YOGA, HEALTH & WELLNESS TIPS

Marma Session for Neurochemical and Hormonal Health
Featuring Dr. Vasant Lad, in a demonstration video from The Ayurvedic Institute (2010)
[YSN Vol. 7, No. 1 – Mar. 2019]

Touching a marma point changes the body’s biochemistry and can unfold radical, alchemical change in one’s makeup. Stimulation of these inner pharmacy pathways signals the body to produce exactly what it needs, including hormones and neurochem-icals that heal the body, mind and consciousness. This deep dimension of marma therapy has the potential to unfold spiritual healing.

Watch this video presentation produced by The Ayurvedic Institute (2010) to see how Dr. Lad instructs on how to apply marma therapy: https://youtu.be/LmbUEGFtI0k.

Have a Soothing Cup of Tea!
[YSN Vol. 6, No. 3 – Nov. 2018]

Ayurveda recommends that you have a warm drink with your meal to help with digestion.

Click here for recipes from The Ayurvedic Institute: https://bit.ly/2CEgmti.

Google to Help Beginners Understand Yoga Poses Better
[YSN Vol. 4, No. 2 – May 2016]

Google a yoga pose to learn more about it!

If you do not understand a Yoga pose, not to worry! Google has just updated its search engine to brief you on different poses. So if you are a beginner, and are wondering what a warrior pose is all about, just Google it! Once you do, the search engine will give you necessary information with images to help you understand better. Further, it will tell you its English and Sanskrit name and what body parts the pose strengthens. You can also go to the next pose and develop a Yoga sequence.

Benefits of Daily Yoga Practice
[YSN Vol. 4, No. 1 – Jan. 2016]

[Adapted from “The New Science on the health benefits of Yoga,” by Cristina Goyanes, Huffpost Healthy Living, July 24, 2015]

Practicing Yoga routinely, every day, can bring about many beneficial changes in your lifestyle. Ask Taksha’s own Dr. Dilip Sarkar, Chairman, Taksha Institute School of Integrative Medicine (SIM), and featured in this Huffpost issue on Healthy Living. Dr. Sarkar had the firsthand experience with the benefits of Yoga Therapy soon after he recovered from a heart attack in 2001. And now at the age of 65, in addition to teaching and lecturing on yoga therapy in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area and around the world, he practices 25 minutes of asanas, 25 minutes of pranayama, and 10 minutes of meditation every morning! While talking about the advantages of yoga therapy, he said that people who practise the asanas every day have effortlessly and automatically changed their lifestyle. “They eat better, sleep better, their lifestyle is more regulated.”

Two Nostrils are Better than One…
[YSN Vol. 3, No. 1 – Jan. 2015]

[Adapted from “Smelling Roses: Your Nostrils May Part Ways,” by Kathleen O’Toole, Stanford Report, November 10, 1999]

When taking in the scent of something, it is noticeable to most people that one nostril sucks in air faster than the other, although scientists had not understood a purpose for this difference until a 1999 study was conducted. It appears the difference in airflow through the nostrils allows one nostril to better detect the odor of some substances, while the other nostril better detects others. Click here to read the full overview.

Benefits of Laughter

We all love a hearty laugh, as it provides a psychological boost and makes one feel better. Laughter is infectious and more contagious than bacteria or a flu virus. It helps us connect with others, and improves relations. Fake or real, alone or with a group, it makes no difference! Laugh, laugh, laugh!

There are additional health benefits, as well:

lowers blood pressure
boosts immune system
diminishes stress hormone levels
aids digestion
improves cardiovascular and lung function
raises levels of good cholesterol
minimizes pain by release of endorphins, chemicals that function as neurotransmitters and block pain

Oprah’s Four “R’s”
[YSN Vol. 1, No. 1 – Nov. 2013]

“Retreat. Relax. Restore. Renew.” So says Oprah, writing from Ananda spa in the foothills of the Himalayas near Rishikesh, India. In her February 2014 issue of Oprah magazine, she preaches “taking time for yourself in the name of wellness,” describing the gift of the opportunity to make the pilgrimage to Ananda, what she calls “the most authentic spa experience” she’s ever had. Her most important message, though, is that to find the stillness and is the centered space abiding within us, you do not have to travel to the Himalayas; “wherever you are right now….it is.”

Read more at “What I Know for Sure,” O Magazine, February 2014, p. 140.

Discovering Doshas
[YSN Vol. 1, No. 1 – Nov. 2013]

One’s natural constitution, or dosha, might be vata, pitta, or kapha, though everyone’s body includes elements of all three. The dominant one determines everything, from skin type to energy level and healthy balance of life practices that support your dosha is critical to achieve optimum wellness. In “Balancing Act,” an article published in O Magazine (date), Megan Deem describes her journey to increased energy, radiant skin, and better breathing as a result of learning about her personal dosha imbalance and taking the steps to realignment.

According to Deepak Chopra, the three unique constitutional elements and their lifestyle prescriptions can be described as follows:

VATA – thin, lively, agile, inquisitive, restless or anxious under stress
Prescription: music and yoga practice, heavy fruits (bananas, avocados), and routines can lend a calming influence

PITTA – fiery, intellectual, witty, muscular, and with strong appetite, prone to indigestion, excessive body heat and may have a short temper
Prescription: cooling foods and activities, such as melons, cucumbers, walks in natural surroundings, avoiding arguments and alcohol

KAPHA – calm, cool, thoughtful, steady, resistant to change and prone to gain weight
Prescription: new experiences, exercise, warmth and dryness in the home, avoidance of naps and dairy products

To read more about Megan’s journey, see “Balancing Act,” O Magazine, February 2014, p. 118.