Knee / Hip Dominant / Unilateral / Bilateral Yoga Asanas

I have been in the profession of fitness for the past 16 years. Exercise science in these years has evolved to very specific model from a generalised model. Earlier all the Body Building exercises were considered ideal for anything and everything in fitness. Be it weight loss or sports training or just fitness or rehab. Earlier equipment were made for Body Builders for their specific needs of individual muscles. Hence lot of equipment designed then only isolated muscles, which was not functional. These kind of workouts may make muscles stronger and bigger but not functional. Exercises which isolate  the muscle do not help in improving a sport specific movement or even a normal day functional movement such as lifting a heavy object from the floor and passing it. Exercise science has moved on and has become very specific and functional.
            Selection of Exercise type is become very specific to the type of activity you do in life. If you are a sportsman what type of a sports do you play? If you are looking for weight loss then Exercise type / Combination of exercise / Heart rate in the session / Current fitness level / Exercise progression  etc is essential to know.
            Now you must be thinking why i am discussin all this in a yoga based article. Well as much as Exercise science progresses it keeps moving towards what yoga has been quietly saying for thousands of years. One of the outcomes of the modern school of thought of Exercise scientists is Knee Dominant exercises and Hip dominant exercises. Gray Cook and Michael Boyle talk about the Joint by Joint approach where your joints from bottom to top are responsible alternative for stability and mobility and hence the trainings should be based on this principle. I am a great fan of NSCA and Michael Boyle. I like the scientific detailing of NSCA and the simple way of teaching of complex exercise science by Michael Boyle.
           I am simply amazed how much is always there to learn no matter how long you are working in your profession. And this hunger for learning and learning new things has also made me learn Yoga.
           I have been teaching yoga since 2000 and now 11 years down the line i have evolved my own way of teaching yoga, which is a combination of Modern Exercise Science Methods and Yogic Science. The more i keep learning i see a lot of similarity in both, Modern School of thought on Exercise and Age old Yoga.
           Modern Science talks about Knee Dominant and Hip Dominant exercises, Unilateral and Bilateral Movement, and keeping the exercises as functional as possible for maximum results. Yoga has always been Functional and the Asanas have Knee / Hip Dominant  Asanas as well as their as Unilateral and Bilateral Asanas. Below i am going to put some pictures of Asanas which are Knee Dominant and Hip Dominant.

Knee Dominant Asanas:-

1) Parshwa Konasana (Unilateral)
2) Utkat Asana (Bilateral)
3) Veer Bhadrasana (Unilateral)
4) Garud Asana (Unilateral)

Hip Dominant Asanas:-

1) Ardha Kati Chakrasana (Bilateral)
2) Pada Hastasana (Bilateral)
3) Ardha Chakrasana (Bilateral)
4) Nataraj Asana (Unilateral)
5) Setu Bandhasana (Supine Bilateral 0r Unilateral)

We are discussing only about the Knee and Hip Dominat Postures here. Other types of asanas are which have Spinal Twists, Spinal Flexion, Spina Extention, Lateral Flexion, UniLateral and Bilateral Asanas.
Pictures below are of all the above asanas in the same sequence.

Yoga for Office

In today's modern lifestyle we all spend a lot of time sitting in the office, in front of tv, in long meetings, long and delayed flights etc. The result of this is,  lot of people are suffering with pain in and around the upper back and lower back. People are developing slip discs, breathing problems, chronic back pain, spondylosis etc.
As a result of long hours of sitting, we end up tightening certain group of muscles and weakening other. These muscles are normally placed opposite to each in our body. Hence it is called either a upper cross syndrome or a lower cross syndrome. People today suffer various problems arising because of long hours of sitting.

The common problems associated with the uppercross syndrome are :

• PAIN IN NECK
• BREATHING PROBLEMS. LEADING TO SNORING AND LESS OXYGEN TO HEART AND BRAIN, DUE TO WHICH SLEEP IS OFTEN DISTURBED AND YOU END UP FEELING TIRED THE WHOLE DAY.
• PAIN IN UPPER BACK
• SLOUCHED SHOULDERS

The common problem associate with the lower cross syndrome are :

• PAIN IN LOWER BACK
• SCIATIC PAIN
• LORDOSIS, i.e. EXCESSIVE CURVE IN THE BACK DUE TO WEAK AND BIG ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

The steps that need to be taken to solve this is to first consult a Physician, Physiotherapist and a Fitness Trainer who can understand this, do a musculo skeletal assessment , do a fitness test and advise you exercises. I am going to suggest you few simple exercises to begin with. The simple thumb rule here is "STRETCH FIRST AND THEN STRENGTHEN".

So lets first understand what we need to stretch and what we need to strengthen in the 2 sydromes that we have discussed earlier. i.e upper cross and lower cross syndrome.


Exercises for Upper Cross Syndrome :-

• STRETCH your Pectorals (CHEST)
• STRETCH your NECK
• STRENGTHEN your UPPER BACK
• STRENGTHEN your THROAT MUSCLES (Sterno Clido Mastoid)

Exercises for Lower Cross Syndrome :-

• STRETCH your Hip Flexors (Muscle that helps you lift your knee or flex your torso)
• STRETCH your Erectors (Muscles along the spine on your Lower Back)
• STRETCH your Piriformis Muscle (Muscle involved when you cros your legs and sit)
• STRENTHEN your Gluteus Grroup of Muscles (Muscles around your Buttucks)
• STRENGTHEN your Abdominals Muscles (CORE MUSCLES)

SIMPLE YOGA FOR BEGINNERS TO HELP WITH THIS LIFESTYLE PROBLEM:-

• SURYA NAMASKARS (SUN SALUTATIONS)
• PADA HASTASANA
• ARDHA CHAKRASANA
• ARDHA KATI CHAKRASANA
• VAKRASANA
• JANU SHIRSANA
• BHUJANG ASANA
• SALBHASANA
• DHANUR ASANA (OPTIONAL FOR BEGINNERS IF DIFFICULTY WHILE PERFORMING)
• SETU BANDHASANA
• MATSYASANA (BEGINNERS VARIATION ONLY)

Follow this routine of yoga asanas and hold each asana for 30 seconds , progresively increasing the holding time to 1 min and breathing throughout the asana when holding. always take help of a professional to begin these exercises. This routine will 100% help you take care of your regular back pain and many other issues.
ALL THE BEST and stay in touch at rahulkarma@gmail.com

Health Club Management Proposal

SPORTS TRAINING & THERAPY

Dont Know Why You Feel Tired All The Time?

Why Do I Feel Tired All The Time ?

So many times people ask me this question and it just amazes me, how much people are not aware of what they eat. Nowdays you see people from all age groups attacking the gym. Everyday we read articles on fitness in the newspapers and magazines, we all get influenced with the fitness shows on TV. Their are several reasons why you feel tired, those are -
- Stressful Lifestyle
- Lack of Sleep
- Less Water intake
- Improper Diet
- No Exercise at all

All the inspirational stories are great to start a workout but please take a proper consultation from an fitness expert, who is certified and knows about a human body and its functions. There are two types of trainers in the fitness industry in India or the countries where fitness industry is in a infant stage.
1) Type A -Who are only trained to teach exercises
2) Type B - Fitness experts who are certified and have the knowledge of Human Body and its Functions - e.g. anatomy / physiology / nutrition / injuries etc
3) Always go for the Type B Trainers who are Certified and Knowlegeable

Now back to why you feel tired all the time -
First lets know what gives you energy. There are three basic food groups Carbohydrate, Protein and Fats. All 3 have their respective function, main Energy sources are Carbohydrates (CHO) & Fats. The primary source of Energy Metabolised by the body is from Carbohydrates. Now there are two types of Carbohydrates Complex & Simple. Complex carbs give us Energy for a long time and Simple Carbohydrates give us instant but short term energy boost. So it is very important choose the right source of energy at the right time. Fats are also a source of energy, but Fats are used as the last source of energy. You can call it the reserve of your body. Foe example if you know anything about a bike then there is a ON position for Petrol and a Reserve position, so when the petrol is full its in ON position and when it s nearing to empty its on RESERVE position.

How to maintain Optimum Energy Levels throughout the day ?

Your diet should comprise of 55% CHO 25% Protein and 20 % of Fat ( diet can change deending on your goals). Now mostly all the people who read this will say, i am working out to reduce my fats and now you ask me to eat fat, why is that so?
Just remember - to metabolise Bad Fat you need to Eat Good Fat - SIMPLE ;)
So we are going to focus on eating unsaturated omega3 and omega6 fatty acids --- so all the food types which will supply you this.

How Do You Keep Motivated Yourself All The Time ?

You can keep yourself motivated by so many different ways, there are two ways you cn achieve your goal. First decide which one you are

Type 1) Someone who walks towards a Goal keeping in Mind what he/she wants to achieve

Type 2) Someone who doesnt like his/her present state of fitness or doesnt want to become fat , so your motivation is to go away from the problem, not towards the Goal.

Both the ways are fine, as both will ultimately reach a healthy physical and mental state.
So each time you want to be motivated look towards your goal if you are type 1 or look towards what you dont want if you are type 2, to stay motivated.

Otherways which may bring in a little bit boredom is the continuous repetition of the same exercises, this is natural and this can happen to most of u, including the athletes.
So at such times, choose a fun activity such as dance class, boxing, swimming, trekking, hiking, play with your dog or simply walk with your loved ones on the beach. Do a activity which is keeping up your heart rate up and is fun.

Yoga & Sports

Yoga In Sports- Yoga plays a very important role in any competitive sports of the modern era. If Yoga is a tree then it has many branches which are used in todays sports for Mental and Physical preparation. In yoga a sportsman will find exercises to fine tune his mind and body. Yoga can be applied at various stages of a competitive sport today.

Pre Competition Phase

1) Meditation
2) Corrective Asanas
3) Balancing & Stability Asanas
4) Asanas for Improving Flexibility
5) Breathing Exercises for Concentration and Improving Lung Capacity
All these exercises are going to help prepare the athlete for the competitive phase by setting targets by visualisations, improving performance by corrective asanas which are used to reduce weaknesses, improve balance and stability, improve ROM with asanas for flexibilty and improve concentration and lung capacity wih pranayam.

Conpetitive Phase

1) Breathing Exs for removing anxiety and clarity of thought
2) Dynamic Asanas for warming up before the Game
3) Asanas for recovery after competition
4) Relaxation techniques for better recovery e.g. shavasana

Breathing exercises such as kapalbhati and nadi shddhi if done before the competition , helps in removing anxiety plus removes negative thoughts and healps a athlete reach a calmer state. Dynamic asanas for warming up, and static asanas for recovery ( 30 secs +). Instant relaxation techniques like shavasa for faster recovery after the game.

OFF Season or Post Competitive phase

Here the athlete works on the rehabilitation , recovery and preparation for the competitive phase- Application of yoga more or less is the same as the Pre Competitive Phase
Meditation and Recovery exercises should be given priority along with the corrective asanas.
Yoga is has multiple benefits and a deeper look around, in the world of sports today will give you a better insight of yoga being used and applied in every sport. The more you practice yoga the more benefits you get. Hari Aum! Rahul Patil

Sports Massage Therapy

I got interested in the field of massage for its therapeutic qualities on the mind and the body. This curiosity and hunger for knowledge lead me to Premier Global Fitness institute London UK where i did Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy and fitness certification. Massage has become an integral part of the todays athletic regimen from sports medicine clinics, to college training rooms, to professional locker rooms to Olympic training. Growing number of Fitness Professionals believe that massage can provide an extra edge to the athletes who participate in high performance sports. A complete workout routine includes not only the exercise itself, but also caring for the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The physiological and psychological benefits of massage make it an ideal complement to a total conditioning program.
Incorporating massage in your conditioning program has many benefits. It helps you get into good shape faster, and with less stiffness and soreness. It helps you recover faster from heavy workouts, and relieves conditions which may cause injury.
Sports Massage Techniques
Each sport and athletic event uses muscle groups in a different way. Sports massage therapists are familiar with each muscle, the muscle groups and how they are affected by the specific movements and stresses of each sport. They also are trained in the appropriate uses of hydrotherapy and cryotherapy. Postural Assessment and Physical Assessment is also a part of sports massage .
After a Subjective and Objective Assessment of the client, Sports massage therapy includes the use of one or more of the following techniques:
Deep Swedish Massage
Compression Massage
Cross-Fiber Massage - Friction techniques applied in a general manner to create a stretching and broadening effect in large muscle groups; or on site-specific muscle and connective tissue, deep transverse friction applied to reduce adhesions and to help create strong, flexible repair during the healing process.
Trigger Point/Tender Point Massage - Combined positioning and specific finger or thumb pressure into trigger/tender points in muscle and connective tissue, to reduce the hypersensitivity, muscle spasms and referred pain patterns that characterize the point. Left untreated, such trigger/tender points often lead to restricted and painful movement of entire body regions.
Lymphatic Massage - Stimulation of specialized lymphatic-drainage pathways, which improves the body¹s removal of edemas and effusion.
Trouble spots - You may also have your own unique trouble spots, perhaps from past injuries. A massage therapist can pay special attention to these areas, monitor them for developing problems, and help keep them in good condition. An experienced massage therapist can also compliment treatment received from other health care professionals for various injuries.
Three Areas of Sports Massage
Sports massage involves -
1) Prevention and maintenance programs,
2) On-site treatment before and after an athletic event, and
3) Rehabilitation programs for those who are injured during the program.

The Benefits of Sports Massage
Regular sports massage can :

1) Reduce the chance of injury, through proper stretching and event preparation, and through deep tissue massage;
2) Improve range of motion and muscle flexibility, resulting in improved power and performance;
3)Shorten recovery time between workouts;
4) Maximize the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow;
5) Enhance elimination of metabolic by-products of exercise.

Conditioning Exercises For High Altitude Training

Conditioning Exercises for High Altitude Activities

Every year a lot of individuals decide to do a trek or a hike to a beautiful mountain range. The idea is to get away from the daily stress of life and participate in a activity which elevates you to a sense of freedom.

I love the attitude and the enthusiasm these individuals possess, hats off to them. A lot of them are working class who have never done such activities and in the process of excitement which comes along the adventure, we all forget to make ourselves physically ready for such an intense activity.

High Altitude Activies press a huge demand on the human body and it often can lead to injuries and a bad experience.. So instead of having fun and enjoying the adventure, we end up struggling and in pain throughout.

So whenever you decide, start your preparations way in advance. atleast 3 - 4 months prior to your actual date of travel.

** What you need to Improve in your fitness -

-Improve your Cardio vascular capacity - Condition your Heart, do cardiovascular activities in your set heart rate zone (65 to 85 % of 220- age )
-Improve your Core Stability and Core Strength - always do stability exercises first and then movement type.
-Train for Muscular Endurance and Muscular Strength
-Follow a Healthy Diet - Fruits / Carbs / Proteins / Essential Fats
-Do Yoga -- Pranayam for improving Lung Capacity and Asanas fro Flexibility & Stability.
-Stability of ankles / knees & lumbo pelvic hip complex ( v imp) as the terrain outside is rough.
-Consult a fitness expert before you start a program.
-Do a fitness test before you start a fitness program so you know your improvements by the end of your program.


** Cardio Vascular ACTIVITIES such as -
1. Uphill Walking
2. Jogging ( Beach / Treadmill )
3. Stair Climbing
4. Mountain Biking
5. Circuit Training ( is also a strength and endurance building activity)

**Core Stability / Strength ACTIVITIES such as - (follow the sequence given below)
STATIC TYPE CORE EXS
1. Supine Bridge ( floor / swiss ball )

2. Side Plank
3. Plank
4. Floor prone cobra
5. Quadruped Opposite arm & leg lifts

MOVEMENT TYPE CORE EXS
1. Short lever Crunch ( floor / swiss ball)
2. Long lever Crunch (floor / swiss ball )
3. Swiss Ball dynamic Cobra
4. Reverse Crunch
5. Cable or Resistence tube Spinal Rotation ( lunge position or swiss ball)

** Muscular endurance & Muscular strength
1. Circuit Training ( full body / upper body / lower body )
2. Weight training focussed more on the big body parts such as Back / Chest / Legs, repetetions in the range of 15 to 20 / and 50 to 60 % of 1RM intensity.

**Diet - Diet with a proper protein intake which helps you built and strenthen your muscles. ( Consult a Dietician or a Fitness Professional )
** Yoga is very important to improve Lung capacity and Muscular flexibility and stability. A normal routine can be e.g. -
1. Kapalbhati
2. sectional breathing
3. Nadishuddhi
4. suryanamaskars
5. standing balancing asanas
6. sitting forward bending and backward bending asanas
7. sitting spainal twisting asanas
8. nadishuddhi with omkar chanting
9. shavasana
10. this a sample program ( consult a yoga professional for a individualised program)

**Ankle stability and knee stability can be trained on reebok core board. Hip pelvic and Lumbar stability is also trained in core stability workout.
**HAPPY TREKK ING HAVE FUN
**Sample Weekly Training Program

day 1 - yoga and core

day 2 - full body circuit training

day 3 - cardio

day4 - rest

repeat the cycle from day 5 again

Essential Info For Every Trainer & a Client

The Importance of Subjective & Objective Assessment for a effective Plan

To safe guard a fitness professional and the client, records must be maintained for each client. these should contain the following details-

*clients medical history
*details of present physical conditions, if any
*any earlier assessment records
*any treatment taken
*any other details which you may find while consulting

The clients signature is required to-confirm accuracy of personal and medical information
consent to assessment / training & treatment agree to communication of information to third party

The S.O.A.P. procedure

S - Subjective - information gathered from the client in response to questioning.

O - Objective - information gathered from physical examination.

A - Assessment - interpretation of the information gathered during the subjective and objective phases.

P - Plan - of training with a set of exersises specifically designed around the needs of the client, also anykind of treatment and referrals if required.

The clients record must contain the details of any present conditions like e.g. pain, any restrictions or limitation they face during normal daily activity, if the condition has been asssessed, and if under treatment, any referral notes by a doctor or a therapist. Appropriate questions need to be asked such as, " what happened" "what was the experience" and, "what was the effect". from the response the relevant information should be recorded.

Finding during the objective assessment regarding observations made, testing to identify the degree of function, palpation, pain responses and the results from any spacial test must be documented.

A summary of the findings and the actions to be taken, set of exercises, treatment techniques, and any referral should be noted, followed by the plan of treatment and post-care advice.
All the records of Exercises and any kind of treatment or referrals should be maintained.

Never Give Up Till The End - Try Try Try

Few days back i was travelling by a local train in mumbai, if you have experienced the mumbai local trains then i dont have to explain the experience. but for the people who have no idea let me tell them few things. The mumbai locals are one of the most JAM PACKED - OVER CROWDED LOCALS IN THE WORLD. Nearly 2 to 3 thousand people cramp in 1 local train in peak hours, some sit on the top and risk their lives while many hang on the door with a support of two fingers and stand on as little as a toe to support their pricelesss Life. This goes on everyday come sun rain or any problem. I happen to be one of the lucky travellers who is blessed to travel in the opposite direction in the peak hours or travel during the off peak hours, and i travel in the first class, not that it is any different during the peak hours than the second class compartments. Let me get back to what i experienced, i went to Churchgate from Andheri, takes about 40 mins by fast train, i had to drop my shoes to wankhede stadium and exchange them for another pair, but coudnt get my size of shoes. So i kept the shoes there and dejectedly started my travel back to Andheri, i was carrying a empty New Nike sack with me, in which i had taken the shoes. I bought a Mid Day news paper, kept my Nike Bag on top where everyone keeps their luggage. I told myself not forget the bag when i get down at Andheri, aaaaah I should'nt have said that. I got down at Andheri, Happily sat in an Auto and strted my journey to my House. Half way to my house i realised, SHIT! I Forgot The Bag In The Train. i found myself cursing in my mind hdskj. What a day i was having, neither could i exchange my shoes and also lost my bag , Wow i had wasted half my day just to come back empty handed. Shit! this couldnt be happening to me. i cursed and i cursed. I reached home and sat for few minutes, I was very restless as i couldnt believe what had just happened with me. But then something hit me inside my head, i said to myself why should i give up, let me try and get my bag back. YEAH I had heard and read a lot of stories, how people lose their luggage and het back, i said why not me, at least let me try and ccheck my luck. I remembered i had caught a virar fast local from churchgate at 235pm, the train must be still on its way to virar, and i was sitting in the first class, so the chances are the bag is still there, atleast till it reaches virar. I immediately started calling apna MTNL for western railway helpline, trust them to do the something crazy and they gave central railway helpline and told me confidently they will give the western railway helpline number. This didnt make sense but i didnt have time to argue with the Brilliant MTNL employee. Anyway i called up the central railway no. and to my surprise they indeed gave me the western railway helpline no. of Mumbai Central Station. I told the person at the helpline about my lost bag, gave him the description and the train details along with the compartment and train time. To my surprise the person sitting there immediate got in touch with the Railway Police of Vasai station after checking his timetable. Told me to call after sometime and check. I called after 30 mins, without any expectations, And hallelue Praise the Lord! I heard him saying they have found my bag and i should go and collect it today before 6pm.

Wow! What an achievement, things really do work if you Believe and Dont Give Up Till The End .
Moral of the story -
1) Never Give Up Till the End
2) Nothing is Impossible till you Believe it is Not Possible
3) Always Think Positive

Ataching the photo of the Railway Police Of Vasai Rd Railway Station who acted promptly and got my Bag. Thanks a Lot. Railways have definitely added one more Fan to the club

Wt loss prog for a patient with High BP and Blood Sugar

Give me tips on how to lose weight by exercising when a man has both high BP and Blood Sugar

ARE WE ALL CONNECTED?

Are we all connected? have you noticed that we sometimes pass on the thoughts to the other person without even saying a single word. the feeling behind the thought maybe good or bad. My sister who is a yoga therapist, always tells me how she ends up receiving calls from the people she intensely thinks about, amazing isnt it? and on the other hand i also have a friend who has developed such a dislike for her relative that no matter how good they are with each other they just dont like anything about each other and believe me they have never hurt each other by words, these two individuals are living examples of how people can start hating each other by mere presuppositions in the mind.change the thinking and the world around changes believ me, sometimes we just presuppose things about the people we dont know and develop an image in our mind, whereas once we know them so many times people have apologised for misunderstanding them earlier with their thinking. so many times we base our likeness or dislike for the person even before we have interacted with him/her. so many times we approach a person with a presupposition in the mind and that changed the whole equation of the relationship till we discover the real person he/she is and also till we open up as we are. some times it gets too late and we lose a very important person in our life, just because of our pre supposition in our mind. the presupposition will eventually develop a world full of your own beliefs and which are only true in your mind. do you remember the famous saying "its all in the mind" it is so true. our thoughts the ones which are building our world around us constantly. thats why if you read carefully all the religious texts will always ask you to think positively, think good. guys i am not trying to promote any religion here, but it is important to be aware and appreciate of what is good. why to think positively? well! their is a reason behind it, truly and deeply. if we all look back in our life we have always met people who have somehow always helped us in getting what we wanted to achieve. how and why did we meet these people sometimes is a big question.

are we all connected? yes we are! think about it! the easiest way to understand is the mobile network, it works on a certain frequency. who had imagined few years back that such a technology would come and change the whole world. just like the mobile network our mind has its frequency and it works with the universal mind. every thought that we think eventually becomes a part of this universal mind, and if its a desire then somehow this whole energy around us gets into action to get another person with a similar desire or someone who may help you fulfill your desire, with the help of this universal mind network. we displace this in our life as a mere coincidence and sometimes luck or ignore it completely, because of ignorance or ego. now we always dont get what we ask for, do we? there is a reason for that too. when we wish for something and we dont get it for long time, we also end up doubting our life and start thinking negatively, this negative thinking creates blocks in your way to letting your dreams come true. its a difficult process to only think positively, but once you achieve it , the results are amazing.

meditational practices are very good in erazing the negative thoughts. find a meditation technique that suits you and watch your life change. there are many techniques for meditations, you need to do several of them before you get what suits you. above all this believe and believe and never doubt.

we need to understand the importance of the quality of thoughts that we should possess. the nature of your mind depends on the quality of your thoughts and the quality of your life depends on the quality of your mind. thought are very important, if you are aware of what the holy scriptures are saying or even the scientific world today. all the schools of thought are saying nothing but to think positively to improve your lifestyle. it has been proved by various experiments til today, the link between your mind and your body. sameway today it has been proved scientifically how important it is to think positively and the impact it has not only your life but also on others around you.

i am sure you must have felt an instant hatred or an instant likeness to another person who you have met for the first time in your life. its nothing but the energy that you are transferring out, the energy is built on the quality of thoughts that you have. change the way you think and you find a tremendous change in the way you perceive people around you or even the way you perceive the world.

Are You Suffering From BACK PAIN?

Are you suffering from a Lower Back Pain?

Most common problem of todays lifestyle, thanks to all the technological inventions which help us move less and less. A day is not too far that we will stop moving completely for anything in life. More a nation is developed today, lesser is the time available with people to look after themselves. We spend more time travelling, more time talking on the phone, more time in front of the tv or computer etc etc. Their hardly anytime left to exercise those muscles that are in our body. Look at the exercise machines being developed or being promoted nowdays. The latest equipment what you can get today is making you think less and even cutting down the need of a personal trainer. Just put in your usb in the machine with all your details and the machine tells you everything. Nowdays you get massaging vibrators installed in your cars seat or you get massage chairs, again cutting down the need of another person and making you more and more lazy. E.g. Latest cars, lifts, remotes for everything, and the list goes on.
I remember the good old days when everything that i wanted, made me get up from my place and reach out for the thing what i wanted, by doing either walking or climbing. I had to use my limbs. But nowdays i use only my fingers, press a button and get what you want. The most basic movement of our body that is triple extension and triple flexion has been compromised because of the present innovations of the modern lifestyle. Now what is triple extension and triple flexion(TETF), forget the technical part, its the simple basic movement like e.g. Squat or a lunge or a movement like getting up from a chair or sitting down to pick up and getting up. All these movements involve your ankles, knees and the hip joint, which are responsible for triple expension and triple flexion(TETF).
TETF is the most basic movement of the human body which is being compromised and is being used less and less because of the present modernday lifestyle changes. This reduction in the most basic movement is resulting in a wide range of problems. Its making people obese, stiff, less active, leading to arthritis and back related problems. These are only a few problems but very common.
Back pain can be very serious and affect your day to day function drastically, ak people who suffer from constant back pain, i am sure you atleast one person in your circle of family and friends. So now that we are aware of all the things that are resulting in the back pain or other things. Lets learn to include few things in our daily life, so that our body does not forget its most basic and most important movement TETF. I will also advise if you are already suffering from any type of back pain or health problem then, do consult a professional fitness trainer or a doctor.

List of things what you can include in your daily program e.g.--------
v If you travel by your car, get down 10 mins before your final destination comes and walk to your house, people taking a bus can get down at the previous bus stop.
v Try and do as much work in the house as possible, maintain a good posture throughout(very important), sweep the floor, clean your house, gardening.
v Play with your pet or your kids
v Take your pet on a walk
v If you stay on a higher floor, or are visiting a friend or a office where you need to go on a higher floor, use the stairs to go up and come down.
v Learn yoga, e.g. Sun salutations or few variations, few asanas(postures) which you can do anywhere anytime, wont take much time, just 10 to 20 mins
v Learn some relaxation techniques in yoga, believe me they are great.

And finally if you have any back problem then follow this list
1. Get your back checked from a professional
2. Get your postural analysis done from a professional
3. Get your lifestyle analysis done
4. Be aware of your emotional ups and downs, learn breathing tecniques or learn to stay calm and peaceful, do meditation.
5. Get your muscular tightness and weakness analysed from a physio therapist e.g. You need to stretch your tight muscles first and then strengthen your muscles
6. If you are obese then consult a dietician and a exercise professional to lose weight
7. Get a sports massage for your back pain, regularly, a sports massage therapist is trained formost of the basic things mentioned above.
8. And you can always mail me or contact me for all this :)

SECRET TO HAPPINESS

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Boxing ----- punch your way to fitness

BOXING!

As a boxer myself i can tell you there is nothing like a boxing training and ofcourse nothing like gettine knocked out. hey dont worry when we train for fitness in boxing we wont punch eachother, we have our dear friend the punch bag. so just lets learn a little bit about boxing, then if you are ready to challenge yourself and your limits call me for a boxercise session.

Boxing is one of the worlds oldest and most exciting sports. Its origins are way back in ancient Greece. Through years boxing has changed as an art of self defense, in England in the early eighteenth century and then later becoming one of the most popular sports.
Boxing has become a global sport as professional and amateur boxing. Professional boxing attracts lot of money through commercialization. Amateur boxing is also a serious business as boxers compete for their nations in Olympics and other national and international sports events.
Sports science today has made us understand the working of a human body in each sport. Today’s boxers compared to the earlier one are bigger faster and more powerful. In boxing a boxer has to concentrate on several things in a short span of time. Speed, agility, muscular endurance, muscular strength & power, reaction time and balance are important fitness components for the game of boxing.
A boxer has to punch, duck, move around and defend etc with just a minute to recover between the rounds. Boxing is a very high intense sports involving all the fitness components. A boxer has to maintain intensity throughout the bout, round after round.

Boxing is Dominantly a Anaerobic Sport But needs a good Aerobic Base:-
Any athlete has to train according to the nature of the sport. Sports specific trainings are designed after a complete analysis of the sport itself. Boxing is dominantly an anaerobic sport but needs a good aerobic base. 70 to 80 % anaerobic and 20 to 30 % aerobic. So the training actually is based in different phases till the actual competition, it is divided in off season / pre competition / competition phase. the aerobic foundation is layed majoritively in the off season and pre competition phase which gradually becomes less and the boxing specific skill training increases from pre competition to competition phase. Anaerobic activity is done in absence of oxygen, activities which are short and fast with a burst of energy. Whereas aerobic activity is done at a slower pace and lower intensity and in the presence of oxygen. Even the muscle fibres involved in both activities are different, so the best way to train for boxing is in a very sports specific manner.

Type of Training required:-
Boxing requires interval training. A boxer should train by doing activities from moderate to high intensity, either for specific distance or specific time.

Sample Training for a Boxer:-
circuit training consisting of a combination of plyometric exercises with calisthenics.
e.g. plyometric / callisthenic circuit
1 – skipping or running for 10 mins (warm up)
2 – 60 secs skipping (variation) + 60 secs high jumps + 60 secs burpee jumps x 6/8 rounds with 1 min rest between each round of 3 mins.
3 – skipping or running (low intensity) for 10 mins (cool down)
Or a running circuit

e.g. Running 400 / 600 mtrs or 800 mtrs with rest of 1 min in between

1 – 1 to 2 km slow running (warm up)
2 – 2 x 200 mtrs
3 – 2 x 400 mtrs
4 – 4 x 800 mtrs
5 – 1 km slow jog (cool down)


Amateurs fight a two minute round while professional boxers fight a 3 minute rounds. The basic rule is to train for more time in the circuits by keeping the time interval 3 mins for amateurs and 31/2 - mins for professional boxers, and also doing a extra round.

By training regularly and by learning methods of relaxation a boxer can recover faster in the one minute rest period. The reaction time will improve by continuous conditioning.

What is Lifeforce - Energy, Prana?

PRANA THE ENERGY THAT BINDS THE MATTER

EVERYDAY we breathe whether we want to or not but the breathing continues. The prana what we are referring to now is the life force present in our body that makes us breathe. Breath is not prana or the process of breathing is not prana. Prana is the force behind all these activities such as breathing, seeing, listening, walking, sleeping etc. The modern science refers to prana as energy. This energy is present through out the universe in the different forms i.e. From gross to the subtlest. The very same energy is responsible for all the matter present in this universe in different forms whether dead or alive. The different molecules combine with each other with the help of this energy (prana) to form different matter e.g. Earth, water, fire, air & ether. Everything present in all these forms of matter is the result of the energy (prana) present in it at different levels (gross to subtle).
The power of the energy present at the molecular and the atomic level is tremendous. This level of energy is very subtle but not the subtlest. We have experienced the power of the atomic bomb i.e. Nothing but the force of the energy released at a very high subtle level. We can imagine if we keep discovering the most subtlest levels how much energy will we discover, lets hope that the discoveries will be used for human progress & maintaining nature at its best, that’s how we all will be able to survive longer on this planet as we all know and understand that nothing is going to last forever nothing is permanent.
Our mind is also a form of energy present at a very subtler level than the body. The mind itself is a bundle of energy within our reach ready to be tapped and explored. We should be grateful to the almighty for giving us a chance to be so close to so much power & so much energy. We have been given all the means to culture this energy & chanelize this energy for our progress to the next level.
Those who have been able to realize this energy and go beyond it have experienced tremendous power, strength & superhuman capabilities. We know them as yogis, spiritual leaders and many prefer to stay unknown. People who work selflessly for the betterment of humanity. People who spread love & worship we all know them and we all love them & we all worship them. These are the people whose presence in this world even for a minute has made a difference for millions and is still making. We have known them as Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Adi Shankarcharya, Ram Krishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda and many more the list goes on. The mere presence of all these great people on the planet for much less time than most of us has made a big impact on millions of people all around the world and is still doing.
All these great people had understood and experienced the power of mind. Our first step is to approach the mind with discipline & respect. To follow a certain discipline and do exercises you have to find a right teacher (guru). Doing the exercises on your own can harm a person instead of helping.
The eight steps of Ashtanga Yoga (path of psychic control) are the best way to discipline the mind. Patanjali has beautifully given all the do and dont’s in yoga sutras of patanjali. The first line itself welcomes you to the discipline of yoga and its lifestyle. He says only if you are ready to follow the discipline only then will you get the benefits. Only if you are prepared mentally you may start with the first step i.e Yama – yama refers to the great universal commandments. It is the control of the body, speech and mind, followed with Niyama – niyama refers to personal disciplines or the obedience of proper conduct. The next step is Asana (physical exercises) done with an attitude of enjoyment & stability with control over breath, awareness & expansion of the mind to all the changes – physical & mental & the deeper organs. Then comes Pranayama (breath control of bio energy) pranayama if done correctly will help a person cure all diseases and help him discover the power of the mind through Pratyahara, Dharana & Dhyana. All these 7 steps together takes person to the last step i.e. Samadhi.
Samadhi is the state in which a person experiences freewill, the will to become free from the cycle of life & death, the will to be where he wants for how long, he has the strength of love he becomes the source of love and spreads it amongst the people in various ways and in various forms. Forms unknown to us unknown to the human kind unknown to the naked eye. We all experience it in the form miracles and magic. In the state of samadhi the matter stops to exist in different forms. Matter becomes one the vision of the yogi in the state of samadhi sees no difference between earth & water or between fire and ice or dog & fish. Everything is broken down to the level of energy at a very subtle level. This state of energy is the ultimate form of energy present in the universe. This is the base of all the energy present in all the matter present here on earth or anywhere in the universe. The hindu prayer for the prana(energy) is the best description of its omnipresence & power.


PRANAYAM MANTRA

Pranasyedam vashe sarvam
Tridev yat pratishthitam
Mateva putrana rakshashvam
Shrischa prdnyascha videhi na itii

Meaning:
---Whatever exists in three worlds,
Is all under the control of prana
(O prana) protect as a mother protects her sons
give us affluence and intelligence---


Story:-
Once their was a argument between all the body parts about who is the greatest. The eyes, the ears, nose, stomach etc. All of them went to brahma dev to ask who is the greatest amongst them. Brahma dev said why don’t you find out for yourself, i will suggest you a way. Every part should leave the body for a year and then return back. Everyone agreed. Ear left for a year and came back. Nose left for a year came back, stomach left and came back and it continued with few difficulties but the body survived. Finally the prana decided to leave the body the moment prana started to move out. All the body parts were in trouble as they could not function without prana. They all requested o great prana please don’t leave the body as you are the greatest amongst us.

What is Yajna - Sacrifice?

YAJNA - SACRIFICE

As we all know everything in the world exists in cycles and nothing can exist without each others help. We also have learnt in all these years that if one living organism becomes extinct then the whole cycle of life gets affected and the other dependent organisms live in the danger of extinction, we now call them - endangered species.
One will think what is all this got to do with yajna (sacrifice) a hindu ritual. For this we all have to understand the basic law of existence – the law of interdependence.
We have to understand that our existence along with the existence of everything on earth & in the universe is governed by the law of interdependence. Everything has to exist for the survival of the dependent – a rhythm has to be maintained – everything should happen with ease – effortless action – naturally.Their should be no force no friction.
The sun has to stay in its position - the earth has to revolve around its axis so that we can experience day/ night – here the sun is sacrificing its light/heat for the survival of life on earth – the earth is revolving and performing a action for the survival of everything on the planet i.e. A sacrifice – yajna etc.
In olden days people realized the importance of the natural cycles of life & action. They use to worship objects of nature e.g sun, fire, earth, air(vayu), water etc the sources of life. The sadhus went on to discover and understand that all these natural cycles / actions are happening effortlessly and with no expectation of any fruits i.e. without expecting anything in return.They called it a sacrifice, a action performed by nature effortlessly without any expectation of the result (fruit – phala). The sadhus discovered that if the same principle of effortlessness and sacrifice when applied to our life, life becomes beautiful and happy – stressfree. Sadhus or the wisemen found different ways to spread knowledge.
To infuse a similar feeling among the common man at that time sadhus performed rituals of sacrifice with the help of mantras, to please the gods and bless the people with good vegetation and cultivation. The sacrificial rituals was a way to give back the gods their share of what they have given us. The gods here is plural because we are referring to multiple natural powers i.e. actions of nature eg. Rain, air, soil, fire etc.
With the help of the rituals and the knowledge given by the wise men ‘sadhu’, people understood the meaning of interdependence & sacrifice. Their was always mutual respect exchanged by everyone i.e. Sharing without expectation was the ritual of the community, sharing not only amongst each other but sharing with all the animals & plantation. The vegetation & the cultivation was also shared with the gods through yajna a ritual of sacrifice - the way of giving back the share of the gods like indra, vayu etc.
According to Bhagvad Gita a person who does not share what he earns with the people who are responsible for his success is called a Thief. According to the hindu scriptures a thief is not just the person who steals but also the person who fails to share his success with all the people who are responsible for his success.
We all fail to realize, we all fail to share our success with all who have been with us throughout our journey (cumulative actions). E.g. A student gives a exam and passes after studying for several months day/night and writing several difficult questions. But for his success his mother who cooked all the meals, his father who provided all the money, his school teacher who taught him and not just them but even the bus driver who safely got him to his exam centre and many more all are responsible for the success of the student, sometimes we don’t share as we don’t realize we have never been taught i.e our ignorance. sometimes we distribute sweets unknowingly to all these people who have worked for you without any expectation out of your success. While receiving a award a mere mention of the names in the thanksgiving speech of successful people is a way of gratitude and realization - that without the help of all these people success wouldn’t have been possible. We all have heard it in the famous speeches during the Oscars and various award functions.
Sharing should be natural - sharing should be smooth - it should be effortless – just as the earth revolves around itself naturally, rain falls smoothly – the sun gives us light energy effortlessly – the plant give us fruits vegetation wit love – the soil gives the minerals to the plants without any price to pay – everything exists with mutual sacrifices and effortless actions performed for the benefit of the each other and co existence. We all should be able to share effortlessly naturally. No faces no wrinkles no half hearted sacrifices – give with both hands open and so will you receive. For e.g. the story of young nachiketa who was very upset with his father who was about to sacrifice thousands of cows in the name of yajna who were very weak and unwell. Nachiketa was unhappy with this attitude of his father. Nachiketa told his father, in anger father said I sacrifice you the god of death yama. nachiketa had only one desire to know what happens after death and he was ready to sacrifice anything for that…….

§ § Yogah karmasu kaushalam

§ § Samatvam yogah ucchate

These are the different ways to understand what yoga is. Also to know what is sacrifice – what is action – the attitude behind the action – the effortlessness in every action – no expectation of the fruit – acceptance of the fruit (result of action) – realization of god.



v YOUR BODY – IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR MIND!

Benefits of Combining Yoga & Weights

Yoga & weight training when combined give fitness a holistic nature. Weight training when done correctly helps strengthen the musculo skeletal system. Weight training also helps improve strength, power and stamina when trained specifically. Asanas in yoga helps the body to improve its flexibility and range of motion around the joint. Hence helping the body (dynamic asanas) while warming up to prepare for the rigorous exercises, also after exercises to cool down(static asanas). Asanas in yoga also help in prevention, recovery & rehabilitation of the injuries, plus improvement in posture.
Breathing exercises and pranayama in yoga along with cardiovascular training helps the body in storing more oxygen and hence improve performance while exercising. Weight training helps keep the muscles toned and strong, therefore protecting the bones from external shocks leading to injuries. Weight Traning and yoga when combined give optimum benefits and at various levels to a person i.e.

According to yoga our body consists of 5 sheaths or in simple words 5 levels of existence –

1. Annamaya Kosha – Physical Body – weight training, asanas, kriya, cardiovascular exs
2. Pranamaya Kosha – Life Force – Breath – pranayama, breathing exs
3. Manomaya Kosha – Mental Sheath – dharana i.e. focusing, dhyana i.e meditation
4. Gynamaya Kosha – Intellectual Sheath – knowledge in weight training & yoga, the science behind weight trainig & yoga, knowledge helps in right decisions.
5. Anandamaya Kosha – Blissful Or Happiness Sheath

What Is YOGA?

Yoga is a ancient science. It is more than 10000 years old. Lord shiva was the first yogi. It is said as he performed various postures while dancing, different animals came into existence according to shivas postures. Over a period of time their have been many great yogis. In those times people learned from whatever was available in the nature. E.g. Mountains, river, birds, animals, leaves, sun, stars etc., everything around was fascinating as their was so much to learn. The sages were exploring everything around just as a child does while growing up.

The word yoga or yog is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj which means “to join” or “union”. The union or the joining what yoga talks is about joining the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness or atma with parmatma.

Patanjali the father of yoga philosophy says “Yoga Is The Control Of Thought Waves In The Mind”. Sage patanjali gave us the gift of three brilliant works. Sanskrit grammar, Ayurveda & Yoga sutras of patanjali. In the yoga sutras of patanjali there are 196 sayings explaining what yoga is. Patanjali describes how to make your mind still, quiet and free from all the distractions with the help of yoga teachniques.

Ashtanga Yoga (eight steps)

To control the mind and its nature Patanjali prescribes us Eight Steps or Eight Sadhanas.

1) Yama
2) Niyama
3) Asanana
4) Pranayama
5) Pratyahara
6) Dharana
7) Dhyana
8) Samadhi

v Yama
Is the control of body speech and mind. There are 5 yamas.

Ahimsa – Non Violence – should be practiced at all levels, speech, thought & deed. E.g.Violent thoughts, abusive language, violent actions should be avoided and controlled. Lord Buddha was the greatest teacher of non violence.
Satya – Truth – being truthful in mind and speech. Being truthful in actions as in thought, speech and what you hear.
Brahmacharya – Celibacy - total self control and not to engage oneself into any form of temporal pleasures.
Asteya – Non Stealing – avoiding using, wanting or desiring someone elses belongings or possessions without permission. Also by not sharing the fruit of the action with all the people involved in the process is an act of stealing so sharing the fruit of action is a duty.
Aparigraha – Unselfish Or Non Covetousness – non accumulation of unnecessary things just due to greed either materialistic or through thoughts. Also non accumulation of past memories, which generate negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, frustration, depression etc.

v Niyama
Is the obedience of proper conduct. There are 5 niyamas.

Saucha – Cleanliness – to be maintained at all levels i.e. by bathing, doing kriyas for internal cleansing, meditation for removing the bad thoughts and friendliness, empathy, Bhakti for emotional cleansing.
Santosha – Contentment – to be satisfied with what you have and not desiring to have more without a justified reason, also acquiring things through proper means.
Tapas – Burning Effort Or Penance – to aim for a target and do all the things possible e.g. to bear the extremes of heat and cold and still keep heading towards the goal.
Svadhyaya – Self Study – self study at all the levels such as being a witness to your own actions and analyzing the right and the wrong actions, observing the mind and the nature of the thoughts, learning the religious texts is self study.
Ishwara Pranidhana – Worship – complete surrender to god and accepting all the fruits of the actions as prasada.

v Asana
Asanas are various postures developed for making the body strong and healthy. Asanas also help the inner organs to perform better. Asanas are also used for prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. Asanas help the body become stronger to prepare for the further practices such dharana and dhyana where it is required to sit still for long time. Asanas also help the spine to become flexible and corrects any postural defects present which in turn helps for proper channelising of energy through the spine.

v Pranayama
Pranayama is the science of controlling the breath. There are three main actions in pranayama they are, inhalation, retention of breath, exhalation. By controlling these actions one develops control over breath and improves concentration. Pranayama if done properly can heal any disease but if done wrongly without a proper guru can be very harmful.

v Pratyahara
Is the fifth stage of Ashtanga Yoga. Prayahara is to control the senses and restrain them. The yogi remains unaffected by the worldly objects which create desires through the sense organs. By doing various practices from the earlier


v Dharana
Dharana means concentration or focussing of the mind on one object with one thought. The object can be either a picture of a god or something that makes you happy and peaceful. The mind is completely focused on the object with just one thought of the object. Energy is consumed in dharana and the mind learns to control better.

v Dhyana
Dhyana is to defocus or expand the mind, while the object may remain same as in dharana but the knowledge about the object increases thus increasing the no. of thoughts.

v Samadhi
Samadhi is the last stage in ashtanga yoga where the yogi becomes one with the object. There is no difference between the object and the observer. There is complete bliss and happiness. This leads to enlightenment. All the steps before are the preparatory steps for samadhi.

How To Lose Weight with YOGA

How will yoga help in losing weight? FAQ

Yoga is not just postures, breathing exercises or meditation, yoga is a complete lifestyle in itself. Yoga is very vast and can be incorporated in all aspects of life. The principles of yoga teach you to live life happily and free of stress. These principles or lets say these golden rules can be applied in any situation or at any stage in our life. Out of these golden rules few are which will help us reduce weight over a period of time and help us achieve not a fatless body but a toxin free body, to get free from toxins in the body is more important than just focusing on the fats. Fat in our body is a result of an unhealthy lifestyle which consist of good & bad habits, good and bad desires etc. Often we target the wrong things in life and get disappointed when we don’t get the expected result. We are expecting our body to lose weight and lose fat without changing what is actually causing the excess fat to increase in the body .

Listed below are some of the disciplines which should be followed in yoga in order to achieve weight loss :-

Ø Asanas ( will help the body to become stronger, flexible and improve the functions of internal organs)
Ø Kriyas ( will help cleanse the body internally e.g. nose, stomach, Intestines and help detoxify)
Ø Pranayama ( increases the oxygen present in the blood, increases the lung capacity, slows down the breathing which helps prolonging our life. Makes our breathing longer deeper to help us accumulate more oxygen in few breaths rather than several small breaths, calms down the mind, increases creativity etc)
Ø Dharana, dhyana (dharana is good for concentration and dhyana is good to helping the mind defocus, stabilize, and getting rid of the unwanted thoughts in the mind, resulting in clear thinking less cravings or temptations)
Ø Satvic ahaar ( will help give the body the right nutrition, also detoxify. It will also help the body not to accumulate excess weight )

FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON YOGA OR WEIGHT LOSS mail rahulkarma@gmail.com