Yoga can cure anything and everything, isn't that what we all thought. But is that true when it comes to diabetes? Can yoga help in curing diabetes as well? Let's look at it.

Diabetes
In colloquial terms, diabetes for people is about sugar. But on a medical note, diabetes is how our body manages sugar. The major hormone insulin does not behave the way it should if you have diabetes. Insulin brings energy to the cells and that's why people suffering from diabetes feel lethargic and tired, despite resting and eating properly.
Yoga and diabetes
It would be wrong to say that yoga does not do any good when it comes to diabetes. Not only in diabetes but for any other health condition, practising yoga is of great help. The most important and beneficial thing that yoga does to your body is it mitigates stress. And we all know, be it any health condition stress has a major role to play.

Yoga works?
Full of restrictions and an incurable disease, diabetes can be controlled by yoga if it's practised regularly. Asanas like Kapalbhati and Pranayama have proven to be excellent in controlling diabetes. People suffering from high-level sugar should practice these asanas for 15 to 30 on an empty stomach.

Conclusion
There are medicines in the market which can control diabetes for sure but there are no medicines which can improve the function of the pancreas and thus, cure diabetes. The case with yoga is a little different as yoga can improve the functioning of pancreas and strengthen them and thus, help them to produce the an improved amount and regulate the hormone insulin. However, diabetes can be controlled to such an extent that you may not need medication but it cannot be cured, even through yoga.

Here are five simple postures to ease insomnia, headaches, indigestion, anxiety and lower back pain:
For insomnia, try the …
Child’s pose (balasana)

Poses that fold your body in on itself are calming and restorative, as opposed to back bends, which are energising. “Do this pose just before bed, aiming for at least five minutes,” says yoga teacher Sally Lovett. “You can even do it in bed in the middle of the night if you find yourself awake and unable to sleep.”

Kneel with your knees together or slightly apart, whichever is more comfortable. Lower your bottom onto your heels and fold forward to place your forehead on the floor (or as close as you can get – use a block or cushion to support your forehead if you can’t reach the floor). Arms can be stretched out in front, palms down, or alongside your body, with your fingers next to your toes.

Close your eyes and breathe slowly in and out through your nose. Quietly focus on your breathing.
For headaches …
Seated forward bend (paschimottanasana)

Headaches can be caused by anxiety and tightness in the neck and upper back, and this pose addresses both these areas. “Folding in on yourself forces introspection and is calming for the nervous system” says yoga teacher Steve Rawes.

Sit on the floor with legs extended out in front of you, toes pointing to the ceiling and back straight. Inhale and lift your arms above your head. Exhale, tip your pelvis forward, bend your torso from the hips towards your thighs and move your arms forward towards your toes. Gaze into the gap between your feet.

“Try not to round your back,” says Steve. “The ultimate aim is to reach your toes and have your head resting on your knees, but it’s not a competition. Just let your hands rest where you can comfortably get to with a straight back.”

Take five slow breaths. On each inhale, lift and lengthen the front of your torso. With each exhale, deepen the bend a little further. Come up slowly and give your legs a shake to release the muscles.

For indigestion …
Seated twist (ardha matsyendrasana)

The seated twist.Photograph: Graeme Robertson
Twists gently massage and compress the internal organs. “This compression, followed by release when you come out of the twist, stimulates the digestive organs,” says Sally. Sit on the floor with your right leg extended out in front of you, your spine long.

Place your left foot beside the outside of your right knee, sole on the floor. Tuck your left knee into the crook of right elbow and hug the knee. Placing your left fingertips on the floor behind you, twist your torso to slowly to look over your left shoulder.

On every inhale, lengthen your spine upward. On each exhale, deepen the twist a little further. Hold for five breaths, turn back to face forward and repeat on the opposite side.
For anxiety …
Tree pose (vrksasana)

The tree pose.Photograph: Graeme Robertson
Tree pose helps to calm a racing mind and induce concentration. “It helps to find clarity, instead of staying trapped in the thought process,” says Steve. “Your mind must be completely focused on this pose to prevent toppling over, leaving no room for worry.”

Stand with feet hip width apart. Inhale and grow a bit taller. Exhale and draw your shoulders down and belly button in. Roll your shoulders up and back, and bring your palms together in front of your chest. Find a point in front of you to focus on.

Place the sole of your right foot on to your inner left calf. You can stay there or use your hands to place your right sole on your inner left thigh. Keep lifting up tall and make sure the pelvis is in a neutral position. Allow the right knee to relax down.

Hold for up to five slow, deep belly breaths, then use your hands to gently release the foot from the inner thigh. Repeat on the other side.
For lower back pain …
Standing forward bend (uttanasana)

The standing forward bend.Photograph: Graeme Robertson
“This simple bend releases tightness in the lumbar spine using the weight of the head,” says Sally. “It also increases flexibility in the hamstrings down the back of the leg – tight hamstrings can cause lower back problems.”

Stand with feet hip width apart and bend slowly forward, hinging at the hip. Keep a soft bend in the knees to prevent straining the lower back. Aim for resting your hands on the floor, but just go as far as feels comfortable. Allow your arms and head to hang. Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose for a maximum of 10 breaths, then come up slowly, head and shoulders last. Move around a bit to loosen the stretched muscles, then repeat.The standing forward bend.Photograph: Graeme Robertson
“This simple bend releases tightness in the lumbar spine using the weight of the head,” says Sally. “It also increases flexibility in the hamstrings down the back of the leg – tight hamstrings can cause lower back problems.”

Stand with feet hip width apart and bend slowly forward, hinging at the hip. Keep a soft bend in the knees to prevent straining the lower back. Aim for resting your hands on the floor, but just go as far as feels comfortable. Allow your arms and head to hang. Breathe deeply and slowly through your nose for a maximum of 10 breaths, then come up slowly, head and shoulders last. Move around a bit to loosen the stretched muscles, then repeat.

Morning snarls, rush hour traffic, and the pollution can weigh the best of us down, even before reaching the work place, drawing from our productivity. The result is, we reach work half tired, irritated and ready to unleash our wrath on the slightest provocation. But what if there were ways to retain the loss of energy and simple exercises that you can practice while stuck in a thick unrelenting traffic! Here are 3 yoga exercises from yoga expert Kamlesh Barwal, author of the book, Log Off To Log In, that you can do right at your steering wheel to relax and find peace in the moment.Seated Head Massage

1. Keep the spine erect and the head straight
Breathing in, raise the right arm
Place the palm on top of the head
Gently massage the top of the head, in a circular motion, in a clockwise direction
Keep breathing smoothly and deeply throughout the exercise
Feel the tension in the head region easing
Feel more relaxed

2. Blink, Squeeze, Eyes Open Wide
Keep the spine erect and the head straight
Close your eyes
Blink your eyes rapidly about 10-15 times
Blink your eyes slowly about 10-15 times
Shut your eyes as tightly as possible
Open your eyes as widely as possible
Repeat the action a few more times
Keep breathing smoothly and deeply throughout the exercise
Feel the tension around the eyes being released

Jaw Release
Keep the spine erect and the head straight
Place the tips of your three fingers on the cheekbones
Look for muscles that make knots
Keeping your mouth relaxed, press firmly and massage the knots in a circular motion
Pressing down firmly, run your fingers, down along the jaw line towards your chin
Repeat the action a few more times
Keep breathing smoothly and deeply throughout the exercise
Feel the tightness in the face easing out

Investing 5-10 minutes in such short Yoga breaks can work wonders for the body and mind, says Kamlesh Barwal also CEO, Sri Sri School of Yoga.

Feeling bloated? There is no denying the fact that bloating woes may not only make you feel extremely uncomfortable but can also mess with your digestive health. There can be numerous reasons triggering bloating and gastric issues ranging from eating contaminated food, stress and excessive consumption of the wrong food items that could trigger gastric issues among others.

Benefits of Pawanmuktasana (The Wind Relieving Pose)

- It helps make the intestinal activity more active.

- It helps the liver in performing better.

- When teamed with its counter pose Setubandhasana, it also helps strengthen the spine, especially the lumbar region.

How to get into the pose

- Lie flat on your back; keep your legs and arms extended.

- Bring your knees together and hold with both your hands.

- Release left leg and keep it extended on the floor, hold the pose for 30 seconds.

- Now, bring back your left leg, hold both legs and release your right leg.

- Repeat for a minute, do thrice.

Things to keep in mind

- Those who suffer from neck or spinal issues should avoid doing the posture.

- One of the other versions of the posture also requires you to bend your neck forward every time your knees meet the chest. You can also try the posture without alternating the legs.

All yoga postures must be observed under strict supervision. Get in touch with a certified yoga expert to learn which postures will suit you the best and how to practice them to reap maximum health benefits

Yoga has long been touted as the one-stop solution to a healthy body, mind, and soul.

This ancient form of physical exercise works on different parts of the body to boost its overall function and well-being. Now a new study done by researchers from Universities of Coventry and Radboud states that yoga can also affect molecular reactions in the DNA and prevent risks of certain ailments.

Mind-body interventions (MBIs) such as meditation, yoga and Tai Chi can help reduce risk of depression and cancer by reversing the molecular reactions in DNA if practiced on a daily basis.

Stress is a common feature in our urban lifestyle. It is also one of the leading factors in causing various kinds of diseases.

When a person is exposed to a stressful event, their sympathetic nervous system (SNS) - the system responsible for the 'fight-or-flight' response - is triggered, in turn increasing production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), which regulates how our genes are expressed.

NF-kB translates stress by activating genes to produce proteins called cytokines that cause inflammation at cellular level - a reaction that is useful as a short-lived fight-or-flight reaction, but if persistent, leads to a higher risk of cancer, accelerated aging and psychiatric disorders like depression.

According to the study, people who practise MBIs exhibit the opposite effect - namely a decrease in production of NF-kB and cytokines, leading to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions.

Lead investigator Ivana Buric said that millions of people around the world already enjoy the health benefits of mind-body interventions like yoga or meditation, but what perhaps these people do not realise is that these benefits begin at a molecular level and can change the way our genetic code goes about its business.