Yoga for Health: International Yoga Day 2017

June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 Kristin Russel

International Yoga Day is a community conscious event featuring, fun and flowing yoga, posture classes, deep relaxation, yoga breathing, exciting kid’s games and social activities. One core process, which can be influenced by yoga practice, is our ability to observe our thoughts emotions and sensations without reacting to fix them, hide them or solve them. This awareness creates room for choice between impulse and our action.

The purpose of yoga day is to raise worldwide awareness of the many benefits of yoga. Yoga is an ancient, holistic approach to health and well-being that promotes harmony between individuals, their community, their natural environment and
the wider world.

Ancient yogis understood yoga as a complete lifestyle and world view that can help you to discover who you are as well as your relationship to the world and nature and as such can provide valuable insights into addressing environmental challenges and promoting peace in the individual, peace in communities and peace in the world. The sages of India understood that the outer can change by changing the inner, that the nature of our consciousness therefore affects the nature of our environment.

Yoga originated in the Indus Valley Civilization. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are widely regarded as the first compilation of the formal yoga philosophy. The Guru Granth Sahib states:

Listen “O Yogi, Nanak tells nothing but the truth. You must discipline your mind. The devotee must meditate on the Word Divine. It is His grace which brings about the union. He understands, he also sees. Good deeds help one merge into Divination.”

Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonizing system of development for the body, mind, and spirit. The continued practice of yoga will lead you to a sense of peace and well-being, and also a feeling of being at one with their environment. Serving others is part of yoga and can give meaning to your life.

Happy International yoga day.

Best 5 yoga exercises to stay young

August 23, 2011August 23, 2011 Kristin Russel

Staying Young:

Our body’s balancing systems are monitored through a series of chemical messengers called hormones.Hormones regulate the our aging process. Hormones are produced in our glands. Excessive stress, fatigue, pain, depression,nutritional deficiencies damage glands. HGH (human growth hormone) is the main hormone for staying young and long life. It improves breathing capacity and the skin glazes. This HGH hormone is largely generates during deep sleep. HGH repairs the tissues during the sleep. In the neck area, the thyroid gland generates the thyroid hormones responsible for weight-loss and regulates the body’s metabolic speed.

Four Steps of yoga:

Step 1: Warming up: Do a few joint movements to warm up.
Step 2: Stretching to the limit: Do a not overdo anything, but stretch a little more than your usual ability.
Step 3: Correct Breathing. Do normal breathing in a relaxed manner.
Step 4: Closing: Rest for a few minutes in corpse pose before undertaking normal activities.

Proper yoga exercises regulates the growth hormones. Do stretching exercises before bed to relieve tension. It helps you to relax tension. Five most important yoga exercises are as follows:

Five Yoga exercises:

1. Twisted Chair Pose
Act as if you are sitting in an imaginary chair. Keep your heels in firm contact with the earth. Bend your knees and move your upper body forward at 45 degrees. Do this five times in the morning and six times in the evening, in empty stomach.
2. Upside-Down Relaxation
Lie down on your back and extend your legs up the wall.

3. Goddess Pose (Hip Opening Pose):
Stand in a position with the feet 2 feet apart.Turn the feet out 60 degree towards the wall. Bend the elbows at shoulder height and turn the palms facing each other and open the chest. Do this exercise in the morning 5 times daily.
4. Half-Moon Pose
Straightening the left leg towards the sky, then right leg one by one.
Do this exercise along with cobra pose in the morning three times.

5. Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose):
This is the king of all yoga poses for staying young and long life.
The yogi pushes one leg forward and one leg backwards until they are in the splits position. Once the yogi has moved the legs into position, there are several variations of arm and upper body position including various systematic kriya yoga mudra.
If you can not do anything, you must do monkey pose once per day. If you can’t do it once per day do it at least once per month. Along with yoga poses you may practice some kriya yoga pranayama.

Yoga: To Release Arthritis

January 10, 2011January 10, 2011 Kristin Russel

Arthritis is a degenerative condition causing wear of the articulating surfaces, resulting in pain at rest, pain with movements, restriction of movements and in severe cases, deformity.

The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation” — the Greek “arthron” means “joint”, and the Latin “itis” means “inflammation. Arthritis is a term that covers many different medical conditions that affect the joints, and is the main cause of disability in older people.

With arthritis, something goes wrong with the joint, depending on the kind of arthritis — it could be that the cartilage is wearing away, a lack of synovial fluid, or it may be an autoimmune disorder, or a combination of factors. Joint injuries may also eventually lead to arthritis.

Types of Arthritis:

The most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The most common type is osteoarthritis, which is wear and tear associated with ageing. It can be accelerated, or aggravated, or even caused by trauma, excess body weight, obesity, mal–alignment of the joints or congenital joint deformities (dysplasia).

The other common type of arthritis is called rheumatoid arthritis. In this disease, the immune system of the body reacts against the joints and musculoskeletal tissues. This causes inflammation of joints, and leads to wear and tear.

The other types of inflammatory arthritis are: aukylosing spondylarthropathy, Lyme disease, gouty arthritis, arthritis associated with connective tissue disease, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

Walking Yoga to Remove Arthritis

Now people are discovering that immobility is terrible for someone with arthritis. With sedentary people, even more degeneration and pain of the joints arises. To keep joints and muscles healthy and strong, they must be used. When they’re not used, they become weaker and more unbalanced with more likely-hood of injury and more pain and debilitation.

Regular gentle movement and walking helps to maintain mobility and it reduces pain, as well as promoting the health of other systems of the body. With regular walking yoga exercise there’s increased blood circulation which helps to reduce swelling and pain, and it improves the functioning of the immune system.

Yoga Postures and Yoga Exercises to Remove Arthritis:

Regular yoga exercises help to keep the body stronger and more supple; increasing range of motion in the joints, while keeping the surrounding muscles strong and supportive. Some common yoga postures are as follows:

Neck Exercises:

Many people hold tension in their necks and shoulders, leading to stiffness, bad posture, and tension headaches. Yoga practice can ease tension, increase flexibility, and tone the muscles. The steps for neck exercises are as follows:

Bend your head forward, chin on chest, then back to original position.
Bend to the right, then back to the original position.
Bend backward, then back to the original position.
Bend to the left, then back to the original position.
Bend forward, chin on chest, move from right to the left, then move from left to right.

Standing Side Stretch Yoga Pose:

The Standing Side Stretch Yoga Pose may give you the look of a tree swayed by wind, though this pose offers more benefits than just a stretch on your branches. This side stretch will increase the flexibility of your spine, arms, and rib cage as it stimulates the liver, kidney, and spleen functions. Furthermore, the Yoga Pose will also help realign your spinal column and will aid the lungs to take in more oxygen. This is a simple Yoga Posture with a wonderful stretch in which one line of energy reaches upward from your belly and outward through the arm, and one line travels downward through the legs

Single leg raises Yoga Pose:

This Yoga Pose is performed in order to prepare the body for other exercises. It benefits the legs, lower back muscles, and abdominal area. In practicing the Single Leg Raise, one leg is raised while the other one stays on the floor.

Shoulder Stretches:

These are great in relieving stress and tension on your shoulders, as well as your entire upper back. Practice them daily for several weeks and notice the changes. Learn some basic stretches for the shoulders in this section.

Wrist bending:

Your wrists can also be affected by arthritis, specifically Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid Arthritis. Take good care of your wrists through stretching and bending. Learn how to improve the range of motion of your wrists by doing the Wrist Bending Exercise.

Ankle bending:

Repeated strain or sprain in the ankles can contribute to the occurrence of Ankle Arthritis. Manage stress and keep your ankles in good condition through therapy, having enough rest, and by doing the Ankle Bending Exercise.

Pranayama to Release Arthritis:

Alternate nasal breathing exercise, Belly breathing, and Kapalvati pranayam are very helpful to remove arthritis.

Research on Yoga and Arthritis:

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University found that Yoga is helpful for rheumatoid arthritis. They found that those who participated in eight weeks of yoga classes had significantly fewer tender and swollen joints than they did before starting class.

Yoga for Long Life

January 7, 2011January 7, 2011 Kristin Russel

Physical activity is deeply valuable for bone health. Sure, walking is the greatest of all for the prevention bone density. But it won’t do much for wrist or spinal fractures, so we need free hand Yoga exercises to keep our upper body bones strong. Above all don’t smoke, get lots of exercise, eat lots of beans & green leafy vegetables, and cut out the fat to live a long life on this planet. Eat plant-based food, now, if you wait until your baseline nitric oxide supply gets too low, it may be too late. Use whole grains over refined grains and apples over apple juice. Take broccoli, arugula chard, other greens, beans, calcium-enriched non-dairy milk, tofu, dried fruits, kiwi, and soy yogurt. Amla, Aloe Vera and Green tea’s detoxifying properties helped to stay young with long life.

Chinese symbol of long life:

You need about 500-700 mg of calcium per day. Don’t drink the milk much but walk for a mile every day. Do yoga exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. The social contact appears to be as important as the calories burned and the joints lubricated. According to my spirituals master Amit Ray “Most heartening is to increase the span of life either you should be like a child or you should be in contact with the children. “

Calcium supplement is not the answer. “We calculate that for every 1,000 people treated with calcium for 5 years, it will lead to four additional myocardial infarctions, four additional strokes, and two additional deaths, while preventing three fractures,” Dr. Ian R. Reid said. Click here for the press release.

Some simple tips for long life are as follows:

Always see the positive side of the life
Always stay with cheerful friends
Be ALIVE while you are living.
Often laugh long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

Firm handshake link to long life

Yoga for Weight Loss

December 10, 2010December 10, 2010 Kristin Russel

When your metabolic rate decreases you may lead to weight gain. Now what is metabolism or metabolic rate? It is the rate at which our body will use energy, better known as burning calories. If your body can burn calories faster then there is no excessive weight gain. Now the more you exercise, the better gets your metabolism. And with a higher metabolism you will burn calories more efficiently.

Psychologists believe that people who experience a sense of insecurity, which may be due to real or imagined threats, may find comfort and protection in food. This results in food cravings and emotional indulge eating.

Take 30 – 60 minutes of free hand yoga exercise per day to stay healthy.

Take Yoga foods:

Food is the first thing you need to watch. Take Yoga foods. Take the fruits and vegetables that are packed with beneficial fibers, vitamins and antioxidants. They fill up your stomach fast so you feel full earlier. They are also low in calories and helps to keep your calorie count low.

Set your yoga weight loss target

Your weight loss goals should not simply be to lose weight. Weight loss is not an exercise you have to do once and then forget about it. A successful weight loss is when you manage to lose weight by changing your lifestyle and eating habits and not by just saving calories and making calculations. Eating healthy should become your second nature and exercising should become your daily friend. So, instead of just setting arithmetic goals concentrate on how to change your lifestyle to match a healthier living.

Separate eating from your other emotions

A lot of people have associated eating with their emotions. It is very common for people to eat because they are feeling stress, anxiety, depression, anger etc. This is a bad and very unhealthy habit. Usually the food you eat when in this state is unhealthy and full of fats and calories. You need to realize that food is not the medicine for your emotions. Food is a pleasure and a way to provide your body with the energy it needs to function properly. If you want to lose weight then you should seriously consider this situation and disassociate food with emotions.

Cobra Pose : Lie on your stomach. Place your hands facing down on the floor beside your ears. Supporting your weight on your palms, push up and raise the chest, looking up towards the ceiling. Breathe in while rising, and hold your breath in that position for 10 seconds. Come down to the original position while breathing out. Practice eight times.

Long Salutation Pose: Kneel down with your buttocks resting on your heels and your toes pointing forward. With your palms together, extend your arms up vertically next to your ears. Slowly bring your arms and head down as one, first bending your neck, then the whole upper body, until your fingers hit the floor, keeping your buttocks on your heels all the time. Now stretch out with your forehead and nose resting on the floor. Breathe out as you go down, and stay there with your breath held out for 8 seconds. Then rise up breathing in. Practice eight times.

Yoga relaxation:

Using the same blanket as for asanas, lie on your back with your arms by your side, making sure that your breathing is calm and relaxed. Now go through your whole body, starting at your feet, consciously making sure that each part is completely relaxed – with no muscular tension at all. Go from the feet up the legs, consciously checking each part, into the groin area, into the abdomen (also feeling that your internal organs are relaxed), into the chest and shoulders, from the fingers and hands up the arms, then into the neck and up into the face, relaxing the facial muscles, including the eyes, and finally to the top of the head, feeling that your brain is also relaxed. Check once more that you are breathing calmly, and stay like that – fully relaxed – for a few more minutes.
Yoga relaxation is especially important for those who do a lot of mental work. Do it as often as you like throughout the day. Whenever you feel mentally fatigued, even just a couple of minutes can be enough to rejuvenate and revive you.

Common Yoga postures for weight loss:

Paschimottanasana
Ardhakapotasana
Trikonasana
Uttanasana
Ardhasarvangasana
Virabhadrasana

Microcosmic Orbit Yoga

December 5, 2010December 5, 2010 Kristin Russel

Microcosmic Orbit Yoga

The meridians are the energy channels of our body. This is where energy or chi circulates. There are two primary meridians in our body. One flows up along the spine. Other one flows down the chest bisecting the belly button. These two meridians connect at the base of the spine and are connected by sealing mula bhanda. On the other end they are connected at the roof of the mouth and by pressing the tongue flat into the space behind the teeth. By connecting these meridians we stimulate energy to move and flow within us opening blocked areas and imbibing us with greater power.

Meditation is one of the Five Principles of Yoga. It is the practice by which there is constant observation of the mind. It requires you to focus your mind at one point and stilling the mind in order to perceive the self. Through the practice of Meditation you will achieve a greater sense of purpose and strength of will. It also helps you achieve a clearer mind, improve your concentration, and discover the wisdom and tranquility within you.

Background of Microcosmic Orbit Yoga

This is the classic Taoist yoga method for refining, raising, and circulating internal energy via the ‘orbit’ formed by the ‘Governing Channel’ from perineum up to head and the Conception Channel from head back down to perineum. Activating the Microcosmic Orbit is a key step that leads to more advanced practices. Taoists believe that Microcosmic Orbit yoga fills the reservoirs of the Governing and Conception channels with energy, which is then distributed to all the major organ-energy meridians, thereby energizing the internal organs. It draws abundant energy up from the sacrum into the brain, thereby enhancing cerebral circulation of blood and stimulating secretions of vital neurochemicals. It is also the first stage for cultivating the ‘spiritual embryo’ or ‘golden elixir’ of immortality, a process that begins in the lower abdomen and culminates in the mid-brain. This is probably the best of all Taoist methods for cultivating health and longevity while also ‘opening the three passes’ to higher spiritual awareness.

Taoists often refer things in symbolic languages. ‘Opening the Three Passes’ is another name for this yoga method and refers to the three critical junctions which pave the way for energy to travel up from the sacrum through the Governing Channel along the spine into the head.

The Practice of Microcosmic Orbit Yoga

1. The first step is to still the body, calm the mind, and regulate the breath. With this settled mind, sit alone in a quiet room, senses shut and eyelids lowered. Turn your attention within, and inwardly visualize a pocket of energy in the umbilical region; within it is a point of golden light, clear and bright, immaculately pure. Focus attention on the navel until you feel the ‘pocket of energy’ glowing in the umbilical region. The breath through your nose will naturally become light and subtle, going out and in evenly and finely, continuously and quietly, gradually becoming slighter and subtler. When the feeling is stable and the energy there is full, use your mind to guide energy down to the perineum and back up through the aperture in the coccyx.

2. Steadily visualize this true energy as being like a small snake gradually passing through the nine apertures of the coccyx. When you feel the energy has gone through this pass, visualize this true energy rising up to where the ribs meet the spine, then going through this pass and right on up to the Jade Pillow, the back of the brain.

3. Then imagine your true spirit in the Nirvana Chamber in the center of the brain, taking in the energy. When this true energy goes through the Jade Pillow, press the tongue against the palate. The head should move forward and tilt slightly upwards to help it. When you feel this true energy penetrating the Nirvana Chamber, this may feel hot or swollen. This means the pass has been cleared and the energy has reached the Nirvana Center.

4. Next, focus attention on the Celestial Eye between the eyebrows and draw energy forwards from the midbrain and out through the point between the brows. This may cause a tingling or throbbing sensation there. Then the center of the brows will throb – this means the Celestial Eye is about to open. Then move the spirit into the center of the brows and draw the true energy through the Celestial Eye. If you see the eighteen thousand pores and three hundred and sixty joints of the whole body explode open all at once, each joint parting three-tenths of an inch, this is evidence of the opening of the Celestial Eye. This is what is meant when it is said that when one pass opens all the passes open, and when one opening is cleared all the openings are cleared.

5. You may wish to stay and work with this point for a few minutes, before letting energy sink down through the palate and tongue into the throat to the heart. This may feel as though there is cool water going down the Multistoried Tower of the windpipe. Do not swallow; let it go down by itself, bathing the bronchial tubes. Then the vital energy will bathe the internal organs and then return to the genitals. This is what is called return to the root.

6. From the heart, draw it down through the Middle Elixir Field in the solar plexus, past the navel, and down into the Ocean of Energy reservoir in the Lower Elixir Field, where energy gathers, mixes, and is reserved for internal circulation. Then begin another cycle up through the coccyx to the mid-spine behind the heart and up past the Jade Pillow into the brain.

7. Breathe naturally with your abdomen, and don’t worry whether energy moves up or down on inhalation or exhalation; coordinate the flow of breath and energy in whatever manner suits you best. However, if you reach the stage where you can complete a full Microcosmic Orbit in a single breath, it’s best to raise energy up from coccyx to head on exhalation and draw it down from Upper to Lower Elixir Field on inhalation.

If you practice this way for a long time, eventually you can complete a whole cycle of ascent and descent in one visualization. If you can quietly practice this inner work continuously, whether walking, standing still, sitting, or lying down, then the vital energy will circulate within, and there will naturally be no problem of leakage. Chronic physical ailments, Taoists believe, will naturally disappear.

Also, once the inner energy is circulating, the breath will naturally become fine, and the true positive energy of heaven and earth will be inhaled by way of the breath and go down to join your own generative energy. The two energies will mix together, both to be circulated by you together, descending and ascending over and over, circulating up and down to replenish the depleted true energy in your body.

This true energy harmonizes and reforms, so that the vital fluids produced by the energy of daily life again produce true vitality. When true vitality is fully developed, it naturally produces true energy, and when true energy is fully developed it naturally produces our true spirit.

If you have any physical problems or discomforts in a particular section of your body, focus your energy at the pass closest to the discomfort and let it throb there for a while. This will help heal and rejuvenate the injured tissues. For example, if you have pelvic problems, focus energy on the coccyx pass; for lower-back pain focus on the lowest lumbar vertebra just above the sacrum; for upper-back and shoulder pain focus on the fifth thoracic vertebra, and so forth. This Meditation may also cause the head to rock or the body to tremble, which, Taoists believe, are signs of progress.

Reverse Your Aging Process

November 30, 2010September 4, 2014 Kristin Russel 2 Comments

Till date there is no such real medicine to reduce your age. But scientist are optimistic. Scientist are hopeful that there are several ways to control the age. However, most of the anti-aging hormones available in the market are potentially dangerous. You can’t relay on them.

Scientists found that telomeres are the reason for aging. Telomeres are the tips at the ends of our chromosomes that protect our DNA. They’re often compared to the little plastic caps at the end of shoelaces, keeping everything intact. Over time, as cells reproduce, our telomeres become shorter and shorter, until they become so stubby that the process stops. As this happens, we see signs of aging.

There are several tools to control our telomeres, to preserve them, and even lengthen them once they’ve been worn down. It all comes down to stress—or, more accurately, how we perceive and cope with stress.

How to reverse aging naturally?

The need to reverse or slow down aging is important in two regards – to keep ones skin healthy and looking youthful, but more importantly, it can help to extend the lifespan of a human being.

There are a host of products that claim, with or without much validity, to help reverse aging, but the best and a sure way to do it is through natural means.

Below are some ways you can help yourself to reverse the aging process.

Take Omega-3s

Among the growing list of the benefits of Omega-3s, we can now add something akin to a youth elixir. Not only do the fatty acids (found naturally in fish like salmon and sardines) protect our telomeres, but research suggests they actually help them grow—essentially, reversing the aging process. “It’s very preliminary, but it’s exciting because it suggests there may be a way you can manipulate cellular aging with simple supplements,” Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far, the scientist at USCF who discovered this power, told Singer. Also exciting: In another study, women who took multivitamins had longer telomeres than those who didn’t.

Dance with Joy

Dance as you like. Dance according to your own way. Studies suggest that dancing into old age—particularly in a choreographed sort of way—can work wonders for our minds and bodies. Along with the mental workout that comes from learning new steps and routines, the exercise builds both endurance and strength, and usually facilitates social interaction, giving us a multi-dimensional positive boost. Unless, of course, your two left feet stress you out.

Eliminate stress

Stress is an important factor in people aging quickly because it damages the part of DNA responsible for controlling aging of the cells. Research has shown that people who are chronically stressed because of various factors such as poor health, caring for terminally ill, etc, age much more quickly than people who are much more stress free.

Getting rid of stress

Regular exercise has been shown to relieve stress because the brain produces endomorphins, which helps to leave the body in a better state of mind and improve its well-being.

Try and get around 8 hours of sleep everyday. A lot of people suffer stress because of the lack of sleep in their daily routine. If possible, getting a short nap during the day can also help some of the work related stress that is common in most working people.

Try to find some activities that give you the most enjoyment in life and try and schedule them into your daily routine. It could be anything from playing video games for an hour or two, to taking out a new DVD, playing sports, or anything else for that matter. These help to relieve stress because they have the psychological effect of putting your mind into subconscious of a world without any worries and negative thoughts while participating in the activity. The positive effects it has lasts for hours afterwards too.

If you care for a terminally ill person, be sure to look after yourself too. If the burden is too big, you can perhaps get help from local public authorities in your area to help in some way. There is plenty of help for carers in Western countries. Also, you can still enjoy yourself while caring for someone by doing some fun activities in the home.

Sun damage

Facial skin damage caused by the sun is a big factor in the process of aging. The problem with this type of aging is that it is cosmetic and its there for everyone to see, there is no hiding it. The face can start developing wrinkles and start discolouring. However, it can be quite easy to avoid exposure to the harmful rays from the sun.

If you can, avoid going out in the early afternoon when the harmful effects are at its most potent.

Try and keep in the shade as much as possible when walking while the sun is at its strongest.

Do not sun tan. Apart from sun damage, you also risk the possibility of getting skin cancer.

Diet

Diet plays a great role in the process of aging. It can either expedite the process or help to slow it down. A bad diet high in fats and intoxicating foods can contribute in reducing acidic regulatory elements within the body.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol

These increase toxins in your body. A toxin slows down the body’s ability to process water efficiently and of course damaging cells. Some may find it difficult to give up either, so it is recommended that you consume them very moderately.

Calorie restricting diet

A calorie restricting diet while maintaining the optimal calorie intake has been shown to improve the conditioning of the heart and has the potential to increase lifespan significantly. The diet would require cutting out bad fats such saturated fats and having a balanced protein, carbohydrate and fat diet.

The research carried out by scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine and published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Vol. 47, Issue 2, pp. 398-402) had also shown blood pressure to be significantly lower in people following a balanced calorie restricting diet.

Multi vitamin

Vitamins are thought to be a good source of antioxidants that help to neutralise free radicals. These free radicals lead to aging because they damage cells.

Although you can get much of required vitamins from having a healthy diet containing lots of fruit and vegetables, you can supplement that source with a multivitamin pills. However, be careful not to overdose and only take the amount instructed.

High water intake

Make certain that you drink plenty of water every day. Water helps to neutralise acids in the body by eliminating toxins. This helps improve the efficiency of the body in disposing of waste such as urine and perspiration.

Of course, drinking plenty of water will also help to re-hydrate the body.

Exercise

A regular regimen of aerobic activity and strength training is a great way to slow down aging or help to reverse it as it improves a body’s muscle tone that can take “years off” one’s appearance.

However, it is not just the cosmetic effects of exercise that should encourage people to schedule regular exercise in their lives, more importantly, biologically, exercise helps to improve the anatomical condition in many ways. Exercise helps to improve a human’s lung capacity significantly and helps to strengthen the bones, which reduce the risk of arthritic condition developing.

Women should not be afraid to lift weights

We are talking about relatively light weights here. There is no need to worry about developing “Manly” characteristics, lifting light weights, if anything, is much like a more intense form of aerobic activity. It will only help to firm up and tone the muscles, which of course also help the metabolic state of the body and helps to keep the body trim and lean. This is much more difficult to do with aerobic activity alone.

For older people, gentle aerobic activity is recommended because of the risk of injury doing intense aerobic exercises or weight training.

Stop smoking

Smoking adds to harmful toxins in the body. These toxins contribute to damaging cells.

Prana Healing – Works

November 27, 2010November 27, 2010 Kristin Russel

Anyone can learn Parana healing. It’s really very simple to learn. Parana healing is not taught in the traditional sense. The innate ability to channel healing energy through thought is simply awakened through a series of initiations by a trained teacher called a Prana healing Master. These initiations, knows as “attunements”, align the energy centers in the body (the Chakras), facilitating the healing process. The Prana healing student also learns special symbols that enhance the healing process. If you want to learn Prana healing, you can find a Prana healing Master in every city of the U.S. and in most every country in the world. You can even find DVD’s where Prana healing Masters pass on the attunements through your computer screen. There are several schools of Prana healing.

The traditional Indian prana healing medical discipline views injury, dysfunction and disease as manifesting when subtle energies are weak, distorted or out-of-balance. These subtle energies called “auric energies” surround our bodies while the “internal energies” are within our bodies. Both are unseen to the normal human eye as are bacteria and viruses. Prana healing, Tai Chi, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Hatha Yoga, Shiatsu, Radionics and herbal remedies are all means of optimizing subtle auric and internal energies.

The Movement of Prana

Prana moves with your breath and mind – these include your mental images, thoughts, sensations and emotions. Keep in mind that the following variables work in a domino-like effect. For example, a change in emotions can also change the thoughts and mental images of a person. When your mind is relaxed, your emotions will also be relaxed.

By breathing exercises, you can unlock, guide and control the flow of prana which will help you to stabilize your mind and body for meditation.

Only recently have Western scientists and proponents of traditional Western medicine considered the role that subtle energies play in the functioning of the immune system. Triggered by new studies in Vibrational Medicine, which explores the relationship between matter and energy, western science is now acknowledging the common links between traditional Asian medicine and the science of modern Quantum Physics.

Religion and Spirituality

It’s heartening to know that Eastern medical practices are now beginning to look more scientific (and subsequently more acceptable) to the Western practitioner; however, Prana healing (like other Eastern practices), while not considered a system of religious beliefs, is not entirely devoid of a spiritual side. The name “Prana healing” actually means, “Spiritually guided life force energy”. The energy vibrations Prana healing accesses in the healing process come from the mysterious, unexplained energy that animates all living things. In addition, the colorful history of Prana healing includes a Buddhist monk, transcendental initiations and his experience with spontaneous healing.

But whatever one chooses to believe, the practice of Prana healing has been shown to heal individuals on four distinct levels – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Prana healing is a catalytic factor in personal evolution, no matter what beliefs are held. The experience of Prana healing is a vehicle to becoming conscious of your own being regardless of faith of concepts.