Of yoga and men

I am one of those male exceptions who practice yoga [If yoga is so good for you, why dont more men do it?, Oct. 22]. For the past year, I have been practicing Bikram yoga after a lapse of almost 30 years, and I have fewer aches and pains and am much more focused mentally. I think men in the U.S. typically do not get into yoga because it is not a quick six pack or muscle-building outcome, nor can it be accelerated. Yoga is also not so conducive to powering through for men and will likely result in injury if attempted.

Like other forms of exercise, yoga needs more marketing from male athletes if it is to be promoted to men.

Ganesh Rao, Kildeer, Ill.

The secret lives of cats

Please thank John Bradshaw for his fantastic article Cats: Theyre just not that into us [Oct. 15]. Ive had cats all my life and found every word to be true. Perhaps hes heard that Dogs have owners. Cats have staff (source unknown).

Laura Penny,Rockville

Mammogram advice

If I had followed Christie Aschwandens advice in My doctor told me to get a routine mammogram. Heres why I wont [Oct. 8], I wouldnt be here to write this. I was diagnosed in November 2008 with HER2+ breast cancer. I am diligent about my monthly self-exams. However, I couldnt feel a lump because the tumor was in the center of my breast. At the time, I didnt know there was a family history. If it wasnt for my mammogram in October of that year, ... well, I dont want to think about that. Ms. Aschwanden should hug her mammographer, not just every two or three years, but every year.

Donna Powell,Alexandria

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Readers’ views on yoga for men, cats and mammograms

The Eastern practice of yoga has become a modern-day symbol of peace, serenity and well-being in the West. More than 20 million Americans practice yoga, according to the 2012 Yoga in America study, with practitioners spending more than $10 billion a year on yoga-related products and classes.

The mind-body practice is frequently touted for its ability to reduce stress and boost well-being, but it also offers wide-ranging physical health benefits that rival other forms of exercise. While the scientific research on yoga's health benefits is still young, here's what we know so far about its potential effects on the body. View the infographic below and scroll down for more detailed information.

Infographic by Jan Diehm for The Huffington Post

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After Class.

Improved Brain Function. Just 20 minutes of Hatha yoga -- an ancient form of the practice that emphasizes physical postures rather than flow or sequences -- can improve cognitive function, boosting focus and working memory. In a University of Illinois study, participants performed significantly better on tests of brain functioning after yoga, as compared to their performance after 20 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise.

Lower Stress Levels. Yoga's stress-busting powers may come from its ability to lessen the activity of proteins that are known to play a role in inflammation, according to a study published last year from University of California, Los Angeles researchers.

Alter Gene Expression. A small Norwegian study suggested that yoga's many healthy benefits might come from its ability to alter gene expression in immune cells.

Increased Flexibility. A recent Colorado State University study found that Bikram yoga -- a form of yoga in which a series of 26 postures are performed for 90 minutes in a heated room -- is linked with increased shoulder, lower back and hamstring flexibility, as well as greater deadlift strength and decreased body fat, compared with a control group.

After A Few Months.

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How Yoga Changes Your Body, Starting The Day You Begin (INFOGRAPHIC)

Monday, October 28, 2013

Yoga is a new trend these days. Everyone has heard of yoga. It has to do with being slim and flexible, right? But what is yoga? What does yoga mean?

The word yoga means unity or oneness in Sanskrit. Yoga is an ancient science from India and traditionally practiced for spiritual reasons. Today, yoga is more about the science of right living. Practically speaking, yoga is a way of balancing and harmonizing the body, mind, and emotions. Modern yoga focuses on asanaholding your body in a posture.

Yoga is a practice that people of all walks of life can benefit from, no matter your age or fitness level. Many people think they must be fit and flexible to do yoga; that is a misunderstanding. The only requirement is curiosity and enthusiasm to examine your body and mind.

In the beginning, most people need to practice yoga poses until body awareness is developed. How long this takes depends on your personality and dedication. When your body and mind complex has been moving in a certain direction for long time, learning a new practice requires patience and training until your body and mind accepts this new direction. Part of practicing yoga is to develop mental strength and discipline that you carry onto other aspects of life.

The yoga scriptures list thousands of yogic techniques. Practices should be selected according to the individuals background, temperament, and lifestyle. A competent yoga teacher can help greatly in guiding a student to practice at a suitable pace, develop their own practice, and avoid injuries.

The Saipan Yogi

NiLala Spa in Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan has started yoga classes by Omji Santhosh. Omji is a longtime yoga practitioner with over a decade of yoga teaching experience. Born and raised in India, Omji has studied closely with many yogis since his teenage years, and has dedicated his life to yogic study, yogic lifestyle, and sharing yoga with others.

Omji focuses on the practical application of traditional yoga science to modern living. Yoga is especially helpful in reducing stress. Omjis classes welcome beginners with no experience, yet challenges regular practitioners of yoga as well. Omjis motto: no matter you are in your life, you can benefit from yoga.

Yoga classes at Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan:

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Yoga Saipan

Washington Yoga is moving from the studio mat to the museum gallery.

The Smithsonian Institution has organized what curators believe is the first exhibition about the visual history and art of yoga, its origins and evolution over time.

The Smithsonians Sackler Gallery will showcase the exhibit, Yoga: The Art of Transformation, through January. Later, it will travel to the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Curators brought together Indian sculptures, manuscripts and paintings, as well as posters, illustrations, photographs and films to showcase yogas history over 2,000 years.

Museum Director Julian Raby said years of research behind the exhibit shed new light on yogas meanings and histories.

It examines for the first time a spectacular, but until now largely ignored, archive, he said. That archive is Indias visual culture of extraordinary yoga-related artworks created, as you will see, over some two millennia.

Guest teachers will lead yoga classes in the museums galleries on Wednesdays and Sundays. The museum also will host a symposium for scholars and enthusiasts on yogas visual culture.

Curator Debra Diamond said the Smithsonian borrowed some of the greatest masterpieces in Indian art as well as pieces that have never been shown before.

First the exhibit examines the concepts and practices of yoga traditions, including meditation and postures found in Indian art dating back hundreds of years. The first piece is an 11th century sculpture representing a yoga teacher, seated in the lotus posture with legs crossed to signify enlightenment.

Such sculptures were displayed in Hindu temples so people could see the teacher and understand yogas transformative potential, Diamond said.

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Smithsonian's yoga exhibit could be first of its kind

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - October 27, 2013) - Patients with COPD who practice yoga can improve their lung function, according to a study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders. The study, presented at CHEST 2013, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that lung function, shortness of breath, and inflammation all showed significant improvement after patients completed 12 weeks of training.

An estimated 24 million Americans may have COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both. Patients with COPD have trouble pushing used air out of their lungs, making it difficult to take in healthy new air. Although there is no cure for COPD, a patient's quality of life can be improved by controlling symptoms, such as shortness of breath. COPD, most commonly caused by cigarette smoking, affects both men and women, and often, symptoms are seen in people in their 40s.

"COPD is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes difficulty breathing," said study presenter Randeep Guleria, MD, professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders. "We investigated to see whether simple, structured yoga training affects the level of inflammation, shortness of breath, and quality of life in patients with stable COPD."

The study included 29 stable patients with COPD who received yoga training in a format that included the use of physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), cleansing techniques (kriyas), meditation, and a relaxation technique (shavasan) for 1 hour, twice a week, for 4 weeks. Following the 4-week period, patients were trained for 1 hour every 2 weeks, with the remaining sessions completed at home. Patients were evaluated on assessment of lung function, breathing, quality of life, and inflammation status. A repeat assessment was done at the end of the 12-week training session. All parameters showed significant improvement at the end of the 12-week period.

"We found that yoga can be a simple, cost-effective method that can help improve quality of life in patients with COPD," stated Dr. Guleria.

CHEST 2013 is the 79th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 26-31 in Chicago, Illinois. The ACCP is the global leader in clinical chest medicine, representing 18,700 members who provide patient care in the areas of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine in the United States and throughout the world. The mission of the ACCP is to promote the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chest diseases through education, communication, and research. For information about the ACCP, visit the ACCP website at http://www.chestnet.org, or follow the ACCP onFacebookandTwitterand the meeting hashtag,#CHEST2013.

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Yoga Practice Beneficial to Patients With COPD