Free Your Pelvis

(Taken from yogajournal.com)

Strengthening your side waist muscles may not eliminate your love handles, but it will unlock your pelvis and protect your lower back.

By Julie Gudmestad

Recently a student asked me how to strengthen his side waist muscles. It is a good, and perennial, question, even if his motives are suspect: What most people asking this question really want to know is how to reduce the "love handles" at their side waists. Unfortunately, research has shown that spot reducing just doesn't work. My student's question is still a good one, though, because the side waist muscles (also called the flank muscles), along with the front abdominal, lower back, and buttock muscles, are crucial in supporting and stabilizing the lower back and pelvis.

Sometimes people try to strengthen the flank muscles by weight lifting. Standing and holding dumbbells, they side-bend to the left, use the right flank muscles to lift the torso back up, and then repeat the action to the other side. I'm not very enthused about this exercise because it creates compression in the lower back. With so many people past the age of 40 showing at least the beginning stages of arthritis in the lower back, further compressing it really isn't a good idea.

However, I can enthusiastically recommend strengthening the side waist by the practicing of Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). But, you might ask, isn't Trikonasana a side stretch? Actually, when properly done, no. (At least, not with the Iyengar approach that I teach; some other yoga styles regard Triangle differently.) In fact, the line of the torso from the side waist to armpit should be flat, not rounded up toward the ceiling, and it is the contraction of the flank muscles that keeps it flat.

Engaging the Side Waist Muscles
Let's take a look at the muscles that comprise the flank. The quadratus lumborum sits deep in the back waist, attaching to the top of the pelvis and traveling up to the last rib and the sides of the lumbar vertebrae. When the quadratus lumborum contracts, it pulls the pelvis and rib cage on the same side closer together. The abdominal obliques also help this action. The external obliques originate on the lower ribs and insert on the pelvis and the abdominal connective tissue; the internal obliques originate on the pelvis and insert on the lower ribs and abdominal connective tissue. Some of the obliques' fibers are nearly vertical between the pelvis and ribs, so they perform a similar action to quadratus lumborum except on the front side of the body. (For more information on the obliques and also an illustration, see the "Anatomy" column on twists in the January/February 2003 issue of Yoga Journal.)

When you bend to one side, your flank muscles on the opposite side must lengthen. To feel this action, stand up and place your hands on your waist. If you bend to the right, you can feel with your right hand that the right waist is shortened so that your ribs and the top of your pelvis nearly touch. You can also feel that the left waist, ribs, and flank muscles are lengthening and curving, and that quite a gap has opened up between your ribs and the top of your pelvis.

As you practice Trikonasana, the two sides of your spine should lengthen nearly evenly, so there is no curve in your torso. For example, if you do Trikonasana to the right, your left ribs should stay flat and the space between your right ribs and right side of the pelvis should stay open, which helps prevent compression of the right side of your lower back.

To keep your left ribs and waist from lengthening and curving excessively when you do Trikonasana to the right, your left flank muscles must contract to pull the ribs and pelvis closer together; this is how these muscles are strengthened in Trikonasana. The quadratus lumborum and the lateral fibers of your obliques bear a large load. To understand how this works, you must consider how gravity pulls on your torso. The weight of your torso is about half of your total body weight. When you are upright, that weight is centered over the bony structures of the pelvis and legs, but as you begin to tip to the side, much more weight must be held up by your flank muscles. And all this good strengthening work is happening without compressing your lower back.

To get the maximum strengthening benefit for the flank muscles, however, you must also create the proper movement of the pelvis. If the bowl of the pelvis stays upright and you bend to the side, all of the bend must come from the spine, and one side of your back will lengthen while the other side shortens. If, on the other hand, the pelvic bowl tips to the side, the spine can actually remain relatively straight as it becomes more parallel to the floor. This tipping movement seems to be a challenge for many students when learning Trikonasana. One reason for this difficulty is that tipping the pelvis to the side is not a movement you use in your everyday activities, so that it's just not in your movement repertoire. Another limiting factor is tightness in the hamstrings, on the backs of the thighs and adductors, on the inner thighs. These muscle groups originate on or attach to the sitting bones. If they are tight and short, the ability of the pelvis to tip to the side will be limited.

If you do have tight hamstrings and adductors, you would be wise to stretch them before working on Trikonasana. An excellent way to open up the range of motion that you will be needing for Trikonasana is to practice a supported version of Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) with your leg out to the side, instead of in front of you. Stand with the right side of your body a few feet away from a chair, so that your left leg is directly under your left hip, and put your right foot up on the chair seat. A chair seat is generally about the correct height to use if you have moderately tight legs, but if you are a little more flexible, you might be able to use a higher prop. Whatever height you do use, make sure that your pelvis is level; if you put your foot up too high, your right pelvis will be higher than the left. Also make sure that your foot and your kneecap point to the ceiling. To open your right hip, stand tall and gently rotate your abdomen to the left. Take care that you don't let your right knee turn forward; keep it pointing toward the ceiling. The gentle stretch that you feel in your right hamstrings and/or inner thigh, if you practice this pose regularly, will make it easier to tip your pelvis sideways in Trikonasana.

Extending Your Triangle Pose
Now let's integrate all these awarenesses into Trikonasana. Stand with your back against a wall and position your feet near the wall with your right foot turned out and your left foot turned in. (Using the wall as a prop is not mandatory, but it is a very valuable tool for learning the correct movement of the pelvis.) Your right buttock should be lightly touching the wall, however your left buttock should not. If you force your left buttock to the wall, your ability to tip your pelvis to the side will be severely limited. So allow the left pelvis to stay forward a little during your transition into Trikonasana; this position also helps keep your right knee properly aligned, with the kneecap pointing over the center of the foot. Now place your right hand at the right hip joint, which is the crease at the top of the thigh where it joins the pelvis. Inhale, and as you exhale, apply pressure with your right hand so that your right hip and thighbone slide to the left. You will be able to feel your right buttock slide on the wall, your pelvis will tip to the right, and your hamstrings and adductors will lengthen.

As you are tipping into the pose, it's a good idea to stop, even if your hand isn't on the floor, when you begin to feel a significant stretch in your right hamstrings and adductors. If you continue to move down into the pose, the tight leg muscles will stop the movement of the pelvis and all further downward movement of your upper body will come from compressing the right ribs and waist and rounding the left side of the torso.

So stop when the right-leg stretch becomes significant, then place your hand on your shin, ankle, or a block, and focus on lengthening the right ribs away from the right thighbone. This action will open up the right side of your waist and your lower back; you may also help increase this opening if you visualize your entire spine lengthening from your tailbone to the base of your skull.

As your flank muscles start to become stronger, you can also integrate this balanced lengthening of both sides of the spine into several other sideways standing poses, like Parsvakonasana (Side Angle Pose), and also Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose).

Although the standing poses are best known for the excellent work they provide for the legs and hips, remember that they can also contribute to the strength of your torso muscles. Because strong torso muscles can help stabilize your lower back and protect it from injury, standing poses can make a critical contribution to your overall health.

A licensed physical therapist and certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, Julie Gudmestad runs a private physical therapy practice and yoga studio in Portland, Oregon. She regrets that she cannot respond to correspondence or calls requesting personal health advice.

Teaching Meditation To Children

Introducing children to yoga, meditation, and spirituality is one of

the greatest gifts we can give them. It can set their future on a
nourishing and creative course. As teachers, we need to know how to
present this knowledge so that children of different ages will receive
the most benefit from it.

By Swami Shankardev Saraswati, Ph.D.

When we teach meditation to children, we need to choose age-appropriate
techniques that foster their total growth and development. The word
"meditation" is an English term for a wide range of practices and
techniques. Meditations for children cannot be the same as those taught
to middle-aged business people or spiritual aspirants seeking higher
knowledge. Rather, in this context, meditation is a process that
supports the growth of the body-mind of the child, fosters the
development of each child's own unique personality, and supports
creativity and expression.

Meditation techniques for children can help them relax and focus better
during school, so that they can concentrate and memorize more
effectively. From the spiritual perspective, good meditation techniques
teach children self-awareness, encourage them to be themselves, and
help them face life with greater belief in their potential.

There are three broad age groups that we need to consider when teaching
yoga to children: those below the age of eight years, children between
the age of eight and puberty, and post-pubertal teens.

Meditation for children below eight years

From the point of view of yogic physiology, children below age eight do

not need much formal meditation training. It is more important for
these children that their parents learn yoga and meditation and carry
yogic principles into their homes. Children absorb the energy of the
environment. If their parents practice some form of self-development,
their children will grow up in a healthier, more relaxed and aware
environment.

Parents need to practice meditation techniques that increase their own
capacity for awareness in the midst of their busy lives, so that they
can be more present and available to their children. The child needs to
know that a parent is really interested in them, is really listening to
and attending to them. At the same time, parents need to learn how to
allow children to be themselves and to foster each child's own unique
being and abilities.

One meditation technique can be used with children in this age group,
however. A modified practice of yoga nidra is a deep relaxation
practice in the Corpse Pose (Savasana). In this practice we cannot ask
the children to feel individual parts of the body, but rather we work
with awareness of larger parts. For example, we may playfully instruct
the child in body awareness by saying, "Feel that you are a statute
until I count to 10. Now bend your elbows and now straighten your
arms." We give similar instructions with the legs and may ask them to
wiggle their toes, and so on. This takes their awareness through the
body.

Once children have developed a little body awareness, we can teach them to listen to and follow outside sounds, or to visualize imaginary realms, or we can read stories that stimulate their imaginations.

Meditation for children from eight to puberty

By the age of eight, a child's fundamental personality has formed and his or her body begins a process of preparing for puberty. Changes begin to occur in children's brains around the age of eight, and these changes reach a peak during puberty. When we teach meditation to this age group, our main aim is to support balanced physical and mental development. This helps the child be better mentally prepared for the onslaught of feelings, desires, and urges that arise during puberty. It also supports the child's ability to take in knowledge at school, and to develop a relaxed focus and good memory.

Eight-year-olds in India learn three practices to foster total physical, mental, and spiritual development. These are Sun Salutation for the body, alternate nostril breathing for the brain and mind, and mantras for the deeper mind and spirit. These practices can slow the onset of puberty and balance its effects by acting on the subtle channels that flow in the spine. Mental development then has time to catch up to physical changes.

Yogic physiology explains how this occurs. A child's physical changes during puberty are under the control of pingala nadi, the spinal channel that carries prana, the life force. Mental development occurs under the control of ida nadi, the spinal channel that carries psychological force. Excessive stimulation of the physical channel alone, as tends to occur in the normal social environment, causes imbalanced development and can make puberty a rough process. The yogic practices taught children at this time stimulate both channels equally, to stimulate physical and mental growth at the same time.

The practice of Sun Salutation balances the life force, prana, preventing it from becoming jammed up in the sexual centers (swadhisthana chakra). One note of caution is to teach children only asanas that are playful and that do not put too much pressure on the endocrine system. Never hold the major poses for extended periods, as they will overstimulate the physical systems and can cause imbalanced development.

Alternate nostril breathing is a pre-meditative practice that balances the flow of energy in both ida and pingala. This pranayama directly affects the physical and mental systems by balancing both sides of the brain. Do not teach breath retention to children. Simply get them to observe the flow of the breath in on one side and out on the other, alternating sides. This will calm and balance them.

Mantras are the main meditative practices taught to this age group, as they powerfully affect the brain and its development. The main mantra taught is the Gayatri mantra. This mantra has 24 syllables, each of which stimulates a different part of the brain. Gayatri is the mantra to stimulate our intelligence.

All of the practices listed above, including yoga nidra as detailed for younger children, will support a child's ability to learn, to take in and digest information at school, and to develop individual interests.

Post-puberty

Our students in the post-pubertal stage of adolescence can engage in more classical forms of meditation. We can teach them techniques that further support their mental development, for example, so that they can stay relaxed and able to concentrate during these most important learning years.

Again, one of the best practices to teach is yoga nidra. This time we can use the adult form, rotating the awareness through the body parts and then taking awareness deeper into the breath and mind.

Visualization techniques are wonderful for this age group, and techniques that develop memory and mental power are particularly useful. For example, we can ask a child to visualize an imaginary blackboard and ask them to see themselves writing the letters of the alphabet on this board in colored chalk. Or in this day and age, to visualize a computer screen and see themselves creating their own computer game, following their hero through any story they want to create.

Breath meditations are useful for helping students who are at home studying. It is important for students to remain relaxed and receptive, and to take regular productive and relaxing breaks from study. They can, if they wish, use that time to mentally review their work.

Dr. Swami Shankardev is a yogacharya, medical doctor, psychotherapist, author, and lecturer. He lived and studied with his guru, Swami Satyananda, for ten years in India (1974-1985). He lectures all over the world. Contact him at www.bigshakti.com.

Five Prime Hindu Deities - Ganesha

(From About.com)

Ganesha — the elephant-deity riding a mouse — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.

The Lord of Success
The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being. He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. In fact, Ganesha is one of the five prime Hindu deities (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga being the other four) whose idolatry is glorified as the panchayatana puja.

Significance of the Ganesha Form
Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The noose in Ganesha's left hand is a gentle implement to capture all difficulties.

The broken tusk that Ganesha holds like a pen in his lower right hand is a symbol of sacrifice, which he broke for writing the Mahabharata. The rosary in his other hand suggests that the pursuit of knowledge should be continuous. The laddoo (sweet) he holds in his trunk indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms. And he is humble enough to ride the lowest of creatures, a mouse.

How Ganesha Got His Head
The story of the birth of this zoomorphic deity, as depicted in the Shiva Purana, goes like this: Once goddess Parvati, while bathing, created a boy out of the dirt of her body and assigned him the task of guarding the entrance to her bathroom. When Shiva, her husband returned, he was surprised to find a stranger denying him access, and struck off the boy's head in rage. Parvati broke down in utter grief and to soothe her, Shiva sent out his squad (gana) to fetch the head of any sleeping being who was facing the north. The company found a sleeping elephant and brought back its severed head, which was then attached to the body of the boy. Shiva restored its life and made him the leader (pati) of his troops. Hence his name 'Ganapati'. Shiva also bestowed a boon that people would worship him and invoke his name before undertaking any venture.

However, there's another less popular story of his origin, found in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana: Shiva asked Parvati to observe the punyaka vrata for a year to appease Vishnu in order to have a son. When a son was born to her, all the gods and goddesses assembled to rejoice on its birth. Lord Shani, the son of Surya (Sun-God), was also present but he refused to look at the infant. Perturbed at this behaviour, Parvati asked him the reason, and Shani replied that his looking at baby would harm the newborn. However, on Parvati's insistence when Shani eyed the baby, the child's head was severed instantly. All the gods started to bemoan, whereupon Vishnu hurried to the bank of river Pushpabhadra and brought back the head of a young elephant, and joined it to the baby's body, thus reviving it.

Ganesha, the Destroyer of Pride
Ganesha is also the destroyer of vanity, selfishness and pride. He is the personification of material universe in all its various magnificent manifestations. "All Hindus worship Ganesha regardless of their sectarian belief," says D N Singh in A Study of Hinduism. "He is both the beginning of the religion and the meeting ground for all Hindus."

Ganesh Chaturthi
The devotees of Ganesha are known as 'Ganapatyas', and the festival to celebrate and glorify him is called Ganesh Chaturthi.

Body Detoxification

Our body needs to be detoxified from time to time due to toxins accumulated in our body. Toxins can come from air, water, or even food that we take. Nowadays lots of unnatural things have been used in order to promote the production of either fruits, vegetables or poultry. Things that are unnatural to the body if being consumed, will remain as toxins in our body.

Nature have the best ingredients when it come to that. Recently I was introduced by my friend an organic food supplement, which I consider it's a gift from the earth. I tried on it and it really works. It is consist of 28 types of vegetables, fruits and herbs with high content of fibre. It helps to cleanse out toxins from our body by cleansing unwanted waste from the colon, and at the same time provide nutrients to it.  Based on the principle of naturopathy, our body is the best doctor for ourself. The body know how to cure itself and how to get rid of bacteria, virus or other harmful stuff in our body if it is functioning at the optimum level. I truely believe in this and our body is the best creation from God.

Our body can be acidic or alkaline depends on what we feed into it. The best PH for our body is alkaline, meaning not too acidic. If our body getting too acidic condition, it will promote an environment for harmful substance to live in and our immune system will not be able to function properly.

Green food such as vegetables, fruits are the best sources of food that will neutralize our body acidic conditions. If we maintain the body at its optimum perfomance, our body will not fail us.

After taking the organic drinks for 1 month, my body become lighter and don't feel tire so easily. My complexion also brighter. My husband no longer have constipation problem. His back flaw marks also vanished.

I am not sure this product can get from US or not. But if you are interested, maybe i can figure it out.