Thursday 30 July 2015

8 Simple Yoga Poses For Glowing Skin

8 Simple Yoga Poses For Glowing Skin

1. Breathing exercise:

Breathing exercise for health
Control your breathing through counts that will rejuvenate your mind and that is what makes this pose of yoga for beautiful skin so popular.
[ #Yoga]
  • Sit on the floor with legs crossed.
  • Close your eyes, relax and breathe normally.
  • Now breathe in deeply through both nostrils with the count of 10.
  • Hold your breath, again by counting 10.
  • Count another 10 to release the breath.
  • Practice this breathing technique for 5-10 minutes.
This breathing exercise will help you control your mind and you won’t get stressed out easily.

2. Shirshasana (Headstand):


Shirshasana for yoga
Shirshasana is a bit difficult pose but is great if you want to maintain a long-lasting glow and healthy look in your face. Since you are standing on your head, blood starts flowing downwards, thereby improving  blood circulation in your face. By reversing the flow of gravity, a headstand simulates a “face lift” by letting your skin hang in the opposite direction, which means getting rid of wrinkles. The inverted position of a headstand also flushes fresh nutrients and oxygen to the face, creating a glowing effect on the skin.
[ Yoga Benefits ]
  • Place a yoga mat on the floor. Beginners may use a few stacks of blanket or anything that is a bit soft and will give proper support to your head.
  • Sit on the floor in kneel-down position. Remember your teachers punishing you asking you to kneel down. Keep your spine straight and keep your hands on your knees. Take a few normal breaths and relax.
  • yoga exercises
  • Next bring your hands in front of you on the mat or blankets (whichever you may be using), elbows on the floor and interlock your palms. See above picture.
  • Next position your head in between your interlocked palms. Refer to the above picture. Be careful not to hurt yourself. Take a few relaxing breaths before we move on to the next step.
  • Next try lifting up your body in a mountain position. Start with your knees, lift your hips and now you are supporting this position with your forearms, head and your toes. This is like a downward dog pose. See picture above. Balancing up till this position does take a lot of stamina, but with practice you will be able to do this. Balance yourself till this step and proceed again when you are totally comfortable with this pose.
  • This step requires a bit more test of your balance. Now that you have partially balanced on your head, lifted up your hips and standing on your toes, try lifting up one leg off the floor slowly and steadily. To make it easier, walk your feet towards your head, unless your feet would naturally want to lift off.

yoga exercises
yoga exercises

yoga exercise

  • Now that you have lifted one leg, try lifting the other leg too. This will require a lot of strength on your arms and hand. But with practice, you’ll be able to master it. Beginners can ask friends to help them in balancing or you may also take support of the wall.
  • To come down, bend your knees and curl down or bring down one leg and then the other as you had gone up.
  • Relax in a kneel-down posture with some deep relaxing breaths.

3. Halasana (Plough pose):



Halasana for yoga
  • Lie down on your yoga mat straight and relaxed. Put your arms by your side with palms facing the floor.
  • Now slowly lift up your legs from the floor such that a right angle is formed between your upper and lower torso. Push floor with your hands so that it gets easy for you to lift your legs. Breathe and relax.
  • Next bring your legs more towards your upper torso and slowly lift your hips off the floor supporting and balancing yourself with your hands.
  • Continue lifting your legs and bring it beyond your head as much as possible so as to touch the floor beyond your head with your toes.
  • At this point, lift your back further so that now only your shoulder and your head is resting on the floor.
  • Now your back has formed an arch. Straighten your spine and support the two sides of your waist with your hands, elbows on the ground. Breathe normally.
  • Hold posture for 15-30 seconds before returning back to normal position.

Refer to the below picture for a clear step by step understanding.
Plough pose

This is one of the wonderful yoga asanas for glowing skin!

4. Dhanurasana (Bow pose):

In this asana, your body should pose like a bow.
Dhanurasana for yoga exercise

  • Lie down on your belly with hands by your side with palms facing upwards.
  • Bend your knees to bring the heels near your buttocks.
  • Now take your hands back and grasp your ankles. Rest your body weight on your abdomen.
  • Now pull your ankles more with your hands. As your pull your ankles more, your upper torso automatically rises.  And now your body looks like a bow.
  • Keep your breathing normal.

5. Bharadvajasana (Twisted seated pose):

Bharadvajasana in yoga

  • Sit on the mat cross-legged with both hands extended on the mat on both your sides.
  • Inhale deeply and strengthen your spine.
  • Shifting your left hand from the mat place it on your right thigh and twist your torso to the right. Exhale when you twist your body.
  • Hold this position for 30 seconds.
  • Now turn your torso to your left while placing your right hand over your left thigh. Stay for another 30 seconds.
This asana of yoga for fair and glowing skin is great for anti-aging.

6. Sharvangasana (Shoulder stand):

Sharvangasana yoga

This asana involves the whole body, hence the name Sharvanga.

7. Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation):

Surya Namaskar


The mother of all yoga asanas. Surya Namaskar involves 12 postures. (Link back to surya namaskar)
This yoga poses de-stresses, removes toxins and is a great relaxation exercise. So you can obviously expect your skin to glow if you practice this regularly.


8. Shavasana (Corpse pose):

savasana

  • Lie down straight on the floor with your eyes closed.
  • Relax thoroughly and throw out all negative thoughts and tension, be it your office pressure or any disturbance in your family. Think good and positive.
  • Now, stand up straight and firm with your legs apart. Cover your face with your hands and take 10 quick breaths.
  • Rub the skin on your eyes, forehead and face. Again take 10 quick breaths. Then rub entire face with your fingers. Breathe properly at the count of 10.
[  Yoga ]
You’ll feel all your stress and tensions have disappeared. Technically Shavasana should be practiced after having done all yoga asanas. It is like a concluding asana for your yoga session. The time of Shavasana should be 15-20 minute
Practice yoga, be happy and feel beautiful.

Health Tips every Woman over 30 Should Know:

Health Tips every Woman over 30 Should Know:

Women Health Tips for over 30


All of our lives we as women have certain things drilled into our heads about how we should take care of ourselves. From early on images are formed in our minds about how we should look, feel , etc.  At the end of all of that what matters is how we see and feel about ourselves.  Some of the simplest things can help keep us healthy and on track as we get older.  

1. Sleep
I know you have heard all your life get sleep and you will feel better. It’s actually true! While we sleep our body regenerates our hormones we depleted during the day. Without this process we cannot build muscle. And if we can’t build muscle our body starts to store fat for later (and let’s face it none of us want that.) Plus, if you get your proper sleep you will be more ready to attack the day rather then your pillow.

2. Showers

Ok, I know you shower, But did you know showering has more benefits then just hygiene. If you have problems going to bed you should try taking a hot shower or bath before you go to bed. When you are asleep your body goes threw a cool down cycle. When you are in the shower the hot water make your skin pores open up. This helps the cycle go more efficiently. Plus the hot water helps with your circulation, which can relieve tension and help you to relax.

3. Eat Breakfast

With work, taking the dog out, and trying to get the kids ready for school, mornings can be very busy. You end up skipping it altogether or eating something packed with sugar. 56% of Americans skip and of the 22% are obese. Eating breakfast allows you to eat your high protein foods like peanut butter, eggs, and whole-wheat toast in the morning. Eating high protein foods in the morning will give you energy to get through your day without needing an energy drink or something sugary. It will also hold you over until lunch so you’re not starving and eat more then you need too.

4. Stretch like you’re a rubber band

When you wake up in the morning stretch. Stretching can help with your flexibility, balance, stress, and back problems. When you are stressed out you muscles contract in your body, mainly in neck and back. Stretching can relieve the pain in your muscles by loosening them up. Plus stretching improves circulation, which carries the oxygen to your muscles. As you stretch breathe deeply, calmly and pretend all your problems are melting away. When your done your problems won’t be gone but you will feel refreshed to tackle them.

5. Oh, my back Ache

One out of whack vertebra can lead to digestion issues, bladder problems and much more. Sometimes a simple realigning can relieve many problems. Practicing good posture can help alleviate your pain. If you sit at a desk in front of a computer all day try switching your chair out with a stability ball. Not only will you be practicing your posture but you will be getting a core workout as well. Or if you do not like stability balls try a lumbar cushion to help with your posture.

6. Neurobics

I know, I like saying the word too. It is actually a new word researchers came up with for aerobics of your mind. New studies have shown that spending a couple hours a week on brain stimulating activities can decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s and other similar mental issues. By doing these challenging activities you are strengthening your brain circuits.

7. Vitamin D

According to researchers 77% of people are vitamin D deficient. They have found that almost every part of our body relies on vitamin D. Even though our body makes vitamin D it does not produce enough for us. They have found that being deficient can lead to heart disease, depression, and a weak immune system. They have also found that vitamin D helps produce insulin which could help people with diabetes issues.

8. Pistachios

Pistachios are on their way to being on the super food list. With so many benefits I don’t know where to start. Let’s start with the biggest benefit to cholesterol. Studies show that people with high cholesterol who eat pistachios on a daily basis dropped their overall cholesterol by 6% and their LDL cholesterol by 12%. Studies have also shown that pistachios are loaded with nutrients to help prevent muscular degeneration especially in the eyes. Pistachios are loaded with B6 which helps produce hemoglobin for red blood cells that help keep the lymph nodes on track creating enough white blood cells.

9. Do you love your hair?

I love my hair and I love for it to feel silky smooth. Recently I learned that certain medications for example ibuprofen, anti-depressants, and birth control can damage and even make you loose your hair. Just by making sure you get enough Vitamins A, B, C, E, and Iron can increase the strength and length of your hair. 25% of your hair shaft is made of water and just by being hydrated properly you can ensure better growth and durability of your hair.

10. Make Time

Many of us balance multiple roles; mom, wife, business woman, and everything in between. We often have lists of things we need to get done longer then the hours in the day we have and we push our needs aside. Don’t! This is where we mess up. We must make time to take care of our selves whether it’s in the morning we pamper ourselves as we get ready for they day or taking quiet time at night. If you do not properly take care of your self you will not be able to play the many roles of our lives.

Make a proper daily schedule for your healthy and beautiful life............

Monday 27 July 2015

5 Yoga Poses Every Pregnant Woman Should Know

5 Yoga Poses Every Pregnant Woman Should Know


PRENATAL YOGA

When you're pregnant, parts of your body hurt that you didn't even know existed. Weird aches and pains pop up out of nowhere and your growing belly can make finding comfortable positions nearly impossible.
Cathy Louise Broda certainly felt the pregnancy pains, especially the second time around when she was carrying twins. Thankfully for us, however, Broda has been doing yoga for 23 years and has honed her practice specifically for pregnant women. At Purple Yoga Hawaii, her studio in Honolulu, Broda has found five positions that are especially helpful for relieving pregnancy pains as well as stretching the body to make room for the growing baby. An added bonus? Many of these positions are great, reliable methods to cope with pain and discomforts during labor.
Broda recommends starting by sitting and doing three head rolls to the right and then left. You may be tempted to rush through this part, but don't -- few things feel as good and relieve as much tension during pregnancy as a slow, deep head roll.
Feel better already, don't you? Now, onto those 5 positions:
1. Extended Side Angle Pose: 
We feel especially sluggish during pregnancy, but that doesn't mean you can't find energy reserves to tap into. Try the extended side angle pose when you're dragging. It requires strong legs and works to open up the hips -- a much needed stretch if you're sitting at a desk all day. "Extending the upper arm above the head at an angle works the whole side body from finger tips to the extended back leg," notes Broda. If you reach for it, you might find you have more energy than you think.
prenatal yoga
Remember to keep a bent elbow on the bent knee during pregnancy.
2. Triangle Pose [ Tri-kona-Asana] : 
Somewhere between remembering to take your vitamins and prepping a nursery, did you start to feel like you were losing your sanity just a bit? While pregnancy is a time of celebration, it is also a highly anxious time and you may find yourself carrying around a bit too much tension. Try a modified triangle pose to regain your sense of balance. This all-around good pose works the legs, stretches the side body, energizes the hips, and opens up the shoulders, which (we're guessing) have started to cave in a bit under the pressure.
prenatal yoga
Modify this pose during pregnancy to ensure your stance isn't too wide.
3. Sitting Side Stretch:
Around week 30, you may look down in terror as you try to figure out where 10 more weeks of growth are supposed to go. The sitting side stretch will open your side waist and pelvis and stretch the hips. "As our bellies get bigger," Broda reminds us, "it's important to find as much space in your torso as possible."
pregnant stretch
4. Cat / Cow Poses:
Do back pains have you already dreading the ominous and mysterious sounding "back labor?" We feel you. Most women will endure back pains at some point in their pregnancy, but gently rocking between cat and cow poses will work to warm up the spine and stretch the body, hopefully getting you back on track. They also help to shift the weight of the baby away from the spine, giving you some much needed relief. You'll want to remember and practice this one, Broda says, in case you do have "back labor."
pregnant yoga
5. Child's Pose: 
If you've ever taken a yoga class, you probably love child’s pose because it signifies a short break from all the hard work. When you're pregnant, however, your normal day can begin to feel like a lot of hard work and it's important to take time to rest and regroup. When in child's pose, Broda recommends focusing on relaxing the face and breathing deeply into the back -- two important lessons to remember in between contractions!
childs pose
As your belly grows, keep your big toes together and spread your knees apart to create space. Likewise, if it's more comfortable to sit up high, rather than bringing your bum to your ankles, go for it. Just remember to rest your forehead and to breath deeply into your back.

8 best yoga poses for weight loss-tummy and Thighs Exercises

Our hectic lifestyle and workloads do not let us live in a healthy way. The craving for junk food and stress filled environment gives us an unhealthy body. The tummy and thighs are the worst affected body parts of all where most of the fat gets deposited. The risk of diseases and ill health increases with the fat around these areas. A fitness routine and a good diet will help to reduce these risks. There are various ways of sweating it out and burning calories like exercise to reduce tummy, jogging, running, swimming, cycling and hiking.
But for those who don’t like to sweat it out, yoga asanas for weight loss is an effective alternative. By adopting the methods of yoga, one can reduce weight, control the body and soul. Along with these benefits, one can also experience mental peace. Losing weight and staying in shape will also build self-esteem and reduce the stress levels.
8 best yoga poses for weight loss-tummy and Thighs Exercises

7 Ways in Which Yoga Promotes Weight Loss

Yoga is the ways of the great rishis and ascetics to connect with the soul and bring about harmony between the body and the mind. It is the holistic way of healing and maintaining overall health. But when it comes to weight loss through exercise, the image of vigorous jogging, cycling, running and jumping comes to our mind and most of us cannot relate yoga with weight loss. But yoga and weight loss are more closely related than we actually know. There are various underlying causes of weight gain and yoga addresses these causes from within.
Ways in Which Yoga Promotes Weight Loss
Stimulates the Liver – Liver is the most important organ of the body that serves several functions, and the most important one is detoxification and cleansing of the body. It purifies the blood and flush out harmful chemicals and toxins. A healthy and strong liver can also eliminate bad fats from the body and put the good fats to use. It helps in providing energy to the body. Yoga poses help in enhancing the vital force of the liver for its better functioning. Liver can also be cleansed effectively by following a fruit and vegetable detox diet plan.yoga poses to lose fat on thighs
Activate the Thyroid Gland – The Thyroid is an important hormone-secreting gland of the body that controls metabolism. Active and high metabolism helps in burning fat from the body at a faster pace. Yoga poses help in correcting Thyroid dysfunction.
Maintaining the Right pH of the Body – A body that has a too acidic pH has the tendency to store fat in order to protect itself from the acids. And this mechanism leads to the deposition of visceral fat that accumulates inside the organs and blood vessels. Yoga asana can help in maintaining the pH of the body at a safe alkaline level.
Striking the Perfect Balance between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System – Stress is one of the major reasons for weight gain. But relaxing yoga poses can bring about the right balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system that is essential to relieve stress and anxiety.
Active Internal Heat – Warmth can be created in the body itself by activating the nervous system that automatically makes a person feel warmer. Yoga poses activate the nerves through systematic stretching, and this heat helps in burning the deep-seated visceral fat, as well as the superficial subcutaneous fat.
Move the Muscles with Strength – Yoga poses that require the body to remain active along with successive stretching and compression of muscles aid in weight loss. The activity of the muscle tissues promotes them to use up fat as a fuel.
Get the Heart Rate Up – Although cardio and indoor aerobic exercises are the most popular way to increase the heart rate, but effective yoga exercise that gets the heart rate up for a short period of time and then drops it right down.

Best Yoga Poses for Weight Loss:

You might have tried many different things to get into shape like massage gels, creams and pills. These may seem effective at first but, will have a long-term effect on the body. Yoga poses for weight loss on the other hand stretches and tones the various body parts and limbs and stimulates the metabolism of the body to promote calorie burn. So here are a few beginner yoga poses which will help you get toned legs and a flat tummy.

Yoga Warrior Pose:

The Warrior Pose or Veerabhadrasana is one of the best yoga poses for weight loss that strengthens and tones the arms, shoulders, thighs and back muscles – all at the same time. It is an effective yoga for people with back problems that is also beneficial for increasing overall balance and stamina. For this yoga pose you need to stand straight with your legs far apart. Now bring your hands up above your head and stretch them.
Yoga Warrior Pose
Clasp both hands together in a Namaste and turn your torso to the right side. You right knee should bend slightly while trying to stretch your abdominal muscles as much as you can. Close your eyes and count for 30 seconds to 1 minute. After turning it to the right, follow the same procedure to the left. This posture will tighten your muscles and also tone your legs giving you very good body strength. Repeat the posture 2 to 3 times on both sides.

Yoga Warrior Pose II:

Warrior Pose II is one of the most effective exercises for tummy and thighs that opens up the hips, strengthens and tones the thighs, works the abdominal muscles and organs and aids in enhancing stamina and concentration. It also helps in energizing the strained limbs and the answer to the question of how to get rid of upper arm flab. This yoga pose is just the same as the above. It has the same effect on the tummy and legs. Yet it is done in a different way.
Yoga Warrior Poses
Inhale deeply with jump and spread the legs apart one and a half feet to the side, open the arms to the side way in the line with the soldiers palm facing to the ground, Stand with your legs placed away from one another. Now move your right foot to the right side and bend your right knee so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Start your hands to two sides keeping them parallel to the floor and look to your right. Count for 30 seconds to 1 minute and return to the starting position. Repeat the same on the other side. Do the exercise 2 to 3 times on both sides. By doing this, the abdominal muscles are stretched. So try this pose which will be very effective for fat elimination.

Yoga Chair Pose:

The Chair Pose or Utkatasana is one of the best thigh exercises that strengthen and tones the muscles of the glutes, hips, back and chest along with the ankle and knee muscles. It also strengthens the lower back and torso and helps to bring forth determination in mind. In this asana, the body appears as a chair, and it requires a lot of stamina. You may feel pain in your legs in the first couple of days when you practice it. However doing this regularly will help you gain flexibility and the pain will vanish.
Yoga Chair Pose
You need to have your feet together. Inhale while you raise your hands above your head. Stretch them up and bend your knees a little, inhale while bending your knees. Now you need to remain in this position for at least 60 seconds while breathing normally. It may be a little difficult in the beginning to remain in this position, so try to hold it for as long as you can and stand up when you feel too much pressure. You can begin by doing this 10 times every day and increase the number every 3 days. It will tone down your thighs and melt the fat from your tummy.

Boat Pose:

This is one of the power-packed mat exercises for abs toning. Sit down on a mat, and stretch out your legs. Your knees should be pulled up, thighs should be tight and your toes should be pointed out. Now try to raise your feet off the ground and bring your legs to a 45-degree angle. Inhale while you raise your feet and avoid bending your knees.
Boat Pose
The spine should be straight, and your body should make a V shape. Raise your arms to the shoulder level. This pose will increase your stamina and also cut down tummy fat. It will increase your lower and upper body strength.

Yoga Bridge Pose:

Boat Pose or Paripurna Navasana is one of the power packed flat tummy exercises that cuts out fat from the abdomen by toning and strengthening the abdominal muscles along with the hip flexors and spine. It also tones the arm and leg muscles, helps in digestion and stimulates the thyroid glands and kidneys and is one of the best yoga exercises for neck pain.
Yoga Bridge Pose
Lie down on your back with your feet joined and your hands by your side. Now, exhale and lift your head and chest off with the ground and stretch your hands towards your feet. Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute while feeling the stretch and tension in your abdominal muscles and navel while breathing normally. Slowly exhale and return to the starting position. Repeat this pose 3 to 4 times. This pose will increase your muscle strength. If you like to add a variation to this pose. Try to lift up one leg in the air for 20 seconds. You should repeat the same with the other leg.

Yoga Cobbler’s Pose:

The Cobbler’s Pose or Baddha Konasana is a simple and easy to perform yoga exercise for weight loss that can be done perfectly by newbies as well. This asana tones the lower part of the body by stimulating the abdominal muscles and organs and stretching the inner thighs, knees, and groin. It also helps in treating infertility, asthma, depression and anxiety.
Yoga Cobbler’s Pose
The cobbler’s pose is one of the easiest and helpful poses of yoga. You need to sit down with your spine straight. Your knees should be bent, and the soles of your feet should be facing each other. You should press the soles together and hold this pose for at least a minute.

Yoga Locust Pose:

The Locust Pose or Salabhasana is one of the 12 basic Hatha yoga postures that is considered one of the best yoga asanas for weight loss because it stretches the entire body right from the thorax to the abdomen, upper back, lower back and buttocks. It is one of the best yoga poses for weight loss and flexibility that helps in enhancing the strength and flexibility of the back, arms and legs. It stretches the shoulders, chest and belly effectively.
Yoga Locust Pose
You need to lie face down with your palms facing the ground.  While inhaling you should lift up your legs without bending your knees. Your upper torso and hands should also be lifted up giving you a stretch of the abdominal muscles. You need to balance yourself on the tummy. This posture will reduce the fats near the hips and stretch your leg muscles.

Yoga Camel Pose:

The Camel Pose or Ustrasana is the best yoga for weight loss because it targets the tummy, back and thighs – the three most difficult part of the body with stubborn fat. It also helps in opening up the chest and lungs, improving the flexibility of the chest, abdomen and neck, stimulating the thyroid gland and strengthening the back muscles. Sit on your feet with your knees and calves close together. Yoga Camel Pose
You need to use some soft cloth under you to prevent pain.  Now come onto your knees and place your hands on your hips. Stretching out the torso, look above. Hold your heels slowly, one hand after the other. Bend backward and stretch out the chest and tummy.  You can feel the weight in your arms. Hold this position for 30 seconds to one minute and return to the starting position. Repeat the asana 3 to 4 times. This position is useful to melt the fat in almost all the areas of the body.
The instructions above will be able to help you in effectively stretching the muscles around the hips, waist, abdomen, legs and hands. These yoga poses should be combined with a balanced diet routine like the 1200 cal diet plan in order to eliminate the fat deposited in your body and give you a healthier, lighter body. These poses not only help in toning your figure, but also aids in relieving constipation, stress and nervous tension in a natural way.  Following these yoga poses for weight loss will help you get a sound mind and a sound body.