No matter your age, you deserve to feel and look your best. You will probably have to put some work into this. But if you are willing to do so, you can start with the following tips.

Change Your Diet
One of the first things to consider doing to achieve your best self is to change how and what you eat. What you put into your body is what you get out of it. If you often reach for sugary snacks and other junk food, you will soon notice an increase in weight, skin issues, health challenges, and more.
Giving your eating plan a revamp and focusing on having a balanced diet can be helpful in numerous ways. ​For starters, you get the necessary nutrients and vitamins. Changing your food habits can also help you feel better by enhancing your sleep and maintaining a healthy weight — in turn, boosting your self-confidence. Fundamentally, focus on consuming fruits and vegetables and eating a protein-rich breakfast.

Give Yoga a Try
You might think that you have to attend fitness classes and get a personal trainer to exercise. However, there are resources like YouTube and various fitness apps that can guide you in this journey, as well as keep you accountable. Yogaaah, for instance, offers both on-site and online yoga classes so you get the benefit of Nora’s expertise and knowledge where it’s convenient for you.
Yoga is a great tool to have on the path to wellness: It provides you with the chance to quiet your mind and also stay physically active. This, in turn, ensures that both your mental and physical health are covered.

Be Vigilant About Oral Health
Regular teeth cleanings are necessary, in more ways than one. An excess of plaque promotes bacteria growth that causes periodontal (gum) disease. Crooked teeth are also more challenging to keep clean, which means that they are more vulnerable to plaque and bacteria. Straighter teeth, therefore, can help boost your self-esteem and confidence.

The easy — not to mention, quicker — solution to dental issues like this is an aligner, which can line up your teeth into a more natural form, reducing the risk of developing plaque. At-home aligners can be more budget-friendly and convenient but are often developed for mild to moderate cases. Some even come with remote monitoring software that follows your progress. It’s necessary to consult your dentist to find out which option is best for you, as well as take the time to read up on the most recommended models on the market, such as SmileDirectClub and NewSmile.

Stay Hydrated
Finally, one of the best ways to feel and look your best is to drink more water. Most of us do not meet the daily recommended water intake, and we feel the results by way of fatigue, headaches, and dry skin. Make a habit of keeping a full water bottle with you during the day, and you'll start to build a hydration practice that will offer fantastic results. Remember, though, that the early days of drinking more water usually result in more trips to the bathroom. This is normal and temporary, but it can go on for a week or two — or even longer if you don't keep up with the water habits.

​The Bottom Line
We all try our best to look and feel better, but often we ask ourselves what the best ways to do it are. Our lives can become frantic, and we usually end up putting ourselves low on the priority list. But it doesn't have to be this way: Simply adopt even one of these strategies, and you'll see some excellent results.
Yogaaah offers classes and services for those who either want to get started with yoga, are already practicing it, or want to become trainers themselves. Check out the video library to get started.

Written by Cheryl Conklin www.wellnesscentral.info 

by: Nora Benian
​Golf is a popular sport and many golfers are looking to improve their game by including the practice of yoga. The benefits reach far beyond the physical gains you may expect. It’s true that practicing yoga improves your range of mobility by increasing flexibility in the spine, shoulders and hips so your swing improves greatly. But there are so many more benefits of doing yoga that improve your game.
An effective yoga practice consists of particular stretches and exercises that target the psoas muscle which is located in the mid to lower spine and runs along the hip flexors. It affects your ability to follow through all the way on your swing and keeping it flexible helps you to stay on the course for longer without back discomfort. Some yoga poses are targeted on shoulder mobility which not only gives you freedom of movement but also strengthens the connective tissue which prevents injury. The shoulders are complicated and delicate joints, easily injured when using force. Consider when you need to make a long drive on the course. If your shoulders don’t have a good range of motion, you won’t have the follow through to really push that ball where it needs to go.
Also important to a strong game is core strength. Yoga exercises demand intricate engagement of the core muscles which not only helps to support better posture, it protects the spine and also gives you the power and longevity all players hope for. Yoga conditioning increases your muscle elasticity as well, meaning your body will be prone to bounce back easily and suffer fewer injuries.
Stability and balance go hand in hand. Yoga helps to gain balance and develops a better sense of your center of gravity, which is ideal for stabilizing your golf swing. If you don’t have both stability and muscular strength, you won’t have the force needed to make that shot. Think about how your body moves when you make a golf swing; it is a calculated, skillful movement that requires stability, strength and flexibility to execute successfully and gracefully.
The golf swing has three main points of rotation, your two hips (internal / external rotation) and your thoracic spine. When any of these three areas are lacking in rotation we begin to see many compensatory movements from other parts of the body (loss of posture, swaying and arms bending). A lack of mobility in these areas also leads to un-wanted strain and loading on your lumbar (lower) spine. This is a key cause of lower back pain for golfers.
Specific yoga stretches affect the spine, as we all know how it can stiffen as we age and sit for long periods in a day, day after day. Expecting the spine to just be ready for action when we get on the course can be the cause for most of our physical setbacks. The spine is made up of many little joints that all need to move fluidly for full range of motion and to access full back strength to complete your swing efficiently, powerfully and gracefully. No one needs a spasming muscle or a pinched nerve.

And finally, the breathing exercises done in yoga eases anxiety, reduces stress and develops your concentration and focus, and that changes your game immensely. If your mind isn’t calm and focused, you’ll be challenged to play at peak performance.
To summarize; the main benefits of including yoga in your weekly routine are:
Mobility - of the joints to reach full range of motion
Stability - the balance required to activate full range of motion and prevent injury
Strength - the ability to generate force
Focus - the ability to bring all your concentration efforts together
Power - the ability to apply maximum force quickly and for long duration
A class or two a week is recommended for best results and leads to a more accurate and powerful game which makes it more fun. It’s a winning situation.


Testimonial from longtime clients:

"Nora has been teaching us yoga since 2009 providing training for strength and flexibility, as well as including Yoga therapy when necessary. She is a wonderful teacher and provides varied and individualized classes to address both immediate concerns and longer term objectives. We both play tennis avidly and Paul wouldn’t miss an opportunity to get out on the golf course. Our performance in our games have improved immensely over the years as our bodies have become stronger and more flexible because of our twice weekly yoga classes with Nora. We also haven’t had an injury in years and continue to feel unlimited in our movements. Her classes are relaxing and also therapeutic. We have benefited enormously from her services and enjoy her company very much."
Paul Morrison LLB, Miller Thomson, and Janet Morrison, M.A. C. Psych Assoc.


Contact to schedule your online or in-person session.

By Dylan Foster dylan@healthwellwise.com
​
Many entrepreneurs work more than 40 hours a week, sometimes putting in closer to 60 or 70 hours or never fully stepping away from work at night and on the weekends. And unfortunately, these long working hours don’t leave a lot of extra time for self-care — especially when entrepreneurs are busy juggling their businesses with other responsibilities at home.
While making time for self-care isn’t always easy, it’s essential to the physical, mental, and emotional health of all entrepreneurs — as well as the long-term success of their businesses. Without self-care, entrepreneurs risk burnout, lack of productivity, anxiety, depression, low energy, muscle pain, and other physical, mental, and emotional issues.

To help busy entrepreneurs make time for self-care, the team at Yogaaah shares the following tips and strategies — helping business owners to care for their minds and bodies, even when doing so seems impossible.

1. Work Yoga and Meditation Into Your Day
Entrepreneurship is stressful, but self-care strategies like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can help to calm the body and mind, reduce cortisol levels, and alleviate stress and anxiety. And according to Verywell Mind, the health benefits of yoga don’t stop there: Other benefits may include improved sleep quality, relief from allergy and asthma symptoms, and decreased tension in the muscles.

To help you develop a regular practice, Yogaaah offers online or onsite yoga, meditation, and stress-reduction workshops, as well as virtual sessions. With these onsite classes and workshops, you and your team can enjoy the many benefits of yoga — such as improved posture, energy, problem-solving abilities, and stress resilience. As another benefit of these onsite classes, corporate yoga can help to improve teamwork in the workplace, reduce sick leave, and boost employee satisfaction.

If you work from home or as a solopreneur, Yogaaah also offers online yoga videos that can be enjoyed whenever and wherever you’d like. Or you can find short meditations and breathing exercises if you only have a minute or two to spare each day.

2. Eat Mindfully
In addition to practicing yoga, deep breathing, and meditation, mindful eating is another effective self-care strategy that can easily be incorporated into your day. Eating isn’t optional, so why not turn this daily activity into a self-care practice for the body and mind? According to nutritionist  Lianne Phillipson, mindful eating teaches you to slow down and focus on the present moment — and it can even help to improve your digestion, weight, and eating habits.
Here are some tips for transforming your mealtimes and becoming more mindful of the foods you’re consuming:

• Ditch your phone at mealtimes.
• Take a moment to appreciate each meal before diving in.
• Engage all your senses as you sit down to eat.
• Chew slowly and savour each bite.

If mealtimes are stressing you out because you simply don’t have the time or energy to prepare nutritious foods, it may be time to pay for a meal delivery service. A few of the best options include Home Chef, Sunbasket, and Blue Apron.

3. Delegate Administrative Tasks
Yoga, meditation, and mindful eating are all great, but delegation is another lesser-known form of self-care. And by hiring a virtual assistant to handle some or all of your administrative tasks, you’ll have a lot more time for self-care and other non-work activities. Virtual assistants (also known as VAs) can help with everything from returning phone calls and emails to scheduling meetings and performing data entry. Plus, VAs are an affordable investment — as typical hourly rates range between $10 and $20. To find a qualified VA, check out freelance job boards. After creating an account and posting a job, you’ll receive proposals from qualified candidates in 24 hours or less.

Self-Care Matters
Even if you’re short on time and energy, it’s imperative that you work one or more self-care strategies into your everyday routine. As a busy entrepreneur, self-care is essential to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being — as well as the long-term success of your business!

Are you interested in experiencing the company-wide benefits of corporate yoga classes? Contact the team at Yogaaah to learn about the onsite and online yoga, meditation, and stress-reduction workshops they offer.

Source: IOS Press
A new study shows for the first time that low and high exercise intensities differentially influence brain function. Using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI), a noninvasive technique that allows for studies on brain connectivity, researchers discovered that low-intensity exercise triggers brain networks involved in cognition control and attention processing, while high-intensity exercise primarily activates networks involved in affective/emotion processing. The results appear in a special issue of Brain Plasticity devoted to Exercise and Cognition.

“We believe that functional neuroimaging will have a major impact for unraveling body-brain interactions,” said lead investigators Angelika Schmitt, MSc, and Henning Boecker, MD, Functional Neuroimaging Group, Department of Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany. “These novel methods allow us to ‘look’ directly into the brains of a group of athletes, and, maybe even more importantly, understand the dynamic changes in brain structure and function associated with the transition from a sedentary to a healthy lifestyle.
Twenty-five male athletes underwent individual assessments using an incremental treadmill test. On separate days they performed low- and high-intensity exercise bouts for 30 minutes. Before and after exercising, Rs-fMRI was used to examine functional connectivity of different brain regions that are linked to specific behavioral processes. Participants also completed a questionnaire to measure positive and negative mood before and after the exercise.

 After low-intensity exercise, Rs-MRI showed that networks in the brain associated with cognitive control/attention were stimulated, while after high-intensity exercise, networks associated with emotions were more active, and those related to fatigue/motor function, decreased. Image is credited to Department of Radiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
The behavioral data showed a significant increase in positive mood after both exercise intensities and no significant change in negative mood. The results of the Rs-fMRI tests showed that low-intensity exercise led to increased functional connectivity in networks associated with cognitive processing and attention. High-intensity exercise, on the other hand, led to increased functional connectivity in networks related to affective, emotional processes. High-intensity exercise also led to a decreased functional connectivity in networks associated with motor function.
The investigators note that this is the first study to report distinct effects of exercise intensity on specific functional networks within the brain at rest. Future research in this area will help provide neurobiological evidence about what type of exercise intensity is best suited for certain neurological or behavioral modulations and may pave the way for supportive clinical applications in patients or for enhancing brain functional plasticity. 

By ERIC W. DOLAN  August 18, 2019
Photo credit: Life Science Databases

Meditation and yoga practice is associated with smaller right amygdala volume, a brain region involved in emotional processing, according to research published in Brain Imaging and Behavior.
For their study, the researchers analyzed data that had been collected during the Rotterdam Study, an ongoing population-based study that has been conducted in The Netherlands since 1990. The study has recruited more than 15,000 subjects aged 45 years or over.
The researchers were particularly interested in a subgroup of 3,742 participants who had responded to a meditation and yoga practice questionnaire and had undergone an MRI of the brain. Many of the participants underwent multiple brain scans, allowing the researchers to examine structural change over time.

The researchers found that meditation and yoga was positively related both to stress and coping with stress. Participants who reported practicing meditation and yoga tended to also report experiencing more stress. But 90.7% of practitioners also reported that meditation and yoga helped them cope with stress.
Participants who reported practicing meditation and yoga also tended to have smaller right amygdala and left hippocampal volume compared to those not practicing — and right amygdala volume tended to decrease over time among practitioners. Research suggests the right amygdala controls fear and aversion to unpleasant stimuli.
“Volumetric differences were only found in the right amygdala, not in the left. This is in line with previous smaller studies and is explained by the fact that the right amygdala, as opposed to the left amygdala, is associated with negative emotions and immediate action taking, whereas the left is associated with positive emotions and memory,” the researchers wrote in their study.

The findings could indicate that “that meditation and yoga practitioners have become more aware of their stress, but are at the same time more able to deal with it hence the smaller amygdala volume,” the researchers explained.
The results are in line with previous research that found meditation training could produce a generalized reduction in right amygdala activity in response to emotional stimuli, as measured by brain scans.
But the new study — like all research — includes some limitations.
“Although performed in a very large population-based sample, this is still a selection of participants that are generally healthy and motivated to join research,” the researchers noted. “Furthermore, this study contains mainly elderly individuals, who may not be as actively involved in meditation and yoga practices as younger people might, and who also might show a different structural response than younger participants due to decreased brain plasticity.”

​The study, “Meditation and yoga practice are associated with smaller right amygdala volume: the Rotterdam study“, was authored by Rinske A. Gotink, Meike W. Vernooij, M. Arfan Ikram, Wiro J. Niessen, Gabriel P. Krestin, Albert Hofman, Henning Tiemeier, and M. G. Myriam Hunink.

What is a Life Coach?
Life coaching is a synergistic relationship between a Life coach and a client seeking help to tap into their full potential. Just as Olympic athletes wouldn’t think of training without the support of an athletic coach, many successful people use the services of a life coach to take their relationships, lives, careers, or businesses to the next level. 
Coaches have an objective point of view and help to shed new light on difficult situations. They can act as a sounding board through tough decisions, help you clarify your intentions and goals,and motivate you through changes.  
Part consultant, part motivational speaker, part expert in change and part substitute friend, coaches work with entrepreneurs, parents, students, or those in between helping them define and achieve their goals in career life, personal life, or both. The life coach is the only professional trained to work with all aspects of your life. This is handy because very often, if something is bothering you at work, it is affecting your personal life as well and vice versa. Some clients prefer to spend more time focusing on their business goals, while others may want to focus on personal goals. How you use your coaching call is up to you!


Life coaching works for several reasons:
Your life coach is an objective, positive supporter that helps you to break through limiting blocks soyou can accomplished more with less struggle and less effort.
Coaching creates momentum and enthusiasm and provides structure and support while moving through growth changes. Together clearer goals are set that naturally motivate the client to develop the skills necessary to succeed. If you’ve been doing it solo, try seeing how much more you can accomplish with a life coach!


Here are some solid ways a Life Coach can help you:
1) Accountability. Most life coaches have three calls a month with their clients. This regularly scheduled call prompts clients to get more done than they would if left to their own devices. Think about it, if you work out with a personal trainer at the gym, you work much harder than on your own. Clients take bigger actions, set bigger goals and think bigger when they work with a professional coach.
2) Expertise. The trained life coach knows how to help you set the right goals and structure your personal and professional life to achieve greater productivity with less effort. You’ll achieve more in less time with the input of an accredited Life Coach on your side.
3) Delivery. A well-trained coach knows how to motivate and inspire you to move toward achieving your goals. Typically a weekly call is most effective and gives you time to integrate new ways of thinking and take action each week toward their goals. Most life coaching is done by phone, Facetime or face-to-face and delivered in half hour to one hour coaching sessions. The experience is challenging and uplifting and you’ll look forward to your weekly meetings with your life coach.
4) Speed. Most people find that things start to happen very quickly after hiring a life coach.


Who works with a Life Coach?
Entrepreneurs, executives, professionals, actors, musicians, creative people, small business owners, start-ups, and home-makers all reach their goals with the help of a life coach. Is there is a gap between where you are now and where you want to be? 
Your life coach will help you break through your limited beliefs, challenge you to think bigger and help you get to where you want to be, faster.The International Coaching Federation (ICF) puts it nicely: “People hire a life coach because they want to grow, they want it easier and they want more. Life coaches help a client get all three. Quickly.”

Areas worked on with a Life Coach

• Setting and achieving goals and objectives
• Planning — business, career and life
• Blasting through blocks and fears
• Clearing clutter
• Financial security and independence
• Balancing business and personal life
• Making key decisions and designing strategies for success
• Communicating clearly and powerfully 
• Building trusting relationships
• Finding the ideal career/work or business
• Finding the ideal partner/love/relationship
• Getting out of a rut
• Making an important life transition
• Starting a business
• Growing a business
• Living an ideal life
• Identifying core values and passions
• Fulfilling personal and emotional needs
• Getting organized
• Making more money
• Having loads more time to enjoy life
• Playing, having adventures, and a lot more fun!
• And much, much more…

I should be able to reach my goals on my own? Right?
Some people sacrifice their health, their time to enjoy life, or their relationships to reach their goals. Not necessary. You can have it all, but maybe not all right this minute! You may need to change a few things, true, but clients find they have more time with their families and friends, more money, more opportunity, and are more successful at work when they work with an accredited life coach.
Athletes, performers, CEOs and presidents know they need a trained professional or even a team of experts to help them succeed. Without objective feedback, it is hard to achieve excellence. Why shouldn’t you have this same advantage?

How long must I commit to working with a life coach?
One month on average, but most people find life coaching more beneficial than they realized and stay on longer than they initially anticipated. Many life coaches ask for a three to six month commitment but usually let you stop immediately if the coaching is not working for you right now. You may need to sign a contract or an agreement but you can go on a month-by-month basis for as long as it is working for you.

How much does life coaching usually cost?
Most life coaches working with individuals charge about $100-$150 per hour session but it can also be set up monthly and have access to your coach by phone 3-4 times a month for $300 to $700 per month.

Contact me for a 15 minute complimentary consultation.
norabenian@mail.com 

Lisa Rapaport  4 MIN READ

People who get to do yoga at work may be less stressed out than their peers who don’t, a research review suggests. 
People practice Yoga on International Yoga Day in a port of Tel Aviv, Israel, June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Corinna KernAt any given time, as many as one in six working people suffer from stress and other symptoms related to mental illness, researchers note in Occupational Medicine. Yoga is one of many approaches a growing number of employers are using to combat stress and improve workers’ mental health, but research to date has offered a mixed picture of how well these efforts are working. 
For the current study, researchers examined data from 13 trials with about 1,300 participants. Some workers in these trials were randomly assigned to participate in workplace yoga programs while others were not. 
Yoga didn’t appear to influence heart health, but workplace yoga did have a positive effect on mental health and in stress reduction in particular. 
“Yoga at work could be one of the chosen programs to reduce stress levels, and usually requires low investment, with minimal equipment,” said lead study author Laura Maria Puerto Valencia of the Bavarian Health and Food and Safety Authority in Munich, Germany. 
It’s hard to say, however, how much the yoga itself is responsible rather than the workplace culture at companies that were willing to give workplace yoga a try, said Puerto Valencia said by email. 

“Usually a company that allowed or planned a randomized controlled trial of yoga at work is interested in reducing stress levels, increasing job satisfaction and productivity; in consequence, it could be a place with a lower stress environment (compared to) other companies in general,” Puerto Valencia said. 
Still, more companies are expanding their approach to occupational health to include not just efforts to avoid accidents and injuries but also services to promote mental health as well as good eating and exercise habits. And the results should encourage companies to include yoga as part of their approach to workplace wellness, the study team concludes. 
Mind-body medicine can include a range of health practices that combine efforts to focus the mind, control breathing and move the body in ways that promote relaxation. Yoga is often a component of this approach to wellness. Regular yoga practice has long been linked to better sleep, lower blood pressure, and improvements in mobility and flexibility. 
However, the study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove how yoga might directly alter stress levels. Researchers also didn’t calculate the magnitude of stress reduction caused by yoga across all of the smaller studies included in the analysis. 
“The take-home message seems to be that yoga is a good practice in the workplace as a means of reducing stress,” said Stacy Hunter, a researcher at Texas State University in San Marcos who wasn’t involved in the study. 
Workers who don’t get yoga on the job can still find a way to practice, Hunter said by email. 

“Even if yoga classes aren’t provided in the workplace, simple pranayama (yogic breathing) techniques can be practiced at a desk in a cubicle or an office,” Hunter advised. “While most studies in this review included yoga postures, slow, deep, yogic breathing has also shown to elicit a relaxation response which could contribute to a reduction in stress in the workplace.” 
SOURCE: bit.ly/2VrU8RQ Occupational Medicine, online March 14, 2019.
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

By Sonali Bansal
“So, spine is one dimension of you, which determines which direction you go. How your spine is functioning; how the energies in your spine are functioning right now determines almost everything about where you go.” ~ Sadhguru
The seat of major energy meridians, chakras and neurons, the Spinal cord defines the quality of our lives. In a mother’s womb, the spine is the first thing that is formed and then the body, limbs etc takes root.
From a physical point of view the spinal column is an important channel for all the bodily stimuli that are transferred via the nerves to the brain. It is part of our central nervous system along with the brain. But also on a spiritual level, the spine is the source of all our energy. It is where the three major energy channels or nadis in our body lie.
Starting from the base of the spine, the Ida and Pingala nadis move in spirals like the DNA helix, crossing at each chakra or energy portal. The third nadi, Sushumna is the central channel of energy in the human body that runs from the base of the spine to the crown of the head and carries Kundalini energy, the primal evolutionary force within.
The seven major chakras, on the other hand, are located at the intersection of the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. These chakras are further responsible for our relationship to ourselves, others, defines our spiritual growth, our nature, thoughts and so on.
Spine is referred to as Meru Danda in Sanskrit, where Meru also means the sacred mountain Meru from the Hindu Mythology, which was considered to be the axis of the Earth having an entire solar system revolving around it. In other words, spine is the axis for the human body, which acts as a connecting link between Earth and the heaven.
According to Hindu mythology once gods and demon wanted to extract nectar of immortality or ‘amrita’ and so they gathered near Mount Meru and started pulling the serpent coiled around Mount Meru back and forth. Thus churning the ocean of life to bring out the nectar of immortality. According to the Vedas our spine is like Mount Meru and when churned, the nectar of immortality and bliss, in terms of a disease free & a blissful life can be extracted.

The Sacrum – The center of gravity
The spine has five different parts, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx, out of this the most significant one is the sacrum. It lies at the base of the spine and joins the upper and lower halves of the body. Judith Harris in her book, ‘Jung and yoga: The psyche body connection’ said, “The center of gravity is located at the top of the sacrum, which thus makes sacrum the focal point of our relationship to the ground, to the body, and to our human reality. “
As the gravity passes through our body from the head to the knees and the feet, sacrum acts as a pivotal center for the flow of energy in opposite directions. Harris added, “Gravity will draw feet into the floor, giving us the anchor that we need to live in the world” yet it is “counteracted by the tendency of living things to expand and grow upward toward the sun.”
In Hatha yoga, sacrum is considered a sacred bone, because it literally connects the lower half of our body to the upper half. It is seen as a place of transformation, where the union of upper and lower, of above and below, of the divine and the human occurs.
The fact that most of us are suffering from lower back pain is because of neglecting this area and being disconnected with the center of ourselves. Here is a simple spinal meditation to keep your spine healthy and free of blockages with healthy wiring and firing of neuron transmissions.
Meditation also requires us to keep our spine straight and in line with the head and neck, to experience the goals, set at the start of a meditation. Therefore, ensuring a proper posture for uninterrupted flow of the Prana in our body is a must.

Activating the Spine with Meditation
You’re only as old as your spine is flexible.” ~ Joseph Pilates. This holds true in its entirety, as our age is not defined by the number of years we have spent on the material plane, but it is based on the wear and tear of the various organs of the body, the ability of our cell to regenerate and keep us supple and flexible.
With the help of yoga and meditation, the age process can be reversed. Like the five Tibetan rites result in youthfulness and longevity, spine meditation can lead to a healthy and a balanced life with an unrestricted flow of Prana in our system.

Here’s a step-by-step procedure to start Spine meditation

Step 1: Sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor in an easy pose, with your back erect and preferably away from the wall. Bring your hands in Meru Mudra, fold all your fingers towards your palm, while keeping just your thumb straight, pointing towards the sky in a thumb’s up position. Now, rest the hands on your thigh and stay here for a while.

Step 2: Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath. Feel the breath touching the tips of your nostrils, passing through the nasal passages to the lungs, diaphragm, abdomen and all the way out.

Step 3: Gradually move your awareness to the spine and visualize it. The long structure with curves and vertebrae, the spine will be easily visible in its perfect form. Look at your spine as an observer and gently move your awareness up and down, analyzing the curves of the spinal column.

Step 4: As you move your awareness in the spine, acknowledge a thread or the silver cord in the center of the spine, running from the base of the spine to its tip. This cord is the sutratma or the thread of life, which connects us to our higher self, reaching us in our physical body. Also, it connects all our bodies together, starting from the physical body to the ethereal body to the astral body, so on and so forth.

​Step 5: Keep visualizing this silver thread and feel it lighting, which further fills your entire body with a new upsurge of energy. The silver cord removes any blockages in your spine from the light emitting from it as it heals all obstructions in the free flow of the prana or the life force, leaving you energized and recharged.
Keep at the meditation for as long as you want and recharge yourself completely. With regular practice, visualizing the spine, the silver cord and the light would become easier and quicker.
The spine is the axis on which the human body revolves. Keeping your axis supple, healthy, flexible and hydrated will reap long-term benefits both materially and metaphysically. But its important to keep a good posture and practice this meditation as and when you can.

So, what are the benefits of practicing yoga in the workplace?
10 Benefits of Yoga in the Workplace

1. Reduce Stress: It’s no secret that work can be stressful, and yoga is the perfect antidote. Stress alone leads to changes in mood, poor performance, and anxiety. Looking for ways to reduce employee stress so they can be more productive, have more positive interactions with coworkers, and stay focused pays off for organizations.
2. Increase Focus: By combining movement and breath, your yoga practice does not allow for a wandering mind. By being present “in the moment” you’ll learn to control your mind so you can focus on the task at hand. A vitally useful skill to have in a fast-paced workplace where multitasking is a way of life.
3. Boost Immunity: Yoga activates your immune system, gets your blood flowing and stimulates your lymphatic system. Yoga also supports healthy bones through weight-bearing exercises. That’s a lot of health benefits that lead to less sick days and higher performance amongst employees.
4. Improve Posture: Sitting all day wreaks havoc on your posture and the natural curves of the spine slowly start to reverse as you hunch over your computer desk (lucky for us we all have standing desks). A huge benefit of yoga is finding the natural curves of the spine by lengthening the sides of the waist, tilting the pelvis and broadening the back body. Yoga also stretches major muscles groups and increases joint mobility to prevent joint aches and stiffness.
5. Increase Confidence: When you are confident in your body, it bleeds over to other areas of your life. Yoga increases body confidence by showing you just how strong and nimble you can be. The poses are designed to increase flexibility while building muscle strength and oftentimes cardiovascular health. Small changes lead to major results and soon your confidence in your body’s ability is skyrocketing.
6. Boost Morale: Who doesn’t love having fun activities offered at work? Getting to try a yoga class for free, while bonding with your co-workers is a benefit that far exceeds the hour spent in the room together.
7. Improve Digestion: Stress and anxiety, sitting all day and not moving around enough, mindlessly eating at your desk or on the fly, all cause digestive distress but many yoga postures aid in digestion. Stress reduction can decrease acidity, heartburn, and indigestion. Deep leg folds and twists can turn on your digestive fire, aid in detoxification, and wring out any toxins stored in the intestines. Once your digestion is back on track, you’ll be able to tune into those gut feelings in your second brain (the gut) to help aid you in making important decisions at work and in life.
8. Increase Energy: Exercise has been proven to increase your energy. It’s easy to become sedentary when trying to balance out the demands of work and family life but it’s actually counter-productive. The less active you are, the quicker you fatigue and the less energy you’ll have to tackle everything. Taking the time to focus on yourself, even for a short period of time, is just the boost you need to tackle the rest of your day with vigor.
9. Improve Breathing: Yoga supports you to bring awareness to your breathing. When you are not breathing fully, and shortening your breath, it depletes your energy and can make you feel light-headed and sluggish because your vital organs (think brain) are not getting the oxygen they need. Yoga teaches you how to breathe deeply and use your breath to relax or energize your system, as needed.
10. Increase Flexibility: By increasing flexibility in your body, you also learn how to increase flexibility in other key areas of your life. Suddenly the things that you were feeling rigid about, are not as important anymore. Learning how to go with the flow helps to decrease stress and anxiety and helps you roll with the punches in an ever-changing work environment.

Learn about even more benefits of workplace yoga in this Gaia post.

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