Setu Bandha Sarvangasana - A Variation

All back bends are energizing & invigorating, & this is no different. It's a challenging variation of the setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge pose). After getting into the bridge, support your back with your palms, walk the legs further, balance properly, slightly tuck in the abdomen & then lift one leg up. The weight of the body is borne on the palms, wrists, elbows & shoulders. It gives a definite contraction to the lower back muscles and strengthens the core (abs, back). But again, it should be done under someones' guidance unless you have been practicing for a long time; and after a good warm up.

Challenge yourself and attain newer heights in everything you do in life!!

Tai Chi Chuan

I am extracting this paragraph on Tai Chi from an article written by my Tai Chi teacher (Mr. Christopher Fernandes).

"Tai Chi Chuan is a traditional Chinese exercise that seeks to enhance balance, body awareness and overall well being it combines deep diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation with slow, gentle movements. Tai Chi appears to look like a graceful dance, but many practitioners have described it as a form of moving meditation. 'Tai' means highest, 'Chi' means outermost point or peak energy, 'Chuan' means balance, metaphorically action, a word that connotes power & control over one's own actions. Tai Chi Chuan also means Supreme Ultimate Reality."

You might have come across on various TV channels; groups of people practicing slow rhythmic movements in parks or gardens. You might have also heard of Tai Chi. Let me tell you that Tai Chi is one of the fastest growing forms of exercise in the west. I have been learning since the past 6 months under my teacher and i really enjoy it. There are many parallels b/w Yoga & Tai Chi which i would address later. The benefits, my experiences, some specific techniques are all there to write about but for today just the introduction is enough. If you have any questions to ask my teacher, i'll be happy to forward your emails to him.

Till then.............keep practicing whatever that you are learning!!!

Get rid of Constipation

Most of the people suffer from chronic constipation even though they might not be aware of it. Again it's not just the inability to pass motion but also insufficiency, more frequency etc. It is believed that constipation is the root cause of many ailments including cough, cold, skin eruptions, colic, piles etc. The body's inability to efficiently eliminate waste translates into various other conditions.

The acupressure course that i am currently attending asks us to take 1 tsp of herde powder with warm water immediately on getting up in the morning, followed by 2 glasses of warm water. We should then subsequently massage the middle of the chin (chin dimple) with our index finger for 2 minutes. This has to be done for 10 days continuously. This can be tried by almost everyone except those already suffering from illness.

Yoga also has various ways of relieving constipation. Apart from the various asanas, pranayamas, there are also kriyas like kapalbhati, agnisar, vaman dhouti, shankhaprakshalan with help in all digestive troubles. But this should be done under a teacher's guidance only.

Nutrition asks us to do more physical activity, have fibrous foods, water etc.

i also feel that constipation is basically hoarding. So people who have a tendency to hoard things, for whom it is difficult to 'let go' are more likely to suffer from constipation. They cannot practice 'forgive & forget'. They tend to keep past grudges. They find it difficult even to ask for forgiveness. They can't express themselves so well and they even store fat. It's astonishing the way our physical and mental spheres are connected. So try and be more flexible, keep only what you need, give away unused, unwanted things and forgive!!

Get rid of constipation. Everyone has a right to feel, light, energetic and motivated. Don't deny.....

Headstand – The King of Asanas

Sirsasana is not called the king of asanas without any reason. There are a host of physical, physiological, mental & spiritual benefits you derive from practicing headstand. As it’s a pose against gravity, it gives us a lot of confidence of overcoming fear of falling.

Try and cultivate the attitudes of vairagya (detachment) – of letting go of the fears, ego, surrendering ourselves, humility; and aishwarya (self-esteem, self-confidence, sense of achievement) would follow. The benefits of this asana would accrue more at the physical & mental level if practiced with utmost dedication & concentration. For eg when you try to let go of the fear of falling, it translates into your life by giving you the confidence to accept greater challenges. Believe me, it does happen!!! It also gives tremendous satisfaction with your own being.

There is a line of perfect alignment in headstand with which if you stay gives you a feeling of lightness. And that is what you should aim for. I try to do headstands regularly for about 3 minutes followed by child’s pose for a minute. And I don’t know whether its because of that but my hair, skin quality has improved; so has my memory & sharpness of the mind. There are many variations which you can do of this pose & which I’ll blog on subsequently.

Note: Headstand is an intermediate / advance pose (depending on the variations) & to be strictly done under the guidance of an experienced teacher.

For more on this refer to: Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (Bihar School), The Sivananda Companion to Yoga, Light on Yoga (BKS Iyengar), Yoga Journal.

Squat - A variation

This is a nice variation of the regular squat and can be added to your practice as an individual asana or part of the suryanamaskar sequence. It not only strengthens the quadriceps (thigh muscles) but also gives a good twist and a squeeze to the spine. Try and twist more using the elbow to push your chest out more. People with knee problems ought to be careful!! In this picture because of lack of awareness one of my knees is slightly out, but maintain both at the same level. Hold it till you are comfortable with your discomfort :-) Add spice to your practice & have fun. Ciao.....

Don't go after the exotic!!!

Kiwis, Australian apples, flax seeds, hazelnuts, pecans, and many other expensive, exotic foods procured from global markets are the 'in' thing of today. But i strongly feel that there is no need to take food to this extent.

Food should be seasonal, fresh and local. That is power food and will supply you with the nutrients your body requires staying in that surroundings that you are. The advantages of eating locally are:

• It is less expensive. (one kg of cauliflower costs Rs 40 as against Rs 120 for a kg of broccoli)


• It caters to the rhythms of our body which changes according to seasons. For eg spinach is fresh, healthy & less worm-infested


• It provides nutrients needed for us in that particular season and also boosts immunity. For eg karelas (bitter gourd) available in monsoon protects us from many monsoon related illnesses


• You leave behind a smaller carbon footprint (think of how many miles your food has travelled the next time you sit to eat. The farther it has the more has been the use of already depleting world resources)


• There is always a question of freshness, aliveness in a food eaten fresh from farm and 'fresh' from cold storage.


• We have an incredible variety to chose from every season!!!

You can also refer to this article about seasonal foods and their benefits.

So eat in season for a reason. Eat local, think global. And be healthy.

Health Tip

Don't throw away the vegetable pulp after making juice. Use it in your rotis. The leftover pulp can also be used with a few drops of lemon and a pinch of haldi to scrub your body. Works better than soap and leaves your skin supple.