening out the right leg. Hold this position for as long as comfortable while breathing gently through the nostrils.
vii. Come back to the vajara-asana (thunderbolt pose) then reverse the posture by alternating legs.

Benefits:

The anjaneya-asana combines several postures and mudras (gestures) in a fluid, evolving flow that combines motion, stretching and holds. It delivers great benefits for the back, arms, chest, legs and hips. Regular practice will strengthen concentration and improve balance.

Perform this posture with a sense of reverence and praise. Take a moment to reside in silence and peace as your hands are held at the heart in the gesture (mudra) of salutation (anjali-mudra). Keep the intention of praise in mind as you extend your arms skyward. Feel your entire body-mind-heart extending outward in recognition of the sacredness of life.

Durations/Repetitions:
Repeat twice on each side.

The Restrained-Angle Pose (Baddha-Kona-asana) Instruction:
i. Sit on the floor with the legs together and extended straight out in front. Keep the back straight, shoulders level and head straight. Place the hands, palms down, flat on top of the thighs then inhale deeply.
ii. Exhale and bend the knees drawing the feet toward the torso.
iii. Place the soles of the feet together, clasp the hands over the feet interlocking the fingers pulling the feet closer and placing the heels against the perineum. The outer edge and small toe of each foot should touch the floor.
iv. Lower the knees to the floor and keep the back straight. Use the elbows to press down on the thighs if necessary to bring the calves and knees to the floor. Hold the posture breathing gently through the nostrils.
v. Release the posture and sit with the legs extended out and hands on the thighs.

Benefits:
Regular practice of the baddhakona-asana stretches the knees and stimulates circulation in the legs. It should be practiced frequently until one is comfortable sitting in the padma-asana. The main areas of the body that are stimulated, besides the legs, are the stomach, pelvis and lower back. It is said to keep the kidneys, prostate and bladder healthy. The baddha-konasana is one of the few postures that can be practiced comfortably soon after eating.

Durations/Repetitions:
Hold the posture from thirty seconds to two minutes depending on comfort. Repeat two or three times.

The Wheel Pose (Chakra-asana) Instruction:

i. Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana.
ii. While exhaling bend the knees and bring the feet as close to the buttocks as possible with the soles of the feet flat on the floor.
iii. Bend the arms at the elbows and place the palms of the hands flat on the floor directly under each shoulder with the fingers pointing toward the back.
iv. While inhaling slowly, begin to raise the head, back and buttocks off the floor while arching the spine. Continue to press downward on the hands and feet while raising the hips and stomach as high as possible.
v. Hold for the duration of the held inhaled breath. When you can't hold the breath comfortable any longer, slowly exhale and return the back to the floor, slide the legs out straight returning to the shava-asana.

Benefits:
The chakra-asana is more challenging than most other yoga postures. Don't be discouraged if your unable to accomplish it right away. Even attempting this posture without successful completion holds great benefits.

First and foremost is the strength and suppleness it restores to the spine. It strengthens the arms, shoulders and upper back as well and stimulates the cardiovascular system. The chakra-asana has an overall tonic effect for the entire body.

As the natural suppleness of the spine is restored after a period of practice you can begin to perfect the form of this asana and thus experience greater benefits.

First be certain that the arms are as straight as possible with very little to no bend in the elbows. When you can hold this comfortably, begin breathing through the nostrils while holding the posture and attempt to get a greater arch in the spine by bringing your hands closer to your feet and/or bringing your feet closer to your hands. Finally, you can extend the duration of the chakra-asana by doing several repetitions in sequence without resting in-between. As you return from the posture keep the hands behind the shoulders and the soles of the feet flat on the floor and as soon as the back returns to floor immediately raise it and enter the full posture again.

Durations/Repetitions:
The chakra-asana is either held for the duration of the inhaled breath or between one and three minutes while breathing gently through the nostrils. Repeat it two or three times.