All posts by HealthyLife

HealthyLife is a part of www.WeRIndia.com, an all India – centric website (https://healthylife.werindia.com) and is solely owned and operated by WeRIndia.com. It is a Indian nutritional portal providing educational articles.This nutritional port was launched on February 5th, 2015.
The Good and Bad Anger

The Good and Bad Anger

Most of the time anger does not give us good reputation. Anger mostly associated with lack of respect, bad choice of words and negative energy. We never know how our reactions could be for some circumstances especially when it come to anger. Without recognizing our emotions we can get angry in a good or bad way. Do you know sometimes the feeling of anger is also good for you providing you should be able to recognize that the anger that you have at that moment is good or bad.

Feeling of anger can be good and bad. Bad anger can destroy a life. With bad anger, a person will enjoy seeing others getting hurt or in trouble.

With good anger (an emotion), it is different – you know you did the right thing, you want to stand up for yourself and you might feel helpless. In these situations, you will end up getting angry with yourself. Good anger is the one that you should feel right about, before expressing yourself.

How to recognize these two feelings? Feeling of good, healthy anger vs. bad, unhealthy anger?

Anger is a secondary feeling that arises due to frustration, anxiety, fear and hurt. To distinguish between the two types of anger : Healthy anger that propels you to act to protect and promotes your growth and the bad anger that is destructive and destroys the growth.

A proverb says “If you are angry over something that someone did to you today… that’s on them. If you are still angry over the same thing a year later… that’s on you.”

Anger is a feeling and it is not an action. In other words, what you do with these feelings does matter.

Recognizing Healthy Anger – With good anger you can justify yourself with proper reasons. You will be able to control this type of anger because of your positive nature towards the person and situation.

  • When someone whom you love demands something from you, you will find yourself in a situation that you will swallow your feelings for the sake of loved ones. You get annoyed but you will not show your feelings outside.
  • When you feel that your loved one is saying something and you disagree with it and will hold back your words or you will talk to the person only inside your head and cannot say those words (to avoid fights).
  • The anger that comes from expectation – you are fed up of doing something for someone all the time and you get sick and tired of doing stuff.
  • Anger that comes out when you keep doing something to family and friends and in turn they don’t reciprocate or never attempts to understand your feelings and your wants.
  • Good anger comes and goes fast – no one will get hurt.

Recognizing Unhealthy Anger: With bad anger you cannot reason yourself.

  • You will feel strong and aggressive to shut someone down
  • You will enjoy the feeling of victory over someone who try to appease you
  • When someone does not give attention, you will feel enraged right away
  • You don’t allow to let it go from your mind for a longtime and don’t feel like forgiving. This is the type of anger that spoils relationship and is toxic.
  • The anger that often exhibits in a sudden fit of rage that stems from our selfish motivations and is generally characterized by a lack of self-control is bad.
  • Some people are quick tempered for small, no reasons and this temper is bad.
  • Often the bad anger leads to fights, spoils the relationship and destroys one’s life.

It is important to make a distinction between two types of anger feelings and chose what is good for our growth. That anger that is not motivated by selfishness and is characterized by self-control is good one and is the right one. It is also important to adopt proper strategies to control the anger to lead a balanced and peaceful life.

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Reference: Healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Anastasia Gepp from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: May 9, 2021
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Post Covid Nutrition

WHO: Nutrition and Food Recommendation for Adults Post Covid-19 Recovery

Post Covid-19 patients who return home must consider taking nutrient rich food. At hospital care takers will give nutrient and calorie rich food that helps to bring energy back. After returning home what should be the diet and what can be eaten and what cannot be? To answer the question World Health Organization has given instructions which helps people to recover and gain strength as well as immunity back – Healthy Life

Proper nutrition and hydration are vital. People who eat a well-balanced diet tend to be healthier with stronger immune systems and lower risk of chronic illnesses and infectious diseases. So you should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, protein and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water. Avoid sugar, fat, and salt to significantly lower your risk of overweight, obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Eat fresh and unprocessed foods every day

  • Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava), and foods from animal sources (if you are non-vegetarian).
  • Daily, eat: 2 cups of fruit (4 servings), 2.5 cups of vegetables (5 servings), 180 g of grains, and 160 g of beans.
  • For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.
  • Do not overcook vegetables and fruit as this can lead to the loss of important vitamins.
  • When using canned or dried vegetables and fruit, choose varieties without added salt or sugar.

Drink enough water every day

  • Water is essential for life. It transports nutrients and compounds in blood, regulates your body temperature, gets rid of waste, and lubricates and cushions joints.
  • Drink 8–10 cups of water every day.
  • Water is the best choice, but you can also consume other drinks, fruits and vegetables that contain water, for example lemon juice (diluted in water and unsweetened), tea and coffee. But be careful not to consume too much caffeine, and avoid sweetened fruit juices, syrups, fruit juice concentrates, fizzy and still drinks as they all contain sugar.

Eat moderate amounts of fat and oil

  • Consume unsaturated fats (e.g. found in fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil, soy, canola, sunflower and corn oils) rather than saturated fats.
  • Where possible, opt for low-fat or reduced-fat versions of milk and dairy products.
  • Avoid industrially produced trans fats. These are often found in processed food, fast food, snack food, fried food, frozen pizza, pies, cookies, margarines, and spreads.

Eat less salt and sugar

  • When cooking and preparing food, limit the amount of salt and high-sodium condiments (e.g. soy sauce and fish sauce).
  • Limit your daily salt intake to less than 5 g (approximately 1 teaspoon), and use iodized salt.
  • Avoid foods (e.g. snacks) that are high in salt and sugar.
  • Limit your intake of soft drinks or sodas and other drinks that are high in sugar (e.g. fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates and syrups, flavored milks and yogurt drinks).
  • Choose fresh fruits instead of sweet snacks such as cookies, cakes and chocolate.

Avoid eating out

  • Eat at home to reduce your rate of contact with other people and lower your chance of being exposed to COVID-19. We recommend maintaining a distance of at least 1 meter between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. That is not always possible in crowded social settings like restaurants and cafes. Droplets from infected people may land on surfaces and people’s hands (e.g. customers and staff), and with lots of people coming and going, you cannot tell if hands are being washed regularly enough, and surfaces are being cleaned and disinfected fast enough.

Information reference: http://www.emro.who.int/nutritionhttp://www.emro.who.int/nutrition

Image credit: Moong daal khichadi Flavors of Mumbai

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: May 4, 2021
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Vegetarian recipe

Beet root & Radish – Two Recipes

Are you an athlete and are you looking for something that is nutritious, keeps blood pressure under control, and helps in blood flow? Here is an answer: Try Beet juice. The beet or beetroot is added to the list of new super food because of its multiple health benefits. – Dementia, body inflammation, digestion (constipation), wounds, skin problems and several other conditions can be regulated by consuming this simple juice.

If you have sore throat, constipation problem and want to keep your body hydrated there is another super food namely Radish!. There are different reasons to “eat your radish”!  It can be added to salad as a main ingredient that helps in relieving constipation.  It contains good amount of vitamin c and folates, vitamin B-6, riboflavin, thiamin and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper and calcium. They are source of phytochemicals like indoles which are detoxifying agents (Healthylife.werindia.com)

Try these simple two recipes with Beet and radish.

Beetroot juice:

Ingredients:

  • Beetroot medium size 3-4
  • Coconut milk 1/2 cup
  • Jaggery powder 2-3 tsp

Method:

  1. Soak the Beetroot in salt water for 30 mins(2 times).
  2. Wash and grate the Beetroot.(No need to peel the skin).
  3. Squeeze the grated beetroot into a bowl. Add coconut milk and jaggery powder. Mix well.
  4. Super healthy Beet root juice is ready to serve.

Radish  salad

Ingredients:

  • Grated Radish 1 cup
  • Grated coconut 2 tsp
  • Green chillies 4
  • Curry leaf 1 strand
  • Lemon juice 2 tsp
  • Chopped Coriander leaves ¼ cup
  • Urad dal 2 tsp
  • Mustard
  • Oil 1 tsp
  • Salt

Method:

  1. Combine grated radish, green chillies, grated coconut, lemon juice and Salt in a bowl. Keep aside.
  2. For seasoning, heat oil add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal and curry leaves. Switch off the stove and mix it with step 1. Finally add coriander leaves and serve.

Recipe and image by: Mamatha Anil  (Bhakshyabhojana.blogspot.com)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: April 5, 2021
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Meditation

How to Maintain a Healthy Mind and Body

Most of us make the mistake of forgetting that having a healthy body goes hand-in-hand with a healthy mind and increases our overall sense of wellbeing.

Exercising, eating a nutritious diet, and getting the right amount of sleep does wonders for the body, but did you know that doing so also plays a significant role in the upkeep of your mind? Don’t wait for pivotal events to start making resolutions about being happier and healthier; get a head start, and you’ll begin to see significant improvements in yourself, your life, and your relationships, and your overall well-being.

These tips and life hacks will help you achieve a healthier body and make you feel much better and more positive about yourself.

Sleep is Vital

Getting enough sleep is essential when maintaining a healthy body and mind. Sleep is good for your health and allows your body enough time to recover and regenerate for the next day. Adults generally require a minimum of 8 hours of sleep each night to feel fully recharged.

Teenagers usually require at least 9 hours of sleep to help their growing bodies function efficiently. Any less sleep over a prolonged period and a person might start to experience mood swings and extreme-tiredness.

If you toss and turn before going to sleep at night, try out a few of these tricks. Exercising during the day is both good for your body and will help tire you out. Turn off all your mobile devices at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep to help your body unwind and relax. Caffeine and sugar are the enemies when it comes to falling asleep and will give you plenty of unwanted energy.

Exercise the Mind and Body

Exercise releases happy hormones known as endorphins; endorphins will help your mind feel less stressed and improve your memory. You’ll find that you sleep better after exercising, and you’ll also be in a much better mood for the rest of the day. Try walking every day or attend a yoga class after work to give your body what it deserves.

Having fun while exercising is essential. If you aren’t having fun, you won’t want to do it anymore. Join a community exercise group or get your friends involved in the classes. This way, you’ll be having fun while conditioning your body. As long as you’re moving, that’s all that matters. Being more active will make you happier and healthier.

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Stay Hydrated

If you’re feeling thirsty, drink a glass of water. It seems a bit obvious, but remembering to stay hydrated will be good for your body and help your mind stay focused. When your body is dehydrated, your brain struggles to concentrate, and you will most likely pick up a headache soon after.

It’s also true that dehydration often disguises itself as hunger. So by drinking more water, you actually lose a little weight or at least not feel it’s necessary to overeat. Avoid the sugary drinks that do more harm than good, and reach for some tap water. It’s free, and it’s good for your body.

Eat Well

You are what you put in your mouth, or so they say. Eating correctly will affect how you feel and determine your mood. Overeating junk food and lots of sugar will make you feel drained and anxious and won’t benefit your body in any way.

Eating healthier alternatives will help you feel better inside and out. The signs of healthy eating show up on your skin, giving you a glowing complexion, clear eyes, and your mind the ability to focus.

Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash

Quit Smoking

If you’re a smoker, the first thing you need to do to achieve a healthier mind and body is quit the habit. Some people use smoking as a stress-relief, but the need to smoke can be more stressful. Smoking is a short-term stress-reliever and increases your risk of heart disease.

According to Smokefree, those who smoke are more likely to have poor mental health than those who don’t smoke. Quitting smoking will be challenging at first but will pay off in the future when you realize how much you’re saving as well as how much better your body is doing.

Going Outdoors

There is no better treatment for a bad day than the feeling of sunshine on your face and fresh air in your lungs. Spending time outside will make you happier and less stressed. It will clear your head and is also the perfect opportunity to get in some of that exercise we know benefits those who regularly commit to the outside and nature.

Nature heals, so go for a walk in the local park or stroll to work if you’re not working from home. You’ll begin to see the benefits and feel more motivated to participate in outdoor activities or indeed in any activities.

If you look after your heart with these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to achieving a happy mind and a healthy body. It’s worth always keeping in mind that you can never reach one without the other.

Image Credit: Image by Borja Blanco Cinza from Pixabay

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 30, 2021
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Substances and Supplements

The Substances and Supplements To Avoid As An Athlete

As an athlete, the list of prohibited substances is long, and some do not have the proper knowledge about all the substances. The World Anti-Doping Agency is responsible for providing the list of substances and methods banned in sport and updating it at least once a year. The list takes effect each year on January 1st.

This article aims to impart knowledge on the classifications and specifics of the banned substances for athletes without necessarily generalizing all sports activities.

The agency subdivides the list into substances and methods that are;

  • Banned at all times; these include hormones, anabolics, masking agents, EPO, and diuretics. However, this does not limit the list to these substances.
  • Banned only in-competition, they include substances such as stimulants, narcotics, and glucocorticosteroids and methods such as blood transfusion or manipulation, among others.

Not all substances and methods are named on the banned list. However, a substance or method can be prohibited if not approved for human use by any governmental health regulatory authority. It can also be prohibited if it contains a chemical structure and biological effects similar to banned substances.

The criteria for adding substances to the prohibited list is determined by whether;

  • It has the potential to enhance sport performance
  • It represents a potential health risk to the athlete
  • It violates the spirit of the sport

As an athlete, you must ensure every supplement you wish to consume is adequately tested for any of the banned substances before you start using.

Classification and Categorization of Banned Substances

 Prohibited substances are grouped into various classifications within the banned list, these include;

1. S0: Non-approved Substances(At All times)

In 2021, this entails any pharmacological substance not addressed by the sections below but has not been approved for human use by any governmental health regulatory authority. These include developmental and discontinued drugs.

2. S1: Anabolic Agents

These include all anabolic androgenic steroids(AAS) and all other anabolic agents. For example, clenbuterol, selective androgen receptor modulators, enobosarm, tibolone, zeranol, and zilpaterol.

3. S2: Peptide Hormones, Mimetics, Growth Factors

These include all Erythropoietins and agents affecting erythropoiesis, all peptide hormones, growth hormone-releasing factors, growth factors, and growth factor modulators.

4. S3: Beta-2 Agonists

It includes all selective and non-selective beta-2 agonists, with exceptions on a prescribed maximum dosage of inhaled salbutamol, inhaled formoterol, inhaled salmeterol, and inhaled vilanterol.

5. S4: Hormone and Metabolic Modulators

Inclusive of aromatase inhibitors, anti-estrogenic substances, agents preventing activin receptor IIB activation, and metabolic modulators.

6. S5: Diuretics and Masking Agents

7. S6: Stimulants(In-competition Only)

All stimulants are banned in-competition. These include all optical isomers, non-specified stimulants such as cocaine, specified stimulants, and other substances with a similar chemical structure or biological effects to these stimulants.

8. S7: Narcotics(in-competition Only)

9. S8: Cannabinoids(In-competition Only)

Whether natural or synthetic, all cannabinoids are prohibited in-competition. These include cannabis and cannabis products, natural and synthetic THCs, and synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of THC. The only exception in this category is cannabidiol.

10. S9: Glucocorticoids(In-competition Only)

All glucocorticoids administered orally, intravenous, intramuscular, or rectally are prohibited during competitions. Some of these include; beclometasone, dexamethasone, mometasone, betamethasone, flucortolone, prednisolone, budesonide, flunisolide, among others.

11. M1: Blood and Blood Component Manipulation

This prohibits;

  •  the administration or reintroduction of any quantity of blood or red blood cell products
  • Artificial enhancements to the uptake, transport, or delivery of oxygen
  • All forms of intravascular manipulation of blood or blood components

12. M2: Chemical and Physical Manipulation

You should not tamper with the integrity of collected samples or infuse/inject more than 100mL per 12 hour period with exceptions to hospital treatments, any surgical procedures/clinical diagnostic investigations.

13. Beta-Blockers

These are prohibited both in-competition and out-of-competition for specific sports. For in-competition, the sports include; Skiing/Snowboarding, automobile, billiards, underwater sports, darts, and golf. They are banned out-of-competition for competitors in archery and shooting sports.

14. M3: Gene Doping

Use of nucleic acids or nucleic acid analogues and the use of genetically modified cells is prohibited.

What Else Do You Need to Know?

Under the World Athletic Rules, the presence of a prohibited substance in an athlete’s sample or using banned substances and methods makes up a doping offense. You need to keep updated on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited substances and methods list to avoid failing the doping tests.

There have been allegations of intentional sabotage amongst athletes over the years, so it is essential to double-check what you are consuming beforehand. Ignorance towards these yearly provisions by the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) could also lead to falling victim to unintentional doping scandals.

Another mistake commonly made by athletes is intentional doping, assuming that they would not get tested. In some countries, out-of-sport testing is standard, and so you should learn from the mistakes made by athletes who were caught doping in the past. Stay clean all year round.

WADA keeps a biological passport of an athlete to spot the anomalies easily. A biological passport is the information about an athlete’s normal blood and urine chemistry, an implementation that has increased the number of athletes caught over the years.

Conclusion

WADA aims to keep sports fair and free of performance enhancement, and it would be sad if you become an example of their strong authority over the matter. Before you package supplements, you need to do two things;

  1. Buy some proper packaging; one such high-quality packaging product is the retort pouch from china, which is recyclable and offers airtight sealing, keeping your supplements as good as new.
  2. Ensure these supplements do not contain any prohibited substances. Avoid intentional doping and be on the lookout for sabotage in your sport.

All the best.

Image Credit: Photo by Michael Longmire on Unsplash

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 26, 2021
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Use olive oil for various purposes

Apart from cooking and for salad dressing, olive oil can be used in different ways too.

See yourself:

1) Chopped lips: Place a small amount of oil on your fingertips and rub across your lips. This helps in curing chopped lips.

2) Polishing furniture: Combine two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice or white vinegar. Add the ingredients to a clean spray bottle, and shake up. Spritz on the contents and wipe off with a clean paper towel. Wipe off using clean paper towel.

3) Paint remover for hair: Some paint that sticks to your hair after painting your home or finishing art work can be removed using olive oil. To remove paint from your locks, moisten a cotton ball with olive oil and gently rub into the hair.

4) Take Off mascara: Dip a cotton ball in a bit of olive oil and wipe across the eyelashes to remove mascara. Follow up by wiping your eyes with a tissue.

5) Fingernail treatment: Soak your nails in olive oil for a couple of minutes each week. This helps in keeping moisturizer in your finger tip and helps in avoiding chopping off the finger nails.

6) Moisturize the skin: Microwave a few tablespoons of the oil until it is lukewarm to the touch. Rub it on dry parts of your body to soften the skin.

7) Acne eraser: Mix four tablespoons of salt and three tablespoons of olive oil to create a paste that treats acne-ridden skin. Pour a small amount into your hands and work into the skin using your fingers. Leave on the remedy for a couple of minutes, and then rinse off with warm, soapy water. This mixture exfoliates and moisturizes your skin.

8) Replacement for shaving cream: Olive oil allows the blade to glide over the face or legs for a safe shave, while moisturizing the skin at the same time.

9) Degrease your hands: To remove grease and other stickiness from your hands use olive oil. Rub olive oil vigorously using your palm for few minutes and wash off with soap and water.

10) For constipation: Take one teaspoon of olive oil mixed with lemon juice on an empty stomach – in the morning. Some people have also made olive oil enemas using five ounces of the oil mixed with 20 ounces of boiling water that has been cooled to a lukewarm temperature.

11) Homemade bath scrub: Enjoy a relaxing shower or bath with a homemade bath scrub made from three parts olive oil and two parts sea salt.

Reference: Healthylife.werindia.com

Image credit: Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 5, 2021
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Covid-19 virus variants

Covid-19 Virus Variants What We know and Don’t Know So Far

As the Covid-19 pandemic is continuing, globally new variants of the viruses are appearing. Scientists are working to understand why and how these variants are appearing and spreading everywhere. In addition, they are also looking at whether the new vaccines will protect people against these variants too.

How the variants occur in viruses? Mutation is a process that changes the genetic code of living beings. A change in genetic code of virus naturally occurs overtime when a living being is infected. In SARS-CoV-2 virus too these variations are happening due to such mutations causing differentiation from its wild-type virus.

Multiple variants of Covid-19 viruses are reported globally and new restrictions, lockdowns are imposed in many countries to stop the spread of variants. Scientists are working to understand the genetic differences between these virus variants and how closely are related.  In United kingdom B.1.1.7, Japan & Brazil P.1 and South Africa B.1.351 – three variants are reported in last month and now their presence also detected globally. To prevent spreading of these variants we all have to continue doing our part by following the proper hygiene technique and taking safety precautions – Healthy Life.

CDC -Center for Disease Control has following information regarding these variants.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants emerge and persist. Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented in the United States and globally during this pandemic.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, a large family of viruses. Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surfaces. Scientists monitor changes in the virus, including changes to the spikes on the surface of the virus. These studies, including genetic analyses of the virus, are helping scientists understand how changes to the virus might affect how it spreads and what happens to people who are infected with it.

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are circulating globally:

The United Kingdom (UK) identified a variant called B.1.1.7 with a large number of mutations in the fall of 2020. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. In January 2021, experts in the UK reported that this variant may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variant viruses, but more studies are needed to confirm this finding. It has since been detected in many countries around the world. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of December 2020.

In South Africa, another variant called B.1.351 emerged independently of B.1.1.7. Originally detected in early October 2020, B.1.351 shares some mutations with B.1.1.7. Cases caused by this variant have been reported in the US at the end of January 2021.

In Brazil, a variant called P.1 emerged that was first identified in travelers from Brazil, who were tested during routine screening at an airport in Japan, in early January. This variant contains a set of additional mutations that may affect its ability to be recognized by antibodies. This variant was first detected in the US at the end of January 2021.

These variants seem to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19. An increase in the number of cases will put more strain on health care resources, lead to more hospitalizations, and potentially more deaths.

So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants. This is being closely investigated and more studies are underway.

Rigorous and increased compliance with public health mitigation strategies, such as vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, is essential to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 and protect public health.

What we do not know

Scientists are working to learn more about these variants, and more studies are needed to understand:

  • How widely these new variants have spread
  • How the disease caused by these new variants differs from the disease caused by other variants that are currently circulating
  • How these variants may affect existing therapies, vaccines, and tests

What it means

Public health officials are studying these variants quickly to learn more to control their spread. They want to understand whether the variants:

  • Spread more easily from person-to-person
  • Cause milder or more severe disease in people
  • Are detected by currently available viral tests
  • Respond to medicines currently being used to treat people for COVID-19
  • Change the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines

How to stop the spread and what precautions one must take to prevent the variants spread? Follow same hygiene practice and safety instructions like wearing facial mask, face shield, using hand sanitizer, washing hands, not touching face, nose, or eyes. Click here for more hygiene tips.

For more Covid-19 variants information please visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

Image credit: Image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: March 2, 2021
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Sukhasana

Easy Pose: Sukhasana

Easy pose or Sukhasana is everyday pose for all. It is a beautiful, easy pose and has many benefits. It increases flexibility of leg muscles, maintains healthy curve in the lumbar spine, improves circulation in lower part of the body and it relaxes and gives positive state to mind.  Sitting in easy pose daily for 15 to 30 minutes is good for health and this practice reduces the problem of siting on sitting on floor or getting up from the floor – Healthylife.werindia.com

Sanskrit: Sukhasana, (suk-HAS-anna), sukha = comfort, happiness, ease

BENEFITS

  • Calms the brain and reduces anxiety
  • Begins to open the hips for yoga practice
  • Stretches the knees and ankles
  • Strengthens the back
  • Relieves mental and physical fatigue

 CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • Knee injury
  • Ankle injury
  • Hip injury

HOW TO

  1.  Sit down on your mat with your legs extended in front of you in Dandasana (Staff pose).
  2.  Bend your knees and cross your legs inward, crossing one shin in front of the other.
  3. Relax your feet so the outer edge of each foot is resting on the ground. Maintain a slight gap between your pelvis and your feet.
  4.  Bring your right hand to your right knee, and left hand to left knee.
  5. You can rest your hands here with your palms facing down, join the palms together in prayer, or position them in Gyan Mudra. (For the latter, touch your index finger to your thumb, and extend your middle, ring, and pinky fingers).
  6. Close your eyes. Ground your sitting bones down and reach through the crown of your head to lengthen the spine.
  7. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes, allowing your mind to become centered. Uncross your legs and repeat with the opposite shin forward.

MODIFY OR REPLACE

Alternatives:

  • Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus)
  • Padmasana (Full Lotus)

Modifications:

  • Sit on a block or a blanket to raise your pelvis above your knees.
  • Sit with your back to a wall to help lengthen your spine.

SEQUENCING TIPS

  • Sukhasana is typically included at the beginning or end of a sequence.
  • It may be utilized for a brief meditation after Shavasana (Corpse pose).

TEACHING CUES

  • Ideally, your pelvis should be higher than your knees. If your hips are tight, sit on a blanket or block.
  • Lengthen your spine through the crown of your head, keeping your chin parallel to the ground.
  • Focus on the breath, letting go of whatever you did before practice or whatever you need to do after. Go inside.

VARIATIONS

  • Ardha Padmasana (Half Lotus)
  • Padmasana (Full Lotus)
  • Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle pose)

WATCH OUT FOR

  • Leaning too far in one direction
  • Fidgeting
  • Rounding the back
  • Overstretching the knees or ankles

Reference: This article with image is published with permission from https://beyogi.com/

Author: HealthyLife | Posted on: February 26, 2021
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