One of the most exciting areas in machine learning right now is reinforcement learning. Its application is found in a diverse set of sectors like data processing, robotics, manufacturing, recommender systems, energy, and games, among others.

What makes reinforcement learning (RL) different from other kinds of algorithms is that it does not depend on historical data sets. It learns through trial and error like human beings.

Understanding its importance, the last few years have seen an accelerated pace in understanding and improving RL. Think of any big name in tech- be it Facebook, Google, DeepMind, Amazon, or Microsoft, they are all investing significant time, money and effort in bringing out innovations in RL.

For robots to be useful to mankind, they need to perform a variety of tasks. But, even training for one task using offline reinforcement learning will take a massive amount of time and huge computational expenditure.

To work on this issue, Google came out with MT-Opt and Actionable Models. While the first one is a multi-task RL system for automated data collection and multi-task RL training, the latter is a data collection mechanism to collect episodes of various tasks on real robots and demonstrates a successful application of multi-task RL. They also help robots to learn new tasks more quickly.

A leader in the reinforcement learning space, DeepMind gave us some unique innovations this year. It released RGB-stacking as a benchmark for vision-based robotic manipulation. Here, DeepMind used reinforcement learning to train a robotic arm to balance and stack objects of different shapes.

The diversity of objects used and the number of empirical evaluations performed made this reinforcement learning-based project unique. The learning pipeline was divided into three stages- training in simulation by using an off-the-shelf RL algorithm, training a new policy simulation with only realistic observations, and lastly, collecting data using this policy on real robots and bringing out an improved policy from this.

The implementation of sequential decision processes is crucial for those working in reinforcement learning. In order to simplify such a process, social media giant Facebook (now Meta) came out with SaLinA just a month back. It is built as an extension of PyTorch and can work in both supervised and unsupervised situations with compatibility options with multiple CPUs and GPUs. Such a method will see usage in systems where large-scale training use cases are involved.

IBM, too, has been active in the reinforcement learning segment in 2021. It released the text-based gaming environment called TextWorld Commonsense (TWC) to work on the problem of infusing RL agents with commonsense knowledge. This method was used to train and evaluate RL agents with a specific commonsense knowledge about objects, their attributes, and affordances. It worked on the issue of sequential decision making by introducing several baseline RL agents.

In the self-supervised learning area, we saw new methodologies coming out. Google released an approach called Reversibility-Aware RL, which adds a separate reversibility estimation component to the self-supervised RL procedure. Google said this method increases the performance of RL agents on several tasks, including the Sokoban puzzle game.

As reinforcement learning has a significant impact on games, in the middle of 2021, we saw DeepMind training agents playing games without intervention with the help of reinforcement learning mechanisms. Though previous innovations by DeepMind like AlphaZero beat world champion programs in Chess, Shogi and Go, they still trained separately on each game, unable to learn a new one without repeating the RL procedure from the beginning.

Through this method, however, the agents were able to react to new conditions with adaptation flexibility to new environments. The core part of this research relied on how deep RL can play a role in training neural networks of the agents.

Google has been working on using RL in the gaming domain. In early 2021, it released Evolving Reinforcement Learning Algorithms, which showed how to learn analytically interpretable and generalisable RL algorithms by using a graph representation and applying optimisation techniques from the AutoML community.

It used Regularized Evolution to evolve a population of the computational graphs over a set of simple training environments. This helped to better RL algorithms in complex environments with visual observations like Atari games.

With so much happening in the RL space, interest in this area is bound to grow among students and the professional community. To cater to the growing demand, Microsoft organised the Reinforcement Learning (RL) Open Source Fest to introduce students to open source reinforcement learning programs and software development.

Researchers from DeepMind teamed up with the University College London (UCL) to offer students a comprehensive introduction to modern reinforcement learning. It intended to give students a detailed understanding of topics like Markov Decision Processes, sample-based learning algorithms, deep reinforcement learning, etc.

Reinforcement learning and its advancements still have a long way to go, but there has been major progress in the last couple of years. Its usage can be a game-changer for certain industries. With more and more research coming in RL, we can expect to see major breakthroughs in the near future.

Sreejani Bhattacharyya is a journalist with a postgraduate degree in economics. When not writing, she is found reading on geopolitics, economy and philosophy. She can be reached at sreejani.bhattacharyya@analyticsindiamag.com

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What Happened in Reinforcement Learning in 2021 - Analytics India Magazine

Lost films reappear from time to time and receive their critical due, places in the canon and, occasionally, a measure of popular acclamation. But seldom do we see a cinematic resurrection as astonishing and impressive as that of Mohammad Reza Aslanis Chess of the Wind. Met with critical hostility and audience indifference when it premiered in Tehran in 1976, the ravishing period drama was banned by the Islamic Republic and considered lost until 2014, when the directors son discovered a can containing a print of the film in a junk shop. Now restored under the aegis of Martin Scorseses World Cinema Project, it enters theaters this week as that unlikeliest of revelations:a nearly 50-year-old masterpiece virtually unknown till now.

A poet and production designer who had made short documentaries, Aslani was just 32 when he launched his narrative feature debut with Chess of the Wind (it was shown at last years New York Film Festival as Chess Game of the Wind, a title that makes a bit more sense). Perhaps if hed been older and more established, the film would have received a more attentive and appreciative reception, but its lack of contemporary renown still surprises, because even measured against the Iranian and international cinematic treasures of the 70s, Aslanis vision is still breathtakingly distinctive, an incisively devastating social critique embedded in a complex tale of intrigue, greed, oppression, and murder. The film is also, and perhaps most strikingly, a stylistic tour de force.

The story is set in the early 1920s, the last years of the Qajar dynasty, which had ruled Iran since the 18th century and set new standards of decadence as its end approached. Aslanis film premiered three years before the end of the dynasty that succeeded the Qajars, the Pahlevis, and no doubt Iranian audiences would have understood that the earlier era was meant to implicate the decadence of the current monarchy. In fact, many Iranian films of the 1970s were rife with feelings of gloom, discontent, and dissidence; the shadow of a widely unpopular Shah seemed to loom over the most engaged and daring of his realms artists.

To conjure the Qajars world, the former production designer made the inspired decision to set the films story in a mansion which is almost a character itself, one of the films most important. Sand-colored, with high columns, doors, and windows decorated with bright stained glass, this archetypal Persian pile is not only where the drama occurs; its also, in a sense, what its aboutsince the family inside is in a state of rapid collapse, the house represents both an ungraspable vision of stability as well as the wealth that all crave.

Significantly, that family is without a paterfamilias when the tale begins. The person ostensibly in charge is a tall, dark-haired paraplegic, Lady Aghdas (a stunning performance by Fakhri Khorvash), who spends much of the drama in a large, very mobile wooden wheelchair. Aside from a sympathetic maid servant (the debut film performance of Shohreh Aghdashloo, who later starred in Kiarostamis The Report and won an Oscar nomination for House of Sand and Fog), the Lady is encircled by several human vultures due to the large fortune she has recently inherited from her mother. Chief among these predators is the imposing Hadji Amoo (Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz, the star of Kiarostamis Through the Olive Trees), the Ladys stepfather, who must contend with other male interlopers.

The world Chess of the Wind describes is a hierarchy, typical of sclerotic monarchies, as stratified as a layer cake. At the top are the formality-encased aristocrats, Lady Aghdas circle, including a group of ladies who look like wide-eyed exotic birds perched on a branch at a zoo. Beneath them are peoplemainly mentrying to boost their social status by any means necessary; they are the desperate, driven, thoughtlessly amoral prototypes of many middle-class climbers to come. At the bottom of the scale are servants, musicians, and laborers. Repeatedly throughout the film we see a group of washerwomen laundering clothes in a fountain in front of the mansion and commenting, Greek chorus-style, on the lives in their world; they seem as unhappy as their nominal betters, only for different reasons.

These scenes of the washerwomen are symmetrical compositions, filmed in static unbroken takes from a middle distance, with the mansions faade in the background. When were inside the mansion a similar visual strategy is employed. Aslanis camera often gazes straight-on at the mansions capacious entrance hall with its dual staircases. But however indebted these recurrent symmetrical compositions may be to traditional Persian painting, they also serve an ingenious purpose cinematic purpose since they offset and balance the elegant camera movements that evoke Alsanis admitted admiration for Max Ophls.

Visually, the film is a sumptuous feast from first frame till last. Inspired by Kubricks Barry Lyndon, Houshang Baharlous exquisitely nuanced color cinematography renders the luxurious interiors of the mansions upper floors solely by candlelight or natural light; here, the hues of polished woods, tan walls and expensive fabrics dominate. No less significant in the drama, the houses basement, the lair of crimes and secrets, is painted in hellish reds, purples and blacks. In all of these settings, Alsani uses the devicesuggesting a debt to Bressonof focusing closely on various objects like guns, pearls, or glass jars as they are handled by the characters. The technique, which seems to imbue the inanimate with its own spiritual potency, stresses the materiality of the forces that drive this family tragedy.

Although the twists and turns of the films story sometimes seem opaquethough repeated viewings bring out the dramas complexity and richnessone writer aptly noted that Chess of the Wind is image-driven rather than plot-driven. And the expressiveness of the films visual elements extends to its aural dimension. While the sound design brings a kind of materiality to the breaking of glass, the cawing of crows, and the ticking of clocks, the inventive score by noted composer Sheyda Gharachedaghi embeds hints of traditional Persian music within a startlingly modernistic sonic framework.

Chess of the Wind, which meditates on a society where traditional spiritual and social values are being displaced by a corrosive materialism, emerged from a remarkable decade of moviemaking, 1969-79, known as the Iranian New Wave (a term sometimes erroneously used to refer to more recent Iranian cinema). As Aslanis debts to Luchino Visconti and other Western filmmakers indicate, Iranian auteurs of that era were very aware of the most sophisticated currents in world cinema, even as they strove to develop their own individual and distinctively Persian vernaculars. Despite the brilliance of their work, they are still too little known outside Iran. Perhaps the surprise appearance of Chess of the Wind can lead to the rediscovery of a whole era of little-known masterpieces.

Now playing in select theaters.

Godfrey Cheshire is a film critic, journalist and filmmaker based in New York City. He has written for The New York Times, Variety, Film Comment, The Village Voice, Interview, Cineaste and other publications.

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Chess of the Wind movie review (2021) - Roger Ebert

The Soul of Chess is the title of a new episode of FBI: International airing tonight (November 2) on CBS. Heres how the episode is described; some photos and a list of guest stars can be found below.

The team investigates an American journalists death by poison after his attempt to meet with an anonymous source in Poland. Also, Kellett takes Forrester to task for being overprotective with her during the mission, on the CBS Original series FBI: INTERNATIONAL, Tuesday, Nov. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

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"The Soul of Chess" - The team investigates an American journalist's death by poison in after his attempt to meet with an anonymous source in Poland. Also, Kellett takes Forrester to task for being overprotective with her during the mission, on the CBS Original series FBI: INTERNATIONAL, Tuesday, Nov. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.Pictured (L-R) Luke Kleintankas Special Agent Scott Forrester and Heida Reed as Special Agent Jamie KellettPhoto: Katalin Vermes CBS2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FBI: International stars Luke Kleintank (Special Agent Scott Forrester), Heida Reed (Special Agent Jamie Kellett), Carter Redwood (Special Agent Andre Raines), Vinessa Vidotto (Special Agent Cameron Vo), and Christiane Paul (Europol Agent Katrin Jaeger).

Guest stars in The Soul of Chess include Magdalena Korpas (Alina Nowak), Aaron Serotsky (Michael Rafferty), Pawel Szajda (Alesky Zielinski), Toni Belafonte (Julianna Blake), Alexander Sokovikov (Piotr Efremov), Tom Hendryk (Henryk Galacki), Kumbi Mushambi (Philip Blake), Nicholas Gauci (Dasha), Jzsef Kovcs Molnr (Choir Director), and Lucas Kristf Halper (Polish Pedestrian).

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FBI: International Tonight: "The Soul of Chess" - KSiteTV

There are thousands of games that can be played with a simple deck of cards, but Rob Halifax has found a way to make 52 cards even more versatile with a redesign that lets you play games like chess, checkers, and even d ominoes with the same deck that entertains you for hours on end with Solitaire.

The first thing you notice about the One Deck Game Cards is that the traditional suits and numbers have been pushed to the four corners of the cards. This makes room for additional graphics and symbols in the middle that allow them to be used for far more than just poker. There are small pip markings for dominoes, and chess piece symbols centered in red and black colored dots that also allows the cards to be used to play games like c heckers and backgammon.

The second thing youll notice is that the One Deck cards are no longer rectangular. Theyve instead been cropped to perfect squares (although remain the same width as regular cards), which allows them to be laid out in perfect grids for games like c hess and c heckers. The backs of each card feature a solid black design that can be used to fill in the missing squares of the checkered game board you create. (The white squares are simply the negative space left over.)

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The decks four Joker cards offer instructions on how to lay out and use the other cards for the games you dont typically play with a deck, including measurements so you know how big an area youll need to clean off on a table to accommodate each game. Backgammon could get a little tricky unless youre willing to draw your own game board to use beneath the cards, but the deck also features three sets of six-sided dice which can be endlessly shuffled and used in lieu of regular three-dimensional die.

Halifax has opted for a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to help bring his unique One Deck design to gamers, with a modest funding goal of less than $3,000. The campaign has already well surpassed that. Pre ordering one of the decks requires a contribution of about $16 to the campaign with delivery expected sometime in April of next year. But the more decks you preorder, the cheaper the per deck cost gets, and it also expands the number of games you can potentially play.

The usual risks and caveats with crowdfunded products applies here, even for a game made from nothing but printed paper, but this is actually Halifaxs fourth Kickstarter product, and their second one based on playing cards, so they already have good relationships with printers and understand the risks and challenges that go along with it. Theyre also completely up front about the fact were still in the middle of a pandemic, with supply chain and shipping headaches getting worse. So consider the delivery date an ideal scenario, and be prepared for probable delays should you choose to back this Kickstarter.

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This Cleverly Designed Deck of Cards Can Turn Into a Chess Board - Gizmodo

Rehoboth Beach Yoga announced that Sandy Mati Gilbertwill be teaching a 12-week yoga and meditation series from 3 to 4 p.m., Sundays, beginning Nov. 7, at the studio at20245 Bay Vista Road, Rehoboth Beach.

Each class will be 90 minutes and will include both asana poses and meditation. Masks are required unless one provides proof of vaccination.

Gilbert is a certified Svaroopa Yoga teacher and a certified Svaroopa Vidya Meditation teacher, trained under the leadership of Gurudevi Nirmalananda Saraswati, spiritual leader and master teacher at Svaroopa Vidya Ashram in Pennsylvania.

The goal of this style of class is to open participants spines and minds, and to take them into meditation. To accomplish this goal, the class is offered as a 12-week course and participants sign up for the entire program. The cost is $180 payable in full or two installments of $90 each. Register by Nov. 5 and pay only $165 - a $15 savings. To register, go to rby.punchpass.com/series/18109. For information, call Sandy at 302-381-2310 or email sandy@rehobothbeachyoga.com.

Since this is a series, continued attendance is important and it is mandatory to attend the first class. Each week builds on the poses and meditation instruction provided in previous weeks. Attending all classes will take each participant to a step deeper to experience the knowingness of their own inner essence.

In her teachings, Gilbert shares her enthusiasm and personal experience of the transformative power of Svaroopa Yoga and Svaroopa Vidya Meditation.

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Yoga and meditation series to start Nov. 7 - CapeGazette.com

BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department will offer a three-session Chat from the Mat Yoga Class, with the first class to be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Historic Carnegie Library.

Instructor Angie Clark will help participants build arm strength with chaturanga dandasana or four-limbed staff pose, and urdhva mukha svanasana, or upward facing dog, to gain confidence and balance for the peak pose, bakasana or crow.

Participating in an asana demos can help attendees find more comfort, stability and ease in postures that require upper body strength, a release said. After the 30-minute asana workshop, there will be a 60-minute flow class with centering, warm-ups, sun salutations, standing poses, backbends, twists, forward folds, warm-down, savasana, pranayama and meditation.

Related: More programs hosted by city of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department

Additional classes will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 10 and Nov. 17. The cost to participate is $47 per person for the three-week session.

The classes have a maximum of 10 participants. To register, visit http://www.ci.bemidji.mn.us. For more information, call (218) 333-1859.

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Parks and Rec offers Chat from the Mat yoga class series - Bemidji Pioneer

Runners are no strangers to stress. Were wired to chase faster times, conquer longer distances, and crank out more reps. Our constant drive for progressor the illusion of itmay explain why we tend to favor active cross-training options like cycling and circuit training. But sometimes, runners would be better off choosing a slow, relaxing activity. This is where restorative yoga can come into play.

Restorative yoga can benefit your running, not only for the physical pay-offs but the mental advantages, too. To get started, learn about what the practice really is (and how it differs from other forms of yoga). Plus, try five restorative yoga poses meant to bring you calm and comfort right at home.

6 Yoga-Inspired Core Exercises for Recovery

Restorative yoga is a passive, meditative style of yoga. It involves holding poses for several minutes at a time and incorporates props into those poses, including yoga blocks, bolster pillows, and blankets to keep you supported. These props help you hold poses without tiring or feeling super uncomfortable, which allows your muscles to release any tension youve built up with all those miles.

Holding poses for longer periods also gives you the opportunity to focus on your breathing. Breath and restorative yoga go hand-in-hand, says Christine Felstead, a 500-hour certified yoga instructor and author of Yoga for Runners. You dont want to just hang out in a pose and forget about it. You want to use that time to do some really great diaphragmatic breathing. (That means deep belly breathing, rather than inhales and exhales only reaching your chest.)

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Restorative yoga is the opposite of the fluid yoga styles many studios offer, including flow, power, and hot varieties.

On the surface, restorative yoga most closely resembles another slow-paced style of yoga known as Yin yoga. Both call for holding poses for a longer periods of time (typically three to five minutes) and making use of props. However, there are key differences between restorative and Yin styles of yoga.

Yin yoga is more of a stretch-based practice, Felstead says. Each Yin yoga pose is about nudging your muscles and joints deeper toward your end range of motion to increase flexibility and mobility, which can get pretty uncomfortable at times. Imagine stretching as far as you comfortably can, holding that position, and gradually deepening the stretch over the course of a few minutes.

Restorative yoga, on the other hand, is more about muscle relaxation and letting go than it is about seeking a stretch component, Felstead says. You relax into each pose, making sure youre comfortable from the start so you can hold for longer.

Find Your Flow with the 10 Best Yoga Pants

Like other forms of the practice, restorative yoga helps increase the mobility and flexibility of your joints and tissues, making it a great addition to your routine. Restorative yoga poses also encourage you to move your muscles and joints in ways you wouldnt ordinarily move them in running. This can help eliminate muscle tightness and imbalances that contribute to aches, pains, and overuse injuries. Complementing the repetitive movement of running with other activities is going to go a long way toward keeping you injury-free, Felstead says.

But one of the primary benefits of restorative yogaand what sets it apart from other types of yogais its focus on total relaxation. This can be especially beneficial for runners who tend to have high-achiever personalities.

A lot of runners are wired all the time, Felstead says. Many of us run to disconnect from our busy lives, but then unwittingly turn our running routine into another stressor. We track our pace, distance, heart rate, calories burned, and any other metric we can get our hands on to ensure were always making progress.

Tracking progress is great, but couple that stress with the stress of everyday life and youve got a nervous system thats always on high alert. This constant state of readiness can put you at greater risk of high blood pressure, depression, and sleep troubles, according to Harvard Health. Its not a surprise that a lot of runners suffer from insomnia, Felstead notes.

Science-Backed Ways to Beat Stress

Through deep breathing and supportive poses, restorative yoga helps downregulate your nervous system, or shift it from a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. In fact, one 2017 review published in Psychoneuroendocrinology reveals that a mindfulness-based yoga practice can lower stress indicators like cortisol (a stress hormone), blood pressure, and heart rate.

The stress-busting effects of yoga may help runners who struggle with sleep issues, too, according to research. For one 2014 study, researchers had a group of older adults with insomnia attend two weekly yoga classes. After 12 weeks, the yoga group saw significant improvements in sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleep efficiency (measured by the percentage of time in bed that people were asleep) compared to the non-yoga group. While researchers didnt classify the style as restorative yoga, the classes incorporated elements of restorative yoga, including meditative poses designed to improve mind-body skills like breath awareness. The group also practiced meditative yoga poses at home every day.

The following restorative yoga poses from Felstead are ideal for any runner who needs to slow down from time to time (read: all runners). Practice these poses before bed if you struggle to shut off your brain at the end of a stressful day and/or use them to kick-start recovery after a hard run or race.

Make sure you practice diaphragmatic breathing in each pose. To familiarize yourself with diaphragmatic breathing, place one hand just below your rib cage and the other on your upper chest. Breathe in slowly through your nose so you feel your rib cage expand in the front, sides, and back. The hand on your chest should stay still. Exhale slowly and fully through your nose, allowing your ribs and belly to soften and relax.

If any of the poses cause pain, stop or modify the pose.

How to use this list: Complete the following poses in order. Hold each pose for 3 to 5 minutes. (The entire sequence should take you 15 to 25 minutes.) Each move is demonstrated by Rena Elezar, P.T., D.P.T., C.S.C.S., physical therapist, trainer, and co-founder of Match Fit Performance, so you can master the proper form.

You will need a few pillows, a folded blanket or towel, a yoga block, and a yoga mat is optional.

How to do it: Place a yoga mat on the floor next to a wall and place a folded blanket or towel next to the wall. Lie faceup and scoot toward the wall until your butt is a few inches away and propped up on the folded blanket or towel. Let hips, back, and head rest on the floor. Extend legs so the backs of heels rest against the wall and let knees bend slightly. Rest arms at sides. Relax and breathe deeply through your diaphragm. Hold, then come out of the pose slowly.

Why its great for runners: This pose relieves tired legs by moving the blood back into the body. Plus, elevating your hips with a pillow or blanket helps place your pelvis in a posterior (backward) tiltthe opposite of the anterior (forward) pelvic tilt common in runners, Felstead says. When your pelvis constantly tilts forward, you may experience tightness in the muscles in the front of your pelvis, which can worsen lower back pain.

How to do it: Have a yoga block within reach. Lie faceup on the floor, bend both knees, and place feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Let arms rest on the floor at sides, palms down. Press feet into the floor and lift hips up, drawing the tailbone upward. Grab the yoga block and slide it under your butt to support hips. Then, press arms and shoulders into the floor to lift chest. Interlace fingers below the yoga block. Relax and breathe deeply through your diaphragm. Hold.

Why its great for runners: Many runners tend to let their shoulders round forward both when running and throughout daily life, Felstead says. This pose can help runners open up their chests and shoulders.

How to do it: Stack a few pillows or folded blankets lengthwise in the center of a yoga mat. Kneel behind the stack with toes together and knees hip-width apart. Fold forward to rest torso and head on the pile of pillows or blankets. Let arms hang down so your forearms and palms are flat on the floor. You should feel yourself relax into the pose; add or remove pillows and blankets as needed until you find the right level of support. Relax and breathe deeply through your diaphragm. Hold.

Why its great for runners: This position stretches out the hips, thighs, and ankles. Its also a great pose for releasing tightness in the lower back.

How to do it: Sit with your legs extended in front of you and place a stack of pillows and/or folded blankets between legs. Press the top of head toward the ceiling to lengthen spine. Then, keeping spine long, hinge at hips to fold forward over the pillows or blankets. Allow torso and forehead to rest there. Let arms hang down so palms lie flat on the floor. Relax and breathe deeply through your diaphragm. Hold.

Why its great for runners: A supported forward bend offers a deep stretch for the entire back of body, from the neck and the spine to the hamstrings and calves.

How to do it: Place a yoga mat on the floor next to a couch or soft chair. Lie faceup and scoot toward the couch or chair until youre able to bend knees and rest calves and feet on the couch or chair. Let your head, back, and arms rest on the floor. Keep hands open, palms up; allow ankles to roll open. Relax and breathe deeply through your diaphragm. Hold, then come out of the pose slowly.

Why its great for runners: Yoga classes typically end with savasana, also known as corpse pose. Its an opportunity to let your entire body relax so you can focus on taking deeper, fuller breaths. Resting your legs on a couch instead of the floor takes some of the strain off your lower back.

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What is Restorative Yoga? | Restorative Yoga Benefits for Runners - Runner's World

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:For city-based yoga instructor T Sreeram, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns called for the need to take care of mental and physical health. He has been practising yoga for the past 17 years and recently, he and his team, called Sahasra Aarush Yoga, won accolades for their 12-hour-long attempt of suryanamaskara. The team did 1,009 rounds of the suryanamaskara and won a place in the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. He is now gearing up to set the world record for Chandranamaskara or moon salutation, a rare form of yoga practice.

Sreeram, 52, and his 14 disciples have been practising at Gandhi Bhavan, Thycaud, for a month now. The moon salutation includes 16 asanas or steps per round. Sreeram aims to promote yoga among more people by showcasing its importance.

After suryanamaskara, we all gained confidence in our body and mind. The moon salutation involves more tough poses including back bending, which makes the body more flexible, It is a good therapy for back pain too.

Last month we started the practice and are planning to attempt the Guinness World Records in January next year, adds Sreeram who also plans to attempt a four-hour-long sheershasana or headstand for the Guinness World Records. Sreeram studied yoga after being inspired by his father, an army officer who had participated in the second world war and practised yoga. Suryanamaskara, simple and powerful yoga practice, cleanses one internally, he says.

If your mind and internal system are healthy and happy, it reflects immediately on the outer body, especially the face. Also, performing 25 rounds of pranayamas in a day will boost the immune system and help with breath control, adds Sreeram.

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The yoga way of life - The New Indian Express

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Eye On | The Yogi Grind | An inclusive caf, yoga studio and plant shop - wenatcheeworld.com

Shilpa Shetty kickstarts November with a combination of yoga positions(Instagram/@theshilpashetty)

Shilpa Shetty wants to end the year on a healthy note. As we rang into the second last month of the year, it is only a matter of weeks before this year ends and the next one arrives. The moment Shilpa Shetty had the same realization, she felt the need to kickstart the week and the month on a fresh note of yoga, fitness and wellness.

Shilpa Shetty swears by yoga and the snippets of her fitness routine often find way to her Instagram profile. The actor also keeps sharing the steps to performs and the benefits of the yoga positions with the intention of motivating her fans to take up the same.

Shilpa Shetty was back on Monday with a fresh video of herself in her home garden, amidst greenery and on her favourite place the yoga mat. In the video, Shilpa can be seen performing a combination of four yoga positions to stretch her back muscles. For Monday, Shilpa chose Viparita Shalabasana, Ardha Shalabasana, Dhanurasana, and Balasana.

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She started by stretching her body while keeping her hands and her legs in air and balancing her body on her stomach. She then went on to move her legs in a vertical position, perpendicular to her body. In the later part of the video, Shilpa can be seen performing the Dhanurasana where she bent her legs inwards and held the feet with her body hands. Its the first day of the second last month of the year! When I realised this, I decided to start the day, week, and month with yoga, she wrote in her caption.

Shilpa noted down the benefits of performing the asanas. Its one of the best ways to stretch and strengthen the back and spine. While this routine helps strengthen the neck and shoulder, it also helps improve digestion and helps tone the thighs and glutes (buttocks). The body feels completely rejuvenated and ready to take on the day ahead, wrote Shilpa.

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Shilpa Shetty kickstarts November with a combination of yoga positions - Hindustan Times