Monsoon Magic

Hot tea, pakoda's (fried item) are the most favourite food stuff for Monsoon. But while consuming these we very easily tend to forgot the high cholesterol amount in it.

During this season we usually avoid travels but for work, people have to travel and we most probably prefer take out our cars. Using vehicles for travel decreases our mobility and this results to many problems such as weight gain, viral fever is most common in monsoon. Except this one also can face back problems, laziness and weakness.

Not to worry.

Yoga has a remedy for all!

Even if there is less mobility one can dedicate 15 Min of the day and achieve all the benefits.

Yogic asanas for beginners can start from:

 (1)marjarasana (cat pose) 2 rounds

 (2)parvat asana( moutain pose) 

sitting posture may be simple cross leg, ardha padmasana or padmasana.

It has a very long term benefits 

and followed by 

 (3)kapalbhatti - inhalation of maximum amount of air, fixing chest, while giving strokes there must be visible inward and outward movement of stomach.

It generates good amount of heat in the body which is helpful for better metabolism.

 (4)anulom-vilom : alternative nasal breathing.

It balances the heat generated after kapalbatti , and also helps in improving oxygen level in the blood.

For advance yogi's

(5) suryanamaskar (12 poses)- 6 sets of  are recommended along with all the above asanas .

All kind of asana are requested to be doen early in the morning with an empty stomach or else in the evening 4 hours post lunch for better results.

Top 10 Benefits of Yoga for the Mind

The best way to distress your self is to practice yoga. Many people are starting to realize the wonderful benefits and great impact yoga can have on the mind. Yoga is perfect to calm the racing minds.Here are ten ways yoga can benefit your mind:

1. Stress Relief – Many beginners report feeling more relaxed and less stressed after their first yoga class! Yoga requires you to place yourself in the moment and forget about anything that was previously worrying you. Deep breathing and yoga poses also help you to release stress from your body leaving you feeling content and stress free.

2. Improved overall mood – Regular Yoga practice can balance your hormones and regulate the nervous system. This will in turn improve your mood and give you a more positive outlook on life.

3. Peace of mind – Yoga can help you achieve enlightenment and maintain a peace of mind. Meditation and the mind-body connection that yoga delivers can help contribute to finding your center and letting go of the material world.

4. Concentration – Yoga poses focus on concentrating on the breath and focusing on being in the moment to keep from getting distracted by thoughts. This practice can help you concentrate outside of the yoga studio as well.

5. Self-acceptance – Yoga encourages you to be non-judgmental of yourself and others.

6. Motivation – Research shows that you can improve your motivation and concentration through yoga practice. In this study, participants showed tremendous increases in their levels of motivation in as little as 8 weeks. Yoga can help you feel more inspired to follow your dreams or do the things you want in life.

7. Open heart – Yoga can help you open your heart and be more compassionate towards others.

8. Calmness – Yogis have reported a dramatic decrease in hostility with yoga practice. The relaxation and meditation involved in yoga practice helps yogis control their anger and let go of negativity much more easily.

9. Memory – By improving blood circulation to the brain, yoga can help your memory! Focus and concentration can also contribute to the increased capacity for memory.

10. Relationships – Yoga will help you learn the interconnectedness of all of life and help you become a more positive, self-aware, being. This will help you create more positive relationships with others. You will feel more connected to others as human beings and have greater respect for your fellow person.

Why You Should Walk, Not Run, Your Way To Fat Loss.

For the longest time, cardio was touted as the best fat loss method out there. Fortunately, this has been disproved time and time again over recent years. While steady-state cardio can still have its place, today I want to make a case for why I think you should walk, not run, for fat loss.
There is no denying that LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio can be an effective tool for weight loss. I want to share a few glaring problems with this method and explain why I never suggest my clients get on the treadmill.

1 – Notice above I said effective tool for weight loss. I didn’t say fat loss. The biggest problem I have with cardio is that when you burn calories running, you are burning calories from fat AND muscle. Your body doesn’t pick and choose where the calories come from that it’s burning. This is very bad as you never want to decrease muscle mass on your body. Muscle is more metabolic and burns more calories at rest than does fat.

2 – Overexercising, or long duration cardio sessions, increase stress hormone which can then lead to increased cravings and overcompensation for calories burned.

3 – Running is considered a low impact exercise. However, as you increase your distance, that’s a lot of times you are banging your feet into the ground. Surfaces matter, along with great shoes, but if you are overweight, this is detrimental long-term to your joints (knees, in particular).

Recapping: cardio alone decreases muscle mass (causing metabolism to become less efficient), can disrupt hormonal balance (leading to weight GAIN) and can have a negative impact on your joint health.

While walking may not provide the same calorie burning effects as running (not the purpose), it can prove to be a healthier alternative for some individuals. walking . This might not sound very sexy if burning calories is more important to you, but long-term this is much better for your overall health. You’re able to manage and control hunger and cravings causing you to eat less naturally (eat less, exercise less = fat loss). 

So how much should you walk? As much as possible! As we roll into Spring, if you live in a warmer climate try to get 30-60 minute outdoor leisure walks in at least 3 days a week. Go up to 6 days if possible. Replace those cardio sessions with walks. Try to schedule in other stress-relieving activities like a massage, sauna, hot bath, or even naps!

If you really want to ramp up your fat loss for beach body season, incorporate metabolic resistance trainingworkouts into your regimen as well. 2-3 high intensity, 20-30 minute workouts done each week coupled with a well-written nutrition plan and you will never have to set foot on another treadmill again!