Health Tips

Positively Prana

2010-01-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Why does yoga make you feel so good?

There are a dizzying number of styles and approaches to yoga these days. Some involve resting in simple
supported postures in quiet, candlelit rooms. Others push students to the edge of their physical capacity or are
done to the beat of loud, rhythmic music. Some fo cus on physical alignment, while others offer a heart-centered ap proach. There is so much variety that describing them all is impossible.
Different in tone and substance as the various styles might be, they share
one quality that inspires people to practice them: They work. Put simply, you feel better when you walk out of class than when you walked in. The question is, why? Better yet, how does yoga work?
As you’ve probably heard, one reason asana leaves you feeling so good is
that it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, thanks to
two elements that almost all asana practices have in common––
the lengthening and strengthening of musculature and calm, even
breathing. The parasympathetic is the part of your nervous system
that slows you down—it’s responsible for telling your muscles to
relax, improving your digestion and assimilation, boosting immunity,
and helping you sleep better. It also normalizes your blood
pressure and lowers your heart rate. The parasympathetic nervous
system counteracts many stress-related symptoms and the negative
by-products of our modern, fast-paced, high-output lives.
But the truth is that much of the yoga being practiced these days
doesn’t do as much for the parasympathetic nervous system as you
might think. To build your parasympathetic nervous system, you
need to do poses that encourage deep relaxation, such as forward
bends and hip openers; do fewer standing poses; and do more sitting,
supine, and prone postures as well as inversions. You also need to hold poses longer, as you would in restorative yoga, and dedicate longer periods of time to developing slow and complete breathing. Vigorous vinyasa, backbends, handstands, and arm balances are powerful and beneficial, but
they don’t stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system as much as the practices listed previously.
So if the positive changes you gain from yoga can’t be entirely credited to its impact on
your nervous system, what is helping you feel and live better? The answer is life force. Almost all styles of hatha yoga increase the flow of prana, or life force, in your body.
Yoga, like the science of acupuncture, or tai chi and qi gong, is based on prana (referred to as chi in the Chinese arts and sciences). These disciplines see prana as the essential force that sustains everything. Yogis went a step further, prescribing the intelligent use of prana as the key to facilitating spiritual awakening. “Having known the origin... and the physical existence of prana, one achieves immortality,” says the Prasna
Upanishad. In other words, the aim of life (and practice) is realized through the skillful use of prana.

The ultimate strength

2010-01-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

Prana has always played a vital role in hatha yoga. Ancient Tantric texts, like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita, list various techniques to help build, channel, and regulate life force. In
these writings, asana is described as the foundation for hatha’s deeper practices
because it is so accessible and helps to free life force: The process of holding a pose–– while “breathing through it”––dissolves pranic blockages. Different postures unlock prana in different ways. Forward
bends, for example, increase the types of prana that calm, soothe, and ground;
backbends unblock pranic forces that are more expansive and revitalizing. A key reason you feel better after class is that the practice has helped move your life force in a way that is more balanced,
complete, or suited to your particular mental and physical needs. The principles of how different asanas affect life force are explained in both the hatha traditio and Ayurveda. The more we learn and practice these teachings, the more we know about which poses will help at any particular time. You may notice a particular
practice (or style) that used to make you feel great is doing so less and less; that may be a sign that it is time for a change The more you control and build your storehouse of life force, the more you can achieve through practice. “The control of prana is the ultimate strength,” says the Srimad Bhagavatam, one of India’s
revered scriptures. The more you learn to skillfully utilize the power of prana that begins with asana, the closer you come to realizing yoga’s limitless potential.

Nuts: The High Energy Health Food Including

2010-01-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Including nuts in your diet is a positive step
toward wellness. Almonds, pecans, peanuts,
and walnuts are healthy foods that promote
fullness. Nuts are calorie dense, but don’t promote
weight gain because they suppress
hunger and increase metabolic rate. Adding
nuts to your diet can reduce the risk of breast
cancer, promote weight control, and modify risk
factors linked to heart attack and stroke.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil May Prevent Breast Cancer

2010-01-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

Olive oil is a healthy food. It lowers LDL (the
bad cholesterol) and contains polyphenols that
fight chemicals called free radicals linked to
aging, immune system breakdown, heart disease,
and cancer. It might be one reason why
people living in
Mediterranean
countries live so
long and have
such low rates
of heart disease
and cancer.
Spanish
researchers confirmed
that the
polyphenols in
extra-virgin olive
oil interfered
with breast cancer
cell growth
in laboratory cultures.
We can’t
say for sure
whether it prevents
breast
cancer in
humans.

Impurities Found In Bottled Water

2010-01-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

Do you think you are healthier because you
drink bottled water? Well, think again! A study
by the Environmental Working Group, a consumer
advocacy organization, found that 10
brands of bottled water showed measurable
contaminants including fertilizer, acetaminophen
(Tylenol), bacteria, caffeine, and strontium
(a radioactive element). While all the
products met federal regulations, two failed to
meet the stricter California standards. Tap
water is just as healthy or healthier than bottled
water in most communities and is better
for the environment.

Jump Training Boosts Bone Mass

2010-01-27T05:49:00.000-08:00

Few components of good health are more important for independent living
and long life than strong bones. Bones give your body structure, protect
organs, anchor muscles and store calcium. Smart women build bones
when they’re young and maintain them as they age. Strong bones reduce
the risk of painful, life-threatening fractures and provide a solid foundation
that promotes a vigorous, healthy life. Bones get stronger when you load
them and weaker when you don’t. The rate that stress is applied to bone is
more important than the absolute stress; jumping exercises, such as plyometrics
and rope skipping, build bone better than walking.
A Japanese study led by Akiko Honda from Chukyo University found
that jump training increased bone density
in young and old rats. The gains persisted
even when the animals stopped
exercising.
Studies from Oregon State University
found that non-weight-bearing exercises,
such as swimming and cycling, can actually
make you lose bone faster than doing
no exercise at all. Swimmers have lower
bone density than normal because the
body doesn’t weigh very much in the
water. Walking and running will build
more bone density than cycling or similar
non-weight-bearing exercises (stationary
bike). While walking, running and tennis
are important, no aerobic exercise will
build bone as well as weight training and
jumping exercises. Lift weights and do
jumping exercises two to three days per
week for optimal bone health.

Runners Live Longer With Less Disability

2010-01-27T05:47:00.000-08:00

A 21-year Stanford University study led by James Fries on 284 runners
and 156 control subjects showed that runners were 38 percent healthier (as
measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index). By the
end of the study, 34 percent of the control subjects had died compared to
only 15 percent of the runners. The study began during the jogging craze of
the early 1980s. At the time, many health experts thought that joggers would
have severe orthopedic problems later in life. The study found the opposite.
While runners and non-runners became progressively disabled with age, runners
experienced decreased physical capacity much later. In general, runners
were able to delay significant disability by 16 years compared to control
subjects.
Also, a second study on the same subjects showed that arthritis rates did
not increase in older adults who ran regularly for 20 years or more. These
studies showed that regular aerobic exercise is the true Fountain of Youth.

Brown Fat Activity Less In the Overweight

2010-01-27T05:45:00.000-08:00

Brown fat (BAT) is a high-energy tissue that converts food energy directly into heat, while ‘white’ fat stores energy.
BAT might play an important role in human obesity. Three studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine
showed that brown fat activity increased during cold exposure, but was less in obese people and older adults.
BAT prevents weight gain by increasing metabolic rate following overeating. Energy metabolism works through a
series of ‘coupled’ reactions. This means that energy released by breaking down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins is
captured in other reactions, such as making ATP (a high-energy chemical) or storing fats and carbohydrates.
Uncoupling occurs when the energy from food breakdown is released as heat instead of being captured as ATP.
Brown fat converts food energy directly into heat. Drug makers are attempting to harness uncoupling in brown fat
and other cells to increase metabolic rate, which might help control body fat. Increasing brown fat production and
activity might promote weight loss and help us conquer the obesity epidemic

Sleep Loss And Inactivity Make You Fat

2010-01-27T05:42:00.000-08:00

The average woman sleeps 2 hours less
per night than in 1960, which might contribute
to the current obesity epidemic.
Among young women, 37 percent sleep
less than 7 hours per night and only 25
percent sleep at least 8 hours a night.
Sleep loss alters hormones that control
hunger and increase appetite for caloriedense
foods such as candy, cookies, chips
and bread. A study from the National
Public Health Institute in Finland found that
sleep disturbances and lack of exercise
increased the risk of abdominal obesity in
men and women. In men, sleeping more
than 9 hours a day was also linked to
increased ab fat. Lack of sleep was related
independently to excess fat, when factoring
out the effects of exercise or sleeprelated
diseases such as obstructive sleep
apnea (airway blockage disrupts sleep).
Sleep disturbance causes a vicious cycle:
lack of sleep increases body fat, which
increases sleep deprivation due to disturbed
nighttime breathing, which causes
more weight gain. See your doctor if you
don’t sleep well and are chronically tired
during the day. It could shrink your waistline
and save your life.

Starvation Diets Can Cause Deadly Heart Rhythms

2010-01-27T05:38:00.000-08:00

Weight loss typically reduces blood pressure, improves blood sugar regulation and blood fats, and enhances metabolic
health. Rapid weight loss through starvation diets (less than 800 calories per day) often causes decreases in muscle
tone, and heart rhythm disturbances. Bulgarian scientists, in a study of 29 obese adults on starvation diets, found that
20 of the subjects developed a potentially fatal heart rhythm called ‘acquired
long QT syndrome.’ This greatly increases the risk of ventricular fibrillation and
sudden death. In the normal heart, impulses travel across the chambers and
cause a uniform contraction of the atria and ventricles (upper and lower chambers
of the heart). Starvation alters cell health and impairs normal conduction
of the impulses. Following starvation diets to lose weight is like throwing the
baby out with the bathwater—
you will be the skinniest
corpse in the cemetery.

1 -Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

2010-01-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Stand with the inner edges of your feet touching
each other. Spread the balls of your feet, press
your heels firmly into the floor, and lengthen
your inner ankles upward. Draw your tailbone
down and forward into the pelvis and move your
groins back. Reach toward the floor with your
arms. Stay for 1 minute.

4 -Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Abdomen Pose)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.007-08:00

Lying on your back, stretch your arms out to your sides with
your palms up. Bend your knees and lift them to your chest.
Keep both shoulder blades on the floor and your knees together. Tilt your knees to the right. When you feel your
left waist begin to lift, revolve your abdomen back to the left
and lower your left waist toward the floor. Go as far to the
right as you can, continuing to revolve the abdomen and to
lower the left waist. Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Come to
center and change sides. Repeat 3 times.

2 --Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.006-08:00

From Tadasana, lift your arms overhead. Bend your knees
so your thighs are as nearly parallel to the floor as possible.
Keep your heels heavy and continue to move your tailbone
down and forward. Lift your abdomen and chest away from
the inner groins and reach up through your arms. Stay for
30 seconds to a minute.

3-Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (Leg Lifts)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.004-08:00

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the
floor. Stretch your arms overhead and place the backs of
your hands on the floor. Raise your knees to your chest
and stretch your legs up perpendicular to the ceiling (90
degrees). Press the sides of your waist toward the floor.
Lower your legs halfway to the floor (45 degrees) while
moving your tailbone away from your lower back and pressing
your low back into the floor. Hold for 3 breaths then
raise your legs back to 90 degrees. Keep the sides of
the waist down to avoid back strain. Repeat 3 to 10 times.
As you get stronger, you can lower the legs from 45 degrees
all the way to just above the floor.

5-Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.003-08:00

Lie on your back. Keep your left leg on the floor and raise
your right leg. With your right hand, catch your big toe, or
place a strap around the ball of your foot, and stretch the leg
straight up to the sky. Place your left hand on your left thigh.
Pull your straight right leg toward your head. Slide your left
hand down your left thigh toward your knee and lift your
chest and head toward your right leg. Stay for 1 to 2 minutes.
Come down and change sides.

6-Paripurna Navasana (Full Boat Pose)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.002-08:00

Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose), with your hands on the floor by
your hips. Stretch your legs straight on the floor. Lean back
and raise your straight legs until your feet are at eye level.
Balance just behind your sitting bones and raise your arms to
shoulder level, with your palms facing each other. Lift your
chest and hold for as long as you can (up to 1 minute).

7-Ardha Navasana (Half Boat Pose)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.001-08:00

Sit in Dandasana and interlock your fingers behind your
head. Tilt your pelvis back, lower your sacrum halfway to the
floor, and move your tailbone toward your heels. Lift your
side ribs and move your sternum toward your feet. Your spine will flex in this pose. Hold for 30 seconds. Keeping
your legs straight, lift your feet to chest level, keeping
your lower back slightly rounded.

8-Lolasana (Pendant Pose)

2010-01-27T05:20:00.000-08:00

Sit in Dandasana with hands pressed to the fl oor. Lift your
buttocks, bend your right knee, and sit on your right foot.
Lean back, lift your right knee, bend your left knee, and
tuck your left calf under your right shin with your feet as
close together as possible and your toes pointed back.
Lean forward and lift the side of your waist toward the
ceiling. Press your palms down, stretch your arms, and lift
your legs up from the fl oor toward your chest. Engage
your core by lifting your navel to your spine. Hold as long
as you can and repeat a few times.

9-Malasana (Garland Pose)

2010-01-27T05:19:00.000-08:00

Stand in Tadasana. Bend your knees and squat, keeping
your feet together but separating your knees. Lean forward
and lower your waist between your thighs. Wrap your
arms around your shins, press your upper shins into your
armpits, and grasp your ankles. Pull your head toward
your feet and roll your tailbone toward your heels. Hold for
30 seconds to 1 minute.

10-Bakasana (Crane Pose)

2010-01-27T05:15:00.001-08:00

Come into a squat. Lift your heels, lean forward, and bring
the backs of your armpits onto your shins near your knees.
Place your palms shoulder-width apart, lean farther forward,
and lift your feet up off the fl oor. Pull your heels
toward your buttocks and roll your tailbone toward your
heels. Lift your upper back toward the ceiling and stretch
your arms. Breathe here for as long as you’re able. Hold
for as long as you can and do a couple of repetitions.

Core Values

2010-01-27T04:17:00.000-08:00

Take a playful approach to building
core strength and flexibility in your torso.

Arm balances require more than Popeye’s strength. Just ask senior Iyengar teacher John Schumacher. “Hardly anyone can muscle their way into arm balances,” he says. Schumacher describes some of his students as men who are strong enough to do 100 Sun Salutationsbut who can’t do an arm balance because they lack the flexibility to get their arms and legs into position. He also teaches a lot of flexible people who need to develop more strength. Schumacher came up with the se quence on the following pages to help you increase both strength and flexibility. The sequence will definitely work your abdominal muscles and build core strength, even in your spinal muscles. Once you’ve toned your core, you’ll put it to the test in the arm
balances. You’ll need to use your strength and flexibility for a key action you’ll do in the last four poses: tucking your abdominals up and in toward your spine. Yoga students are often instructed to lengthen the spine, but here Schumacher wants you to move your sacrum away from your lumbar spine and “tuck” inward
as you round or curl. Visualize wrapping yourself around a beachball, he advises. Even when practicing taxing po ses, Schumacher encourages having a playful, adventurous attitude. “Kids will try to stand on their
heads, laugh, and have fun—not get mad—and try again,” he says. Infuse your practice with this spirit of playfulness and realize that you might not get a pose right away. “But try to learn about yourself as you play,” Schumacher says. “See if you can maintain equanimity as you discover
what your response is to a difficult situation.”

Vegetarian Chili

2010-01-27T03:57:00.000-08:00

Makes 4 to 6 servings
This simple dish is easy and tasty
enough to be a weeknight staple.
2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1⁄2 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander1 cup red salsa
2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
3 cups cooked black beans
3 cups blanched, peeled tomatoes
2 cups corn kernels
Salt to taste
Hot pepper sauce to taste
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
1 In a soup pot, cook the onions and
garlic in the water over a high heat,
stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
Add the cumin and coriander and stir
over a high heat for a minute. Stir in the
salsa and bell peppers, lower the heat,
cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
2 Add the black beans and tomatoes;
simmer for 10 minutes. Use a wooden
spoon to break up the tomatoes. Add
the corn and continue to cook for 10
more minutes. Add salt and hot sauce
to taste. Stir in the cilantro, if desired.

Chunky Guacamole

2010-01-27T03:50:00.000-08:00

Makes 4 servings
This guacamole is loaded with cherry
tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeños.
2 large ripe avocados, pits and
skins removed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3⁄4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, thinly sliced1⁄2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped
Cayenne or chili powder to taste
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely
chopped (optional)
1 Place the avocado flesh in a bowl and
mash with a fork until fairly smooth.
Add the lemon juice, salt, tamari or soy
sauce, and garlic, and mix well.
2 Stir in the tomatoes, green onion,
olives, cayenne or chili powder, and jalapeño.
Spoon into a serving bowl.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

2010-01-27T03:44:00.000-08:00

Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 1⁄2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 1⁄2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garnet yams, peeled and cut into
1-inch chunks
2 acorn, banana, butternut, Hubbard,
kabocha, or delicata squash, peeled
and cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch
chunks
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 small turnip, peeled and cut
into 1-inch wedges
1 Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly oil a
heavy, rimmed baking sheet.
2 Whisk together the oil, garlic, rosemary,
marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper
in a large bowl. Add yams, squash, carrots,
onion, and turnip, and mix well.
3 Spread the vegetables evenly over
the prepared baking sheet. Roast for
45 minutes, or until the vegetables are
tender and beginning to brown, stirring
every 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted
vegetables to a platter and serve.

Eating less is more

2010-01-27T03:20:00.000-08:00

Studying satya and trying to be honest about what I was eating and why led me to a related yogic ideal brahmacharya (moderation). According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra II.38, a balanced life is characterized by moderation in all things. The first time I came across this concept as it applied to eating habits was in Ram
Dass’s 1970s handbook for a spiritual life, Remember, Be Here Now. He discussed mitahara (moderate diet), advising readers to eat light, healthy, unadulterated foods. He said that after a meal your stomach
should be 50 percent full with food, 25 percent full with water, and 25 percent empty with room for air. What a revelation! As a child, I’d been taught to clean my plate whether I was hungry or not. With Ram Dass’s advice, I began to consistently eat less of everything—not by starving myself but by becoming aware
of that moment in a meal when I’ve had just enough, but not too much. Practicing mitahara and satya kept me
honest about how much food I needed in order to feel satisfied, and also about
what I was putting on my plate. I listened to nutritionists’ recommendations and
gave up packaged foods. Instead, I ate lots of vegetables and fruits, made sweet
and tangy pineapple my new favorite snack, and began cooking with beans and lentils. Who knew that nutty, aromatic brown rice could be so comforting and satisfying? Or that a rainbow of roasted or skewered and grilled vegetables could be as fun to make as it was to eat? Out went simple carbs and in came new- to-me whole grain dishes like quinoa salads and spelt tortillas stuffed with beans and whatever vegetables I had on hand. I also added daily one-hour walks and twiceweekly visits to the gym.
One of my biggest revelations came when I found a simple recipe for vegetarian chili in an old cookbook. The chili, made with salsa, tomatoes, and black beans and spiced with cumin and coriander, taught me a lesson about how changing eating habits and losing weight start in the mind. For months, my boyfriend
(now husband), Neil, and I ate the chili all the time, as often as three or four times a week. When we first started eating it, Neil would dish up the bowls and serve
them with toasted whole wheat bread and a generous sprinkling of cheese. We’d scoop the toast into the chili, making miniature black bean sandwiches. It was so delicious we often had seconds. Then one
day, we were out of bread. We were beside ourselves: chili without toast? Horrors! To
our surprise, the chili was just as satisfying on its own. A few weeks later, Neil forgot to buy cheese. Again, we realized that the chili tasted just as good without it. I found that if I was honest with myself, I was perfectly content without the bread, cheese, and second helpings. Slowly but surely, my appetite adjusted, and in nine months, I lost 40 pounds. That was almost eight years ago, and with the exception of my pregnancy, my weight has stayed about the same ever since.