(Parivrtta janu sirsasana or revolved head to knee pose is for the beginner yogis. This asana has benefits of streching from head to toe and improves muscle circulation. This pose is an invigorating spinal twist and chest opener that releases diaphragmatic tension and intercostals muscles, enhancing breathing. It removes tension along the spine and lengthens the sides of the waist, stretching the abdominal organs, especially the ascending and descending colon, liver, spleen, and pancreas, enhancing digestion and elimination -WerIndia)
Sanskrit: Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (par-ee-vrt-tah JAH-new shear-SHAHS-anah) parivrtta = turning, revolving, janu = knee, sirsa = to touch with the head
BENEFITS
CONTRAINDICATIONS
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Low back pathologies (avoid rounding)
• Knee, hip, or rib injury
• Diarrhea
• Asthma
HOW TO :
1. Begin in Dandasana (Staff pose) and ground down into your sitting bones. Keep your right leg extended in front of you. Bend your left knee and press the sole of your foot into your right thigh, allowing your knee to fold out toward the floor.
2. As you inhale, lift through the torso to lengthen the spine and draw your left hand overhead.
3. Exhale and engage your front thigh. Begin to side bend at the hip, drawing your right ribs toward the right thigh and reaching for the toes.
4. Inhale as you lengthen the spine once again, reaching through the crown of your head.
5. Exhale and dissolve further forward. Spiral the ribcage backward to stack the shoulders on top of each other.
6. Hold this pose for 5-10 deep breaths.
7. To exit, inhale and elongate the spine while returning to an upright seated position. Exhale and release the legs back to the midline, feeling free to shake them out.
MODIFY OR REPLACE
TEACHING CUES
WATCH OUT FOR
Credit: This article and image is republished with permission from https://beyogi.com/. For more poses visit beyogi.com
As the summer is approaching, people like to spend their time outside in hiking, grass mowing, picnicking in woods or in parks. This time of the year is known for tick bites and lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.
In 1977 two Yale school of Medicine scientists identified the infected blacklegged deer tick carrying the Lyme causing bacterium. Since then this is a most commonly reported vector-borne disease in US. According to reports approximately 300,000 cases are diagnosed annually in US alone.
Symptoms: Typical symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. The weaker or more compromised is the immune system, the more likely a debilitating course of illness will occur. Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis. Seek medical attention if you observe any of these symptoms and have had a tick bite, live in an area known for Lyme disease, or have recently traveled to an area where Lyme disease occurs (Ref: CDC).
Early Signs and Symptoms (3 to 30 days after tick bite)
• Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes
Erythema migrans (EM) rash:
• Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons
• Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days)
• Expands gradually over a period of days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across
• May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful
• Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull’s-eye” appearance
• May appear on any area of the body.
According to Stephen Harrod Buhner, who is a scholar and author of Healing Lyme Disease Co-infections “the bacteria have jumped species and found new hosts that live in habitats formerly occupied by wild animals. They have learned to exist in humans and are teaching each other how to resist antibiotics and more easily infect us. What they do together in the body is a great deal more complex than what they do alone and making them difficult to treat “. This bacteria uses existing inflammation in the body, such as arthritis and grows further.
Is there a vaccine for lyme disease? According to CDC “A Lyme disease vaccine is no longer available. The vaccine manufacturer discontinued production in 2002, citing insufficient consumer demand. Protection provided by this vaccine diminishes over time. Therefore, if you received the Lyme disease vaccine before 2002, you are probably no longer protected against Lyme disease (CDC)
Tips to control ticks:
1) Dressing: Ticks in high vegetation areas wait for a passing host. To avoid these hitchhikers must wear light colored long pants tucked into socks. A shirt should also be tucked in. After hiking strip down and search hair, under arms, legs, behind ears and knees, belly button for the hiding tick. Apply topical repellent preferably therapeutic grade essential oils on the body.
2) Neem oil: According to The National Pesticide information center neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide that helps in repelling these insects. Oil extract from neem seed is good for this purpose. It has been used for hundreds of years to control pests and disease. The active compound Azadirachtin is responsible for this action.- it interferes with insect hormone system and make it harder for insects to grow and lay eggs.
3) Essential oil: To one cup of distilled water add two drops of geranium essential oil, 2 drops of Palo Santo essential oil, 1 drop of myrrh essential oil, 4 drops of grapefruit essential oil, 1 drop of peppermint oil, 1 drop of thieves hand soap or castile soap. Place all the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake. Spritz on socks, sneakers, hiking boots, ankles and legs and on minimally exposed skin before stepping into woods or tick area.
4) Aromatherapy oils: Oils of basil, lemon, cinnamon, cedar, lavender, and pennyroyal are the natural repellent for ticks. For removing ticks, prepare a mixture of any three oils. Mix one drop each of the three oils chosen and pure almond oil. Stir it well, and soak a cloth in it. This helps in repelling ticks both from humans and pets.
5) Citrus repellent – Cut a lemon into quarters and put into a pint jar. Cover with boiling water and let steep overnight. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spritz when you have to go out in woods, hiking, park where tick fear exists.
6) Apple cider vinegar: This can be a beneficial remedy for removing ticks. Making mix: Pour 8 ounce of apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Add 4 ounce of warm water in it. Stir it well adding half teaspoon each of salt and baking soda. Fill the solution in a spray bottle and shake it well before use.
7) Witch hazel mix: Witch hazel is a natural tick repellent. Mix witch hazel and lemon eucalyptus oil in 10:1 ratio, stir the solution well and fill it in a spray bottle. Spray it on your pet and on yourself to repel ticks.
8) Get Sticky. Keep a sticky tape-type lint roller handy if you are finding ticks regularly. This little gizmo will pick up unattached ticks from clothing or pets, which bring hitchhiking ticks into the house. Use any type of sticky tape to cleanly capture ticks crawling in your home.
9) For dogs : Prepare tick Shampoo – Mix several drops of Palo Santo with organic lavender shampoo. Let the suds sit on your dog for twenty minutes before rinsing. This will kill any existing ticks or prevent new ones. Apply little of rose geranium essential oil on very few spots (like shoulder blades and tail base) on your dog when going out. This repels ticks.
10) Others: Liquid dish detergent, tea tree oil, mouthwash, turpentine, garlic, cinnamon oil are also effective in repelling the ticks and some of them even kill ticks.
11) Create tick -safe zone : Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns. Mow the lawn frequently and keep leaves raked. Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees and place them in a sunny location, if possible. Remove any old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.
How to Remove a Tick: (source: Provided by Ohio State University)
If a tick should become attached to you or your pet, remove it as soon as possible. Prompt removal reduces the chance of infection by Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
• Shield your fingers with a paper towel, use tweezers or wear rubber gloves. Grasp the tick close to the skin, and with steady pressure, pull straight out.
• Do not twist or jerk, as mouthparts may be left in the skin. Take care not to crush or puncture the pest during removal.
• Use of a hot match or cigarette is NOT recommended as this may cause the tick to burst. Spotted fever may be acquired from infected pest body fluids that come in contact with broken skin, the mouth or eyes.
• Avoid touching with bare hands – secretions can be infectious. Spotted fever can be acquired through self-inoculation into a small scratch or cut.
• After removal, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash hands with soap and water.
• Ticks can be tested for disease. Contact the Vector-borne Disease Program of the Department of Health. Place in a small jar or zip-lock plastic bag, along with a few blades of green grass (to provide moisture). Store in a cool place until it can be delivered.
• Safely dispose of these pests by placing them in a container of oil or alcohol, sticking them to tape or flushing them in the toilet.
References:
Image credit: Image by Catkin from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)
Eggplants are one of the healthiest vegetable on earth. It belongs to same family as tomato, potato and chillis/peppers.
Health facts: Eggplants contain several nutrients and more importantly phytonutrients like phenolic compounds, such as caffeic and chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids such as nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. Nasunin is not only a potent free-radical scavenger, but is also an iron chelator. By chelating iron, nasunin lessens free radical formation with numerous beneficial results, including protecting blood cholesterol (which is also a type of lipid or fat) from peroxidation; preventing cellular damage that can promote cancer; and lessening free radical damage in joints, which is a primary factor in rheumatoid arthritis. Eggplant is also a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B1, and copper. It also contains sufficient amount of manganese, vitamin B6, niacin, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.
Here is a traditional grandma’s stuffed eggplant curry recipe (stuffed baby brinjal) for those who wants to get benefit of eggplant. The recipe serves 6 people.
Ingredients
• Indian (baby) egg plants – 12
• Red Chillies -8
• 2 to 3 inch tamarind
• Coriander seeds -1 and half tsp
• Fenugreek seeds -1/4 tsp
• Cooking oil – 2 Tbs
• Mustard
• 10-12 curry leaves
• Grated fresh coconut – one cup
• Salt, to taste
Preparation:
• Wash the eggplants in warm water.
• Without removing the stalks, slit each egg plant at the base to four parts – keep the stalk intact.
• In a pan, add little oil and roast red chillies
• In a little oil, roast separately the red chillies, coriander seeds and methi seeds.
• Grind coconut along with roasted red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, tamarind and salt to a coarse paste, adding just the required amount of water.
• Now stuff the ground spice inside slit eggplants.
• In a little deep frying pan heat one to 2 Tbs oil and add mustard and curry leaves for seasoning. When mustard splutters place stuffed eggplant and remaining any masala that is left.
• Sprinkle little water and cover the lid.
• Cook the eggplants over medium flame. Open the lid and turn the eggplant to cook evenly on all around. Do not break eggplant while turning.
• After the water evaporates dish will look dry and eggplants will appear cooked. Now turn off the flame.
• Serve hot stuffed eggplant curry with rice, roti, puri or chapati.
Recipe: werindia.com
By Amanda Froelich (www.trueactivist.com)
Because the retail company can’t keep up with the demand for organics, it has launched a pilot program to help farmers buy land and grow chemical-free crops.
As TrueActivist has mentioned before, the future is green – that much is clear. Not only have a handful of countries expressed intention to transition completely to renewable energy within the next few decades, the trend of eating wholesome, organic food is on the rise.
In fact, so many people are choosing to invest in their health, the popular retail company Costco can’t keep enough organic food stocked to meet customer demand. Believe it or not, the chain has actually surpassed Whole Foods as the top seller of organic produce.
As a result, Costco has launched a pilot program to loan organic farmers money to buy land and equipment to increase the supply of the wholesome fruits and veggies.
The first loan was received by the California-based company Andrew and Williamson Fresh Produce (A&W), reports Natural Society. The growers will use the money to buy 1,200 acres and equipment to farm the property. In return, Costco is allowed to buy anything they grow on the new farm.
A&W is most invested in growing organic tomatoes, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. Reportedly, the land they’ve found has been fallow for years, which means it is free from chemicals and can be farmed for organic food immediately.
Because investing in organic farming can be a costly, time-consuming venture, this program will undoubtedly aid many growers interested in transitioning with the times. Of course, Costco isn’t the only chain to offer aid to organic produce suppliers.
Whole Foods also provides its partners with loans for equipment. Wegmans, as well, works with conventional farmers to transition to organic crops. Even the American farmlandt chain Chipotle recently invested $10 million to help small, local farms supply safer vegetables and meats.
While all initiatives are worthy of praise, this is the first time a retailer has loaned money to suppliers for an actual land purchase. If it proves to be successful, Costco intends on expanding the program.
Many might argue that other retailers should invest in similar programs. After all, organic food sales have more than tripled in the last ten years and are now about 5% of all food purchases. Despite the boom in organics, only one percent of American farmland is devoted to growing chemical-free produce.
Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/costco-is-selling-so-much-organic-produce-its-helping-farmers-grow-more/
Image courtesy: http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
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