Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

When we discuss the possible dangers of fat in the body, it is helpful to know that not all fat has the same effect upon our health. There is subcutaneous fat, which is just below the skin surface; and, there is visceral fat, which surrounds the vital organs (a.k.a., belly fat). It is this second form of fat, visceral fat, that poses the greatest risk to our health.

Well, according to an article in Science Daily, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that we can minimize this form of fat with regular (3 – 4 times a week), moderate exercise – like we practice here at Bodhisattva Yoga. The researchers also found that adding more fruits, vegetables and beans to our diets – and thereby increasing our soluble fiber intake – can further reduce visceral fat.

The lead researcher on the study, Kristen Hairston, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist states, “We know that a higher rate of visceral fat is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease. Our study found that making a few simple changes can have a big health impact.”

What are these changes? To summarize: Increase your fiber intake by eating fiber rich foods, and exercise 3 – 4 times a week.

Take advantage of our online enrollment system, and schedule in advance the classes you intend to take – if possible, at least 3 times a week. We have your mental and physical health in mind. Let us help you.

In health,
Vivekan

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

My last post involved the sharing of my deliciously decadent, Banana Dreams recipe; and, although today I write more about food, also in the form of fruit, it is not a recipe. Therefore, its enjoyment is even far less time consuming, and truth be said, far healthier. It is about the oft overlooked, though heavily clichéd, mighty apple.

Yes, the trite saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, does have some basis in scientific truth. (For more, see my blog post on apple’s benefits from January 2010.) Recently, Science Daily summarized findings from a study on yet more benefits that can be derived from eating apples regularly. As with my former post on apple’s benefits, this research involved a compound found in apple peels, ursolic acid.

Image via: Flickr.com/Abhijit Tembhekar

The study’s findings indicate that ursolic acid can prevent muscle weakening, and even promote muscle growth. This is somewhat revolutionary because such qualities are more the domain of proteins, especially animal proteins.

The weakening and loss of muscle is important, because as we age it becomes more and more difficult to maintain, let alone develop, muscle. Moreover, with the increasingly sedentary lifestyle that many of us lead, muscle loss is a grim reality. Further, many practitioners are interested in a vegetarian/vegan diet (which is entirely noble!), but such diets tend to accelerated the loss of muscle. So, this finding, on the ability of apples to maintain and even develop muscle tissue, is very promising.

On that note, if you haven’t already, put the Twinkie down and grab an apple instead. They’re great as a snack, or part of a yogin’s meal. Generally, you can enjoy an apple and still take class with only an hour window in between.

In health,
Vivekan

Hey folks, a lot of you have told us that our 7-Point Seated Posture How-To video was helpful. Thanks!

Well, until our next How-To or Tips video is produced and public, today we are posting a video summarizing the 7-Point Seated Posture. Feel free to Share/Fav/Like the video, &/or subscribe to our Bodhisattva Yoga Channel. Let us know your thoughts…

Cheers,
Vivekan

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

This past weekend, I gave myself the treat of visiting my mom’s to breathe in some cleaner air. (Jess was practicing Dhana [Skt., Generosity] when she decided to cover my normally scheduled weekend gigs — and, run the studio. …Moreover, she even had a Sunday afternoon workshop to lead. What a juggle! …But, this is how one gets their chops, right? Thank you, Jess! :) While there, I watched my mum take some ripe bananas (yellow/brown peel), and after a few absurdly simple steps, create ambrosia. Seeing my mom’s creation gave me an idea… It took the form of my Banana Dreams.

Naturally, this recipe can take many interpretations; so, please do experiment. As a matter of fact, this recipe is a slight departure from what my mom shared. Thanks, mum!

Ripe Bananas

My Banana Dreams Recipe:

- Cut a ripe banana (yellow/brown peel, not mushy; organic/fair trade when possible) into 4 even pieces
- Slice these 4 pieces, lengthwise, into three slices
- Lay the slices along the center of a greased glass casserole pan, or, over aluminum foil for a metal pan
- Dash some natural vanilla over the slices
- Lightly sprinkle cinnamon upon the banana
- Super light spray of unrefined sugar crystals (enough to see several crystals over & in between the slices)
- Place in oven broiler for ~5min, or, in a toaster over for ~15min — until banana begins to caramelize
- Pour into a bowl, the caramelized banana & syrup, over a handful of seeds/nuts & raisins/dried fruit
- Then, drizzle, to taste, condensed milk over the caramelized banana, nuts & fruit, and viola, ambrosia.

Offering it up to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas — or, whatever is Highest for you –  first, especially during this auspicious full moon, would truly make it sublime. Either way, savour Banana Dreams mindfully, and in Maha Sukha (Skt., Great Bliss).

Enjoy in moderation,
Vivekan :)

Welcome to Bodhisattva Yoga!

Before you get ready to rock steady on the mat, kindly keep in mind,

• The Groupon 1 Month Unlimited Pass is valid for newcomers only.
  
• It will expire 30 days from activation.
  
• It must be redeemed by August 14, 2011.
  
• It can be redeemed as early as June 12th, 2011.
  

Ready to reedem?

1. Contact us at least 24 hours in advance of the class you’d like to enroll in! Call 718.499.YOGA (9642) or e-mail Jessica@BodhisattvaYoga.com.

2. Bring your Groupon printable voucher to class with you to present upon check-in.

3. As a boutique space we operate a little differently. Please be sure to check out our FAQ & Studio Policies page before heading out to class to learn about our arrival policy and other helpful info.

Get psyched for a different approach to Vinyasa yoga!

In health,
Jess & Vivekan

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

Varying levels of depression is a reality many live with every day. In high school and early college, I dealt with a lot of depression. Yes, many find that hard to believe now, but depression was a reality I had to contend with. And, coping with it was not easy. Conventionally, the reasons for my depression were many, and definitely inter-woven.

Fortunately, for myself, as a result of years of mind training, and yogic practices in general, depression is a thing of the past for me. Of course, I still have moments of sadness. How can a sensitive person like myself not be affected by the realities confronting us (e.g., climate change, population boom, loss of loved ones, unprecedented loss of animal and plant species, even seeing others hurt themselves and others, are just several of the things that sadden me)?

These moments of sadness are transitory, because I have trained my mind to focus on constructive things (e.g., the opportunity available to help others on their yogic journey is a big positive for me). This is really it: Training the mind not to indulge in negative thoughts, repeatedly.

It sounds so easy one may think that I might be minimizing their depression. Well, nothing can be farther from the truth. This is why I am writing about this very personal topic to begin with. An article in Science Daily corroborates what I, and other yogins and Buddhists have been stating for millennia: That deep depression results from one’s propensity to repeatedly think of things that make them sad; kind of like playing a bad record over and over, to the point of madness.

According to Jutta Joorman, of the University of Miami, who co-wrote the referenced article, people “basically get stuck in a mindset where they relive what happened to them over and over again. Even though they think, oh, it’s not helpful, I should stop thinking about this, I should get on with my life — they can’t stop doing it.”

So, research is now pointing to the origin of the depression. How do we avoid and minimize this propensity? Mind training. The simplicity is deceptive; therefore, many discount its effectiveness. But, in reality, when we train our minds to focus on constructive things, like benefitting others, we can train ourselves to overcome our tendencies toward depression.

Real yoga practice, whereby one genuinely cultivates mindfulness on their immediate posture and breath is a form of mental training. More directly, when we do our seated meditation in class, we are more directly training our mind to stay on the object we choose, like the breath. This, over time, will help anyone mitigate depression.

I invite you to join us in cultivating positive mental states by enrolling into class. If you are ready, come the Shila &/or Bodhisattva classes where we specifically set time aside for training the mind in seated posture. I wish for your happiness, but you have to do the work. Make it your lifestyle.

In happiness,
Vivekan

Recently, on Fridays, I have been posting videos here on Jess and myself playing around with asanas. This has largely been intended to help our practitioners stay motivated and connected. (While doing so, for the initial ones, we’ve also used the videos as an opportunity to introduce ourselves to interested newcomers.) In my Practice in Play post, I mentioned including some How-To videos in our upcoming roster.

Last Friday I presented BY’s first Tips video — on Practical Fasting. Today, I present BY’s first How-To video: with myself introducing the 7-Point Seated Posture. I am sure that it will help you sit more comfortably. Feel free to subscribe to our Bodhisattva Yoga Channel to view our budding body of material, and for the most up-to-date video uploads. While at it, please Share/Like/Fav any that you see. It’ll help us get our message of well-being out there.

You can always review and reinforce your 7-Point Seated Posture just by enrolling into any of our classes, where we open and close in the asana almost every time.

In Health,
Vivekan :)

Strive on with diligence.

Vivekan

This is a weekly post from Bodhisattva Yoga’s founder/co-director offering weekly bits of research findings, suggestions, and musings on all things directly & indirectly related to the broad Path of Yoga.

(Due to the Memorial Day holiday, I was not able to post the Monday blog. [Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?] So, this posting is in place of Monday’s.)

Jess & I encourage our practitioners to try to get to a place where, on average, they can practice 3, or more, times a week. In the beginning, once a week is fine. However, if you wish to really taste the bounty that Yoga has to offer, it would be optimal to develop, over time, a weekly practice of, at least, 3 invigorating sessions – for your level. What’s great is that more evidence is corroborating the benefits of practicing 3, or more, times a week.

A Science Daily article summary, reported the findings of Professor James Timmons, who along with a team from Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, Scotland, studied the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIT). Timmons stated:

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes is substantially reduced through regular physical activity. Unfortunately, many people feel they simply don’t have the time to follow current exercise guidelines. What we have found is that doing a few intense muscle exercises, each lasting only about 30 seconds, dramatically improves your metabolism in just two weeks.

The studied form of exercise shares a lot with the presentation of vinyasa yoga we offer here at Bodhisattva Yoga. Timmons substantiates my claim in his quote, “In principle, however, any highly vigorous activity carried out a few days per week should achieve the same protective metabolic improvements.”

In summary, we again have the fortune of aiding our motivation and practice commitment with the findings of sound research. So, if you’re thinking of what I’m thinking, go ahead and minimize the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease by enrolling in 1, 2, and ultimately, 3 classes per week. Take advantage of the recurring reservation option!

In health,
Vivekan