“Yoga” is a Sanskrit word which means physical and mental discipline. Yoga originated from India about five thousands years ago. There are many branches of Yoga and the main branches include Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.

The objective of Yoga is to improve your physical and mental health.

It is best that you should learn Yoga from a qualified teacher. You can’t learn it and perfect it by merely reading from books. Yoga should be practiced on an “Empty Stomach”, remembering you should stop if you feel exhausted or are in any discomfort.

Pranayama is nothing but a breathing exercise. Yoga can be useful to live a disease free life. Your life span will increase if you regularly practice yoga. Yoga can cure certain diseases at an early stage. It is capable of increasing memory power. It can calm your mind, and it can drive away any mental stress.

It will teach you the best way of living in this world. Practice Yoga and live a lively long and happy life.



Worry Management

I was at a coffee shop a few months ago, when one of my friends happened to walk in looking rather sad and downcast. It worried me, as I had never seen him in this state before. It is rather difficult to go straight out and ask a person why he is not himself without wandering how your best-intended inquiry will be taken. After casually inquiring and talking on general matters, I subtly asked him if he was in any kind of difficulty. He told me that he was out of employment, and I referred him to a Company who needed someone of his stature. He was engaged on my recommendation, and was able to negotiate a decent salary more than his expectations. This gave me a sense of goodwill and I was very happy for him.

It was after about a month, when I saw him again, he seemed an even more worried man than before. I asked him why he seemed to be worried. He told me that his manager is a short-tempered person and he found it very difficult to cope with this sort of temperament. To my utter disappointment, he added he wanted to quit his job, as he could not cope with the stress anymore.

Then I told him about a recent real incident that involved a woman officer in the USA. She was working as a chief officer in a manufacturing company in New York. Her immediate manager used to berate her in a very harsh manner, very often in the presence of others for even the most trivial matters. His words hurt her deeply, even after she left her workplace and returned home.It reached a stage, when she could no longer stand the humiliation and stress; she thought it best to quit her job.

She however, consulted with a psychologist before deciding to submit her resignation. The doctor told her to continue in the job for another three months. He added, "Young lady, even the worst man will have a few good qualities. You find out the good qualities in him and appreciate them honestly. If you do not find any changes even after three months you can quit" She liked his idea and agreed to try it.

She noticed that her manager had very good dress sense. She complimented him on his taste, and choice of clothes, one day when they were alone. It seemed to work a little. Then one day she marveled at his immense technical knowledge and skills, and mentioned that this must contribute considerably to the company's benefit.

Three months later, she visited the psychologist with an invitation to her wedding. Yes, you have guessed it right; the bridegroom was none other than the so-called angry man. This story impressed my friend very much. He liked the idea as well, and told me that he would try it.

The recent news is that things are moving in a much better manner now, and he is able to relate well with his manager and work in a much more cordial atmosphere.

Moisture within the Rock

Anger is an emotion that has evolved as a natural and healthy response to deal with factors encountered in situations that are typically frustrating, annoying, infuriating, irritating, threatening, unpleasant, or embarrassing.

An angered person’s emotion are often reflected in physiological responses such as increased heart rate and pupil dilation, facial expressions and body language that sometimes exhibit overt acts of aggression.

Uncontrolled anger can be damaging to both parties. Harsh words and actions which often regrettably cannot be undone are exchanged in the heat of anger. Often associated with the cause of the anger is, poor judgment and a lack of concentration on the task at hand which may lead to poor performance and deterioration.

Anger must be handled and released in the right way.

When things don't go the way a person wants, or may not understand to resolve a problem in reaching a goal, it might turn to becoming frustrated that can lead to anger.

One of my friends is always in the habit of losing his temper and flying off his handle at the drop of a hat. This often happens when something does not go the way of his expectations or if somebody does not act or perform according to his plan.

He came to me one day, asking me for a solution to this ever growing problem.

I told him, “my dear friend, whenever you get angry you please hammer a nail on a wooden board. If the next time, you could control your anger in a similar situation, pull out the nail from the board. You should try your best not to add more nails to the board. If you get too many nails, you should try to get them all out as soon as possible.”



This strategy worked out well for my friend. He came to me after a few weeks and thanked me for the tip and said, “I was ashamed when I saw too many nails on my board within a week and swore to get them all out. I had to work hard in controlling my anger. But when I finally learned how, it was rewarding to feel I could take a hold and control my anger. I have finally triumphed by being able to slowly get all the nails out of the board.”

I was happy that my method worked out very well for him. He showed me the board with no nails on it, but it had so many nail impressions.

Just so the angry words we use on others will remain ingrained in their hearts forever. Therefore let us not hurt any one with our angry words.

What is stress? It is nothing but losing control of events. The body registers stress by means of the hypothalamus interacting with the pituitary gland and by an incredible relay system of ‘stress hormones’ produced by the adrenal glands called epinephrine or adrenaline, orchestrate the body’s reaction to stress. Stress can be broadly classified into five different categories which can be interlinked and effect mental and emotional human behavior to a great extent. Some of the noticeable responses may include smoking, consuming inappropriate levels of alcohol, excessive eating of sugary food and substance abuse.

Stress effects circulation and digestive systems, symptoms may include muscle spasms, nausea, ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, acne, eczema, psoriasis, shortness of breath, palpitations, clammy hands and cold feet. Stress related habits may include grinding of teeth, pacing, fidgeting, wringing of hands, crying, over spending, compulsive eating, and resulting weight gain. Others are insomnia, hyperventilation, lethargy and loss of attention to work. Instances are when stress can develop due to unexpected events beyond one’s control, such as meeting with an accident, delays in meeting deadlines caused by external factors. Pressure of work, travel, mental trauma, family pressures, marriage related issues and any number of domestic or economic causes can trigger stress buildup. As stress can differ from person to person, it is important to observe and understand the underlying causes.

. Yoga is an effective stress management tool made up of poses and postures and is an ancient tradition combining exercise and meditation practice dating back to a few thousand years. Some of the types of Yoga are Yuma, Niamey, Asana, Panorama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Practicing Pranayama will largely help in managing daily stress. Pranayama is nothing but breathing exercises. It helps you keep your body and mind in harmony. It will help in developing a strong and calm mind. However, the techniques of yoga need to learned under the guidance of a qualified professional to get best results. There are many Yoga institutes scattered all over the world and their resources are available to those interested in pursuing or practicing the subject.

• Meditation is an excellent technique to relax the restlessness of the mind from anxiety and stress. It can also help to attain spiritual growth. It is usual that a selection of soothing music is played in the background while meditating contributing to being a calming factor. Experts can select the right kind of music if you are unable to choose for yourself as the selection of music is vital. • Tai Chi Chuan, a combination of Chinese philosophy and exercise in slow harmonious movements is an excellent method to practice relaxation and alleviate stress. • By applying manual pressure to muscles, joints and bones particularly the spine, head and neck, Chiropractors are able to relieve specific stress related tensions that cause nerve compression.

• Having sex with your spouse is a natural way of removing daily stress. • Favorite hobbies may prove to be the right tools of stress management. However it may differ from person to person. If gardening is a favorite hobby, it will help in managing daily stress.

• Food habits play a vital role in stress management. Certain food and beverages have a calming effect, as in yeast extracts, whole grains, nuts and bananas which are rich in Vitamin B-6, also Vitamin C found in citrus fruit, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts; herbal teas such as peppermint, chamomile. Cultivate the habit of consuming natural foods in the form of fruit and vegetables more often as part of your food intake and avoid junk food. A balanced diet is very essential for building your body and mind. • Smoking enhances heartbeats and contributes to stress and should be avoided.

• Laughter is another method of stress management. Watch comedy programs, read books on humor. Try to be around people who are humorous and entertaining. The main objective is to adept to stressful situations, keeping our bodies and minds clean and calm, learning to live by coping with the factors that cause stress and avoid being a victim of it.