Article in Yoga and Total Health Feb 2012

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Yoga and Total Health is the monthly publication 

of The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai.

You can subscribe to the magazine in India and abroad.

For more details write to: bookstore@theyogainstitute.org

Website: http://theyogainstitute.org/

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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

Click on the pic to enlarge and read.

Yoga and Total Health is the monthly publication 

of The Yoga Institute, Santacruz, Mumbai.

You can subscribe for the magazine in India and abroad.

For more details email: info@theyogainstitute.org

Website: http://theyogainstitute.org/

Blog: http://theyogainstitutemumbai.blogspot.com/

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!!