IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP.doc

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IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP A recent survey found that more people are sleeping less than six hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week. A short-lived bout of insomnia is generally nothing to worry about. The bigger concern is chronic sleep loss, which can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system’s power, reports the Harvard Women’s Health Watch. While more research is needed to explore the links between chronic sleep loss and health, it’s safe to say that sleep is too important to shortchange. Sleep is a physical and mental resting state in which a person becomes relatively inactive and unaware of the environment. In essence, sleep is a partial detachment from the world, where most external stimuli are blocked from the senses. Normal sleep is characterized by a general decrease in body temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate, and most other bodily functions. In contrast, the human brain never decreases inactivity. Studies have shown that the brain is as active during sleep as it is when awake. Throughout an eight-hour sleep cycle, a normal adult alternates between two very different states, non-REM and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. What is the Sleep Cycle? Sleep is characterized by two distinct states, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Non-REM and REM sleep alternate in 90- to 110-minute cycles. A normal sleep pattern has 4-5 cycles. The diagram and descriptions below illustrate the architecture of sleep. This explains why the cycles of sleep have been compared to going up and down a stairway. The five-step sleep cycle repeats itself throughout a night of sleeping, much like a roller coaster. As a person drifts off, Stage 1 begins. After a few minutes, the EEG detects sleep. It may take anywhere from 30 – 40 minutes to cycle through Stage 2 through 4. Now, an individual backtracks through Stage 3, then Stage 2, and finally into REM sleep. This occurs 4 - 5 times per night. The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep: 1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later. 2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite. 3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents. 4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do. 5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat. 6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

IMPORTANCE OF YOGA
The true essence of Yoga revolves around elevating the life force or ‘Kundalini’ at the base of the spine. It aims to achieve this through a series of physical and mental exercises. At the physical level, the methods comprise various yoga postures or ‘asanas’ that aim to keep the body healthy. The mental techniques include breathing exercises or ‘pranayama’ and meditation or ‘dhyana’ to discipline the mind. The ultimate goal of yoga is, however, to help the individual to transcend the self and attain enlightenment. As the Bhagavad-Gita says, “A person is said to have achieved yoga, the union with the Self, when the perfectly disciplined mind gets freedom from all desires, and becomes absorbed in the Self alone.”
Scientists today ascertain that the intrinsic organic health of a human being is of prime importance along with the outer development of the body. This was realized thousands of years ago by the ancient Indian yogis. The practice of yoga has a substantial foundation in science. Yogic asanas accelerate blood circulation in the body and Pranayama abates carbon dioxide content ensuring sound health.

Importance Of Yoga Yoga is not a religion; it is a way of living whose aim is ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’. Man is a physical, mental and spiritual being; yoga helps promote a balanced development of all the three. Other forms of physical exercises, like aerobics, assure only physical well-being. They have little to do with the development of the spiritual or astral body. Yogic exercises recharge the body with cosmic energy This facilitates • Attainment of perfect equilibrium and harmony • Promotes self- healing. • Removes negative blocks from the mind and toxins from the body • Enhances Personal power • Increases self-awareness • Helps in attention focus and concentration, especially important for children • Reduces stress and tension in the physical body by activating the parasympathetic nervous system The aspirant feels rejuvenated and energized. Thus, Yoga bestows upon every aspirant the powers to control body and mind.

To maintain the purity of blood and elimination of toxins, both outer and inner cleanliness is indispensable. Scientists prescribe sun-bath, steam-bath, shower-bath, air-bath and to this the yogis include the nasal cleansing (neti), stomach wash (dhouti), the depuration of the alimentary canal (basti), the purgation of the intestines, the bladder, and the sexual organs (vajroli). Yoga exercises have a strengthening effect on the nervous system through its non-tiring physiological activities that bring about poise of body and mind. Unlike the normal workouts that concentrate more on the inflation of the muscles, Yoga takes care of every little part of the anatomy. Yoga is much more than "a new-found ability to touch your toes." Asanas have an all-pervading effect on the physical and mental functioning of the body: • Physical - Through healing, strengthening, stretching and relaxing the skeletal, muscular, digestive, cardio-vascular, glandular and nervous systems.

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Mental - Through the cultivation of a quite and a peaceful mind, alertness and concentration. Spritual - By preparing for meditation.

LAUGHTER CLIUB
Laughter yoga (Hasyayoga) is a practice involving prolonged voluntary laughter. Laughter yoga is based on the belief that voluntary laughter provides the same physiological and psychological benefits as spontaneous laughter. Laughter yoga is done in groups, with eye contact and playfulness between participants. Forced laughter soon turns into real and contagious laughter. Laughter yoga does not involve humor or comedy. Contents [show] History [edit] Laughter yoga was made popular as an exercise routine developed by Indian physician Madan Kataria, who writes about the practice in his book Laugh For No Reason.[1] In the mid-1990s Laughter Yoga was practiced in the early mornings, primarily by groups of older men in open parks. Later, a more formalized version was created and popularized as "Laughter Clubs". Kataria's first Laughter Yoga Club began on 13 March 1995 inMumbai; beginning with five people in a local public park,[citation needed] the concept has rapidly spread worldwide. As of 2011, there are more than 8,000 Laughter Clubs in 65 countries. [citation needed] Each club has its own Laugh Captain and operates as an independent cell. Method [edit] Laughter is easily stimulated in a group when combined with eye contact, 'childlike playfulness' and laughter exercises. Fake laughter quickly becomes real. Laughter Yoga brings more oxygen to the body and brain by incorporating yogic breathing which results in deep diaphragmatic breathing.
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Anyone can laugh without needing to rely on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is initially simulated as a physical exercise while maintaining eye contact with others in the group and promoting childlike playfulness. In most cases this soon leads to real and contagious laughter. Laughter yoga is the only technique that allows adults to achieve sustained hearty laughter without involving cognitive thought. It bypasses the intellectual systems that normally act as a brake on natural laughter. Laughter yoga sessions start with gentle warm-up techniques which include stretching, chanting, clapping and body movement. These help break down inhibitions and develop feelings of 'childlike playfulness'. Breathing exercises are used to prepare the lungs for laughter, followed by a series of ‘laughter exercises’ that combine the method of acting and visualization techniques with playfulness. These exercises, when combined with the strong social dynamics of group behavior, lead to prolonged and hearty unconditional laughter. Laughter exercises are interspersed with breathing exercises.[2] Twenty minutes of laughter is sufficient to develop full physiological benefits. A Laughter Yoga session may finish with "Laughter Meditation." This is a session of unstructured laughter whereby participants sit or lie down and allow natural laughter to flow from within like a fountain. This is a powerful experience that often leads to a healthy emotional catharsis and also a feeling of release and joyfulness that can last for days. This can be followed by guided relaxation exercises. IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS AND HEALTH Although research interest on physical activity and health dates back to the 1950s, the breakthrough in the scientific evidence on health benefits of physical activity largely took place during the 1980s and 1990s. There is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence on the positive effects of sport and physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. The positive, direct effects of engaging in regular physical activity are particularly apparent in the prevention of several chronic diseases, including: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis.

The Report from the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace states that young people can benefit from physical activity as it contributes to developing healthy bones, efficient heart and lung function as well as improved motor skills and cognitive function. Physical activity can help to prevent hip fractures among women and reduce the effects of osteoporosis. Remaining physically active can enhance functional capacity among older people, and can help to maintain quality of life and independence. Physical activity and psychosocial health The WHO has estimated that “one in four patients visiting a health service has at least one mental, neurological or behavioural disorder, but most of these disorders are neither diagnosed nor treated”. A number of studies have shown thatexercise may play a therapeutic role in addressing a number of psychological disorders. Studies also show that exercise has a positive influence on depression. Physical self-worth and physical self-perception, including body image, has been linked to improved self-esteem. The evidence relating to health benefits of physical activity predominantly focuses on intra-personal factors such as physiological, cognitive and affective benefits, however, that does not exclude the social and inter-personal benefits of sport and physical activity which can also produce positive health effects in individuals and communities. Sport and Physical Activity as part of a Healthy Lifestyle A number of factors influence the way in which sport and physical activity impacts on health in different populations. Sport and physical activity in itself may not directly lead to benefits but, in combination with other factors, can promote healthy lifestyles. There is evidence to suggest that changes in the environment can have a significant impact on opportunities for participation and in addition, the conditions under which the activity is taking place can heavily impact on health outcomes. Elements that may be determinants on health include nutrition, intensity and type of physical activity, appropriate footwear and clothing, climate, injury, stress levels and sleep patterns. Sport and physical activity can make a substantial contribution to the well-being of people in developing countries. Exercise, physical activity and sport have long been used in thetreatment and rehabilitation of communicable and non-communicable diseases . Physical activity for individuals is a strong means for the prevention of diseases and for nations is a costeffective method to improve public health across populations.

NATURE MEDICINES
Nature Medicine is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal publishing research articles, reviews, news and commentaries in the biomedical area, including both basic research and early-phase clinical research covering all aspects of medicine. The journal seeks to publish research papers that "demonstrate novel insight into disease processes, with direct evidence of the physiological relevance of the results".[1] The journal was established in 1995 and is published by the Nature Publishing Group. As with other Nature journals, there is no external editorial board, with editorial decisions being made by an in-house team, although peer review by external expert referees forms a part of the review process. Its 2011 impact factor was 22.462, making it the highest-cited research journal in preclinical medicine.[2]

HERBAL MEDICINES
Herbal medicine is included under, and is a significant component of, alternative medicine. It is a popular substitute to traditional medicine for the prevention and treatment of various ailments. It is

also known as phytotherapy, herbalism, botanical medicine, and medical herbalism. A basic system of herbal medicine includes Ayurvedic herbalism, traditional Chinese herbalism, and Western herbalism. Various herbs are known for having amazing medicinal properties. Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine used for the treatment of physical as well as psychological maladies and for the purpose of general health care. Herbalism has been practiced for centuries to cure a number of illnesses. Nature has endowed us with a huge number and variety of herbs that have amazing medicinal properties, and they are used to prepare herbal medicines. Several herbs consist of powerful ingredients, which are nothing but chemical compounds occurring in nature, which can be harnessed to correct a lot of physiological imbalances that lead to health complications. Such medicines can be taken in the form of tablets, liquid or powdered extracts, teas, essential oils, or ointments. Positives of Herbal Medicine Herbal medicines and health remedies have a lot of benefits, the greatest being that it does not interfere with the body's natural healing process. Enumerated below are the various prominent advantages of going herbal to treat ailments that may range from something as simple as common cold to something as considerably complex as diabetes or cancer. Natural Healing As mentioned before, herbal medicine doesn't obstruct the body's self-healing abilities in any way. On the contrary, they enhance the biological healing machinery so that the recovery process gets accelerated and the body is able to maintain an ideal internal environment that is crucial for such recovery. A lot of herbs work by stimulating various glands so that appropriate hormones are activated. These hormones carry the distress signal to the relevant parts of the physiology to either induce or inhibit certain biological processes in order for the healing process to take place. Continued Benefits A lot of herbal remedies come with special instructions about diet, rest, and exercises that enhance the potency of the herb by preparing the body in such a way that it responds to the treatment in the most effective and desirable way. These dietary and lifestyle changes ultimately help the patient by getting their bodies into a healthy rhythm. When these changes become a habit and are followed even after recovery from the ailment, chances of future occurrences of the same malady are greatly reduced. Better Immunity Owing to their tendency of enhancing the body's natural healing process and correcting bad habits that lead to ill-health, herbs contribute towards strengthening the immune system. This, in turn, fortifies the body's natural defenses against pathogens that are responsible for primary as well as secondary infection. Metabolism and Nutrition A stronger immune system and a holistically regulated diet and lifestyle leads to improved metabolism, which in turn leads to better absorption of nutrition from one's diet. That is why most herbal treatment regimes forbid, or at least limit, the intake of junk food and food that is too oily or contains stimulants such as caffeine. The reason is twofold - junk food doesn't give the body the required quantity or variety of nutrition and stimulants interfere with the function of the medication. In essence, lack of proper nutrition gets in the way of the treatment's focus towards strengthening the biological defenses and by interfering with the action of the medicinal herbs, stimulants diminish the efficacy of the treatment. Hence, both are either limited or eliminated from the diet, leading to diminish one's psychological dependence on nutritionally deprived "comfort food".

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