All posts by Sumana Rao

Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Diet working or not

How to tell your diet is working

You have been trying various types of diets to maintain your weight and it might be working or not working. It takes time to notice change in weight. However, one can find out whether a diet is working or not working by noticing body and mind expression after going through a diet program for one or two weeks. Your body will express whether the diet is working or not working in different ways.

16 signs that shows your diet is working:

  1. You are more energetic than before.
  2. You feel energized more after a good night sleep
  3. You are happy and cheerful than before your diet change
  4. You are at peace with food that you consume and your body feels great
  5. You are sleeping really well, not waking up in between
  6. Your mind is calm, sharp and creative than before
  7. Your digestion system is working great – you go to motion regularly, no or less constipation.
  8. Your body aches are reduced or no pain
  9. You feel like exercising everyday
  10. Your skin is glowing, your face showing less wrinkles
  11. Your confidence is back
  12. You love the food that you are eating everyday
  13. You prefer water than soda
  14. You hop onto scale every day!
  15. You try wearing good old clothes
  16. You are smiling and your temper is cool!

If you notice at least half of the positive changes from above mentioned list in your body and mind, then stick to that diet. You will soon notice weight change.

 16 Signs indicating diet is not working

  1.  You are constantly hungry
  2. You have more food cravings and love to eat more carbohydrates
  3. You feel tired when you wake up in the morning
  4. Your energy level crashes often, feels tired
  5. Your creativity level has gone down, your have brain fog
  6. You are less happy and have lack of motivation
  7. You don’t feel like exercising
  8. You take regular breaks
  9. You have regular mood swings and angry
  10. You have bloated tummy and feel gassy
  11. Your body ache is increased
  12. Your energy level crashes often
  13. You feel sick most time
  14. You are losing your confidence
  15. You don’t step out as much as you used to
  16. You have reduced your exercise routines

If you notice any negative changes stop that diet and go back to normal food. List what are suitable food for you and take control of your diet again. Don’t give up!

Image credit: Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 22, 2023
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Yoga Guru BKS Iyengar

Remembering Yoga Guru BKS Iyengar

“Live happily and die majestically” – On international yoga day we salute Yoga Guru BKS Iyengar whose guidance and teaching helped millions to overcome stress and live a healthier life -Healthy life

“Yoga can take a man into two ways of living; enjoyment in life or liberation in life,” Iyengar said. “You want to improve, I want to improve.”

(‘Live happily and die majestically.’ BKS Iyengar 14 Dec 1918 – 20 Aug 2014)

December 14th  is the 97th birth anniversary of BKS Iyengar, who has been considered as one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world. Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known as BKS Iyengar, was a yoga guru whose brand of the ancient spiritual practice took off around the world. Born in 1918 at Bellur in Karnataka, India the yogacharya came to Pune in 1937. B.K.S. Iyengar, was the founder of the style of yoga known as “Iyengar Yoga” and was considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world.

Iyengar was an eminent exponent of yoga as enunciated in the ancient ‘Patanjali Sutra’. Iyengar was not just a yogacharya, but he was a ‘life guru’ who always imparted security and comfort to his disciples with a smiling face. Iyengar personally trained hundreds of teachers to disseminate his approach, which uses props such as belts, ropes, blocks and bolsters to help novice yoga students achieve the poses.  He also authored 14 books on yoga techniques, what became known as ‘Iyengar Yoga’. His books were translated into 17 languages. The senior-most internationally acclaimed yoga guru had taught ‘yogasanas’ to many prominent personalities along with commoners. Among those whom he introduced to yoga were eminent socialist leader Jayprakash Narayan, famous philosopher J Krishnamurti , world renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin and lifestyle guru Martha Stewart. Iyengar was included in TIME’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2004.

Iyengar had suffered years of ill health with bouts of malaria, tuberculosis and typhoid fever and says the regular yoga practice helped him to recover the illness. Tirumala Krishnamacharya, Father of Modern Yoga, who was brother-in-law of BKS was one of the key figures behind the revival of “hatha yoga” – from which Iyengar yoga developed in the early 20th century which focused on the correct alignment of the body. In 1952, Yehudi Menuhin befriended BKS Iyengar. Menuhin believed doing yoga improved his playing and invited Iyengar to Switzerland with him in 1954.

After that visit, Iyengar travelled frequently to the west to demonstrate his special technique and hundreds of Iyengar yoga centers sprang up around the world. His eldest daughter Geeta and his son Prashant have become internationally renowned yoga practitioners and now run the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute – which BKS Iyengar founded in 1975 in honor of his late wife.

Google Doodle: On his 97th birth anniversary Google has honored the birthday of the man credited with bringing yoga to the West with his very own doodle. The interactive doodle showed the renowned master in various yoga poses within Google’s logo meant to characterize the “tremendous control and discipline, which he exercised in ways not limited to confounding long headstands,”.

References:

  1. www.nytimes.com
  2. http://www.indiatvnews.com/
  3. http://mondayschild.co.za/

Watch BKS Iyengar’s yoga video here:

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 20, 2023
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Extended Puppy Pose

Extended Puppy Pose – Uttana Shishosana

Sit on the mat and then proceed to the pose

1. Come onto all fours.

2. See that your shoulders are above your wrists and your hips are above your knees.

3. Walk your hands forward a few inches and curl your toes under.

4. As you exhale, move your buttocks halfway back toward your heels.

5. Keep your arms active; do not let your elbows touch the ground.

6. Drop your forehead to the floor or to a blanket and let your neck relax.

7. Keep a slight curve in your lower back.

8. Breathe into your back, feeling the spine lengthen in both directions.

This pose stretches the spine and the shoulder. Helps to release the back pain.

image credit: https://pixahive.com/photo/uttana-shishosana-extended-puppy-pose-2/ (cc by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 19, 2023
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Bridge Pose

Bridge Pose – Sethu Bhandhasana

1. Lie on your back on the floor.

2. Bend your knees and set your feet on the floor, heels as close to the sitting bones as possible.

3. Exhale and, pressing your inner feet and arms actively into the floor, push your tailbone upward toward the pubis, firming the buttocks, and lift the buttocks off the floor.

4. Clasp the hands below your pelvis and extend through the arms to help you stay on the tops of your shoulders.

5. Lift your buttocks until the thighs are about parallel to the floor. Keep your knees directly over the heels. Lift the pubis toward the navel.

6. Lift your chin slightly away from the sternum. Firm the outer arms, broaden the shoulder blades, and try to lift the space between them at the base of the neck up into the torso.

This pose is highly recommended for lower back pain. It stretches the chest, neck, and spine. Repeat this pose 4 to 5 times.

Image credit: https://pixahive.com/photo/dvapada-dhanurasana-bridge-pose-on-elbows-3/ (cc by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Spinal Twist On The Floor - Supta Matsyendrasana

Spinal Twist On The Floor – Supta Matsyendrasana

1. Slowly lower yourself on the mat and lie on your back.

2. Hug your knees to your chest, and then slowly lower your knees to your right side, so that your right leg is resting on the floor and your left leg is stacked on top of the right.

3. Keeping both of your shoulders in contact with the floor, extend your arms out along side you and turn your face to your left side.

4. Stay here for 5 breaths and then repeat on the opposite side.

5. You can also cross leg by placing one thigh on another and twist your body as described above.

This relaxing pose will release your lower back and increase overall spinal flexibility at the same time. It also massages lower back and hips.

Image credit: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470485492303456727/

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Pigeon Pose

Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

1. From Downward Facing Dog, step both feet together and bring your right knee forward between your hands so your outer right leg is resting on the mat.

2. If your hips are more open, inch your right foot away from you. Make sure your left hip is always pointing down toward the mat. If it begins open up toward the ceiling, draw your right foot back in toward your body.

3. Stay here with your hands resting on your right leg or walk your hands out in front of you, allowing your torso to rest over your right knee.

4. Hold here, breathing into any areas of tightness and tension for at least five breaths.

5. Then place your hands on the mat in front of you, tuck your left toes and step your right foot back. Take a vinyasa, then step your left foot forward and repeat Pigeon on the left side.

This pose stretches hip rotators and flexors. It might not seem like the most obvious position to treat a back ache. Care should be taken – if the hip flexors are not opens properly and the position alignment is not properly done, it can result in lower back pain.

Image credit: https://pixahive.com/photo/half-pigeon-yoga-pose/ (by Akshay Gupta CC by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Balasana - Child Pose

Child pose – Balasana

1. Sit back on heels and open knees about hip width on a mat.

2. Bend forward by lowering upper body between thighs and bring forehead toward floor.

3. Stretch both arms in front of the body by facing palms down. Or simply kneel on the floor.

4. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips.

5. If you find it hard to touch the forehead to floor use a folded towel, a block or a blanket – and place head on the any one of these items of your choice.

6. If you find it difficult on calves and hamstrings, place a folded towel between calves and hamstrings.

7. Don’t forget to breath in and out few times.

Image credit: Image by StockSnap from Pixabay (Cc by 0)

Child’s pose is an active stretch that helps elongate the back. It’s also a great de-stressor before bed at the end of a long, exhausting day.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Downward Facing Dog Pose

Downward Facing Dog – Adhomukha Svanasana

1. Stand in tadasana (mountain pose)

2. Inhale and raise your prayer hands into an upward salute.

3. Exhale and hinge into standing forward bend.

4. Inhale and extend your spine into standing half forward bend.

5. Exhale and step or jump back to plank pose.

6. Exhale and push your hips towards the sky as you step each foot back until your body is in the shape of an inverted “V” for downward facing dog. Here alignment of your body is very important. Keep your palms pressing flat against the floor and your abs engaged. Keep lifting your sitting bones towards the ceiling. Keep your gaze towards your navel, but make sure you’re head is hanging comfortably. Inhale and exhale steadily for five breaths.

This classic yoga pose is a great total body stretch that targets back extensors, or the large muscles that help form your lower back, support your spine, and help you stand and lift objects.

Image credit: Image by AndiP from Pixabay (cc by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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