A Truly Effective Yogic Relaxation Technique

Lie on your back on the floor with your arms placed naturally by you side, your palms uppermost and fingers relaxed. Have your legs about shoulder width apart. You may place a folded small towel beneath your head, but nothing more comfortable than that.

now some people, especially beginners, tend go to sleep very quickly in this position and that is not what we are seeking to do. If this happens to you, adopt the following position instead: Be seated in a straight-backed chair with your hands on your thighs or knees. Sit up straight and make sure that your feet are comfortably flat on the floor. Also be certain that each side of your body is positioned identically. In other words place the hands identically with the finger spread being the same on each hand; ensure that the feet placed symmetrically.

So now, in either your lying or seated position, close you eyes.

now, take your mind to your right thumb. Visualize it. Ensure that it is relaxed. Move it if necessary. Take your mind now to you right index finger; again, visualize it and make sure that it is relaxed. Move to the middle finger, then the ring finger and then the little finger. Move your mind now to the back of your right hand, your right wrist, your right forearm, your right upper arm. Be sure that you are visualizing each part and ensuring that it is completely relaxed. Move your visualization now to the right shoulder, the right armpit, the right side of the body, the right hip, the right knee, the right calf, the right ankle, the soul of the right foot, the right big toe, second toe, third toe, fourth toe, little toe.

Take your mind now to your left thumb, left forefinger and so on around the left side of your body to the left little toe.

Visualize now and ensure relaxation of the left buttock, the right buttock, the small of the back, the spinal column, the right shoulder blade, the left shoulder blade, the area between the shoulder blades, the tops of the shoulders and back and sides of the neck, the back of the head, the right ear, the left ear, the right temple, the left temple.

Pause here and imagine that the feeling of relaxation that you are now experiencing is flowing through your temples into your mind. Feel your mind as being totally relaxed; totally at ease. Tell yourself that It is that way because of the relaxation flowing into it. Savor this experience for a little while and then move your consciousness to the top of your head, your forehead, your right eyebrow, left eyebrow, right eye, left eye, the nose, the nose tip, the upper lip, the lower lip,(at this juncture ensure that the bottom jaw is totally relaxed, with the teeth a barely touching it at all) and then on to the chin, neck, right side of chest, left side of chest, abdomen and then the right leg, the left leg, the right arm, the left arm, the trunk, the head, your whole body your whole bodyyour whole body.

(This may sound complicated in the reading, but in practice, because the parts are in sequence, there is no difficulty in running the visualization from one part of the body to the next and so on. It is an old Yoga technique that has been practiced for thousands of years and it is its very simplicity that underpins it historical success).

By now you are probably feeling very relaxed almost divorced from the real world. (If you do not, dont be concerned. Simply go through the procedure again)

now is the time to begin to visualize places of great contentment, beauty and peace that you have experienced during your lifetime. Perhaps a lake, or a beach, a forest, a running stream, a sunset, the glory of the stars. Feel the cold of the water or snow; feel the warmth of the noonday, smell the forest, smell the grasslands, listen to the insects, the call of the birds; see the sky, see the clouds

Do this for what appears quite a long time five or ten minutes. Then let your imagination rest. Just visualize nothing at all. Stay like this for as long as you can. You will feel totally at peace. You may even feel so peaceful and contented that youd like to stay this was forever! Many people feel that way and are quite reluctant to return to a wakeful state. But all good things come to an endeven successful meditations and in meditation, it is easy to loose track of time. Some people set a quiet alarm that rings after about 45 minutes or an hour. You may want to do the same. Whatever, when it comes time to go back to the everyday, do so slowly. With your eyes still closed, raise your arms above your head and drop them down to your sides again. Move your bottom jaw. Move your legs and then slowly open your eyes. Wow! Youre back in the real world!

Follow this technique every day for at least half an hourpreferably an hour. You'll be amazed at what it does for you. Youll be more relaxed; more confident; more alive! The real world will become a much, much better place in which to be. Who knows, you may even take up yoga and reap even more rewards!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

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Cadence Cycle Computers

If you are looking to purchase a cycle computer then you need to know a little about what they are actually able to do. Certainly they will help you to make the most of the time that you spend out on your bike and installing a wireless one is much easier than the much older models which are often a little less expensive to purchase. However if you are someone who enjoys cycling but wants to help improve their fitness levels then it may be worth your while investing in one which comes with a cadence function. Certainly a cadence cycle computer such as the Vetta V100 wireless cadence kit is probably one of the best ones to choose from available on the market today.

However if you do not have enough ready cash at this time to purchase such a computer for yourself then the bike computer you already have can be altered to show your cadence (pedaling speeds) rather than the actual speed at which you are traveling. In order to do this all a person needs to do is program in the correct wheel diameter and then place the sensor which comes with the computer they already have. It needs to be placed in a position where it will be triggered by a crank mounted magnet every time that the crank arm then passes over it.

Normally you will find that the most cycle computers with do not come with a cadence feature will be mounted on the handlebars of the bike and the main sensor is then mounted on one of the forks on the front wheel. Because of this the actual wiring if not a wireless version will then have very short wiring to connect the two together. So if you are looking to get your cycle computer to provide you with a cadence reading instead of your speed then you will obviously need to purchase some additional wiring in order to get it to the position to the crank.

However if the idea of doing this with the cycle computer you already have on your bike then it may be worth your while investing a little more money in a proper cadence cycle computer such as the Vetta V100 wireless cadence kit. This is especially true if you happen to find that the cycle computer you already have is not capable of being altered to become one which can provide a cadence read out.

To find out how you can measure your cadence with the Vetta V100 wireless cadence kit visit www.cyclocomputerreview.com

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Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

According to the New England journal of medicine, Americans gain an average of one pound over the holidays. While it doesn’t seem like a lot of weight, that one pound can stay with you for good and add up over time.

The following are five tips to help you enjoy holiday treats, but without the weight gain:

1. Reserve your calories for the best. When you attend a holiday event, decide on one or two “unhealthier” choices that you will eat, making sure they are foods you really like. Keep your portions small. For example, a reasonable portion of cornbread dressing or macaroni and cheese is ½ cup, or the size of ½ orange.

2. Focus on the festivities, not the food. During your holiday dinners, focus on enjoying the atmosphere and the conversations around you. The point of the holidays is not to eat, but to enjoy fellowship with your friends and loved ones.

3. Put leftovers away immediately. If you are hosting a holiday event, store leftovers immediately after everyone is served. Often, we overeat just because the food is there. By putting the food away, you minimize this temptation.

4. Make healthier substitutions when you can. Substitute some of the unhealthier ingredients in your favorite recipes with healthier ones. According to Chris Rosenbloom, a nutrition instructor at georgia State university, the following are some substitutions you can make:

Whole milk: Use either 1 percent, 2 percent, or skim milk.

Cream cheese: Use light or fat-free cream.

egg yolk: Use one egg white or liquid egg substitute.

oil for baking: Use applesauce (yellow cake recipes) or baby food prunes (chocolate recipes) equal to amount of oil called for in the recipe.

Sugar: reduce to 3/4 cup sugar if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar.

5. Kick up the action a notch.

Focus on increasing your physical activity during the holidays to burn up any extra calories you have eaten. For example, take a 15 minute walk after dinner, play with your children, or perform some situps or jumping jacks during television commercials.

A Registered Nurse for many years, Kimberly Floyd battled obesity for much of her adult life. She achieve her ideal weight and has written a new book entitled 'Moneywise Weight Loss' which teaches others how to lose weight and save money--at the same time.

Kim has written articles for the georgia Nurses Association publication and Nursing Spectrum online. now a technical writer, she has written training programs for corporate clients, including IBM, U.S. Bank, and Cingular.

Kim also teaches an online course called 'Goodbye to Shy'. This course is distributed to over 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia through Thomson Learning. An accomplished speaker and trainer, she delivers presentations on health-related topics to enthusiastic audiences.

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