Category:

FITNESS

3 Simple Steps to Amazing Results: World Health Day Inspiration

by Roopa April 7, 2025

written by Roopa

We focus easily on assets that are visible and tangible, while overlooking the truly essential things that can’t be seen or touched—like our health, for instance. Today, World Health Day, would be a good day to bring our focus on this topic and make a beginning, wherever we are on this journey.

3 simple steps we need to do:

Nourish Our Body – Eat Right
Exercise – Move Our Body with Joy to Keep Fit and Strong
Rest & Reconnect – Sleep well and recharge in Nature and in Silence.

1. Nourish Our Body
Eat right, choosing real food for health, not just for taste. Eat when hungry, eating mindfully with adequate hydration. Let our meals be a celebration of wellness, not just a routine.

2. Move with Joy
Whatever be the choice – yoga, power walking, dancing, sports or cycling – energizing, strong movements should be a daily joyful ritual. Not as a burden, obligation or punishment, but a celebration of what our body can do and be.

3. Rest and Reconnect
It is essential to prioritize sleep, unplug from screens, and reconnect—with ourselves, with nature, with silence, our friends and families.

Good health doesn’t demand perfection. It begins with intention, followed by consistent action. Consistent small smart choices accumulate into a life of good health.

So today, let us set our intention firmly to :

Eat only that which truly nourishes us.
Move our body every day, in a way that brings us joy.
Disconnect from useless energy and time drainers to reconnect with ourself, with nature, with stillness.

सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ! May All be Healthy, Disease-Free!

April 7, 2025 0 comment

FITNESS Wellness YOGA

Magic In The Journey Down To Touch The Toes!

by Roopa January 5, 2025

written by Roopa

In Yoga, the asana where one bends down to touch one’s toes is Paadahastasana. Some people, and even some kids do not find this easy to do. Over time, with practise and improved flexibility, this asana becomes possible. It can be quite a journey down there, one of exploration, self-discovery, awareness and improvement. This first post of 2025 is about the journey the kids from my Sunday Kids Yoga sessions are enjoying !

Yoga for Kids

Teaching yoga to kids four and a half decades younger than me is the joy and highlight of my Sundays. If people wonder whether kids can practise yoga as the two seemingly don’t go together, the answer is a resounding ‘yes, they can, and indeed should’.
It is easy to complain that with the exposure to the digital world very early on, the children of today lack focus and mindfulness. Most adults think that kids are hyperactive and restless, incapable of sitting still and silent let alone observe their minds. My experience with the children at my kids’ yoga classes prove otherwise. Children take to yoga naturally and joyfully. The body and mind awareness they cultivate brings a world of benefits to them.

An Exciting Journey!

Laughing and talking noisily, the girls, aged between 8 and 10 years come running up the stairs a few minutes ahead of the class. Rolling their yoga mats out, they are eager to experience what I have in store for them. Only after they excitedly tell me all about the ‘interesting happenings’ of the week, they are ready to ‘settle in’ ! With my instruction to inhale and exhale deeply as they close their eyes, our class begins. They observe their breathing and sit still and composed as we chant. Yes, occasionally a kid will get distracted and open her eyes to see what the others are doing but most times, the chanting immerses them deeply.
Even as newbies, the kids quickly get a hang of what comprises a yoga class and follow the instructions attentively. They soon want to progress to the advanced versions of the asanas. The balancing asanas being the trickiest, there’s much giggling as they watch each other wobbling about while they learn to focus their gaze on a single point.
Not only are the kids able to focus, chant, meditate and breath mindfully while enjoying the physical exertions, they are also able to observe the calmness and stillness of their minds after the pranayama. The mindfulness games I play with them are much in demand.

Adults usually come to yoga when their mental or physical health fails.

Unfortunately, in the case of adults, most enroll in yoga classes after they are diagnosed with lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes and other stress-related or mental issues. They come because they have no go but to finally take care of their health, and then, when they stay on this path and practise sincerely, realise that their yoga practise gives enormous mental as well as physical health benefits, beyond their expectation.
Since adults already carry a certain amount of baggage when they enroll in these classes, they take time to build confidence in themselves as well as in the practise itself. Children are spontaneous in their learning and responses; they do not analyze what they are asked to do nor are they self-conscious. They are also more intuitive and with gentle nudging grasp the purpose of the activities we do in class.

A World of Benefits!

Few parents are aware of the benefits of yoga for children. Some know about the benefits because they practised when they were younger, some send their kids to yoga class to get some free time for themselves!

Whatever be the reason, kids benefit enormously from yoga classes that include pranayama, asana, relaxation and mindfulness practices. When children learn to recognise their mental states and are empowered to regulate their moods and emotions through breathing and mindfulness techniques, they grow up to be balanced teenagers and adults. This is the kind of generation we need in our society. “More yoga in the world is what we need” – Diane Lane. And it would make a wonderful difference if we start with yoga for children.

As the kids bend down to touch their toes, they discover more than just flexibility on the journey down. There’s a world of wellness and joy there. Indeed, for these little ones, the journey down to touch their toes is a magical one.

Happy New Year Everyone !!

Wish you all a year filled with good health and all else you desire.

Do share your thoughts on this post here below !!!

January 5, 2025 4 comments

FITNESS Mind Matters Wellness

Lose weight quickly with this one movement!

by Roopa April 19, 2024

written by Roopa

Many people assume that practicing Yoga may not help them lose weight because of the slower and more purposeful movements,. This is far from the truth. You can lose weight with just this one movement !

This movement in Yoga, one from the group called Greeva Sanchalana, is probably the one you need to practise to lose weight.

It is a simple neck movement really! Whenever a plate of food is offered to you or is in front of you, you just make the following movements in the sequence given below. Make sure to do it mindfully and with a smile 🙂

Take a deep inhale, and exhale completely.
Inhale and as you exhale, move your head to the right.
Inhale and as you exhale, move your head to the left.
Repeat the above movement briskly and whoever offered you the food will quickly get the message and take the plate away.
If you do this movement regularly enough when you are tempted to eat more that you should, you are sure to lose weight in a surprisingly short time.
🙂 🙂

Yes ! This simple movement that indicates ‘NO’ is the movement most overweight people need to do !

The ONE reason that leads to weight gain and obesity is simply OVER EATING. That is all there is to it.

People find it difficult to say No to food – for whatever reasons. It is easy to just give in to food cravings and keep eating even though our bodies as adults need only moderate amounts of food, not more than once, twice or max thrice a day, to keep us energetic.

Over a period of time, eating larger quantities becomes a habit. With a sedentary lifestyle, this excess consumed food piles up and sits in the body as fat. Food that should nourish us then becomes a danger! Sad, isn’t it? Thus, awareness of how much we eat at every single meal is essential!

You might be surprised to know this – food is an addiction. Yes. It is. Just like any other undesirable addiction. Our minds have to be strong to overcome it.

What food is. And how you can lose weight by actually eating.

Food is meant to nourish us, give us energy and keep us healthy physically and mentally. Food uplifts us, keeps us active and assists in our longevity. After we eat we must feel energetic, not dull and lethargic. Eating should be a mindful, joyful experience for health and not just to satisfy and appease the 2 inches of taste buds on the tongue.

When we respect ourselves enough, we are particular about what we put into our bodies through our mouths and how much we eat. Whatever we eat must have enough Prana (vital energy in the form of absorbable, fresh nutrients) to replenish our bodies and minds. Examples of such Prana-filled food are – all fresh fruits & vegetables, sprouts, whole grains, millets, seeds, and pulses.

We must use our common sense and eat both raw food (salads) as well as cooked/baked/steamed food. When we eat stuff that is stale or unhealthy, it destroys our health as these have no Prana in them. Instead of healing and nourishing, unhealthy foods damage our organs. Such so-called ‘food’ must be avoided completely.

When you eat real food, it is unlikely that you will overeat because both the mind and body feel satisfied with the plentiful nutrients! So eating only good food will actually help one lose weight.

The fact is that when our body gets ALL the nutrition it needs from real food, we will be content and the tendency to over eat reduces in just a matter of days! We need to be committed to our goal to lose weight and get healthy.

Be firm and learn to say NO to food when:

You have eaten within the past 4 hours
You are mostly inactive physically
You know the food you are offered/eating is not really ‘food’
It is past 7 pm (say yes to water instead!).
The food is stale, has no nutrients or is only going to satisfy your tongue!

You are definitely worth the time and effort to stay healthy for your own sake !

(Of course, diabetics and people with other diseases need to join guided weight loss programs)

Do write in to say what you feel about this post… and also to share your stories of how you overcome the tendency to overeat.

April 19, 2024 6 comments

FITNESS Personal Growth Wellness

One Simple Way to Keep the Child in You Alive

by Roopa March 26, 2024

written by Roopa

I turned 53 recently and to celebrate my birthday ran 4-miles early that morning. It is possible to run marathons at age 60 and beyond, so my 4-mile run is not an achievement in that sense. My happiness springs from the fact that I have kept the child in me joyously alive by the simple act of running regularly ! Children run easily, it is natural for them to run about here and there, but many forget how to run (I mean physically!) when they reach adulthood.

On the road, a runner can be peacefully alone, unless they prefer running with company. The focus is on the breath, the patterns of inhales and exhales in musical synchrony with the sound and rhythm of the running legs as they go a steady thump-thump on the road. There is total awareness of how one’s body is moving, stride by stride. After the initial half-mile, one gets into a zone, a delightful flow of ease and acceptance both in body and mind.

Be a Child – Just Imagine …and Become !

Then, like children, who in their imagination change shapes and take different forms to become whatever their mind creates, a runner can become a deer, dainty and light, or a panther, all power and speed, or a bird, smooth and effortless. Running, thus, literally feels like poetry in motion! It is akin to meditation and feels beautiful.

There is the mindfulness and enjoyment of the breeze and the sense of freedom as a runner covers mile after mile. Then there is the mind game, the internal dialogue and determination to achieve one’s goal, and the subsequent learning about oneself every time.

The high after a run is real. I have huge smiles then, as all runners do. It comes both from a sense of achievement when I reach the target I set for myself at the beginning of each run, as well as from the sheer pleasure of the experience. While I enjoy running on the treadmill when I cannot run outside, outdoor morning runs are a different experience. There are the lovely smiles and waves I get back when I smile at other joggers on the road. These add beauty to the poetry and music of running.

Just Start !

For most people, the beginning of their first run starts with walking. With consistency and determination, the brisk walks alternate with short 2-minute runs. This progresses to a 5-min run and then to a continuous 1 km run. The excitement of newbie runners at this achievement of a non-stop 1 km run is a joy to behold! 5k runs are then not far behind. Many new runners take up this challenge and continue to progress in their runs. Those that recognise the mindfulness and music in running continue to enjoy it for as long as they can.

Everyone in decent health can experience the immense joys and benefits of running if only they take it up. One need not run marathons or even half a marathon. Running even 1-2 kms every day or atleast regularly makes a great positive difference to one’s physical and mental health.

I feel the same as Haruki Murakami who in his inspiring book ‘What I talk about when I talk about running’ wrote “I’ll be happy if running and I can grow old together.”

Originally published in The Hindu dated Feb 25th 2024 at link below:

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/the-many-joys-of-running/article67861673.ece

Do share your experiences with the activities that you do mindfully and joyfully ! What keeps the child in you thriving ?

March 26, 2024 2 comments