Fun & Fit Under the Sun

It’s high time to enjoy the glorious outdoors and get back into shape.  Here are three great exercises that are sure to make your body toned, your spirit alive and your mind free:

Originally used as an ancient mode of transportation, kayaking is now famous as a sport for leisure and exploration.  It allows you to glide on the water with a long paddle in surrender to the beautiful scenery, in appreciation of your independence, and in building upper body strength.  The intense motion of paddling stems from your core.  You tone your shoulders and strengthen your arms while navigating your glide, thus exerting power from your abdomen and lower back. So if you paddle for an hour, you do an average of 1,500 repetitions of low-impact upper body movements, which burns up 400 calories. This is perfect for turning those love handles into a 6-pack stomach.  Take a single if you want to have full control of your momentum or a double if you want to share this rewarding experience with your loved one.

Now for toning your core all the way to your lower body, just lace up your good ol’ running shoes and walk or run along the road.  Walking or Running is a moderate intensity workout that can be done as a form of meditation or as a social event.  It clears your mind and lets you connect with your thoughts, while the endorphin that your heart releases lifts you up into doing more of this personal exploration. However, be aware of your posture; keep your head up, your shoulders relaxed, your chest lifted, your abs tight, and tightly swing your arms so you breathe easily throughout your strides. With just 30 minutes three times a week, you can yield its benefits, such as a lower blood pressure, lower risk of osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease, an improved cholesterol profile, and fat loss.Being the most accessible sport ever, walking or running can be done on the road, along the beach, on the desert and even on shallow water.  Try walking instead of taking a cab to the market when shopping for your needs.  This will keep you in shape without trying.  Just put on a hat and a sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, and remember to carry a small bottle of low-sodium drinking water to hydrate yourself from time to time.

Last, but certainly not the least is Yoga.  Derived from the Sanskrit root word ‘yuj’, meaning ‘to yoke or to join’, yoga is an ancient system of physical and mental disciplines, practiced to attain optimum health and well-being.  It is a combination of eight asanas or poses that help in stretching and toning your body, as well as correct breathing, relaxation, diet and positive thinking through meditation.  Mahatma Ghandhi defined yoga as “the yoking of all the powers of the body, mind and soul; the disciplining of the intellect, the motions, and the will power”, which enables one to look at life in all its aspects evenly, whether it is pleasure or pain.

By practicing yoga daily, you become in tune with yourself and your energy.  Your diet,  posture, breathing, health and concentration are improved, your body is toned, you become beautiful inside out, your body and mind are relaxed, you receive inner peace and greater awareness of your body, your body becomes flexible and strong, and you become happy.  Apart from these, yoga cures asthma, improves circulation, aligns muscles and bones, purifies and strengthens the nervous system, strengthens joins, improves eyesight, gets rid of backaches and releases tension.

Practice yoga anywhere you feel the energy is right.  Wear loose comfortable clothes and carry a yoga mat to the beach or drive to a peaceful spot in the forest away from the noise or join a class.  It is best done in the early morning or at sunset when almost everything around you is still and quiet.

Generally, exercising boosts fantastic health benefits to your body, mind and spirit.  But with any form of exercise you do, always take time to stretch before and after to increase flexibility and reduce injury.  Better yet, practice a few yoga poses like Sun Salutation before and after your workout so you maximize the full rewards of your exercise.

Eat in Mind

We indulged in the Turkey, the three-course rich meals and the eggnogs last Yuletide season; the chocolates and sweets we enjoyed last Valentine’s Day have been perfect with several rounds of wine, but now the heat is turning up again, it is time to smarten up on our food choices and habits to achieve a great body by this summer (if not in two weeks).

Certainly, this advice, which we have gathered from health experts and nutritionists is not solely for losing weight but it’s also for eating in the right way and being conscious of every food or drink that we choose to sustain our body needs, as opposed to what we desire.  At best, we are guaranteed optimum health, a longer life, an ageless skin, and a beautiful body.  Whoever said that “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away” is definitely not joking.

But first, we highly recommend you to consult your doctor if you are not yet aware of your health history, as certain foods noted here may not be suited for you.  You may be lactose intolerant, thus you cannot drink milk or eat dairy cheese and yogurt, though it is rich in calcium and protein; you may be suffering from gastro-intestinal problems, so you have to lessen your intake from acidic foods like tomato, lemon, pineapple, orange, and white floury pastries and breads, which can further irritate your stomach.

Otherwise, let’s get started!

1.         Heads up! A positive attitude is your single, best tool.  Constantly remind yourself that you are beautiful just as you are unique, that you’re worth the effort, and that you will let nothing stand in your way. Eating right is something wonderful for your body and your health that will give you great satisfaction for the rest of your life. With practice, a strong sense of self-worth and motivation will become second nature.

2.         Set reasonable goals.  If you plan to lose 10 pounds in a month, then you have to back it up with a daily diet menu based on foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in fat, calories and preservatives.

3.         Enlist the support of the family and friends.  Ask them to please not tempt you with fattening goodies.

4.         Take one day at a time.  When you measure your success by how far you have to go, you are bound to become discouraged.  Simply get through each day.  You will be surprised at how quickly those days will add up!

5.         Be a healthy food buff! When doing your grocery, avoid the shelves containing potato chips, soda juices, fattening cheeses, candies, chocolates, canned fruits and vegetables. These are high in simple sugar, sodium and preservative; things you do not need in your body at all!

6.         Educate yourself with your food’s nutritional values.  This will help you understand your body’s response to the food you eat and what to eat in order to have a balanced diet.  Opt for vegetables and fruits.  These are high in nutrition so you will less likely find yourself getting prone to diseases.

7.         Fiber up! Eating fibrous foods like strawberries, kiwis, asparagus, broccoli, whole grain breads, cereals and pasta will keep your stomach hunger-free, plus it will boost your metabolism and aid in burning more calories.

8.         Spread your meals. It is better to eat 5 light meals than 3 full meals a day. This will boost your metabolism, especially if you eat fruits like apples, bananas or pears for your 2^nd and 4^th meals.  As for the rest, eat most during breakfast, preferably high-fiber foods as they will pave the way to faster digestion throughout the day; your favorite healthy foods like potatoes, corn, lean meat and tuna for lunch; and low fat foods for dinner, like tomatoes, mushrooms, and green leafy vegetables.  And by the way, do not munch anymore food within 4 hours before your bedtime so you burn your last meal properly and even stored calories in your sleep.  Hence, no midnight snacks!

9.         Hydrate yourself well.  It is commonly recommended to drink at least 2 liters or 8 to 10 glasses of water each day to speed up your metabolism, but try drinking more.  Drink 1 liter of water first thing after you wake up, then wait 30 minutes for the water to reactivate your system before eating breakfast, and then you will find yourself drinking more and cleansing your body throughout the day, but make sure it is low in sodium as the salt will just store excess water in your body.

10.     Cut down on fat.  Avoid fatty cuts of meats, fried foods, chicken skins, and become an avid reader of food labels.  If the product contains more than 30% fat, it is better left on the grocery shelf.

11.     Allow yourself a small treat of chocolate once in a while, specifically the dark ones for it suppresses the appetite and it is rich in flavanoids, thus helps in the digestion and blood flow.

12.     Cut down on stimulants like alcohol, caffeinated tea, coffee, soda, packed fruit juices, sugar, salt and strong spices for these bring forth the degeneration of body organisms, which results to stomach gas build-up and premature ageing, aside from that it dulls the mind and sensitivity.

13.     Indulge on fresh fruits. They will satisfy your sugar cravings and induce fiber, vitamins and minerals in your body. Stock up your kitchen with ripe fruits available in the market, as the sight full of this will provoke you to eat them instead of cookies and cakes before they perish.

14.     Eat loads of vegetables.  Raw food works best in digesting nutrient values with the enzymes still intact and without a high calorie load as when deep frying or baking with cream and flour.  Otherwise, steam it with some herbs and spices, and avoid sprinkling it with soy or oyster sauce that are rich in sodium and preservatives.

15.     Spice it!  Enhance your food with an alternating variety of fresh or dried herbs and spices. With an abundance of healthy food and flavorful herbs and spices, I’m sure you will not run out of ideas in creating your own healthy dish.

16.     Be creative.  Mix up these wonderful ingredients and create your recipe so you get more motivated in pursuing this healthy choice.  An attractive presentation will also guarantee a smile on your face and in your spirit.

17.     Slow down.  Start by drinking water 30 minutes before your meal.  Keep your stomach clear during this time.  When you’re ready, chew each bite slowly at least 30 seconds and wait a few seconds before taking another bite. Drink water again 30 minutes after you’ve emptied your plate.  This will help your digestion, heighten your taste buds, create awareness, and keep you trimmed.

18.     Diet alone does not guarantee fat loss and a healthy lifestyle. It may help you lose weight, but it only burns your muscles, not your fat. Exercise!  It burns fat, sustains equilibrium and a positive outlook, attracts sensible circle of friends, and guarantees self-contentment.

If you appreciate this advice, you will also appreciate our follow-up article, which will further assure your health and beauty goals.

Botanical Beauty Secrets

Having been oriented with Ayurveda, I have become more interested on using natural beauty and health products made from garden plants.  I wasn’t really a shopper of beauty products to begin with because I feared that the chemicals contained in it would harm my sensitive skin, so I had only opted for washing my face with plain water and by drinking lots of water to moisturize my skin.  Yet when my Ayurvedic healer used Aloe Vera mixture on my face and Neem oil to cure my hair loss problem, I was relieved to find that I could take better care of my hair and skin with the same plants that are tucked in my garden.

I delved deep into my garden plants’ medicinal and cosmetic properties, and to my amazement I found lots of benefits by simple procedures that can be made overnight.  Not only did I find several cosmetic wonders from the Neem tree and Aloe Vera, but also from Moringa Oleiferi, a plant that my mother used to feed me with a chicken broth during my childhood.

In my research, I learned that the tree of Moringa Oleiferi, also known as Alim in Arabic and Ben or Drumstick Tree in English, is revered as a miracle tree in India, Africa and Southeast Asia due to its high contents of fatty acids and Vitamins A and C. The leaves are traditionally used as a scrub for treating headaches and fever, and as a tea to relieve gastric ulcers and diarrhea; the yellow flowers are taken as a tea when boiled with water to improve the milk flow of breastfeeding mothers, to cure urinary problems and colds, and is also thought to be an aphrodisiac; and the seeds, which are best made into oil, is a potent antioxidant that treats stomach problems and moisturizes skin and hair.

The Moringa oil is produced by collecting the seeds from its pods and crushing them with an electric grinder or mortar and pessel. Boil for 10 -15 minutes with enough water to cover the seeds and then strain through a cloth into a clean airtight container. Leave overnight to allow the oil to separate from the water and after apply it on your skin or store it inside the refrigerator.  You could also follow another method by putting clean Moringa leaves with heated sunflower or canola oil in a dry air-tight jar and storing it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use.  This method is easier but produces slower benefits than the oil extracted from its seeds.  Its suggested treatments are:

• As a hair scalp cleanser and strand moisturizer, wash your hair and massage the oil into the scalp for a couple of minutes, and then rinse thoroughly.
• To keep the pores of your skin tight and glowing, gently massage the Moringa oil upwards into your face with the tip of your fingers for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly. Do this every night before going to bed. This is also great for curing skin acnes, wrinkles and cuts.
• As a nutrient-rich skin moisturizer and sun-tanning lotion, apply the oil on your body and re-apply once your skin has dried.
• As a massage oil for your baby, simply massage the oil all over your baby’s skin to improve circulation and to aid in his/her neurological development.

Another miracle tree that may just be hiding in your garden is Neem.  What is called Neeb by Arabs is a highly medicinal plant that is used as a main ingredient in Eastern medicine.  In Ayurvedic medicine, the leaves are made into a paste for healing wounds, ulcer and skin diseases, as well as a tea for detoxification; the bark is powdered or extracted for curing stomach diseases, fever and gum problems; and the oil extracted from the seeds are applied externally to treat fungal infections, mosquito bites and hair loss, among others.  You could follow the same methods for making Moringa oil to produce Neem oil, too. Here’s some beauty uses that experts have suggested:

• Apply Neem oil on areas affected by skin disorders, minor cuts, burns and wounds.
• For total skin protection, make a strong tea with the leaves and add to the bath along with a little rose water, which you can make by boiling the petals with water and leaving them covered for an hour.
• To remedy conjunctivitis and eye itching, boil 10 freshly cleaned leaves with a liter of water for 10 minutes.  Cool and use as an eyewash.
• For athletes’ foot and other foot problems, make a strong tea from a handful of leaves and soak feet.
• For dandruff and head lice, massage a mixture of Neem oil and olive oil into your hair and leave for one hour. Shampoo. Repeat once weekly for 3 weeks or as long as problem persists.
• For sore throats, make a liquid solution by boiling two to three leaves with 300 ml water.  Add honey and let it cool, then use it as gargle.
• For acne, pimples, skin infections, wash the leaves and dry them indoors.  Crush them into pieces with a mortar and pessel until powdery.  Mix the powder with water and apply it to the affected area.
• For sinusitis, use pure neem oil as nasal drops. Two drops morning and evening.

The last ornamental plant, being Aloe Vera is quite famous in folkloric healing for its nutritious contents.  In fact during the Ancient Egyptian times, this plant was known as “the plant of immortality” and was one of the precious things that they buried with the dead pharaohs.  Known as Sabbar in Arabic, this cacti plant excretes a transparent gel (without the yellow substance) that herbal healers use to cure baldness, arthritis, diabetes, indigestion, problems of the heart, skin, kidney, reproductive system, and so on. Its medicinal versatility spreads among 4 species, whereas 11 other species lead to devastating effects.  So if you want to make your own Aloe Vera beauty concoction, choose the most potent one, called Aloe Vera Barbadenis.  It works best for the following recipes:

• For weight loss, ageing and acne drink a glass of Aloe Vera juice made with a spoonful of the transparent gel and water.  Drink two glasses a day, 30 minutes before your meal to activate your metabolism and expel excess water from your cells.
• As a night cream, blend 50 grams gel, 50 grams cucumber (peel removed and roughly chopped) and 50 ml distilled water.  Smooth over you face at bedtime and sleep with it.  Rinse it off with warm water the next day, then store the leftovers in an airtight jar inside the refrigerator.  This will last for 7 days.
• As an after sun restorer, mix 2 tbsps. gel with 1 tsp. olive oil and apply on your skin right away.
• As a lip balm, simply damp the gel on your lips.

These wonderful recipes have been tried and tested already and are guaranteed safe by modern and herbal medicine experts.  If you don’t have these plants in your garden or if you don’t have a garden, you can get pots of these in botanical shops all around Sharm.  With these simple beauty secrets, you may just find yourself paying less money for the best.

“When nature is used in good faith, nature gives back the same way.”

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For more information, browse through www.Miracletrees.org, www.discoverneem.com,  www.mapi.com/en/newsletters/aloe_vera_ayurvedic.htm.

A Guinea Pig’s Delight: 3 Days of Ayurvedic Detox

Almost everybody want to quit smoking, to reduce their alcohol intake and to get fit and healthy. But without a definite plan of action, it will never be done. We must regularly fuel our mental, spiritual and physical senses with uplifting food, activities and treatments, if necessary, to sustain equilibrium.

So why not undergo detoxification through Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda’s detoxification and rejuvenation program or Panchakarma.

Panchakarma, in sanskrit means five actions or treatments, which regulates the three principal components of the body (Doshas): air, fire, and water. This suggests nasal therapy, vomiting, purging and two types of therapeutic enema, by which one uses herbal decoction and the other one with herbal oils.

Om Sai Yoga & Ayurveda applies all treatments within three or seven days, depending on the lifestyle, type and health history of a person.

As a devoted guinea pig, I decided to undergo the Panchakarma treatment.  Yoga and Ayurvedic practitioner Praveen prescribed to me the three-day treatment based on my age and vices, which I was relieved to hear were considerably moderate.

On my first day, Praveen performed a natural toxin-release massage, known as Abhyanga, done with a traditional Ayurvedic oil extracted from an Indian medicinal plant, cooked thoroughly with herbs and spices; It synchronizes certain points of the body, thereby loosening deep-seated toxins in the joints and tissues. It cures muscular problems, overweight, blood circulation, tension, and stress.

In the middle of the massage, I felt discomfort in some areas of my body.  He said, that it is because of my over-exerted muscles and stress, which when compressed takes time to relax. Well, stress is an overused word, which I personally don’t believe exists in me, but then he explained that we all go through stress especially when we apply excessive mental and physical effort into a particular task at hand.  He later discovered that my doshas are imbalanced; I am predominantly of air, a little of water, yet no fire.

Praveen also found that I have a liver problem.  I was not surprised to hear that due to my history of Hepatitis A at the age of 14.  He further noted that my body was lacking of minerals (though I follow a healthy diet) because my excessive air composition is hindering the proper dispersement of minerals throughout my body.

As the Abhyanga treatment ended, Ayurvedic Specialist Manoj Nair, began pouring Ayurvedic medicated oil on my forehead through a punctured brass pot in a meticulous and precise motion.  This treatment, called Shirodhara, aids in removing toxins from the head to the nape, likewise aids in relaxing the body and opening the third eye (the point between your eyebrows) for yogic meditation.

True enough, the oil that was flowing on my forehead and down to my nape further relaxed my head even to the point of numbness.  And before the 45-minute treatment was completed, I woke up unaware that I had fallen asleep.

A short while later, Manoj performed an Ayurvedic facial massage, called Mugha Abhyanga.  He started by massaging the surrounding area of my face with red sandal wax to relieve facial muscles as well as to lift my face up.  He explained that this method is a non-surgical solution for face lifts and wrinkles removal when done within 7 days. He followed through with the treatment by deeply massaging my nose and third eye to relieve the clogness and to sharpen my concentration. He capped it up by rubbing my ears and massaging my ear lobes, to improve my hearing sensation.

Soon after, he wiped the wax off and replaced it with a mudpack mixed with a special Indian powder to tighten my skin.

As the mask was starting to peel on its own, Manoj, began the Nasyam treatment on my nose.  He gradually poured herbal essence drops into my nostrils to remove toxins from my sinuses and crane.  I stayed lying on the oil-resistant beech wood table with my head hanging for a minute so the herbal essence penetrates in.  Manoj advised me to spit out the toxins pushed by the essence. I left the Rock Hotel with some detoxifying herbal medicines in my pocket and clear liquid spits of toxins on my handkerchief.

After a good night’s sleep, I returned for my second session.  I went through the same Abhyanga treatment for 45 minutes, followed by Njavara Kizhi, a therapy, which uses a decoction of boiled Indian rice and milk, packed in a linen pouch.  The hot pouch was then punched into certain points of my body to keep the three Doshas balanced and to relax my bones and joints.

While my body temperature stabilized, they let me inhale the aromatic steam (Vaaspasveda) evaporating from a hot pot mixture of medicated oil, herbs and water to clear my sinus and relax my head.  Later, Manoj did another session of Nasyam to my nose.

On the my final detox day, I underwent Abhyanga, Njavara Kizhi, Mugha Abhyanga and Nasyam for 2 ½ hours.  I noticed my spit gradually transforming into sticky white phlegm.  Praveen commended me for that and advised that the phlegm will disappear.  He said that if my phlegm had been black, then my toxin level would have been high.

I came home that day, rejuvenated, deflated, and toned, with my face tightened and my nose clear.

Even now, five months after my Panchakarma, I still feel light and clean as I felt when I went through it.  I have not stopped my vices, but with regular exercise and a healthy diet, I can feel my body responding positively.

Namaste, Om Sai Yoga & Ayurveda.

Check them out at http://www.omsaischoolofyoga.com or look for Sharm-ayurveda Yoga Rajayoga on facebook for updates.

Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda

In a town where traffic and pollution cease, and abundance of nature peaks, one easily attains optimum health, beauty and contentment in life.  Well, “life”, in the words of ancient Indian Ayurvedic physician Charaka Samhita, being a “combination of the body, sense organs, mind and soul, the factor responsible for preventing decay and death, which sustains the body over time, and guides the processes of rebirth”, should therefore be self-contained regardless of external factors.

However, in tough moments like the current global crisis, we find ourselves vulnerable to all kinds of decay; to a slow spiralling down to depression, overlooking our precious dreams and disregarding our health.  We succumb to vices for the sake of our quick yet brief upliftment, but then we instantly return to our abusive habits and wait for another upliftment to arise.  But what if we were given the chance for eternal upliftment and permanently overcome frustrating obstacles?

Should you accept this chance with open eyes, a pure heart and a willing soul, then Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda is here to help you achieve all that.

Coming from a long lineage of Ayurveda practitioners or Ashtavaidyas, Praveen Saathi, Munna Sadanandan, and Manoj Nair founded Om Sai Yoga and Ayurveda to enlighten people in their native country India and other parts of Asia with the philosophy and discipline of Yoga and the ancient holistic healing of Ayurveda that were taught to them by their ancestors.

From left to right, Ashtavaidyas Praveen, Munna and Manoj

Praveen had been the first one among them to move to Sharm El Sheikh.  He came here mid-last year to teach a full-course of Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga) or yoga path of meditation, based on his studies of the Bhramakumari Yoga System, a system that assures a balanced life in a holistic and non-aesthetic approach. Through his grandmother he learned the application of Yoga, Indian martial arts (Kalari) and herbal knowledge to Ayurveda.  At which point, he discovered that the components of nature provides stronger solutions than modern techniques.

Thus, after months of teaching and getting acquainted with the desert tinsel town, he felt the need to open an authentic Ayurvedic center where people from here and Cairo can undergo an all-organic and low cost solution for health and beauty rejuvenation, done only by qualified Ayurvedic practitioners from Kerala (the leading Indian state of Ayurvedic medical system).

Consequently, he went back to his hometown, Kerala to relearn his Ayurvedic knowledge and to bring with him fellow Ashtavaidyas, Munna and Manoj to Sharm.

Munna and Nair, both degree holders of Ayurvedic healing system in Kerala, did not waste time in preparing the organic Ayurvedic medicaments (true to the strict Dhanvantari principle) as soon as they arrived here.

Om Sai Yoga & Ayurveda delivers a holistic lifestyle with soul and body exercises, as well as awareness and respect to nature by maximizing her abundant gifts.  Their name, on the other hand, represents their integrated beliefs and practices. Om, being the root of all mantras for deeper concentration of the mind; Sai, inspired by Indian guru and saint, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who tried to harmonize Hinduism and Islam with his philosophy; Yoga, an ancient discipline that unites the mind, body and soul; and Ayurveda, from the compound word Ayus, meaning life, and Veda, knowledge or science, which together forms the “knowledge of life” or more appropriately, “the science of long life” through the ancient Indian holistic way of healing.

They offer a long line of preventive treatments for health and beauty such as: Abhyanga (full-body therapeutic massage), Shirodhara (medicated oil drops on the head), Shirovasti (medicated oil drops with a cap), Njavara Khizi (herbal linen pouch body treatment), Panchakarma (3 or 7 days detoxification), Marma (vigorous massage with the use of hands and feet), Kativasti (medicated oil retained on the body), Pizhichil (medicated oil bath), Nasyam (sinusitis treatment), Mugha Abhyanga (herbal facial treatment). These Ayurvedic treatments coincide with session prescribed treatments like: Face Lift, Neck Lift, Breast Lift, Wrinkles Treatment, Eye Bag Removal, Mudpack, Skin Toning, Stress Buster (3-5 days), Weight Loss (5-7 days) E.E.N.T. Care (3 days), and Herbal Haircare.

Yogi Praveen advises current and future yogis to learn how to conserve their energy so they could properly channel it into self-attunement.  He also stresses that to understand the full-benefits of yoga, particularly Raja Yoga, yogis should first master The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These are the 8 disciplinary limbs, which begin with Yama (social discipline), Niyama (individual discipline), Asana (posture), Pranayama (control of the life energy through breathing), Pratyahara (mind withrawal from the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment); By disregarding one limb a yogi cannot fully achieve Yoga’s full benefits.  Hence when it comes to meditation, a yogi has to religiously practice it daily at the same time, either in the early morning or in the dark night, so he/she could adopt proper control of thoughts and be mindful of his/her daily actions.

At the end of the day, it is only up to us whether we choose to realize our true selves and achieve eternal contentment or be caught in the chaos produced by others.

Follow them at http://www.omsaischoolofyoga.com and on facebook via Sharm-ayurveda Yoga Rajayoga.