AGELESS YOGA

March 2010

WELCOME to the MARCH 2010 AGELESS YOGA NEWSLETTER

In this issue there's an article about how Yoga can help relieve insomnia, along with another "Pose in Focus", lots more Health News and other interesting websites, a quick and nutritious recipe plus a free internet radio program, so please read on .....

Just a reminder that as of March 1st the classes at Walkerville will be relocating due to ongoing building work at St Monica's school. The Monday evening classes will now be held at Vale Park Primary School and the Wednesday evening classes will be at the Payneham Uniting Church Hall.

Also, as usual, there WILL be a class on Monday, March 8th (Adelaide Cup Day public holiday), at Vale Park.

If you are unable to make your normal class for any reason you are more than welcome to attend classes at any of the other locations. Regular attendance is essential if you are to fully experience the benefits of the practice.

In this issue:

• Class relocations

• Yoga for Insomnia

• Health & other News

• Legs up the Wall Pose

• Recipe of the Month

• Internet Radio Program

• PC Clean Up Program

YOGA and INSOMNIA

Yoga will benefit your sleep in many ways. The quality of your sleep will improve because of the stimulatory effect yoga has on the nervous system, and in particular the brain. The practice of certain yoga postures will increase the blood circulation to the sleep centre in the brain, which has the effect of normalizing the sleep cycle.

You will need less sleep because yoga increases the elimination of toxins from the body and rejuvenates the entire body right down to cellular level. The practice of breathing allows for more oxygen in the body providing clarity in the mind.

It has been claimed that on average, for every minute you put into yoga you will need one minute less sleep. This makes yoga an excellent time investment.

Yoga will help you fall asleep sooner and improve the quality of your sleep so that you need less. You will have a more restful sleep because of the relaxing aspect of yoga and the subsequent relieving of stress, tension and fatigue.

You will wake up every morning ready to go instead of wishing you could stay in bed.

There are many things you can do to ensure you can get a good night's rest.

Make sure that you take some kind of physical activity during the day, so the body is naturally ready to rest. Yoga is perfect for this

Do not take your worries to bed with you. Live your days well and make decisions that will cause you no sleepless nights. When you do things right during the day why would you have any worries at all!

Avoid stimulating drinks containing caffeine before bedtime and avoid alcohol - this is mistakenly believed to be a relaxant but can actually fuel sleep problems. Not to mention destroying your body

Make sure you eat your last meal at least three hours before bedtime, but having a small snack of carbohydrate just before bed aids restful sleep.

Learn a relaxation technique, and either do it sometime during the evening, or just before bed, to wind down. Breathing techniques are perfect.

Having a warm bath with lavender will also help.

Remember your bedroom is for sleep, and keep it free from clutter and mess.

Keep the temperature below 24 degrees and have some fresh air circulating.

If you follow these recommendations you should have no problem getting a good night's sleep.

Many yoga poses are beneficial in relieving insomnia. These include the ones shown below.

Half Shoulderstand

Waterfall Pose

Relaxation Pose

Modified from an article found at http://yoga.org.nz/benefits/physiological_benefits/yoga_insomnia.htm

DOES COUNTING SHEEP HELP YOU SLEEP?

Counting sheep has long been touted as a way of combating insomnia; with references to the practice in literature date back more than 150 years.

The traditional advice is to imagine a line of the woolly creatures jumping over a fence one by one, and keep a tally as they go. But will this help you nod off or is it just folklore?

Unfortunately, there's no clear answer because no scientific studies have specifically addressed the counting sheep technique.

But there is evidence using mental imagery can help distract you from stressful thoughts, which commonly cause insomnia, and so speed up the time taken to drop off.

Simple, repetitive, boring

Sydney sleep psychologist Dianne Richards says the ideal distraction strategy is "very simple, very repetitive and somewhat boring".

While counting sheep might seem to fit the bill perfectly, Richards isn't so sure.

"It really depends to a large extent on how you feel about sheep," she says. Her hunch is that other methods will have broader appeal.

The idea behind distraction strategies is to stop your mind worrying, planning or problem solving as these are activities that lead to production of the stress hormone cortisol.

"Once that happens, you're 'wired' and you're opportunity to sleep takes a nose dive," says Richards, who works at the insomnia clinic at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.

But if the alternative task you give your brain is too boring, or it simply doesn't appeal, you won't stick with it and your mind will drift back to the thoughts that produce cortisol.

Also, counting tasks themselves are perceived as stressful by many people, so Richards does not usually recommend them.

"Sometimes counting tasks are OK, but trying to keep track of numbers does put some people off," she says.

And if the sheep you imagine are jumping, this can be too stimulating for some people. "If you were just watching them standing still and you were up close feeling the wool, just feeling the softness of the fleece, that would probably be better.

"Ultimately, the task you choose has to be effective for you. It's got to be something you find pleasant and relaxing."

Different strategies

So if counting sheep appeals to you, by all means give it a go. However, Richards prefers other strategies, and suggests you develop a repertoire of strategies for different nights.

Richard's favourite is imagining four two-dimensional coloured shapes – for example a red triangle, a blue square, a yellow diamond and a green circle – and mentally examining them one by one, over and over again, in great detail.

"That gets me off to sleep straight away," she says. But if the coloured shapes don't grab you, you could try visualising:

waves gently lapping against the side of a boat
coloured fish slowly swimming by
the arrangement of petals in a single rose
a plane slowly skywriting, perhaps spelling out the word 'relax'.

But these strategies alone are rarely enough to cure entrenched sleep problems. Other elements of most insomnia treatment programs include learning about the physiology of sleep, along with the behaviours and beliefs that can interfere with sleep. Relaxation and meditation techniques can also be very useful.

Taken from an article found at http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2009/09/08/2679477.htm

HEALTH and OTHER NEWS

Fish oil supplements 'beat psychotic mental illness'

'No fasting' for cholesterol test

'Golden glow' is healthiest look

Study finds secret to retirees' happiness

Weight loss and knee pain

Avocado skin care recipes

Dirt can be good for children

Heart attack risk 'raised by suppressing anger'

Exercise 'no cure' for heavy drinking damage

Sunbathing ups men's testosterone

One for all the teachers (and parents) out there

Drinking red wine may prevent cavities

Can thinking about food make you fat?

Nap 'boosts' brain learning power

REMEMBER TO BRING A BLANKET TO CLASS

Blankets serve a multitude of purposes in a yoga class. You can use them folded as a cushion to sit on or as a pillow during relaxation. They also can provide padding under the knees whilst kneeling or for the back during reclining poses. The body cools down very quickly following the exercises and postures, even in warmer weather, so make sure you cover up whenever necessary to help the body remain at a comfortable temperature during the neck, face, eye and breathing exercises and final relaxation.

Light, warm blankets are easier to carry than large heavier ones. Special "yoga blankets" can be purchased through online stores, but for most people a light fleece blanket or similar is more than adequate.

POSE IN FOCUS

Legs up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)

Lie back on the floor in a supine position. Place your legs outstretched and the heels resting on the wall. Relax the arms by the sides, with palms facing upwards.
Bend the knees up to the chest, and bring buttocks in towards the wall.
With your knees bent place the soles of the feet on the wall placing them hips width apart.
Bring the buttocks in to touch the wall with hips width apart.
Now extend the legs straight up together. Push the heels up; with the toes pointing towards the head and your back resting on the floor.
Take the arms over past your head, arms slightly bent and relax them onto the floor and palms facing upwards.
Relax the back of the body down onto the floor, ensuring that the hips and the shoulders are parallel.
The legs must rest in a vertical position against the wall.
Hold this posture for a while, and breathe normally.
Bring the arms forwards by the sides. Push the body back from the wall, bring the legs down to the floor and straighten them.
Now relax on your back.

The benefits of this asana are:

Improves circulation in the lower extremities of the body.
Rejuvenates the tired legs.
Opens and expands the front of the body.
Releases tensions in the lower back.
Also relaxes the whole body.

Modified from an article taken from

http://www.herbalcureindia.com/yoga-journal/viparita-karani.html

REDUCED FAT HOMMUS

Ingredients

1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
2 tbs tahini
2 tbs water
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 small garlic clove, crushed
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Sweet paprika, to garnish
Carrot & celery sticks, to serve

Method

Place chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, water, cumin, coriander and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Taste and season with salt and pepper. (Add a little extra lemon juice or water if the hummus is too thick.)
Transfer hommus to a bowl. Sprinkle with paprika to garnish. Serve with carrot and celery stick

To print or view this recipe online click on the link below

Reduced Fat Hommus Recipe

FREE INTERNET RADIO SOFTWARE

Screamer Radio is a free program which gives you easy access to hundreds of internet radio stations at the click of a mouse. You can browse by country, genre etc and store your favourite stations.

To download the program click here Internet Radio

CLEAN UP YOUR HARD DISKS

Daily computer activity inevitably leads to accumulating duplicate files on your computer, especially if you are an active PC user. You may download gigabytes of music and video files, documents and applications from the Internet or local network, share those files with your friends and not even realize how many duplicate files may be collected on your hard disk from such activity.
Keeping unnecessary duplicate files on your computer means wasting valuable hard disk space. Auslogics Duplicate File Finder will find and delete duplicate files so you won’t experience lack of free disk space.

To download the program click here Duplicate File Finder

Class Times:

Monday - Vale Park Primary School, Vale Park (adj. Walkerville) 7.30 pm

Tuesday and Thursday - St Theodore’s, Toorak Gardens 10 am

Tuesday - Mitcham Primary School, Kingswood 7.30 pm

Wednesday - Payneham Road Uniting Church Hall, Marden 7.30 pm

Thursday - Warradale Primary School, Warradale 7.30 pm

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Kind regards

Terry @ Ageless Yoga

PS. Please forward this newsletter to anyone who you feel may be interested in Yoga and healthy living.

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