Newsletter September, 2020
In this issue:
Tip-toe balance (video)
 Tiptoe balance (Padangushthasana)
The Tiptoe balancing pose - pādāṅguṣṭhāsana - पादाङ्गुष्ठासन is a balancing pose which is done from a position where you are squatting on the toes. This is an intermediate level pose and it improves strength and flexibility in the toes, ankles, knees, hips and thighs.
When I first saw a picture of this pose on the cover of a yoga magazine, it looked like a deceptively simple pose. However, when I started practicing the pose, I realized that in addition to physical and mental balance, the pose requires strong toes and ankles as well as flexibility in the knees and hips. Like any other balancing pose, depending upon your physical and mental state at the time of practice, you may find it easier to balance on a given day as compared to other days.
I hope you will enjoy practicing with me using the video.
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Upcoming Programs
Understanding the Mind to eliminate Stress
- What: An Introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
- When: Third Saturday of the month
- Next Session: Saturday, September 19, 2020
- Access: remotely via live video streaming using Zoom
- TIME: 2:30 - 4:30 PM
- FEE: by voluntary donation
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- To register: please fill out the registration form
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14-day pranayama intensive
- What: 14-day pranayama intensive
- When: Monday, September 21 - Sunday, October 4, 2020
- Time: 6:00 – 7:30 AM (US East Coast time, GMT-4)
- Access: Remotely via live video streaming (Zoom); login info will be provided upon receipt of registration and payment
- Fee:
- Instructor: Subhash Mittal
- Daily Routine: Light stretching (10-15 minutes), Pranayama practice (45 min), Relaxation (15 min), Yoga philosophy/meditation (15 min)
- Commitment: A firm commitment to follow this schedule and attend every day
- To register: fill out the registration form, providing information in all the fields, and submit it online
Yoga Sutra study group, 2nd and 4th Saturday
podcast channel
As you may be aware, I have been offering monthly workshops wherein I discuss various aspects of yoga philosophy. The main focus in these workshops is to discuss the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in some depth. In addition, from time to time, I also discuss concepts from the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and other related ancient scriptures. In order to preserve these talks for future reference, I have been making an audio recording of these discussions and sharing them with the participants. These audio recordings are now available on the podcast channel on my blog. You are welcome to download these audio recordings for your use. In addition, you can listen to these podcasts as well as subscribe to them on itunes as well.
youtube channel
As you would have noticed from many of the recent posts on my blog, I have been adding short videos of many of the commonly practiced asana and pranayama sequences. I strongly urge you to subscribe to my youtube channel and visit the channel frequently to get instructions for your own asana and pranayama practices. Please share the link to the channel with your friends who might benefit from these detailed video instructions.
I would love to hear your feedback and, of course, would welcome suggestions for future videos that you would like to see on the channel.
Yoga in the News
Could Yoga Calm Your A-Fib? Early Findings Suggest It Might
People with the heart-rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, may ease their symptoms with the help of a slower-paced yoga, a preliminary study finds. Researchers from India found that over 16 weeks of yoga sessions, a-fib patients saw their symptom episodes drop by about half. Their mental well-being got a boost as well.
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Yoga, tai chi, meditation improve veterans’ mental, physical health
A combination of yoga, tai chi and meditation was linked to significant mental and physical health improvements among veterans, according to study results published in Medical Care.
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Why Yoga Is Good for Your Body and Brain, According to Science
In a recent study, 29 participants were randomly assigned to a four-month training program of either stretching or yoga respiratory exercises (ujjayi breath). During that time, the yoga group improved their inspiratory and expiratory pressures, the low/high-frequency ratio of heart rate variability, and heart rate variability itself—all markers of better cardiovascular and respiratory function. Simply stretching didn’t have the same effects.
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Yoga shown to improve anxiety, study shows
Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, a new study found that yoga was significantly more effective for generalized anxiety disorder than standard education on stress management, but not effective as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard form of structured talk therapy that helps patients identify negative thinking for better responses to challenges.
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Have a question/suggestion?
If you have a yoga-related question, please write to me and I would do my best to provide an answer in a timely manner. I would love to hear your suggestions for future newsletter articles.
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