Archives for August 2009

The panic over H1N1 may have gone down but Mumbaiites are still playing it safe, picking from a flood of options recommended as H1N1 preventives by doctors and naturopathists.
Swine flu is transmitted by airborne droplets from an infected person’s sneeze or cough, germs on hands, or germ-laden surfaces. Currently, the world over, drug manufacturing units are gearing up to test vaccines against swine flu. Until those become commonly available, some doctors are suggesting immunity-boosters other than seasonal flu vaccines, which are not proven to be effective against H1N1.

Dr Ashok Mahashur, chest medicine specialist at Hinduja Hospital, says an oral vaccine, Polyvalent Mechanical Bacterial Lysate (PMBL), can be effectively used as a prophylactic medication to boost immunity. “Currently there is no vaccine in the world effective against this particular strain of virus. But reports suggest that PMBL was effective against SARS. PMBL stimulates the mucus membrane along the respiratory line. It acts on acute respiratory infection,” said Dr Mahashur. He adds, however, that there is no evidence that this drug is effective against swine flu and that its use could be effective as prophylactic medication.

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Forget 20-somethings twisting into overheated, tights-wearing pretzels. Yoga, dating back 5,000 years, is for all ages. Nearly 18 million Americans are finding stress relief, rejuvenation and many other reasons for taking part in this ancient practice. If you can breathe, you can yoga.

* Babies – With their knack of touching their heads to the floor with their bums in the air not to mention putting their toes in their mouths, little ones are natural yogis. That ability can be enhanced to benefit parents and babies. There are forests of books and DVDs on the subject but a mommies' favorite is Helen Garabedian's Itsy Bitsy Yoga program www.itsybitsyyoga.com Designed to strengthen the bond between parent and child from birth to 4-years-old, these touching, singing and stretching sessions provide relaxing, healthy playtimes.

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“Various yoga centers have reportedly popped up in cities across Finland and besides regular yoga classes, retreats and workshops are also held.

In view of its popularity among the Finns, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has urged the Government of Finland to open a national yoga academy for its preservation, research and promotion, with centers in all major cities of Finland, and also introduce yoga in public schools.

A unique Midnight Sun Ashtanga Ecological Yoga Retreat is organized in Finland at an isolated island of Kadermo where the silence is only broken by a 'woodpecker hacking away at a pine tree'.

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Yoga in these days is becoming popular and is practiced by people mainly for its health benefits. The term yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word "union," which means ‘to join.’

It aims for the great union of the body, mind, and spirit through a system of postures, breathing exercises, meditation. It refers to far more than these. In reality, it includes a wide range of disciplines designed to eventually bring the practitioners closer to god.

The yoga classes are usually longer than any other exercise classes because practicing yoga generally needs two to three hours. During a yoga session, your yoga instructor will guide you a series of yoga poses, where you will find many for the yoga positions with simple names such as ‘the plank,’ ‘the cat,’ or ‘the warrior.

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More on focus
M Priyanka, a college student, started learning yoga at the age of nine. Today, with a truckload of activities from studies to sports to cope up with, she finds that yoga helps her to focus better. “It helps me to remain focussed. There are many distractions in today’s world. But, unlike my peers, I think I’m not distracted easily, thanks to yoga,” she says.

Bust the stress
Arun Kumar, yoga master and wellness consultant in a well-known hospital, says that it’s the de-stressing effect of yoga that attracts youth to it. He says, “In the olden days, people used to feel the pressures of life when they were nearing their 40s. But today, youngsters take up a lot of responsibility at a very young age and they start feeling the effects of stress very early in life. Yoga is the best way to de-stress for them.”

Soothe the mind
“Clarity of mind is something that yoga has brought to me,” says S Prakash, an executive in a corporate company. “Yoga and meditation help calm the mind and regular practise brings clarity of thinking,” concurs S Lalitha, a software consultant.

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The City of Bathurst is offering a program for the well being of those 50 years and older. A five-week yoga program began Aug. 11 at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst. Former Bathurst city councillor Frank Quigg was among those in attendance.

"I thought it was very good," he said following the first class. "I've never attended yoga class before but I find the methods and teacher there gives you some techniques on relaxation. I thought it was something good and something I'm sure most of us can use these days with so much going on. The program is being offered free of charge through the City of Bathurst Parks and Recreation Department. It is being held every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by instructor Charlene Pearce.

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Some of Virginia's most flexible residents say the Old Dominion is forcing them to bend over backward. And not in a good way.

The tussle has pitted yoga enthusiasts against bureaucrats. At issue: Are yoga teacher training programs akin to vocational classes that should be regulated by the state? Or is Big Brother stretching too far into a centuries-old spiritual practice?

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia recently declared that studios offering yoga teacher instruction must be certified. That involves a $2,500 fee, audits, annual charges of at least $500 and a pile of paperwork.

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Thanks to Calgary research, a yoga program to help cancer survivors will now be used across Canada. The Yoga Thrive program is a seven-week therapeutic program that was developed at the University of Calgary and tested at the Foothills Hospital. The program aims to help fill the once a person has finished treatment but is still recovering.

"Yoga really helped me calm my mind, even though I'm not very good at it, as well as my flexibility and well being. It was just a total package for me," says Gale McCombie who is a breast cancer survivor. Research into breast and bowel cancer shows moderate daily exercise can play a significant role in preventing the disease. The Yoga Thrive program "is evidence based, it's researched to show that this sequence of yoga moves over the seven weeks does actually benefit the participants both at the physical level but also psychologically," says Lynette Stephenson who is one of the program coordinators.

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When Victoria Brunacci lost the sponsor for her Flamingo Park's yoga classes, the instructor rallied her students -- one of whom helped her connect with a new source of funding.

The tri-weekly classes, which had been funded by the Miami Beach Police Athletic League, will continue -- but won't be free anymore.

``Initially it was a class by donation, but at the end of the day I need to make a living,'' said Brunacci. When the Miami Beach Police Athletic League no longer had the money to sponsor the free yoga classes in the park, Brunacci was faced with few options: have her members pay a hefty fee per class, work for free, or be creative.

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Want to strengthen your bones? A few downward facing dogs might do the trick. A pilot study published in the current issue of the journal Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation suggests a short daily yoga routine can build bone mineral density, preventing or treating osteopenia and osteoporosis.

"The results were significant," says Dr. Loren Fishman, assistant clinical professor at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and co-author of the book Yoga for Arthritis (W.W. Norton & Co., $18.95). "And in two years, there were no serious injuries.

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