NATURAL REMEDIES

LOVE AND HOPE - OUR PERCEPTIONS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:27:00 +0000

‘TAT TVAM ASI’ - meaning “Thou art that” or “You are that”
‘AHAM BRAHASMI’- meaning “I am Absolute” or “I am god”

There are many religious and philosophical interpretations, for these two Sanskrit verses which attracted me for long time .And recently I started feeling, that“I” is not just single but plural- “WE”
I do have my reasons(may be backed up by science too),to believe this.

TAT (meaning that ), TVAM (meaning you),ASI (are?)

“You are that”- You are what?
From what I have learnt from Tamil ancient scripts,where many things are said indirectly using ‘pari bhasai’ that’s metaphor, I feel,may be this is what they meant (like science now says) ‘you are what u think’.

According to science, the source or the building block, the basic functional, biological unit of human or any organism is... ‘CELL’ , so ‘I’ am this....

This is how ‘ I’ ( TAT TVAMASI) started my life, ‘Zygote’ or Fertilized egg, as a single cell, that divided rapidly to 2 ,then 4, to 8 and so on, to becomes Embryo, then Fetus. And after nine months of beautiful journey of love and harmony of cells, with an agreement between them , who goes where ( part of body)and their jobs etc., the person with a ID or name (for this combination or compilation of cells, a multi cellular) came to this world.

From single cell‘I’ to complex multi cell,human body, ‘WE’ .Amazing isn’t it?

‘WE’, yes, that’s what science says, we human have trillions, of cells, so how can ‘I’, be singular? It’s plural - ‘ WE’, right?
what does all these have to do with my previous post about this ‘WE’( cells) and emotions?

The harmony with which ,the cells communicate and coordinate with each other clearly shows that the basic nature or structure of our body cells, are build with one NOTE- EMOTION/POSITIVE EMOTIONS
Let’s take the example of just one organ in one of our systems, Brain, center of our nervous system. Even though it’s just about 2% of our body weight, it’s need for oxygenated blood supply is about 25% of body’s supply.So the body tries to keep the supply continuous for brain, even if other organs need, considering its importance.Isn't this enough to prove that our body is build on one single note Emotion, that too, positive- love, faith, sacrifice, empathy , gratitude.

But how about other emotions? Anger, fear,jealousy, hate, anxiety etc, which leads to stress, which are called negative .And how these emotions affect our health?

Each of our emotions, produce their own neuropeptide ( they are neuronal signaling molecule that influence the body.Basically they are peptides used by neurons to communicate with other cells.)These peptides rushes through the body and connects with respective receptors in each cell, which changes the structure of that cell.
If we bombard the cells with same emotions/same chemistry (peptides) again and again, when the cell divides ,the new cell will have more of the receptors needed for that particular peptide.So this will continue with each cell division meaning we are programming, or designing our cells,Aren’t we?

This becomes a problem when we bombard the cells with the negative emotions, which affect our DNA. According to Nobel prize winning scientist Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel, our mental patterns can shorten the telomere, the protective cap at the end of chromosomes.This increases the risk and incidences of common ones like weak immunity which leads to infections and auto immune diseases, digestive disorders, to chronic ones like cardiovascular issues and cancer.
Now this arises the question, where does the emotion come from ?Scientists say,that thought can trigger emotions and they have effect on one another. So what is thought ?
Now this is going to be a complex thing to understand I guess🤔
Basically, it’s said that thoughts are electro chemical signals from neurons(which processes and transmits information) in nervous system , when triggered by stimuli - External ,internal and prior experience.
Feeling hot because of sun or fire ,stimulus here is external.
Hungry, when stomach and intestines are empty which is internal.
Next the prior experience, and genetic like Negative bias, something which has been embedded in our brain during million years of our evolution ,dealing with the threat.( like how we saw, above -that we programmed or taught our cells with emotions)
The science says these stimulus are Influenced by two behaviors - 1) Learned , that is taught/ learned from the world/ environment 2) Intuitive or Innate , that’s natural or inborn like fight or flight, ( now some may ask , isn’t this not genetic? Yes, probably. I feel this is also influence of the learned behavior).So what does all this say?
... every thing is learned, the way things are interpreted or perceived.Like how different people (Even siblings or our own kids) react to same situation differently .
One simple example that I can think is, how people react when tickled. Some laugh, giggle, some get irritated ,depending on the person who tickles.some don’t react. And of course one can’t tickle themself. Stimuli being the same, but influenced by the perception .
And we all know anything learned, perceived can be unlearned or at least changed.
Which has worked for me in this .one of my cousin, never used to react when tickled ,which made me curious and found my own way to be like her, what I call ,turning off my sensory switch when someone tickles.
When autonomic response for tickle can be changed, then other things like anger, fear , anxiety etc., which affects our health, shorten our telomere, can also be changed right?

“CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT IN LIFE” -HERACILTUS.

TO BE CONTINUED.... ‘AHAM BRAHMASMI’ God within us.

LOVE AND HOPE - OUR EMOTIONS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 03:14:00 +0000

“Long ago it became evident that the key to every biological problem must finally be sought in the cell; for every living organism is, or at some time has been, a cell.”

E.B. WILSON (cell biologist 1856-1939)

Now we know cells communicate through chemical signals, but how ?
To understand this, we have to briefly know some of the basic cellular biology .
That is, 3 basic things in cell ...
-Cell membranes/ plasma membrane, which separates and protects the interior of cell from its environment ,and also acts as a gate keeper, meaning they let nutrients into the cell and waste out of them with their receptors ( through which they communicate )
- Cytoplasm,it’s sort of a fluid (cytosol)with organelles(little organ),like mitochondrion(which is energy production unit of cell),Nucleus etc., which work together to keep cell healthy and perform all its important functions .
- And among them, important one is Nucleus, which is considered as ‘BRAIN’ of the cell or head quarters as it contains DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid,which is organized in thread like thing called chromosome),which are like cell’s manual or instructions.

Before Proceeding, on to the emotions ,We have to know about the Receptors ( through which a cell communicates)in cell membrane ,there are thousands and thousands of receptors on each cell, and each receptor can accept or bind only with specific protein or peptide ( chain of Amino acids).
And
Nucleus, which consists DNA ,organized in a thread like thing -Chromosomes.
These chromosomes have a protective cap at the end called ‘TELOMERES’

It is important to know little about this Telomeres ,to prevent disease or even reverse some physical problems and also to extend our life span.
Telomeres consists of same sequence of six ( TTAGGG ) nucleotide(building block of DNA ) repeated More than thousand times in the end of DNA, protecting the genetic information ( that’s rest of the DNA) during cell division( due to insufficient expression of telomeres they get shortened in all cells except germ cells and stem cells ), they also prevent chromosomes binding to one another .
We may wonder, if telomeres keeps depleting what will happen to DNA? Once it becomes too short ,the cell stops dividing .
Yes ... cell aging and cell death - meaning aging and aging related diseases .
WAIT.... before coming to conclusions..
There is more that can change things..
Research says, that there is a enzyme called TELOMERASE,(which carries its own RNA molecule, which is used to create a complimentary DNA (Telomeres) )
Guess, these information about cells will help us understand better about our health.
Now having seen a bit, on this amazing and complicated hardware,- our body, let’s come to the software part ,which is fortunately or unfortunately connected to the hardware , and this connection is a bit complicated to be understood by science till now.
By saying, software i am referring to the emotion part -that is love ,hate ,fear ,hope, anxiety, anger -stress . And how this shortens the telomeres and the research on how life changes can reverse this.

To be continued....LOVE AND HOPE-OUR PERCEPTIONS

LOVE and HOPE -HARMONY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 22:06:00 +0000

What is this picture? Any idea?

Yes ..It’s smileys and human body.

But why are the smileys inside the human body? What’s the connection between this and the title ‘HOPE AND LOVE’?🤔

This may sound crazy for many ,but this belief / perception of mine ,is just what science says about the cells in our body.

All living things be it Human, animal or plant are made of ‘Cell’

Robert Hook first discovered Cells in 1665 and gave the name ‘Cell’ ( Latin word CELLA- meaning small room where monks lived in monastery) as it’s smallest unit of life that can replicate , a mini Factory 😲

We humans have Trillions of cells.They give structure to the body and take in nutrients from food and convert it to energy and carry out other functions like reproduction, waste removal etc. Depending on the job there are different types ,size ,shape of cells.

So how do they do all these ? I mean it’s not easy to coordinate trillions of them for smooth functioning so that everyone get food to live ( white blood cells about 13 to 20 days, Red blood cells about 120 days for more on life span of different types click HERE.To coordinate this there must be good communication right? So can cells communicate?

Answer is YES

So... how do they communicate ?

That’s by Using their own language of chemical signals.Let’s see bit into all this and come to the our topic HOPE and LOVE.

So what does all the above things on cells say ?

They communicate and understand one another and this is what I call love . Just imagine what if pancreas releases insulin as soon as you eat and sends message to other cells to remove glucose but these cells don’t want to listen because of some misunderstanding / mis communication ....the result is INSULIN RESISTANCE meaning diabetes ( though this is not the only reason for this issue) .And which in turn affects liver and so the ripple effect/ domino effect continues. Just like how fights turn into riots.

Now having said that cells communicate , and understand each other , Do they feel or our feelings affect them?, will continue the topic with more on cells and how things can be healed using love and hope .....

TO CONTINUE..... .......

Coronavirus (COVID-19 ) and Indian system

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 16:07:00 +0000

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள்மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு.( yepporul yar yar vaai ketppinum apporul meiporul kaanbhadhu arivu)

THIRUKKURAL VERSE-423
Meaning:to understand the truth in everything, by whomsoever spoken, is wisdom

It’s been in news for past 2 months and till now what I was able to understand in simple language was it starts with respiratory problem like cough, cold fever, and develops to acute distress respiratory syndrome (ARDS)like fluid in lungs, leading to shortness of breath and depriving oxygen to organs in turn leading to Septic shock that’s organ failure because of widespread infection leading to low blood pressure , chills, kidney issue and mental disorientation....
Sooo....there is a TAMIL VERSE 948 in THIRUKURAL by THIRUVALLUVAR

நோய்நாடி நோய்முதல் நாடி அதுதணிக்கும்
வாய்நாடி வாய்ப்பச் செயல்
Meaning:
நோய் இன்னதென்று ஆராய்ந்து, நோயின் காரணம் ஆராய்ந்து, அதைத் தணிக்கும் வழியையும் ஆராய்ந்து, உடலுக்கு பொருந்தும் படியாகச் செய்யவேண்டும்.
ENGLISH

Noi naadi noi mudhal naadi adhu thanikum
Vaai naadi vaaippach seyal.

MEANING

The medical rule is to research the nature of disease, it’s cause,it’s method of cure and treat the patient .

NOW let’s come to our modern treatment... how many of u think this is followed? Or let’s leave this aside and come to this threatening and much talked about virus ,one that’s scaring even the stock market and tourism industry . And along with it people are scared to sit or stand or talk to some country people.
The media , officials and doctors makes things scary for laymen.

BEFORE PROCEEDING FURTHER LET ME CLEARLY REGISTER I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR RESEARCHER but a person who teaches and practices yoga and believer in naturopath.
It is purely my view .I maybe wrong, but
This view can be considered or given a thought ...

Now let me come to the post,
From all the news, that i saw or heard ,what I was able to understand was it’s a respiratory issues which involves lungs... breathing right ? something enters this respiratory track which doesn’t get accepted and couldn’t get out of the body like it usually does for some.
They affect the respiratory system ,that is nasal passage , bronchi and lungs and when they are unopposed because of weak immune system ( reason -our modern life style and some medicines) they spread to other parts if they find the environment favorable then they stay ..till some powerful thing goes and drives it out ,and in this process some of our other things get destroyed..isn’t that war? Innocent people too get killed.
So.. what am I coming to say? ...
The entry point respiratory system is the place to stop.And how do we do that ?
Breathing right. Meaning some breathe through mouth... which will make the visitors easy to enter our digestive track .Next taking deep breath and not shallow once like many do these days due to stress and environment it becomes habit .sitting straight and giving enough space for lungs to take needed oxygen.
Couple of breathing exercise Which I feel will help fighting this, is ujjayi and OM along with alternative, kapalapathi and bastrika.To know more on these breathing u can google or some are in this blog too.
Though this has also been researched by western community it has not been talked in large as one of the treatment to try till now.
Then comes our simple food like turmeric, pepper which really helps immunity. Above all comes the HOPE .

NEXT POST:

Will write about this HOPE AND LOVE in my next post

Alopecia Areata ( puzhuvettu /புழுவெட்டு) and pearl onion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 21:34:00 +0000

It’s been long since I turned to my health blog and my craft blog... anyway let me start with a very simple natural cure for the problem ,which I once faced and heard few of them recently complained...Alopecia areata .
It’s also known as puzhuvettu in Tamil .Its a condition of sudden hair loss in scalp or face or any part in our body.Its said to be common auto immune disease when immune system attack the hair follicles.
It’s said that stress, thyroid,infection may be the cause for this.Some say no cure some say corticosteroid ointment or injection as a remedy.But this simple one worked well for me.you don’t have to go searching for herbs around but this is usually readily available in our home... onion ,specially pearl onion or small onion
Coming to my story with this ..
When I was doing my masters one fine day saw my left eyebrow was gone 😱.

U may wonder how come I haven’t noticed all these days and how will something vanish in a night?
To tell u all a truth I don’t really give much importance in looking into mirror.and guess daily while washing my face slowly one or two eyebrow hairs must have gone and I didn’t care or notice so finally one day just to hen very few hair was left the appearance changed and myself and family members noticed I guess 🥺
My amma took me to doctor who did battery of tests which included MRI for head injury and thyroid and doc gave me corticosteroids ointment to apply with warning .
I applied it for a day and next day I got itchy and rashes on my skin so went to doc and she prescribed another medicine for itching and rashes and asked me to continue both the drugs.😡
My dad and mom were both believers of herbal cure..( my dad after retirement from professor job now he is full time siddha doctor)so my mom said it may be puzhuvettu and asked me to slice small onion and apply it after coming from college, which I did daily for probably a week or so and found the hair fully grown .😊

DISCLAIMER :For any medicine to be effective there most important thing needed is FAITH.
Each and every individual are different and so are the reason for the problem ,so will be the remedy

YELLUMBOTTI /எலும்பொட்டி இலை

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 02:16:00 +0000

This is a wonder herb as far as I am concerned.

This is quite a long story .I had a very bad fall from my bike which led to a ligament tear (meniscus tear)in my left knee . It was so difficult that I was not able to do my day today jobs I had very bad pain . Tried all the home remedies since I was not able to get appointment with my doctor . It was after 2 weeks i had appointment and doctor told it was meniscus tear and recommended me to ortho surgeon , who after examining said about going for surgery but seeing my hesitation doctor said if I wished I can try physical therapy for 2 weeks and then decide. I truly believed in my body ... as I always say body heals itself all it needs is little help...anyways back to the story..went to physio for 2 weeks and 3rd week met the doc hoping I am getting better ,which I did to some extent .. was able to walk and stand for longer and climb stairs but I did not have the flexibility.. meaning not able to sit on ground or kneel . When I met the doctor he said I have to go for surgery but can’t guarantee the old flexibility and if I wish I can try another week physio. I still believed things can be cured without surgery if I go to India my dad can cure me.. and God came to my rescue in the form of my mother-in-law... she had a fracture and I had to go to look after her and I went . After her surgery and recovery I went to my dad house where he gave a powder and after taking the powder 3 times with milk I saw a change in my knee flexibility .. I was able to sort of fold my knee to sit. After 2 months of taking the powder I can do Padmasana,malasana, vajrasana, surya namaskar,which are couple of those which I do daily . My dad gave the powder of this leaves and pirandai and asked me to take it with milk. I would like to say something more... someone said it should be applied with egg white for fracture... which I don’t know but guess as the name suggests it may bring the broken bones together.

Disclaimer : Each and every individual is different so I the situation and problem so results may vary

PIRANDAI(Veld grapes)

Picture courtesy indiamart

Yellum (sesame) VS Mullum (splinters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:25:00 +0000

Picture courtesy indiamart

Picture courtesy Wikipedia

‘ Yellum Mullum ‘Sounds interesting right but... it wasn’t when I had splinter in my finger . It was very fine . One of our family friend told prickly pear was good for health and took us to a ground and picked up some leave and fruit for us and asked me to try and that’s when one of the fine prickles (Glochids)got into my finger . It was very fine that when I tried to take it out the tip broke and was not able to take it out and each time the finger touched something it was hurting and that’s when my dad , who is a siddha doctor told me to apply ground sesame in the area . I was skeptical about this ... how can ground sesame take the prickles out? But I wanted to give it a try and my dads assistant made a paste and applied on my finger in the afternoon and I left it till evening . When I wanted to wash my face for pooja in the evening I just touched to see if I have to cover the paste before washing my face and to my surprise.... it didn’t pain... it was WOW!... but as I was not sure if the prickles has gone I applied the paste again after washing my face and left till morning .Next day when I washe my hand I found the prickles was not there , maybe it was washed along with the paste.

I know this is not a very good photo but I took when I applied the paste second time . I did not take the photo when th prickles was there as I was skeptic about this. I should have ...

Anyway just wanted to share this experience with others. It might help.

Disclaimer: Each and everyone are different and the situations are different so results to may differ

KINATHU POONDU (Tridax Daisy)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 21:05:00 +0000

As told in my earlier post 'Kuppai meni', I am posting my next herb ,that comes handy to heal wound ,when I get hurt. It's called' KINATHU POODU ILAI' ( Tridax procumbens, commonly known as coatbuttons or tridax daisy, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family.)This grows near well or creek or roadsides or farms.It used to grow in our backyards in cities but not anymore but we do find it in outskirts and villages.

When I was browsing to find the English name I was surprised to see that it is noted as " noxious weed in the US and has pest status in nine states."But same site also said about its medicinal value too.

I think normally plants considered as weeds have medicinal values.probably that's why Mother Nature have allowed them to grow widely and we human fail to notice the value and take it for granted and consider them weed.

Anyways coming to the medical point... I have personally used it many times to heal my wound. My amma used to squeeze the juice fron the leaf and apply it on the wound.I remember my amma telling me when I asked about pointing finger in my left arm(the nail will be very lightly turned).I think I must have been a curious kid ... I kept my finger under the needle in sewing machine and pressed and needle went through the finger I guess and my mom used this plant to heal the wound .... This was 35-36 years ago. So I have been using these herbs to heal my wounds with these herbs. But did not know it had other medicinal values too till I read in Weikipedia .It said this anti cancer,anti diabetic,anti arthritic effect when tested on rats.

In traditional Indian medicine they are used for healing wounds, anticoagulant, antifungal and insect repellent. It is also used in diarrhoea and dysentery,treat infectious skin diseases ,liver disorders, gastritis and heart burn.Have to ask my dad if he has used this in any of his medicines....or his patients for above mentioned issues....of course healing wounds he has used on me 😊 and it has worked.

Will keep posting many more herbs that we see commonly and fail to recognize their use and value... Let's take care of nature and it will take care of us.

NATURE'S GIFT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 01:43:00 +0000

Mother Nature has given us with all that we need to live a healthy comfortable life. Many times we either mis use it or fail to notice the gift that's given to us. One such thing I found was the , plants ... almost all the plants that grows around us has medicinal value, but we in this fast world have either failed to notice or forgotten its use,which our sages and elders used as remedy to curse various health issues.

During my visit to India this year I wanted to take photo of very common plants that have been used to treat health problems, which I have used it personally and had good results. So what ever I am sharing here is from my personal experience.

Having born in a family where almost all the family members believe in home remedy /natural remedy ,I had the opportunity to get to know some herbs, further my dad is a siddha /nature doctor.

1) KUPPAIMENI

My very first herb ,that found around the house (very rare in cites these days) in villages or outskirts is 'KUPPAIMENI' or POONAMAYAKKI or INDIAN NETTLE or THREE SEEDED MERCURY (ACALYPHA INDICA) is a species having CATKIN type of inflorescence .

This grows in tropical countries like Africa ,South America, India ,srilanka .It has been used as medicine in east and west Africa . This plant has been used in Tamil siddha medicines.

I have also heard that they cook this leaf and eat. They also use the leaf juice to treat bronchitis and asthma.and also along with kastuoori manjal , sugar they use it for facial hair removal.

But as I said this section was to share my experience , I have not used this plant juice or leaf personally for any of these but my dad has given to patients and they had benefited ...but...

I have used it to heal my wounds... Believe me... When I get hurt or cuts my mom used to immediately pluck the leafs of this plant and make juice by crushing them in plam and apply it on th wound or cut... No antibiotic injection nothing ... Just the juice for couple of days and My cut or wound heals .

Apart from this leave there are couple of more that works wonder for wound and cuts...

Will share picture of these herbs in my next post.

WELCOME

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 May 2015 19:59:00 +0000

Welcome to my page on natural therapy...I personally believe these words"உடம்பால் அழியின் உயிரல் அழிவர் திறம்பட மெய்ஞானம் எய்தவும்மாடார் உடம்பை வளர்க்கும் உபாயம் அறிந்தே உடம்பை வளர்த்தேன் உயிர்வளரதேனே"-Thirumoolar

Meaning: "If we dont have a healthy body we cant have healthy mind realising this i am taking care of my body."-Thirumoolar

We injure our body with wrong food habits and lifestyle that results in some disease. And doctors treat symptoms rather than the cause.These medicines ,which has side effects harms our body more.

My dad is a Siddha/ Aruveda doc and my Mom was good in Home remedy and Homeopathy(though she was not a doc). right from my childhood i grew up taking these types of medications . May be because of these things (Actually my PG major was Archaeology) I got into yoga and nature therapy. I have done DIP in Yoga and Natural Science(DYNS) and few certificate courses like Food and Nutrition and Clinical councelling.

I would like to share few therapies like...Yoga, Music,Laugh,Dance etc,which had helped me, my students and my dad's patients.

FRIENDS..THIS BLOG WAS CREATED TO SHARE THE KNOWLDGE WHICH I HAVE GAINED FROM SEVERAL TEACHERS,(yoga college, my dad, mom my grandpa)...SOME INFORMATIONS ARE FROM MY DAD'S BOOK AND YOGA BOOKS.YOU ARE WELCOME TO USE THESE FOR YOUR PERSONAL USE BUT PLEASE DO NOT USE THESE FOR OTHER PURPOSES .THIS IS COPY RIGHT PROTECTED. IF NECESSARY PLEASE DO GET PERMISSION.THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Lately I observed that many people have misunderstood the words 'Healthy, Nutrition'.I have seen people who think if someone says or they read that' this is good for health or this is bad for health' they start to either take more of that particular item or avoid the item once in for all... for example if someone says rice is carb and its bad.... they avoid rice totally or if they hear that spinach is good they take only spinach not any other greens. that too daily...but i feel that's not the right way of providing nutrition.Every food (or for that matter anything including human character) has its good and bad.The key is 'Moderation',which is forgotten often.Another thing i found was in many houses they say they eat lot of veggie in their food and very nutritious meal.... but just eating veggie doesn't make food nutritious...how its cooked also matters.some wash vegetables after cutting , where nutrients are lost,and Vitamin C is lost when cooking lemon or orange juice. and when cooking kale in high heat for long time.similarly mint , coriander extra .
Similarly reheating food, have seen many people who cook for a week and have it refrigerated ...and that too some don't even bring that to room temperature before reheating,these mistakes will not serve their aim of having healthy food.
We have lot of proverbs and sayings in tamil to make us understand this. I would like to share few with you all.."அளவுக்கு மிஞ்சினால் அம்ருதமும் விஷம் (alavakku minjinaal aruthamum visham)'
Meaning any thing over including nectar(that gives immortality)becomes poison.
"மிகினும் குறையினும் நோய்செய்யும் நூலார் விளி முதலா எண்ணிய மூன்றும்(miginum kuraiyinum noi seiyum ,noolar vili mudhala yenniya moondrum )"from thirukural-meaning anything excess or less vatha pitha kapa , that is air, water and heat will cause disease.Basically they mean to say eating any one particular food variety will harm health.I think this verse is just not for food and health but for everything... including money and nature :)
One more last think Each and every one is unique so never generalize any of the food variety. as we may see some are allergic to some food while others or not. so please do understand your body.. listen to it, it normally says its needs.

CONSTIPATION

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:15:00 +0000

This has become very common these days even among kids....so whats the reason for

constipation:

1)Mainly because of hardening of feces ,which may be due to wrong dietary habit like lack of fiber and water in our food.

2)Medication like iron, calcium etc

or some illness like liver problem, hypo thyroid etc,

Constipation in a long run will lead other problems like piles and colon issues.
But there is a solution for everything unless its very complicated.There are many natural remedy for this problem like
1) drinking warm water in the morning.
2) having soaked fig or methi(fenugreeek) or raisin early in the morning in empty stomach.
3)not having late night dinner .
4)having more fiber in the diet , that's more greens and vegetables.
5)avoiding refined flour and refined items in the diet .
6) and of course good exercise/yoga.

Though there are many yogasanas that helps relieve this problem, This particular one, a very old practice that human had... squatting is the best. In India and other developing or under developed countries this is the only one that's still in practise..Guess what???.
Ok here is the clue.... one that they use for elimination of our waste.
yesssssss.. you are right....its called malasana or squatting pose or garland pose(wonder why they gave this name???!!!)

PICTURE COURTESY:BIHAR SCHOOL OF YOGA

HOW TO:
1)stand with feet apart and bend the knees and squat.
2)keep the heels on the ground.If that is difficult can use a folded cloth under buttock as support
3)Now bring the folded arms to the center of the chest to a namaskar position
4)

BENEFITS:
1)Opens hip and groin.Most important is for pregnant ladies this helps preventing hemorrhoids , one of the effects of prolonged constipation.
2)Elimination of waste easy
3)Tones belly
4)Strengthens calf muscles, ankles and toe.

MANTRA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Every mantra contains within its vibration certain power. Upon concentration and repetition of a specific mantra, its energy is liberated and spreads through out. There are different types of mantras. Some called Bija (Seed) mantra. They have no exact meaning but act directly on the nerves of astral body. The other type of mantras, having a combination of words, and having some meaning also set up powerful vibrations in the body. Most common, however is the deity mantras, in which a specific form with attributes is visualized along with the repetition of the sound. start repeating it mentally with faith and devotion everyday Please pronounce the mantra properly to avoid any negative effect.
Examples of Bija mantra:
AUM
SHRIM
GHAM
AIM .... etc.
And among these common is AUM...normally missunderstood as OM.You can have more info on this Bija mantra here.
similarly each bija mantra has impact on certain parts of our body meaning to say glands..or according to indian system the 'Chakras' which are associated with endocrinde glands
Here is some:
Brow chakra called ANJNA-associated PITUITARY GLAND- Bija mantra AUM
Throat chakra called VISHUDDHI-associated THYROID GLAND- Bija mantra HAM
Heart chakra called ANAHATHA- associated THYMUS-Bija mantra YAM

Now lets look at Deity mantra with a example, Very common mantra we hear is 'GAYATRI MANTRA'
OM BHUR BHUVA SUVAH
TAT SAVITHUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYATH.
Meaning OM -base sound
BHUR-Physical world
BHUVA-Mental world
SUVAH-Spiritual world
TAT-God
SAVITHUR-Sun
VARENYAM-Attractive
BHARGO-Bright ray of light
DEVASYA- Supreme Lord
DHEEMAHI-We meditate
DHIYO-Understanding
YO-May this light
NAH-Our
PRACHODAYATH-Guide.
Its important to visualize the meaning of these mantra.... its another type of meditation. bringing body and mind together.
HAPPY CHANTING :)

BANDHA KONASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 19:03:00 +0000

Its been a long time since i wrote on Asanas.Other day my dad was talking about one of his patient who came with menstural issue.so i was talking to him regarding this asana..Thats when i remembered that i havent yet written about this .I can garuntee 90% about the effectiveness of this asana out of self experience and experiences of my students.
Its quite simple asana to regularise menstural issue and also other things.
Its also called as cobbler pose as it resembles cobblers sitting position.
So lets see how to do.
By the way i happened to get a video for clear understanding.
THANKS TO:
Courtesy pregnancy test

METHOD:
1)Sit straight with bend knees, sole of feet touching each other (heels close to body).
2)Hold your feet /toe fingers with hand and with back straight exhale and slowly bend down to touch your feet with your fore head.
BENEFITS:
1)stimulates abdominal organs- ovaries, prostate glands, kidney
2)stretches inner thigh and groin.
3)Helps relieve menopause symptoms.
4)Helps relieve menstrual problem-irregularities and pain
5)Helps ease child birth .
CAUTION:
Do not force the knee down .If having disc problem consult a doctor before doing this.

YOGA,in Reality..

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:29:00 +0000

Hi friends, i know its been a long time since i posted in this blog.. i am sorry about that.
But recently i have been hearing a lot about yoga...different types .. misconceptions and misinterpretations on yoga... some have also patented it ??!! Yoga..preached by yogi's and patented by us ??!!!

SO Whats YOGA??? According to me(as far as i have seen....i had oppertunity, have to say fortunate or blessed to be with some great people who were able to achieve some of these truely)PRANAYAMA,MEDITATION,ASANA everything put together along with other things YAMA(in laymans word DONT's),NIYAMA(DO's),PRATYAHARA(Withdrawal meaning..umm how to put it..there is a saying in Tamil being like 'thamarai illai mel neer pol' meaning not being affected by emotions/attachments),DHARANA(concentration first step of so called meditation, which is possible only when we don't get distracted by other thoughts right???)Noe come actual Meditation DHAYNA(often mistaken with DHARANA)This is higher level of meditation where u forget time, our body and everything around us.. like said in Hindu puranas(which i doubt is possible these days) ,And finally SAMADHI(Liberated from this body...not death... but becoming eternal.... existing outside the body like 'Vallalar' 'Ragavendra')is YOGA/YOGAM. Yes of course there are different types of yoga like karma yoga,bhakthi yoga,ect but just the Asana part is different(will explain on this later).
But Now many have divided YOGA(one i mentioned first) like specialisation in cardiology, neurology etc. some concentrating more on breathing, some on meditation,some on asanas and so on. It’s really hurting to see people being mislead and looted.

People have started giving differnt names depending on their style.But i feel the very basis... Yama , Niyama are totally ignored and more emphasize is on Asana, Pranayama and Dharana(in the name of Dhayana).Yoga has now become business.... Asana's are seen as Acrobatic act...and most hurting part for me is Dhayana... they dont get the right meaning.....i dont want to hurt anyone but people who say they have reached greater level in dhayana dont act like that.I know and have see people who have really achieved this stage.....they r different... they dont say that they have achieved the stage... What i strongly feel is lot of us have skipped prathyahara(sensory with drawal) and moved on to dharana (concentration) stage , which cannot really be achieved without prathyahara.

YOGA -The word itself as everyone knows originated from word 'yolk' or 'yuj' meaning to unite, to bring together .Unite what? and for what reason? ....we have to think on this.
AND THANKS FOR READ MY BLOGS AND WAITING FOR MY POSTS.

CHAKKI CHALASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:43:00 +0000

(photo courtesy from book yoga education for children)

Chakki is appliance used in villages.It has 2 round stones to grind the grains to a powder .Chakki chalasana means ,one that is like grinding(using the the chakki)grain using chakki.Hope i am clear!!!
METHOD:
1)Sit with legs stretched and arms stretched.
2)Interlock the fingers(hand).
3)Make horizontal circular motion with arms.i.e,lean forward as far as possible(so that closed palms comes around the big toe) and move back as far as possible(but do not let the spin touch the ground),Also move the body (waist) in circular motion.(you can feel all the abdomen muscles working)
4)Repeat this 10-15 in both clockwise and anti clockwise direction.
EFFECTS:
1)Abdomen and pelvis area are toned.
2)Also helps regulate menstrual cycle.
TIPS:Keep the elbows straight while doing this exercise.

MEXICAN MINT or KARPOORAVALLI or OMAVALLI

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:49:00 +0000

Karpooravalli /Omavalli or Mexican mint (as its known in US) is a perennial herb.It has flesh and aromatic leaves.Its very commonly found herb in chennai,India.

I remember my Amma giving me the juice of the leaves to me and my brother when we were kids for our cold. I don't think i liked it then ,but as i grew and started realising its value...i started eating it raw..

My appa used to tell its very good for sore throat and cough too.

I have also seen that they use this leaf as kashayam(tea) for indigestion.My father in law eats this for his bronchitis .

After i came here to US i saw one of my neighbour Make bajji using this leaf.. it tasted very good.Though the medically value may not be the same its nice way of taking the leaf for those who don't eating it raw.

Another common wonder herb in the list will follow...

TASTE AND HEALTH

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Taste buds play a very important roll in our food habits.some are sweet tooth and some love hot,spicy food.very few love bitter or astriengent ones, infact many dont even know these tastes.As far as i have seen mostly westerners are used to sweet, salty and little spicy food when compared to asians, who normally know all the 6 tastes.

According to Siddha/Ayurveda literature(Siddha is Dravidian version of Ayurveda) the food that we eat daily should contain all the so called six tastes to have complete nutrition i.e, SWEET,SOUR,SALTY,BITTER,HOT and ASTRINGENT.

Sweet taste is rich in fat,protein and carbohydrates items like root vegetables,fruits and cereal grains .Though this gives energy, builds tissues and calms nerves , in excess, it builds toxins and causes obesity.

Next comes sour taste it is normally found in fermented food and sour fruits. This helps Cleanse tissues, increases absorption of minerals etc .but according to Siddha medicine too much of this increases acidity.

Next in line is salty taste which is found in table salt and sea weed,which maintains proper metabolism, help cleanse the body and improves appetite and digestion. Excess salt can aggravate skin conditions, weaken the system, cause wrinkling of the skin and hair fall and premature greying .

Next taste is hot that's found in hot spices, like red pepper,ginger etc . Though this improves metabolism, appetite and digestion,in excess it causes burning sensation and increases body heat, sweating,and also cause peptic ulcer.

Bitter , many wouldn't have known .But this and the next taste to come(astringent) are high in vitamin and minerals.They are considered to be very healthy,but when had in right amount. It tones the organs, lightens tissues and detoxifies. Its found in some vegetable like bitter gaurd,greens, herbs and spices. Too much bitterness can cause dehydration. It can also Increase roughness, and dryness. Reduces bone marrow & semen.

The astringent taste is found in some herbs, legumes,some vegetables like banana flower,trunk,aththikai(sorry dont know english name) etc. It is said to absorbs water, tightens tissues. In excess, it causes dryness and thirst thus weakening and causing constipation .

As you have see nothing in excess is good. there is a saying in Tamil" alavukku minjina amruthamum visham"meaning even excess of nectar (one that makes us immortal) becomes poison.

NOTE:NO IDEA IN THIS IS SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED.BUT THIS INFORMATION IS BASED ON SIDDHA LITERATURES.

THITHALI ASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:43:00 +0000

BUTTERFLY POSE

Another favorite asana of kids.Its fun to do asana.Though some kids find it difficult to do this initially because of tight inner thighs(groin)

(photo courtesy from book yoga education for children)

METHOD:

Sit with legs stretched in front.
Bend the knees and place the soles of both the feet together in such a way that they are close to the body.
Hold the foot with the hand interlocking the fingers.
Bring the knees down to the ground and then up.(this action looks like flying butterfly wings)

EFFECTS:

Strectches inner thighs(groin)
Brings mobility to hip joints.

NOTE:Initially some may find it difficult .They can start doing half Butterfly pose .ie, placing one foot above the other leg's thigh .

VYAGRASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:41:00 +0000

TIGER POSE
When i used to work in school as yoga teacher ,this was one among the kids favorite poses.They loved roaring like lion when doing the second part of the pose.... METHOD:

Sit in vajrasana and come to kneeling position just like cat pose.
Inhale and stretch the right leg back,in such a way that its parallel to the ground.
Then bend the right knee and point the toes towards the head and raise the chin high.

Now exhale and bring the knee under the chest.( photo courtesy from book yoga education for children)
Lower the chin so that the nose touches the knee.
Repeat this process about 5-6 times and then practise with the other leg.

BENEFITS:

This excersises the spine.
Tones reproductive organs.
Reduces excess fat in hip,abdomen and thighs.
Stretches abdominal muscles.

MARJARI ASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 16:39:00 +0000

Marjariasana(CAT pose) Our sages ,observed the nature around them named may asanas with their names.This is another pose which i love doing.This helps me a lot to when i get my back pain. METHOD:

Sit in vajrasana and come to kneeling position.

Place the hands on floor.

(photo courtesy from book yoga education for children)

Inhale deeply and pull abdomen down towards the ground and raise the head up.
Then exhale deeply and slowely arch the back(spine) up ,pulling the abdomen up .
Bend the neck down towards chest.

Repeat this about 10-12 times.

BENEFITS:

Tones reproductive organ.
Helps relieve back pain.
Increases flexibility of neck shoulders and spine.

HEALING MUDRAS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 16:20:00 +0000

MUDRAS are easy to do but often not given much importance.Mudras, the science of hand and finger postures, can help you to cure bodily ailments . Very similar as accupressure. Its called 'MUDRA VIGYAN'. Hey!We r not going to strain ourself or no side effects why not give it a try. I would like to say about some of the mudras that i have learnt. Starting with:

LINGA MUDRA

Cross-link all fingers of both hands keeping thumb straight. This Increases fire element in the body and Very useful in cold, phlegm and cough ailments

SURYA MUDRA

Reduces weight of your body. Put the tip of ring finger at the base of thumb, with thumb gently pressing on it .Can keep our hand in this position when v r free watching TV.No hard workouts. Y not give it a try.

CANT EXPECT IMMEDIATE RESULTS AS HARD WORK OUTS.

MRITU SANJIVINI MUDRA

Heart problems For people with heart problems, this divine Mudra provides instant relief within few seconds.Its first Aid for Heart Problems.Place the tip of the fore finger at the base of the thumb Touch the tip of the middle and ring finger with the thumb. little fingure should be staright.

NOTE: This is not substitute for medicine.PLEASE TAKE MEDICAL ADVICE.It doesnt cure heart disease.it just helps as a first aid.(not proved scientifically)But u can be sure it doesnt have any side effects.

HALASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:12:00 +0000

(photo courtesy from book yoga education for children)

This is my yoga teacher Malathy's, (who was also my very good friend)favorite asana.For some unknown reason i too love doing this pose.SHe told me it was very good for utreus and thyroid. METHOD:

Lie flat on back with palms on sides.
Raise both the legs above the head and slowely bring it down to back of the head to touch the ground.

Note: keep the legs straigh and support the back with hands if need.
BENEFITS:

It is said to be good for diabetes as it rejuvenates pancrease .
Regulates adrenaline.
streches spine

CAUTION:

Maintain this pose for 3-4 seconds initially.
Dont force to touch the ground with foot initially.
Consult your doctor before trying and have proper guidence when begining for the first time.

PAWANAMUKTHASANA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:11:00 +0000

(photo courtesy from book yoga education for children)

(pictures from Bihar school of yoga) This was the first yoga pose that i learnt .My dad taught me this pose long before when i was a kid. I used to have problems because of constipation and gas. so he used to tell me to do this pose immediately before i got up from my bed. METHOD:

Lie flat on your back.
Fold the legs and hold the knee and pull them slowly towards chest,while exhaling.
Inhaling relax the knee.
Repeat this process for about 10 times.
Stretch the legs and relax.

BENEFITS:

Release gas from stomach and intestine.
Massages abdominal organ.
Benefits lumber spine and muscles

SURYA NAMASKAR

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:57:00 +0000

Surya namaskar, as the name suggest its sun salutation.Its a dynamic work out designed by our ancestors for those who complain lack of time for their exercise. Surya namaskar is sequence of 12 poses .The alternative movements of forward and backward bending gives a profound stretch to entire body.In short its a whole body workout in 15 minutes.One full round of surya namaskar consists of performing two sets of this series.
Synchronizing the breath with the movements of the body is what makes this unique. The basic breathing principle is to inhale during backward bending postures and exhale during forward bending postures.
SURYA NAMASKAR SEQUENCE:
I)PRANAMASANA:

Stand straight facing east with palms in prayer pose near the chest.
Inhale and exhale normally.

II)HASTA UTTHANASANA:

Slowly raise the arms above the head inhaling.
Keeping arms separated arch back bending the head back.

III)PADAHASTASANA:

Exhaling bend forward and place(try to) the palms on the floor beside the foot.(do not bend the knee while bending)

IV)ASHWA SANCHALASANA:

Inhaling deeply stretch the right leg back as far as possible and bend the left knee.
Arch back and look up.

V)PARVATASANA:

Exhaling, Slowly stretch the left leg back,such that the heels of both the legs are no the ground.
And also raise the buttocks and lower the head .

VI)ASHTANGA NAMASKARA:

Lower the knees, chest and the chin to the ground in such a way that only toe,knee,chest hands and chin touches the ground.
exhale and inhale normally for of times.

VII)BHUJANGASANA:

Inhaling slowly lower buttocks and hip to the ground.
Place the Palm on the ground and arch back bending the head back.

VIII)PARVATASANA:

Raise buttocks while exhaling (without moving hands and feet).

IX)ASHWA SANCHALASANA:

Bring the left foot front between the hands and lower the right knee and stretch back while inhaling.
Arch back and look up.

X)PADAHASTASANA:

Exhale and bring left foot front near the right and straighten the knees.

XI)HASTHA UTTHANASANA:

Inhaling raise the body and stretch the arms above head and arch back with head bending back.

XII)PRANAMASANA:

Exhale bring the arms in front of chest to prayer pose and stand straight and relaxed.
Breath normally.

BENEFITS :

Synchronizing breath and physical movements stimulates muscles, joints,glands and internal organs.
Pranamasana helps concentration and awareness.
Hastha uthanasana opens lungs and stretches abdominal area .
Padahastasana improves digestion and reduces abdominal fat.
Aswa sanchalasana tones abdominal muscles and strengthens leg muscles.
Parvatasana strengthens nerves and muscles of arms legs and also stimulates circulation in upper spine.
Asthanganamaskar tones shoulder and neck muscles.
Bhujangasana is good for indigestion ,constipation,balancing hormones and also revitalises spinal nerves.