Health Benefits of Pranayam

Breathing is one of the main functions of our body and one of the crucial ones that keeps our body functioning too. Your breath is your energy.


One of the best ways to set right the way you breathe would be to practise pranayam. It's got plenty of health benefits.


Relaxed mind: Pranayam is the best way to relax. It helps relax your mind and body. Just taking two minutes off work to focus on your breathing calms you down. So, practising pranayam on an everyday basis could do you a lot of good.

Renewed energy: Regular practice of pranayam increases your lung capacity as it involves a lot of rhythmic breathing. So it eventually increases your stamina or prana, also known as the vital energy in the body. Ujjai is a kind of breathing exercise in pranayam that increases your lung capacity.
 
Detox benefits: Pranayam pumps more oxygen into your system. And thus flushes out all the toxins.
Glowing skin and lustrous hair: All that oxygen improves your circulation and it not only ensures proper functioning of all your organs but gives you healthy and flawless skin and hair too.

Improved blood circulation also ensures that your arteries are free of any blocks.

A toned tummy: Most kinds of breathing in pranayam exercise your diaphragm and stomach muscles. This eventually works to give you a toned tummy.

Better concentration: Pranamyam trains your brain to focus on your breathing over a period of time. This improves your brain's ability to focus and concentrate better. Which means you are not left drained at the end of the day even if you are multi-tasking.

Top 5 Healthy Drinks to Detox

Guzzling down water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices is a natural way of detoxifying your body. Drink these liquids first thing in the morning and you will be kick-starting your day on a healthy note.

The Five health drinks to detox are:

A dose of H2O
Water completely cleanses the digestive system by eliminating toxins and food remnants stuck in the intestines. Thus, you are able to dispel all waste and have a clean stomach.

By expelling this waste, water helps you detoxify.

Fresh coconut water
Coconut water naturally detoxifies your body by cleansing your digestive tract. It has the ability to fights germs, viruses and bacteria.

Drinking coconut water will boost your immunity. Its also hydrates your body.

Bottle gourd juice
Bottle gourd juice is an excellent natural remedy for those who suffer from indigestion and acidity problems. This is because of its alkaline nature. The fibre in bottle gourd also cures indigestion problems.

Fibre is known to add bulk to your stools which makes them pass easily through the intestines.

Green tea mantra
Green tea is a natural antioxidant. It contains polyphenols which help in the regulation of glucose in the blood.

Polyphenols inhibit the movement of glucose into the fat cells, thus preventing them from entering the blood stream.

Orange juice punch
Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, which is known to boost immunity. Oranges are rich in flavnoids, an essential antioxidant that protects the human body’s immune system by acting against germs and bacteria that cause disease.


Tip: Drink these liquids before eating your breakfast to gather all the health benefits they provide.

Benefits of Amla

Indian gooseberry, better known as amla, is botanically known as Emblica officinalis. This fruit is power-packed with a host of nutrients offering tremendous health benefits. Amla may not be pleasant to the tastebuds because of its sour and bitter taste but that should not deter one from eating it. 

Here are some health benefits of amla:

• Amla is one of the most potent natural sources of vitamin C available in nature. When vitamin C is taken in the form of supplements, it is not easily absorbed by the body. Eating amla is one of the best ways to have your body absorb vitamin C.
• Rich in anti-oxidants that are known to protect against the formation of free radicals in the body, amla is good for preventing the risk of cancer.
•  Because it contains anti-inflammatory properties, amla is beneficial for reducing inflammation due to joint pains and arthritis.
•  Amla is also high in fibre and therefore is useful for treating constipation.
•  Possessing sedative properties, amla can be used to alleviate stress and thus help in treating sleep disorder like insomnia by aiding in better quality sleep.
•  To heal mouth ulcers, gargle using water mixed with fresh amla juice.
•  To seek relief from menstrual cramps, have fresh amla juice mixed with a ripe banana, two to three times a day.
•  To seek relief from cold and cough, take two tablespoons of fresh amla juice along with a teaspoon of honey, two to three times a day.

7 Remedies for Indigestion

Most people are known to overeat, especially when the food is irresistibly delicious. So occasions like parties, weddings, friends' birthday treats or simply trying out new restaurants are some of the many occasions where one tends to overeat. But hogging all that yummy food also gives one the problem of indigestion. 


Indigestion also known as dyspepsia occurs when the digestive juices in the stomach are not secreted properly and as a result causes one discomfort. Here are some remedies for digestion:

1. One of the most common remedies is to take two spoons of lime and ginger juice, and honey mixed in a glass of warm water, after your heavy-duty meal.

2. Add a teaspoon of roasted and ground coriander seeds to a glass of butter milk and have it.

3. Munching a teaspoon of aniseed after your meal, will provide relief. Another effective remedy is to have a teaspoon of ajwain seeds along with a pinch of black salt. Mix a teaspoon of roasted cumin or jeera powder in a glass of water and drink it. Drinking green tea or herbal tea after your meal is a great way to aid in digestion. 

4. Drink a glass of water to which a few drops of peppermint extract has been added. Add about two teaspoons of coriander juice to a glass of buttermilk. Drinking this will provide relief.

5. If you know that you are planning to pig out for a meal, chew on some fresh ginger slices with a pinch of salt. Doing this will help stimulate the digestive juices.

6. Place a packet of ice over your stomach to seek relief.

7. Add about a teaspoon of baking soda to half a glass of water and drink it. This is known to provide instant relief.

Yoga to Improve Your Memory and Eyesight

A few natural memory building techniques using yoga that will help you improve your brain capacity to recollect and remember, without the consumption of unwanted drugs.

Yoga for the eyes:

1. Move your eyeballs up and down as much as possible without moving the head.

2. Move your eyeballs right and left without moving the head.

3. Roll your eyeballs clockwise and anti-clockwise (each of this exercises can be done 10-20 times).

4. Close your eyes tight for five seconds, then immediately open them and hold them open for as long. Keep alternating about 20 times. This will improve blood circulation to the eyes making them stronger.

Yoga for the memory-'Bhramari Pranayam':

1. Sit in a comfortable pose.

2. Keep your eyes closed.

3. Breathe in through the nose and exhale very slowly through the nose so that it takes a longer time to exhale. While exhaling, make a nasal humming sound varying its frequency from high to low pitch.

4. Breathe in again and repeat it about seven times.

This pranayam works wonders through the sound waves it creates. It subtly vibrates and massages the brain as well as the delicate and sensitive internal organs present inside the skull, such as the optical nerves, nasal track, throat, etc.

5 Healthy Mid-meal Snacks

Whether you are at home or at work, mid-meal hunger pangs can hit you any time of the day. Instead of willing them to go away or snacking on junk food, you can opt for healthy food. This will not only satisfy you, but can also be good for you. Mid-meal snacking is not unhealthy, provided you eat the right kind of food. 


A list of nutritious snacks that will satisfy your hunger:

Dry fruits: Dry fruits are rich in calcium, iron and magnesium. Eating a handful provides instant energy and has the ability to satisfy your hunger because of the fibre content. And no, fruit and nut chocolates do not count.

Yogurt: Yogurt is rich in protein and calcium. These essential nutrients are necessary for the growth of muscles and bones. Eating a bowl of yogurt is a great way to satisfy your hunger pangs. Throw in some fruit for added flavour.

Sprout salad: Sprouts are rich in vitamin C, A and B. They also contain proteins. These are extremely necessary for the proper maintenance of our bodily functions. Healthy, tasty and good for you!

Cottage cheese: “Cottage cheese is high in protein and low in fat and carbohydrates. Protein helps in regeneration and repair of tissues and cells. Therefore, eating this will not make you fat. Rather, it will provide your body essential nutrients.

Banana: Bananas are a valuable source of potassium. Potassium enables the smooth functioning of the muscular and digestive systems. It produces enzymes in the body that help in the functioning of these systems. Since bananas come with their own packaging, they are not even a hassle to carry! 

Try these healthy snacks when hunger strikes. You will be able to fulfill your sudden hunger without resorting to junk and unhealthy food!

How to Do the Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar is a complete body work out that not only helps you lose weight but also keeps stress at bay, detoxifies, prevents many diseases and makes your skin radiant. 


The 12 vital steps of surya namaskar to perfect these asanas:

Pranamasana: This is the prayer pose. Stand straight and keep hands folded at the chest. Inhale and exhale slowly.

Tip: This asana is best done at sunrise and on an empty stomach. Avoid jerky motions and do each movement with its accompanying breath. An expert opinion must be taken for people who suffer from back problems, high blood pressure, heart problems, sciatica, slipped disc, women who are pregnant and those who suffer from hyper tension.

Hasta Uttasana: Inhale and stretch arms over the head, keeping the palms together. Arch the body backwards keeping your arms above. Tilt the head backward and hold. Keep your knees straight.

During surya namaskar almost 97 per cent of your muscles are switched on to active mode. With surya namaskar, breath awareness has to be there.

Padahastasana: Bend forward from the waist and exhaling, place your hands on the mat besides each foot.

Ashwa sanchalanasana: Inhale and put your weight on the hands. Stretch the right leg behind you, bend the knee and place on the floor with the body weight on the left foot. Arch the spine backwards. Lift the head and neck back.

Dandasana: Hold your breath and move the left leg back. Shift weight to hands and feet. Body should be straight.

Ashtanga namaskar (eightlimbed prayer pose): Exhale and slowly lower the body to the floor till the feet, knees, and chest touch the floor.

Bhujangasana (cobra pose): Move into the cobra pose by lifting the chin and chest off the ground. Keep the elbows close to the body and the face tilted up.

Adhomukha Svanasana (down-facing dog pose): Also called the parvatasana or the mountain pose. Curl your toes in, lifting hips off the ground. Exhale. Press down heels, push from the shoulders. Look at the stomach or between big toes.

Ashwa Sanchalanasana (horse pose): Stretch the left knee outwards and bring the right foot between the hands. Keep the head back. Try and push from the hips so as to deepen the pose and create a curve.

Padahastasana (hand to foot pose): Exhale and draw the left leg ahead to complete the pose, so the legs are together. Let the head hang loose and keep the hands on either side of the legs. Bend the knees if you need to.

Ardha chandrasana (crescent pose): Inhale, drawing the hands overhead, keep a focus on the legs, arms raised above.

Pranamasana (prayer pose): Exhale to drop hands at the sides or hold them in. The most important aspect of this is its form - how each pose is executed because the form is where important marma points (acupressure/energy points) are pressed.