Swami Vivekananda on Karma

"All the work you do is done for your own salvation, is done for your own benefit. God has not fallen into a ditch for you and me to help Him out by building a hospital or the like. He allows you to work not in order to help Him but that you may help yourself. Do you think even an ant will die for want of your help? Most arrogant blasphemy! The world does not need you at all...Cut out the word 'help' from your mind. You cannot help; it is blasphemy. You worship. When you give a morsel of food to a dog, you worship the dog as God. He is all and is in all."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda

Suffering from White Heads?

I used to suffer a lot from White Heads. This was not just due to hormonal changes in the body, but as I later realized, one of the major factors that made them worse was my diet.

Being very fond of chocolates, I used to eat one almost every day. This caused a lot of ‘chemical imbalance’ in the body, leading to not just white heads but also to allergies.

Many of you who must be suffering from the same might know that white heads don’t look good, can increase in size to resemble a boil and can even be painful. One challenge I faced in tackling my problem was that I cannot use scented creams. Unfortunately it is difficult to get unscented creams around here. So the only other choice (I thank my stars for it) is to find home remedies for the same.

Through my research I found that there are a few possible causes for white heads:

1. Hormonal changes in the body
2. Accumulation of hardened sebum (oil) in pores of the skin
3. Exposure to sun and dirt
4. Lack of hygiene
5. Unhealthy lifestyle, disturbed sleep, unhealthy food.
6. Impurities in the blood.

These are a few tips for Diet changes:

Always stick to seasonal, nutritious food with lots of fibre, including fruits and green leafy vegetables. They will never fail you in any condition under the sun.

Drink adequate water.

Include food with Zinc, Vitamin B2 and Vitamin A like spinach, pumpkin seeds, beans, tofu, carrots, apricots, sprouts, alfa-alfa seeds, brown rice, potato, yoghurt mushrooms, green beans, sunflower seeds, whole grain foods, legumes, turnip greens, beets, lotus stems, radish leaves, papaya, raisins etc.

Avoid non-vegetarian, fried, fatty and junk food.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, pastries, chocolates and soft drinks.

Home Applications for White Heads

·       Rub your face with lemon skin and wash off. It helps open the pores.

·       Take facial steam once a week to prevent whiteheads.

·       Make a paste of sandalwood and rose water. Apply on affected area and wash off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.

·       Apply paste of Fenugreek leaves in water over face every night and wash with warm water.

·       Take 50 ml raw milk, add a mix of a pinch of salt and 2 tsp lime juice in it. Use it as a cleansing lotion. It helps clean the deep pores of the skin.

Beware of:

·       Left-over make-up on skin at night.

·       Excessive use of chemical cosmetics.

·       Squeezing the white head (If you do so, it will spread on the face and even leave scars)

·       Stress

Must Do’s

·       De-stress through relaxation techniques and massage or reflexology once a week.

·       Exercise on a regular basis.

This may sound like a lot, but is actually very simple to follow. All you need to do is start with any one of the above tips and make a regular and healthy habit out of it.

Slowly you will notice the improvement… as I have.

Stay Well!

Ankita Shah.

(Director & Trainer at Pristine Senses Academy, Yoga Teacher, Writer, Reflexologist, Massage Trainer and Reiki Master)

(As published in Pristine Senses Academy blog

http://pristinesensesacademy.blogspot.com/2011/11/suffering-from-white-heads.html)

Article in Yoga and Total Health Sept 2011

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Yoga and Total Health is the monthly publication 

of The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai.

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How to tackle Acid Reflux

When teaching in the 7 Day Health Camp in The Yoga Institute, Santacruz this month, a camper approached me to know about how to tackle his problem of acid-reflux. Acid Reflux is a very common problem many of us face. It in fact becomes very worrisome due to the amount of discomfort it creates if not tackled on time.

Coincidentally, I am very familiar with this condition myself as I suffered from it during a stressful time in my life. It started as a burning sensation coming up towards the throat, an uncomfortable feeling after meals and later it affected my throat very badly. I would get sudden bouts of dry choking cough. It went on to such an extent that I visited an ENT specialist. He told me that the acid reflux was irritating my throat and that my throat and voice box.

How does acid reflux occur?

At the entrance of the stomach, there is a valve that prevents food from coming up from the stomach back into the food pipe. Sometimes, due to  reasons like stress, this valve fails to do its job. The acid moves up the food pipe, leading to burning sensation and especially over time, leads to choking, heartburn, muscle spasms etc.

I later visited The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai and ended up doing the teacher’s training course there. Upon living the lifestyle there I found a great amount of change in my health.

Firstly, I became completely aware of what food caused immediate reflux. These are:

·       Tea/ Coffee

·       Biscuits

·       Packaged/ Processed food- especially potato chips

·       Chocolates

·       Cheese

·       Raw Onions

·       Garlic

·       Spicy food like Sambhar

·       Fried food like Samosa

·       Ice-cream

The above list might look depressing but actually I felt really great after avoiding them. I found some healthy alternatives to some of them. Instead of tea, I now drink green tea which is made in warm water, has anti-oxidant properties and is also refreshing. Instead of biscuits with my tea, I have some of the healthier options like our very own Gujarati Khakhras or Theplas or Chana and dry-fruits in limited quantities. I find that well cooked or sautéed onions don’t affect me and believe it or not, I almost vomit now at the thought of ice-cream or processed food like some well known brands of chips and balls etc.

Note: I have found that certain fruits like grapes and pineapple also cause reflux, so be aware of what you eat and watch your reaction to different foods. 

Some more lifestyle tips that have worked for me:

·       Never stay hungry over long periods of time. Eat fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

·       Don’t over-eat, even healthy food can cause reflux if you do.

·       Avoid lying down immediately after meals.

·       Slow walking and then sitting in Vajrasana immediately after meals is advised.

·       When you sleep, keep more pillows under your head and upper torso to keep it inclined.

·       First thing after getting up in the morning, drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water. This helps in digestion and elimination.

·       Have fresh breakfast soon after waking up in the morning. Avoid fried and packaged food for breakfast.

Asanas

Asanas that help are those which improve digestion and elimination:

Vajrasana, Pavanmuktasana, Supta-Vakrasana, Hastapadangustasana, Konasana, Yoga Mudra, and such Asanas which involve abdominal compression. Practice of Yoni Mudra helps keep control over our senses.

Relaxation Asanas like Savasana, Makarasana, Dradasana, Nispandabhava are very important as they help reduce stress, one of the main causes of reflux.

However, make sure you practice Asanas at an empty stomach- early in the morning or at least two hours after a meal.

Pranayamas

The Pranayama that helps the most is Yogendra Pranayama IV which is abdominal breathing. It stimulates digestion and elimination. All other Pranayamas also help in keeping the body energies balanced.

If we start applying these few changes in our lifestyle, a step at a time, we will start feeling a world of difference in our health. And good health leads to a positive and happy attitude.

Stay Well!!

Article in Yoga and Total Health July 2011

Click on pic to enlarge and read.

Yoga and Total Health is a monthly publication of 

The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, 

Mumbai, India.

Article in Yoga and Total Health June 2011

Click on the pic to enlarge and read.

Yoga and Total Health is a monthly magazine published by 

The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai.

Article in Yoga and Total Health March 2011

Click on the pics to enlarge and read.

'Yoga and Total Health' is a monthly magazine published by The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai, India.

Article in Yoga and Total Health Feb 2011

Click on the pictures to enlarge and read.

Note: Yoga and Total Health is a magazine published by The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai, India.

I Learnt Karma Yoga from a 4 Year Old

"Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each."   - Plato

Teaching yoga to very young children is generally not advised, but I have a four year old student to whom yoga was recommended by her doctor; and teaching her has been the most harrowing and most enlightening experience of my life. 

This child is sometimes so enthusiastic, that I have to keep up with her changing ideas. She gets tired of one thing very fast and moves on to another. This keeps me very alert, constantly on the lookout for changing moods.

She is also moody and sometimes just sticks her thumb in her mouth, lies down and refuses to move. No amount of coaxing or scolding can shake her. In fact, that only instigates her more. What I slowly learnt was that being her friend, rather than a teacher worked better for the both of us. A lot of flexibility and patience is required on the teacher's part. 

No kid likes to be ordered around all the time. They need someone to listen to them and humour them. We need to give them a bit of free hand, let their creativity blossom, ask them to invent fun Asanas of their own. If they get carried away, enthusiastically bring the attention back to some aspect of yoga like it's a game. 

My student's mother once told me, "She looks forward to your class because it is one class she feels is for herself." This really helped build my self-esteem. This girl was my first student. I had never dreamed of teaching children and wasn't sure I knew how. In the beginning, it was pretty rough. I didn't know how to keep things lively, to catch her attention. Scolding her, being strict would impact her very strongly as she is extremely sensitive to negativity. I did not want to hurt her, but how to continue like this? Many times, I didn't feel like going to class. I almost picked up the phone and cancelled it many times. 

However, something in my heart told me to keep trying. Be creative, I told myself. "But I'm not creative, I'm very practical!" my mind argued. But I realized that was just an excuse. I thought of different ways to teach, did some research online, found interesting stories with morals, learnt new games. I started getting small gifts like channa, or almonds as a surprise and explained how and when to eat them, why they were good for health. These tiny surprises also excited her so much. 

Today, I am confident that no matter what mood she would be in, whether crying, sleepy, angry, happy or distracted, I can spend some positive time with her and teach her something worthwhile. 

I remind myself to always be interested and encouraging in whatever small thing she does and praise every small achievement. Positivity and enthusiasm always work better than scolding and putting them down for not behaving. 

Because of my first student, I can now easily make friends with any kid I come across; and to tell you the truth, they are the best company to have- full of innocence, non-judgmental, enthusiastic, joyful and they have perfect concentration an observation.

Karma Yoga is all about concentration, constant improvement, creativity and joy in work. And so, I learnt Karma Yoga from a 4 year old and even today, I play, jump, crawl, chat, draw, stick, water plants and learn from my little teacher.

Joint Pain

In the monsoons, I find many people complaining about joint pain and body ache. As mentioned in my earlier blog on body ache, it is possible for one of the causes to be vitamin deficiency. However, this would be a long term pain, generally accompanied with spasms in muscles. Another reason could be cold and wet.

Cold


Sleeping in strong A/C can make the joints stiff and body cramped. Sleeping directly under the fan can be very harmful for the body. Both these factors can even create blockages in the sinuses.

In any case it is quite cold in the rainy season, so if you keep your windows open for ventilation, it should suffice when you sleep at night. But, if that's still not enough, you can switch on the A/C for a while, let the room cool and then switch it off before you sleep. Fan is a complete No No, especially when you are directly under it.

Also, avoid walking bare footed on cold marble. The cold will radiate through the feet to the body and cause the joints and muscles to pain.

Wet


No matter what the cause of joint pain, never leave them wet. Wet means cold and that will make the body cramp in an effort to keep you warm. Dry your feet, knees, hands etc if they get wet in the rain.

Even when sleeping, make sure that the joints are kept nice and warm. Applying a bit of Vicks on the soles of the feet can be helpful, but avoid being dependent on it.

Avoid getting into a swimming pool or bath tub when already wet. Especially before entering a swimming pool, we take a shower. By all means do not miss this shower as it ensures hygiene, but dry yourself first and then enter the swimming pool. This will prevent knee problems. (This I was told by a successful Homeopathic doctor).

So these are a few tips for Joint Pain...hope they are useful.

Let me know if there is any particular topic you'd like info on. (Write in the comments box)

Stay Well !

Prevent Flu

Almost everyone I know is coming down with the flu. If one person in the family catches it, the others soon follow. We have so many natural ways to prevent and combat this flu. If we are aware of them, we can forget our fears and be confident that we will be able to handle whatever comes our way.

Awareness
The first and foremost thing to do is to be aware. Make sure that people around you are not infected. If they are, and you have no choice but to be close to them, make sure that you do not touch anything that could be infected by them. eg. do not use the same napkin to wipe your face, do not use the same glass/bottle to drink water from, do not share the food from the same plate.

Watch your own body. Does anything seem out of the ordinary? Does your throat pain or irritate even a little? Do you feel heavy in the head as though the sinuses are clogging up? BE AWARE so that if you find anything amiss, you can take immediate action.

Observe Hygiene
Wash your hands before every meal, use a handkerchief if you cough or sneeze. If anyone around you is not using a handkerchief for the same, feel free to tell them. Better safe than sorry.

Sore Throat
If you find that the throat is slowly being affected, take action immediately. Drink warm water, do Kapalarandhradhouti. Make the following mixture:

Neem powder- 25 gms
Tusli powder - 25 gms
Adusol powder - 25 gms
Amla powder - 25 gms

Buy these powders separately (do not buy a ready mixture). They will be available in any ayurvedic shop.
Mix these powders, take a teaspoonful, mix with required amount of honey (1tsp) and have the mixture thrice a day. This will help prevent/cure sore throat.

In case of lots of cough in chest, keep a hot water bag on chest for some time. It will loosen up the cough. Then lie the left hand side so that the cough can come out easily. (Left side so that the Pingala/right nostril is open- helps heat the body).

In case of Cold
Take regular steam
Kapalarandhradhouti
Mix ginger (sooth) powder with hot water and apply paste on the face. It burns on the face but generally does not affect the skin. It melts cough in the sinuses.
(Note: People with very sensitive skin avoid this mixture)

Do try these few tips. If you feel you need medicine/antibiotics, you can follow the above in any case. It will complement the medical treatment.

Any questions, you are welcome to ask.

Stay Well!

Body Ache? Check your Vitamins levels!

Do you feel tired when you wake up in the morning? Are your energy levels reducing by the end of the day? Do you feel pain in your limbs, as though the pain is in the bones themselves?

Many youngsters these days are suffering from inexplicable body aches and pains. They are seemingly healthy individuals who are not suffering from disease, are pronounced fine by doctors and yet they get body stiffness and pain in their body.

It has been found that a maximum number of youngsters between the age of 16 and 26 suffer from Vitamin D deficiency due to wrong lifestyle and food habits. Vitamin deficiency is so silent that is goes unnoticed most of the times and when it shows itself in symptoms like body pain, we mistake it for fatigue or other diseases. If it goes undetected, the symptoms increase in intensity.

Prolonged Vitamin D deficiency can lead to:

·       Osteomalacia in adults, where the bones become thin and brittle.

·       Muscular weakness.

·       Osteoporosis, where there is thinning of bone tissues and age related degeneration.

·    Studies show that it may even cause diabetes, cancer, cardiac problems, neuromuscular and brain disorders.

·       In children, it can lead to rickets, where the bones are weakened.

So How Do We Regain All the Lost Vitamin D?

Sun

Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D.

Sunbathing in the morning and evening time is recommended in Yoga and Naturopathy. This is a time when the sun’s rays are soft and have healing powers. Avoid sunbathing in the afternoons when sun rays are harsh as that is when the harmful UV rays are most intense.

However, in most urban areas like Mumbai, it is almost impossible to actually sunbathe. There is so much pollution 24x7 that it forms a layer blocking the healing rays of the sun.

So which other sources can provide us with Vitamin D?

Milk

Bathing with raw milk is advised as it not only provides vitamins but also is an excellent exfoliant.

Consuming milk and its products like cottage cheese, ghee, buttermilk etc. is an excellent way to stock up of Vit D.

Injections/ Supplements

For those of you who are vagan, you have the option of getting regular Vit D shots from the doctor or have supplements.

Vitamin supplements as such have no side effects. However, ask your doctor when is the best time to take the supplements. Generally vitamins are best taken with breakfast but if you are also taking supplements for iron etc, you have to avoid certain vitamin combinations with it. So know your supplements well before taking them, or they will have an adverse effect on you.

Exercise and Pranayama

Apart from the above mentioned sources, many regular vegetables have minute quantities of Vit D which can be absorbed by the body.

Absorption capacity of the body improves if there is a regular exercise and pranayama regime. It does not mean you have to spend 1 to 2 hours a day doing rigorous exercise. Even a regular 15 minutes of basic asanas and pranayamas daily is enough to keep you healthy.

So any of you suffering from Vit D deficiency symptoms, go get a blood test, check all your vitamin levels, and start on this regime right away. While those of you who don’t have these symptoms, might as well incorporate these few healthy changes for prevention.

Stay Healthy!

Fighting Corruption Within

There is a great movement going on under Anna Hazare's guidance. I heartily support his cause.

Fighting corruption is not easy and it needs real guts to fight a powerful corrupt government.

However, I wonder how many of us who support him and are fighting against a corrupt government, are actually honest ourselves.

If we fight a cause, we need to believe in it completely. How many of us have not broken a single traffic signal ever in our lives, how many have not given bribe to the traffic police? How many of us have not paid a peon extra to get our work done quickly in college? How many of us have not used influence/ contacts to get admission in college or a job?

How many of us completely deal in white when doing business and show our complete records honestly for income tax? How many of us silently add our own commission when doing a favour for a friend?

Well, what's done is done, but the way ahead looks more hopeful. For starters I admit that I have not been honest in my dealings and I vow to never do it again. The only way ahead is to be honest to yourself. So go ahead, first admit your own follies. Confess and redeem yourself. Then we will really be fighting a just cause.

Anna Hazare Zindabad!

The Story of The Yoga Institute

Article in Yoga and Total Health Jan 2011

How to clean Dirty Water!!

This is the water I was receiving at my house yesterday.

The condition has not improved much today. When we called the BMC, they said the colour was because of a new chemical that they put in to treat the water.

Seriously?

A chemical that makes the water look like this and taste like mud?

Please be careful of the water you drink. This time, we could see the impurities. But that's not the case every time.

Boil your water before use. (If possible, boil it twice before drinking).

Getting packaged/ mineral water from shops is not much use according to me as the water plants have the same water source as ours- the BMC.

A cool option for cleaning water is to take a little bit of Potassium Alum- known as fatakadi in Gujarati. (You get quite a lot in just Rs. 10) Take it in your hand and immerse in the bucket of water and move it around.

THE WATER CLEARS IN SECONDS!! Dirt settles down and you can take the clean water from top.

This method was widely used (and perhaps still is) in the villages to clean the water drawn from wells.

Try it. And let me know if it works for you!

Stay Healthy!

Am I a Sincere Student of Yoga?

I have been blessed to have access to some of the most senior Sadhakas at The Yoga Institute. They have been pursuing Yoga since more than 30 years, and due to my interest in helping out with activities and other lucky circumstances, I ended up being invited to the meetings they have for helping each other progress in their practice of Yoga.

One day we were discussing on the topic, "How do I believe I am a sincere student of Yoga?"

Most of us claimed that we were not as sincere as we should be. We were lazy, or lost our balance of mind many times, did not practice asanas religiously with the right attitude etc.

However there was one Sadhaka who said, "There is nothing like a sincere or insincere student of Yoga. There is only a Student of Yoga."

We cannot reach Samadhi so easily. It may take lifetimes. But what is important, is progress in our mental, spiritual and household aspects.

Our Guru, Dr. Jayadeva nodded and said, "Religiously trying, never giving up, persistence," are a few qualities we should have. Keep doing good deeds, keep good company. Keep trying. Progress will follow on its own.

Whenever I see Dr. Sahab or hear him say a few words, I find will power to be disciplined in my practice. That is why I keep going to such meetings (Satsangs).