Yoga believes in prevention rather than cure. Yoga has many forms. Yoga asanas or postures are said to have relieved a lot of ailments.

Pranayama means extension of life force or rather breathe wherein our breathing techniques are used to cleanse and detoxify our body.

Brahmari is a pranayama from the huge kitty of yoga. The word Brahmari is of Sanskrit origin and it means a bee. The English name for Brahmari pranayama is the Bumble Bee Breathing Exercise.

The bumble bee exercise or Brahmari is named after the sound produced with is akin to the humming sound which is commonly associated with bumble bees.

To perform Brahmari one needs to relax and sit in a comfortable position. Preferably cross legged on a yoga mat or a semi-soft surface. Relax your body muscles. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. After a few normal breaths, inhale deeply. Ensure that your mouth is not open. Inhalation should be purely though the nose. Exhale with a humming sound just like the bees do. Exhale till your breathe is exhausted and you need to inhale once more. Repeat for nine to ten times or as long as you are not exhausted.

Relax and breathe normally for a while before you gently open your eyes. You will immediately feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Many people felt that performing Brahmari an hour after lunch helped them to fight post lunch lethargy and made their brain more alert and fresh. Brahmari is also useful for students as they feel its benefits are similar to that of a power nap.

If followed in the right way this technique creates a kind of vibration all throughout your spinal chord and gradually you can feel a humming sensation in your brain. This is the exercise for our brain which is receiving the vibrations. By vibrating the brain we are ensuring better blood circulation, relaxation and rejuvenation of our brain which often gets tired with stress.

The bumble bee breathing exercise or Brahmari is useful as a relaxant and helps to relieve stress and enhance the memory and it also keeps the brain active and alert.

Travel health tips give you tips on being healthy and fit while travelling.

To travel healthy one must ensure that the following guidelines are followed to have a stress free travel:

1. While travelling to another country one must check out the details about the different vaccinations and immunizations needed and take the dose required.
2. Try to take a heavy medical insurance as Medicare and hospitalization is pretty expensive in every country, and in case you fall sick and are insured then the insurance company agrees to pay all your medical expenses.
3. Drink plenty of water in hot places as this will prevent dehydration.
4. Avoid wearing tight clothes while travelling as you need to breathe easy and smoothly.
5. Take a medicine kit for emergency medical situations.
6. Stretch your body and legs by exercising.
7. Avoid alcohol and smoking while travelling.
8. Carry your medical prescription and medicines enough in supply according to your travel plans.
9. Keep a list of local hospitals and doctors of the place you are travelling.
10. In case of pre existing health problems carry your all medical records while travelling.
11. In case of jet lag, drink warm milk and eat garlic.
12. In case of sea sickness try to sit in front of the ship / carrier.

By following these simple guidelines, you will ensure that you remain fit and healthy throughout your journey and you have an eventful travel experience without the hassles of ill health.

It is the dream of every woman to have the most beautiful eyes. Therefore tapping this need many cosmetic companies have launched various eye care kits and enhancing products. But these products may contain harsh chemicals which may damage your eyes. Therefore it is advised to opt for natural cures and care procedures as they are free from side effects.

Mix a concoction of the following three herbs- Amla, Baheda and Harada in equal quantity and powder them. Add powdered sugar candy to this concoction and store it in an airtight glass container. Consume one teaspoon of this mixture along with an equal quantity of honey on an empty stomach twice a day. Wait for ten minutes and consume a cup of milk. This will ensure that your eyes remain healthy.

Home Remedies for Dark Circles

1. Extract the juice of a fresh cucumber. Dip a wad of cotton into it and apply gently over the dark circles. This will also soothe your skin and leave you refreshed.
2. Prepare a mixture of almond oil and honey. Application of this mixture helps to reduce the wrinkles around the eyes.
3. Mix equal amount of almond oil and honey and apply a few drops on black circles for 2-3 weeks. Both wrinkles and black circles are cured.
4.  Soak four almonds overnight in water. Peel them and then eat them in the morning. Ensure that you chew them well. Consume a cup of milk after a while. This will help you to retain you vision. And will also raeduce the effect of dark circles.
5. Abstain from excessive caffeine intake.
6. Include glasses of carrot juice, spinach juice and tomato juice as they contain essential nutrients to enhance vision.

Remember natural remedies are always preferred to cosmetic and chemical solutions as they can be continued for a long time and are free from side effects.

A simple wrist sensor device could gauge the severity of epileptic seizures as accurately as electroencephalograms (EEGs) do but without the help of scalp electrodes and electrical leads. The device can be used to collect the useful data from the epilepsy patients as they go on with their normal life and will not have to visit the hospitals for epilepsy tests or for observation. The device gives us the right diagnosis of the epilepsy patient and can also give alerts to the patients when their epileptic seizures are severe and this in turn helps the patient to seek urgent medical attention.

The research proved that epileptic seizures were sometimes preceded by huge spikes in skin conductance and indicates the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the human response and the device alerts the patient on the onset of seizures.

The device is very simple, comfortable, non intrusive and can be worn like a wrist band.

Do not overeat as this will lead to sickness. At the same time it is imperative not to remain totally on an empty stomach as this will lead to a build- up of acids which will only aggreviate the condition even more. Have a light meal which is not too oily or spicy. While travelling it is imperative for the travelers to remain hydrated. Therefore it is important that one must keep sipping water at regular intervals. But for people who suffer from travel sickness they must never gulp down large quantities of water as this will lead them to feel nauseous.  It is also recommended to look out at the distance and focus at some static object as this will help to reduce the feeling of nausea. If you are travelling by a private vehicle then it is recommended that you take frequent breaks and stop over. When you stop do not remain inside the car. Move about a bit and stretch your legs.

Inhaling deeply will help to keep motion sickness at bay. Ginger is a good natural remedy for sickness and one can carry finely diced ginger pieces while travelling. These can be chewed on as and when the feeling of unease arises. This will help the feeling to quell. Wear clothing which you are comfortable in. clothes which suffocate you will only spell disaster for your condition. There are many over the counter medicines available to combat this malady of travel sickness. Consult your physician and carry these with you. The most important thing is to divert your mind and not get stressed because of the condition as this will only lead you to feeling more sick.

Therefore look forward to your holiday, think about the fun you will be having and be brave enough to combat this problem with a smile and the tips which will help you to tackle this problem.

A depression is a state where the person feels sad, dejected, neglected, lost, negative, unhappy, and miserable. The person often loses the will to fight and survive. A depressed person feels a sense of hopelessness and constantly feels like giving up. Life just fades out and the spark of living burns out in the life of a patient who suffers from depression.

Some of the common symptoms of depression are:

1. A depressed person withdraws in to a shell and becomes silent.
2. A depressed person often has difficulty in sleeping and suffers from insomnia. Such persons mostly stay awake throughout the night and are more often very restless.
3. A depressed person starts losing weight due to lack of proper diet and lack of exercise as they tend to lose interest in all activities of life.
4. The depressed person has recurring thoughts of death and suicide.
5. The intake of alcohol and smoking increases as they find it an easy escape situation.
6. The health of the depressed person also suffers. Many malicious diseases such as diabetics, heart stroke, obesity, blood pressure etc. affect the patient as more often than not he ends up neglecting his health

There is always a ray of hope for those who wish to overcome this state. The following tips will be useful to get rid of depression.

1. Have a positive outlook towards life and think this too shall pass.
2. Medication by anti depressants. Remember this is a temporary phase and there is no reason to feel unworthy. Tackle this ailment just as any other common ailment will help you to come to terms with the fact.
3. Electric shock therapy.
4. Interpersonal therapy with a physiatrist.
5. Interacting with your friends, family and sharing up your bottled up feelings.
6. Avoiding alcohol and quit smoking.
7. Having a nutritious diet and exercising and keeping fit.
8. Having a positive approach to life.
9. Be in the company of positive people.
10. Conversely avoid people who spread negativity.

As the famous Japanese saying goes, “Plant a green tree in your heart, the birds will automatically follow”. Therefore a depressed person must also have positive thoughts in his mind and the happiness and joy will surely follow.

Regular medication is available to control high blood pressure. But apart from that there is also an alternative technique called the “Relaxation Response Technique”. This technique was developed by Dr. Herbert Benson. The response has been very favorable and has a positive impact. Patients who have practiced the Relaxation Response Technique regularly have manifested a marked reduction in the heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, breathing regulating and an overall sense of wellness.

There are innumerable benefits of practicing the Relaxation Response Technique. For those who wish to make this practice a part of their life here are the steps to perform it:

• Choose a word, phrase or a prayer of your choice. We will use this word to focus.
• Be seated in a position which is comfortable.
• Close your eyes.
• Be comfortable and relax your body. De-stress your muscles. Begin from your feet and gradually move upwards towards your face.
• Gradually focus on your breathing and repeat the phrase you had selected in your mind. Keep repeating and have complete concentration on your breathing.
• Repeat this for a span of 7 to 8 minutes till you are not accustomed to it. Gradually increase the time to ten to twenty minutes at every sitting.
• Sit silently for a while and then open your eyes.
• Repeat this technique twice a day for optimum results.

Making this Relaxation Response technique an integral part of your life will surely reduce your blood pressure and relax your mind.

Listed below are some of grandma’s remedies for curing acne.

• Mild rubbing of garlic on the acne effected area makes acne disappear without leaving ugly scars. But care should be taken not to be too rough as if the skin breaks it leads to a burning sensation when the skin comes in contact with the cracked skin.
• Apply a paste of lemon or orange peels mixed with water on acne affected areas. You can also make a homemade face pack by adding any citrus substance powder to a little gramflour, mixed with honey to form a thick paste. Add powdered Fuller’s Earth (Multani Mitti) for added glow. Massage it and leave on till the paste condenses on your face, wash off with cold water. Add a few drops to rose water for a fresh feeling.
• Application of grated cucumber juice also helps to reduce acne.This has a rejuvinating impact on the skin and results in a clear and flawlessly glowing skin.
• A special concotation of a small amount of honey coupled with camphor lotion and tomato juice should be applied on the effected area and left on for fifteen minutes. This mixture should be washed off first with lukewarm water and later on with cold water to close the pores. This process helps to lighten the scars left by acne.

• You drink alone when you are sad or angry.
• You are late for work because of excess drinking at night.
• Your family is worried about your drinking problem.
•  You are unable to control your drinking habits.
• You get frequent head aches and hangovers after drinking.

If answer to these pointers is ‘yes’, you have a drinking problem. And if the problem is severe you are advised to join a rehabilitation centre. But if you think you can get it under control then you can consider following pointers to solve your drinking problem:

•  List your reasons: Start with listing down the reasons why you want to cut down on drinking. This could be: for good health, fight sleeping disorders, relationships etc. this will motivate you to take a charge of reducing your drinking habits.
•  Limit:  Set a limit for yourself on how much and when you will allow yourself to drink. For instance, drinking one drink and only on special occasions.
•  Reminder: have this limit of drinking in front of you every day. This could be a reminder in your phone, sticker on your refrigerator or anywhere.
•  Weekly diary: keep a weekly diary and see how much you have progressed. With the help of your previous week you can work on the coming week.
•  No alcohol at home: Most of the time you crave for alcohol when you are alone at home. It is better to not keep temptations around you.
•  Drink slowly: Take a gap between your drinks. And never drink empty stomach because this will harm your digestive system
•  Learn to say no: not necessarily when others are drinking you have to accompany them with alcohol. Rather have juice and enjoy the occasion with your dear ones.
•  Never give up: last but not the least never give up on the decision you have made. You are the one who will lose the best things in life. So do not ignore your health and start working on it.

Red blood cells contain an iron containing chemical called hemoglobin. When RBCs grow old they are destroyed and the hemoglobin is released into the blood sans iron content. This new chemical is called bilirubin. The liver not only secretes bile to the intestines for fat digestion but it also removes toxins and wastes including bilirubin from the blood.

In the liver the bilirubin is conjugated and the resulting acid is secreted in bile juice. This conjugated bilirubin is excreted through feces. Obstruction of the bile ducts that release bile to the intestines, malfunctioning of the liver and release of excessive bilirubin into the blood which is beyond the liver’s eliminating capacity all lead to jaundice. Diseases like hemolytic anemia and liver affecting aliments of typhoid, malaria, yellow fever and tuberculosis may also cause this condition.

Neonatal jaundice is jaundice in newborn infants due to rise in bilirubin levels that occur in the first few days after birth. After birth destruction of the fetal RBCs occurs accompanied by their substitution by non fetal RBCs. The baby’s liver is overloaded and jaundice is caused.

Pathological jaundice comes with a health risk and is found in adults and children due to diseases, medications, blood incompatibilities, genetic syndromes, blood diseases, cirrhosis, hepatitis, bile duct blockages etc.

Physical examination may reveal masses in the abdomen that indicate metastatic cancer affecting the liver causing jaundice. Rock hard liver signals liver cancer and enlarged liver means cirrhosis. Blood tests that measure bilirubin also help diagnose jaundice.

Elevations of liver tests also can signify the disease. Ultrasonography using sound to check the abdominal organs can indicate gall stones/tumors obstructing the bile ducts. MRI scans, CT scans, endoscopic ultrasounds and liver biopsies can also reveal gall stones, tumors and liver ailments.