FluFightersOnline joins the growing battle against flu
The growing spread of bird flu has spawned a new website offering simple, cost-effective flu protection kits for home and travel.
UK-based www.FluFightersOnline.com also hopes its site will help raise people's awareness of the flu issue, with facts and information on flu prevention, plus links to key Government, health and news websites.
Said co-founder, Michelle Brown: "Given world concern regarding bird flu and the associated risk of pandemic human flu, we saw the need to provide sensible well-balanced information and offer a simple emergency protection kit so people can be prepared, but not unduly alarmed.
"As far as we know, we are the only UK business selling a kit like this. It is ideal for travel or home use, and can be kept in the medicine cupboard or packed in a suitcase. It would be there as a simple precaution, much like a first aid kit."
She added: "At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, experts predicted a pandemic was a near certainty at some point within the next few decades. They also advised people to keep a supply of face masks and be aware of basic hygiene precautions.
"Our kit is designed to help people bridge the gap before any Government contingency plans kick in should a flu pandemic occur. This is important for people travelling abroad, too.
"There has also been a lot in the press recently about business continuity and the need to make plans in the event of high absenteeism during a major flu outbreak, so we are also working with companies looking to put precautionary measures in place."
The kits include a foldable valved FFP3-rated face mask (which exceeds current Government specifications), vinyl gloves and antiseptic cleansing wipes, plus detailed advice on using the equipment and preventing flu, based on World Health Organisation guidelines.
More information can be found at www.flufightersonline.com
Introduction to Yoga
Yoga is the process of becoming free from limited definitions of the field of consciousness. Yoga has endured more evolutions of popular consciousness than a morphing movie monster. The word yoga is sanskrit meaning union or yoking with the God consciousness. The aim of Yoga is to expand awareness in all states of consciousness, whether waking state, dream state or sleep state.Few people know that there are eight steps of Yoga : moral principles and -ideals, physical postures, energy control, detachment, concentration, meditation and contemplation.
Also only a few know that there are many styles of yoga. Some call the practice meditation without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded 'eastern'. As well as health benefits, yoga meditation enhances clarity, optimism and inspiration. Meditation Yoga without appreciating meditation is like walking into a blind alley. The finer points of Yoga Meditation are described and taught face-to-face, as it is an oral tradition. Finally, Yoga Meditation leads one to the direct experience of the absolute, pure, eternal center of consciousness.
Tantra Yoga accepts desire as the prime motivating force of the universe, so it does not ask its' aspirants to renounce desire. But this is only a small part of tantra yoga's practical, scientific teaching, the aim of which is spiritual growth. Tantra Yoga studies the tree of life itself instead of limiting itself to any single branch of the tree. Instead of separating and categorizing the different areas of human knowledge, Tantra Yoga draws them together.
Karma Yoga is also the path of doing the right thing, of following ones' personal Dharma and accepting destiny as it comes.
Many of yoga's benefits can be enjoyed simply through regular attendance at a weekly class, enhanced through regular practice at home. You can practice on a folded blanket or you may want to purchase a yoga mat. You do not have to be strong or even flexible to successfully practice Yoga. Regular practice at approximating the asanas (yoga postures) and using breath and gravity to allow you to relax further into the pose is (hatha) yoga. Through the practice of mental concentration one can enter into the science of yoga. Picture your yoga practice amid rustling palm trees, crashing surf, and masses of exotic flowers. DVDs help make yoga practice fun. Styles of Yoga There are many benefits that individual can gain from the practice of yoga. In fact, enhanced flexibility and strength are not its goals, but are instead the result of an appropriate yoga practice. The practice of yoga can improve and nourish the gift of health that you have been given.
The yoga body is toned and lighter. The body readily responds to yoga postures. This ancient system of yoga arouses the inner fire to cleanse and strengthen the body by synchronizing movement with breath. In the rigorous, balanced yoga poses, weak parts are strengthened and stiff areas are stretched, thus awakening and realigning the whole body. Asanas (yoga postures) are designed to provide your body with this necessary changing orientation to gravity. But often in the quest for fitness and a hard body, at some point it becomes just a workout and not yoga.
The therapeutic effect of yoga comes from involving your mind totally in inspiring (breathing) your body to evolve. Whatever the body can do in a yoga session is exactly what it should be doing. When practicing yoga, one goes within, being aware of what is happening inside the body. The increased flexibility that yoga brings helps the body to remain comfortable during this physical inactivity. While all yoga styles seek to balance the body, mind, and spirit, they go about it in various ways. Relaxation and Calmness Yoga helps to promote a deeper awareness of the body and of its muscles and joints, while one study showed that all yoga styles produced a gradual, significant decrease in body weight.
The science of yoga considers thought and mind to be composed of matter: subtle matter, but matter none the less. According to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, pranayama enables the mind to acquire the capacity to concentrate on any given object of attention. This can be very soothing for the mind which is the kind of mellow style most people picture when they think of yoga. The time you invest in yoga comes back with interest in greater vitality, presence of mind, reduced need for sleep, and longer life. But keep in mind that the isolated performance of any yoga pose cannot "cure" disease.
Once you find a yoga class, talk to the instructor to be certain that he/she can meet your needs. Prior to practicing yoga, you should only eat something light, at least two hours before the class. Complete yoga breathing, done during the class as well as habitually during the day is a way of carrying yoga with you.
The yoga tradition is one of practical experience, but also incorporates texts which explain the techniques and philosophy of yoga. You don't need any previous experience in either yoga or running a society - just lots of energy and enthusiasm! Restorative Yoga calls for surrender into each pose and moving into stillness for a deeply relaxing and healing experience. Experience hatha yoga as a powerful therapeutic tool for structural problems (muscles, joints, etc). The path of yoga is infinitely long and can be embraced as a life journey. Rejuvenate and feel inspired by an unforgettable yoga experience!
Daniel J Lesser owner of www.YogaInfoOnline.com runs an informational on Yoga. He provides the latest information on Yoga and updates weekly.
The One Secret to Fitness Success
Copyright 2006 John Perry
I was reading an article the other day that referred to honesty as the one true secret to happiness.
Is there one true secret to anything?
I was asking myself this question while preparing an outline for one of my live events. I have often spoken on this topic during one segment of my seminars. I decided to take a step back and really ponder the one true success principle with exercise and fitness.
I have visions of Billy Crystal and "Curly" riding though the open prairie in the movie City Slickers. This is when "Curly" tells Billy Crystal the one secret to life.
I am reminded of the great Earl Nightingale, who spoke of the secret to success - "You become what you think about."
Everyday, I see thousand of books on the one and only way or one secret to everything from great sex to making a million dollars.
Wouldn't it be great if there was a single secret to happiness in life, to money problems, to relationships and to health and fitness?
Does it exist?... I think so. I can at least speak for the health and fitness secret.
I am going to give you the answer, at least in my eyes, by attacking it from both ends.
For a lot of people, being healthy and fit is a common goal and yet a puzzling mystery, in terms of how to accomplish it. There are varying opinions, thousand of books, websites, etc.; how does one decide which are the best?
Believe it or not, I do not think there is a single exercise or single routine that is the only way to get fit or the only way to get healthy. I do think there are certain principles that apply to a perfect routine. I also think there is a secret principle, and if followed many of the other benefits and by-products of fitness tend to fall in line.
It is simply this: Move as the body is designed to move.
At first glance you may think that a 3-year-old could figure that out. Actually, most 3-year-olds do a better job of it than most adults. Moving as we are designed happens naturally for them. Somewhere between this ripe age and adulthood we develop some bad habits.
Hobbies, sports, exercise routines, work-related tasks; all lead to poor postures, inflexibility, weak muscles, joint pain, body compensations; which all lead to poor movement patterns. And we wonder why we are a country that is overweight with orthopedic and other health-related issues.
A lot of this stems from how we learn to exercise; beginning with an improper warm-up/flexibility routine, to how we exercise and with the type of equipment we use. This usually only exacerbates the already poor mechanical problems that exist from our daily work and home habits.
But, hey, it is not our fault; we are only doing what we have learned. It is not our fault we messed up a perfectly functioning movement system. Right?
Then, we combat the problem with pain relieving drugs, creams, and "corrective" exercise routines and equipment. This is not our fault! We are only doing what we are told!
How do you know if your routine allows you to move correctly and like you are designed?
Ask yourself these questions first: Am I at my ideal weight? Do I look and feel the way I want to look and feel. Do I have joint pain and /or muscle pain? Do I take medicine or apply creams on a regular basis for orthopedic-related problems? Do any of the exercises in my routine make me uncomfortable or cause discomfort when performing them? Are any of the exercises I perform far from resembling how I move or work on a daily basis?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then you probably need to work on your movement mechanics; both with exercise and your daily habits.
Begin by exercising on your feet and in multiple planes of motion (3, to be exact). Next, allow the muscles to go through a range of motion that is sufficient for proper lengthening while under tension. Then, the muscles need to unload to release that built- up energy. All this will help to produce more normal mechanics.
The planes of motion are sagittal, frontal, and transverse, (straight ahead, side to side and rotational). Every movement has parts of all 3 involved at all times; one plane may just be more dominant, depending on the particular movement.
Coupled with all 3 planes, movement must be performed through the available range of motion to allow for proper loading and unloading of the muscles and joints. Then you will have a winning recipe for proper movement. Throw in balance, speed and resistance changes and you have a great fitness formula.
The body will respond much better because it understands what you are trying to do. The body is working with muscle synergies (groups of muscles working together) rather than isolated individual muscles (as with certain machines and routines). This is how the brain recognizes normal movement; in terms of synergies. This is what we abandon over time and why we develop the movement problems we do.
You are actually giving the brain the information it needs to allow you to be successful. It is a two-way street. If you give the brain good information, because you are moving properly (and in a way that makes sense to the brain), it will, in turn send back helpful information to make you move better. Literally scratching each other's back.
Why would you sabotage you own system by confusing your own brain?
Which brings me to the other end of the "one secret" answer.
Your brain does not care what you feed it. It will react and respond based on the information it receives.
If fed positive thoughts, new learning experiences and proper movement patters it will respond, in turn, with ways to make you successful; in terms of positive thinking, more knowledge and better fitness levels.
If you feed your brain garbage, such as negative thoughts, passive experiences and improper movement choices, it will give you the same in return. It is like a garden. Whatever you plant… that is what you shall receive.
I guess Earl Nightingale had it right. You do become what you think about.
I would like to add a little to that.
You become what you feed your brain. Feed it proper movement patterns, positive thoughts and new learning experiences. You will become what you focus on… what you give your brain to focus on.
And that my friend… is the secret.
"Life's strict rule is this: You get more of what you focus on. Ignoring this, we abandon our healthiest, concentrative energies and court emotional upheaval." Marsha Sinetar
------
Want to learn how to improve your finances by adding exercise to your daily routine?
Go to http://www.hiptobefit.com
John B. Perry, P.T., C.S.C.S. is a fitness and biomechanics enhancement expert. He has a fitness newsletter website, writes e-books and articles, produces fitness videos and performs seminars and teleseminars on Health, Wealth and Fitness.