Yogasana - Chaturanga Dandasana (Plank Pose)

Chaturanga dandasana is also called four-limbed staff pose or plank pose. This basic stance demands careful alignment and isn't just a push-up.

In Chaturanga, you should stimulate muscles from the front to the rear of your body and keep your elbows close to your ribs rather than allowing them to splay outward. In a hover, this permits your chest to stay aloft. To keep stable in the posture, you must also stimulate your legs and arms, as well as activate your abdominals and shoulders. The inclined plane will awake and activate large body muscles of the arms, trunk and legs . It is the only position in the Surya Namaskar where breathing does Kumbaka (retention) in full.

Steps:

1. From Ashwa Sanchalanasana step, bring your left foot next to your right.
2. Make sure that your wrists are located under your shoulders.
3. Stretch your palm and fingers
4. Distribute the weight between hands and feet.
5. Bring your sternum forward while simultaneously keeping your heels back. Feel your body strong and stretched in two opposite directions
6. Feel the abdomen active and keep the whole body in a single line (like a board) without the hips rising or falling.
7. The crown is directed forward and the gaze goes to the ground, a little above in front of the line of your hands.
8. Try to keep your neck relaxed.
9. If you have reduced mobility, or are a beginner, you can do this step by placing your knees directly on the ground.

Benefits:

• It is a strength asana that activates and tones the large muscle groups. It strengthens the abdomen in particular.
• It teaches us to distribute weight and muscle strength evenly.
• It tones arms and legs.

How Nutritional Content in Food Can Be enhanced by Using Healthy Cookware

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Cookware, like other ingredients you use to prepare your food, plays an important role. It contributes to the maintenance of a healthy body, mind, and well-being in an indirect way. As you can see, maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires more than just a well-balanced diet and proper eating habits. If you are concerned about eating healthy, investing in high-quality, chemical-free cookware is a great investment. Let's take a closer look at this....

The Advantages of Using Healthy Cookware

Just as one is particular about eating the correct foods and exercising on a regular basis, one must consider the type of cookware one uses. Premium quality cookware created from health-conscious materials will cook better dishes and retain more food nutrients than local aluminum or inexpensive non-stick utensils. Healthy cookware includes cast iron or iron cookware, copper, bronze, and brass utensils, to name a few.

Cast Iron Skillet & Iron Cookware 

Slow cooking is best done with cast iron and iron cookware. It fortifies your food with iron, ensuring excellent results. Iron deficiency is fairly common among women worldwide. Cooking in cast iron utensils will enhance the iron content by at least 20times. With such cookware, even heating is achieved, which helps to preserve food nutrients and enhance the flavor of any dish.

Clay kitchenware

It's fantastic for everyone to use clay kitchenware, whether you're cooking or eating. To reap the benefits of clay, you can preserve and drink water from it. It keeps water cold even in the hottest climate due to porous nature of clay. Earth is linked to the kapha chakra, which governs immunity. A modest research is done on a tiny sample of people with rheumatoid arthritis. They were asked to use only clay utensils to cook and eat. It was observed that they got a lot of respite from their problems when they cooked in earthen pots. We are connected to five elements of nature when we are near the earth, which is why clay makes such a magnificent vessel. Clay utensils are chemical free and food-safe as well.

Copperware

One of the main advantages of copper cookware is its excellent thermal conduction. But it is advised not to cook acidic foods like tomatoes, vinegar etc in copper vessels, because copper can leach into the food and ingestion of copper over time can be harmful.

So, I wouldn't suggest to use copper utensils for cooking. But, they can be good for your health when they are used for storing drinking water. Copper jugs, water bottles, and dispensers aid in the purification of drinking water by killing hazardous microorganisms. Water held in copper jars is said to be beneficial for indigestion, irritability, and stomach infections. As a result, it's clear why copperware is a better choice than plastic utensils or water cans.

Bronze Vessels

Bronze, commonly known as Kansa or bell metal, is an ultra-superior metal made from a copper-tin alloy.

This ancient metal is rarely utilized these days, although it has numerous therapeutic benefits. It balances the vata (dry skin, anxious temperament, irritability) and pitta doshas. It also aids in the reduction of fat (obesity), as well as the improvement of eyesight and skin health. It's ideal for cooking and eating in, but you can't use ghee in a bronze vessel.

Alternatives to Non-Toxic Cookware

Chopping boards, bowls, spatulas, and other wooden goods are typically manufactured from neem or mango wood. These goods are completely safe to use for food preparation because they are composed of natural materials.

Purchasing healthy cookware will undoubtedly be a blessing, as it will provide you with nutritious food for the rest of your life.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. It's best to consult a doctor if you have any recurrent symptoms or health concerns

As the Seasons Change, Safeguard Your Mental Health

Many of us have been looking forward for spring and it is already here. Slowly, summer is going to come. Natural medicine systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine base their whole knowledge of health on seasonal differences. According to these traditions, each season has its own set of rhythms and rituals on the human body.

Our general well-being as people is inextricably linked to nature. Our mental health is influenced by the quantity of daylight we get, time spent in green and blue spaces such as parks and meadows, lakes and rivers, seasonal foods that are locally available to us, temperature, and even air quality. Consider this: as the temperature grows colder, your body requires more energy, therefore you crave warm items like hot coffee, snug sweaters, and fireplaces that make your body's job simpler. Summer, on the other hand, exhausts our bodies. Sleeplessness, lethargy, a lack of appetite, and dehydration can all result in aggressive behavior and anxiety when exposed to extreme heat for long periods of time.

After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's time to accept that things will never be the same again, and to develop new policies that prioritize mental and physical health in and out of the workplace. Seasons change for a reason all around us, and you may follow these five ideas for your overall well-being.

Self-Evaluation: Recognize Your Emotions

Recognizing your feelings can help you feel less overwhelmed. Take some time to sort through your emotions in a way that suits you best - journaling, talking to a friend, or spending some alone time pondering. You can begin creating preparations to manage with the precise feelings you're experiencing after you have a greater understanding of them.

Use the abbreviation S.T.O.P. if you're having trouble identifying how you're feeling because your mind is racing.

S: Stop and put down whatever you're doing. For a time, put everything down.

T: Take a few deep breaths. Breathe normally and track your breath as it enters and exits your nose. To aid concentrate, you might even say "in" as you breathe in and "out" as you breathe out to yourself.

O: Observe your feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Recognize that thoughts aren't facts and that they don't last forever. If you get the notion that you are insufficient, notice it, let it go, and go on. According to UCLA research, even naming your feelings can help you relax. Then pay attention to your body. Do you prefer to stand or sit? What's your posture like? Do you have any aches and pains?

P: Plan something that will help you in the moment, such as reaching out for help from a friend or rubbing your shoulders or drinking a glass of water. 

Recognize What You've Lost.

While spring is often associated with joy, renewal, and celebration, it can also serve as a stark reminder that we are still in the midst of a pandemic and may not be able to do everything we normally would. Consider how you may honor a loved one in the new season if you're missing them. If you've lost a job or had to drop out of school, take some time to think on the difficulties you've faced and what you've learnt. Even if you haven't lost anything tangible, we've all lost a sense of normalcy as a result of the pandemic, and it's fine—even healthy—to be sad about it.

Make the most of the situation.

Things will undoubtedly be different this year than they were prior to COVID. There are, however, a number of spring activities you may do, ranging from physically challenging days at the beach or park to cleaning and remodeling your house or office. Consider how you can adapt the things you can't do for COVID times. If you're upset that gatherings have been canceled, consider throwing a small outside get-together. Are you missing the social parts of working? If it's safe and comfortable for you, consider establishing coffee shop work dates with a close coworker or friend. Are you lonely because you won't be able to see your loved ones? Try to reconnect, share fond memories, and speak, arrange a group video chat to discuss what you want to do next once you all get together.

Don't get carried away with your usual plans.

While the summer months are usually filled with excitement and joy, they may also be stressful. In fact, throughout the spring and summer, suicide rates often rise, and people report increased levels of worry. The heat can dehydrate the brain, reducing its ability to operate normally, and too much daylight can disrupt sleep and potentially exacerbate bipolar disorder manic episodes. Even if you're giving up some of your favorite summer activities this year, you're probably also leaving behind other worries. Take care not to exaggerate the situation and make it appear worse than it is. Change is difficult, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Find unique ways to adapt or start something new that will add new meaning to your life.

Gratitude is a virtue to cultivate.

Make a conscious effort to identify some things for which you are grateful on a regular basis. It could be as wide as your health or employment situation, or as specific as your favorite music on the radio when you arrive in the car. Gratitude has been linked to reduced melancholy and anxiety, as well as a variety of mental and physical benefits such as better sleep, mood, and immunity.

Maintaining your health requires self-care. With the aid of our blog, Practical Meditation as a healer, be proactive and build a seasonal self-care plan. With these pointers in mind, we hope you have a smooth transition into spring. Thank you for making the decision to #BeTheChange!

Yogasana - Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose)

Ashwa sanchalanasana or famous called equestrian pose is an asymmetric posture that involves keeping the spine long and your chest open, integrates the alternate stretching of the legs and mobilizes the pelvis and sacroiliac joint. The asana name comes from sanskrit words ashwa meaning horse, sanchalana meaning stepping movement or marching. 

Steps:

1. From Uttanasana, place your palms next to your feet, all fingers in line (bend your knees if you need to)
2. Keep the hands fixed on the mat and do not move it during the rest of suryanamaskar.
3. Take a big step back with your right foot
4. Rest your right knee on the mat.
5. Lengthen the spine, open the chest, and look forward.

Benefits:

1. It lengthens the spine or extends the column
2. It helps in stretching quadriceps of the rear leg.
3. The psoas is lengthened.
4. The gluteus maximus of the front leg is stretched.
5. It's dynamic practice provides agility to our body movement and develops asymmetric coordination of legs and hips.