Open wide and smile – you’ll look years younger with face yoga.

A face yoga specialist has created a 20-minute daily program that is a ‘NATURAL FACE LIFT’

The Face Yoga expert, who has created a 20-minute program is to be carried out daily, six times a week. Together with Massage, Acupressure, Yoga and Facial exercises to give a “safe anti-ageing results – a natural face lift

We affirm that anyone can benefit from fewer lines and wrinkles, and get firm jaw line with improved skin tone, plus reduced headaches and eye strain which in turn eases tension, and gives best and healthy glow on your face.

“Just as your body needs regular exercise to stay toned and firm, there are 57 muscles on your face and neck which also needs to be exercised. As they become stronger, they are lifted and firmed and the skin attached to the muscles gets tautened, reducing lines and wrinkles.” The massage moves increase circulation, lymph flow and remove toxins, improving skin tone, reducing puffiness and dark circles.

The benefits of regularly doing face yoga are reduction of lines and wrinkles, improved skin tone, reduced headaches and eye strain, release of tension, an energetic appearance and a healthy glow on the face. Face yoga also gives a holistic feeling of wellbeing which can benefit the mind and body.

  It’s all natural. From creams and serums to injections and surgeries, there are plenty of anti-aging strategies to maintain a youthful look. The problem is that these methods often use chemicals or surgical procedures to get results. Facial yoga is as natural as it gets—no who-knows-what ingredients or hours under a laser or scalpel.

  It releases tension. You might be surprised at how much tension you hold in your face and neck. Facial yoga teaches you to become more aware of those muscles so you can relax them anytime you feel tightness creeping up.

 It helps reduce wrinkles. Some wrinkles come with age. Some come because we’re constantly tensing muscles in the face, like those around the eyes or mouth. Facial yoga builds awareness so you can release the unhealthy tension that’s carving crows’ feet and other wrinkles.

  It may promote collagen production. The muscle activity might boost collagen production, keeping the skin younger looking.

** There is face yoga to your rescue that can diminish these signs of ageing, learn  from a leading face yoga expert Mansi Gulati

Look younger with face yoga

Usually we discuss about acne treatments for face, but acnecan occur on the body as well. If you’re having tendency of acne from risk factors like hormones or oily skin, you might develop lesions on your whole body – including chest. Acne comes out when your pores get clogged. Pores are all over our body and chest is no exception. So, if you have an acne-prone skin then you might observe following types of acne, on your chest:

• Blackheads
• Cysts
• Pimples
• Pustules
• Whiteheads

Chest acne may not be as visible as face pimples, but can be quiet irritating. Here are some ways you can get over chest acne even before pimples develop or help clear breakouts formed after pimples.

Shower regularly:

Chest acne develops more easily if you’re not in a habit of bathing daily. Regular shower helps remove all the elements that block your pores. This includes- bacteria, dead skin cells, dirt, oil (sebum) etc. And to lessen your chances of chest acne, make sure you shower daily. This also includes months that are colder and drier, when we usually think we don’t need a shower. Use lukewarm water (not hot) for the best results.

Exfoliate once a week:

Your skin goes over a procedure of cell turnover in which dead skin cells comes to the surface and make way for new skin cells. But then the dead skin cells don’t shed themselves. They end up staying there on your pores and clog them, which leads to acne. This is where exfoliating will help you. This process will help you to remove those dead skin cells and make your skin smoother. Don’t exfoliate more than one a week as it can irritate the pre-existing blemishes.

Use a non-comedogenic body lotion:

In layman terms, non-comedogenic means non-pore-clogging. It is very important when you’re choosing a product for yourself that will last the whole day. Non-comedogenic body lotion helps to hydrate your skin without causing acne. Some lotions also contain very little amount of salicylic acid which helps to get rid of pre-existing breakouts.

Wear loose and breathable fabrics:

Another way to keep your chest acne away is to wear clothes that allow your skin to breath such as loose and non-irritating clothes. Tight clothes most likely trap bacteria, dirt and oils that develop blemishes. Fabrics like nylon, wool and spandex can cause irritation. The most comforting fabric to wear is cotton.

Try spot treatments:

Spot treatment can help chest acne breakout through reducing pimples and curing underlying inflammation. Over-the-counter (OTC) spot treatments proliferate, and most of these have either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Among these ingredients, salicylic acid is better because benzoyl peroxide isinfamous for bleaching clothes. There’s a risk of noxiousness when salicylic acid is used for a large areas, so ensure you limit it to spot treatments when using it in the chest area.

When to see your dermatologist

You should have patience while using acne products as it may take approximately 2 to 3 months to show its effect. Your skin care specialist can advise the best way to treat your chest acne. The doctor may prescribe some antibiotics to cure severe inflammation linked to cysts.

Since ancient times, people have recognized the healing properties of mud. Its “salts” are a complex mix of minerals purported to draw toxins from the body and nourish the skin. Mud bath therapy is a very popular treatment under Naturopathy and is highly beneficial in detoxification and rejuvenation process. Mud is an important element of nature. It contains important minerals which have positive effects on human health. Mud can absorb toxins from the human body and therefore is very useful in preventing many diseases. It also helps in cooling and relaxing the body as it can hold moisture for a long time.

At Nirvana Nature Cure, mud wraps and mud baths are an important part of the detoxification regimen, which also includes massage and healthy eating. “Even if you’re living a clean lifestyle, you still have toxic build-up through the foods you eat, the air you breathe, and the water you’re drinking,” says Dr. S Subhash at Nirvana Nature Cure. “Your skin is the largest organ on your body, and that’s going to absorb the most, and it’s going to release the most toxins. The mud draws out toxins through your skin.”

Mud may be applied to the patient in sitting or lying position. This helps to improve the skin condition by increasing the circulation and energizing the skin tissues.

Mud therapy could be used in different forms

● Mud Packs: This involves frequent application of packs of mud. It helps in improving skin complexion and acts on skin spots and patches to reduce them.

● Mud Baths: This involves application of special kinds of mud rich in natural salts and mineral over the entire body (except the head). Mud baths are useful in many skin diseases such as Urticaria, Leucoderma.

Mud Therapy is useful for: Hyper Acidity, Gastro Intestinal Diseases- Chronic Constipation.

Medical Benefits:

• Mud modifies nitric oxide, myeloperoxidase and glutathione peroxidase levels in arthritic patients.
• Mud modifies beta endorphin and stress hormones in patients with Osteoarthritis (OA) by reducing inflammation and pain, therefore diminishes the cause of stress and relieves from OA.

In the process of losing weight and staying fit, we end up making mistakes like eating too less, not working out as per our body type and expecting instant and magical results. It is very important to concentrate on having a balanced diet comprising all the nutrients, and compliment it with regular workouts.

There are few fitness points for all the working ladies who are too busy with their work and having no time for fitness:

1. Healthy Breakfast

A healthy breakfast with the inclusion of fiber and glucose is imperative to retain energy for the entire day. Out of all the three-time meals, breakfast is the most important one which should be light, healthy and nutritious.

• Remove junk food from your diet

The very first rule of maintaining a fit body is to remove junk and oily food from your diet as it will affect your exercise routine and immune system.  Healthy eating habits is good because it is rich in protein, calcium; fats, carbs, minerals and fiber will help in maintaining weight and reducing the risk of several diseases.

• Daily workout

One should do some sort of physical activity /exercise like walking, running, aerobics and yoga to tone the body and to reach their fitness goal.

• Keep your body hydrated

During workout we lose a lot of sweat for which water is the best source that revives the body with energy for the day.

By Sheetal J Shah , Core Pilates Studio, Worli 

Pilates has carved a niche for itself in the modern exercise regime. No longer restricted to the workout routine of just athletes, it is being sought after by many people especially in urban spaces to achieve modern fitness goals. Our lifestyle has taken a turn towards sedentary mode which in the long run is quite harmful for health. In such a scenario, Pilates offers the perfect combination of a convenient workout with great benefits such as strengthening of muscles, toning of body, improved posture and increased flexibility.

Pilates offers plenty of benefits to your body, no matter your fitness background, age or gender.  It helps you to focus, improve posture and bodily alignment as well as increase stamina.

So if you’ve wanted to try Pilates classes but something has been holding you back, it’s the time to sign up for your first class because the best and appropriate way to learn this type of exercise is under the care of a trained professional at a Pilates studio. This ensures that one learns the correct way of doing the exercises and holding the postures, which is of the utmost importance.

Do not hesitate to sign up for your first Pilates class, even though the newness of it may seem intimidating initially. But we all have to start somewhere. However, before signing up for any class one should be aware about what this exercise is all about. There are many myths surrounding Pilates, and doing anything with half-information is a risky endeavour. So it is important to educate yourself on what Pilates is, how it works and what not to do.

Here are five things you must know before taking your first Pilates class:

1) There are two different kinds of Pilates classes – Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates

Pilates are versatile in a way that you can opt for mat classes where you will be doing the exercises on a mat to cushion pressure points, or on a machine called ReformerPilates, which is a sliding platform complete with stationery foot-bar, springs, and pulleys that provide resistance to help tone the body.

Typically, a good Pilates studio caters to both kind of arrangements. This gives you the freedom to decide which method would suit your body in a better manner. It is essential to know this bit before you commit to one type of workout routine, that on average lasts from 45 minutes to one hour.

Both options focus on the concept of control rather than cranking out endless reps or muscle exhaustion. Regardless of the class you choose, make sure to let your instructor know your skill level so that your training can be framed out accordingly, especially if you are beginner.

2) Be prepared to feel your muscles burn and to feel sore the next day

Pilates is more about control than exhaustion.But holding the postures for the appropriate amount of time and in the correct pose does tire out the body.So while you may not be crushing high intensity exercises like Cross-Fit or lifting heavy dumbbells, the bodyweight based routines that Pilates offer can be pretty intense in their own right.

For example,the exercise called The Hundred is all about abdominal focused movementsthat involve less than two inches of constant motion,which will make your abs burn. This ability to focus on small movements means that you’ll work on all the muscles that are supposed to be targeted by each exercise set.  

Naturally, such workouts will leave you drained. As with any other exercise, the burn would turn into sore muscles the next day for which you should be mentally prepared. Many people assume that Pilates are easy. When they start these exercises, they realise how incorrect their assumptions had been.

3) Wear comfortable clothes-

Pilates work on building your core, postures, body flexibility, agility and stamina. The workouts tend to be of high intensity. One should be comfortable so that the body muscles do not become restricted and can be easily manoeuvred to perform all the exercises.

The clothes you wear should be comfortable, but not too loose. Body-hugging clothes made out of soft comfortable materials are preferred for Pilates. It is so that the instructors can see the movement of muscles and correct the postures when needed. As for footwear, you can either be barefoot or wear Pilates socks.

4) Pilates has different lingo than other fitness routines-

Every exercise class from aerobics to CrossFit has its own set of terminology, Pilates included, which is a vastly different breed from the common exercises that are taught at every corner gym.
Some key nomenclature used in Pilates you must know is that your ‘powerhouse’ refers to the centre of your body, from where all the power to execute the movements originates. ‘Peel through your spine’ means slow movements from vertebra to vertebra.

Do not feel alienated just yet. One tends to catch up after a couple of classes.

5) Pilates should be part of a well rounded fitness plan-

‘Do not keep all your eggs in one basket.’ Similarly, one should not just rely on one type of exercise to achieve their fitness goals. Your workout routine should be an amalgamation of different types of exercises which suit your body. 

As with any fitness programme, your body needs time to adapt and change to new movements. Pilates stretches, strengthens, tones and alignsyour body all at the same time. it also compliments other fitness/sports programmes because it prepares your body to move better in every way. Since it tends to build up the strength of even the smaller muscles, adding Pilates to your routine will help you to lift heavier weights, run faster, swim with better form,and even help with the back pain recovery.

Just as one tends to learn the tricks of the trade on the job, similarly you will learn the ins and outs of Pilates as you slowly progress from 0 to 100.