The Hindu Business Line : Fitness q&a

‘Find a quiet place and lie on your back, spine straight, head aligned with your body. Place your hands on your side and keep your legs apart. Ensure that your shoulders aren’t hunched.

Visualize your mind as a clear, still lake reflecting your true nature of bliss, harmony, serenity.

Take a deep breath, filling your abdomen and chest with fresh, rich oxygen; exhale all staleness. Breathe in golden, purifying light; breathe out darkness and impurities. Breathe in the soothing, sweet flow of love; breathe out pain, sorrow and anger.

Now, focus on each part of your body. Your awareness will relax every cell, every tissue in that area. Be restfully alert, totally present in the moment. Gently focus on your feet, relaxing them completely… Move on to your ankles… calves… back of your knees… knees… thighs… hips… abdomen… chest… shoulders… arms… elbows… wrists… hands… fingers… neck… jaw… chin… cheeks… eyes… mid-eyebrows… forehead… temples… top of the head… back of the head…

Your whole body is totally relaxed, blissfully serene…

Focus on your mind… forget the past… forget the future… be here totally in the now… in the beauty of this stillness… Sink into its warmth… Visualise your entire body and mind bathed in healing golden light… vibrant with good health…

The day stretches beautifully ahead of you, fresh and full of possibilities… It awaits you… Let this chant attune you to the frequency of the universe: “Aummm… Aummm… Aummm…”

Open your eyes with a welcoming smile…’

You will feel peaceful even just reading it. I suggest you tape your voice on a cassette — the three dots signify pauses. Make your voice soothing and sonorous. Then, use this cassette as your ‘guru’ to self-guide you through meditation daily. You’ll find it excellently effective.

Eyes right

I have minus numbers in both eyes. Please suggest how I can improve my eyesight.

Rajani

Do these exercises daily:

Blink 300 times. This keeps eyes moist. Moistness helps maintain good eyesight.

Stare out of your window with each eye at a faraway tree for 50-100 counts. This relaxes the eyes.

Raise your finger and hold it about 12 inches from your face. With each eye, stare at it, then into the distance at the tree, and back… Do this 20-50 times. This improves the eye’s elasticity.

Do stationary cycling for a minimum of 20 minutes (up to an hour) to improve the circulation of eye-fluids that nourish the eye.

At bedtime, lie down, close your eyes, breathe slowly, evenly, until you are relaxed. Feel a beautiful coolness in your eyes. Affirm: “My eyes are in excellent health with a 6/6 vision.”

Gout and cheese

Could you list out the foods to be avoided so as not to aggravate gout? Can I eat cheese?

A. Choksi

Basically, avoid purine-containing foods. Purine increases uric acid which causes gout. Say no to animal high-protein: red meats, organs, shellfish, mussels, sardines. Eat fish and chicken sparingly — say, once a week. Vegetarian foods to avoid: cauliflower, mushrooms, dried peas, spinach, yeast, oatmeal. Alcohol, including beer, must be off limits. Drink plenty of water. Naturopathy advises a two-day detox diet for gout — 8-9 bananas a day, no other foods.

While you may need to take ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation, don’t touch aspirin as it inhibits the elimination of uric acid from the system. Finally, wear loose-fitting shoes. It’s been found that gout strikes a traumatised joint. And, yes, you can eat cheese.

The writer is co-author of the book ‘Fitness for Life’.

Mail your queries to life@thehindu.co.in

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