Cat pose in Yoga

Start on your hands and knees. Position your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath the hips. Have your fingers fully spread with the middle fingers pointing straight ahead. Make your back horizontal and flat. Gaze at the floor. This is your "neutral" positioning. When your pelvis is in neutral, your spine will be at full extension, with both the front and back sides equally long.
As you wait for the inner cue, do not sag into your shoulders. Instead, create a line of energy through each arm by pressing downward into your hands and lifting upward out of your shoulders. Go back and forth like this several times to make sure you understand the movement. As you exhale, sag into your shoulders and do the incorrect action; as you inhale, lengthen the arms, lift out of the shoulders and do the correct action.
When you are ready to begin, breathe in deeply. As you exhale, turn your hips into Cat Tilt. Do this by gently pulling the abdominal muscles backward toward the spine, tucking the tailbone (coccyx) down and under, and gently contracting the buttocks. Press firmly downward with your hands in order to stay lifted out of the shoulders, and press the middle of your back toward the ceiling, rounding your spine upward. Curl your head inward. Gaze at the floor between your knees.
The Cat Yoga Pose teaches you to initiate movement from your center and to coordinate your movement and breath. These are two of the most important themes in Asana practice. The alignment of your center depends on the positioning of your pelvis. Therefore, think of your hip positioning as the center of each pose. This is important because your spine is the most significant line of energy in every pose and because the way your spine elongates from your center depends solely on which way your pelvis is turning. Learn how to perform the Cat Pose in this section.

Shoulder stretcher in Yoga

Sit in any comfortably erect position. Hold the strap and straighten your arms forward. As you inhale, move your arms up until they are overhead, and exhale as you bring them down behind you.
Coordinate this movement with your breathing, making the movement smooth. Make sure the strap is sufficiently long and your hands sufficiently far apart, so that you can keep your arms straight. If you cannot keep your arms straight, lengthen the strap.
The idea is to circumscribe as large a circle as possible with your hands as they go up and over. Therefore, at every given moment you are stretching outward through your arms in the direction they are pointing.
This exercise is great in relieving stress and tension on your shoulders, as well as your entire upper back. Learn how to do a Shoulder Stretch in this section. You will need a long strap for this one.

Shoulder lifts in Yoga

Do this exercise slowly and keep your spine straight and your neck relaxed.
Raise your right shoulder, then drop it down.
Raise your left shoulder, then drop it down.
Raise both shoulders at once, then drop them down again.
Many people hold tension in their necks and shoulders, leading to stiffness, bad posture, and tension headaches. In this section, learn an exercise that will ease tension on your shoulders.

Weighty Tips!

• Weight loss is all about 80% of eating habits and 20% of working out.
• Aim to lose both body fat as well as overall weight.
• Be regular and more often in your yoga practices.
• Keep the metabolism active by having 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours. This will also help you in
keeping your pseudo hunger at bay.
• Be passionate about your yoga workout. For the passion will help you to go deeper into your yoga practices.
• Be 100% with the food on the dinner table avoid watching T.V or chatting over the phone when eating and have a balanced diet.
• Always remember the 3’d’s of weight loss – discipline, determination and dedication.

The story so Far…. Weight Loss and Yoga:

Know the difference between weight loss/inch loss:

Gearing up for your best friend's wedding; you start working out before a month's time so that you are picture perfect on the wedding date. You lost an inch here and there from those places where you wanted it from and you are ready to go. You feel happy about it, the wedding is over and what you notice is that those inches are back where it belonged too after the binging it at the wedding.
For those who looking at weight loss, should chalk out a proper plan with the calendar and set small goals for themselves. These goals should be achievable; they give a lot of confidence when achieved and act as fuel to reach the next set of goal.

Yoga for Weight Loss




For those of you that loathe high intensity workout and yet would like to shed some unwanted kilos; Yoga is the answer. 

In spite of being a gentler and relaxed approach to exercising, it can just as efficiently help with burning calories and achieving weight loss.

After all, isn’t it a given that you’re more likely to stay committed to an exercise that you love rather than get frustrated struggling with one that  you feel compelled to do!

The good news is- with so many different styles of Yoga to choose from, you can modify the intensity and duration of your own personal practice based on your individual weight loss goals. Besides losing weight, you’ll also gain improved muscle tone, greater range of flexibility and movement, better physical strength, stamina, endurance AND remain stress free! Now, that’s what I call a win- win situation all the way….

Added to the physical aspect of the practice, Yoga also increases your awareness of your body and teaches you to respect it. It makes you mindful of what and how much you eat. This mind and body awareness increases your sensitivity to real hunger and real satiety thereby preventing binge eating. (No more midnight raids to the fridge!) So, Irrespective of the physical activity of yoga, this heightened body awareness in itself helps with weight loss and sustaining a healthy weight. Furthermore, by balancing your metabolism, Yoga helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

So what are you waiting for?  Hop on to your mats and try this simple standing sequence that is a great fat buster. Remember to link your breath with the movement as you flow into the practice.

Ms. Seema Banerjee, UK-based Yoga expert 
elaborates on HealthyDunia.com the different yoga postures which can help you to get rid of extra kilos and flaunt a curvy physique:


1. The Mountain Pose
Start off in Tadasana distributing the weight of your body evenly on both legs. Inhale and exhale freely. Inhale as you step into the wide leg stretch keeping your feet wider than shoulder width apart. Exhale as you turn the right foot out to the side with the left foot turned slightly towards the right foot. Ensure that the heel of the right foot is positioned around the middle arch of the left foot. Keep your hips and shoulders square. Inhale and raise both arms straight out from the shoulders parallel to the floor with the palms facing down.


2. The Triangle Pose
Exhale and bend your torso sideways to the right. Place your right palm in front of the right foot or on the floor and press your right heel down on the floor and lift your left arm straight up towards the ceiling as your rotate your chest and hip upwards fixing your gaze on your thumb. Inhale as you lift up and exhale as you rotate the trunk to the right.


3. The Revolving Triangle Pose
Inhale as you lift your left arm up and exhale as you hinge forward from your hips leaning the torso forward and parallel to the floor. Bring the left palm or fingers on the floor near the outer side of the right foot. Stretch the right arm straight up towards the sky, bringing it in line with the left arm. Gently draw your right shoulder further back as you open your chest out. Look up at the right palm. Inhale as you lift up.

Control your weight before it controls you:

Age plays an important role in weight loss too, if you are young then the chances of you getting into the shape are high with minimal efforts but it is though for those who are on other side of thirties and looking for weight loss. Once you cross thirties special attention needs to be given to eating habits. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are the main contents of any meal. Choosing them wisely over the different meals of the day will help you to go long way in achieving your goal. Complex carbohydrates and healthy fats can be a part of your breakfast but including the same for your supper might not be a great idea. Also tracking your diet can help you to give you an idea of where your macronutrients are coming from. Remember to track each and every thing which goes in. This will make you aware of what you are having throughout the day and next time will make you think twice before gulping down your favorite cup cake. The more educate yourself with the food labels, the more you become cautious and avoid them. It's all about bringing it to awareness.
Keep the fun factors going!!
Sticking to your goals and diet plan and achieving those calls for applause. Keep yourself motivated till the goal is accomplished. With your daily yoga routine try to include these over the weekend.
  1. 1. Go out with your friends on short trek on the outskirts of the city. Being outdoors help you to be close to the nature and gives you the required break from your yoga schedule.
  2. 2. Plan a beach trip – When was the last when you walked barefoot on the white sands of the blue seas and the froth of the waves kissing your feet? Make the best of the beach trip by walking on the never ending shores and don't forget to carry your yoga mat.
  3. 3. Bicycle anyone? Bicycling is another outdoor activity which gives you a good workout and with friends around you won't even come to know the distance you have travelled.
It's important to be outdoors as it elevates you, gives you the required break and helps you prepare for the yoga routine coming week. Most important of all is that these activities have helped you torch down calories. You can excuse yourself for the slice of pizza at the end of the day.

Hot Yoga: The latest fad in health world

Hot Yoga is making waves in the fitness world, not because it is fun, but also because it's a great exercise.Expert says that 50-minute classes can help in achieving a healthy body, if done religiously.Michele Pernetta, a known yoga teacher, says Hot Yoga means exercising in a hot room. "It originally was Bikram Yoga (started by Bikram Choudhury). Then other people started teaching different styles in a hot room, everything from Bikram Yoga, Power Yoga, to Ashtanga or a personal mix from a teacher who may or may not be qualified to teach in hot conditions. So the term really just means you are doing yoga in a hot room," said Pernetta.She also says that there are less chances of injuries in such yoga as the heat allows you to press further into the poses as your muscles and joints are at their optimum temperature."This is beneficial as deeper stretching brings more blood and oxygen to your body. You detoxify through sweating. The skin is the largest organ of the body and research has shown that toxins such as unwanted metals and salts are eliminated through sweating.""It also makes it much easier to perform the poses as you feel loose and comfortable. People also find the heat cathartic. It has the effect of relaxing you on a deep level, allowing you to go into places you couldn’t normally reach, releasing mental and emotional stresses you don’t normally get the opportunity to look at in normal daily life,” said the expert.However, while opting for Hot Yoga, diet has to be monitored.“I believe the ayurvedic diet system is the best, as there are three main body types and diets, and what is good for one person, is not good for another,” said Pernetta.“Have a proper meal with protein. Eating less sugar and carbohydrate and more vegetables and good fats such as coconut oil, ghee, cold pressed olive oil, organic food and protein,” she added.

Yoga for Diabetics

Yoga is considered to be a promising, cost-effective option in the treatment and prevention of diabetes.
There are many postures and breathing exercises in yoga which would induce the pancreas to produce enough insulin to regulate the sugar in the body.

HealthyDunia.com speaks toMrs. Smita Naram,Co-founder,Ayushakti and find out Yogasanas which a diabetic person can practice:

1. Kapalabhati Pranayama: Pranayama techniques are simple breathing exercises that have extensive benefits. By mastering the art of pranayama, you can cure your body of a range of diseases including diabetics.

Investing half-an-hour in a day will improve the oxygen circulation throughout the body. It enhances the intake of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide from the body. Besides it improve the working of lungs and other respiratory organs. Improvement in breathing improves the action of other body parts also as proper oxygen content is necessary for overall body functioning.

2. Anulom Vilom: Anulom Vilom or the Alternate Nostril Breathing, is one of the most effective pranayama (breathing exercises) to purify the mind and body. It can be performed by people of all ages.

To perform Anulom Vilom, close your eyes and relax all your muscles for while. Then, inhale from your left nostril while keeping your right nostril closed with the thumb of your right hand. Retain the breath for a few seconds and exhale from your right nostril with your middle and ring fingers closing your left nostril. Then, once again take in the breath from your right nostril. Finally, exhale from your left nostril while closing your right nostril with your thumb. This will complete one round of the pranayama. You could perform this exercise for around 15 minutes while taking a minute rest after every 5 minutes.

Anulom vilom pranayam is an incredible energizer, which works effectively to relieve stress and anxiety. Regular practitioners have also treated their serious health conditions, which include heart problems, diabetes, cartilage, depression, asthma, high blood pressure and arthritis.

3. Vajrasana: Vajrasana or the Diamond Pose is one of the easiest yoga postures to perform, and it can be done by anyone without adding stress to the other parts of the body. It is possible for the practitioner to remain in this posture for long periods of time.

To perform the Vajrasana or the Diamond Pose, sit on the ground with your legs stretched out and kept together. Both your palms should be resting on your right leg so that they bear the weight of your body. Then let your knees slowly fold back so that you are sitting on them with your back straight. Let your breathing be normal and bring the palms of your hands to the respective knees. You should keep your focus on the ajna chakra, which is located between the eyebrows. Then come back to the starting position by placing your arms at the sides of your body.

This is great for your digestive system and helps to strengthen it besides treating problems related to it. It also gets rid of excess wind or gas in your belly and promotes good digestion. It is beneficial to practice this asana after having your meals as it aids digestion. This asana or pose is also great to add strength to your calf and thigh muscles.

4. Paschimottasana: Paschimottasana is a sitting asana also referred to as the 'forward seated bend'. This asana is good for those suffering from diabetes. It is known to stimulate the functioning of the internal organs like liver, pancreas and kidney.

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Laugh your way to good health