Participating in yoga and mindfulness activities at school helps relieve stress and anxiety in young children, improving their wellbeing and emotional health, a study has found.

Researchers from Tulane University in the US worked with a public school to add mindfulness and yoga to the school’s existing empathy-based programming for students needing supplementary support.

Third graders who were screened for symptoms of anxiety at the beginning of the school year were randomly assigned to two groups. A control group of 32 students received care as usual, which included counselling and other activities led by a school social worker. The intervention group of 20 students participated in small group yoga/mindfulness activities for eight weeks using a Yoga Ed curriculum.

Students attended the small group activities at the beginning of the school day. The sessions included breathing exercises, guided relaxation and several traditional yoga poses appropriate for children. The study, published in the journal Psychology Research and Behavior Management, evaluated each group’s health related quality of life before and after the intervention, using two widely recognised research tools.

“The intervention improved psychosocial and emotional quality of life scores for students, as compared to their peers who received standard care,” said Alessandra Bazzano, associate professor at Tulane University.

“We also heard from teachers about the benefits of using yoga in the classroom, and they reported using yoga more often each week, and throughout each day in class, following the professional development component of intervention,” Bazzano said. Researchers targeted third grade because it is a crucial time of transition for elementary students, when academic expectations increase.

“Our initial work found that many kids expressed anxious feelings in third grade as the classroom work becomes more developmentally complex,” Bazzano said. “Even younger children are experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety, especially around test time,” she said.

Ever wondered what is so special about the way yogis eat? Here’s revealing some of the top secrets of yogis that can help attain a balance between the mind, body and soul…

An Alkaline start

There is a build-up of toxins and acids in our bodies overnight, hence a ritual of lemon water on an empty stomach is very dear to yoga. It is extremely alkaline, detoxifies and wakes ups all the organs much better than coffee does. Add pink Himalayan salt to it and you amplify its detoxifying power.

Sattvic eating

In ancient texts, there is no mention of carbs, proteins and fats. Food is divided into Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Sattvic diet is one that leads to clarity of mind and physical health. It is plant-based, light, extremely alkaline and eco-friendly – like fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, nuts and grains. Rajasic is more stimulating, heat producing, rich and acidic, which includes meat, eggs, pickles, tea/coffee. Tamasic diet leads to dullness and lethargy. It’s acidic, putrid and reheated. It includes alcohol, sugary foods and beverages. Yogis only follow the Sattvic way of eating.

Plant-based

Everything in yoga is related to prana (life force). Food which has prana gives us physical and emotional strength. Cooked food is of less importance – heat destroys its fibre, nutrients and enzymes to quite an extent. So are canned, frozen, microwaved, or highly processed foods. Raw food, as intended by nature, gives us all vitamins and minerals – and in the most bio-available form. The method of sprouting is given top importance as it’s one of the best ways to consume functional “live” enzymes. Enzymes play a vital role in digestion and fighting disease.

Fasting

Yoga believes that accumulation of toxins breeds disease. Wrong eating habits, exposure to chemicals, build-up of negative emotions lead to an imbalance of mind and body. Fasting is one of the most common practices that can counter-balance this. There are various ways of fasting: water fast, fruit fast, giving up one or two meals in a day. The main reasoning behind this is to give our digestive system a break.

Smaller portions

A famous yogi once said: “The greatest enemy of health and long life is overeating.” There is a term in yoga called Mitahara, which means moderate eating, leaving one quarter of the stomach reserved for the movement of air. This eating style is easy on digestion and in quantities that can keep the body and mind clear and light.

Good fats

Yogic nutrition is incomplete without ghee, coconut oil and soaked nuts/seeds. They make food appetizing, digestible and satisfying. They help in healing the mind too. The presence of fats in the body improves memory, neural conductivity and mental well-being.

Herbs & adaptogens

Teas or concoctions of intensely flavoured and power-packed herbs like turmeric, ginger, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom are the go-to beverages for yogis. They are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and detoxifying in nature. Yoga also encourages use of adaptogens like Ashwagandha and Triphala. They are known to lower stress, stimulate thyroid function and protect against oxidative stress.

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.