I began my weight loss programme in November 2008. I weighed 100 kgs and I lost 12 kgs in 5 months. Right now I am almost 87 kgs.

I walk 3-4 kms every morning. My breakfast involves poha, omlette, 1-cup green tea and normal tea. At times I have juice. I have almost stopped having sugar with my meals.

If I feel hungry I usually have a fruit at around 11 am. For lunch, I have soups, salads or just fruits. Tea consists of 2 or 3 biscuits or sometimes a fruit / bhel / a sandwich

For dinner, I have a normal diet of roti, sabhzi. I rotate this diet between lunch and dinner.

Beginning on this diet was a very difficult step. It involved having NO fried stuff. And I loved fried foods! NO rice. NO Pizzas or pastas. NO vada pav. I was very very fond of all these foods.

But I feel so good and relaxed now. I feel active! My stamina has increased! I can work late now.

Most importantly, I can now fit into clothes that I couldn’t fit into before! It feels so good!

Posture

1. Move the right leg to the right, maintaining a distance of twice the shoulder width between your feet, and dropping the trunk earth ward (as if you are sitting on a horse).
2. Keep your hands parallel to the shoulders, elbows bent, palms facing the front.
3. Straighten your spine, but keep it relaxed,
4. Chin slightly down,
5. Eyes in front, buttocks tucked-in, feet firmly grounded.
6. Your upper body needs to be relaxed.
7. Keep head, neck and spine in-line and upright

Movement

1. Inhale through the stomach slowly, deeply, purposefully and move the whole body from the trunk and above to your extreme left (as much as possible and comfortable).
2. Straighten your left elbow for 2 to 3 seconds to exhale and bring it back to position again.
3. Inhale slowly and turn the whole body from your trunk to extreme right.
4. Straighten your right elbow for 2 to 3 seconds to exhale.
5. Turn the whole body to your left and breathe deeply, gently through the stomach.
6. Repeat nine times on each side.
7. To assume the beginning posture, bring the right leg back to normal position, cross hands in front and drop them down in front of your navel.

Health Benefits

• Most of the qigong and traditional Chinese medical literature says that this exercise benefits the heart, and gets rid of "heart fire." Exercising the lungs (metal) helps absorb the heat and control the fire, the heartburn.
• This stance will strengthen and condition the legs and lower back.
• Moving while in deeper feet placement will have some aerobic conditioning effect if the exercise is done with many repetitions.
• Turning at the waist will strengthen and stretch the hip, abdominal, and lower back muscles.
• The spine is gently turned to effect realignment and prevent stiffness.
• Thus, exercising the waist area regularly will enable Qi to circulate freely. As a result, the kidneys will be full of energy. The kidneys store Ching Qi, most essential and vital energy that will be vigorous in the maintenance of health.

Contra Indications: Persons with hip, abdominal or lower back injuries should avoid deep bends from the waist.

h.b.muralidhara@gmail.com
(The writer is a practicing Qigong and taichi practitioner at Kandivali, Mumbai)

Qigong has a history, which is as old as our very own Yoga. It dates back to 5000 to 7000 years. In comparison, Tai Chi came into being as recently as about 600 to 700 years ago in china. The word Qi in Chinese means energy or air. Gong means exercise or workout. Qigong was evolved as a form of dance in ancient China to soothe stiff and painful joints long exposed to extreme cold weather conditions.

Tapping into the human potential
The human system produces the most profound medicine naturally within. Based on the philosophy of awakening the energy channels and centres located in our body, Qigong and Tai Chi are time-tested tools for activating this incredible human potential.  From personal challenges such as illnesses, fatigue to cultural challenges such as violence, learning disabilities and addictions Qigong has a holistic approach.

What are the benefits
There are no boundaries to who should learn to benefit from it. Anybody, just anybody and everybody can learn to derive its benefits. A rupee of prevention is better than a cure worth lakhs of rupees with life threatening side effects. Qigong practiced daily is equivalent to increasing your own bank balance of health for a rainy day in old age. 

It is also great for balance, flexibility and coordination. In addition, it can boost the immune system, lymph system, digestive system, and nervous system to enhance the body's natural healing potentials.  

One of the obvious aspects of Qigong and Tai Chi are internal and external peace. If just a little practice can create deep inner peace, what then might be the long-term effect of practice with sincerity and intention? Balance and harmony within and with the universe create clearer thinking, and the ability to make better decisions. All these contribute to inner peace. If you can attain peace within, it could contribute to creating peace for others too.

Qi is free, it is everywhere, and everyone has direct access to it through simple methods that are easy to learn and practice. Once fully learnt, one could go through a simple Qigong sequence in 20 to 25 minutes. There are many simple Qigong forms yet very powerful in balancing the yin and yang aspects of human body to realize peace. Some qigong forms are static while there are many moving.

h.b.muralidhara@gmail.com