Daily Routine & Wellness

Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young were awarded for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the biological clock. They “were able to peek inside our biological clock and elucidate its inner workings” the Nobel citation said. The winners have raised “awareness of the importance of a proper sleep hygiene”  the Nobel academy said.

“The paradigm-shifting discoveries by the laureates established key mechanisms for the biological clock” the Nobel Assembly said in its prize statement.

“Our wellbeing is affected when there is a temporary mismatch between our external environment and this internal biological clock, for example when we travel across several time zones and experience ‘jet lag’ the statement said.

“There are also indications that chronic misalignment between our lifestyle and the rhythm dictated by our inner time keeper is associated with increased risk for various diseases”

Ayurveda describes daily routine as Dinacharya. Recent Nobel prize for medicine on circadian clock mechanism has brought Dinacharya the ancient aspect of Swasthya or wellness into mainstream scientific research.

While addressing lifestyle, importance of an integrative approach based on the sound principles of Ayurveda is now more than clear. Basing lifestyle modification on the tridosha aspect of daily routine and making small changes in the daily routine promise dramatic results.

The Art of Living’s Wellness Program is a unique blend of Ayurveda, yoga & education to bring out the best of applied Ayurveda with the current understanding of human physiology.

 

The Art of Living’s Wellness Programs Department

Wellness is essentially a paradigm shift from ‘disease’ to ‘health’. Let us take a look at ‘Wellness’ as it is being described across the globe. It is understood to mean:

• A conscious, positive, self-propelled process of achieving one’s full potential: Thus, the purpose of ‘Wellness’ is to help one to reach one’s highest capabilities in all spheres of activity; work, family and social. A wellness-centric approach will thus make one, more productive at work, help one to balance all aspects of one’s life. With improved productivity, the scope to increase earning is better. Increased affluence will serve its purpose only when the individual begins to nurture physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual dimensions. This is only an affirmation of our ancient wisdom; dharma, artha, kama, moksha.
• Equipping oneself with physical, emotional and intellectual resilience.
• A multi-dimensional path covering physical, emotional, intellectual & spiritual aspects of an individual.
• A holistic approach to lifestyle towards mental and spiritual well-being.
• Understanding the subtle interactions of the environment with the individual.

Welcome to the Wellness Programs Department.

Health is not the mere absence of disease. Health is being established in the Self. Health is the dynamic expression of life – Gurudev

The “Game”

This is a sort of a fact sheet on the internet threat to teens from a “game” that is being talked about quite a bit lately. Name of the “game” is deliberately avoided here because it is opined by well-known psychiatrists that a sort of an anonymous notoriety is what is driving the misguided originators of the “game”. Incidentally, it is also believed that the originators are probably not active with it now, but several clones that are still driving it.

• First and foremost, the “game” can’t be banned! Because it is not a downloadable “game”, not available on any App store or website.
• The sinister modus operandi of snaring gullible teens is by cyber snooping. Children’s browsing habits are watched. Children that exhibit depression, despair, despondency, dejection and such other negative emotions on social media are reached and invited to participate via an exclusive link. Attempts by law enforcement in many countries to get into the game have got identified and they get dropped.
• It starts by simple, but weird tasks that get worse progressively into a final push towards suicide. A task could be to watch a horror movie at 2 in the night!!! On reporting back with a task completed, the child is given more such tasks. These tasks psyche out the already depressed child into worse and more bizarre tasks.
• The immediate family and teachers can make out and they are the first sentinels. Unfortunately, they miss out.
• The child usually spends more time in isolation and will look groggy eyed, may appear worn out and careless in appearance.
• Watch out for signs of injuries on the hands and the body, lack of attention, carelessness in dressing etc.
• Unlike drugs and alcohol, peer pressure does not appear to be a driving force here.

Wonder if any technological solutions via firewalls etc. are possible. A practical solution is possible from parents, older siblings and teachers. Their vigilance can save the child. There are probably many children who many not have gone all the way, but have ended up with a badly bruised psyche.

A more important issue that begs attention is the failing family fabric. The real reason could be a ‘disconnect’ the child has with the family. With more families being nuclear now, the support of the extended family of uncles and aunts is missing. Nothing can really replace the family bond. However, following ‘Band-Aid’ solutions can be considered:

1. At home a common internet zone such as sitting room must be declared and enforced strictly. This means no Wi-Fi at home at all. No mobile, tab, laptop, computer in bedrooms. It is important here for parents to lead by example. You could still have a landline in the bedroom to receive emergency calls.
2. Parents must find the time and space to invest in the children, ideally a couple of hours in the evenings.
3. The family must have at least one major meal together. It could be dinner.
4. It is often sufficient to just be with the children and listen to them.

A spiritual education of both children and parents is a sure and durable solution.

SpineCare Yoga

POSTURE AND HEALTH.:

The human body is meant to move. Working seated for long spells leads to fatigue, depression, pain and headache. People who go through bouts of depression must go through a posture correction program. Walking with a slouch worsens depression and stress. Bad postures while lying down to rest or to sleep are equally bad. In short, the way we sit, stand, walk, recline, commute, or sleep, affects health both, immediately and in the long run.

Research shows that walking in a slouched position, increases feelings of depression and decreases energy levels. These studies show that by merely bringing in simple corrections in posture and movements:

• Energy levels can be improved
• Depression can be modulated
• Cognitive functions improved

Human body and mind can work optimally with right posture and correct movement. Loss of motivation is also reported in people with poor sitting and walking postures. Any strategy to improve health must include posture and movement corrections.

Wrong postures and being seated for long stretches can cause digestive issues and could give rise to a host of other health issues such as gastro esophageal reflux disorders (GERD). Tonnes of antacids and acid inhibitors are swallowed unnecessarily, when all that may be required is some simple posture correction. Long term use of acid inhibitors can cause very serious health problems such as achlorhydria (nil or reduced acid production in the stomach) that can have deleterious cascading effects on health.

When managing chronic digestive disorders, posture analysis and necessary corrections must be considered before any serious medication is considered.

Poor posture directly affects lung function by restricting movement and expansion of the diaphragm and rib cage. Poor range of movement of the diaphragm can cause shortness of breath and thus, anxiety because blood circulation to the lungs and oxygen intake are affected. Correct posture is important to derive the best from exercise too. Since poor posture affects oxygen uptake, the additional oxygen requirement owing to physical demands becomes difficult. So, exercise with poor posture actually can create fatigue instead of energizing! Poor posture can also cause difficulty in speaking clearly. Singers rely heavily on their breath. They need to maintain correct posture for the voice to sound strong and to reach the audience without having to strain.

Back, shoulder and neck pain are the most noticeable and common effects of poor sitting posture. Sitting slouched without proper support for long spells puts a great deal of stress on the upper body. Over a period of time, poor posture can cause a misalignment in the spine and more discomfort and pain. Besides the stress on the joints, when the spine is misaligned, weight or stress needs to be redistributed to compensate for slouching. The joints have to bear a load that may be more than what they can handle, leading to more pain and degradation of the tissues surrounding the joints.

Tension headaches are another common side effect of poor posture. Office workers tend to experience more headaches simply because they are putting much tension and strain on their bodies by sitting all day. The tension in your neck, shoulders and spine eventually work their way up to the head and cause a tension headache. Obesity, poor muscle tone, badly fitting shoes and pregnancy can make one more vulnerable to posture-related tension headaches. Unlike a migraine that is more neurological, a tension headache is due to musculoskeletal reasons. Ergonomically designed workstations with proper spine care education are the complete solution. It is good to get up and stretch every half hour or so.

Art of Living’s SpineCare Yoga is a simple 12-hour / 4-day module that not only helps you identify how your posture can be corrected. The module offers simple solutions to peak health through posture correction.

If you have any of the following:

• Tension headache
• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Wrist pain
• Low energy levels
• Feelings of depression
• Acidity
• Frequent gastric upsets /bowel movement

Consider SpineCare Yoga, the magic answer

For details, please send a mail to: spinecare@vvki.org or call +91 80 67433669 (10-am to 5-pm)