Fourth in the series of Pranayama (yogic breathing) articles is the Anuloma Viloma breath.   Simple, yet profound, it calms the mind and nervous system and gets rid of toxins in the blood and lungs.

Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breath)

1. Find a comfortable seated position with the spine straight.
2. Take a few deep breaths, relax the body, relax the mind.
3. Anuloma Viloma is usually done at a ratio of 1:4:2 (increasing to 2:8:4, 3:12:6, etc).
4. Fold the index and middle finger into your palm, keep the other fingers extended.
5. Close right nostril with right thumb and inhale through left nostril to a count of 2 (you can choose your own ratio as specified in step 3).
6. Hold the breath, apply the chin lock (see step 8 under Kapalabhati), and close both nostrils for a count of 8.
7. Open the right nostril and exhale for a count of 4 keeping the left nostril closed.
8. Inhale through the right nostril for a count of 2.  Hold the breath for a count of 8.  Exhale through the left nostril for a count of 4.  Repeat.
9. Start with 5 minutes and work up to 20-30 minutes daily.

Benefits: calms the mind and nervous system, eliminates toxins from blood and lungs, reduces stress, anxiety, depression.  Balances right and left hemispheres of the brain, bringing mental clarity and calmness.

Contraindications: recent abdominal surgery, abdominal inflammation, lung conditions, menstruation, pregnancy, un-medicated high blood pressure, cancer in abdominal region, hernia.  If pregnant, you can do this pranayama without the breath retention part (simply go from inhalation to exhalation without holding the breath in between).

Third in the series of Pranayama (yogic breathing) articles is the Kapalabhati breath.  Not only does it energize the mind & body, but it increases lung capacity, removes toxins and stale air from the lungs and more.  It’s a lot more intense than either Ujjayi Breath or 3-Part Breath, so take care with this one and stop if you get dizzy.  If practiced correctly and on an empty stomach, the benefits are varied and great.

Kapalabhati (Shining Skull Breath)

1. Find a comfortable seated position with the spine straight.
2. Kapalabhati consists of short, forceful exhalations and passive inhalations.
3. Take a few deep breaths, relax the body, relax the mind.
4. Take a slow and steady inhalation expanding the belly.
5. Exhale forcefully through the nostrils contracting the abdominal muscles in a pumping movement.
6. Passively inhale, repeat several times.  Go at your own rhythm, eventually increasing the pace.
7. As you learn this pranayama, it may help to place one hand on the belly to feel the contraction that happens with each exhalation.  It is like you are pumping the stomach.
8. At the end of several rounds, exhale completely and hold the breath as long as comfortable, applying Jalandhara Bandha (chin lock).
• Chin lock: let the chin drop to the sternum without collapsing the shoulders forward.  Lift the chest to meet the chin.
9. Release the chin lock and relax the breath, focusing on the third eye (point between the eyebrows).
10. Start with one or two rounds of 10 or 20 repetitions.  Over time increase to 70 – 100.
11. If you start feeling dizzy during the rounds or short of breath, slow down and make the inhalations longer or take a break

Benefits: energizes mind and body, revitalizes nervous system, brings mental clarify and alertness, increases lung capacity, massages abdominal organs (good for digestion, elimination), removes toxins and stale air from lungs, exercises and strengthens diaphragm, heart, lungs and nerves.  Beneficial for common cold, sinusitis, cough, and deviated nasal septum.

Contraindications: recent abdominal or lung surgery, full stomach, menstruation, pregnancy, emphysema or other serious lung conditions, heart disease, un-medicated high blood pressure, slip disc, hernia, cancer in abdominal region, colitis.

Have you every held a sea shell (conch shell, specifically) to your ear and heard the rhythmic, soft sound of the ocean?  The Ujjayi breath resembles that sound very much…and is soothing and deeply relaxing.   This is the second article in a series of Pranayama (yogic breathing) articles.  To read the previous article, see the Complete Breath (3-Part Breath).

Ujjayi (Ocean Breath)

1. Find either a comfortable seated position with the spine straight, or lie down on your back.
2. Take a few deep breaths, relax the body, relax the mind.
3. Take a slow and steady inhalation while half closing the glottis in the back of the throat.  The glottis is what closes when you swallow.  When breathing with the glottis half closed, the breath makes a soft hissing sound.
• To learn how to make this sound, open the mouth and whisper “ahhhh”, close the mouth and continue with the same “ahhhh” sound.
4. Exhale the same way with the glottis half closed.
5. Be careful not to tighten the throat
6. Make each inhalation and especially each exhalation as long as possible.
7. Empty the mind and become absorbed in the soft ocean soft.
8. Do at least 5 minutes, going up to ½ hour when feeling comfortable enough.

Benefits: quiets the brain, same benefits as Complete Breath but deeper.  With practice mind becomes very absorbed in the ocean sound, which induces meditation and a deep relaxation.

Contraindications: recent abdominal or lung surgery, full stomach

Taken for granted, misused and abused, forgotten and ignored….the breath that is life giving, if put to proper use with Pranayama (yogic breathing) can help:

• Eliminate stress, anxiety, irritation, and anger
• Reduce depression, insomnia and general fatigue
• Improve blood circulation, lung capacity, digestion & elimination
• Strengthen abdominal, diaphragm and chest muscles
• Strengthen heart and lungs, improve lung capacity

It is impossible to list all the benefits of Pranayama…but above are some of the most powerful and impressive ones.   This is the first in a series of Pranayama (yogic breathing) articles.  I will describe one Pranayama exercise per article.

The term Pranayama comes from 2 Sanskrit words: Prana (life force or vital energy) and ayama (control).  So Pranayama is actually much more than a breathing technique, it is a control and increase of life force and energy itself, using this energy to create health in body, mind and spirit.

Complete Breath (3-Part Breath)

1. Find either a comfortable seated position with the spine straight, or lie down on your back.
2. Take a few deep breaths, relax the body, relax the mind.
3. Take a slow and steady inhalation into the 3 chambers of the lungs

• Abdominal (feel the lower belly expand)
• Thoracic (feel the lower ribcage expand)
• Clavicular (feel the upper chest and shoulders expand)

4. Reverse and exhale slowly and steadily, emptying the lungs from top to bottom.
5. Make the exhalation complete by pressing the belly button into the spine to squeeze all remaining air out.
6. Empty the mind completely, and just focus on the sensation of the breath.
7. Do at least 5 minutes, going up to ½ hour when feeling comfortable enough.

Benefits: relaxes body and mind, strengthens abdominal, diaphragm and chest muscles as well as heart and lungs.  Aids digestion and meditation, revitalizes entire system.

Contraindications: recent abdominal or lung surgery, full stomach.

By Colleen Canney for Live Right Live Well

Sure, taking time away from your job puts pressure on your work and your wallet. And as Americans, we seem to be particularly susceptible to a work-at-all-costs mindset: A study conducted by the Families and Work Institute found that nearly half of U.S. employees don’t take all of their vacation days. But consider this the next time you’re thinking of counting beans on a Saturday: Recent research shows that vacations — even a day trip to the nearest beach or museum — are essential to a healthy brain. Here’s why:

Improves memory Vacations provide new experiences in a way your daily routine can’t. And when you experience something new and unfamiliar, your brain responds by releasing dopamine into your hippocampus, the part of your noggin that creates memories, explains Dr. Russell Poldrack, professor of psychology and neurobiology and director of the Imaging Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. This memory boost may even help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Increases creativity French and American researchers found that vacations improve problem-solving abilities, increase awareness of hidden connections, and encourage people to try new things — all of which facilitate your mind’s creativity.

Sharpens mental focus Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh reported that people with serious health conditions who took time for any leisure activity in the previous month had lower levels of stress hormones than those who didn’t take a break. “When you’re frazzled, your prefrontal cortex — or the CEO of your behavior — is so overwhelmed by stress that you actually lose your ability to focus,” says Poldrack.

Boosts reaction time A study commissioned by Air New Zealand found that after just two to three days on vacation, people got more and higher-quality sleep both during and after their trip. The result: Reaction times improved by up to 80 percent. “We know that sleep has powerful effects on creation of memories and brain health,” adds Poldrack.

Making the Most of Your Vacation

So what’s the ideal vacation for a healthy brain? Consider the following:

• Go far, far away. French researchers found that the more you’re forced to adapt to a new environment, the greater your boost in creative genius.
• Plan ahead. A stressful vacation will do more harm than good, negating any benefits your brain might otherwise derive. So make plans in advance to avoid rough roads and sketchy accommodations.
• Schedule in free time, sleep and exercise. An Austrian study found that vacationers who made time for all three felt more recuperated after a vacation than those who didn’t.
• Disconnect. Researchers at Tel Aviv University found that people who kept office BlackBerrys on while vacationing were more likely to burn out and less likely to benefit from their time off than those who temporarily cut their ties with work.
• Socialize. A study in the Journal of Travel Medicine concluded that making new friends on vacation decreases stress.

If You Can’t Get Away

If a big overseas trip isn’t in the cards this year, you can still get healthy brain benefits from a vacation nearby. Here’s how:

• Take mini-voyages. Even a short weekend trip can give your brain a memory-boosting jolt. And “simply going fishing at a local pond and packing a picnic basket can ease your mental stress,” says Dr. Srinivasan Pillay, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Life Unlocked:7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear.
• Go wild. No matter where you live, it’s relatively easy to get outdoors for a Saturday hike or swim, suggests Poldrack. He points to recent research at the University of Michigan, which suggests that interacting with nature replenishes your brain’s capacity to pay attention and process information.
• Get a massage. University of Miami researchers found that massage leads to a 31-percent increase in dopamine — the same chemical your brain emits when you go on vacation.
• Organize a dinner debate. To improve your memory, “Do anything to switch up your routine,” says Poldrack. “But it has to be challenging,” he adds. “One interesting suggestion I’ve heard is having conversations with people you disagree with, or reading something you disagree with. You’re doing things that take you outside of your normal comfort zone, which helps improve your memory.” This in turn supports a healthy brain.

Above all, experts suggest that you forget the Joneses. “There is nothing worse than trying to fit your vacation ideals into a TV impression of what a vacation should be,” says Pillay. “Rather than emulating someone else’s experience of a vacation, create and cherish your own.”

Colleen Canney is the associate editor of Live Right Live Well.

Discard daily office tension, stress and kinks in the body

What if you could inhale fresh energy and motivation and exhale stress and tension?  What if you could re-charge your afternoon with a yoga break instead of a coffee break?

Working in an office is stressful and often unhealthy for the body.  We slump in front of our desks for hours, eyes glued to the computer screen, immobile and stiff.  We deal with different and often difficult personalities, conflicting schedules, multi-tasking and more.  We become used to going in high-gear all the time…Even if you love your job, it can be a lot to deal with.  You can’t continue like this forever without negative effects to your health.  By the way, most sick days are a result of stress.

So turn off the auto-pilot, slow down for a few minutes and breathe.  Ready for Yoga?

What is Yoga and how will it help?

At a basic level, yoga is a form of exercise that stretches and tones the body.  You don’t need to twist into a pretzel to reap the benefits.  There are countless simple and accessible poses that are powerful and effective.  Poses that:

• Release tension
• Improve concentration, memory and focus
• Increase productivity and motivation
• Reduce stress, fatigue and anxiety
• Increase blood circulation
• Strengthen the immune system
• Calm the mind
• Many more physical benefits of yoga and emotional benefits of yoga

Sitting in a chair all day allows a lot of tension to build up, until the body is used to being tense and tight and remains in this tight position even outside the office.  The legs are usually in the same position as well, denied fresh circulation and blood by remaining in a seated position all day.

Just a few moves in the chair will help immensely.  Even better, get out of the chair and onto a mat to move your body and refresh your mind.  This is crucial for good circulation, which is essential to keep organs supplied with oxygen and nutrients.  The more we deprive our organs of fresh blood, the sicker they become.  The less we move our joints, the stiffer and less lubricated they become, eventually leading to difficulties in moving them.

So just for one moment – stop what you are doing.  Breath in deeply and exhale fully.  Think about the benefits yoga can bring you and your employees.  It is a gift not just for them, but also for the company – your employees will be happier, healthier and more motivated and productive.

Are you stuck in front of a computer all day, spending most of your day sitting in a chair, or running hectically from one meeting to the next?

It’s amazing the difference a few inconspicuous yoga poses will make in your day! And you don’t have to twist into a pretzel and have your colleagues give you strange looks – there a plenty of simple yet effective yoga moves you can do to ease tension, melt away stress and irritation.

Each exercise only takes a couple of minutes, so you can easily pepper them throughout your workday without worrying about getting behind on tasks.

Neck

1. Sit with spine straight, hands on thighs and if you feel comfortable, close your eyes.
2. Take a few deep slow breaths.
3. Inhale, as you exhale, gently drop the right ear to the right shoulder and hold for a few breaths.  You can try micro-movements of the head to the front and to the back to see how it changes the stretch.
4. Inhale and bring head back up, exhale and gently drop left ear to left shoulder and hold.  Repeat several times.
5. Keeping the spine and especially upper back straight, gently dropping the chin to the chest.
6. Circle your head gently and slowly in full rotations to the left and right several times.

Shoulders

1. Sit with spine straight, hands on thighs and shrug your shoulder up as high as you can.  Lower and repeat several times.
2. Rotate the shoulders towards the back in full, slow circles and reverse direction.

Chest & Shoulders

1. Stand up, clasp the hands behind the back and squeeze the shoulder blades together.
2. With each inhalation try and raise the arms a little higher, being careful not to strain.

Wrists and hands

1. Stretch your arms straight in front of you, parallel to the floor.
2. Make a loose fist placing your thumb inside your palm (don’t tense) and make several slow and thorough rotations in either direction.

Sides of Torso, Ribcage

1. Place left hand on edge of chair, inhale and raise right arm high, exhale as you bend to the left.  Keep hand in line with shoulder in line with hip.
2. Inhale come back to center and repeat several times on each side.

Back and spine

1. Spinal twist
   1. Sit sideways on your chair, so that the right side of the body is touching the back of the chair.  Straighten spine and gently grab a hold of the chair back with both hands as you twist to the right.
   2. Keep spine straight and with each inhalation lengthen the spine, with each exhalation push the back of the chair softly to the left to increase the twist as you gaze over your right shoulder.  Switch sides.
2. Forward bend
   1. Move the chair away from the desk, place feet wider than hip width.
   2. Inhale, exhale and place your hands between your feet on the floor.  If you can’t reach comfortably, place a few books or binders on the floor.
   3. With each exhalation let go a little more of the tension in your body and sink deeper into the pose.
3. Cat & Dog
   1. Place hands on knees, inhale, gently press down with your palms and arch your back sticking out your chest.
   2. Exhale and reverse, rounding out the back and pressing it toward the back of the chair.

Hip Opener

1. If you have knee problems, consult your doctor first.
2. Place your right ankle on top of your left thigh just in front of the knee.
3. Place right hand on right knee and left hand on right foot.
4. Gently lean forward bending from the lower back.  Make sure you are not curving your back, only go as far as is comfortable and as far as you can keep your back straight.

Give it a try for a week, if you’d like, starting out with just a couple of these simple stretches  – and then sit back, take a deep breath and feel the difference in the body

Have you ever heard that twisting up into a pretzel or standing on your head is great for inspiration and unleashing the river of creativity within?

Well, it’s true – though I suppose it’s not quite necessary (though a fun party trick) to contort your body like an 80-pound, zero-body-fat-contortionist to get the benefits.  Just a few yoga poses will do the trick.

Headstand anyone?

Turning upside down not only does wonders for (and really surprises) your circulatory system, but has a bunch of other super benefits:

• calms the nervous system and brain
• relieves stress
• strengthens arms, legs, spine, abs and lungs
• improves digestion
• therapeutic for asthma, insomnia, infertility and sinusitis

But you don’t even need to fly up on your hands like a monkey – a simpler inversion with similar benefits is to lie flat on your back and raise your legs perpendicular to the floor (this can be done with your legs resting against a wall for optimal comfort).  Just stay in this pose for 5-10 minutes and notice the tension melt away……and get ready for inspiration to flow into your newly relaxed brain!

Easy Routine for Home Practice

1. Child Pose

Benefits: releases tension in shoulders and spine, eases mental fatigue, stretches hips, thighs and ankles, calms brain
Cautions/contraindications: diarrhea, pregnancy, knee injury
Instructions: sit on your heels, toes touching, heels apart.  Inhale.  Exhale and lower head to floor in front of knees.  If you can’t reach, place a block or rolled up blanket on floor for your forehead.  Place hands, palms up, next to your feet.  If it strains your hips, knees or ankles, place a rolled up blanket under your sit bones.  Relax and breathe.  Try and stay in pose for 5 minutes once you feel comfortable with it.
Alternative: sit on your heels big toes touching, heels apart, take your knees apart about shoulder width, inhale and straighten spine, exhale bend forward reaching your arms straight out in front of you on the floor, resting your forehead on the mat or a block/blanket

2. Triangle

Benefits: stretches and strengthens thighs, knees and ankles, stretches hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine, relieves stress, improves digestion, relieves backache
Cautions/contraindications: diarrhea, headache, neck problems (don’t look up at ceiling, look straight ahead or at floor)
Instructions: walk or jump your legs 3.5 – 4 feet apart (the wider apart, the harder the pose). Turn your right foot out 90 degrees, turn your left foot in slightly. Turn your right thigh outward, so center of knee is in line with right ankle. Exhale and extend torso to the right, directly in line with thigh, and rest right hand on right thigh, shin or ankle (whichever you can most comfortably reach – do not strain). Rotate torso to the left. Stretch your left arm towards ceiling. Gaze can be focused on ceiling, straight ahead or floor

3. Seated Forward Bend

Benefits: stretches hamstrings, spine and lower back, induces sense of calm and letting go, calms nervous system and brain, relieves stress and mild depression, improves digestion, soothes headaches
Cautions/contraindications: asthma, diarrhea, back injury
Instructions: sit on floor, extend legs in front of you. If very stiff, sit on rolled up blanket. Flex your feet, sit up straight, inhale as you lift your arms above your head and exhale as you bend from the hips to lower your chest to the legs. Place hands on any part of the leg you can reach. Hold for 10 breaths.
Alternative: stand up straight, bend from the hips to lower your torso and arms towards floor as far as you can reach. Relax and breathe

4. Butterfly

Benefits: improves circulation, stretches inner thighs, groin and knees, relieves mild depression, anxiety and fatigue, stimulates heart
Cautions/contraindications: groin or knee injury (place blanket under outer thighs for support)
Instructions: sit up straight, bring the soles of the feet together, pull them toward groin and clasp your hands around your feet. Inhale and straighten spine. Exhale and bend forward, pressing your elbows into your thighs or calves for an extra stretch. If very tight, sit on blanket for support.
Alternative: legs in same position as above, lie down on the floor, arms by the side and relax

5. Spinal Twist on Floor

Benefits: releases lower back tension, improves digestion, lengthens spine, increases flexibility of spine, back and ribs
Cautions/contraindications: diarrhea, headache, insomnia, menstruation
Instructions: lie down on your back, bend your knees, take your arms out to your sides so you make the letter “T” with your torso and arms. Inhale. Exhale and drop your knees to the right and turn your head to the left. Hold and breathe. Switch sides

A Soft Pretzel with your Beer?

Ok, so you don’t actual need to twist into weird, unrecognizable shapes to get the benefits of yoga.  Just the simple act of moving, stretching, toning and strengthening your body, getting it into positions it’s not used to, will give you energy, reduce anxiety and stress, induce calm and relaxation and give plenty of fresh new room for creativity so you can do what you are meant to do – create brilliant and inspiring films (or whatever else the muse inspires you to do).

Here are just some of the benefits of yoga:

• increases energy and endurance
• improves memory
• reduces anxiety, stress, depression and hostility
• induces calm and peace
• increases positive outlook and optimism
• sharpens attention, focus and self-control
• improves digestion
• reduces chronic pain

Sound convincing? Go forth and find a yoga studio – they are all over the place nowadays.  And then you can have a celebratory beer and pretzel, just don’t overindulge, otherwise the headstand will be a killer!

Check out more details on the benefits of yoga than you probably ever wanted to know… along with medical studies to support the findings:

The Diverse Emotional Benefits of Yoga

An Amazing 31 Physical Benefits of Yoga