Managing Anger.

In today's active lifestyle, we often do not leave time in our day to relax and let go of any negative energy that we may have encountered from others or have even created ourselves. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish where all this pent-up anger is coming from. Whether it is relationship-based or work related, uncontrollable anger is one of the most dangerous emotions to ignore. When this happens, all of our built-up tensions are likely to explode. And when this happens, you are thought of as someone who has a short temper or is needlessly having a tantrum over the smallest problem. In the end, you will be considered unreliable and problematic. What’s more, nobody likes to be around someone who is in a foul mood. This type of unhealthy behavior can take a toll on the body and spirit and leave you feeling depressed, unfocused and suffering from unexpected muscle and joint pain. If it should become an ongoing problem, it is best to seek advice from a therapist or a doctor to discuss the option of using yoga for anger management.  Anger management is meant to assist the individual in making a conscious effort to understand why they are acting out in anger and to find solutions to deflate any sudden outbreaks. Many professionals have suggested yoga for anger as an alternative to prescription medications. Through yoga, you are given the opportunity to quiet your mind, and to focus on releasing negative thoughts. Guided meditations are used to bring your focus inward, while drawing in a deep, cleansing breath. By combining meditation and relaxation, you are turning your attentions inward with the intention of seeking out the truth of why you are using anger to solve your concerns or problems. One of the best ways to use yoga for anger is to engage in a series of yoga postures and relaxation exercises. These yoga poses were developed to simultaneously ease and strengthen your whole body. The fluid, methodic movements will help you to purposely slow down a frantic mind and stressed body. And as you progress in your practice, you will find the clarity of mind to begin to understand your negative behavior and learn how to address it in a healthy manner. This heightened awareness will blossom and extend into your environment and your relationships. Whether it is relationship-based or work related, uncontrollable anger is one of the most dangerous emotions to ignore. There is no need to prolong your suffering, lose sleep, feel achy, or be tied up in knots most of the time. By simply attending a local yoga studio or a class at your gym, you will find that you are not alone in this struggle. Many individuals find it a challenge to address their anger, and being in a group setting will offer you the opportunity to discuss your concerns. By using yoga for anger management, you are sure to improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Yoga and Diabetes.

How yoga helps diabetics to normalize blood-glucose level?

Yoga can normalizes (not lowering, that may lead to hypoglycemia) blood-glucose level by gently massaging as well as stimulates the internal organs responsible for the carbohydrate metabolism.

Some diabetes yoga is difficult to perform and need an expert to guide. Diabetes yoga stimulates, normalizes endocrine (glandular-system) that releases hormones into general circulation. Endocrine glands include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, adrenals, pancreas, and sex glands (ovaries and testes).

Most of the diabetes yoga is bending-pose that gently compresses the organs beneath the abdomen - stomach, intestine, liver, and pancreas. This makes the organ to start functioning as expected, thus blood glucose keeps at its normal level.

Paschimottanasan (forward seated bend) diabetes yoga

This diabetes yoga pose is good for those suffering from diabetes, hyperacidity, and migraine. This yoga can stimulate the internal organs like liver, pancreas, and kidney.

This asana are a great help to diabetes patients and have numerous other benefits too.

This looks simple, but is in fact one of the most difficult asanas to do.

Method

1. Sit on a mat with your legs stretched straight out in front of you. 

2. Breathe OUT. Slowly bend forward, trying to touch your feet. Don't bend your knees. 

3. If you feel a constriction while bending, straighten up slightly and then try and bend further forward. 

4. Don't push yourself too hard. You may not be able to get very far if you are a beginner. Don't get impatient and push yourself too hard. You will only injure your muscles. Just bend forward as far as you can go.

5. It is important that you hold this pose. There is no point in just bouncing back and forth.  

6. Exhale, while returning to normal position.

Benefits

• Stretches the back and spine
• Stretches the shoulders 
• Stretches the hamstrings
• Beneficial for the kidneys, liver, ovaries and uterus. (It is thus a must for women. It also helps ease menstrual discomfort.)
• Beneficial for diabetics and improves digestion. 

Don't attempt this asana if:

You have back problems, asthma or diarrhea.

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Spinal Twist) diabetes yoga

Twisting diabetes yoga poses can cleanse and rejuvenate the body. The abdominal organs receive a deep internal message, helping to squeeze out toxins, stimulate digestion, and supply organs with fresh circulation on release. This asana can regulate to secrete adrenaline and bile. This yoga is useful for the yogic management of diabetes, sinusitis, hay fever, bronchitis, constipation, menstrual disorders, and urinary tract disorders. Ardha Matsyendrasana can massage the pancreas, kidneys, stomach, small intestines, liver, and gallbladder. The region matches to Manipur chakra, therefore, stimulating and unblocking this region can improve the vitality and health of the whole body.

How do you do Ardha Matsyendrasana?

• Kneel and sit on your feet with your heels pointing outward.
• Then sit to the right of your feet.
• Lift your left leg over your right, placing the foot against the outside of the right knee. Bring your right heel close to your buttocks. Keep the spine erect.
• Stretch your arms out to the sides at shoulder level, and twist around to the left.
• Now bring the right arm down on the outside of the left knee and hold your left foot with your right hand, placing your left hand on the floor behind you. As you breathe out, twist as far as possible to the left, look over the left shoulder.
• Repeat the same with right leg over left bring left arm to hold the right foot.

       

Thought of the Day...

Exercise is king:
nutrition is queen,
Put 'em together
and you've got a
Kingdom.

Brainwaves and Meditation

Meditation research explores how the brain works when we refrain from concentration, rumination and intentional thinking. Electrical brain waves suggest that mental activity during meditation is wakeful and relaxed.

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"Given the popularity and effectiveness of meditation as a means of alleviating stress and maintaining good health, there is a pressing need for a rigorous investigation of how it affects brain function," says Professor Jim Lagopoulos of Sydney University, Australia. Lagopoulos is the principal investigator of a joint study between his university and researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) on changes in electrical brain activity during nondirective meditation.

Constant brain waves

Whether we are mentally active, resting or asleep, the brain always has some level of electrical activity. The study monitored the frequency and location of electrical brain waves through the use of EEG (electroencephalography). EEG electrodes were placed in standard locations of the scalp using a custom-made hat

Participants were experienced practitioners of Acem Meditation, a nondirective method developed in Norway. They were asked to rest, eyes closed, for 20 minutes, and to meditate for another 20 minutes, in random order. The abundance and location of slow to fast electrical brain waves (delta, theta, alpha, beta) provide a good indication of brain activity.

Relaxed attention with theta

During meditation, theta waves were most abundant in the frontal and middle parts of the brain.

"These types of waves likely originate from a relaxed attention that monitors our inner experiences. Here lies a significant difference between meditation and relaxing without any specific technique," emphasizes Lagopoulos.

"Previous studies have shown that theta waves indicate deep relaxation and occur more frequently in highly experienced meditation practitioners. The source is probably frontal parts of the brain, which are associated with monitoring of other mental processes."

"When we measure mental calm, these regions signal to lower parts of the brain, inducing the physical relaxation response that occurs during meditation."

Silent experiences with alpha

Alpha waves were more abundant in the posterior parts of the brain during meditation than during simple relaxation. They are characteristic of wakeful rest.

"This wave type has been used as a universal sign of relaxation during meditation and other types of rest," comments Professor Øyvind Ellingsen from NTNU. "The amount of alpha waves increases when the brain relaxes from intentional, goal-oriented tasks.This is a sign of deep relaxation, -- but it does not mean that the mind is void."

Neuroimaging studies by Malia F. Mason and co-workers at Dartmouth College NH suggest that the normal resting state of the brain is a silent current of thoughts, images and memories that is not induced by sensory input or intentional reasoning, but emerges spontaneously "from within."

"Spontaneous wandering of the mind is something you become more aware of and familiar with when you meditate," continues Ellingsen, who is an experienced practitioner. "This default activity of the brain is often underestimated. It probably represents a kind of mental processing that connects various experiences and emotional residues, puts them into perspective and lays them to rest."

Different from sleep

Delta waves are characteristic of sleep. There was little delta during the relaxing and meditative tasks, confirming that nondirective meditation is different from sleep.

Beta waves occur when the brain is working on goal-oriented tasks, such as planning a date or reflecting actively over a particular issue. EEG showed few beta waves during meditation and resting.

"These findings indicate that you step away from problem solving both when relaxing and during meditation," says Ellingsen.

Nondirective versus concentration

Several studies indicate better relaxation and stress management by meditation techniques where you refrain from trying to control the content of the mind.

"These methods are often described as nondirective, because practitioners do not actively pursue a particular experience or state of mind. They cultivate the ability to tolerate the spontaneous wandering of the mind without getting too much involved. Instead of concentrating on getting away from stressful thought and emotions, you simple let them pass in an effortless way."

Take home message

Nondirective meditation yields more marked changes in electrical brain wave activity associated with wakeful, relaxed attention, than just resting without any specific mental technique.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), via AlphaGalileo.

Vakrasana.

  














In  this asana, the upper part of the body is completely turned and twisted. The spine, the muscles of the hands, the 

legs and the back are stretched.

Technique : Sit on the ground with the legs stretched out. Place the left leg near the right knee, stretching 

out the left hand behind the back, with the palm of the hand flat resting on the ground. Then press the left 

knee with the right arm and put the palm on the ground. Keep the waist erect and look as far backward as 

possible. Practice this asana four to six times a day turning to the left side and to the right side alternately. 

Gradually, increase the time. The limit is five minutes.

Advantages : (1) This asana strengthens the spine and activates the nerves.

(2) The mouth of the Sushumna opens and Kundalini Shakti is sublimated.

(3) This asana invigorates the muscles of the loins.

(4) Purna Vakrasana bestows all the benefits gained by performing Ardha Vakrasana.

Tadasana

		The shape of this asana is like a palm tree, hence the name.   1. Stand erect with the heels together. 2. Hands are hanging down close to and facing the body.       1. Inhaling, raise the arm to the side, keeping them straight. 2. Interlock the fingers and stand on the toes while holding the breath. 3. Stretch the body to its fullest extension. Exhaling, bring the arms down and stand fat on the feet.         Thirty seconds up to three minutes.       1. It increases height. 2. Relieves constipation, obesity of the abdomen, hips and stomach, and helps avoid laziness. 3. It is helpful for pregnant women

Uttanpadasana.

1. Lie on your back. 2. Do your feet together. 3. Place palms facing down to the floor at your side 4 to 6 inches away from the trunk.   1. While inhaling, lift both legs to 30 degrees. 2. Hold your breath in the posture as much as you can. 3. While exhaling, brings your legs down to the floor without bending your knees. 4. Again inhale and raise the legs to 60 degrees. 5. Retain the breath for a while. 6. While exhaling bring the legs down to the ground. 7. Ardha-Uttanapadasana can be performed in the same manner, by lifting one leg at a time.       Repeat up to three times for up to five minutes, and then increase as convenient. 1. Be careful to keep your legs straight during lifting and bringing your legs down. 2. Avoid sudden or jolting motions when lifting or lowering your legs down. 3. This posture is not recommended for a person who suffers from high blood pressure, backache or any heart related problems.   This posture reduces obesity and abdominal disorders, and increases the speed of blood circulation in the body. It is good for constipation.