Yoga Does Promote Good Health

A new study led by an Indian-origin scientist has proved that meditation actually eases stress and promotes better health.

Meditation triggers a change in electrical activity of the brain, improving the mind and body in measurable ways, revealed Dr Ramesh Manocha at Sydney University, lead researcher of the study on work stress.

Within the context of meditation and stress, it's the largest study in the world and we've applied some rigorous conditions, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dr Manocha as saying

Yoga At Office

Working in an office or at a computer for prolonged periods of time can put strain on the neck, shoulder and back muscles which in turn can lead to tension and stiffness. This tension can cause headaches, as well as back, neck and shoulder pain. If left unattended, it could also impact your ability to function effectively at work and your overall quality of life. Simple techniques such as Office Yoga may help alleviate the pain and other symptoms by releasing tension and increasing muscle strength and flexibility.

Work is a necessity in our lives. It is better to make the best of the responsibility imposed upon us. Most of us are locked up for hours inside the office or are hooked to computers in our cubicles. Hence, physical ailments, stiffness of various muscles in the body and mental fatigue gradually make their existence, transforming our lives into a complete hell.

Doctors and psychologists have opined together that working out simple yoga postures in the office is not only effective in terms of physical exercises but also enlivens the spirit and mind of the tired employee. Simple techniques may help alleviate the pain and other symptoms by releasing tension and increasing muscle strength and flexibility. They can be performed right on the office chair, any time, any day. Take a few minutes for yourself and incorporate some Yoga into your daily routine. Here are some simple Yoga techniques for:

• Right Posture


• Stress


• Neck


• Shoulder


• Eyes

Right Posture

Neutral sitting or standing should most essentially be practiced. Often we fail to place ourselves in the correct posture whether standing or sitting and soon the problem begins. However, this simple exercise will help you to keep the position of your spine in order.

• Place your feet hip-distance apart and bend forward.
  
• Then look down at your feet. Your feet should be parallel (||).
  
• If you are sitting, keep check that your hips and your knees are in right angles.
  
• Sit straight and tall at the edge of your chair.
  

The Warrior Pose is recommended for relaxation of the upper body. Here are the steps:

• Raise your arms to the sides with fingers pointed out.
  
• Take a big step with the left foot turned out and knees bent.
  
• Your right leg should be straight and planted on the ground.
  
• Keep breathing.
  
• Keep your upper body in rest.
  
• After few minutes, switch sides. Now, extend your right leg.
  

Breathing Techniques To De-stress:

Are you yawning heavily at the start of the day or in the post lunch session?
Your stress has increased so profusely that you are falling asleep in office?
Try this breathing technique, it will surely help you to release your stress and you will be fresh to start your work again.

• Put your right thumb on your right nostril.
  
• Deeply breathe in and out the air using your left nostril.
  
• Similarly press your left nostril with your right index finger.
  
• Inhale and exhale as much as air you can.
  
• Practice this for 1 minute, if you have time, for it to be effective.
  

Neck Training:

While sitting on a chair or in front of the computer, your neck gets affected the most with terrible aching and severe cases, at times leading to spondylitis. Here is a simple way which can relieve you from the stress caused and prevent you from any kind of aching.

• Keep your hands on your waist and slowly lower your chin so that your neck is relaxed.
  
• Your entire body should be straight while you are doing this exercise.
  
• Hold 2/3 breath with you neck lowered.
  
• Gradually lift up your neck to its neutral position.
  
• Then lower you right ear to your right shoulder and repeat the same for the left side.
  
• Finally rotate your entire neck from its right to the central neutral position.
• Keep 2-3 breaths for areas where you need a relaxation.
  
• Repeat the same for the left side.
  

For Your Shoulders:

Shoulder problems often crop up when you sit in the same position for a long period of time. Here is an easy method to keep away your shoulder pains.

• Stretch your hands on both sides up to your ears, while you inhale.
  
• Drop them down to your sides in their normal position, while you exhale.
  
• The process should be gradual and raising/dropping of hands should follow your breathing.
  

Eye Exercise

Your eyes are mirrors to your soul and the most divine gift. Therefore it becomes your duty to take utmost care of them. Overusing your eyes, improper light during work and stress can harm your eyes. Here are some simple ways to prevent any kind of damage to this precious gift.

• Look forward and straight.
  
• Gradually look up towards the ceiling keeping your head & neck in the neutral position and by sucking in the air.
  
• Slowly drop your sight down on the floor while taking out the air and maintaining the position of the neck and head.
  
• Practice this at least 5 times.
  
• Then blink your eyes several times and close them to relax.
  
• Do the same side wise.
  
• Then gradually rotate your eyes in a clockwise manner.
  

Bikram Yoga - Achieving a Fit and Healthy Body

By Jessica Praman and Lucas Rockwood

You can try to do the Bikram Yoga or Hot Yoga, and it will definitely make your body in perfect shape. This exercise is not only limited for your body, but will aid you to have a positive outlook in life as well.

Bikram Yoga or some call it Hot Yoga, is an intense kind of Yoga. This is performed in a hot ventilated room, maybe around 95-100 degrees. Performing this exercise will make you sweat hard. Once you perspire, all toxins of your body will be washed out. Heat will also make your body more flexible, so it will be easier for you to do the different body postures. Bikram Yoga does a lot of benefits to those who engage in this activity.

Yoga, especially Bikram, has been known to be very effective in losing weight. This is because of the natural benefits that it can give to your body. There is no need for taking additional tablets or pills for maintenance. You just have to do it regularly and you can keep your well-shaped body for a long time. Since this Hot Yoga will make you perspire more, then it is an ideal workout for burning more fats and calories. By doing this regularly, you will certainly get lighter and lighter each day.

Bikram Yoga helps your body system, such as digestion, respiration and blood circulation, work effectively. According to experts, bodies that do not undergo in any physical activity have a weaker function on their body systems compared to those who are active. As a result, they have a slower metabolism which causes long storage of the food that they eat. These foods will then accumulate every time they eat and eat. Thus, they get bigger and bigger. A regular bowel movement will help in bringing the weight down.

Heat also gets your muscles stronger and become more elastic. In this manner, you can easily perform breath-taking postures in Yoga. The more you are able to do this, the more you increase your potential in losing weight. The strong muscles will make you survive in doing strenuous activities. Having a weaker body will limit you in completing other physical activities. It is also an indication that you will have lower possibilities in getting a slimmer body.

Bikram Yoga is one way of detoxification. It promotes healthy circulation of fluids in your body. Through this, every organ will most likely be in good shape. Your immune system is at its best performance. You will have lower risk of getting sick. It also means your body can get rid of waste quickly. Through excessive perspiration, it is one way of eradicating unwanted body fluids.

There can still be a lot of benefits you can get out from doing Bikram Yoga. But one essential thing to achieve your goal on keeping fit and healthy is to have a positive attitude. Aside from the physical changes it can do to you, Yoga also encourages willpower and mental strength. No matter how hard you exercise, but you do not set your mind on what you want to attain, everything will be useless. Always remember to practice a positive attitude and perform Yoga on a regular basis. Once you do this, you can surely see the results immediately.

Yoga for Ear Problems, Yoga and Health

Ear problems can rise due to an infection. However, other reasons may also cause ear pain or discomfort. The human ear is intricately and delicately designed. One of these vital senses of hearing can be impaired if proper care of the ears is not taken. They are the organs of hearing and balance.

The hearing apparatus consists of three major parts-the external ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Some of the common ear ailments include earache, ear discharge, hearing loss and internal ear infection. Yoga has long been known to be benefiting in various ailments related to ears. The main causes of ear problems can be long term cough and cold, Sinus can also greatly harm the ears and the associated organs. At times, intense ear pain can cause dizziness and interfere with the daily activities. Various other causes like constantly taking up intense physical strain at the time of studying, increased blood pressure, sinus and other environmental infections or constant ear plugging can cause hearing problems. Extended periods of listening to music at high volumes can also cause intense ear pain.

There are various asanas or postures that can be performed in yoga that benefit people in various ear disorder or discomforts. Yoga can be used for curing earaches and clogged ears. Specific asanas of yoga can be used for the treatment of the ears that result in acute pain in the ears. Yoga helps in the treatment by means of providing better circulation of the blood in almost all the organs of the body. Along with enhanced blood circulation it carries an increased amount of oxygen so as to tone and support the area.

Yoga also helps to provide freedom from the tightness or muscular pain near the neck and the shoulder region. The tension and relaxation exercises of yoga help to provide freedom from the plugged ears and the inflammation near the ear and the jaw region. Yoga asanas not just give mental comfort and physical support by rejuvenating the internal organs of the body by proper functioning of the nervous system, but various asanas of yoga help to cure the hearing troubles. These yogic asanas or postures involve keeping the throat openings of the inner ear clean and mucus free. These postures reduce much of the discomforts of the ear. If the ear is not cleansed properly, one may get susceptible to mucus collection due to an abundance of sinus infections and associated oral tract disorders as well as ear tract disorders.

The essential poses that keep ear troubles away are as follows -

• Tadasana is a balancing pose and it improves ear problems. This asana also improves height and makes spine flexible. Visceroptosis and pain in the backbone is also removed.


• Vrksasana strengthens the quadriceps muscles, thighs, calves, ankles and spine, thus creating flexibility in the hips. This asana alleviates sciatica and cultivates balance in the entire body.


• Trikonasana is the asana that has been known to help strengthen the legs as well as the back of a person. It develops the muscles along the spine and strengthens neck muscles, thus reducing backaches and neck pain.


• Sukhasana is believed to aid tuneful, but controlled stimulation of the creative imagination of a person. This asana provides one with mental peace and has been found to be very beneficial for strengthening the lumbar region of the body.

Some more asanas that are truly beneficial in reducing ear problems includes Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Karnapidasana and so on. The practice of Jal Neti is very beneficial for cleansing the inner ear and preventing various ear infections and treating them. Karnapidasana is a variant of Halasana and can be done along with it. This inverted posture helps in draining the stagnant blood from the lower limbs. However, when a person rests in the final posture the circulation of blood in the lower part of the body improves. Karna Dhauti assists in ear wax removal. In this, the little finger is inserted into the ear canal to the maximum extent possible, so that there is a slight pressure against the ear walls. One should make sure that the nails are well trimmed and clean. The finger is then rotated a couple of times to dislodge excess wax and dried wax from the ear walls. The head is then tilted so that the dislodged wax drops out of the ear.

Other than practicing the asanas regularly, one should also do the regular cleaning of the outer ear safely and without abrasion. Cleansing keeps the throat openings of the inner ear, clean and mucus free. Unless the mucus collection has become chronic and started decaying into a bacterial infection, the practice of jala neti is reported to be very beneficial for addressing this inner ear cleaning and even in the prevention and treatment of ear infections.

Yoga Headstands for Better Health

By Sheryl Walters

It is very rare that we are able to see the world upside down, and regularly viewing the world from this angle can bring a variety of amazing benefits to our life.

Headstand and Yoga for Skin Care

Turning ourselves upside down is not only an amazing practice for health...but for beauty. A headstand can reduce facial wrinkles, and if practiced regularly, is a natural 'face-lift'. This is because it reverses the effects of gravity and allows the skin to rest in the other direction.

Furthermore, yoga for skin care increases the circulation to the face, which brings much needed nutrients and oxygen to rejuvenate and remove wrinkle causing toxins. The result is smoother, clearer, brighter & glowing skin.

Thicker Hair, Fewer Grays

Headstand can actually convert gray hair back to its natural color! It will certainly delay the onset of gray hair. This is due to the increase in blood supply and nutrients to the hair follicles in the scalp.

Balding can also be prevented or slowed, and thicker, healthier hair is produced.

Balanced Hormones and Endocrine System

Headstand stimulates and provides refreshed blood to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. The health and strength of these glands are absolutely vital to our wellbeing, as they are the master glands and regulate the functioning of all the other glands in the body including the sexual hormones (better sex!), the thyroid, pineal, and the adrenals.

The powerful stress releasing effects of the headstand (you can't really be depressed if you're standing on your head!) further rebalance the adrenal glands so physical and emotional health is improved.

Better Circulation

Besides the positive effects of yoga for skin care, the improved circulation of headstands exercise the heart and encourage venous return. Because the heart constantly has to pump blood upward to the brain, the headstand gives the heart a rest and reduces heart strain.

Increased Brain Function

Headstand soaks the brain cells with fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients. This increases your thinking power, clarity, memory, concentration, and the sensory faculties. Brain tissues do not degeneration with regular practice.

Balanced Nervous System

Research has shown that an ischemic stroke never results for those who consistently do headstand! (If nothing else, that will get me on my head)

It can also prevent the occurrence of atherosclerotic, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases of the nervous system. Senile changes in brain are prevented. It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and depression. It is a centering, calming and soothing pose.

A Healthy Lymphatic System

Headstand encourages the drainage of lymphatic fluid so the whole body is regularly detoxified.

Strong Immune System

Recently, I blogged about how much healthier I have been since regularly practicing yoga. Headstands are one of the postures proven to strengthen your immune system.

Respiratory System

Headstands in yoga encourage deep breathing and create healthier lung issue.

Digestive System

Standing on our heads tones and cleans digestive organs. It cleanses congested blood and toxins from them. Fresh warm blood invigorates the cells and can help people overcome problems of the liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines and reproductive system.

Musculo skeletal system

Headstand strengthens the spine, neck, shoulders and arms. The muscular system of the abdomen and legs are toned.

Yoga Meditation - First Step to Mental and Physical Health

By Brit Forchet

Did you know that practicing yoga meditation can bring you some health benefits? Yoga meditation can be particularly helpful to you if you've been experiencing a lot of stress lately. This practice could be one of the best things you can do. In fact, it can even be life saving.

There are many types of yoga meditation you can try. One of these is Sahaja meditation. However, before you jump into it, you'll need to first learn about this technique and the things involved.

Essentially, it is the fusion of yoga and meditation. Of all the exercises you can do, these two are the most relaxing. The main objective is to get your mind, body and spirit in sync. You don't just focus on one aspect; you focus on all three simultaneously. Exercising regularly can help you tone your body and get you in shape. However, a healthy body isn't complete without a healthy mind and soul. And this is where yoga and meditation comes in.

Nearly everyone can benefit in some way or another from doing it. In fact, yoga meditation systematically deals with every level of your being, and that includes your interactions with yourself and the world. Right after your first session, you'll notice how your stress levels have gone down. This is because it addresses the senses, body, breath and mind. It helps ensure that your mind, body and soul are in sync. It is like no other exercise.

Sold on yoga meditation? To get started, register for a class at your local gym or fitness center. This way, you'll work with pros who know all about the proper way to do it and guide you as you do it. With this set up, you'll have someone who will let you know if you're doing something wrong and possibly prevent injuries The great thing about it is that you'll get to make the most out of it this way. After your first few yoga and meditation sessions, you'll notice that you're less stressed and your muscles feel looser. Best of all, you'll feel better overall.

Tips for Yoga Beginners

By Maggie Spilner, Prevention

Try to force yourself into a yoga posture to look like the instructor or a picture in a book, and you may end up in worse shape than if you had run a marathon.

"Yoga is meant to be a nurturing form of exercise, not a rigid imitation of poses," says Richard Faulds, author of the upcoming Kripalu Yoga: A Complete Guide to Practice On and Off the Mat (Bantam, 2004). It's very possible to stretch and strengthen your body without having to touch your nose to your knees or your feet to your head.

Here's how to help ensure that you leave yoga class serene, not sorry!

Style Guide: Look for gentle styles such as Kripalu, Viniyoga, or Integral Yoga. Bikram, Ashtanga, and Power Yoga are generally too vigorous for beginners and inflexible people.

Teacher Training: Find an experienced, certified yoga instructor who asks about your physical limitations and will modify pace or offer alternative poses to meet your needs. To find a certified instructor in your area, go to the Yoga Alliance Web site, or call them toll-free at (877) 964-2255 (from the US) or (610) 777-7793 (from Canada).

The Warm-up: Ten minutes of easy movements will increase circulation, lubricate joints, and ready your body to stretch. Poses should progress from simple to more difficult.

X-rated Postures: These poses can place tremendous strain on joints and disks: the plow, full shoulder stand, headstand, and full lotus. Beware!

Back Protection: Keep knees slightly bent, and hinge from the hips when bending forward from standing positions. When arching backward in any pose, concentrate on opening the front of the body by lengthening from the navel to the sternum. Don't overarch the lower back, which compresses lumbar disks.

Knee-savers: Don't lock your knees in standing postures, despite what a teacher may say. If you feel any strain during sitting or kneeling postures, place a cushion or folded blanket under your bottom.

Neck Care: Always keep your neck in alignment with the rest of your spine when arching backward. Don't let it flop back or down.

Your Limits: Get to know your body and its injury-prone zones. Back off from any movement that causes pain or cramping. Don't compare yourself with others.

Hands On or Off: Many teachers assist students during classes. In general, a light touch that brings your awareness to an area and allows you to make your own adjustments is safest. Teachers who adjust you by moving your body for you or forcing you into a posture may cause injuries. Just say no!

Yoga Helps Asthma Patients In 10 Weeks

Adults with asthma reported increased quality of life and reduced asthma symptoms after 10 weeks of yoga practice, according to research presented today at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Seattle. The study followed 20 subjects age 20-65 who were beginners at yoga.

Subjects received one-hour yoga classes twice per week and were asked to practice an additional half-hour weekly at home, for a total of 2.5 hours per week. After initial warm-ups, deep breathing and stretching, the participants practiced yoga positions, or asanas. The goal was to hold poses during deep breathing. According to lead researcher Amy Bidwell, M.S., this replicates the stress of an oncoming asthma attack. Most previous research measured the acute effects of yoga on asthma-for example, after a single, two-hour session. This study, said Bidwell, looked at the effect of a 10-week training program.

Study participants completed St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire before and after the 10-week regimen to assess impacts on their overall health, daily life and perceived well-being. The results were impressive: participants' scores on the questionnaire improved by an average of 42.5 percent.

For Bidwell, who began practicing yoga years ago as an alternative to back surgery and now is a certified instructor, the results were dramatic but not surprising.

"I have a number of friends with asthma," she said. "Many have side effects from taking medications such as corticosteroids. The main question was whether or not we could reduce their need for medication and improve their quality of life."

Bidwell worked closely with a physician to design and conduct the study. He had been teaching breathing techniques to his patients. Based on the study results, he now is prescribing yoga practice as well.

Further research, said Bidwell, might include a larger sample size over a longer term. A 12-month study, for example, could incorporate the effect of changing seasons on participants' symptoms. Bidwell said the current study supports the validity of yoga as a therapeutic tool.

"Modern medicine carries many side effects," she said. "This is especially true with corticosteroids, which many asthmatics take for quick relief. Yoga is an excellent alterative because there are no side effects. It's a natural, holistic discipline that can benefit a person's body in many ways."

Source: American College of Sports Medicine

Kundalini Yoga Helps Connect the Physical and Spiritual Self

By Anne Clarke

Kundalini yoga is a certain type of yoga that consists of specific movements. Its movements are often difficult and complicated. Like other forms of yoga, Kundalini should only be practiced by those that have been instructed properly. It is a difficult type of yoga, which a person may need to practice a lot in order to excel at it.

The word kundalini is a word that is from the language of Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a classical language that originated in the country of India. It is commonly spoken in India and Nepal and is used in Hindu religious ceremonies. As a result of yoga's roots being in and around the country of India, Sanskrit is also used to describe poses and elements in various forms of yoga.

In Sanskrit the word kundalini means life force. Literally translated the word kundalini actually means "that which is coiled." Many yoga practitioners refer to the kundalini as a serpent. The serpent in the body is also known as the person's life force.

Kundalini is a type of yoga that focuses on communication between mind and body. People who practice kundalini believe that such communication is important for physical and mental health. They also believe that this yoga will promote psychospiritual growth. That is why people who practice kundalini are masters of concentration. Concentration is essential for communication. It is the first step for connecting the physical and spiritual self.

The basic practice of kundalini yoga can be taught in a live class with an experienced instructor that is advanced in the practice of kundalini and other forms of yoga or on a video. Regardless of where or how it is taught, kundalini is somewhat complicated discipline. A basic class often consists of a series of bodily postures, movements and utterances. Like any form of yoga, proper breathing and concentration is important for success in each pose, posture and movement.

Besides the necessity of proper breathing and concentration, kundalini is a form of yoga that requires great attention to detail. The complicated movements and postures, or even the simple ones, should be done with care and extreme consideration of self, surroundings and great attention to detail and the body's movements. Kundalini yoga should not be practiced as a series of stretching or gymnastics types exercises, they are much more than that. Also, if the movements are not completed correctly the result can be injury, whether it is minor or severe.

Anyone can successfully practice any type of yoga. There are just different levels of difficulty for each type of movement, posture and position. Advanced students and teachers can help to tailor specific movements for different types of people. Supports can be added to help individuals that have injuries and movements can be modified for people that have a decreased amount of flexibility or strength. The trick is to ask for help to achieve yoga fitness goals. Other students and teachers are always glad to assist another yoga lover.

Yoga And Elevated Brain GABA Levels

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. The findings, which appear in the May issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, suggest that the practice of yoga be explored as a possible treatment for depression and anxiety, disorders associated with low GABA levels.

The World Health Organization reports that mental illness makes up to fifteen percent of disease in the world. Depression and anxiety disorders both contribute to this burden and are associated with low GABA levels. Currently, these disorders have been successfully treated with pharmaceutical agents designed to increase GABA levels.

Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, the researchers compared the GABA levels of eight subjects prior to and after one hour of yoga, with 11 subjects who did no yoga but instead read for one hour. The researchers found a twenty-seven percent increase in GABA levels in the yoga practitioner group after their session, but no change in the comparison subject group after their reading session. The acquisition of the GABA levels was done using a magnetic resonance spectroscopy technique developed by J. Eric Jensen, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an associate physicist at McLean Hospital.

According to the researchers, yoga has shown promise in improving symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and epilepsy. "Our findings clearly demonstrate that in experienced yoga practitioners, brain GABA levels increase after a session of yoga," said lead author Chris Streeter, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at BUSM and a research associate at McLean Hospital.

"This study contributes to the understanding of how the GABA system is affected by both pharmacologic and behavioral interventions and will help to guide the development of new treatments for low GABA states," said co-author Domenic Ciraulo, MD, professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry at BUSM.

"The development of an inexpensive, widely available intervention such as yoga that has no side effects but is effective in alleviating the symptoms of disorders associated with low GABA levels has clear public health advantage," added senior author Perry Renshaw, MD, PhD, director of the Brain Imaging Center at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

Source: Boston University

Can Yoga Prevent Middle-Age Sspread? Yes

A study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight.

The study - the first of its kind to measure the effects of yoga on weight - appears in the July/August issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the study involved 15,500 healthy, middle-aged men and women who were asked to complete a written survey recalling their physical activity (including yoga) and weight history between the ages 45 and 55. The study measured the impact of yoga with weight change, independent of other factors such as diet or other types of physical activity.

The researchers found that between the ages of 45 and 55, most people gained about a pound a year, which is a common pattern as people age and do not adjust their caloric intake to their declining energy needs. "However, men and women who were of normal weight at age 45 and regularly practiced yoga gained about 3 fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn't practice yoga," said Alan R. Kristal, Dr.P.H., the study's lead author. For the study, regular yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years.

But the researchers noted the greatest effect of regular yoga practice was among people who were overweight. "Men and women who were overweight and practiced yoga lost about 5 pounds, while those who did not practice yoga gained about 14 pounds in that 10-year period," said Kristal, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

What accounts for yoga's apparent fat-fighting potential? Kristal, himself a longtime yoga student, suspects it has more to do with increased body awareness than the physical activity itself.

"During a very vigorous yoga practice you can burn enough calories to lose weight, but most people don't practice that kind of yoga," he said. "From my experience, I think it has to do with the way that yoga makes you more aware of your body. So when you've eaten enough food, you're sensitive to the feeling of being full, and this makes it much easier to stop eating before you've eaten too much."

Study co-author Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts, agrees. "Most people practice yoga in a way that's not aerobic enough to burn a lot of calories, so it has to be some other reason."

One reason, she speculates, could be that yoga cultivates a form of gentle inner strength. "When we practice yoga, although it may look easy, there is some mild discomfort. You bring your body to a physical edge that's just a little bit challenging. And people who regularly practice yoga develop the inner resources to stay with a little bit of discomfort. They develop a softness inside and an ability to stay mindful. So that when you go home after yoga class and open up the fridge and see a chocolate cake, you have the resources to stay with the discomfort of not eating that chocolate cake."

Whatever the reason behind the apparent impact of yoga on weight maintenance and loss, Kristal stresses that these findings need to be replicated.

"I think it's time now to do a carefully controlled, randomized clinical trial to see if adding yoga to a standard weight-loss program can help people lose more weight or keep it off longer. The other message, particularly to people who might be overweight, is that yoga is a noncompetitive activity. It's something that everybody can do. It brings so many benefits, and if one of the clinical benefits is that it can help you control your weight, then that's a great thing."

The participants in the yoga study were part of a larger ongoing Hutchinson Center study involving more than 75,000 residents of western Washington called the Vitamins and Lifestyle, or VITAL, study. This $4.2 million project, which began in 2000, aims to determine whether vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements reduce the risk of cancer.

YOGA TIPS THAT MAY ENCOURAGE WEIGHT MAINTENANCE OR LOSS

Study co-author and yoga teacher Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts, offers the following suggestions for enhancing one's yoga practice. These tips may be particularly helpful for those who wish to maintain or lose weight:

1. Practice in a room without mirrors, and pay more attention to your internal experience than to your outer performance.

2. Learn to feel sensations more and more subtly, so that you become deeply involved in and curious about small movements, sometimes called micro-movements.

3. In your poses, find an edge for yourself where you are challenged but not overwhelmed. At this edge, practice maintaining a clear, open and accepting mental state.

4. Give yourself permission to rest when you feel overworked.

5. Pay close attention to what you are saying to yourself as you practice, and make an intentional effort to appreciate your own efforts and innate goodness.

6. Go to class faithfully, arrive early, and talk to a few people in your class before class begins.

7. Buy your own yoga mat and bring it to class.

8. Realize that the development of qualities like patience, discipline, wisdom, right effort, kindness, gratitude and many others will arise from your yoga practice. These qualities create a steady and soft mind.

9. Find a teacher who offers a balance of gentleness and firmness and whose teaching inspires you to practice from your highest self.

10. Recognize that simply attending class is a major statement of courage, self-care, and positive momentum. Realize that you are inspiring others as you become more true to your deepest desires.

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org.

Kristen Lidke Woodward

Relax And Refocus With Yoga

The essence of optimal health is a healthy mind in a health body. Yoga, which has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, is a way to achieve both.

The November issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource offers an overview of yoga and its health benefits.

Rooted in ancient India, today's yoga is broadly understood as a system of relaxation, postures and breathing. Over the centuries, different forms of yoga have evolved. Some focus more on spirituality, others on mediation and mastering the conscious mind. Some are more physically challenging than others.

A number of research studies have been conducted on the potential health benefits of yoga. Some commonly acknowledged benefits include:

Relaxation and stress relief. Yoga's quiet precise movements focus your mind less on your busy day and more on movement as you breathe deeply and progress through a series of poses.

Increased flexibility and balance. As you learn and practice new poses, you'll find that each time you can reach a little farther.

Although evidence isn't definitive, studies have also shown that yoga may help manage certain chronic health conditions, such as:

Depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders
Asthma
Cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol
Chronic pain
Diabetes

If you'd like to try yoga, look for classes in your area. You also can learn from books and videos, but an instructor can help you adjust poses to your needs. Ask about the instructor's training and experience in working with your particular needs or health concerns.

At the end of the yoga class, you should feel invigorated yet calm. If that's not the case, talk to the instructor for suggestions. Otherwise, another yoga class may be better suited to your needs.

Mayo Clinic

Evaluating Benefits Of Yoga - American Council On Exercise (ACE) First

Today more than 11 million Americans pack fitness studios around the country seeking the mind-body benefits of yoga, including increased flexibility, strength, balance and muscle tone. But is yoga also a good calorie-burning workout? In an exclusive study, the American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's nonprofit fitness advocate, examined the aerobic benefits and calorie expenditure of Hatha yoga, the most beginner-friendly and widespread practice.

Lead researchers Dawn Boehde and John Porcari, Ph.D., FACSM, from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse recruited 34 healthy but sedentary women (average age of 33) for the study. Before beginning the study, participants were given the same series of tests evaluating their flexibility, balance, aerobic fitness level and muscular strength and endurance.

The subjects where divided into two groups: a yoga group and a non-yoga control group. The yoga group participated in 55-minute Hatha yoga classes three times a week during the eight-week study period while the non-yoga group was barred from any form of exercise.

The study concluded that while the yoga group showed numerous improvements in strength and endurance as well as improved balance and flexibility, they did not burn a significant amount of calories. In fact, one 50-minute session of Hatha yoga burns just 144 calories, similar to a slow walk.

"Yoga is designed to relax the body and help improve musculoskeletal fitness. If you attempt to incorporate calorie-burning elements in a yoga session you may compromise the essential purpose and beneficial effects of the practice," said Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for ACE. "While the ACE study shows that a Hatha yoga session burns a relatively small amount of calories, yoga is still a valuable addition to any exercise routine offering the essential elements of flexibility, balance and relaxation; factors often neglected in traditional workouts."

Yoga group participants did show the following improvements:

-- Yoga participants' total body flexibility improved by 13 percent, with significant results in shoulder and trunk flexibility

-- Muscular fitness also improved in the yoga group enabling them to do an average of six more push-ups and 14 more curl-ups

-- Yoga participants experienced a 17-second increase in their one-legged stand time

It's Not A Stretch - Yoga May Help Cancer Patients

It's been around for more than 5,000 years,* and still, yoga is one of the fastest growing fitness programs in the country.* Those who do it will tell you yoga can make you stronger and more flexible. Could it be doing more than that? Some believe yoga might even bolster the immune system in women who are battling breast cancer. To find out if that's a stretch, scientists are now weighing in.

Even though she's been doing yoga for 20 years and teaching for nine, Linda Oshins says she got into it almost accidentally. Doctors removed a breast because of cancer and Linda originally went to yoga class so she could get back into the swimming pool.

"I went to regain mobility in my arm so that I could swim and realized that yoga was helping me through the fear and stress," says Oshins.

Suddenly, Linda says she was not only feeling better, she believed she was getting better. The yoga was relieving stress and exhaustion, which are common complaints of women coping with cancer.

"The consequences of treatment or just having the cancer itself, the emotional stress of it all can affect health," says Charles Shapiro, MD, at Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital.

Can yoga really make that big of a difference? Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser of Ohio State University Medical Center wants to find out. She and her colleagues are enlisting some 250 women with breast cancer to take yoga classes to measure their impact. Even if those women report feeling better, scientists want to take that a step further, by taking evidence to the lab.

"We're going to be looking at blood - before, after, and then three months after that. We want to see what yoga actually does in terms of altering the immune response and affecting fatigue as well," says Kiecolt-Glaser.

By measuring stress hormones in the blood, researchers will see what kind of scientific impact yoga can have on physical health. In the meantime, Linda will keep teaching her class - certain of the role yoga already plays in her emotional health.

Women in the study will go through two 90-minute yoga classes every week and will continue doing yoga at home after their classes are done. Scientists will test them throughout to see how their bodies are reacting. The study is being funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Research Review Finds Yoga Beneficial In Reducing Hypertension

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, remains the most common reason for office visits to physicians for non-pregnant adults in the United States. Some 50 million Americans are believed to have hypertension. Despite its prevalence and the complications associated with it, control of the disease is far from adequate. As a result, hypertension will likely remain the most common risk factor for stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease for years to come.

At the same time, some 42 percent of Americans have used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches to meet their health care needs, spending more out-of-pocket for CAM than the amount projected for expenditures in 1997 for all U.S. physician services. Nearly three million people are estimated to have tried mind-body techniques to treat their hypertension; approximately eight percent of the hypertensive population.

Mind-Body medicine, one of five major branches of CAM therapeutics, uses behavioral techniques to augment the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms, utilizing varied approaches such as meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance. The 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) found nearly 30 million users of relaxation techniques including meditation and yoga, and 10 million users of yoga therapies. One-fourth of those who used mind-body therapies rated them "very helpful."

The Study

There has been little quality research to discriminate between positive anecdotal evidence, marketing schemes, and practices that are consistently effective and safe. As a result, a team of researchers conducted a systematic review aims to assess the efficacy of mind-body therapies (MBT) versus placebo or active control in the treatment of hypertension. The main outcome measures include change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure pre- and post-intervention period.

The team reviewed randomized, or quasi-randomized, controlled trials comparing mind-body techniques (meditation, yoga, and guided imagery) alone or in combination with conventional treatment to conventional treatment alone or no intervention/waiting list control. Relevant trials were identified in the register of trials maintained by the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field Registry, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and CINAHL.

Mind-Body Therapies (MBTs

Participants in these trials were men and non-pregnant women, greater than 18 years of age with hypertension defined as a systolic blood pressure of >140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg. (Normal is defined as systolic >140 and/or diastolic >90 mmHg). The types of intervention undertaken by the study participants were mind-body techniques with the greatest rates of utilization (>3.5 percent prevalence of use in the general population) being meditation, yoga, and guided imagery techniques. A description of each follows:

Meditation: A systematic mental focus on particular aspects of inner or outer experience involving engaging in an activity that directs the mind to single point of focus, using breathing techniques, or imagery in order to feel a state of calmness.

Yoga: The Sanskrit word yoga connotes "the joining of the lower human nature to the higher." Yoga techniques comprise a series of body positions and movements developed in order to help relax the body and calm the mind. It involves breath control, physical exercises and meditation.

Imagery: The generation (either by oneself or guided by a practitioner) of different mental images. Using the capacities of visualization and imagination, individuals evoke images, usually either sensory or affective. These images are typically visualized with the goal of evoking a psychophysiological state of relaxation or with some specific outcome in mind.

Results

The review and synthesis of 12 published randomized trials found largely favorable effects of the most popular mind-body therapies on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Mind-Body Therapies (MBT) significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) by a mean 11.52 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by 6.83 mm Hg. Of the three MBT analyzed, yoga therapies demonstrated results of the greatest magnitude, with mean SBP reductions of 19.07 mm Hg and DBP by 13.13 mm Hg. Significant results were seen in SBP reductions by yoga and meditation therapy, while only yoga therapies demonstrated significant reductions in DBP.

The absolute reductions in blood pressure were comparable to pharmacologic monotherapy in both effect size and temporality. Additionally, reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure to the degree found in yoga interventions were associated with reductions in vascular death rates as well as decreased overall cardiac risk.

Conclusions

According to Dr. Ali, the lead author, "This review shows that there is some high quality scientific literature supporting the use of mind-body therapies as a treatment for hypertension, and the magnitude of effect is clinically significant." Despite the limitations of a review, he suggests mind-body interventions may be prudent choices for adjunctive treatment for motivated patients.

Authors

The systematic review is entitled, "Mind-Body Practices for Hypertension: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." The study was conducted by Ather Ali, ND, MPH and David L. Katz, MD, MPH, of the Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Yale University; and Michael B. Bracken, PhD, MPH, of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Dr. Ali is presenting his team's findings at the 22nd annual meting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP; http://www.Naturopathic.org). The conference will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, Palm Springs, CA, August 22-25, 2007.

Naturopathic physicians are trained in the art and science of natural healthcare at accredited medical colleges. Integrative partnerships between conventional medical doctors and licensed naturopaths are becoming more available. This cooperation makes more effective therapies available to consumers. It increases patient satisfaction in their relationships with their care providers. More people are recovering their health by adding naturopathic medicine to their health care options.

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP)
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Iyengar Yoga Can Promote Well-Being In Women Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of invasive cancer attacking women in the United States. Last year alone some 213,000 women were diagnosed with the disease. The good news is that two million women have survived. Many women with breast cancer seek complementary interventions that will enhance their quality of life. Yet research is lacking whether these programs such as yoga, also benefit immune function.

A new study of breast cancer survivors practicing Iyengar yoga - a form of yoga that incorporates all of the components of physical fitness and focuses on structural alignment of the body as well as mental relaxation - has found that breast cancer survivors who practice yoga have changes in the way their immune cells respond to activation signals, which may be important for understanding how physical activity and meditative practices benefit the immune system. The function of genes in immune cells can be regulated by proteins called transcription factors. Transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is linked to immune cell activation and to the stress response.

The study, entitled Down-regulated lymphocyte NF-κB activation in breast cancer survivors following yoga participation, was conducted by Pamela E. Schultz, Mel Haberman, Ph.D., Kenn Daratha, Ph.D., Sally E. Blank, Ph.D., from Washington State University, and Joni Nichols, M.D., from Cancer Care Northwest (US Oncology), in Spokane, WA. They will discuss their findings at the 120th annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS; www.The-APS.org), being held as part of the Experimental Biology (EB '07) meeting. More than 12,000 scientists and researchers are attending the conference, being held April 28-May 2, 2007 at the Washington, DC Convention Center.

Methodology

Active practice of Iyengar yoga, named for its creator B.K.S. Iyengar, differs from the gentle restorative practices typically offered to cancer survivors as it can include all the components of physical fitness. The active practice of âsanas (postures) can incorporate cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and balance.

Nineteen women, average age 61 years, diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer and receiving antiestrogen or aromatase inhibitor hormonal therapy participated in the study. Time since diagnosis was approximately four years. None had any experience with Iyengar yoga. The subjects were randomized to either yoga (n=10) or a wait-list control group (n=9).

Beginning level Iyengar yoga classes were conducted two times per week for eight weeks and included the following yoga poses: standing poses, chest and shoulder openers; and inversions. The women were given a home instruction sheet to practice once a week at home a week at home for a total of three yoga sessions per week.

A survey of the subjects demands of illness and a blood sample to determine lymphocyte NF-κB activation were collected prior to and following the intervention.

Results

Preliminary findings indicate:

-- Demands of illness, which reflects the burden and hardship of breast cancer survivorship, decreased following yoga participation.

-- Compared with pre-intervention responses, women who participated in yoga had lower stimulated lymphocyte NF-κB activation after eight weeks of yoga than did the control group

-- Decreases in demands of illness were associated with decreased lymphocyte NF-κB activation in the yoga participants, only.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that an active yoga practice taught in the Iyengar tradition can be successfully offered to breast cancer survivors who are approximately four years out from initial cancer diagnosis and who are receiving certain types of hormonal therapy. It also shows that the program can have important psychological benefits for breast cancer surivors. This study is an important addition to the literature on the effectiveness of yoga intervention on the quality of life for female breast cancer survivors and that these changes may be associated with cell signaling regulating lymphocyte function.

The American Physiological Society (APS) has been an integral part of the scientific discovery process since it was established in 1887. Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease.

Yoga And Obesity Solution

As per one report nearly 14 percent of British youngsters are clinically obese. The cost of obesity to the NHS in UK is about 1 billion a year. By 2010 the number of overweight and obese youngsters in the European Union nations is expected to hit 26 million. An estimated 20,000 obese youngsters will have type 2 diabetes as per another report.

Obesity put strain on heart, respiratory and eliminatory system. It also increases the chances of diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Generally it is seen that obese people are also lower in vitality.

Obesity occurs in mostly two types of people. In stressful people who eat very fast and in excess and secondly in household person who eat from boredom. As the people put on weight they tend to become less happy because of their appearance and become more frustrated. Some people think by taking insufficient food can help in reducing weight. But when they start dieting, body starts to slow down in order to conserve energy and boost its chances of survival. This is why weight loss tends to slow down as we continue to diet. So in a way dieting is not the good method for reducing weight.

The most common cause of obesity is overeating and less physical movement. Overeating problem is coupled with poor diet and also wrong timing of eating said Subodh Gupta, Yoga expert from India. In fact to fight growing obesity among children, some of the schools in the UK are planning to introduce yoga for thousands of young students. This is an excellent step in the direction of fighting the obesity problem of UK.

Yoga practice provides an excellent means for maintaining balanced weight and overcoming obesity problem, provided a daily yoga program is followed with regular routine according to Subodh Gupta Yoga expert based in London.

Gentle yoga asana (postures) followed by Sun salutation exercise are very good for removing blockages and librating pranic energy in our body and helpful in revitalizing the body and mind. One should do yoga exercise to their comfort level but never to strain oneself. Yoga asana (postures) helps in building up strength and vitality slowly but surely. Yoga Exercise does not have to be intense or vigorous, but it must be regular and should amount to at least 30 minutes a day. Along with Yoga exercise, healthy diet at proper time and practice of relaxation technique is very helpful for overcoming obesity and maintaining balanced weight.

Hatha Yoga Practice Lessens Fear Of Falling In Older Adults, Study Suggests

Indiana University researchers found promising results in an exploratory study involving yoga practice by older adults who expressed a fear of falling. After a 12-week, twice weekly hatha yoga class, taught by a professional yoga therapist, study participants reported a reduced fear of falling, increased lower body flexibility and a reduction in their leisure constraints.

Fear of falling is an important public health concern because it can cause older adults -- even those who have not fallen -- to limit their social and physical activity. This effort to avoid falls can create a harmful cycle that can diminish health and quality of life.

"Our study found that yoga was a feasible intervention with older adults and that they perceived great benefit from it," said Marieke Van Puymbroeck, assistant professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies in IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

Van Puymbroeck discussed some of her findings this month at the International Association of Yoga Therapists' Symposium for Yoga Therapy and Research in Los Angeles and will discuss her findings further at conferences hosted by the American Geriatrics Society and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association. More about the study:

The study involved 14 men and women with an average age of 78. Five participants had fallen previously.

Van Puymbroeck said the 90 percent weekly attendance rate was notable, as was the 6 percent dropout rate, which she said was much lower than most physical activity and yoga studies. The participants took a class in hatha yoga, which is a gentle form of yoga that easily can be adapted for individual needs and can be performed from a seated position. The twice weekly classes each lasted 60 minutes.

After the 12-week class, participants reported a 6 percent reduction in their fear of falling, a 34 percent increase in lower body flexibility, and a statistically significant reduction in leisure constraints.

Van Puymbroeck said participants reported "tremendous benefits," with emerging themes that included the ability to generalize principals of posture to other situations, increased range of motion, increased flexibility and improved balance.

Co-investigators include David Koceja, Department of Kinesiology in IU Bloomington's School of HPER; and Arlene Schmid, Department of Occupational Therapy and Department of Veterans Affairs, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Adapted from materials provided by Indiana University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Yoga Helpful For People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

A program of yoga poses, breathing and relaxation significantly reduces joint tenderness and swelling for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to research funded in part by the Arthritis Foundation and presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco.

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore randomly divided a group of 30 sedentary adults with RA into two groups: one group participated in an eight-week program of yoga and the other was put on a waiting list and served as the control. Those in the yoga group took two one-hour classes per week and were instructed to practice at home as well. Traditional yoga poses were modified as needed to accommodate for limitations due to RA. Also included in the sessions were deep breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques.

The research team found that those who participated in eight weeks of yoga classes had significantly fewer tender and swollen joints than they did before starting class. Those in the waitlist control group saw no significant changes in their tender and swollen joint counts.

Arthritis Foundation grant recipient Steffany Haaz, MFA, says, "We have previously reported that yoga helps people to feel better, and we wanted to make sure it wasn't harmful to arthritic joints. So, we were glad to find that there actually seems to be improvement in joint symptoms for RA patients. The next big question is figuring out how and why yoga might be having this effect, since it is such a multi-faceted activity."

About the Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs of some 46 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation's most common cause of disability. Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has multiple service points located throughout the country.

The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to arthritis research in the world, funding more than $400 million in research grants since 1948. Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the foundation helps individuals take control of arthritis by providing public health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis. Information is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-283-7800 or http://www.arthritis.org.

Yoga - Improve Your Breathing

By Barbara Tomasik

Yoga is an ancient discipline that encompasses the entire body and mind and the breath is the link between the two. So, to perform correctly the yogic exercises one needs to learn the art of breathing which will lead to complete physical and mental relaxation and balance.

Yoga has been practiced for many centuries to improve the overall health and well-being of a person. With the stress we put our bodies through on a daily basis it is good to know that there is a way out.

To get the most benefits from a yoga practice we need to learn how to breathe correctly using our entire lung capacity and not only a small fraction of our lungs. When you breathe with awareness you become more aware of your physical body and of your state of mind. You will get lots of benefits like:

1) By breathing slowly and deeply you allow more oxygen to get into your body, especially to the brain.
2) It will release tension and stress.
3) The correct breathing will help to reduce wastes and toxins.
4) It will improve digestion.
5) It will improve your concentration.
6) It will help you think in a more positive way.

Apart from a deep abdominal breathing, which is quite easy to learn and relaxing, there are many other types of breathing. Some can be done on your own after learning from a qualified yoga teacher, but some should be always done in a presence of a yoga teacher.

The deep abdominal breathing is best done lying on your back on the yoga mat in a well ventilated room. Keeping your eyes closed observe the natural breath rising and falling for a moment. Then begin to lengthen the inhalation and deepen the exhalation. Start noticing the rhythmic rise and fall of your abdomen and the feeling of complete relaxation.

Alternate nostril breathing without retention can be easily mastered but adding the breath retention should be done under the proper guidance from a yoga teacher. It has some health contraindications so please check it before attempting it.

Kapalabhati is a more vigorous form of breathing helping to energize your body. It is good to learn it from a qualified yoga teacher before trying to perform it on your own.

In some circumstances breathing exercises should not be done:
1) If you are having any breathing problems.
2) Directly after eating food.
3) If you are depressed.

Remember: Breathing exercises can be detrimental to your health if done incorrectly!

Ms Barbara is a Certified Yoga trainer and also a Teacher in Physical Education. She is a member of REPs as Advance Instructor level 3.