Friday Q&A: Yoga Solutions for Hypertension

Q: I'm wondering if you could help me ID some yoga resources for my sig other.  He suffered an aortic dissection last Nov while visiting me here from Italy. Barely made it to the ER and surgeon's table on time. Five hour surgery later, he had a new synthetic 4 inch segment replacing his aorta just above the heart and a new lease on life. Six months out he's doing great. He does have a little bit of chance of recurrence, but overall the outlook for his continued recovery is good.The present goal apparently is to keep his BP down. He's been...

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NUTRITIONAL BASICS FOR BODYBUILDING SERIES. Part One: Realising the importance of nutrition. By Vic Goyaram

NUTRITIONAL BASICS FOR BODYBUILDING SERIESPart One: Realising the importance of nutritionResearched and composed by Vic GoyaramI wanted to write about macro nutrient basics for bodybuilding but my intuition told me to start this series with a more fundamental issue: the realisation of the importance of nutrition. When it comes to building muscle, resistance training tears down the muscle and nutrition is one of the essentials...

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Yoga Relaxation Techniques: They're Not Interchangeable

by NinaPatterns in the Sand 2, by Brad GibsonOkay, I admit it. It’s probably my fault. I’ve been going around saying that you can trigger the Relaxation Response (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga) using any of the following: restorative yoga, inverted poses, Savasana, pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra, etc. as if all those practices were somehow interchangeable. This has led to questions like the following comment left on a Friday Q&A:...

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Is Meditation an Essential Part of Practicing Yoga?

by TimothyPatterns in the Sand by Brad GibsonDo you need to meditate? Can you achieve all or most of the same benefits from just practicing asana, restorative yoga, Savasana, and/or pranayama? Is it worth even trying if you feel like you're no good at it? We get questions like these at the blog from time to time, so I figured I'd tackle them today.I can't help but notice that people often talk about yoga and meditation as two separate practices....

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Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and Yoga: An Overview

by BaxterComplexity in Nature by Brad GibsonOn these hallowed blog pages, we have previously addressed several conditions that involve our cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels), such as arrhythmias, strokes, hypotension and hypertension (also referred to as High Blood Pressure and Hypertension, or HTN). We even have at least six posts that at least mention HTN. However, due to the large percentage of adults who will develop HTN over the...

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AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE SERIES Part One: Basic Science of amino acids. By Vic Goyaram

AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE SERIESBasic Science of amino acidsResearched and composed by Vic Veeraj GoyaramExclusive for Bodybuilding MauritiusFig. 1: Amino acid supplements are numerous and varied. This article attempts to give you a background on amino acids and help you find a way in this maze.There isn't any bodybuilder who hasn't heard the term "amino acid" but whether everyone UNDERSTANDS amino acids is another question....

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Friday Q&A: Neck Pain and Fear

Q: I read of yoga for back pain, but little about neck pain. I've been in PT for months, with good ideas about posture/extension/alignment, etc. And now I'm in a series of skillful massage targeted to the neck muscles...but such stiffness in spite of it all! Did yoga for years, but not lately (still active!) I'm wary of yoga that my pain might be exacerbated. I'm 52. My work is varied, with some hours at a desk but broken up with people interaction....

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Energizing Yourself: Overcoming Styana and Alasya

by NinaI don’t know about you, but Ram’s post yesterday The Dangers of Being Sedentary scared me a bit. Findings from a recent study showed that individuals who sat for more than 11 hours daily were 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years than those who sat for four hours or less daily—even when people’s physical activity at other times of the day was accounted for. Studies have also indicated that sitting daily for less...

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The Dangers of Being Sedentary: Styana, Alasya, and Yoga

by RamDance by Marc ChagallYoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences, with Ayurveda being the healing side of Yoga, and Yoga serving as the spiritual side of Ayurveda. Through the practices of Ayurveda and Yoga an individual is able to connect to his/her true nature through direct experience, and live a meaningful and purposeful life. This would mean following stable routines, having a balanced and nourishing timely diet (see You Are When You Eat)...

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