2. Yogamudra:

Sit erect in padmasana (Lotus posture). Fold your hands begind your back, holding your left wrist with the right hand. Take a deep breath. While exhaling, bend forward slowly keeping your hands on your back. Bring your face downwards until your nose and forehead touch the floor. While inhaling, slowly rise back to the upright position. The practise of this asana tones the nervous system, builds up powerful abdominal nad strengthens the pelvic organs. It helps pep up digestion, boosts the appetite and removes constipation.

1. Shavasana

(Dead body pose) Lie flat on your back, feet comfortably apart, arms and hands extended about six inches from the body, palms upwards and fingers half-folded, Close your eyes. Begin by consciously and gradually relaxing every partand each muscle of the body-feet, legs, calves, knees, thighs, abdomen, hips, back, hands, arms, chest, shoulders, neck, head and face, Relax completely feelings as if your whole body is lifeless. Now concentrate on breathing rhythmically, asslowly and effortlessly as possible.

This creates a state of complete relaxation. Remain motionless in this position, relinquishing all resposibilities and worries for 10 to 15 minutes. Discontinue the xercise when your legs grow numb. This asana relaxes be perfomed at the beginning and at the end of the daily round of yogic asanas.

Precautions.

Vigorous exercise of any kinds should not be taken for anhour-and-a-half after eating, nor immediately before meals. Weakpatients and those suffering from serious diseases like cancer, hearttrouble, tuberculosis and asthma should not undertake vigorousexercise except under the supervision of a completent physician.If exercising makes you tired, stop immediately. The purpose ofexercise should be to make you feel refreshed and relaxed and nottired.The most important rule of the fitness plan is to start with verylight exercise and to increase the effort in gradual and easy stages.The sense of well-being will begin almost immediately. One can startoff with a brisk walk for 15 to 20 minutes.

A comfortable and possiblyharmful to become exhausted or seriously short of breath. Perhaps, oneshould aim at activities which need about two-third of one's maximumability. One way to assess is to count your own pulse rate.Counting the pulse rate is quite easy. Feel the pulse on your leftwrist with the middle thre fingers of your right hand. Press justfirmly enough to feel the beat easily. Now count the number of beatsin 15 seconds, with the help of a watch with a second hand, andcalculate your rate by multiplying by four. At rest your heart beats70 to 80 times a minute. This rate increases during exercise. Reallyvigorous exercise can produce rates as high as 200 beats or more perminute. A reasonable aim is to exercise at about two-thirds of yourmaximum capacity. If follows that the heart rate should be about 130per minute during and just after exercise. Always avoid over-exertionand never allow your pulse to go above 190 minus your age per minute.--

Methods Of Exercise

Several systems of exercise have been developed over the years, the most popular among them being the Swedish system and yoga asanas, the latter having been practised from ancient times. Whichever systems one chooses to adopt, the exercises should be performed systematically, regularly and under proper guidance.

To be really useful, exercise should be taken in such a manner as to bring into action all the muscles of the body in a natural way. Walking is one such exercise. It is the most efficiant exercise for improving overall firness. It uses more muscles in a continuous, uniform action than most other forms of exercise and it remains accessible to everyone throughout life. A regular walking programme can help one lose weight, give more energy and tone flabby muscles. It can help prevent heart disease, alleviate mental depression and ease some of the pain of arthritis as well as reverse some of the physical aspects of ageing. This form of exercise is, several kilometres in a brisk manner to constitute a fair amount of exercise. Other forms of good exercise are swimming, cycling, horseriding, tennis, etc.

Benefits.

The body benefits from exercise in various ways. The different systems of the body get a boost and this results in their better functioning, increased strength, stamina and energy. It improves circulation of the blood, facilitates better transportation of oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body, right uo to the skin. This enables the skin to eliminate the waste in a more efficient way, thereby preserving it from egeing changes.

The improved circulation and optimum oxygenation helps to counteract may circulatory problems associated with age. Exercise improves the tone and elasticity of muscles and joints. This enables the body to look and feel young and gives the figure good proportions.

Regular exercise also enables the body to achieve poise, grace and a good posture which are essential factors for good looks and youthful appearance. It thus helps to delay ageing. Regular exercise programmes have shown remarkable improvement in health and appearance.

Exercise for beauty

Gone are the days when physical exercise was considered be for those who wished to lose weight. There is now growing awareness that phyical fitness and exercise play a vital role for the attainment and maintenance of good health, good looks and youthfulness. It also a wonderful way to have a good figure.

This is based on the realisation that negative influences adversely affect the health and beauty of a person and lead to degeneration of the human body. Factors like environmental pollution, exposure to cheminals and drugs, synthetic foods, sedentary life style and mental stress undermine health and good loods and increase the incidence of degenerative diseases, thereby hastening the aheing process.

Exercise is a key factor in the search for a youthful appearance. It relieves tension, anxiety and stress which greatly contribute to premature wrinkling. There is a close relationship between exercise and healthy skin.

Exercise enables a person to attain a state of wellbeing which protects the body from degeneration. It is a level of good health that helps to conteract the ageing changes in the body and also allowes both body and mind to function efficintly.

Fretcherism

One sure method of reducing weight is by practising what is known as 'Fretcherism'. It was discovered in 1898 by Horace Fletcher of the U.S.A. Fletcher, at 40, considered himself an old man. He was 25 kilos overweight, contracted flu every six months and constantly complained of indigestion and exhaustion. After deep study, he discovered the rules for 'Fletcherism which are as follows:

1. Chew your food to a pulp or milky liquid until it practically swallows itself.
2. Never eat until hungry.
3. Enjoy every bite or morsel, savouring the flavour until it is swallowed.
4. Do not eat when tired, angry, worried and at meal times refuse to think or talk about unpleasant subjects.

Horace Fletcher followed these rules for five months. As a results, he lost more than 27 kilos and felt better than he had for 20 years. A weight-reducing programme built on fletcherism works wonders and is worth a trial.
Along with dietetic treatment, the patient should adopt all other natural methods of reducing weight. Exercise is an important part of the weight reduction plan. It helps to use calories stored in body fat and relieves tension, besides toning up the muscles of the body. Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by running, swimming, rowing and other outdoor sports.
Certain yogic osanas are highly beneficial. Not only do they break up or re-distribute fatty deposits and help slimming, but they also strenghten the flabby areas. These osanas include shalabhasana, dhanurasana, chakrasana, vajrasana, yogamudra and trikonasana.

These osanas work on the glands, improve circulation, strenghten many weak areas and include deep breathing which helps to melt off excess fat gradually. The methods for practising these osanas have been given in Chapter 15, "Yoga For Youthful Looks.

Above all, the obese person should make every effort to avoid negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, hostility and insecurity and develop a positive outlook to wards life.

Natural Remedies

Many diets are prescribed for the overweight to enable them to reduce. Some of these diets are so severe and extreme that are likely to be more determental to health than being overweight. Crash diets which severely restrict food intake or exclude all but one or two items are injurious to health, irrespective of the seriousness of the problem of obesity. Not only is the health likely to suffer but the person adhering to such a diet likely to put on many of those lost kilos back again after resumption of normal eating habits.

Another risk with most diets is that in cutting down on the amount of food, they drastically reduce the intake of vital nutrients and this may lead to tiredness and irritability. The only sensible way to lose weight and to maintain that weight loss is to follow a carefully planned course of dietetic treatment, in conjunction with suitable exercise and other measures for promoting good health.The chief consideration in this teatment should be the balanced selection of foods which provide the maximum essential nutrients with the least number of calories.

begin with, the patient should undertake a juice fast for seven to ten days. Juices of lemon, grapefruit, orange, pineapple cabbage and carrots may be taken during this period. A longer juice fast upto 40 days can also be undertaken but only under expert guidance and supervision. Alternatively, short juice fasts should be repeated at regular intervals of two months or so till the desired reduction in weight is achieved.

After the juice fast, the patient should spend the next four of five days on an all-fruit diet, taking three meals of fresh juicy fruits such orange, grapefruit, pineapple and papaya. Thereafter, he may gradually start on a low calorie, well balanced diet of whole grains, vegetables and fruits, with emphasis on raw fruits, vegetables and fresh juices.

The foods which should be drastically curtailed or altogether avoided are high-fat foods such as butter, cheese, chocolate, cream, ice-cream, fatty meats, fried foods and gravies; foods high in carbohydrates like breab, candy, cakes, cookies, cereal products, legumes, potatoes, honey, sugar, syrup and rich puddings; beverages such as aerated drinks and alcohol.

Tea and coffee should be eliminated completely. If this is not possible. they should be restricted to one or two cups a day. Heebal teas can be taken as they do not contain calories provided no sweetener is added. lemon juice also acts as a diuretic and can be taken for this purpose first thing in the morning with hot water. Having something to drink half-an-hour before a meal also helps to take the edge off your appetite. Skimmed milk should be used in place of whole milk as this is much lower in calorie. If some snack needs to be eaten between meals, raw fruits or vegetables are preferable to biscuits and cakes. All foods should be cooked carefully to retain maximum nutrient content, without increasing the calories. This means eating raw or steamed vegetables. Nutritious but high calorie foods, such as nuts, hard cheese, commercial fruits, yoghurt and avocado pears, should be avoided. Lots of salad should be included in the diet as they are low in calories and a good source of vitamins and minerals.