The Health Q
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) 1715 6165 |
Contents
Coping with distractions [editorial note];
Daal Palak [recipe];
Locust yoga posture for sharp digestion
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Coping With Distractions [editorial note]
by Parmjit Singh, PhD
The modern life is hectic and distractions are its essential part. Wherever you are, you will be besieged with disturbances and distractions. At road there are cars, trucks and their noise. In the malls, there is music, public chatter, human agitation and irritability. At home, there are shouting kids, screaming TVs, blaring music systems; neighbors doing their business and possible list keep on going. There seems no respite. Where ever you are there is some distraction.
But how can we cope with these distractions without having serious repercussions on our mental peace? There are some obvious physical antidotes. For example, you can choose to stay away from busy roads, elect not to go to busy shopping malls and instead go to local small shops, turn off the TVs and place strict rules for kids about noise pollution. Regardless of how effective these measures end up being, we will still be at the mercy of others for our peace of mind.
Another effective method is to engage in distraction-immunization by engaging in mental practice such as meditation. Meditation has been shown to be good in consolidating our attention resources thus making us less susceptible to the noise pollution of the world and living.
A recent research (visit our website to read the complete study) shows that people who meditated intensively for three months were able to deploy their attention better than novices. One implication of this study is that meditators can allocate limited attention resources wisely when the need arises in comparison to people who have no experience in meditation. Further more, they show remarkable flexibility in letting go off things, events, and emotions.
Such flexibility in shifting the focus from one activity to another and not getting stuck with things can be a boon for ordinary people who remain mired in negative feelings, memories and emotions of past.
The bottom line is that by earmarking 20-30 minutes of your daily time to meditation practice will help you keep your brain in good order. You will be able to handle distractions efficiently and be able to enjoy domestic life at a better level. [HQ]
Daal Palak [recipe]
by Manjit Handa, PhD
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole moong daal (green)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 bunch fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Wash the daal thoroughly and keep aside. In a pressure cooker heat olive oil and add cumin seeds and bay leaf. When the seeds splutter, add ginger and onion and keep stirring until they are golden brown. Then add turmeric and tomatoes. When tomatoes are tender, add the rest of the ingredients. Close the cooker with the whistle. With the first whistle simmer the heat and cook for another forty five minutes. When the steam is settled, open and mix the daal well and serve with rice or simply as a soup. Enjoy!
Locust Yoga Posture
Yoga postures are known for vitalizing body, stoking the digestive fire and eliminating various ailments. The Locust posture is one of them.
Half-Locust: Lie down with your nose and forehead touching the floor (a). Place your fists beside your thighs. Make a full inhalation. Retain the breath and while pushing the fists into ground raise your left outstretched leg up (b). Hold it for few moments and exhale while bringing it brings it back to the floor. On the next inhalation (c) repeat the same thing with your right leg. The awareness is held in the pelvis and lower vertebrae. Do it slowly.
Full-Locust: In full locust (d), we raise our both outstretched legs simultaneously off the ground and hold it in that position for few moments. Counting in the background of your mind may also help in holding to the posture. Inhale a full breath, retain and while digging your fists into floor, push your both legs in the air as high as possible. Full-locust requires great exertion in comparison to half-locust. Therefore, it will be advisable that you practice Half-Locust first and switch to Full-Locust only when confident.
Benefits: This posture is a powerful antidote to constipation. Regular practice, it is claimed, can even eliminate the most stubborn case of constipation. It should be noted that constipation can lead to physical and emotional disturbances. In addition to this benefit, Locust posture has powerful salutary effects on back muscles and massages internal glands and cleanses and rejuvenates the kidneys.
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