Yoga and Breathing

'I never know how to breathe during Yoga'.

I've heard this so many times, and I'm sure my fellow Yoga teachers have as well. So here's a simple guide to inhaling and exhaling your way through Yoga asanas. 

No. 1:BREATHE!
The worst thing you can do during your yoga practice is to hold your breath, if not specifically instructed to. Your body may feel discomfort or stress at being in a position it's not familiar with. Our automatic instinct is to hold our breath when we're tense. But this reinforces the physical discomfort. So teach yourself to bring your awareness to your breathing as much as your body. Your breath helps your body to relax in poses.

No. 2: When you're expanding your body, INHALE:

Many yoga postures create expansion in our torso/chest giving the lungs more space. The general rule of thumb is to inhale while doing this. Some common postures where you would do this are Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Vrikshasana (Tree Pose), Veerbhadrasana (Warrior Pose), Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Bhujhangasana (Cobra Pose), etc. 

Notice how the chest is lifted in these poses, creating space between the ribs. There's more room for the chest cavity to expand and the body's natural inclination should be to breathe in. Just like when we yawn.

Veerbhadrasana

Tadasana

Bhujhangasan

But let's go back to Point No. 1 for a second. The inhale is to help the body to get into the position. But if you're going to stay in the position for more than a few seconds, then keep breathing. This will help the body relax and accept the pose better and will, over a period or time, increase your strength and flexibility in these postures. 

No. 3: When you're bending or compressing your body, EXHALE:

Several yoga postures require us to fold or twist the body. Try to exhale while doing this. Some common postures where you would do this are Padahasthasana (Hands to Feet Pose/Standing Forward Bend), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), Naukasana (Boat Pose), Ardha Matsyendrasna (Half Spinal Twise), etc. 

See how the lungs have less room here. The physical compression of space guides the way to an exhalation.

Ardha Matsyendrasana

Paschimottanasana

Naukasana

Again, when holding the pose, always keep breathing unless your teacher has specific instructions for you.

No. 4: When breathing in Yoga, the magic is in the Exhalation:
Too often, we focus on just the inhalation, whereas the trick to breathing like a Yoga pro lies in the quality of our exhalation. To begin with, try and make your exhale at least as long as your inhale.  A long and even exhalation will help you rid your lungs of all the stale air more effectively than a short and shallow out-breath. The better you exhale, the better your next inhalation will be.

Finally, if you're new to yoga, when it comes to breathing, just do what feels natural to your body. Just don't forget Point No. 1. BREATHE!

Kuku Paka - Going healthy East African style

One of my most prized possessions is a Time&Talent's Club cookbook I inherited from my mother when I moved out of my parent's home. In the section under International Dishes one of the first ones that popped out at me was Kuku Paka, not just for its fun sounding name but also because of how simple it is to make. And healthy. 

Kuku Paka - 

Kenyan Chicken & Coconut milk Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kilo (I prefer chicken on the bone as it makes the curry heartier. The chicken can be stripped later and the bones discarded)

Turmeric - 1 teaspoon

Coconut milk - 2 cups

Salt to taste

Lime - 1

Grind together to a paste:

Coriander leaves - small bunch

Green chillies - 4 or 5

Ginger - Small piece

Garlic - 1 pod (half if you prefer)

Onion - 1 medium sized

Preparation:

In a pan, add a tiny bit of oil. Put in the chicken pieces and toss lightly to seal the meat. 

Add the ground masala paste to the chicken. Coat the chicken well and add some water. 

Let the chicken cook till almost done.

In a separate pan, pour in the coconut milk, add the turmeric and salt and bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 10 mins stirring frequently. 

When the chicken is almost cooked, add the coconut milk mixture.

Let it cook till the chicken is completely cooked through.

Add the juice of 1 lime and serve hot.

Tastes great with Garlic bread or a little bit or rice or noodles.

Why's it so good:

Chicken will give you your protein fix. Coconut milk is nutritious and rich in vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. There's no added oil or powdered masalas. It's light but filling. And you can also health it up by adding corn on the cob, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes :)

Curious about Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is quite the super food. Deservedly so.

It has one of the highest nutrition values of any food. It has more fibre than most other grains. It’s gluten free. It has been known to improve the body’s metabolism. It’s high on iron, minerals and antioxidants. And it’s a weight loss friendly food because it has a low glycemic index (which is linked to lower calorie intake). Its fibre content keeps you full, longer. And it’s high in protein which also keeps you feeling sated for longer.

Now we know it’s good for us… but what the hell do we do with Quinoa.

Quinoa is essentially a grain and cooks like one. It’s tasty and can be easily incorporated into your existing diet. It has a nutty flavour and looks a bit like couscous. 

Here’s a basic guide to cooking Quinoa. I’ve also added some links to some simple and tasty Quinoa recipes at the end J

How to cook Quinoa (basic) 

1.     Wash the Quinoa thoroughly or it will taste bitter when cooked. Rinse the grains till the water runs clear.

2.     Soak in cold water for 5 minutes and rinse again.

3.     Put the Quinoa in a pot and add water. Quinoa works on a 1:2 ratio (1 part Quinoa : 2 parts water)(Substitute water with chicken or vegetable stock for a tasty alternative)

4.     Cook for 15-20 minutes or till water is absorbed.

5.     Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

6.     Fluff with a fork. Season, toss, mix as desired.

7.     Quinoa ready J

Quinoa recipes you might want to try:

Grecian Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Curried Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Vegetable Salad

Lemony Quinoa

Cheesy Boccoli Quinoa

Spanish Style Quinoa

Chicken and Veg Quinoa

*Recipes courtesy AllRecipes.com and MyRecipes.com

Getting creative with oats

I love eating oats. They’re one of the best breakfast foods you can put into your body. Oats are loaded with fibre. They make energy quickly available to the body and are easily digested. And they’re a great pre-workout snack.

But oats with milk/honey/nuts gets a bit monotonous.

So, I’ve experimented a bit and found a couple of easy deviations. Savoury oats is now one of my favourite breakie options. And it takes just a few precious morning minutes to whip up.

Ingredients:

Any other brand of oats you like

Onions/celery/spring onions chopped fine

Vegetables diced small (carrots, mushrooms, beans, peas, cherry tomatoes)

Curry leaves (optional)

Chicken/vegetable stock or cube (optional)

Chilli powder and haldi (optional)

Water                              

Salt to taste

Coriander to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

You’ll notice that a lot of the ingredients are optional. That’s because there are different permutations and combinations that work really well.

Using just a tiny bit of oil, sauté the onions until they lose their raw taste. If you’re using the curry leaves, fry them just before sautéing the onions.

Throw in the veggies and stir fry lightly for 5 mins.

Add the dry oats and mix well with the veggies.

For the next step, here are three tried and tasted versions:

1.     Keep it simple: You could just add enough water to cook the oats and season with salt. Garnish with coriander.

2.     Soup it up: Use a soup cube or chicken or vegetable stock for flavour. You probably won’t need to add salt. This gives the oats a delicious and wholesome flavour. Leave out the curry leaves if you’re doing it this way. Works really well with all kinds of veggies, but best with mushrooms. You can opt to keep it a little gluggy if you like, or dry it out to a flaky finish.

3.     Go Indian: While sautéing the onions, add a dash of chilli powder and haldi, then the veggies and finally the oats. This makes it a little like poha. Option to add some roasted groundnuts. 

     

    You can work any flavour or ingredient and create your own fun version of oats. They're so versatile that way. Bon Apetit :)

Take a break... workout

The weather is turning. And there's the scent of getaway in the air. But does a vacation mean a vacation from your workout routine too? It doesn’t have to… but just like your holiday is a break from regular life, your holiday fitness plan can be a welcome break from your normal workout timetable.

Keeping active during your holiday has its benefits:

1.     You’ll have the energy to do more

2.     You won’t feel guilty about indulging

3.     You’ll stay in a really good mood

4.     It’ll help you recover from alcoholic and digestive excesses

5.     Getting back to your regular workout won’t seem like so much of a drag

The best way to work the workout into your holiday is to work with what you’ve got.

On the beach? Nothing quite like a run or walk by the sea. It’ll keep you fresh and buzzing for the rest of the day. And will earn you all that lovely seafood and beer you know you’re going to have.

Being a tourist? Ditch the transport, walk the sights. A tour of a museum, browsing the local markets, visiting famous monuments all burn plenty of calories and keep the muscles well oiled.

Up a hill? Do a nature trail or go on a short trek. Even if it isn’t part of your holiday agenda. Once you get the adrenaline pumping through your system you’ll be able to extract so much more from your holiday time.

Holiday resort? Resorts have so much to offer by way of fitness. Play a game or sport, take a swim, jump on a trampoline or do some yoga. 

Try something new.  Learn a local dance, experiment with an adventure sport, ride a mechanical bull (yes, really), etc. If it's something your body isn't used to doing, be warned... there might be a little bit of soreness.

Stuck in a hotel? Nothing like plush carpeting to do some surya namaskars or some pushups and ab exercises. Or if you feel really boring, go use the in-house gym.

Of course doing things like lots of shopping and carrying the resulting loot, hefting your own bags instead of relying on a porter, toting a fancy camera with lots of attachments etc., will also work towards working you out on your holiday.

Fitness on a holiday can be fun, and there’s a million ways to do it no matter where you are.

Happy travels J

Recipe for Fitness: Strength Training

I’m a big fan of of strength/resistance training. It took me forever to haul my lazy ass towards it, but I’m now a believer, and I cannot advocate it enough. Besides the obvious (and superficial) benefits of resistance training (any form of exercise that uses resistance to increase the strength of your muscles, endurance, bone density, etc.), here are some more reasons to adopt it into your fitness regimen.

1.     It makes you stronger all over: Strength training isn’t just about ‘making body’ or building muscle. It improves both the form and function of your body. A well-rounded Strength Training program (at least 2 days a week) will improve joint function, bone density, muscle and ligament strength, lung and heart function as well as enhance your flexibility and balance.

2.     The older we get, the more we need it: As we grow older, our lean muscle mass reduces. Strength training promotes lean muscle in the body and prevents fat from taking over. Also, because strength training improves functional movement, you drastically reduce the chances of falling, losing balance, losing coordination, as you grow older. It reduces the risk of getting osteoporosis. 

3.     It’ll give your metabolism a kick up its behind: Resistance training won’t just burn more calories for you, it will shoot your metabolism up. In fact you’ll continue to burn calories well after you say bye-bye to your workout for the day. And, the more lean muscle you continue to create in your body (through resistance training), the more calories you will burn for the same amount of exercise. Strength training will make you lean and strong, not skinny and loose like cardio tends to do.

4.     It reduces all the bad stuff: A great resistance training routine will reduce:

a.     Your weight

b.     Depression

c.      Chances of getting injured

d.     PMS symptoms

e.     The risk or heart disease and diabetes

f.      Insomnia

g.     Your appetite for junk food

h.     Your inhibitions (because you look better, feel better, etc. etc.)

5.     There’s a world beyond Machines: You may think weights and strength machines are boring, but there’s so much more to strength training than the same old bench press, leg extension, curl, adductor and abductor blah... Resistance training has become interestingly innovative (and even colourful) with equipment such as ViPR, Kettlebells, Bosu balls, etc integrating 3 dimensional movements into strength work, so you engage your entire body instead of isolating muscle groups.  More muscles engaged = better metabolism = stronger, faster = more calories burnt = more energy, etc. 

So what say... add a little pick me up to your workout?

The Colourful Citizens of Gymistan

For all of you who wonder why I love my job so much, and why I spend a lot of time on the gym floor… look at whom all I get to hang out with…

The One Rep Wonder: Well, to say he does only one repetition is unfair. He may only do only one rep of the weights exercise. But he faithfully chases it with 20 repetitions of self-admiring glances in the various mirrors around him. Lift… look, look, look.

Little Ms. Look-at-me: The number of eyeballs she gets is directly proportionate to the calories she burns. When not making a spectacle of herself on the gym floor, she can be found practicing 'appealing' work out poses and expressions in front of locker room mirrors.

Muscle Man: This one dresses to impress. Or so he thinks. His V-neck spaghetti tees have put many a hot girl and her cleavage to shame. Unlike the One Rep Wonder, he’s is not content with self-admiration. As is clear from the frequent invitations to feel his muscles.

Ms. McSteamy: She certainly works up a sweat. Her fitness studio of choice is the steam room, and she knows every sizzling secret to weight loss through wet heat therapy.

Mr. Flappy Shorts: He likes to hang loose. He also likes to hang about all over the place. He has never heard of athletic support for men. Or even underwear, it would seem. Things we wish he wouldn’t do: high kicks, knee ups, wide squats and any yoga asana that requires a parting of his legs.

Aunty Q: When she has to know, she has to know. What exercise is this? Why are we doing it? What muscle does it work? How do you spell that? Will it make me lose weight? There is no wrong question. There is no wrong time to ask a question. Etiquette be damned! Exercise can wait. But her thirst for information has to be slaked immediately. 

Diet Diva: A is for Atkins, B is for Blood Group Diet… this girl knows everything there is to about diets. She has done them all. An expert. And she’s still 20 kilos overweight.

Wannabe P.T.: Not content with making body himself, he generously offers advice to anyone within earshot. If he’s working out in your vicinity, then rest assured your technique is wrong… but he will correct it; your diet is wrong, but he’ll give you a food plan; your workout partner is wrong… you should work out with him instead; the gym is wrong… you should join the gym he is starting as soon as he gets enough personal training clients.

Now you know... ;)

*Picture borrowed from a blog called Wobbly Bloggy... got to love the name :)