Thursday 8 October 2009

New Scientific Yoga Teacher Training Course in London

New Scientific Yoga Teacher Training Course in London Feb 2010.

07th October 2009, London: Join us for a new authentic 3 months Scientific Yoga Teacher Training course in London starting in February 2010.

Immerse deeply in the authentic Scientific Yoga practice in this teacher training intensive with Subodh Gupta and Barbara Tomasik. This certification course fulfils and surpasses the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training standards.

A Scientific Yoga Teacher Training Manual will be supplied to each participant. To those who attend all scheduled classes, a 240 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate will be awarded, at the end of the course.

(a) Date: 13th February 2010 to 9th May 2010.

(b) The total cost for the Yoga Teacher Training course in London:

The course costs £1395 and all bookings received before 25 October, 2009 will receive a 15% discount, i.e. £1195 only if registered before October 25th 2009 (15 % early bird discount) The charges includes all the cost such as (a) Books / Yoga Teacher Training Manuals (b) Tuition fee (c) Exam (d) Certificate, etc.

(c) Course is Non residential and held on weekends.

(d) Venue:

Hammersmith Fitness Centre (2 Minutes walk from tube station Hammersmith)

(e) Certificate: Certificate will be issued to the successful student which will entitle them to teach in the UK and in any other part of the world and can be used to register with other organizations.

(f) Classes will be held at Saturday and Sunday and in addition students are advised to practice at their home. Each session on sat and sun consist of both theory and practical aspect and understanding of authentic Indian yoga.

(g) (Optional) Assistance to launch students own yoga website, or online presence on Scientific yoga teacher training website.

(h) Attendance during the course: Please note that 85% attendance is must.

(i) By the end of this Scientific Yoga Teacher Training Course you should be able to:

-Understand principles of anatomy, physiology, training and components of fitness.
-Understand and explain basic yoga philosophy referring to the yoga scriptures.
-Understand precautions about yoga pose.
-Plan a yoga class after considering precautions.
-Explain the students about the benefits of yoga asanas.
-Teach and evaluate safe and effective yoga class including pranayama, meditation.
-Use yoga equipment safely in your teaching
-Create the quality health questionnaire and individual student record keeping.

(j) Do you include religious chanting of mantra in your yoga classes?
No we don’t include any kind of religious prayer or chanting as in other yoga teacher training courses.

(k) Admission Process: If you feel interested in our Scientific Yoga Teacher Training course, you may send us your query at infoATsubodhgupta.com or call us at 07966275913 and we would be happy to send you application form and if your application is approved you can submit your fee and your seat will be confirmed.

About Subodh Gupta: Subodh Gupta has trained a number of celebrities. He is the author numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management and has been interviewed by various TV channels.
About Subodh Gupta: http://www.subodhgupta.com/aboutus.html

About Barbara Tomasik: http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Tuesday 29 September 2009

Depression Yoga and Uma Thurman

Many believe that depression is when we feel low, miserable, fed up or have a bad mood for a couple of days. But that’s far from
the truth. Depression is a serious psychological disorder effecting approximately 18.8 million Americans in a given year.

In Britain, depression occurs in 1 in 10 adults at any one time according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Depression is very common and it can happen to anybody. When extreme sadness lasts for a long time interfering with your daily
life, this may be depression which can last for months.

Many people are afraid to admit having depression as they believe it is a sign of weakness so they keep quiet and don’t seek
professional help putting their lives in misery and sometimes even in danger.

But depression is certainly not a sign of failure. In fact, a famous actress Uma Thurman confessed that she spent years suffering
from depression, even when she was one of the Hollywood's most successful actresses.

So ... what causes depression?
There could be many factors that can trigger depression, such as bereavement, redundancy, divorce, illness or money worries.

For Uma Thurman the trigger was divorce. She admitted that no amount of movie successes could compensate for the pain of her
two divorces and the loneliness of life as a single mother.

She said: “My professional life was soaring but my private life was in ruins. I fell into acting and a life that didn't give me the
feeling I was doing anything substantial or meaningful.”

To treat depression only with drugs is not an answer because drugs don’t cure depression but they only control the symptoms.

The ‘Talk-therapy’ is one of the ways to treat depression. The ‘Talk-therapy’ can help you to think about the problems you are
experiencing in your life in order to find new ways of dealing with them.

When you are depressed, feel anxiety and stress, feel unhappy, yoga is the best solution.

Try to incorporate yoga in your daily schedule in addition to relaxation and meditation. Practice of yoga reduces the impact of
stress responses which in turn decrease the heart rate, lower blood pressure and ease respiration. Yoga can be a very appealing
way to deal with depression. You can see the dramatic improvement in depression within weeks.

The scientific study of yoga demonstrates that mental and physical health are closely related and yoga works on both level. If you
are suffering from depression then take action now for your own good health. If we don’t take care about our own health then
who will?

Issued in public interest by a celebrity personal yoga trainer, Subodh Gupta.

Subodh Gupta is the author of the books “Stress Management A holistic approach” and “Corporate Yoga” available at Amazon and
Barnes and Nobles. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and
newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for a number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Wednesday 9 September 2009

Yoga and its Five Principles

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years in India. To the Western countries it came just recently and became a fashionable form of exercise, a new trend in the fitness world.

Yoga is based on a simple concept to attain a healthy mind and a healthy body. By practicing yoga we do not mean only practicing physical hatha yoga postures but also correct breathing, relaxation, meditation and a healthy diet.

Those five principles make yoga as a whole and without them yoga will be only a mere physical exercise, like any other.

1. The first principle of yoga is - Proper Exercise

The correct form of exercise in yoga is achieved through different form of hatha yoga poses and stretches. These exercises tone the muscles, enhance the flexibility of the spine and regulate the blood flow.

Yoga poses are co-ordinated with the breathing. Each movement is tuned with a correct breathing allowing to feel the union between the physical body and the mind.

2. The second principle of yoga is - Proper Breathing

Proper breathing is deep, slow and regular. When the breathing is correct it utilizes all part of the lungs to increase the oxygen intake. Regulating the inhalation and exhalation brings deep relaxation to the body and mind.

3. The third principle of yoga is - Relaxation

Relaxation is done at the beginning, in between and in the end of the hatha yoga session. Proper relaxation will help to release muscular tension and put the mind and body in a tranquil state.

Deep relaxation revitalizes the nervous system and makes each day of our life complete and peaceful.

4. The fourth principle of yoga is - Meditation and Positive Thinking

To meditate is to still the mind. It is a very difficult thing to achieve as our mind is in constant movement and never still.
But through regular meditation we can relax and refresh the mind. It will help us in concentration and having more clarity in our lives.

5. The fifth principle of yoga is - Healthy Diet

The food we eat greatly affects the way we think. For example chilli food can bring unrest at mind level. Our diet should be light with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and eaten in moderation. The good thing to remember is to eat only when you are hungry.

The last evening meal should be very light and taken three hours before going to bed, allowing for good digestion and sound sleep.

So! When you start your yoga practice try to keep in mind the five principles of yoga and implement them into your daily schedule. That way you will be healthy and happy for the rest of your life.

Issued in public interest by Barbara Tomasik, a Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Ms Barbara Tomasik is a certified yoga trainer and also a teacher in physical education. She is a member of REPs as Advance Instructor level 3. She have been learning, practicing and teaching many styles of yoga for around 10 years.

http://www.subodhgupta.com

Tuesday 8 September 2009

Yoga and Nervous System

In today’s fast changing world everyone seems to be in a race, high adrenal activities and on constant alert. By the time one reaches forty years of age one feel burnt out.

We live in a sympathetic mode most of the time and our nervous system becomes overly
stimulated. Prolonged stress responses result in suppression of our immune system and we become prone to infections and constipation.

We suffer from asthma, allergies and hay fever. Our pH balance is affected so we live in a more acid state as our bodies cannot relax.

The sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the "fight or flight" system, becomes more active when we are under constant stress, causing our breath rate to quicken, blood pressure to rise and stress hormones to flood into our body.

In order for our body to function optimally we need to have a balanced autonomic nervous system. That means we have to switch to our parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers our blood pressure and slows down our breath.

Our parasympathetic nervous system controls smooth muscle contraction, regulates cardiac muscle, or stimulates glandular secretion and is known as "rest and digest" system. When we are in a parasympathetic mode our blood can freely travel to the digestive, immune, glandular and reproductive systems to restore balance and to heal the damage done during our stressful time.

Through daily practice of yoga we can bring equilibrium into our body and mind i.e. balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and stress can be reduced. Slow and deep yogic breathing encourages the actions of the parasympathetic nervous system and allows relaxation and healing to occur.

While practicing yoga we need to respect our own body, learn how to deal with stress, incorporate deep breathing into our daily life and we become physically and mentally healthy.

The yoga system includes practice of yoga poses (asanas), controlled deep and slow breathing(pranayama), relaxation, concentration, meditation and healthy eating.
Remember: Yoga is an excellent way to bring balance in our nervous system and to stay healthy forever.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London, for those who are living a stressful life.

Subodh Gupta is author of many books on yoga and weight loss. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Friday 4 September 2009

Art of Breathing for Stress Free Life

This is the only book on human breathing techniques for managing stress with clearly illustrated photographs and practical instructions.

The new book “Art of Breathing for Stress Free Life” authored by a celebrity yoga trainer Subodh Gupta is released and available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and all other major online retailers.

This book is ideal for busy people who lead a hectic life style. The simple breathing techniques described in this book can help to reduce stress level and one can feel the difference by practicing 10 min every day.

According to the author, Subodh Gupta, “Flow of breath can give clear picture about person emotional and mental state”. He said “Breathing is one of the most important functions in our body but it is also the most neglected one. It influences the activity of each and every cell in our body and most importantly it is intimately linked with the performance of the brain”.

Simple breathing exercise can bring benefits such as increased energy level and development of various brain faculties.

This knowledge and technique of Yogic breathing is explained in this book in a step by step method along with precautions so that everybody can understand and gain benefits.

This book contains 2 sections. Section 1 contains knowledge and detail explanation of human breath and section 2 includes five practical techniques step by step.

When the body and mind are constantly overworked their natural efficiency decreases. A few moments of stress can consume great amount of energy leaving the person drained in their day to day life. However the good news is we can come out of stress at our own will and our body and mind can be reenergized by the simple breathing exercises.

Subodh Gupta has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

He has organised more than 500 workshops on yoga for leading companies such as Oracle, Sapient, International Data Corporations, etc.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Thursday 3 September 2009

Yoga Pose Sitting Forward Bend Benefits and Dangers

Never force yourself into a forward bend when sitting on the floor.

Hatha yoga, the third limb of raja yoga also popularly understood by mass population as yoga is getting popular as never before in both eastern and western countries. The reasons for hatha yoga to gain popularity are numerous; ranging from releasing stress, flexibility to helping patients suffering from various diseases.

Although the initial objective of hatha yoga was different, however the ability of hatha yoga to help participants with various ailments is really praiseworthy.

The Sitting Forward Bend is one of the most demanding pose of yoga. In this pose the body is folded almost in half, providing an intense stretch to the entire back of the body, from the scalp down to the heels.

Beginners often struggle in this yoga pose. If you pull yourself forward using your shoulders and arms you will create the tension through your body and you will end up tightening your muscles and this will not allow you to get into the posture any quicker. While doing this yoga pose, give some time for the muscles to stretch and to release the tension.

The yoga pose Sitting Forward Bend stimulates the kidneys, liver, spleen and pancreas improving digestion in the body. This yoga pose tones and massages the entire abdominal area and it relieves constipation.

It stretches the hamstring muscles, lumbar and sacral regions and increases flexibility in the hip joints. Regular practice of this yoga pose removes excess weight in the abdomen area.

However, this pose may be dangerous and not recommended in case of the following health conditions:

(a) When suffering from slipped disc and sciatica
(b) When suffering from asthma
(c) In case of pregnancy, as this yoga pose puts stress on the womb

Issued in the interest of people practicing Hatha yoga by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for a number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Yoga Pose Plank Benefits and Precautions

The yoga posture Plank, called sometimes High Chaturanga, is a good precursor to more challenging arm balances postures.

In the Plank pose the body is in a straight line from the ears, through the shoulders and hips, to the heels. Ideally the body should not arch or sag in this pose.

While performing this yoga pose the abdominal muscles are kept lifted throughout. If your body starts to shake, release the posture, relax for a moment and start to hold the Plank again.

The Plank yoga pose targets the abdominals (muscles responsible for holding in the stomach and giving the appearance of a flat stomach), but it can be an excellent way to get a full body challenge.

In order to do the Plank properly, there must be integration of all the core stabilization muscles, and the arms, as well as keeping the gluteus (large muscles which form the buttock) and legs active.

The Plank posture is a well-known exercise that can be seen in many exercise systems. It is one of the most popular exercises for developing core strength and stability. It strengthens muscles of the arms, shoulders and the spine, and strengthens the wrists.

However in one health condition the Plank posture is strongly not recommended.
If you have a Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, do not attempt this yoga pose.

The Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the compression of median nerve at the wrist, which may result in numbness, tingling, weakness, or muscle atrophy in the hand and fingers. The disease typically affects the thumb, index, and middle fingers and is often particularly troublesome at night.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London (UK) and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Monday 31 August 2009

When Yoga Pose Bridge can be Dangerous

The Bridge pose is also known as Setu Bandhasana, which means construction of a bridge. In this posture, the whole body forms an arch which is supported at one end by the crown of the head and at the other on the feet, hence the name.

When the Bridge is performed immediately after the Plough pose it acts as a gentle counter pose to complement the benefits of Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) and the Plough (Halasana). It releases any tension that may have built up in the thoracic (part from the neck to waist) and lumbar (lower part of the back) regions of the spine while practicing the two previous asanas.

Tightness in the back and spine results from poor posture, stress and a sedentary lifestyle. This pose is a wonderful way to ease tension in the shoulders, upper and in the lower back. The Bridge can reverse the strain of sitting at a desk or computer all day. It will help to pull back the shoulders, which may tend to roll forward while sitting.

Unlike many backbends, this asana can be hold for longer period of time without risking injury to the lower back, because the back is protected by the working of strong leg muscles.

This asana strengthen the back, arms, shoulders, buttocks and thighs, promoting flexibility of the spine. It strengthens arches of the feet, ankles, hamstrings (tendon behind the knee) and triceps (large muscle at the back of the upper arm) and it rejuvenates tired legs.

The Bridge stretches the chest and the neck. It opens the heart and lungs, stimulates the abdominal organs and regulates the thyroid and endocrine system. It increases blood circulation.

Note: The Bridge is a good preparatory posture for the Wheel pose.

The same yoga pose can be beneficial for some people however it can be dangerous for others if precautions are not taken or previous health conditions are not taken into consideration while performing this pose.

Following are some of the conditions when yoga pose - the Bridge can be avoided:

1) If you have any problem with your knees avoid practicing this pose as it is places a lot of tension on the knees.

2) In case of neck, shoulder or spinal injury this pose should be avoided.

3) Not advised in a last trimester of a pregnancy (6–9 months).

Caution: Always check with your doctor if you have any doubts or concerns regarding the suitability of this pose for you.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Sunday 30 August 2009

Obesity Killing UK

Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges we face nowadays. Almost 1 in 4 adults in England are currently obese and the experts predict that if we do not do anything about it three-quarters of the population could suffer the ill effects of excess weight within the next 10 to 15 years.

The problem is growing rapidly and the costs are soaring. The NHS estimated cost to treat obese and overweight individuals is around £4.2 billion and is forecast to more than double by 2050.

Obesity is a medical condition when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and sex to such a degree that it rapidly increases the risk of diseases leading to reduced life expectancy. Obesity causes about 30,000 deaths a year in England alone.

The standard expression of body size is the body mass index (BMI). It represents body weight (in kilograms) relative to body height (in metres squared).

By the official standard being obese is having a BMI over 30.

Our lifestyle has changed rapidly. We no longer walk to work or school or eat home-made food. We replaced it with cars and ready-made high-in-fat and high-in-sugar meals. We also eat 'super-sized' portions at home or eat out in restaurants offering eat-as-much-as-you-can meals.

So, it is no wonder that we are getting fatter and developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis.

Tackle the problem may not be easy but with a bit of determination we should be on our way to a healthier Britain.

To achieve a healthy body we have to permanently change our eating and exercise habits. It is a long-term lifestyle change rather than a quick fix fad and it can provide sustained weight loss and minimize the risk of chronic diseases.

Incorporating exercise in your lifestyle such as brisk walking, cycling, dancing, swimming or Yoga at least three times a week for 20-30 minutes will be a great start to weight loss.

Adding to your daily meals fresh fruits and vegetables, wholemeal bread and pasta, brown rice, nuts and seeds will bring gratification and will result in fewer cravings of fatty and sugary snacks.

Drinking plenty of still water will keep you hydrated and it will reduce your urge to eat when you are not hungry.

In no time you will feel better and see the difference. You will be on your way to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for a number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Saturday 29 August 2009

Yoga Pose Shoulderstand Benefits and Dangers

There are a number of yoga schools which encourage beginners to do this pose without checking their medical history, which is quite dangerous.
The shoulderstand (also known as Sarvangasana in Sanskrit) is called the queen of all yoga poses because of the benefits it provides for the whole body. In Sanskrit, Sarva means the whole and Anga means the body.

It’s an inverted yoga posture engaging all parts of the body and stretching the shoulders, neck and upper back. As the body is inverted blood pressure is higher in the upper extremity of the body because of the force of gravity.

While holding this yoga posture the blood pressure in the brain reaches an average of 110mmHg.

The shoulderstand nourishes the thyroid gland, regulates the body's metabolism, controls the heart rate, promotes growth and balances the digestive and nervous system.

It massages the abdominal organs and relieves stress. Because of the enriched blood flow to the brain it also relieves emotional and mental stress, headaches and it is very tranquilizing.

However like every other science, yoga is also a precise science.

The same yoga pose can be beneficial for some people however it can be dangerous for others if precautions are not taken or previous health conditions are not taken into consideration while performing this pose.

The following are some of the conditions with which the shoulderstand yoga pose should never be performed:

1. If you are suffering from high blood pressure
2. If you are having weak eye blood vessels or suffering from Glaucoma or detached Retina, please avoid the Shoulderstand as it could worsen the condition.
3. During menstruation it is best to avoid this pose.
4. If you have a neck injury. Anyone who has Cervical Spondylities should not attempt to practice this pose because as you hold the pose part of the body weight is taken through the neck.

Please remember on many occasions GPs (doctors) are also not aware of the contraindication of various yoga poses and they may say that yoga is safe based on their perception which is not exactly the case.

By ignoring the precautions you put your health at risk.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta is an author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London (UK) and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Thursday 27 August 2009

Yoga for Back Pain Simplified

The new yoga book “Simplified Yoga for Backache” authored by celebrity yoga trainer Subodh Gupta is released and available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and all other major online retailers.

Back pain is very common and it is one of the most frequent complaints among people. According to a survey published in 2000, almost half of the adult population in the UK (49%) report lower back pain lasting for at least 24 hours at some time in the year. 31 million Americans experience lower back pain at any given time.

This book includes simple yoga poses and is a practical guide with a plan on preventing and managing back pain.

People most often suffer from lower back, shoulder and neck pain for various reasons, such as: during long hours of sitting at a workstation, working in front of a computer, driving long distances, gardening, lifting a small child from
the floor, stress, etc.

However, majority of back pain cases happen because of a weak and inflexible back.

A strong and flexible back creates the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. If our back is not healthy we cannot be healthy. Back pain can be avoided or at least minimised in the first place if our back is strong and flexible.

Simple yoga poses described in this book will not only strengthen the back muscles and bring flexibility to the back but will also help reduce stress. Simplified yoga postures as described in this book can be practiced by everybody, whether young or old, beginner or advanced.

This is a concise book (68 pages) with a large number of photographs to explain each yoga pose clearly.

This book consists of 3 parts. The first part of the book contains understanding about back pain, how it affects our body, its prevention and the benefits of yoga. The second part is about simplified yoga exercises for flexibility, strength and reducing stress. The third part is to record your yoga practice and improvement.

Subodh Gupta is a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK. http://www.subodhgupta.com/aboutus.html

He has organised more than 500 workshops on yoga for leading companies such as Oracle, Sapient, International Data Corporations, etc.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Yoga Breathing Exercise Kapalbhati Benefits and Its Dangers

In Sanskrit Kapal means forehead and Bhati in Sanskrit means shining. Practicing Kapalbhati on a regular basis leads to shining face with inner radiance. Kapalbhati is a highly energizing abdominal breathing exercise. In kapalbhati quick exhalation and natural inhalation are performed.

Quick exhalation generally takes about one fourth of the time of inhalation. Quick exhalation and natural inhalation follow each other.

Yogic breathing exercises were meant for preparing mind for meditation and were not designed as remedy for diseases though these exercise promote well being in general.

Regular practice of Yoga exercises do help in cleansing the lungs and entire respiratory system, purifying the blood and the body gets an increased supply of oxygen to all its cells.

Breathing exercise also helps in improving the digestive system, strengthening abdominal muscle as well as energising the mind for mental work.

How to do Kapalbhati Pranayama:

Step 1) Sit in comfortable crossed leg position with Back straight. Hands resting on knees in either chin or gyana mudra. Face to be relaxed.

Step 2) Inhale deeply through both nostrils, expanding abdomen and exhale with the forceful contraction of abdominal muscles. (Pull the abdomen in by quickly contracting the abdominal muscles and exhale through the nose). The air is pushed out of lungs by contraction of the diaphragm.

Step 3) After exhalation again inhalation but inhalation should not involve any effort. To inhale just relax and the lungs will automatically expand and filled with air. One can begin with 10 respiration. After completing 10 quick exhalation and natural inhalation, inhale and exhale deeply. This is one round. One can start the practice of Kapalbhati pranayama with 3 such rounds for practice.

However numerous benefits of kapalbhati as described by modern day yoga gurus as panacea for many major illnesses are far from truth, misleading and even dangerous.

In fact kapalbhati though beneficial for a healthy person can be dangerous for many people if they are suffering from conditions such as:
a) Heart disease
b) High blood pressure
c) A hernia

In addition this exercise should never be practiced when an asthmatic attack is in progress, or if pain or dizziness is experienced. Quick exhalation should be comfortable to oneself, i.e. quick exhalation should not be too forceful as suggested by many Indian yoga gurus.

Following are the common mistake observed among the participants while practicing kapalbhati pranayam:
1) Abdomen is contracted while inhaling.
2) Shoulders are contracted to push the air out when exhaling.

Additional Point to remember:
a) Exercise should not be done if you are feeling uncomfortable at any time during the exercise.
b) Kapalbhati should be practice on an empty stomach only.
c) Kapalbhati should be practiced after the asanas and Relaxation (atleast 10 minutes) and before meditation

It is extremely important that one should first explain his/her health condition to their yoga teacher before beginning any yoga exercise.

Ignorance on the part of yoga teacher and participant can be very dangerous and can bring more harm to practitioner instead of benefits.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, an author and celebrity personal yoga trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Diet Cancer and Jade Goody

It is painful to acknowledge the fact that even in this modern era of 21st century “Cancer accounts for nearly one-quarter of deaths in the United States, exceeded only by heart diseases”. In 2004, there were 553,888 cancer deaths in the US (23.1% of all death).

Heart disease accounts for 653486 deaths which is about 27.2% of all death in USA. That means heart and cancer related death accounted more than 50 % of all death in USA in 2004.

Similarly let’s have a look at some of the statistics in UK. In the UK according to Cancer research UK, “One in four (26%) of all deaths in the UK are caused by cancer. There were 153,491 cancer deaths in the UK in 2005”.

You might be wondering why I am quoting so many statistics about cancer and heart diseases.

The point is even when our knowledge about our diet has increased tremendously and medical science is in advanced stages, still majority of death even in the developed nations on this planet are happening with the decease which are linked with our diet.

Most of human body diseases like cancer and heart disease are linked with our food which we eat. If people are eating healthy food then how can there be more than 50 % death from heart and cancer diseases?

If we know what is healthy and if we eat healthy then our body should be healthy. It is that simple.

After looking at above statistics one can easily deduct the analysis the despite the big advancement in our knowledge about our diet still somehow somewhere we do not understand our diet or our food properly.

I like the following quotation from Hippocrates, the father of medicine (460-357 B.C.)“He who does not know food, how can he understand the diseases of man?” which is quite true even in this present time after more than 2350 years when he said.

It is a reality that we are still eating unhealthy food like fast food and meat which leads towards obesity, which is linked as one of the main cause of cancer and heart diseases, kind of diseases which should have been eliminated long time ago.

Recently I was reading the news headline that Britain is fast becoming the fast food nation. As per news published on US department of health and human service, NIH news website ” Eating at Fast-food Restaurants More than Twice Per Week is Associated with more Weight Gain and Insulin Resistance in Otherwise Healthy Young Adults”.

Another habit which is destroying people health in the western nations is of eating meat. The main reason is first the meat itself is not healthy for the human being and second that it is contaminated.

I would like to mention one statement here from - Delmer Jones, President of the US Meat Inspector Union regarding contaminated meat, he said” The labels are misleading the public. The labels should declare that the product has been contaminated with fecal material… Today, nationwide; line speeds are up to 140 to 160 carcasses per
minute. It’s not humanly possible for meat inspectors to do what they are required to do, which is to protect the consumer.”

The extra weight we gain because of the fast food and contaminated meat puts you at risk for developing many diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, etc. So in a way the habit of eating fast food and meat is destroying your health and putting you in the great danger of losing health.

Sadly recently in the UK ex Big brother celebrity Jade Goody was diagnosed with the advanced stage of cervical cancer. Treatments for cancer include chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, surgery and drug treatments, or these in combination.

Jade Goody had stage 4 cervical cancer, which is when the disease is at its most advanced stage and has spread. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women under 35 after breast cancer.

Though Jade Goody is suffering with cancer but with the help of media her issue of cervical cancer has certainly created awareness among the citizens in the UK.

In the end I would like to say that if we correct our eating habits then not only we would have healthy body but we would certainly get rid of most of diseases like cancer and heart diseases which are killing most of the western nations.

Living with a healthy body is not a complicated rocket science. Our body is made up of food which we eat during our day to day life. If we are unhealthy at the moment then one thing is certain that the food which we eat is not good enough.

Healthy food habits will certainly lead you to good health forever.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Weight Loss Trainer in London, Holistic health consultant and author of the book “7 food habits for weight loss forever”.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts Yoga, Nutrition, Stress Management and Weight loss workshops.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Paula Abdul Bulimia Yoga and Nutrition

Eating disorders are a serious mental illness affecting 1.1 million people in the UK.
One of the main eating disorders is Bulimia Nervosa, popularly known as Bulimia. Bulimia was recognised by doctors as an eating disorder in 1979.

As food and eating play a very important part in our lives we experiment with different eating habits or we try to change our diet. However, some eating patterns can be damaging.

People with bulimia crave food and binge-eat, and afterwards they make themselves sick or misuse laxatives to get the food out of their bodies.

They feel guilty about the binge eating but because they are very afraid of becoming fat they continue the destructive cycle of compulsive eating and vomiting, which they cannot control.

Emotional difficulties in life, demanding jobs, low self-esteem, family relationships, death of someone special, sexual or emotional abuse can lead to Bulimia.

Bulimia is more common in girls, effecting women between the ages of 16 and 40 and is most likely to begin at about 18-19 years of age according to National Health Service UK.

Recent studies suggest that around eight in every 100 women will have bulimia at some point in their lives.
Bulimia can cause not only physical problems such as: lethargy, tiredness, irregular periods or frequent weight changes but can also develop psychological problems like: obsession with food, mood swings, depression, shame, guilt or feeling lonely.

It can take over the life of the ill person making her/him feel trapped and desperate and can lead to self-destruction. In extreme cases the illness can be fatal due to heart failure.

‘American Idol’ judge and Pop singer Paula Abdul is open about her life with bulimia. During an interview on the ABC-TV news show “Prime Time Live,” she revealed that she has suffered from the severe eating disorder for about 17 years.

After years of struggling with bulimia Paula Abdul admitted: "It became a living hell for me and I wanted to get help. I wanted to be free from weighing myself on the scales."

She sought the help of professionals and went through an eating disorder treatment program. For overcoming her long-time battle with bulimia The National Eating Disorders Association presented Abdul with its highest honour, the Profiles in Living
Award.

The good news is that nutritional counselling along with Yoga can provide an effective solution in treating bulimia.

What is needed in case of Bulimia is education about basic nutrition and sensible eating to promote a healthy relationship with food and daily yoga practice to reduce the emotional need for food, as hunger is also an emotional need and cannot be
satisfied by food alone.

The nutritional counselling and yoga can help the patient to release the emotional stress and break the binge-and-purge cycle and to stabilize chaotic eating behaviour.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Weight Loss Trainer in London, holistic health consultant and also the author of the book “7 food habits for weight loss forever”.

Subodh Gupta is a celebrity yoga trainer based in London and conducts Yoga, Nutrition, Stress Management and Weight loss sessions.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a practice of the mind. During the meditation process practitioners learns to transcend the mind. The more advanced the practitioner, the calmer and happier he becomes.

There are different techniques of meditation and they normally all start with withdrawing the attention from the outside world and leads towards concentration before entering the meditative state.

Meditation according to a noble teacher Shri S.N. Goenka Ji, “From the gross external apparent truth, one penetrates to the ultimate truth of mind and matter. Then one transcends that and experiences a truth which is beyond mind and matter, beyond time and space, the truth of total liberation from all suffering. It is the final goal of everyone”.

Meditation has numerous benefits both at the level of mind and physical body.

Benefits of Meditation:

(a) Meditation is good for the brain
According to Scientists, there is evidence that suggests that meditation could boost parts of the brain and the immune system.

(b) Meditation for stress Management
People started practicing meditation worldwide as a means to reduce stress or to help them with pain caused by various illnesses.

(c) Meditation can help people to remain calm in any situation.

(d) Meditation develops intuition—a capacity to understand and foresee.

(e) Most of the diseases stem from the discord between mind, intellect and body. Meditation will bring your body, mind and intellect, into harmony and hence peace.

(f) It encourages deeper understanding of oneself and hence others. Thus one can follow his chosen path with more precision.

(g) Meditation will lead you towards a path of non violence. As a result you will gradually stop injuring yourself and others during work, in relationships, etc.

(h) Regular practice of meditation will certainly make the will power of the practitioner stronger. When the mind is stronger you can achieve what you want from life and stay peacefully and happy.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for a number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Wednesday 26 August 2009

When Yoga Pose Crow Can Be Dangerous

The yoga pose Crow is also known as kakasana.

"Kaka" means crow (a large black bird with a loud cry). The body in this yoga pose resembles that of a bird, thus the names, crow.

The yoga pose crow is a moderate inverted, balancing yoga pose. This yoga pose helps in building strength in the upper extremities (arms, forearms, elbow joints, hands and wrists) of body. The crow pose requires courage (to risk falling on your nose) and hip flexibility (to bring the thighs alongside the chest).

The crow is one of the yoga poses that actually looks a lot harder than it really is and it requires much more coordination, concentration and awareness than the muscular strength in the upper arms.

As you hold this yoga pose the chest is immobilized so that you can only breathe abdominally.

The crow pose increases both physical and mental balance, concentration and tranquillity. It balances the nervous system, brings lightness to the body and prepares the mind for meditation.

Although the crow pose gives many benefits for the mind and the body, in some health conditions this pose is not safe to be performed.

Three situations when yoga pose crow can be dangerous:

1) If someone has a carpal tunnel syndrome (a lot of pain and weakness in the fingers and wrists), it may aggravate the problem.

2) In pregnancy do not attempt this pose.

3) If you have high blood pressure, it is better to avoid this yoga pose.

Caution: Always check with your doctor if you have any doubts or concerns regarding the suitability of this yoga pose for you.

Issued in the interest of people practicing Hatha Yoga by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London.

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London (UK) and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Insomnia Michael Jackson Yoga and Art of Sleeping

Insomnia can be described as a symptom of a sleeping disorder, is an inability to sleep or chronic sleeplessness. According to one estimate, approximately 64 million Americans regularly suffer from insomnia each year.

As per recent news, Michael Jackson also suffered from insomnia. He was seeking drug to get some sleep. He requested for the powerful sedative Diprivan, despite warnings that it could be harmful to his health.

If you experience difficulty to sleep at night, incorporating yoga into the life can certainly help, especially if the reason for insomnia is stress-related.

You will wake up every morning completely fresh with full of energy instead of wishing you could stay in bed.

Yoga will certainly help in case of insomnia. With regular practice of yoga, the quality of sleep is bound to improve because of the stimulatory effect yoga has on the nervous system, and particularly on the brain.

The practice of yoga postures such as Child’s pose and Headstand can increase the blood circulation to the sleep centre in the brain, which can normalize the sleep.

One can have a more restful sleep because of the relaxing aspect of yoga and the subsequent relieving of stress and fatigue. Exercising Hatha Yoga at least four times a week is a good choice.

In addition to regular yoga, following are additional steps one can take if suffering from Insomnia:

(a)It is best to avoid drinks such as coffee before sleeping.
(b)The last meal should have been taken at least three hours before sleeping.
(c)Regular practice of yoga relaxation techniques is good before sleeping.

If these recommendations are followed, one should have no problem getting a good night's sleep.

Yoga exercises can help to beat stress, which is a common factor in sleep disorders. In fact you can also do Yoga at night just before going to bed, if sleeping is difficult for you and you will be surprised to see the amazing benefits.

Issued in public interest by a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London, Subodh Gupta.

http://www.subodhgupta.com/aboutus.html

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for a number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Monday 24 August 2009

Dangers of Practicing Yoga Pose Headstand

The Headstand is called the King of all yoga poses because of the tremendous benefits it has for the body and the mind.

All our physical and mental activities are governed by the brain which is the seat of intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, discrimination and power. Headstand increases the blood flow to the brain and it revitalises the entire body and the mind and also regenerates the nervous system.

Practice of yoga pose headstand provides the feeling of equilibrium and well-being and it increases memory and concentration.

The Headstand inverts the pattern of blood pressure in the body – increasing it in the head and dropping it in the feet:

The blood pressure at the top of the head increases from 100/60 mm Hg in a standing position to 150/110 mm Hg in the Headstand.

The blood pressure of the feet in a standing position will be about 210/170 mm Hg and it will drop to 40/0 mm Hg in the Headstand.

The blood pressure will remain the same at 120/80 mm Hg at heart level.

However like every other science, yoga is also a precise science. The same yoga pose can be beneficial for some people however it can be dangerous for others if precautions are not taken or previous health conditions are not taken into consideration while performing this pose.

There are a few yoga schools which encourage beginners to do this headstand pose from day one without checking their medical history which is quite dangerous.

Following are the conditions when Yoga pose headstand should never be performed.

(1) If you are suffering from high blood pressure, Yoga pose headstand should never be performed.

(2) If you are having weak eye blood vessels or previous eye operation.

(3) During menstruation and pregnancy it is best to avoid this pose.

(4) If you have a neck injury.

Please remember on many occasions GPs (Doctors) are also not aware of the contraindication of various yoga poses and they may say that yoga is safe based on their perception which is not exactly the case.

By ignoring your conditions you put your health at risk.
http://www.subodhgupta.com/yogaarticle/precautions-headstand.html

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London. Subodh Gupta is author of numerous books on Yoga and weight loss.

He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Sunday 23 August 2009

Indian Natural Herbs for Swine Flu

I recommend the following action plan; to prevent the Swine flu and fight back this disease in addition to your regular allopathic medicine treatment.

(a) Include ayurvedic herbs such as Neem, Tulsi, Onion and Garlic in your daily diet to prevent and fight against deadly flu. Indian Ayurvedic herbs are famous all over the world over thousands of years for their medicinal properties.

Neem: It possesses anti-diabetic, antibacterial and antipyretic (fever reducing) properties. Neem is used for a wide range of ailments including flu, fever, sore throat, cold, fungal infections, skin diseases, malaria and many more ailments.

Basil (Tulsi): Tulsi is worshipped in India as the purest and most sublime plant. Tulsi is used for treating skin disorders. It is a blood purifier and kills bacteria.

Onion: It contains many antiviral chemicals. It can be used in cooking whenever possible and have numerous health benefits.

Garlic: It has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Garlic, has long list of benefits when it comes to remedy. It is beneficial in ulcers, skin infections, flu, blood thinning, colds, and ear aches, to name a few.

(b) Cut all kinds of meat products.

(c) Increase the component of vegetarian food in your diet.

One can get all kind of nutrients necessary for the human body from vegetarian food and at the same time one can stay healthy. I cannot overemphasise the point that meat is certainly not good for the human health. If we are eating meat regularly, there is a very high possibility that we will gain weight and the by product will be the diseases such as Swine flu.

Your right decision would certainly help you to stay healthy forever. Please note that the above suggestions will help to prevent flu and are supplement to your current allopathic treatment if at all you are going through Swine flu. You need to consult your ayurvedic doctor to find out in what quantity you need to take these natural herbs.

Issued in public interest by a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London and holistic health consultant, Subodh Gupta.

Subodh Gupta is also the author of the book "7 Food Habits for Weight Loss Forever."

He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK. Subodh Gupta is based in London (UK) and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Saturday 22 August 2009

Yoga Hernia and Madonna

Yoga, the oldest system of personal development needs no introduction nowadays as it is becoming popular all over the world because of its tremendous physical and medical benefits.

However, like every other science, yoga is also a precise science. The question is: 'Are all yoga exercises safe to be practiced by all people with various health conditions?'

"This is the question which requires deeper digging into the subject of yoga itself, otherwise the consequences of doing yoga practice could be more dangerous than beneficial" said Subodh Gupta, celebrity Yoga trainer based in London.

While some of the yoga exercises can be taught easily without much complication and have various benefits, others can be very dangerous for people who are having the problem of a hernia.

"For example, the yoga exercises such as Sun Salutation, Cobra pose, Locust pose, Bow pose, Standing Forward Bend and Kapalabhati few to name are strictly not recommended if somebody is diagnosed with a hernia as these exercises may make the hernia problem worse" said Subodh Gupta.

Considering the fact that over half a million hernia operations are performed in the United States every year and more than 2 percent of British people are affected by hernias, the question to ask is if all yoga practitioners are aware of their health condition and precautions before beginning the Yoga exercise.

Madonna, the famous singer who practices Ashtanga yoga regularly also had an operation for a hernia (the Ashtanga yoga exercise series is a system developed by mysore based famous Indian Yoga guru Shri K Pattabhi Jois).

In fact, the famous Ashtanga yoga series which involves jumping can be very dangerous for people who are having hernia problems according to Subodh Gupta.

Hernia develops when the outer layers of the abdominal wall weakens, bulges or actually rips. Among many reasons for a hernia the most common is straining due to: jumping, defecation, coughing, lifting heavy objects, etc.

The practitioners need to understand that their ignorance and lack of yoga knowledge may lead them straight into an operation room said Subodh Gupta.

A noble effort has been done by some of the renowned yoga gurus from India and the teachers from the West to spread the awareness of yoga but unless Yoga exercises are done with precaution, more and more people will get injured without realizing.
http://www.subodhgupta.com/yogaarticle/yoga_hernia.html

Issued in public interest by a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London, Subodh Gupta for all those who are suffering from a hernia.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Thursday 20 August 2009

Dangers and Benefits of Yoga Pose Child's Pose

Following are some of the conditions when yoga pose child’s pose (Balasana) should never be performed.
(1) If suffering from Diarrhea
(2) Knee injury as it may worsen the situation
Child’s Pose is also known as Balasana. Child’s pose is a relaxing pose and can be performed anytime during the yoga practice whenever one feels tired, preceding or following any yoga pose.
Child’s Pose can help in:
(a) Stretching the hips, thighs and ankles gently
(b) Relieving stress
(c) Relieving back and neck pain
This yoga pose can also help in case of Insomnia. In fact this pose is so powerful that while performing within 2 to 3 minutes practitioner can already feel as if he is half asleep.
In case if you feel difficulty in sitting on your heels, place a cushion between your back thighs and calves.
However like every other science, yoga is also a precise science.
The same yoga pose can be beneficial for some people however it can be dangerous for others if precautions are not taken or previous health conditions are not taken into consideration while performing this pose.
(3) Pregnant women should also avoid doing the Child’s Pose unless only under the supervision of experienced yoga teacher (with knees apart).
By ignoring the precautions you put your health at risk.

Issued in public interest by a celebrity weight loss trainer in London Subodh Gupta.

Subodh Gupta is an author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London (UK) and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Benefits and Dangers of Yoga Pose Cobra

Yoga like every other science is also a precise science. Even though yoga pose Cobra is very healthy for some people however the same may not be true for others.
In a Sanskrit language Bhujanga means a cobra, hence the name, mostly used in the West.

In the Bhujangasana (Cobra pose) the body is facing downward while the upper body is curling up and back resembling a snake with its head raised ready to strike.

This pose is mostly practiced as the first yoga pose in the series of backward bending yoga asana followed by yoga pose Locust and Bow pose. It is also probably the most well known backward bending pose in Hatha yoga.

Before attempting this powerful yoga movement of the Cobra pose the warm up of the muscles of the back is strongly recommended. During this yoga pose the legs do not remain passive; they are extended down from the hips.

Keep your elbows slightly bent and do not push the floor with your palms over your zone limit. The best way to check if you are not too high is to take your hands off the floor for a moment so that the height you find will be comfortable and safe.

Cobra pose is a powerful backward bend Yoga asana which increases flexibility and strengthens the spine and rejuvenates the spinal nerves.

Each vertebra of the spine is given a rich supply of the blood.
This yoga pose is excellent tonic for women as it tones the ovaries and uterus and it helps to alleviate menstrual problems. By regular practice of the Cobra pose backache can be removed.

However, yoga like every other science is also a precise science. Even though yoga pose Cobra is very healthy for some people however the same may not be true for others.

There are many health conditions in which it is suggested that Cobra posture is not recommended.

Some of the health conditions when yoga pose Cobra can be dangerous are:
(1) During pregnancy, this yoga pose should never be attempted
(2) When suffering from Hernia
(3) If you have seriously injured your back, you need to consult doctor or an experienced yoga teacher.

Issued in public interest by a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London, Subodh Gupta.

He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is based in London (UK) and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Baba Ramdev and Unsafe Yoga Camp

Yoga - the oldest system of personal development needs no introduction nowadays. Its popularity can be estimated by the fact that more than 15 million people practice yoga in USA alone. Almost every health club in a country like the UK has yoga classes.

In India where the yoga system was originated it was not practiced on mass level until couple of years ago. Of course, yoga was taught as a free service for years by organization like Bhartiya Yog Sansthan but never before as an unquestionable
and unsafe mass hysteria.

Recently with the help of TV channels the whole concept of Yoga has rejuvenated in India.

Shri Baba ramdev Ji orange clothed Indian ‘gurus’ have started teaching yoga to the masses to the extent of millions of people.

It is really good that now people in India are developing healthy habits by waking up early in the morning followed by energizing yoga practice, thanks to TV channels and shri baba ramdev Ji. As Yoga exercises have tremendous physical and medical benefits which help people to get rid of various diseases, it is good that those TV channels and Indian gurus are doing marvelous work to help the nation to get rid of diseases.

However, like every other science, yoga is also a precise science. The question is: ‘Are all yoga exercises safe to teach through the TV media and can the same exercise be taught to all people with various health conditions?’
“This is the question which requires deeper digging into the subject of yoga itself otherwise the consequences of doing yoga practice could be more dangerous than beneficial”.

Let us understand how:
There are some breathing exercises like simple alternate nostril breathing (without holding the breath), which can be taught easily without much complications and have various benefits.

However, at the same time some of the exercises, for example: kapalabhati breathing technique which is taught to the masses is quite questionable. “This exercise even though having tremendous benefits, can be equally dangerous if somebody has heart disease or problem related to hernia” said Subodh. ‘Will it help or rather make the hernia and heart problem worse?’ considering the fact that many Indians suffer from hernia and heart problem. Perhaps medical expert can better answer this question in more details.

Similarly there are number of other yoga postures which require great precautions.
As we all have different body structures and different fitness level, conducting same exercises (apart from very few which are comparatively safe) for 30000 people in a camp by Baba Ramdev Ji without checking their medical conditions is quite questionable.

Also ‘Are the instructions about Kapalabhati and other yoga exercises safely delivered by Gurus?’ ‘Are they ensuring that people are following their practices safely?’ ‘Is it really safe for the beginner to learn yoga only through the TV channels?’


“Well, it is a serious question for the Indian gurus and Baba Ramdev who are teaching yoga in masses to answer”.

If seems that in India there is no governing body which understands the fragility of adverse impact of yoga exercises if done in improper way.

No doubt yoga is effective for treating various diseases and a noble effort has been taken by swami ramdev ji and organizations like VYASA but unless these exercises are not done in a proper system and with supervision, the whole concept of yoga teaching will become more of mockery or maybe it has already become.

Perhaps in near future when the ill effect of unsafe yoga practice will come to the limelight, the media will come up with great news stating that 50 or 100 million Indians are making fun with yoga everyday in front of TV and playing with their health.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer in London, for all those who are beginners and are learning Hatha yoga through TV, video cassette or DVD.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Sunday 16 August 2009

Weight Loss Why Oprah Winfrey Can’t Stay Slim

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most famous and successful women in the world, yet she is not successful at keeping her weight under control. Her weight has yet again spiralled out of control.

In Oprah’s words: “Thought I had it, but life took over.”

Oprah’s many successes and failures with her weight are her most widely publicized and self confessed problem area.

Too many of her efforts follow exactly the same route: lose weight, gain back, lose again, and gain back even more. And every time it is just more difficult to lose weight.

So... why can’t Oprah stay slim?

She has everything that is needed to achieve her ideal slim look: money, a personal trainer, chefs and a desire to be slim, yet it is interesting that despite all this she can’t achieve permanent weight loss.

There must be something else that sabotages Oprah’s success.

She says: “I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress.” It appears that although Oprah Winfrey's career is blooming she is full of stress and she deals with her stress through comfort food.

Now while we are alive the stress issue will never end and in fact unpleasant situations will occur more frequently. If food is used to cope with the stress than weight loss issue doesn’t appears to get solved.

While running weight loss programs for many celebrities in London and keeping their weight off for long term, it was easy to identify that one of the biggest problems that sabotages most people's success is emotional eating.

So the question is: What about people who permanently lost their weight? Did they do something different?

The answer is yes. They discovered a better way to release their physical and emotional stress and the food stopped being the emotional trigger for them.

It is important to note here that most often we don’t really crave a certain food but what we crave is the feeling we get when we eat that specific food. The way out of the emotional eating is to find a different way to release stress when you face unpleasant situations or get bored.

This could be by doing something which you discover you love doing, such as dancing, art class, karate, swimming or yoga, etc. Yoga is one of the best ways to distress and relax, leaving you feeling good about yourself and rejuvenated.

Issued in public interest by celebrity trainer Subodh Gupta.

Subodh Gupta is an author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for number of celebrities.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Swine Flu Meat and Human Health

Have you ever heard the diseases are spreading from eating fruits such as apple, or papaya or banana or by eating vegetable? – Well, certainly not.

Are the names such as Bird Flu, Mad Cow disease or SARS appears familiar – most probably yes, as these were the deadly infection or disease and which had the potential to become disaster for the human health and all these diseases are directly or indirectly linked with the meat industry.

Now the latest in series is deadly Swine Influenza a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs.

The Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness in pigs. The recent outbreak of a new strain of swine flu A (H1N1) virus commonly called "swine flu," and has raised fears in people across the globe.

According to a health official the transmission of the flu was caused by "a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms."

Now which food do you think is healthy for the human health: Vegetarian or Non Vegetarian? Well, it’s not very difficult to analyse though very difficult to accept if you have been brought up in an environment where meat was the obvious food choice in the daily life.

If only we can fulfil our diet requirement through vegetarian food, perhaps human being can avoid most of the deadly diseases which are spreading across the globe because of eating meat or by meat industry.

To propagate meat products effectively, meat industry uses various kind of misleading ideas such as “if you eat meat you will become stronger” or sometime people ask me “if you don’t eat meat how will you get the protein” and you body will become weak and so on.

Well, for all those who have a belief system that by eating vegetarian food one will become weak, I would suggest that please visit the Zoo and have a look at the strongest animals “Elephant” and he only eat vegetarian food.

One can get all kind of necessary nutrients for human body from vegetarian food and at the same time one can stay healthy.

I cannot overemphasise the point that meat is certainly not good for human health. If you are eating meat regularly, there is very high possibility that you would gain weight apart from danger of getting deadly viruses.

Increase in the body weight can further leads to many other diseases.
According to American Cancer society “Cancer accounts for nearly one-quarter of deaths in the United States, exceeded only by heart diseases”.

Heart disease accounts for about 27.2% of all death in USA. That means heart and cancer related death accounted more than 50 % of all death in USA.

Similarly “One in four (26%) of all deaths in the UK are caused by cancer”. You might be wondering why I am quoting so many statistics about cancer/ heart disease along with obesity.

The point is most of human body diseases like cancer and heart disease are linked with our food which we eat. If people are eating healthy food then how can there be more than 50 % death from heart and cancer diseases in most advanced nations?
Where meat is the main food choice in the daily life.

Maintaining healthy body is not a complicated rocket science. Our body is made up of food which we eat during our day to day life. If more than 50% deaths are linked to the food we eat then one thing is certain that the food which we eat is not good.
If you were born in the family which include meat in their daily diet, lack of awareness is natural.

You were eating what your parents thought is healthy for you and you were brought up thinking that having a beef burger or ham sandwich is a natural way of living, Now as an adult you have the choice to decide what is healthy for you.

Your right decision would certainly help you to lose weight and have healthy life forever.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta a holistic health consultant and also the author of the book “7 food habits for weight loss forever”. http://www.subodhgupta.com/books/7-food-habits-for-weight-loss-forever.html

Subodh Gupta is a celebrity personal yoga trainer in London and conducts Yoga, Nutrition, Stress Management and Weight loss sessions.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Friday 14 August 2009

Yoga and Knee Pain Solution

Every year, about 11 million Americans complain to doctors about knee pain. Roughly 21 million American people have osteoarthritis of the knee (a degenerative disease in which the cartilage gradually decays and fails to provide the shock absorbing padding that cushions the bones).

Orthopedic surgeons performed more than 1.2 million such surgeries in 1996 alone.

Many older people suffer from this painful arthritic condition, however this knee pain is not only restricted to older people but healthy young people are also getting effected by it, for example dancers, athlete for various reason.

Reason for knee injuries/ pain

Lets see what are the reason that people get knee pain. Most common risk factor for knee pain are old age, obesity, knee injuries because of hyperextension , misalignment of knee, inappropriate way of doing exercise, tight muscles
or because of combination of above factors etc.

Hyperextension at the knee joint occur when the joints are overly flexible. In this case legs extend too far and move past the point of being straight. Some people may be born with this condition however most people develop it by habitually locking their knee.

Knee injuries can also occur because the way we stand and walk. For example when we stand straight we need to be aware that whether our body weight is distributed properly on both feet or not. It is not very uncommon to observe that one side of heals of people shoes is wearing out more than the other side creating imbalance at the
knee joint.

Imbalance at knee joint also occurs because of underdeveloped inner quadriceps and strong outer quadriceps. In this case tendency of strong quadriceps is to pull the kneecap towards the outside of legs I.e. result in imbalance.

Knee joints in our body can be healthy if the muscles that support them are healthy I.e. both strong and supple. Tight outer hips and hamstrings put undue pressure pressure on knee joints. Athletic activity cause these muscles to tighten up and along with the aging process condition become worse (unless proper stretching are done after each workout when body is warm).

Yoga provide effective solution

Yoga is excellent for increasing strength and flexibility in knees. More and more doctors are recommending yoga to their patients who are rehabilitating after a ligament injury.

The benefit with yoga is that it helps to strengthen both the inner and outer quadriceps, which help to keep the kneecap in alignment. It strengthens the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the calves and the ankles- all fairly consistently. Strength in these areas all help to support a weak knee.

Another benefit that yoga give for the knees is the increase in blood flow and nourishment that it sends to the surrounding joints and ligaments. As with most poses in yoga, the action of squeezing a body part, and then releasing it, sends lots of nutrient rich blood to the area that was affected in the posture. Many postures do this for the knees in yoga.

Yoga posture like staff pose(Dandasana),Half downward facing dog pose (Ardha Adho Mukha Svanasana),Seat of power pose (Utkatasana Pose), simple balancing pose, Half frog pose (Ardha Bhekasana) etc can be very helpful for rejuvenating knee joints.

Practiced with care, yoga posture can contribute to the long-term health of your knees by strengthening your quadriceps, opening your stiff hips, and teaching your body improved alignment and movement patterns that transfer into your everyday activities.

Note: It is important to practice yoga with caution. Initially Some yoga posture for example, padmasana and yoga style like Ashtanga yoga mysore can be avoided. Yoga posture that are done incorrectly can actually injure the knee.

Remember most important rule in practicing yoga posture is that any pain is an indication from you body that something is wrong and come out of it. If starting yoga practice, it is strongly recommended that you begin in presence of qualified yoga teacher and do listen to your doctor advise.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, a Celebrity Personal Yoga Trainer based in London.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk/yoga-knee-pain.html

Botox Toxic Injection in Fashion to Young Girls

Botox, which is used in a cosmetic community over the last years, nowadays is getting noticed by generation as young as 18. Girls, still too young to be in any need of this extremely toxic substance are spending their parents’ money to smooth their “wrinkles”.

Botox is a brand name for Botulinum toxin-A, a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacteria Clostridium Botulinum. Despite being one of the most lethal substances known to science (one teaspoon can kill 1.2 billion people) it has become number one non-surgical cosmetic treatment in Britain and US because of the ability to temporarily erase wrinkles and restore youthful looks.

It is extremely sad to believe that some mothers would buy Botox as a birthday present to their 18 years old daughters believing that this could boost their self-esteem and could help them to deal with self-image issues.

An English mother said that her 18 years old daughter’s forehead is like hers and she believes that Botox is the answer to this problem.

This one example should be a wake-up call for every parent. Most importantly, do we as a society want to send a message to other young and beautiful girls that taking Botox at 18th is cool?

Cosmetic surgeons do not recommend the use of Botox injection under the age of 30. The skin of a young person is not wrinkled enough to be injected with Botox so it could lead to a loss of facial expression.

A mother, age 49, who has already spent around £45,000 on cosmetic surgery including tummy tuck, nose job, facelift, two breast enlargement and years of taking Botox is happy that her daughter is inheriting her habit.

The young girl admitted that her mother has always looked so glamorous because she uses cosmetic surgery and Botox to keep her looking young so she plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

The Botox treatment is sky-rocking, even though the Canadian government and the FDA are warning that Botox could cause muscle weakness, swallowing difficulties, pneumonia, speech disorders and respiratory failure due to its ability to spread to areas distant to the site of the injection.

So, how far would we go to restore our youthful look? Should we happily go to a cosmetic surgeon for the poisonous injection to our face to look like a porcelain doll? Or should we leave the nature to take its own course and age gracefully with a natural smile on our faces?

Should we close our eyes to cases where mothers are injecting their young daughters’ mind with the idea of a need for cosmetic surgery and Botox?
Or should we start to educate the young generation of the physical and mental health complications of the surgical and non-surgical cosmetic treatments?

Issued in the public interest by Barbara Tomasik yoga trainer based in London.
Ms Barbara is a certified yoga trainer and also a teacher in physical education. She is a member of REPs (Registrar of Exercise Professional in UK) as advance instructor level 3.

Ms Barbara has years of experience in the field of yoga, weight loss, nutrition, physical education and reiki.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Gastric Bypass Trick of Cosmetic Surgery World

Many people complain that they cannot lose weight no matter what they do. They claim that they exercise like crazy, eat almost nothing for months and yet the extra weight seems never be reduced.

So they start to believe that they will be fat forever and the dream of becoming slim like the catwalk models is disappearing into the clouds.

Then one day they read somewhere about this wonderful procedure that could change their lives – the Gastric Bypass Surgery. It looks so safe and easy. The surgeon will only create a small stomach pouch and bypass part of the small intestine to make the digestive system shorter.

This would mean that they could only eat small meals because their body will absorb much less food.

So, the people who lost hope to shed the extra pounds are happy again because the solution is only a couple of hours away.

Some may have still a bit of reservation to go under the surgeon knife but after reading about a number of celebrities like: Sharon Osbourne, Maradona, Randy Jackson or Roseanne Barr, who have gone through the weight loss surgery, they convinced themselves that this is the right decision.

But the truth is that it is a serious surgery and should not be taken lightly as a trendy option. After the operation you may (a) experience pain, (b) bruising and (c) swelling of the skin around the wounds.

Other complications such as (d) infection, (e) excessive bleeding or (f) developing a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg may occur. There is also (g) possibility of a damage to other organs in your abdomen, (h) bowel leak or (i) developing a gallstones.

However, the trickiest thing about the gastric bypass surgery is that after the operation you will have to go on a restrictive diet, take daily nutritional supplements and keep an exercise regime for the rest of your life to get the best results from the surgery.

So, what is the point of going through the surgery in the first place?
If you will make permanent changes to your lifestyle by exercising every day and be careful what you eat, there is no need for you to even think about the weight loss surgery. You will lose weight in a natural and healthy way anyway without putting your health in danger.

After the operation you will have to cut down sugary food like chocolate, puddings or sweets not to get the unpleasant sensation, called “dumping” which may make you feel sick, nauseating, weak, sweating or give you diarrhoea.

Do not believe that by making your stomach smaller you can indulge in food and sedentary lifestyle. The typical diet program after the gastric bypass surgery is very restrictive and many patients find it too difficult to follow it and they end up cheating and gain weight again over the years.

Our body is made the way it is for a good reason and we should only "bypass" what nature gave us if it is our only option.

Issued in the public interest by Barbara Tomasik yoga trainer based in London.
Ms Barbara is a certified yoga trainer and also a teacher in physical education. She is a member of REPs (Registrar of Exercise Professional in UK) as advance instructor level 3.

Ms Barbara has years of experience in the field of yoga, weight loss, nutrition, physical education and reiki.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk

Tuesday 28 July 2009

When Plastic Surgery Goes Wrong Tara Reid

Even when you are beautiful and slim like Tara Reid, the actress from ‘American Pie’ movie, you may be tempted to go for a bit of a plastic surgery hoping to improve your look, but imagine what you ended with pain and deformity.

That’s what exactly happened to Tara Reid. Her breast augmentation and liposuction surgery went really, really wrong. She wanted to have a beautiful even breast and six-pack, but ended up with some bumps along the edges of her nipples and bulgy stomach.

She honestly admitted that: “Right after the surgery I had some bumps along the edges of my nipples, but the doctor said, 'Don't worry, it's going to be better.' But after six months it started to get worse and worse."

So, what could be the implications of the breast augmentation surgery?

Threateningly, the list is very long. The surgery could leave you with excessive bleeding, loss of nipple sensation, asymmetry, implant rupture or shifting, infection, internal scar tissue or the need for second or even sometimes third procedures.
And that was exactly happened with Tara; she needed another surgery.

Another popular plastic surgery celebrity go for is liposuction - a fat removal procedure that aims to eradicate excessive stubborn fat from stomach, thighs, chin, chest or back.

Even though the plastic surgeons assure their customers about the safety of the liposuction surgery, this can get also wrong.

Unfortunately Tara Reid knows the best how the body sculpting can end up badly. She said: “I got liposuction because even though I was skinny I wanted a six-pack. I had body contouring, but it all went wrong. My stomach became the most bulgy thing."

Not only had she ended up with bulgy stomach, but her dream of having a six-pack was crushed.

Even if the liposuction surgery may give you the impression of a simple procedure there implications can be serious. There is a chance of allergic reaction to the anaesthetic, infection, bleeding or swelling which may persist even for weeks after the operation.

There could be nerve compression and changes in sensation in a form of an increased pain or the loss of any sensitivity.

The skin may become less elastic after the liposuction if a large volume of fat has been removed from a large area.

Last but not least there is a possibility of developing lungs problem.

All in all, any surgery carries on a certain risk to your health. But you must ask yourself a question if going voluntarily for a plastic surgery is the thing you really want to do. Because if you believe that plastic surgery will make you happy you may be mistaken.

Happiness comes from inside, when your private, social and career life is in balance; when you are healthy and you have sufficient money. No amount of surgeries will make you permanently happy.

You will end up with not only visible scars on your body but with emotional scars as well.

Issued in the public interest by Barbara Tomasik Yoga Trainer based in London.
Ms Barbara is a certified yoga trainer and also a teacher in physical education. She is a member of REPs (Registrar of Exercise Professional in UK) as advance instructor level 3.

Ms Barbara has years of experience in the field of yoga, weight loss, nutrition, physical education and reiki.

Saturday 25 July 2009

Yoga and Stress

Yoga provides a holistic approach to manage stress. It combines several stress management techniques
such as breathing, meditation in addition to hatha yoga.

Stress is the byproduct of the present day competitive work environment and unhealthy life style.

Stress is the silent killer and affects almost all spheres of life such as health, energy level, work related
performance and yet so little is done in this direction to cope with it.

In fact, stress when persists over a period of time become the most dangerous factor behind most of the
psychosomatic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, migraine, digestive disorders, ulcer and even
cancer, etc.

Stress is the second biggest cause of employees’ sickness absence days in the UK. According to the
Health and Safety Executive UK, “The cost of stress to Britain’s economy is around 6.7 million working days
lost per year, costing society around £4 billion”.

Stress is costing an estimated £13B ($20B) per year in Europe according to a study by the European
Commission. The cost of stress related illnesses is constantly increasing around the globe.

Modern medicine can’t provide effective treatment to the stress because the real problem doesn’t lie inside
the physical body. It originates from the mind, and then disturbs our energy level and finally appears on our
physical level in the form of a disease.

Yoga provides holistic and effective approach to manage stress. The major benefit of yoga is that it
combines the practices of several stress management techniques such as breathing, meditation,
visualization in addition to holding yoga poses.

The approach of yoga to manage stress is multidimensional. It not only helps on physical level but also
releases stress at the level of mind and improves the energy level of a practitioner. Yoga is a complete
approach towards managing stress.

The gentle yoga helps in releasing stress at physical level as stiffness of joints can be improved. Breathing
exercises such as kapalabhati and alternate nostril breathing bring balance at energy level. Regular practice
of meditation helps to eliminate stress at the level of mind.

People fail to realise that things don’t happen of their own; we have to make them happen. If we want to stay
healthy, we need to ensure that we stay stress-free by exercising regularly such as swimming, dancing or
adopting a holistic approach through yoga.

If we don’t take care about our own health then who will?

Issued in public interest by celebrity trainer Subodh Gupta.

Subodh Gupta is the author of numerous books on yoga, weight loss and stress management. He has been
interviewed by various TV channels and his views and articles appear regularly in magazines and
newspapers in India and the UK.

Subodh Gupta is a celebrity yoga and weight loss trainer in London and conducts yoga, weight loss, nutrition and stress counselling sessions for a number of celebrities.

Friday 24 July 2009

Botched Cosmetic Surgery and Death of Denise Hendry

What it seemed to be a simple liposuction surgery lead eventually to the loss of a woman’s life, the mother of four and the beloved wife of the former Scotland footballer, Colin Hendry.

In April 2002 Denise Hendry decided to go for a minor liposuction operation at the private 17-bed Broughton Park Hospital, near Preston, Lancashire to regain her figure after her fourth child.

Instead of having a bikini body she ended up with nine punctures to her bowel and colon which caused multiple organ failure. She suffered severe blood poisoning and a cardiac arrest.

Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty or "fat modelling", is a cosmetic Surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body such as the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, the neck and backs of the arms.

Although she was awarded the compensation of 300,000, the largest payout for botched plastic surgery in history, she never fully recovered from the operation and her last seven years became a struggle to regain her health.

In May this year Denise Hendry underwent 16 hours of reconstructive surgery on her abdomen but tragically she was left desperately ill once again ending up in the intensive care for a couple of weeks.

Her short life ended after switching off the support life machine. Another unnecessary death, another tragedy, another grieve and despair.

The liposuction surgery is said to be a very simple procedure, where through a tiny incision, a narrow tube called cannula is inserted and used to vacuum the fat layer that lies deep beneath the skin.

As simple as it may sound there are possibilities of serious complications. Since the surgeon cannot see the cannula, there is a chance of damaging an internal organ, such as the intestines during abdominal liposuction which can be fatal.

And that what exactly happened in case of Denise Hendry.

Do we have to wait until someone we love dies to make a stand and start raising awareness about the potential dangers of plastic surgery?

What it has to take to stop this evil money making industry?

The cosmetic surgery world advertises heavily to convince you and millions of others that you need them to look beautiful and to be happy. Unfortunately, they are on a winning side because their stakes are growing bigger and the industry is flourishing.

Until we make a stand and educate potential victims that any cosmetic surgery, even a minor one, can be a life threatening procedure, the cosmetic surgeons will continue to put peoples’ life at risk.

Issued in the public interest by Barbara Tomasik yoga teacher based in London.

http://www.yoga-london.org.uk