How to stay mentally, physically and spiritually fit on your wedding day

Following is the chat transcript of the live chat with Shameem Akthar, yogacharya trained with the Sivananda Center and author of two books on yoga, that was held on December 2

sonam:  hi, my wedding is in 2 weeks and the stress of getting everything right is quite a lot. what's the best meditation technique i can follow?
ShameemAkthar:  The best meditation practice is yoga nidra: it is also called progressive body relaxation. U can find lots of transcripts on the net for this. U can also buy CDs. The other practices are more complicated. But this is the safest, will give you lots of rest, will completely destress u, and make you glow with peace.

deepika:  I am worried about standing and smiling all the time for the reception, is there any exercises i can do to keep my legs from aching?
ShameemAkthar:  Deepika that is a very good question. Yes, you should do a lot of leg stretches before the wedding. This will tone the legs and make them naturally strong. These include lying leg raises,also standing forward bends. The palm tree pose is another full body stretch. Add in some spinal stretches because at the end of the day, the load gets passed on the spine -- the swaying palmtree is another spinal stretch. U can also do palmtree seated. These are also called execuitve stretches. Going up and toes a few times, will relieve the congestion at the ankles. if u do get a chance to sit, u can try to do some ankle rolls. U will find how-to-do instructions for these easily on the net.

jennifer:  hi! am preparing for my wedding and i can't decided between taking up yoga or joining a gym. will yoga be able to help me tone my body and keep the pounds off as well as a gym would or should i sign up for both?
ShameemAkthar:  Jennifer, again an excellent question. However, to answer this, I must be frank and admit that how you tone up with yoga depends a lot on the choice of your yoga school. On the other hand gym does promise quick results. But if you are in the hands of a good yoga teacher, then you will tone up more beautifully and more healthily for the D-day. In case you are not sure, I suggest you do both. Yoga is not an aggressive activity so it will not interfere with your gym practice. On the other hand, it will even relieve you of problems that could come with quick-fix practices, like help you get rid of stiff legs and spine. Relieve you of body ache that comes from muscular tension that happens when you try gym for too long. However, if you wish to use yoga for tone-up it has to be very focused and planned. And this will depend entirely on your teacher. I do hope I have answered your question fairly.

deepika:  thanks shameem. is there any exercise i can do while at the reception as well?
ShameemAkthar:  Scrunching the toes, called padanguli naman is a good way to relieve the feet of pain. You can relieve the tension at the neck with neck rolls. If you are nervous you can use the breath-watching technique -- so focus on the breath at the belly for a few seconds. This will ease the pressure quite a bit.

Kaylee:  Hi..as the wedding preparations progress, and decisions are being made, at any point of contention, people look at me for taking the decision. i'm torn between both the familes and hence get anxious.. in the process, this fear sets in of things just not happening as i want them. how do i counter this thought and jitters?
ShameemAkthar:  That is a good question, though this involves a lot of diplomacy from your side. That can be quite draining on you emotionally. However, before rushing off to decide, settle down to take a few deep breaths. Wait for the rush of anxiety to pass. If you take a few moments on the physical act of relaxing you will find that the mind (meaning the brain also) becomes calm enough to help you decide without anxiety. The question you are asking is more on how to deal with anxiety I think? In which case, the forward bends in yoga are very soothing practices. The practice calld child pose in particular is very relaxing. You can do this to relieve entire body tension, and improve breathing. The muscles are relaxed and breath becomes deep since it actually arises from the belly. Do this a few times and you will be amazed at the control it gives you. This pose is also referred to as a pose of surrender.

jennifer:  thanks! i am worried about having to do difficult asanas which require a lot of flexibility? is this introduced to beginners or only to advanced students?
ShameemAkthar:  Oh, that is something you should never worry about. Everybody who tries yoga for the first time is always apologetic about flexibility. But the amazing thing about the body -- and I find this a lot -- is that you cannot presume it to be stiff just because you have not done a type of exercise before. In fact, even with regular yoga practitioners some parts will continue to be stiff. So keep yourself open -- you will be amazed at how wise the body is. And every yoga pose has levels of growth. So you do not have to get the picture-perfect yoga pose on the first day, but will surely happen in just a few days of regular practice. The whole thing is to approach it with an open mind, be glad that the body is opening up. Remember, in yoga, flexibility means there is a proper, pure flow of energy. So if you think you are inviting this into your body you will feel a natural high that only yoga can give.

Danish:  hello shameen how are ya ? which is more relaxing , gym or yoga
ShameemAkthar:  Danish: There is no doubt, yoga is more relaxing. Gym is entertaining. Yoga is relaxing!

kat:  i have extremely thin upper arms (around biceps) and i want to bulk them up a bit. can yoga help?
ShameemAkthar:  Yes Kat, of course. If you are talking of improving muscle tone only yoga can give you that sleek look. Here I wish to stress the point, that while other forms of exercise work on the big muscles, yoga works on the subtle muscles also, called sukshma sharira (in biology that would be fascia). So yes, you will get great arns with yoga exercises. The best ones are downward facing dog, upward facing dog, plank pose, arm balancers like the crow are absolutely most exotic, exhilirating, challenging ways to get that yoga-toned arms.

Ali:  i am getting married next month and need to lose the love handles, do you have any positions which can help.
ShameemAkthar:  Ali, to lose love handles you have to have a dedicated and vigorous practice of yoga. The swaying palm tree is a fantastic pose. The sideways twist -- all variations of the standing triangle - also help you lose your belly flab. But remember the trick in using yoga for tone-up is that the pose must be held for long, at least half a minute or so. Unlike with gym where you can do several moves in one minute, in yoga, the effectiveness will come only when the pose are held in a static fashion. However, this sort of static position/posture requires real time investment. A committed daily practice, so that stamina is slowly built. It can never be attempted casually or overnight. So if you start now, by the third week you would have the stamina to be able to hold the poses long and without discomfort. To add to the list of poses that help clean up the love handles: the boat pose, leg lifts (both single and double, with all variations), lying spinal twists are best.

Kaylee:  What breathing exercises do you recommend to relieve the mind and body of the tension and anxiety and the overwhelming emotions brought on by the sudden realisation that "i'm getting married"
ShameemAkthar:  Kaylee, to relieve tension, the best breathing exercise is lying breath awareness pose. You lie back, place a palm on the stomach and feel the soft up-down movement of the stomach. You may also decide to count this up-down movement. If you count even 50 in-out breath you will find immediate relief from anxiety attacks. The other stress-busting pranayama practice, which need expert guidance, are ujjayi or victory breath, and brahmari or humming bee.

Danish:  thks for ur answer ! i ve never done yoga before and i have seen some very extereme poses do u have to be very flexible? im all bones
ShameemAkthar:  No, Danish. And if you are all bones, then all the more reason for yoga in your life now! The extreme poses are great photo-ops for their practitioners but you must not let them intimidate you from the practice. The thing is, even sports super stars like David Beckham have started on yoga practice to relieve their body of stiffness that comes from their rigorous sports practice. So, the point is that you can use yoga to unwind that stiffness you are now currently complaining of. Also, you must appreciate that stiffness means that the body is not performing at optimum level. Again, another reason to change that with yoga. Yoga has several levels of practice. And different schools. You can start with a gentle style. You will be amazed that just in six weeks the body responds to your yoga practice, and makes you more flexible, strong and health.

Kaylee:  I'v had a a lower back injury some years back and have since avoided wearing very high heels. For the wedding and reception however, i'll have to wear heels, I have heard about the "toes together, heels apart" pose, which opens up the back and prevents backaches when standing for a longer time. Are there any more such asanas which can be done, during the long tedious ceremonies?
ShameemAkthar:  The toes together, heels apart pose you mention must be a reference to the crocodile pose. Yes, it relieves lower back stiffness and improves belly breathing, which in turn heals the whole body. The full body stretch called tadasana/palmtree, the lying stick pose (yastik) are some great back openers. If you wish to relieve tension on the spine, what you need to do, if that is possible in wedding, is to initiate some relieve simple seated twists. Even sitting on the chair, and turning the torso right or left will give immediate relief. Scrunching your shoulders and dropping them back: shoulder scrunches, will lift and stretch the spine. Pushing your chest in and out gently will also relieve tension all along the back. Another trick you can try is to push the curve of the lower back into the chair's back rest. This will soothe the tension lodged their. Also, start blood circulation back if you have been motionless for long.

kat:  does yoga help burn calories? also, what is the recommended hours that it should be done daily?
ShameemAkthar:  Definitely yoga helps burn calories. There are poses/practices in fact that help control hunger. I am going to mention a few here. However, consult an expert before adding or trying them because some of these are really strong practices. Surya mudra is a great hand gesture for fat loss (but contraindicated in high blood pressure). Seated pranamasana (prayer pose) is like a yoga sauna pose! But again contraindicated in high bp and vertigo. Sheetali and seetkari control hunger pands and binge eating. All poses, when held long will burn fat immediately. You will the impact almost at once, if you are guided well into these. The best bit about weight loss with yoga is that it is largely long-term. Plus, it controls hunger, unlike with other exercise forms that make you so hungry that you have to suppress it with other unhealthy habits. Also, the body tone is very sleek and super. The face also glows naturally since the blood flow to the face is improved superbly. Beyond that, it involves the mind in all tough poses, so that you are naturally into impulse control or overeating. It is not just long-term, but the safest, best way to burn cals. The length should be at least one hour of asana practice, ten min of meditation. And 15 min of pranayama.

Kaylee:  Are there are any specific yogic positions which can help enhance my facial glow? 
ShameemAkthar:  If you are an intermediate level practitioner then inversions like the shoulder stand give you the ideal yoga glow. That is because the flow of blood is now against gravity and directly into your face. However, even as a beginner u can get the glow with simple practices like the fish. It gives a powerful backward drag to the face, including to the neck. All forward bends, whether seated or standing again send a gush of blood to the face: some poses are paschimottanasana, hare pose, baby pose, yoga mudra to name a few.

sameera:  how important is a yoga mat for practice? does it have any purpose ?
ShameemAkthar:  Yes a yoga mat is essential. One it keeps you from slipping, if doing poses on the floor. But this is a particular type of mat -- called sticky mat -- from a tech developed in germany. These mats prevent you from slipping while you sweat out in your poses. The other thing is, that though the mat seems thin, it is a natural cushion and can help take falls in some poses (if you are trying advanced poses like headstand, arm balancers etc). Another belief, is that you prevent the energy that you built up in your body with your practice, from leaking off into the floor. This is also a traditional reason for using a mat.

Gitu:  Is it true that if we practice yoga we have to continue it for life long ... if one could not practice it for around a fortnight - or one month .... he/she is bound to suffer a lot ?
ShameemAkthar:  No! But when you practice yoga there is no reason to discontinue practice. See, yoga is a cleansing practice. It is like brushing your teeth. If you did not brush your teeth for a week will your mouth smell?! So also, yoga. Yoga clears up your energy channels. It creates a high physical stamina and emotional grounding. Most people who do classical style of yoga never think of discontinuing since, as I said, it is a cleanisng practice and they will feel incompete if they did not do yoga that day! Otherwise,the rest of what u say -- suffering a lot -- that is so not true..

pooja:  How soon does yoga start showing its effect on body?
ShameemAkthar:  In just six weeks, if there is a dedicated practice, there will be the yoga high. In three weeks, the sense of being released from stiffness and casual illness will already begin to manifest. You will feel a leap in energy levels in the first week itself..

John:  Considering my lifestyle, where I am sedentary most of the time at a computer, what could be some of the prescribed exercises I could do?
ShameemAkthar:  John, there are so many chair based yoga exercise. Arm stretches, neck rolls, breathing practices, toe scrunches, ankle rolls, shoulder rools, back stretches . U can check out my book Yoga in the workplace for just such a life. Also, to warn you: a sedentary life style is now found to be more injurious to health than smoking.

Ali:  must we take yoga classes with an instructor? or can we do it ourselves?
ShameemAkthar:  No, ideally it must be in a class. Yoga is not like some other exercise forms. In fact, even in classes you must only enroll in classes where technique is given absolute importance. Not all yoga classes are like that. Some are very casual and floppy. And you must also ensure that you are in a class where individual attention and corrections are being made. This is very important, especially if you are a beginner.

Kaylee:  my fiance has broad muscular shoulders since he gyms regularly, however, this makes his neck look really small.are there any facial adn neck and shoulder exercises he can do to narrow the overall look of his face and neck?
ShameemAkthar:  Kaylee. He has to do spinal stretches. In fact, the neck compression you talk of is more than about aesthetics. It could indicate great stiffness at neck which is going to manifest as neck pain, frozen shoulder, migraines, hand co-ordination problems etc. So, doing spinal stretches which give a natural traction to the neck are recommended: palm tree, stick pose. downward facing dog, standing crescent are some of the most obvious ones.

Seema:  I have never practiced yoga before & my wedding is on 8/12/10. Can you suggest some specific yoga positions that will show its effects and help me remain fresh and glowing during my wedding.
ShameemAkthar:  Since your wedding is so close by, you cannot do anything very intense with yoga. But try the entire series of simple joint/energy releasing poses (also called the pawan muktasasana) series. They will make you feel light and fresh. They are all seated poses. You can include breath-awareness and belly breathing practices. And yoga nidra medtitation (also explained above)

sameera:  is there a particular flow to a yoga session or do you just do any asana you want to do?
ShameemAkthar:  No, the more enlightened yoga schools like the Bihar school of yoga and the Sivananda style use a sequence. A sequence is a must, because some poses remove toxins. These poses must never be done before an inversion. Reason is simple: you don't to push the toxins back into the system. A sequence is like a good massage-- it removes toxins and prevents its flow back into the body( just like a good masseuse must move the hands towards the heart. )