Month: June 2007

Categories
Yoga

Pranayama – A Yoga Breathing Exercise

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Breath and Prana
Breathing is a vital process which starts at the time of birth and stops at the death. The important Oxygen is provided to all the parts, organs and cells of the body. The maximum time a person can survive without oxygen is about 4 minutes. All the metabolic processes require oxygen. Oxygen is life, a vital force. This vital energy is called Prana(the sprit of life)

Definition of Pranayama:
The process of controlling the Prana(life) is called Pranayama. So pranayama is the science related to vital force supplying energy and controlling the body mind complex.Two Sanskrit words are combined in the word ‘Pranayama’ – Prana and Ayama. ‘Prana’ means life or life force. ‘Ayama’ means development or control. Therefore Pranayama is the development and control of life force. It is a form of breathing exercise, very important in yoga. It goes along with the asanas or exercise.

Breath is the life force that sustains life. Nobody can survive more than a few minutes without air. When the breath stops, life ends. The Forefathers of Yoga developed a special system- ‘Pranayama’ to increase, develop and control this life force. Normal breathing use only a fraction of our potential respiratory capacity. Pranayama helps to control this life force in a superior and extra ordinary way to reap maximum benefits.

Breathing is the process of taking in this vital energy and removing the waste products out of our body and mind. Generally breathing includes inhalation and exhalation but pranayama includes retention of breath (known as “Kumbhaka” in Sanskrit) as well. This is a very important process. The air can be retained in the lungs or out of the lungs. The ancient texts say that retention of air, increases the level of prana (energy) in the body, also it regulates the flow of pranic energy through out the body. So pranayama helps remove all the ailments and also can stop the aging process of the body.

All the inside activities of the body are due to the ever going process of combustion or oxidation in the body. And this process of combustion works with the help of the respiration and the blood circulation. Therefore, the moment there is internal or external movement of the body, it affects the process of blood circulation and respiration. As a result of this increasing the speed of the breathing provides the needed oxygen for the concerned movements.

Mind and breath
The mind, consisting of thoughts and emotions is closely related to the breath. When the mind is calm and relaxed, the breathing is smooth and slow. If you are stressed breathing is fast & shallow but mostly through chest. When one gets angry, the breathing becomes fast and forceful, in depressed states sighing, when in pain gasping, in anxiety shallow and rapid. In this way, the mental and emotional states affect breathing.

Since we want to control the breathing after studying the process or system of respiration, it is better to try deep breathing as the first state in that direction. We do not control the process of quiet breathing. But the control is to be exercised while practicing deep breathing. For this, two things are to be considered chiefly:First, the movements concerned with inhaling and exhaling are to be controlled in order to further slow down the breathing, at the same time the need of oxygen for the body is to be lessened, so that the speed of breathing can further, slowdown. The constitution of the body is such that if the need or use of oxygen is not reduced, it becomes difficult or rather impossible to control the process of breathing. The easy way to reduce the need of oxygen is to stop the movements of the body and try to relax all the muscles. Obviously, while practicing deep breathing, it is necessary to keep the body in the stable and relaxed position.

Rhythmic Breathing is Pranayama 
All the processes and organs like heart, brain, digestive organs, endocrine glands in the body have rhythms. Also the breathing has specific rhythms. Pranayama is Rhythmic breathing, bringing the breath in natural rhythm by controlling the process of inhalation, exhalation and retention.

After examining and understanding these basic systems of breathing, we may turn to the supplementary types of breathing: The breathing passage in the nasal cavity is divided into two owing to the mid partition between two nasal cavities, viz. the left and the right.

In Yoga, the left nasal cavity is called Chandra Nadi (The moon passage) or œIda Nadi” and the right nasal cavity is known is “Suryanadi” (The sun passage) or “Pingala Nadi”. Inhaling (Puraka) and Exhaling (Rechaka) can be done either through one of these nasal cavities or with both of them.

Physiology of Yogic breathing
In process of breathing, one uses diaphragm, intercostals muscles in the chest. The diaphragmatic breathing is called vertical breathing and is considered a more efficient way to inhale air than inhaling while expanding the chest which is called horizontal breathing. .
In pranayama, one should utilize the diaphragm efficiently to get more oxygen without making more efforts. The diaphragm is attached to the organs like heart and lungs, also the liver, spleen, pancreas and stomach from the bottom side. Efficient movement of the diaphragm makes the functioning of these organs more efficient.

There are various types of Pranayama. Some of the popular forms are Ujjayee, Shitali, Viloma,  Kapalabhati, Anuloma, Suryabhedana,  Bhastrika etc. There are variations in performing different Pranayamas. Some of them can be done in a sitting position while others in a standing line or sitting position. Some of the Pranayama are difficult and complicated to perform while others are easy.
…
Pranayama can be mastered only gradually. It may take months or even years before the practitioner mind becomes receptive to the regulated flow of breath and he experiences the full benefits of pranayama. Proper practice of pranayama can control almost any disease but improper practice may give rise toall sorts of respiratory ailments. So one should take care to acquire control over his breath gradually.

Click to see:->

*Yogic Breathing & Pranayama
*The Proper Technique Of Brahmari Pranayama
*All About Power Pranayama
*Breathing Is An Integral Part Of Pranayama
*How To Do A Brahmari Pranayama
*brahmari-pranayama-for-migraineurs
*To Beat The Heat, Practice Pranayam
*7 Steps To Complete Pranayam
*Different Types Of Pranayams : The Correct Way To Perform Them
*Eight Supreme Benefits Of Pranayam

Resources:
*yogapoint.com
*http://yoga.am/2009/12/15/one-can-master-the-art-of-pranayama-only-gradually/

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Categories
News on Health & Science

Sunscreen helps block skin cancer

The sea, a beach, and loads of sun – for many people these are the main ingredients of a perfect holiday. A corollary is that the darker the summer suntan, the better.

But with 22,000 new cases of malignant skin cancer a year, experts warn against excessive sunbathing. They urge people to change their thinking and protect their skin well in sunny weather.

“We’ve got to get away from the false notion that being sun-tanned is beautiful and healthy,” said Eva Kalbheim, spokesperson for Bonn-based German Cancer Aid.

A suntan, she explained, was a defensive skin reaction to produce more of the pigment melanin to protect itself from too much harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Large amounts of UV radiation damage the DNA in skin cells and can even lead to skin cancer. Sunscreen protection should begin during the car trip to the holiday destination.

“UVA radiation (long-wave UV radiation, which makes up most of the UV radiation that reaches the earth from the sun) passes through window glass,” noted Hans-Georg Dauer, a dermatologist from Cologne.

Dauer recommends shades for the car’s back-seat windows so that children are not left unprotected.

Kalbheim said that people should avoid exposure to direct sunlight as much as possible.

“You also get a suntan in the shade – it’s slower, but healthier,” she remarked. If you are out in the sun, though, you should protect your head and body with close-woven clothing such as cotton.

Children under three years should always be kept out of the sun.

Kalbheim advises adults to stay mainly in the shade during their first days on holiday so that their skin can become accustomed to the high UV radiation.

There are some rules regarding sunscreens too. Dauer said that a sunscreen be it a lotion or spray should be applied “thoroughly, generously and, above all, punctually – preferably a half-hour before sunbathing”.

Using a sunscreen is especially important in the mountains and near the equator, but also at the seaside because water reflects the sun’s rays.

“And make sure to reapply sunscreen,” Dauer reminded. After 20 minutes in saltwater, even “waterproof” sunscreens wash off to a large extent.

Reapplying sunscreen does not increase the amount of protection – expressed as a number called the sun protection factor (SPF) – provided by the initial application.

The SPF listed on the label indicates how much longer than normal a person can be exposed to sunlight before getting sunburn, explained Uwe Reinhold, head of the Bonn Medical Centre’s dermatology department.

“The skin of most Europeans starts to tan or burn after about 20 minutes in the sun,” Reinhold said. “SPF 4 increases the time fourfold – to about 80 minutes.”

Sometimes even sunscreen-protected skin reacts to sunlight with a burning sensation, itching or painful blisters. This is popularly known as a “sun allergy”.

The most common form of this condition, polymorphous light dermatosis, generally affects areas of skin that have not got accustomed to the sun. Its cause is high UVA radiation.

Experts recommend sunscreens that give strong protection against UVA radiation and have as few odiferous constituents – which can cause allergic reactions – as possible.

For people prone to a sun allergy, doctors suggest taking cortisone or antihistamines, which are also hay-fever remedies. A curd-cheese poultice and aspirin are effective first aids, Dauer noted.

Some companies sell UV test strips and UV dosimeters, which you attach to your skin.

They signal when your skin type has absorbed a critical amount of UV radiation. But Reinhold said it was more important to develop a feeling for how much sun your skin can take.

Source:The Times Of India

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Indian Acalypha

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Botanical Name: Acalypha Indica

Indian Name: Khokali

Chamorro: hierba del cancer

English: copperleaf, Indian acalypha, Indian-nettle

Niuean: hongohongo, ogoogo, ongoongo

Spanish: hierba de cancer, ricinela

Habit: herb

Habitat/ecology: “Occasional in disturbed and cultivated places” (Whistler, 1988; p. 17). In Guam, “abundant in waste ground and in towns” (Stone, 1970; p. 367).

Propagation: Seed

Native range: Africa, southern Asia to the Philippines; Taiwan (GRIN).

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Description: “A small erect annual herb up to 60 cm tall or a little more, with a few ascending branches, these angled and pubescent; leaves broadly ovate, subdeltoid, rather coarsely toothed, on petioles as long as or longer than the 3-5 cm long blades; nerves 3-5 from base, thereafter pinnately arranged; stipules minute; flowers sessile on erect axillary spikes longer than the leaf; male flowers minute, crowded distally; stamens 8, female flowers scattered along the inflorescence axis, each subtended by a conspicuous semicupular foliaceous toothed green bract nearly 7 mm long; capsule hispid, 1 mm broad, 3-locular”. It has numerous long ,angular branches covered with soft hair. Its thin egg-shaped leaves have smooth surfaces.The plant contains the alkaloid acalyphine which is an active principl.

Uses: The root,leaves and young shoots of the plant have several medicinal value.The drug made from it increases the secretion and discharge of urine.It is a very good laxative.The juice of the leaves is an efficient emetic for inducing vomiting.The root in small dose s is expectorant and nauseant. It helps remove catarrhal matter and phelgm from the broncal tubes.The drug is useful as an external application of skin diseases. A paste of its fresh leaves is applied to the affected parts. The juice of the fresh leaves can be applied for scabies and other skin diseases, such as syphilitic ulcers,bedsores,maggot-infested sores and wounds. Indian acalypha is a popular remedy for rheumatism. The juice of the fresh leaves mixed with lime and onion and a mixture of fresh juice and oil can also be applied in rheumatic arthritis.

The herb is of special value in treating croup, a disease mostly occuring in chieldren. It is characterized by caugh and difficulty in breathing and is caused by an obstruction in the larynx. Ther herb is safe to use in this condition and also act fast. The juice can be used beneficially in dose of one tsp. The herb is useful in killing intestinal worms.The juice of the leaves or its decoction , mixed with a little garlic can be given for such symptoms.A decoction of the leaves is very effective laxative and can be used in constipation. A suppository of the fresh leaves , introduced in the rectum of small chieldren suffering from constipation, induces free motions.

The following are the strongest indications of Acalypha Indica for its use in homeopathy. Entries on a white backgorund are from Boericke’s Materia Medica, other entries are from a reversed Kent’s repertory.

A drug having a marked action on the alimentary canal and respiratory organs. It is indicated in incipient phthisis, with hard, racking cough, bloody expectoration, arterial hemorrhage, but no febrile disturbance. Very weak in the morning, gains strength during day. Progressive emaciation. All pathological hemorrhages having notably a MORNING worse.
WORSE in morning.

Burning in intestines
Spluttering diarrhea with forcible expulsion of noisy flatus, bearing down pains and tenesmus
Rumbling distention, and griping pain in abdomen
Rectal hemorrhage; worse in morning.
Burning in pharynx, oesophagus, and Stomach.
Pulse soft and compressible
Blood bright red and not profuse in morning; dark and clotted in afternoon
Constant and severe pain in chest
Cough dry, hard, followed by hemoptysis; worse in morning and at night
Jaundice
Itching and circumscribed furuncle-like swellings.
Click to buy Acalypha Indica , Homeopathic medicine on line

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.


References:

Miracles of Herbs

http://www.hear.org/pier/species/acalypha_indica.htm

http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Acal

 
Categories
Yoga

Vajrasana Yogamudra-2(Yoga Exercise)

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Posture : This Asana(exercise) differs from the earlier one only in the position of hands.(as in the picture) However, this latter variety is more difficult than the former. Besides, it is a more advanced state and naturally more beneficial. One should first practice type 1 and then pass on to type 2.
Pre position : Vajrasana Position.

How to do the Exercise:

1. Inhale, and exhailing set both the palms near the belly below the navel resting on the heels of the legs. Keep the right hand palm on the left hand palm. Keep the fingers quite together.
2. Exhailing bend in the waist and place the forehead on the ground. When the bending process is over, continue smooth breathing.

Position The position of this Asana is the same as type 1. except the position of the hands. Here first both the palms are placed at the navel. Then, while bending forward, keep the elbows erect and stuck to the chest ribs.
Releasing

1. Exhale and inhailing get straight in the waist.
2. Keep the hands on the knees and take up Vajrasana Position.

Duration : This Asana should be maintained for one and half minute to have the expected results.
Benefits: Owing to the placement of the palms at the navel, there is more pressure on the belly. This increased pressure makes the benefits of the earlier Asana more prominent.
Precaution This Asana should be done after good practice.

Reference Book:- Yoga Pravesh

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Categories
Yoga

Vajrasana Yogomudra-1 (Yoga Exercise)

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Posture : This Asana is performed in Vajrasana Position.
Pre position : Vajrasana Position

How to do the Exercise:

1. Inhale and take both the hands back and keep the palms facing outside interlocking the thumbs. Keep both the hands straight.
2. Exhailing bend in the waist and rest the forehead on the floor. Continue smooth breathing.

Position:

In this Asana one has to sit in Vajrasana and bend in the waist fully. In this process the abdomen gets folded and that is expected, too. Further in order to get the abdomen folded properly, one should try to set the forehead on the ground quite away from the body. Once the bending process is over, continue smooth breathing.

After some practice, while bending in the waist, keep the back bone straight to experience its nice results. After taking the position, try to relax the body.
Releasing

1. Exhale and inhaling be straight in the waist.
2. Restore the hands on the knees and take up Vajrasana Position.

Duration : This Asana being simple can easily be maintained for two minutes and even more.
Benefits: As the belly gets folded in this Asana, there comes tremendous pressure on intestines, liver, spleen, certain glands, etc., and this pressure improves their functioning and removes complaints regarding digestive system & constipation. This Asana is also used to awaken the kundalini shakti, which, however, requires its prolonged practice.
Precaution One should take care while bending in the waist. Bending process should be slow and should go with the exhailing process or else one may suffer from air or gas accumulation in the belly. The people with back problem should practice this Asana only after consulting some Yoga Expert.

Reference Book:- Yoga Pravesh

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