Eye Exercises

After you finished the other yoga, it is best to do this exercise. This way you're resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises at the same time, thus reducing the time taken to do your yoga routine.

When doing the eye exercises keep your eyes open and don't move your head.

Sit down and open your eyes, then check on your posture. Keep your spine erect, Hands on the knees relax and keep your head straight. The whole body must be motionless; nothing must move except the eyes.

Raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, of course, without moving your head. While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes.

Next, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor which you can see clearly when glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Breathing should be normal. In other words, you don't have to do deep breathing.

Exercise 1

Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.

Eye Exercises

Exercise 2
Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining.

Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.

Exercise 3

Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless.

Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.

Exercise 4

This exercise must be done only after few days you start the eye exercise.

Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling.

Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise.

Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds.

When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.

Exercise 5

Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times.

Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see

it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there

find a small point which you can also see very clearly.

Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.

Exercise 6

Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly.

It relaxes the eye muscle after the exercise. Blink the eyes a few times.

Palming (Eye exercise)

Exercise 7

"Palming" is very relaxing to the eyes which is most important for preserving the eyesight and also has a beneficial, relaxing effect on your nervous system.

It's an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises.

Remain seated on the floor. Draw up your knees, keeping your feet on the floor and slightly apart. Now briskly rub your palms to charge them with electricity and place the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should rest on your raised knees and the neck should be kept straight. Don't bend your head. Do the deep breathing while palming your eyes.

If the palming is done for only a short period one can do deep breathing for half a minute or so at first, gradually increasing it every week.

Benefits:

Keeps away with eye strain, and tension.

Due to enough supply of blood in nerves and eye, Vision would be clear and rich.

Also improve the quality of vision.

Neck Exercises

The neck has vital role in health and vitality thus it is given special attention by the yoga practitioners. The biggest advantage of this exercise is that it can done in at any place - while taking a bath, listening to the radio, or watching TV.

Two major reasons for the importance of neck are:

1.since the nerves from the neck go to the eyes, ears and brain, a spinal misalignment in the neck can cause vision and hearing problems, as well as problems such as headaches and poor sleep.

2.since major blood vessels pass through the neck to the brain, a neck misalignment can put pressure on the blood vessels and reduce the blood flow to the brain. This is a very common cause of chronic fatigue.

Neck Roll Exercise

The neck exercises improve the flexibility of your neck. Before starting these exercises, see for yourself how flexible your neck is; then decide whether or not it needs to be exercised.

Rotate you head 3-5 times by leaning foreward. If the rolling goes smoothly without any grinding or crackling noises you don't have to worry; if it doesn't, better try the neck exercises at once.

Usually the trouble begins when the joints, or rather their linings, are inadequately lubricated and begin to stiffen from accumulation of calcium deposits-a sign of old age regardless of how many or how few years ago you were born. This crunching sound is certainly a warning of impending trouble-unnecessary trouble, too, as one can preserve one's elasticity, health, and youthful appearance by spending a few minutes a day doing the right type of exercise.

Technique:

Sit on the floor with your legs crossed and keep the hands on the knees. If you prefer to sit on a chair, choose a hard one, otherwise you will find it difficult to keep your back straight, which is essential.

Neck roll Exercises

Relax the whole body. You should be conscious of it only from the neck up-the rest should remain motionless and as unstrained as if you were sitting tinder water up to the neck.

1.Now close your eyes and effortlessly and gently let your head drop forward and backward, then again forward and backward. Do each exercise four times to begin with. Later on you can increase the number to 6 or more. When dropping the head backward keep your facial muscles relaxed; the lips should part slightly when the head is thrown back.

2.In the next exercise, you first turn your head to the extreme right and return it to normal position; then turn to the extreme left and return to normal again. Repeat it 4 times. Turning the head to the sides contracts the muscles, returning to normal position relaxes them.

3.In the 3rd exercise you bend your head to the right as if someone were pulling your right ear towards the right shoulder, and straighten the head, bend it to the left and straighten again.

Repeat four times.

When bending the head to the side, don't lift the shoulder, and don't tilt the head either-let it move only from its upright position into an almost horizontal one, otherwise there will be very little pull in the neck. This pull should be strongly felt in the left side of the neck when the head is bent to the right; in the right side when the head is bent to the left.

4.The next exercise resembles the neck movements of a turtle, for you should literally "stick your neck out" as far as you can, then draw it back again. In doing so, you will make a gliding movement forward with your chin, as if trying to reach far out with it and thus to lengthen the neck. Here the pull will be felt in the back of the neck on both sides between the ears as well as in

the middle. Repeat this exercise four times..

Benefits of the neck exercises

1.Improve vitality, sleep, vision and hearing

2.Prevent headaches, since the nerves and blood vessels in the neck go to the head and brain

Caution

A lot of books include the neck roll exercise, in which the neck is rotated around clockwise and then anti-clockwise. Since it jams the side joints of the neck, you must avoid it, which can cause inflammation.

The Twist Posture (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

The Twist Posture is one of the basic but beautiful yoga exercise. When executed correctly, you will feel like a peacock majestically unfolding his large, colorful fan.

The Twist Posture (Ardha Matsyendrdsana)

In order to make this posture easy to master, here it is presented at three stages. For beginners try the 1st stage. After a week, add stage two to your schedule and after another week, add stage three.

Technique (First Movement)

Sitting on the floor extend both legs.

Cross your right foot over your left knee, place it firmly on the floor, keeping the left hand on the right toes.

Stretch out the right arm and twist it around the back of your waist line as far as you can. The open palm and the wrist should be resting on the left hip bone.

Keep both the head and spine straight, and the entire sole of your right foot on the floor. Inhale deeply.

While exhaling, slowly start turning your head, then shoulders and back, to the right. When you have finished exhaling, you will find that you are able to twist still a little more to your right. Do not bend your head while doing so. Keep your chin up.

Stay in this position, holding your breath for as long as you can, then start inhaling while slowly unwind the twist until the head, shoulders, and back are in the original position again.

Keep focused on the stretching taking place in your spine.

Pause for a while and repeat the twist.

Reverse the position of the legs and arms, and assume the same position with the twist to the left side.

Time:

Remain in this position for 5 seconds, holding your breath. Increase the time to one minute, adding five seconds per week. When holding it for more than several seconds, resume the deep breathing while remaining in the posture, but always unwind on exhalation. Repeat the twist two to three times.

After the exercise lie down and relax.

Technique (Second Movement)

Stretch out both legs, placing the right foot over the left knee.

Bend the left knee so that the left heel touches the right buttocks. Keep the left hand on the right foot. Wind the right arm around the back of the waist line, with your palm open.

Inhale deeply and slowly make a complete turn to the right, keeping the shoulders straight and the chin up, while exhaling.

The Twist Posture (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Time:

Retain this posture for ten seconds, the slowly straighten your head, shoulders and chest. Do the whole exercise once more, then reverse the position of legs and arms and repeat the twisting movement to the left.


Technique (Third Movement)

Done just like the second, except that you change the position of your outstretched arm.

Get into the second pose of the twist as given above.
Bend the left leg, place the right foot over the left knee, left hand on the right toes, right arm on
the back of the waistline.

Raise your left arm, place the elbow cap on the right knee and glide it down along the right side of the right thigh until you can reach the toes of the right foot with your left hand.

Now assume the twist pose by first inhaling deeply, then exhaling and twisting your head, shoulders and back to the right as you did before.

Repeat 2 or 3 times, then reverse the position of legs and arms and repeat the twist to the left side.

If you are unable to reach your toes, simply keep them up off the floor until you can master the correct posture, or put a strap around your toes and hold on to that.

After the exercise lie down and relax. When your breathing has returned to normal, take a few deep breaths.

Benefits of The Twist Posture (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Benefits the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver and spleen.

Helpful for asthma, indigestion, constipation, and obesity.

Strengthens the spine and deep muscles. They are also made flexible. It corrects stooping shoulders, a bent back, and defective posture.

Only asana which twists the spine. The other asanas stretch the spine in the flexion (forwards) and extension (backwards). The twist completes the stretching of the spine so that now every muscle and ligament of the back and neck has been stretched in all directions.

The Fish Posture (Matsyasana)

Technique

First keep the mat on the floor and Lie on your back with knees bent and arms at your side.

While raising your back off the ground by pushing the floor with your elbows, arch as much as you can. Push your head backwards, resting the head on the floor. For the support use forearm and elbows to support you.

Expanding your chest take air deeply with the abdomen and concentrate on the thyroid gland. Stay in this position for about more than 1 minute. you can be back slowly to the initial position.

The Fish Posture (Matsyasana)

Benefits of The Fish Posture (Matsyasana)
Normalizes the function of the thyroid, pituitary, pineal and adrenal glands and stretches the neck, strengthens and tones the nervous system, the kidneys, the stomach and intestines, the pelvic organs, and the nerves connected with the sex functions.

Only posture in this sequence which bends the spine (including the neck) backwards.

Helps to give a healthy stretch to the muscles and ligaments of the spine in the opposite direction.

People suffering from asthama may do this exercise which helps in redution.

The Forward Posture, Forward Bend Posture, Hands-and-Feet Posture (Padahastasana)

Executing yoga postures with full awareness, relaxation and visualization, can get the maximum benefit out of yoga itself, so stay concentrate.

Forward Bend Posture

Technique

Close your eyes, breath normally as you stand, allowing all muscles to relax. Stay focused and feel the sensations associated with the contact of your feet with the floor.

Visualize the posture you are going to practice. This is a form of mental tuning.

Inhale, then exhale while you slowly bend forward. Lean forward until you can touch your knees, or feet. Do the movement slowly and in a relaxed manner. The whole process should be slow, fluid, continuous, and mindful. Do not force the stretch. Lie bent over for approximately 10 seconds, or as long as feels comfortable, while holding onto that part of your body as you gently breathe into your back.

Do not bounce up and down. Allow yourself to bend over farther after your breath has helped your back muscles to stretch out. You may feel some trembling in your body. Allow that trembling to happen. Practice with full awareness and concentration, through the whole process.

Concentrate on a focal point of this posture which can be your hamstring muscle, muscles of your back. Stay relaxed into the posture.

Inhale. Go back to an upright position by bending your knees slightly. The head must be the last part of your body to come back into position. Be aware of and feel the changes in your position and in your spine as you slowly straighten to an erect position. stay calm and relax.

Repeat 2 to 5 times.

Forward Bend Posture(kimuttanasana)

Benefits of Forward Bend Posture(kimuttanasana)

Benifits in the cases of constipation, low back pain and sciatica also this yoga is a specific for constipation.

Stimulates organs and glands in the abdominal region, such as the pancreas, liver and kidneys.

Tones the abdominal muscles and stretches the hamstring muscles of the thighs.

The Plough Posture (Halasana)

The Plough Posture

Basic but benificial yoga exercise.

Technique

Bend both legs over your head until the toes touch the floor behind your head keeping knees straight. Stretch the hands out towards your feet.

Take air slowly and deeply from the abdomen and concentrate on the spine. Remain in this posture for about 1 minute.

Slowly uncurl the spine after you finish. Don't worry if you can't straighten your knees. Your spine will become more flexible and you will eventually be able to straighten your knees after a weeks.

Benefits of The Plough Posture (Halasana)

This exercise stretches the spine as no other exercise can, which makes this posture very beneficial if you suffer from back or neck stiffness or arthritis in these areas and also prevents these conditions. Since this posture rejuvenates the spine, and because the spinal nerves go to all parts of the body, it helps to rejuvenate the whole body.

Benificial for the thyroid gland, liver and spleen, stretches and pulls the vertebrae.

Good for people suffering from stiffness, obesity, muscular rheumatism, enlarged liver and spleen, constipation, indigestion, and arthritis.

Time:

Initally be in this position about 5-10 secs. By adding five seconds per week increase the time. Repeat from 2 to 4 times, adding one time every 14 days.

Caution:

Please be very careful, Do not attempt right away the final stages of this posture If you haven't flexed up with other exercises before, unless you've a naturally very flexible spine. Otherwise, do not try to touch the floor with the toes for a few days also Do not force the toes any lower than the spine will allow comfortably. Otherwise, you will injure the right muscle and the pain may last a few weeks!

The Reverse Posture (Viparitakarani Mudra)

This asana is very helpful in youthful appreance and prevents premature aging and produces refreshment as well as energy to the body.

The Reverse Posture (Viparitakarani Mudra)

Technique

Lie on your back. Raise your legs and back, supporting your body by placing your hands under your hips. Make sure your legs are vertical and your toes pointed.

Close your eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply from the abdomen and concentrate on the gonads (sex glands). In the male, these are in the testis, and in the female in the ovaries. Stay in this position for about two minutes.

Benefits of The Reverse Posture (Viparitakarani Mudra)

Recommended for women who suffer from female disorders, irregular or painful periods and physical or mental discomforts during menopause. It restores the manly vigor.

Helps in optimum functioning of the sex glands.

Produces vitality and rejuvenation due to stimulation of the sex glands and the thyroid gland.

Like headstand and shoulderstand, this yoga also have the power to prevent premature aging and removes facial wrinkes.

Time
Gradually increase the time to 10 mins although initially you can be in this position for few seconds.

The Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

Sarvangasana means 'all the body' in sanskrit. This posture is one of the best yoga exercise often seen being practiced in many beauty salons, gymnasiums, and health clubs. But without the deep breathing with this exercise, it does not have much therapeutic value and will not be considered a yoga posture.

The Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

It can be done by all age groups, male or female.

Technique

Lie flat on your back. rise your legs and spine until the toes point to the ceiling, inhaling deeply

Supported by the hands, body rests on the shoulder and back of the neck. Keep your spine and legs straight.

Concentraring on the thyriod gland, breath slowly and deeply with abdomen. The thyriod gland is located behind the adams apple for men and for women in the same area which is a few inches above the sternal notch(hollow of the neck where the neck joins the rest of the body.) or approximately half way up the neck from the sternal notch. Stay in this position for about two minutes.

To come out of this posture, just bend your knees, curve your back and slowly return to lying on the floor while exhaling. First bend your knees, put the palms on the floor, then curving the spine, gradually unfold it the way one unrolls a carpet. When your entire back touches the floor, straighten the knees, take a deep breath and slowly lower your legs to the ground while breathing out.

You may go straight into the next posture (the 'reverse posture') instead of lying down.

The Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

Benefits The Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)

This pose helps the thyriod gland work at peak efficiency which is reasponsible for youthful and correct weight.

The shoulder stand also regulates the sex glands.

It vitalizes the nerves, purifies the blood and promote good circulation, strengthens the lower organs and helps them to stay in place.

Gives healthy massage to the neck muscles.

Benificial for people suffering from poor circulation, constipation, indigestion, asthma and reduced virility.

Recommended for women after childbirth and for those suffering from painful menstruation, other female disorders, and seminal weakness.

Time:

Be in this position for 20 secs to 6 mins, adding 20 seconds per week.

Caution:
Patients having disorders of the thyroid gland shouldn't do this exercise . If you are suffering from chronic nasal catarrh, take a caution.

The Headstand (Shirshasana)

The Headstand (Shirshasana) is an extremely powerful asana so it is called the "king of asanas" because of its overall effect on the whole body.

The Headstand (Shirshasana)

Technique
You must use extra padding for the headstand, so use a folded blanket or some extra foam on top of your yoga mat. Don't use a pillow, since it's too soft.


Try stage 1 first, If you don't feet very confident about going straight into the headstand. Once you are confident with stage 1, you can go on to stage 2, which is the standard headstand.


Stage 1 (For Beginners)

Put your yoga mat into a comer, kneel down in front of it and place your interlocked fingers in the comer close to the walls.

Put your head into the hollow of the palms, rise off the knees and take a step or two towards the comer.

Lift one leg and place it in the comer against the wall. If you are a little unsure, ask a friend to hold the leg and put it in the corner. Now, just kick the other leg up. Stay there for about 15 seconds, trying to remain relaxed.

To come out of the headstand, just lower one leg at a time. Again, if you feel unsure, ask your friend to hold one of your legs while you lower the other.

Start off in the headstand for about 15 seconds. Increase the time by 15 seconds every week until you are doing three minutes.

Stage 2 (The Standard Headstand)

Kneel down on your yoga mat. Interlock the fingers of your hands and place them and your forearms on the extra padding on the yoga mat. Keep the elbows fairly close together.

Place the back of your head into the hollow of the palms (not on the palms or fingers). Rise up off your knees and take a step or two towards your head.

Inhale, and slowly raise the legs until they are vertical. Keep your back straight and try to relax. Breathe slowly and deeply from the abdomen.

Concentrate on the brain or the pineal gland between the eyebrows.

To come down, bend your knees and lower one leg and then the other. As for the beginners' stage, start off in the headstand for about 15 seconds and increase the time by 15 seconds every week, until you are doing three minutes.

The Headstand (Shirshasana)

Benefits The Headstand (Shirshasana)

Improves brain function (intelligence and memory) due to more blood circulation to the brain and improves many ailments, such as nervousness, tension, fatigue, sleeplessness, dullness, fear, poor blood circulation, bad memory, asthma, headaches, constipation, congested throat, liver or spleen, for female disorders, the initial stages of eye and nose troubles, and general lack of energy, vitality or self confidence.

It stimulates four of the most important endocrine glands. As a consequence, the practice of the headstand helps us to get relief from many of our troubles, physical as well as mental, or to prevent them. It has a very beneficial effect on the whole body.

It promotes hair growth by increasing circulation to the scalp.

It helps to put the spine into correct alignment.

It restores the position of vital organs by reversing gravity.

The quality of sleep is improved. Poor sleep is often due to an excess of nerve impulses from the reticular formation to the cerebral cortex in the brain. The headstand causes an increase in circulation to the neck, which stimulates the baroreceptors in the neck. This calms the reticular formation down, causing reduced nerve impulses to the cerebral cortex. This results in a peaceful, deep steep.


Caution
Don't do the headstand if you have high or low blood pressure. First get your blood pressure normal by natural means such as good nutrition, aerobic exercise and the other asanas. Even just giving up salt and taking garlic daily (tablets or in cooking) will cause a substantial reduction in your blood pressure.

Atherosclerosis (blocked blood vessels) and any history of strokes are also contraindications to doing the headstand. You must improve your circulatory system first, before attempting it.

If you have any serious eye diseases, ask your eye specialist's advice about doing the headstand.

Avoid this exercise if you are suffering from constipation, when the stool is excessively dry, if you have pus in your ears, if you are suffering from chronic nasal catarrh, or from very weak eye capillaries. Avoid this exercise if you have an organically defective pituitary, pineal or thyroid gland.

If you suffer from a neck injury or advanced arthritis in your neck, again you must improve your neck condition first.

Since most of the weight of the body is actually supported by the forearms, don't let any minor neck pain stop you from doing the headstand. There is very little pressure on the head and therefore very minimal compression of the neck.

Time:

Do the headstand for fifteen seconds at first, adding fifteen more per week. The maximum time for it should not be more than twelve minutes, if it is done in conjunction with other exercises.

The Stomach Lift, Abdominal Lift (Uddiyana Bandha)

The Stomach Lift is considered as one of the most essential yoga which influences our psychic development and also practiced for its physical values.

The Stomach Lift (Uddiyana Bandha)

Technique

It consists of two separate exercises.

1st.
While standing with your feet about a foot apart and your knees slightly bent, lean forwards a little from the waist and place your hands just above your knees.

Inhale deeply by pushing your abdomen forward, and then exhale by pushing your stomach in.
Don't take another breath; instead, push in your stomach even more, so that it becomes hollow, and hold your breath for about ten seconds.

2nd.
Do the same as above but, instead of holding your Stomach in after exhaling, rapidly push your stomach in and out ten times without taking another breath.

Stand up straight and resume normal breathing.

Benefits The Stomach Lift (Uddiyana Bandha)

• Massages and tones up the internal organs in the abdominal area.
• Massages the heart which improves circulation and have less chance of having a heart attack.
• Relieves constipation, gas, indigestion and liver trouble.
• Tones up the nerves in the solar plexus region.
• Reduces abdominal fat and strengthens the abdominal muscles.
• Helps the correct functioning of the adrenal glands and sex glands.
• Develops spiritual force.

Abdominal Lift for Internal Cleansing:

Take several glasses of water, with about a quarter of a teaspoon of salt per glass, and then do the contracting and relaxing movements several times in standing, sitting, and lying position.

Caution

If you have a hernia or serious heart or abdominal problems you better get away from this exercise.

The Spinal Roll or Rocking Exercise

Best yoga to overcome the drowsiness and stiffness that one feels on waking in the morning which makes you feel an invigorating sensation from your vertebrae getting a good massage. It will limber up your spine and keep it in a flexible, youthful condition and is good prescription for insomnia cause it helps in sound sleep whereas It is invaluable for those who are using yoga to dodge old age.

The first day when you do this exercise, you may feel a little clumsy and awkward.cause it feel s like losing balance and falling down. After couple of days you will start enjoying it. At that time you can combine rocking with deep breathing. Inhale while rocking backwards and exhale while returning forward.

The Spinal Roll or Rocking Exercise

Technique
First sit down, draw up your knees, and bend your head down. Put your hands under your knees. You can join your hands.

Keeping your spine rounded, gently swing back and forth, imitating the swinging motion of a rocking chair. Don’t straighten your spine as you will roll backward or you will find yourself lying flat on your back, unable to swing forward again. Don't roll back too far on your neck. Don’t try doing the rocking exercise too slowly either. Imagine you are a rocking chair in motion. Feel for the massaging action on your spine.

Hint:
Straighten your knees just as you swing backward and then immediately bend them again as you swing forward. Don’t pause after you have swung back but simply continue the to-and-fro movement. Otherwise you may get stuck.

Time:
Do this exercise five to eight times, then lie down to relax until your breath returns to normal again. Take a few deep breaths while still lying on the floor.

Benefits of Spinal Roll or Rocking Exercise

Beneficial just before sleep

Makes the spine more flexible and youthful.

Massages all the vertebrae in the neck and spine.

Helps to overcome the drowsiness and stiffness that people often feel on waking up, If done in the morning it.

Relax the whole nervous system and establishes a better connection between the central nervous system and the rest of the body.

Last Night in Pictures

Illusions Party @ 57

Facial Exercise To Smooth Away The Years

Why should not we do face exercising daily if it can colour the muscles just underneath our derma. We do sit-ups to unwavering our abs, we walk to modulate our legs. Why not strengthen the muscles in our faces to firm and tone our eyes, cheeks, forehead, jaw, and neck? The beauty of facing exercises is that they need no anti aging products or overpriced creams, and no invasive procedures.

Neck Exercise

Facial Exercising - How to Start
I over affix an inexpensive disguise cream before doing these exercises, to keep the husk moist so the repeated exaggerated facial expressions don't create more wrinkles. That's just my personal "thing".

Facial Exercise helps smooth skin

Okay. Sit in a relaxing armchair. Do a gentle neck rolls. For a facial muscle warm-up: unfastened your mouth as to one side as it will go, curb for a second, and ease. Do this 10 times. You can adjust the number of repetitions to suit your special needs. This utilize is also known as the Lion's Pose in hatha yoga.

The Main Face Exercises

1. To lessen wrinkles between eyes: Keep the face relaxed. Place your fingers on your eyebrows. Now concentrate on pushing those fingers non-spiritual. (Not up.) Hold the position due to the fact that a occasional seconds, then go back to a resting position. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

Anti Aging Treatments -Facial Exersise

2.To cast temper cheeks and alleviate check sagging: Place your fingers on your cheeks. Use the cheek muscles to push your fingers up and out. Hold exchange for a few seconds. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

3. For your neck - Lie heath on your bed. With the quiet of your portion still, raise and lower your head 20 times, keeping the neck tight as you do so.

4. Anything you can do (gently) to tighten and release individual facial muscles, can have a toning force on your face. So don't be cowardly to impel up your own exercises.

Facial Exercise

Your Face Exercise Regimen

Initially, facilitate a make up for steadfast there are no contraindications, by way of checking with your doctor.

Then, make up a daily schedule and stay to it. Many woman do their mien exercises as region of their daily workout. Others timbre their facial muscles while watching TV. It doesn't take long. The style is consistency.

Throw in the towel face exercises a tax before you pay off priceless creams, and before you're below the knife. You might be on your way to a smooth, younger-looking skin care brazen through.

Ice Balls in Sibu

Photo of an old fashioned ice shaver - open air ice ball stall in Singapore. (See note below)

I stumbled upon the photo below while browsing in the Internet. It inspired me to write my 400th article for my blog today, deliciously entitled" Ice Balls in Sibu". It cannot be more appropriate and relevant. But I am sorry I cannot provide a Foochow Ice Ball Man photo.

Has my life been like an Ice Ball? Life is indeed fragile. It can be meltedice by the sun, and your life can shrink into a small ball. Your life can even melt and disappear all together. And outside factors can give you lots of colour and extra sweetness. But then, people can "suck" your life away too. They can definitely such the best parts away, especially the sugar syrup.....

But then, like an Ice Ball, you give people a lot of happiness....

An incomplete metaphor on life......still under construction...THINKING is STILL ON....

Here is my 400th article - just one day ahead of my blog anniversary. To celebrate my anniversary, I will take one whole day off writing.

Hip Hip Hooray to Ice Balls Men of Sibu...our Kantong Apek!! Let's remember them.

The last time I had my big Ice Ball with pink, green and orange colours and a huge scoop of sugar syrup for 5 cents was about 45 years ago. (This will reveal my real age to you...hehehehe) when was yours?

My children had tried making one, but alas, they were rather unsuccessful. So I mooted the idea of Ice Ball Making Competition for future Foochow Association Anniversary in Sibu.

This Kantong man (Ice Ball Man) who had a special place in my heart passed away a long time ago. He used to work for Ban Chuan Coffee shop and we liked him a lot because he would give us Value Added Kantong ( a little more sugar, a little more pink colour). So you see when a man walks the second mile, he gets remembered by children who only had 2 coins to rub in their pocket.

One day, we went to see him and "begged" for an extra one because our little friend from a neighbouring road did not have a single cent in his pocket. We were not street beggars but it just happened that that day we were a little thirsty after our class and we still had about half a mile to walk before we reached home for lunch. We had already spent most of our pocket money for that day, and kept the right amount for our ice ball. He knew me quite well because my father and I would have coffee in the shop during the holidays. He thought for a while and then smiled.

"No problem, if you all agree to have a smaller ball!"

We nodded our heads in delight.

But the kindly old man more than made us happy - he made extra big ones for us!

"Here you go. You are good kids. And for begging for ice balls - today you are in luck...I am extra nice today, for you....." , said he cheerfully.

He might not have made a lot of money,but he had a big heart and a great deal of happiness. May be a little rare today?

Thanks for the good memories, Mr Kantong Man.

(Note: My greatest thanks to the blogger who took these photos - http:// goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com)

Anti Aging Nutrition

The statement "you are what you eat", is entirely true. We feel great when we eat good foods whereas When we eat things that aren't so good for us, they may taste good , but they may end up aging us quicker than naturally. Firstly, You must know that Anti aging nutrition isn't rocket science.

Anti Nutritions

Antiaging Diet
Is there such a thing as an antiaging diet? I've read several Anti Aging books and articles about our nutritional needs as we grow older. Several things stand out.


1. Eat more fruits and veggies -
It's true although you've heard it thousand times. Fruits and vegetables contain the nutrients that we all need. The best choice for fruits and veggies is organic. Organic fruits and vegetables don't have the chemicals and toxins that other produce may be hiding. Eating organic is one piece of the natural cancer cure.

2. Eat less sugar -
Prevention magazine had an interesting article recently that linked eating sugar to the formation of wrinkles. As we all want to decrease wrinkles, it makes sense to decrease our sugar intake and maintain anti aging skin care.

3. Eat whole grains -

Again, you may already know this, but refined white flour was probably the poorest invention of modern times. Whole grains provides our bodies with the fiber we need.

4. Eat less meat -
Meats put our bodies in a more acidic state. Research has shown that we are healthier with our bodies in a more alkaline state. So reduce intake of meat.

5. Drink more water -
We have more than 60% of water in our body and it is by far, the best thing for our bodies which keeps us hydrated, not only our insides, but also our outsides - our skin. Hydrated skin looks younger.

6. Eat less -
Ouch! That one hurt. As we get older we need less food. Our metabolism slows down and if we keep eating the same amount, we gain weight. Exercise helps, but most of us could stand to eat less.


What about an anti-aging nutritional supplement? You may be wondering if you need one. Several are available on the market. I take nutritional supplements every day because I know that I don't eat as well as I should. I know that I'm lacking in several areas.

Anti Aging Treatments -anti aging skin care

Vitamins C, A & E have all been touted as antiaging vitamins which are good nutrients to have in a anti aging skin care product. They are also good to take as part of an antioxidant dietary supplement.
In all, keeping our body at a healthy weight and eating nutritious food helps us to feel great whatever our age is.

Salt

(This photo is from Daniel Yiek - Sarikei-Time-Capsule.) My maternal grandmother from a very early age was helping my grand uncle Kang Chu Lau Kah Tii, in business. One of her duties was to wrap nipah salt in the nipah leaves and to tie up in bundles the nipah leaves for rokok to be sold to the Malays and Melanaus along the Igan and Rejang. According to her, it was a very back breaking job and furthermore,she was very fastidious at her work, together with her sister- in -law, Mrs. Lau Kah Tii who was a good manager and leader. In those days, salt and sugar for the Foochows came from the nipah palm.









A Foochow woman must always have some salt of any kind in her kitchen. Salt is the cheapest household item a woman can buy so it is a great embarrassment if she does not have any in stock. In olden days, the whole village would be wagging their tongue if the neighbours found this out.

http://www.daylife.com/photo/0cHn7Hk2hdbZd

This photo above starts my discussion on salt. It is always interesting to draw academic references from Chinese historical records on any topic. You are free to think that I am terribly biased.

Firstly, a reference to Chinese academic studies on salt draws this text and an amazing photo .

A Chinese worker cuts up the pieces of salinated salt from Lake Qinghai, in northern China's Qinghai province 19 May 2007. Salt was first mentioned in China in the annals of the Emperor Yu, (BC 2205-2197), and the cause for many wars fought to the control the salt resources, as it has always been the lifeline in China's history, for "Whoever controls salt has the power to decide his own fate and that of all others

And also this text (http://www.ioa.ucla.edu/backdirt/Fall99/salt.html):
Salt (NaCl) has been in great demand at least since Neolithic times when humans took up a plant–based diet. Whether we actually have a physical need for an added complement of salt is still disputed; many nutritionists believe there is already enough salt in the food we eat. Still, there is no doubt that humans crave salt to make their food more tasty and for a host of other uses such as preserving food, tenderizing meat, and tanning leather. Since salt resources that could be exploited with premodern technology are very unevenly distributed, salt was important early on as a commodity.

There is extensive textual documentation on salt manufacture in ancient China, with reliable records going back to the fourth century bc. At that time, the salt industry was already well developed, and its origins certainly go back to much earlier times. Until very recently, though, salt making in China had never been addressed through archaeological research, in marked contrast to the West, where exploration of salt–producing sites has been an important topic for over two hundred years. In Europe, for instance, extensive work has been done on coastal salines in England and France and on inland salt-production sites in Lorraine (eastern France), central Germany, and, perhaps most famously, Austria, where extensive Late Bronze Age saltworks at Hallstatt have given their name to an important archaeological period. Closer to China, a great deal of excavation of salt-making workshops has taken place along the coasts of Japan. Reconstruction of prehistoric salt-making techniques has been facilitated by anthropological fieldwork in such areas as New Guinea and Africa (Mali, Niger, Chad), where salt was still manufactured by traditional pottery–using technologies until very recently.



Secondly, in secondary school I studied "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. No one can forget the answer given by Cordelia that she loved her father, king lear , as much as salt, sealed her tragic fate.

Thirdly, the Bible said that we are "the salt of the earth".

Fourthly, the Bible also told us the story of how Lot's Wife was turned into a pillar of Salt because she regretted leaving Sodom and Gomorrah.

Finally, salt is so important in our lives that we simply cannot live without it. It is a preservative, an enhancer of our food tastes, an antibiotic,health giving as it helps our body to remain strong,etc.


We cannot live without salt.

Sugar in Our Life - Sugar Stories

Photo by Daniel Yiek (Sarikei-Time-Capsule)

One important item that Foochow women must have at home is sugar. A small bottle will do. Not too much. Here are some interesting stories I know.

Cube Sugar Stories - I have a great love for cube sugar, which to me at one time, was the essence of good life. My school friends thought that by using cube sugar when we drank our tea would make us very "classy" like the English.


1960's -I am sure many of the Foochow ladies were also impressed by the fine sugar, all manufactured nicely by Prai Sugar, in cube form. Many families started buying them. And I had my first box of cube sugar, as a wonderful gift from my father. We did not want to put them in our tea for a long time. Finally, we had to use them. It was so thrilling!! I think we continued to use cube sugar for some time and later, the ecstasy of a new innovation dissipated. Using cube sugar did not make us more English than drinking English Breakfast Tea.


1970's - I was a new teacher in town when I heard this story which made me smile. When the Agong went to visit a Limbang longhouse in Sarawak for the first time, the Resident's Office had to send a special lady to buy cube sugar and the special sugar tongs in Brunei. This cube sugar was something very new to the Iban folks. For several years, the ladies in the longhouse and the surrounding communities used cube sugar for their tea and talked about the wonderful visit by the Agong.

The word sugar stems from the Sanskrit sharkara and scientifically sugar consists of a class of edible crystalline substances including sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Sugar is made from Sugar Beets or Sugar Cane. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple (in maple syrup), and in many other sources. It forms the main ingredient in much candy. "Excessive" consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, of obesity and of tooth decay.

Advertisement from Prai Sugar: Sugar is an important and versatile food ingredient. Apart from being a natural source of energy for our body, it is also widely used to increase the palatability of many different kinds of food and beverages. As a result of refining, sugar gains a number of important characteristics that improve its suitability as an ingredient in food preparation. These characteristics, which are important particularly to the commercial food manufacturer, include:

Provides sweetness without any undesirable after taste;
Acts as a natural preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, yeast and mould in a wide range of products;
Acts as a tenderizer by absorbing water and inhibiting flour gluten development, as well as delaying starch gelatinization;
Delays the coagulation of protein, contributing to the smooth texture of products such as baked custard;
Gives body to foods, contributing to the bulk of most cakes and confectionery;
Acts as a food for yeast in bread-making by accelerating the fermentation of yeast to raise and lighten the dough;
Stabilises egg white foams in meringue and sponge-making.

My Nipah Sugar Story
One of my older cousins had a special story to tell about nipah sugar, in the days when white refined sugar was not available, nipah sugar was used.

Almost all the Foochow food was sweetened by nipah sugar and she told us not to hold our nose high and sneeze at this humble ,wonderful, homemade sugar. Most of the Foochow women then knew how to process the raw liquid to make sugar.

During the Japanese Occupation, according to her, an uncle had a terrible wound inflicted by a parang on his thigh and there was no antiseptic available. So a few of the village women, mostly illiterate,out of desperation, just took a bowl of nipah sugar and nipah salt and tied the gluey mass on the wound with a piece of red cotton cloth.They actually did not know what else to do!! And they actually waited for this uncle to die!! Some how , by a miraculous act of God, the wound was healed within a few days. And the poor man was able to walk. He did not die of gangrene in the end!! He did however break into a terrible fever. To this day, my cousin has no idea how he was cured. (But I have checked a few sources and found that indeed sugar can help heal wounds to a certain degree.)

(I also remember that when I was a child many wounds were healed by using Condensed milk.)

And finally, as sugar is such a wonderful thing in our life, many songs have been written about it.

Here are a few words from the lyrics of love songs of the 60's to end my posting.....

Sugar is sweet my love, but not as sweet as you.......was one of my favourite lullaby for my children.

from PoemHunter.com SUGAR SONGS & LYRICS
Sugar Mama
Sugar mama, sugar mama, sugar mama,
Where you been?
Sugar mama, sugar mama, sugar mama,
Where you been?
Sugar mama!

Led Zeppelin




2
Sugar
Don’t say morning’s come
Don’t say it’s up to me
If I could take twenty five minutes
Out of the record books
Sugar, he brings me sugar
.........
Tori Amos


3
Sugar Sugar Sugar
Sugar Sugar Sugar
That man is bad
The road he drives you down
O sugar its a drag

That road it twists
That road is crossed
Its down that road
A lot of little girls go lost

Cave Nick


4
Sugar Sweet
I've seen you
all skin and bone
eyes grey as stone
heart good as gold
you think nothing cold

Nitzer Ebb


5
Sugar Me
One for you and one for me
But one and one and one
Pardon me
Comes to three.
looking sweet and all the while
Hid behind the smile was saccharine.
I'm the go between

Linsey De Paul


6
Sugar
I’m yours
And you are here
Don’t you
Really want to feel
That my love is turning on
And it feels so real
So tell me what’s the deal yeah

Lenny Kravitz


7
Sugar Sugar
Sugar, ahh,
Honey, honey.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
Honey, ahh,
Sugar, sugar.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.

Aaron Carter



8
Sugar, Sugar
Sugar, ahh,
Honey, honey.
You are my candy girl,
And you got me wanting you.
Honey, ahh,


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May you have the sweetest of the days ahead of you!!!!

Every Good Foochow Woman's "Must Have's"

In the past, a good Foochow mother must teach her daughters several important lessons in life, especially before they got married. Those were days before DIY and Self Improvement Books(SIB) and MBAs. A mother then was the keeper of all knowledge.

My mother loved to say this, "Every Good Foochow Woman must have cooking oil, sugar and salt in her kitchen. If she does not have these three, it would be very embarrassing. Not nice to see. Meh hoh kan."

Does that statement still ring true today with home delivery of fast food, eating out styles and other conveniences?

In this posting I will write about different kinds of cooking oil that we can have/not must have, in our kitchen.

In the olden days, we had only tins of Matang Cooking oil, with the vegetable brand. I still remember my mother and aunts patiently cook pork fat to make the delicious white and creamy lard. Any one not having lard at home was looked upon. This was one way of showing how efficient a Foochow housekeeper was. Today we are spoilt for choice by supermarkets and even e-Bay.

Over the years we have different kinds of cooking oil .I have a small gallery of pictures here for you to look at and reflect on our evolving life style and tastes. I will slowly add more pictures later.