Respect is at the core of all relationships. When we respect, we revere. In life’s many aspects, relationships form an integral part of our development and emotional wellbeing.

Without Affection and Attention, Love Withers Away

Harish, a 30-year-old marketing executive, wondered where his wife and he were headed. Harish found Sunita, a housewife, often on the ‘phone talking to her friends, or shopping and dining out, leaving him in the “microwave.” Post-it cards seemed a familiar form of communication for the couple that married two years ago.

While Harish blamed his wife for the breakdown of communication, he failed to notice the pattern he developed in the early days since their marriage. While Harish made time to meet Sunita during their courtship, Sunita found herself at the receiving end of his frustrations and abusive language with no regard for her wanting his affections. Worse, Harish assumed his obligations were fulfilled by way of marriage.

Feeling unwanted and inferior, Sunita chose to hide herself behind rather than having to hear her husband was, perhaps, having an affair with someone more charming. A lacklustre life was sure draining her vitality, while Harish had become a haggard hustler.

Harish and Sunita loved each other and had made the commitment to spend the rest of their lives together. But relationships, like plants, if not watered, wither. Harish took for granted the significant “other” in his life, and Sunita felt too terrified and helpless to confront him.

3 Power Tips to Enrich Your Love Relationship

1. Spend quality time together

What would have really helped in the Harish-Sunita situation was some quality time spent together, at least once a week, when Harish could put aside his work, and Sunita, in turn, could make an effort to understand the hectic demands of his job.

Notes Dr Kersi Chavda, a psychotherapist, “Great relationships depend largely on making time for the person, sharing good news as well as bad; all this shows you care.” He adds, “If the person spends time with a positive intent, it makes him/her feel good and increases the feelings of security, or being bonded which is a necessity to survive.”

Add to this, the following pointers, and you can make things work for you:

• Life is a series of small events. This applies to relationships
• It is not difficult to build great relationships. All you need is commitment
• When a person is important enough in our lives, we commit to keep the relationship alive. This, by itself, brings enthusiasm
• A sense of steadfast commitment contributes to making each day together a pleasure and blessing.

2. Small gestures yield big dividends

It is the small things we overlook that sour relationships to the point of disharmony. Commitment may appear a big word. However, it is essentially the building of a relationship which comes about as a natural progression when the person is someone we cherish or want to draw into our lives. When we feel good about having the person in our life, it is important to show and express it. Most often, relationships break down for want of communication.

By communication, we do not mean words like, “I love you,” or candy and flowers, although they have a beautiful way of re-affirming affection.

It is these little things like knowing what the other would appreciate that makes life brighter. It reflects thoughtfulness — an endearing quality:

• Little errands, such as helping with kitchen chores, or tidying up by oneself
• Little matters, like taking the other into confidence, or a change that involves both individuals, can affect relationships
• Think also of co-operative teamwork, within couples, within families, and within teams at work.

All this leads to better understanding and rewarding lives, not to mention enduring relationships.

3. Cultivate trust

We all know what makes great relationships truly great. Yet the fact remains: great relationships are not without strife or their dose of disagreement. Even when individuals involved may not see eye-to-eye on certain issues, they accept the other person for what s/he stands for and try to understand his/her point of view, however, different it may be.

So, what would have otherwise been a contentious issue, holding the relationship by a thread, becomes a challenge they may not like. Yet, they are comforted in the knowledge that they are not alone. This can lead to an amiable compromise.

Trust makes tough decisions easier. For example, without trust, there can be no worthy relationships. What kind of a relationship would it be when you have to constantly look over your shoulder, and inspect your partner’s every move? In trust lies faith.

Since people are mutually important to each other, any decision could be arrived at keeping in mind the sensitivity and needs of both people involved and not at the cost of, or in the bid to overstep the other. The harmony that comes with trust can do wonders — be it in a family, or at the workplace.

Related » 6 Trust Building Exercises For Couples [The definitive guide]

6 Bonus Tips to Strengthen Your Love Relationship

1. Love yourself

Unless you love yourself, it’s hard for you to believe that anyone else will.

2. Like your partner

Healthy relationships happen between two people who really like each other. It may be more romantic to talk about love, but it’s important to remember that love is an emotion that comes and goes.

3. Communicate

Good communication is essential for a healthy relationship. It’s the only way you can tell your partner who you are, what you want and why you behave the way you do. Talking is the way we let each other into our private worlds.

4. Argue well

It’s important to accept that arguments are a normal part of a relationship. We are all unique and so are bound to have our differences.

5. Touch every day

Touching is a vital human need. Being caressed also improves heart health and releases natural opiates in the brain, as well as the chemical oxytocin, which is essential for human pair-bonding.

6. Accept change

People change over the years and it’s these changes that can keep a relationship alive. Life changes too — and not always in ways that we want.

Keeping all these principles going is not easy, but the more you can manage on a regular basis, the stronger your relationships will be.

Conclusion

It is a chain of tiny, thoughtful efforts that brings about great relationships. It is a chain of caring, unselfish endeavors that enhances a person’s emotional wellbeing and, in turn, encourages the person to contribute more to furthering the relationship.

This is what we may all relate to as a string of happiness, or success — a gradual and beautiful nurturing of emotional needs of the individual who is a gift to life and in every sphere of it. In other words, what sustains love can sustain great relationships — and, also life as a whole.

This is an updated version of the article that first appeared in the November 2006 issue of Complete Wellbeing magazine

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Working in an office environment exposes us to a multitude of germs, dirt and bacteria invisible to the naked eye as we use common elevators, computer keyboards, coffee machines, microwave and public washrooms. Washing hands as often as possible, then, occupies prime importance in order to avoid the spread of contagious diseases that can affect our immune system adversely and take a toll on our health.

Daily bath

On a daily basis, we are constantly exposed to pollution in the form of carbon emissions and dust on the roads, sometimes even at home. Many of us travel to and from work using public transport services such as trains and buses. This brings with it jostling with a load of smelly, sweaty people. The nature of our work [physical or sedentary], our workout regimen [high/moderate/low intensity], and our body constitution determine the degree to which our body is exposed to bad bacteria and the amount we sweat. An increased likelihood of sweat makes a daily body wash essential. Living in a sub-tropical climate with high temperature and humidity levels only worsens the problem.

Our lifestyle often results in the build-up of toxins. While these toxins are released partially through exercise and drinking plenty of water, taking regular showers and bath is another vital way of getting rid of them. If the pores of our skin are clogged, the release of toxins through the sweat pores are blocked. Bathing is a great way to cleanse the body. Hot water opens up the pores and facilitates the cleaning. Thereafter the use of cold water cleans the pores and also, closes them up.

A clean home

An unkempt home is an invitation to various health complications. Cluttered rooms, unwashed clothes, smelly kitchens that can breed rodents, dirty toilets and bathrooms can negatively impact our health. Micro-organisms can multiply and cause diseases. Water is a remarkable solvent and in combination with appropriate detergents, we are able to successfully eliminate most types of bacteria. Water helps get the toughest of stains off – whether on dishes, clothes or floors. Swabbing the floor with water in combination with a disinfectant is a common practice to eliminate flies and unwanted pests.

Water plays a vital role in keeping us clean. Let us acknowledge that, and hope we never run out of this precious resource.

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A gym that’s nearby

One of the biggest factors to determine your motivational levels to work out is the location of your gym. Ideally, you would want to choose a well-equipped gym closer to home. What this essentially does is eliminate travel time, which in a bustling metropolitan city, could mean being stuck in traffic snarls that kill the initial motivation with which you stepped out in the first place. Also, the closer the gym is to your home, there is a greater opportunity to walk your way to it, adding to your fitness regime.

A gym that suits your pocket

Before jumping in to join your local gym, find out what fits your wallet and what doesn’t. Fitness involves initial pains. But there are those you certainly want to avoid, for example, those caused by making a hole in your pocket. Setting the goal to join the gym was painstaking enough. But once that decision is made [which is kudos to you], it is important not to make a blind leap but rather to find out if the cost of joining one fits into your budget.

Often, people join a fitness program with gusto only to quickly lose steam. Additional financial burdens would deprive you of the pleasure of the endorphins released, thereby debilitating your motivation. A more prudent approach would be to find a gym that does not make a financial crunch, but one that motivates you to save up a little to afford the process of looking good. There’s nothing like fiscal fitness that goes with the physical one!

Make an informed choice

Don’t just stand at the counter, ask for the price list and dish out your credit card. Most gyms would be compliant with offering the potential customer a tour of their floor space. Keep in mind not be blinded by the fancy equipment and instead also take a peek at the locker rooms, the showers and the like. Feel free to find out what their customer services are, including towel provisions and refreshments.

Another important aspect when touring the gym is to find out the various practices they specialise in, be it aerobics, yoga or pilates, and what is included in your basic plan and what’s not. Find out the special offers and whether they offer free introductory classes to the various disciplines before you zero in on any. Better yet, look for the combo offer.

A gym that is well-maintained

The thing to look out for before emptying your bank account is the maintenance of machines. This would not mean only following the lead to checking out their flashy, new ones, but the basic hygiene and regime followed after each workout. You would not want germs to populate where you are essentially working out to get healthy. These are small important things to look for, because the last thing you need is to be stuck in a smelly, putrid area infested with bacteria. Find out how often they service the machines, the help at hand in regularly maintaining the hygiene in the well-ventilated rooms.

Watch what you drink

While most gyms offer the perfunctory drinking water, it would not be unwise to check the source of the water. The more high-end gyms also indulge in self-prescription and provide vitamins and supplementary tablets. On the side of caution, it is better to consult one’s family physician before consuming anything that is laid across the counter.

Larger gyms also cater to people who are easily indulgent to gulping down refreshments. Don’t be fooled on two grounds. Firstly, check the “real” nutritive value of the drinks offered. More often than not, the refreshments offered are either caffeinated or contain sugars that can have quite the contradictory effect. Secondly, find out if it is coming out of your tab of overall package, even if you decide to indulge in their wares.

Ensure a good instructor

In deciding your work-out plan, find out the viable scheme that allows for a hands-on personal trainer. Learn to appreciate his/her knowledge. But their goal should be to help you find the most useful techniques for your body, someone who is just as eager as you to comprehend your body sense and trying to fit it to what your body should really be doing. Be wary of dictator types and ask for a swap if the situation warrants that you are avoiding the gym altogether.

Schedule time properly

It is really important to set time aside for your work-out so you have less room for excuses. But it should be aligned in such a way that you are not rushing to get through your work-out or stuck in rush hour. The last thing you want to do is to either rush people or wait endlessly for a machine to be available. Give yourself the space to breathe; this is after all rejuvenation time.

Some basic pointers

Wear appropriate clothes while hitting the gym. This does not mean an expensive splurge, but comfortable clothing, not so loose as to get entangled with the equipment. Similarly, foot wear can make or break your soles. Keep an open mind. Heed your instincts and listen to your body through experience. The revelations could be insightful. Make new friends; they share similar goals for being there. But remember to not let friendship get in the way of the real purpose of getting to the gym. Respect those who share the space with you and maintain decorum for a harmonious workout for all concerned.

Most importantly, have fun. This should not be a chore. It is your lifestyle choice; revel in it!

The post Invest in a gym wisely appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Not just abs, baby!

Few things are important to keep in mind when targeting an area of workout. Most physiotherapists and physical trainers are of the belief that it is not possible to work only one particular area and ignore others. In fact, it is virtually impossible to work on only one aspect of the body or lose weight in that area alone. Instead, to build strength and flexibility in that core area of the abdomen, it is necessary to take the entire body fitness into consideration. Exercise for the overall wellbeing of the body is a must, in order to build great abs. In other words, you can’t have great abs without a great body.

Advertisements selling abs crunchers may seem rather compelling, but spot reduction of the abs alone will not achieve the goal. Entire body-mind work-out is important to ensure that the body is built to give shape and strength to the core region — the midsection of your body. Instead, incorporating exercises that include the back and the sides will go a long way in helping you achieve your goal of a perfect six-pack abs faster. Pilates is one way to go about it. The combination of exercises that fitness experts will suggest for your particular body type and goal will determine the quickest route to looking good.

Your abs are what you eat

Just exercising will not do the trick. Often, exercising to lose weight or tone up the muscles loses its magic when not accompanied with a steady diet regime. The process is defeated when the excess fat – in this case around the abdominal muscles – keeps accumulating, and hence, doubling the time of exercise. This leaves you weary, exhausted and worse still, frustrated to the point of giving up.

Follow up the exercises with a dedicated diet programme that does not work contrary to your goals. Muscle fat, around the abdominal area, usually defeats most well-laid attempts to build great-looking upper body. Without employing crazy crash diets that will only see you put on the pounds in no time, follow a healthy diet plan that calls for smaller meals, at fixed intervals, to aid in boosting energy levels, while not adding excess weight.

Doing the basics right

Few would realise that the perfect upper body can be achieved simply by setting one’s posture right. Slouching bodies and droopy shoulders will hide what little beauty there is. Your energy and body image drastically improve when shoulders are pulled back, chest up. Simply by pulling the navel to the spine, the body gets a tremendous uplift – it improves one’s breathing and awareness, and the body’s shape looks a lot better than what the ill-formed posture previously suggested.

Getting down to the bare essentials

You need not have the latest of expensive gym gadgets and equipment to take you to your goals. While they are only additional aids that you can use to mix up your routine, by no means are they essential. Developing a perfectly-toned body can be achieved in the park or even at home, with a few core body-stretching exercises.

Remember, the hare and the tortoise

Taking on too much, too soon, will only backfire. Instead, account for frustrating days, days on which motivation needs a lending hand. More often than not, there will be fluctuations in workouts, body tension and achieving the ultimate goal. But, rather than looking for fast tricks, patience and perseverance will pay dividends.

After the initial spurt of enthusiasm, setbacks may set in with a minor, undesirable fluctuation in habits or results. Frustration and apathy may set in, after the established routine gets boring. Constant monitoring, consultation with a nutritionist and trainer, observing changes in the body and mental thought process will provide the guide to staying on course.

Look at the larger picture

Fitness experts suggest a three-dimensional, two-way approach. Look at the three-dimensional individual body, and work in a whole-body workout system. Also, look at the three D’s – discipline, determination and dedication – that will decide when and how you get to your goal.

Age can be a factor that dictates what the fitness routine employed or not employed, and the lifestyle habits that hamper progression. It may mean having to give up a bad habit or two, if speed and consistency of result, are to be attained. Exercise will have to be planned taking into account all these factors and the results will naturally vary depending on how many aspects of life need to be transformed, and understanding what could trigger an undesirable spiral. It is also prudent not be defeated by pursuing goals that are not aligned with one’s body and genetic disposition. It is not possible for everyone to achieve the so-called “perfect” six-pack abs and it is not necessary that it looks good or suits every body type. Trying to fit perfect abs on a thin frame is not appropriate. However, the attempt to look good never fails. The end result will ensure a better body, notwithstanding one’s body structure.

Rome was not built in a day. Neither can your body be made the temple of Greek Gods overnight. The attempt to transform your body – or one aspect of it – is not an isolated process. It is about bringing your mind and body in harmony with the goal.

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When to stay home

While most common ailments are considered run-of-the-mill excuses for staying away from work, it is often these very diseases that can cause considerable loss of productivity in the office. Worse still, it could result in spreading the illness to a few others as well – unintentionally of course!

Having woken up with a blocked nose and a throbbing headache, ever had doubts whether you should stay home, against your workaholic instinct? Chances are you should, if the symptoms are accompanied by body pain as well. There are few things worse than spreading influenza around, and certainly your boss won’t appreciate you getting him sick.

Common cold and cough

Coughing may not seem like a dire condition or a valid reason to stay home. However, it can be quite disturbing for your colleagues to work around while you are shrieking your lungs out through the day. If your coughing fits last for more than a couple of days, it is advisable to see your physician who can prescribe suppressants to ease your agony, and that of those who work around you.

Common cold can create a chaos at work. Considered the lamest of excuses to skip office, it is often a prudent thing to stay at home with the cold at its peak. With a running nose and clogged breathing channel, it is unlikely that you will get much work done anyway. On the contrary, there is a risk that your teammates may catch the cold.

The apparently innocuous cold can actually bring an entire office to its knees. Being contagious, the infection spreads rather effortlessly through computer keys, files and folders, elevator buttons, even coffee-vending machines. Medication for cold and body aches are likely to make you drowsy at the workplace. Besides, fever could also mean a dehydrated body that is incapable of working well without sufficient rest.

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is another condition in which you should stay home — at least until the intensity subsides. With antibiotics and eye drops, it is barely possible to do any work, especially one that involves long hours in front of a computer. Rather than distributing eye-protection gear generously around the office, it is better to steer clear.

Critical jobs

No matter what the nature of the illness, if the job requires a high amount of alertness – like those involving piloting a plane or driving a bus in rush hour traffic – the decision leaves little choice but to take the day off. There are graver risks involved here and if you cannot make the decision, hope that your boss can do it for you. In such scenarios, hiding one’s illness can have irrevocable consequences.

When not to stay at home

Muscular pain, by itself, may not warrant staying away from work. If the intensity of pain forces you to think of nothing else, you are not going to get anything accomplished at work. If painkillers help relieve the pain, you can continue work. But in the long run, overdependence on drugs to ensure productivity can have the contrary effect.

Instances of chronic and severe backache may still push the workaholic in you. Not having to bend your back for physical work will not arrest the pain. In fact, staying stuck at the computer monitor for long hours will only aggravate the pain. Few doctors actually recommend staying home from work for backache. But even when they do, they insist that people suffering from backache not lie in bed all day but rather move around the house a bit. This is a call you can make based on sound information of the extent of injury, your doctor’s advice, and your tolerance for pain.

But don’t let half-excuses become full-blown causes for trouble with the boss. Mere sniffling will not get you the doctor’s certificate. An occasional cough is okay, as also a moderate cold brought on by the dropping temperature in the company’s air conditioning system. Don’t stay home longer than the prescribed time until it becomes absolutely necessary. Conversely, rushing back to work means insufficient time for recovery and possibility of a relapse.

Decisions, decisions

There is a delicate line between deciding whether an illness merits rest or not. The situation becomes worse when missing more than a couple of days at a new place of work could mean retrenchment or even loss of job. In such situations, decision-making becomes a bit more complex. But generally, watch any symptoms with concern as well as restraint, and take early measures to ensure you are back on your feet in no time.

But these decisions are better aided by healthy rapport between members of the team or one’s immediate subordinates or superiors. Knowing that you are susceptible to certain ailments can help you plan around less productive days. The determining factor that decides whether you should be at the workplace is to assess: whether you can give it your best or would you simply end up being a liability?

The post Staying Home Never Felt This Good! appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Most people only wake up to the realisation of the importance of a regular walk, or hitting the gym, after they are well past their youth and caught up in a mid-life crisis, usually centered on their health. High cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, mounting heart palpitations compounded by the very nature of a stressful job cause people to become aware of their bodies after considerable damage has already taken place.

Make the effort

By the time this awareness is starkly generated, the person is too flagellated to believe that any effort will make a real difference. The will to overcome demands greater intensity and the tendency to throw in the towel in the face is only too tempting.

Our body’s ability to withstand physical exertion has nothing to do with age. Active men and women well in their 80s and even 90s testify to it. Like brain cells, when body muscles and bones are not regularly exercised, they tend to rust and wear out over time. Lifestyle choices, bad eating habits, harmful addictions, nature of one’s job and responsibility in society do tend to affect one’s wellbeing. If anything, exercise invigorates the body and while the initial pain may stem from the long inertia that the body has become accustomed to, it is usually nothing more than that. Gradually, with time, the body adapts to the task and also expands the mind as well. Exercise actually activates and produces the necessary ingredients to keep our mind and body active and recharged.

Never too old

Many people believe they are too old to take up a physical activity, or sport, or even consider making a brisk walk part of their daily routine. However, time and again, research has shown that exercise, at any age, and irrespective of the condition of the body, has always resulted in benefits in terms of lowering cholesterol, keeping blood pressure and sugar levels under control and preventing, or arresting, degenerative ailments such as arthritis, osteoporosis and heart disease, including the symptoms of aging at bay.

The next time, a grand old man brushes away the thought of taking to exercise and laughs it off with, “I’m doing just fine” and worse still, is convinced about it, tell him there is a challenge and benefits in actually putting on those walking shoes.

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Isn’t it amazing that yoga, which has been explained in a manner that is simple and doable, thousands of years ago, remains a universal remedy for the difficult, stressful times we now live in?

This also means that yoga has more to do with mere fitness of the body. It relates itself to the harmonious functioning of our mind, body, and soul.

Yama [Moral principle]

Yama refers to the moral codes, or principles, that stipulate the limits within which man must stay in order to lead an organised life, and in interaction with those around him/ her. Yama has much to do with the way in which we interrelate and behave with others in our immediate surroundings.

The basic tenets of yama, or moral code, can be summarised through five qualities:

• Non-violence or ahimsa
• Truth, or satya
• Non-stealing, or asteya
• Non-lust, or brahmacharya
• Non-possessiveness, or aparigraha

This basically encapsulates the moral code of conduct in society. Truth and non-violence adhere to maintaining harmony in society as well as in the individual conscience. The idea behind non-violence is not just to eliminate pain and hurt, but also to completely eradicate the concept of enmity and antagonistic relationships over time. While yama does not necessarily advocate celibacy through brahmacharya, it does indicate leading a life with more meaningful relationships. It must also be remembered that non-stealing does not merely refer to materialistic robbery, but also of robbing another of his/her time, value or needs. Yama also advocates against hankering after too much wealth, or possessions, or coveting another’s property.

Yama throws new light on the entire concept of yoga. It goes against the popular norm of yoga being an individualistic exercise in controlling one’s thoughts. Yoga, it says, takes into account that the spiritual seeker is also a member of society and must, therefore, adhere to certain tenets in order to maintain harmony.

Niyama [Discipline]

Niyama evokes in the individual the need to pursue observances such as curbing negative vibrations, setting time aside for contemplation, inherent contentment, and firm belief and complete surrender to God, or the Supreme Power. It broadly includes:

• Contentment, or santosha
• Austerity, or tapas
• Purity, or soucha
• Awareness of a higher power, or ishwar pranidhan
• Self-study of sacred test, or svadhyaya

Asana [Posture]

In stark contrast to the viewpoint promulgated in the West, yogic positions and exercises, in the East, have been considered not as an alternative work-out to maintain fitness, but rather as a preparation for the important step of meditation. The primary aim of practicing these asanas, or postures, or yogic positions, is to attain the most comfortable position that aids the individual to attain a sense of mental equilibrium.

Yogasanas in the preparation for yogic meditation include positions in the sitting as well as standing position, as also those in the supine [face upwards, in lying down position] and prone [face down] positions as is commonly taught to enhance the object of exercise and expand the mind.

This is the step most people begin yoga with and attempt to attain the goal of pranayama. But, they often give up and wonder why it is that they fail to see benefits accrue from their recent endeavours. It is this narrow thinking and restricted knowledge that often brings this predicament upon the individual.

Pranayama [Breathing]

Breathing is an indispensable activity of life that begins at birth and continues until one’s death. Therefore, breathing represents the vital life force of the body. As the student of yoga follows the principles laid down by yama and the niyama and practices yogasanas, s/he makes a natural progression towards pranayama.

Pranayama basically refers to the control of breath. In the course of attaining salvation or samadhi, pranayama is considered a vital step. The idea behind consciously controlling the breath is attuned to the purpose of attaining mental equilibrium and greater awareness by mastering the process of inhalation and exhalation

Like many yogasanas, pranayama is witness to the dwindling of “pushy” followers, because it represents the vital force of life – if practiced incorrectly it can have an equally adverse effect on the body. Pranayama involves aspects such as quiet breathing [smooth breathing without effort], deep breathing [deliberate, protracted slow breathing], fast breathing [deliberately enhanced speed of breath], alternative nostril breathing, right nostril breathing, and so on.

Pratyahara [Sense withdrawal]

Pratyahara encourages the individual to look inwards. It also calls for introspection to weed out any undesirable tendencies. It is basically a shift of paradigm from the outer world to inner sanctity.

Dharana [Concentration on object]

Dharana, dhyana and samadhi blend into one as one proceeds towards the highest states of concentration. Dharana basically refers to the engagement of mind, focused on one subject. This would involve concentrating on something such as the syllable Om, while meditating. Further, once the stage of dharana is attained with a certain degree of achievement, the stage of dhyana follows almost automatically, with little or no effort, depending on the progress achieved at this stage.

Dhyana [Meditation]

This is the stage where meditation and concentration merge into one and the result is a tranquil mind that knows no distractions, or deviations. The endurance involved in attaining this stage is tremendous, but the pursuit is well worth the effort.

Samadhi [Salvation]

This is the state of bliss attained when the mind simply calms to a condition of complete harmony and is aware of the Universe. There is also an inherent awareness of oneness with all beings, a transcending of the self and the integration with the higher power. When looked at as a whole, and made up of a series of logical steps, the layman’s concept of yoga now undergoes a radical change. Suddenly, the rather narrow, erroneous notion of yoga as merely a base form of exercise appears considerably deficient. Instead, there are wells deep inside, the spirit to yearn for and seek out of the wholesome, unadulterated pure joy, or the essence of peace that result through the truly integrating wealth of the Cosmos.

This is yoga in action and effect. It is also wisdom in our ever-changing world.

The post Ashtanga Explained appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Knowing how one’s body reacts helps us devise a better strategy towards one’s diet and regimen. Similarly, knowing what yoga does for the mind and body will only enhance our experience of life.

Contrary to popular notion, yoga is an all-encompassing exercise in expanding our mind, body and soul to a level of self-realisation as well as self-actualisation.

Yoga has emerged from ancient science and wisdom. Its pristine and extensive knowledge suggests that there was a preamble devised for the right way of living much before the emergence of hectic and fast-paced lives that we lead today. Knowledge of the philosophy behind yoga is not only enlightening, but it also gives us true insight into leading a peaceful life without complexity.

The practice of yoga may be best described by way of what is called the eight-fold path of yoga or simply Asthanga.

Ashtanga

Ashtanga literally translates to eight [ashta] limbs [anga]. Ashtanga yoga represents a basic doctrine – a set of guidelines that helps us lead purposeful lives. In doing so, it upholds the tenets of spirituality and morality, along with the encapsulation of our attention to the development of our body as well as our soul. It also depicts the route that the student of yoga takes in the pursuit of enlightenment.

Understood at its basic level, the eight-fold yoga path provides insights in comprehending one’s role in the larger scheme of things, showing how every tenet is intertwined with the other – where each is a microcosm within a macrocosm of knowledge.

Various literatures amounting to mounds of thesis on the subject generally derive their source from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, as elucidated by Patanjali, aeons ago. It describes the eight-fold path of yoga that the pupil goes through, inculcating the canons of life in the process of achieving one’s highest goal.

Put in proper perspective, yoga presents a gamut of benefits that accrue to the follower. Many people who have pursued the physical aspect of yoga have only touched the tip of the iceberg. Knowledge and understanding of yoga’s eight-fold path will put them on the road to achieving a comprehensive programme and, as a result, take their life to a new level of sublime experience.

The eight-fold yoga path enshrines the following to map your road to the highest level of enlightenment:

1. Yama [moral principle]
2. Niyama [discipline]
3. Asana [posture]
4. Pranayama [breathing]
5. Pratyahara [sense withdrawal]
6. Dharana [concentration on object]
7. Dhyana [meditation]
8. Samadhi [salvation]

These stepping stones depict the route that individuals undertake as they go about achieving the highest of life’s ideals. Some of the words are more familiar than others.

But, where knowledge of yoga has previously been imparted, few have touched upon the depth that it necessitates in order to know just how deep an inclination and how vast its benefits are in pursuing a particular step that “centres-in” on the self, and one’s inner core.

Prelude to Asthanga

Yoga involves controlling the thought processes of our mind. In so doing, it helps us to determine our journey towards higher goals in life. Like all holistic disciplines, yoga determines the whole concentration of mind, body and soul, towards reaching that goal.

Those who have practiced yoga briefly may have given up half-way through on the journey to wellbeing and abandoned it midway through the process. This is not confined to yoga, but to every aspect of life where what we started we did not complete.

In addition, Yoga Sutras mentions probable disturbances that affect our thought consciousness and disturb thought waves and rhythms from time and time, throwing us off our endeavours. Before describing the eight branches of Ashtanga Yoga, it is a worthwhile to understand the hindrances and guard ourselves against these distortions in thoughts and in sticking to our chosen path.

Nine obstacles

Samshaya [Doubt]

When doubts assail even before the commencement of a project, it belies self-confidence and mental strength to undertake it with assurance.

Vyadhi [Disease]

Imbalance within the body results in an unnatural state of the body. This affects the practice and concentration of yoga, which, unless remedied, hinders your progress.

Alasya [Laziness]

Without action, there can be no habit. Yoga requires the inculcation of habits and unless guarded against the tendency to remain idle, the process can come to a standstill.

Styan [Langour]

Mental inability resulting from drowsiness and weariness of mind hinders the body from getting into the action mode.

Avirathi [Materialism]

Hankering after instant gratification of sense objects in the short-run affects the momentum of achieving higher goals.

Pramad [Inattentiveness]

Carelessness, because of mistakes being repeated, severely hinders progress.

Anavasthitattva [Instability]

Even when higher states of meditation are reached, the inability to maintain that stage for a good period of time results in failure and mental annoyance.

Branthi [Hallucination]

During the course of meditation, many thoughts and images beset us. Without verifying, it may be inconsequential day-dreaming.

Alabdhabhoomikatva [Non achievement]

Not getting results within expected time period may discourage further efforts.

It is important to understand these obstacles and try to guard ourselves against them. This will help us to work towards our goals, including advanced attainment of yoga practices.

Continued in Ashtanga Explained.

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You would not be wrong to think that the doctor was, perhaps, out of his mind to talk like that. Thankfully, it’s only a joke and if a doctor actually said that, to you, you should know it’s time to switch to another doctor!

But, this is also precisely what a “bad” cold – because, no cold is “good” – poses, a confounding puzzle for both doctor and patient.

Anyone who claims that s/he has not suffered from cold is either a hypocrite, or an extremely fit individual. This is because cold is one ailment that takes little time to catch on; it also takes up a frustratingly debilitating toll to get over. The common cold has not got its name for no reason. But, where the commonality of the illness is obvious, its treatment continues to elude precision.

Relief is no relief

A common cold is often accompanied by body pain, feverish symptoms, and sore throat compounded by cough. Medical treatment becomes complex with painkillers making the patient more weak and cough syrups, or expectorants, actually providing no more than temporary relief.

At the end of the day, rather than creating a commixture of available cold remedies over-the-counter [OTC], it would seem prudent advice to actually slow down. You need not reach the dead end, but a break would not be a bad idea, after all.

The common cold catches with it a rather embedded notion — that a cold requires no special break from work, like other illnesses. Given the alternative of working oneself to the brink of more serious and severe maladies, a break from work seems wise to follow.

Take it easy

Apart from resting and laying low for a day or two, sipping fruit juices at regular intervals will help revive your weakened spirits. Needless to mention, avoiding heavy, oily and fried foods would help immensely to make a quick recovery.

Take natural fruits and fruit juices – not essences – to tide over cold and ensure that the body also gets necessary nutrients for a return to healthy ways.

A break from routine work is not only beneficial, but also mood-elevating. The most important point, of course, is – rather than laying down the entire work staff by spreading the irritating cold virus, it would be prudent to stay at home.

This way you would “win” two birds with one stone – staying in your boss’s good books, while earning that much-needed rest!

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Illnesses are multifaceted

Illnesses are usually of a multifaceted nature. Hypertension and heart problems, are sometimes more dangerously “shared” with diseases such as diabetes. The precautions one can take about one’s health are fundamental

Crash diets often crash the dieter’s health. A regular balanced diet is the surest way to keep diabetes under control. Eliminating, or at least reducing your white and refined food basket, is an easy way to bring diabetes under control. But, this must be done in consultation with a nutritionist, and with your knowledge of one’s own body.

Excess weight and diabetes

Weight issues are not just an image problem. Being overweight can be a social stigma as well. However, the most detrimental effect of unwanted weight is your propensity to be prone to disease of the heart as well as diabetes. Alongside diet, exercise also plays a very important role in not only balancing the equation, but also helping us towards getting fitter—despite all the odds.

Choose wisely

Stress is one of the leading causes of many illnesses, including diabetes. While food and exercise may be cultivated, not taking care of stress negates any good that may accrue from them. In our fast-paced life, the foot rarely comes off the accelerator. Even when it is possible, few will, because most of us are accustomed to live life in the fast lane. Sooner or later, running out of gas is a distinct possibility; also, devastating.

Diabetes is largely the outcome of lifestyle choices. This is, perhaps, why most of us would still be able to prevent it in our lives. Also, most of us can control it to the extent possible—if only we make reasonable choices with due consideration for a gift that is health.

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