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Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) is part of Hatha Yoga (the “physical” part of Yoga).

Sun Salutation has multiple mental and physical benefits. In only ten minutes you can achieve a low impact workout that combines both Resistance Training (e.g. weight lifting) and Cardiovascular (“Cardio”) Training.

The fitness community accepts the fact that cardiovascular exercise has reduced benefits (e.g. fat burning ends once the cardio exercise stops). It also has disadvantages like tear and wear of joints.

Resistance Training on the other hand, has multiple benefits: increases muscle mass hence more fat burning capability, increases bone density to mention just a few. The drawback: it is painful (I know I don't like the feeling of burning in my muscles, even though I know it is good for me). Resistance training is also time consuming and it may increase blood pressure momentarily if not done properly.

A good compromise is Interval Training that consists of hard alternated with light pace cardio exercise. And this is exactly where Sun Salutation comes in. It is similar with Interval Training by combining a low impact resistance training (push-ups, squats) with cardio exercise. Even better, the benefits of Sun Salutation don’t stop at the physical level: your mind benefits as well.

Regular practice of Sun Salutation benefits your body with:

• Increased blood oxygenation by copious lung ventilation and this is great news for your heart.
• Stretches and tones your muscles keeping them supple and flexible.
• Clears your elimination channels helping your body rid itself of toxins. This is especially good in the morning after many hours of lack of movement during sleep (the lymphatic system eliminates toxins through movement).
• Stimulates and tones your Endocrine system (especially the Thyroid, the master gland that controls all the other glands).
• Tones up the internal abdominal organs by alternate stretching, compression cycles that results in better digestion and bowel movement.
• Increases spine and waist flexibility.

The mental benefits of Sun Salutation are similar with meditation. You can look at Sun Salutation as meditation in movement. It is not random that Tai-Chi (Chinese) or Kata in Karate, have a similar focussed mind on movement approach at the core of their practice. Sun Salutation helps to:

• Increase your mental focus and concentration.
• Reduce depression, anxiety and stress by reducing key markers like Cortisol.
• Increase the quantity of “good mood” neurotransmitters like Serotonin.
• Increase mind to body coordination which is very good especially for older persons.

If done properly, twelve repetitions of Sun Salutation (six pairs of Sun Salutation starting with one leg and then the other), go a long way. It takes roughly 30-40 seconds for one complete cycle (twelve postures flowing from one to the other). Add two minutes of relaxation at the end, to allow your body implement the “reset” you just performed, and you are ready for the new day.

Ten minutes all together in the morning will help you look at the unwinding life from a different perspective.

Among many Sun Salutation techniques, Sivananda Sun Salutation stands out as an graceful flow of twelve postures developed by Swami Sivananda, a practicing medical doctor (MD) before taking up monasticism, therefore developed by a person with knowledge of the human body. How you do it?  Check this link: Sun  salutation .

How would you like to spend your later years? Do you want to be in a nursing home, totally dependent on others? Or would you like to travel the world, ski in the winter, golf in the summer and generally enjoy the many benefits of a strong and youthful body well into your seventies, eighties and beyond?

The choice is clear. Fortunately, medical science is currently discovering how and why the human body ages.
Scientists already found out, for example, that rapid decline in human growth hormone (HGH) release in the body, after fifty years old, leads to faster aging. 

Weight loss diets are very popular these days. Diet by itself is not enough to make you loose the extra weight and get you in the healthy weight range though. That is why overweight and obesity are on the rise. There are certain lifestyle changes that are necessary to implement in order to shed those extra pounds. Without making these changes no diet will work.

Human body is more than simple physics and chemistry. At a more subtle level your mind regulates body’s chemistry (metabolism) and physics (energy balance). It is more complicated than calories in, calories out scenario. Sure, it is important for weight loss to eat less (calories) and burn more (calories) by exercising.

It is not enough though. Scientifical studies showed without a doubt that chronic stress turns on a chemical messenger called neuropeptide Y, which is found in body fat. This hormone increases appetite, especially for carbohydrate-rich foods. It also causes your body to convert these calories into belly fat. A double impact that will add pounds to your weight in a very short period of time.

We knew that as a matter of fact. Whenever we are tensed, we tend to swallow absentmindedly our food without deriving much satisfaction or pleasure. So we eat more. And like this is not bad enough, the chronic stress is also one of the main triggers for metabolic syndrome (glucose intolerance) that can lead to diabetes with all the associated conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and inflammation.

What to do?. Keep reading ...