Understanding the essence of Body Positivity : A new perspective to "fitness"

Body positivity is a term that is used to describe a social movement and an ideology that aims to change the perception of people towards various body types by urging people not to be judgemental towards various body types despite their different colour, shape, and size. Body positivity aims to make people more accepting of their own and other's body type.

The very basic seeds for this idea of body positivity were sowed back in 1969 where an engineer named Bill Fabrey had gone out to become a founder of a community that aids people suffering from obesity. He had done this because according to him the people around him weren't treating his wife kindly who was suffering from obesity. Since then various people have come forward to support other people who suffer from such social conditions where they have been facing trouble with their body image.

On the other hand body negativity is a term that is used to describe one's negative approach towards their own and others' body types. In this case, people who constantly compare their body type to those of others who they think to have a better body than theirs fall under the body negativity category. Such people usually have unrealistic ideals and due to their negative approach towards their own body type, they may harm their own mental health says various studies conducted by various psycho therapy Institutes.

Various studies have shown that body negativity is associated with several mental disorders such as eating disorders and depression. Moreover, earlier the data available on Body Image was only based on a women's body image, largely neglecting body image in men.For Centuries both men and women have faced various issues regarding their body type, where both of them have been ridiculed for being thick, skinny, disfigured, asymmetrical, midget, giant, dark or too fair body type.

Looking at the amount of body negativity that is happening today which has boosted even further due to the ongoing Pandemic and lockdown where people are forced to sit at home with lack of physical activity, we at SYNC club of HR college decided to host a session based on body positivity led by fashion influencer Ms. Radhika Jagtap who has previously been Tiara Miss India Petite (2019). 

Ms Radhika Jagtap commenced the event by explaining to us about Body Image and then she went on to explain to us about Body Positivity and Body Negativity. She then explained to us what problems can occur due to a negative body image and how it can lead to alcohol or drug abuse. We got an opportunity to learn from her real life experiences where she spoke about her fight with tuberculosis and post-treatment side effects that caused her to become 7 shades darker than what her actual skin tone looked like.

We believe that Ms Radhika Jagtap is a true inspiration for the youth of today's day and age because she being a social media influencer herself, spoke about how social media is a place where people differ from their real lives and how social media causes one to feel more insecure because of their own body-types.

Ms. Radhika gave 3 important tips to reduce negative body image. They are:-

1) Unfollow all the unrealistic influencers on social media that are too focused on spreading the perfect body image in a society which may encourage or trigger comparison-making behavior amongst people.

2) Seek out body positivity irrespective to social media. This means one should seek out body positivity through various ways like by following influencers who promote a body-positive image. 

3) Educate yourself. This is because one must understand that how social media posts are manipulated in order to showcase one's unrealistic perfect body which in turn spreads body negativity. 

We then got to hear about few body-positive celebrity examples like Laxmi Aggarwal and ZozibiniTunzi who overcame all the odds of the society and became successful despite of their struggles with their respective issues. She also spoke about a quote by C.GJung which says "The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely".

Before ending the session the last and most beautiful tip that she gave each one of us was that everyone must compliment each other on their looks whenever they see each other so that the person who receives a compliment feels good.

You could follow various Body positivity-based influencers were recommended by Radhika Jagtap herself. They are:-

1) Prableen Kaur Bhomra - @prableenkaurbhomra

2) Sakshi Sindwani - @stylemeupwithsakshi

3) Dolly Singh - @dollysingh

 -Yash Chhabria ( Team SYNC Snippets) 

Dancing your way out now as a fitness activity!

One activity that is full of fun and can pass for a workout! Forget your exercise and head for a new style of workout! Leave it to SYNC and join our dance party!

Dance is an art form where the body moves rhythmically, usually to the beat of the music. A simple movement such as walking, clapping in a pattern, to a particular rhythm, can be termed as dance. Dance allows you to express your emotions and communicate with the rest of the world. It also helps in engaging you; socially, physically, and emotionally all at the same time.

Every culture has a different dance form associated with it. It was used for varying purposes that reveal much about their way of life. It can be an art, or ritual or could be used to tell tales of the past.

Dance has evolved even before the arrival of a written form of language. There are no written documents or artefacts to prove its existence but, archaeological findings like stone carvings, paintings, and similar objects say dancing is at least 9000 years old in India. In ancient times, dance was performed to express emotions, moods, or ideas; tell a story; serve religious, political, economic, or social needs.

Getting fit does not have to be the chore it’s often perceived to be. Instead, as people all around the globe are finding out each day, dancing is one of the best fitness workouts there is.

Dancing offers upbeat and inventive exercise, that promotes a more healthy and active lifestyle. Sociable, energizing, and life-affirming, dance has a whole host of body benefits, from aiding joint flexibility to boosting mental wellbeing. Most forms of dance may be considered aerobic exercise and as such can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, help weight control, stress reduction, and bring about other benefits commonly associated with physical fitness. In addition, studies have demonstrated a considerable correlation between dancing and psychological well-being. A large amount of governmental, health, and educational information is available extolling the benefits of dance for health.

Regular dance exercise improves the endurance of body muscles, allowing them to work harder for longer periods of time without feeling tired. Dancing also raises the body’s heart rate to heighten stamina. You’ll be jumping out of bed each morning in no time. Not feeling tired anymore. A healthy body needs joints and muscles to be flexible; something that dance can really help with. Most dance styles involve a great range of motion and movement, allowing major muscle groups to be flexed and properly worked out. As a result, the dancer’s body should soon become more nimble. As well as making your body feel fitter and healthier, regular dancing exercise will also reduce mental tension and lead you on the path to a stress-free mind. Dance stimulates happiness endorphins in the brain to alleviate day-to-day worries and concerns.

Whether you’re salsa dancing, gliding across a ballroom floor, or tapping your toes to some two-step rock, dance exercise offers an easy and enjoyable way to burn off unwanted calories. A half-hour of dancing can burn between 200 and 400 calories so why not run away from that miserable treadmill training and dance along to the fitness beat?

Dancing could be the solution to make your mind feel younger and more alert. Dance improves memory, as it forces participants to recall steps, patterns, and elaborate routines to offer a mental workout for the mind.

Grooving to the beats of salsa, flamenco, and merengue music feels more like a dance party than a workout, which is exactly what makes Zumba so popular. 

The Latin-inspired dance workout is one of the most popular group exercise classes in the world. The high-energy classes are set to upbeat music and feature choreographed dance numbers that you might see in a nightclub. You don’t need to be a great dancer to feel welcome in a Zumba class.

“Ditch the Workout – Join the Party!”

Zumba fitness is an effective interval-style, full-body workout with built-in variety because every class and every instructor is slightly different. Equally important is the notion that Zumba classes are entertaining, which means exercisers are busy burning calories and getting fit while enjoying the fun of Latin dancing.

Sounds like our kind of party! SYNC is the only fitness club in the college of Mumbai. we organize fitness-related events like Zumba, Hip Hop dance sessions, and much more.

In conclusion, if we're ready to enroll ourselves in a gym and see it as an errand, why not in a dance class or a dance session at home which will give the same results with a little fun as well.

- Yashika Rawlani (Team SYNC Snippets) 

 

Pranayama: Breathing Techniques for Yoga

The body is like the wick of a candle, and the mind is like the glow all around it...

The mind, body, and breath are so intimately connected that they deeply influence each other. The way we breathe is influenced by our state of mind, and in turn, our thoughts and physiology can be influenced by our breathing. Deep breathing practices advocated in advanced yoga training can have a positive impact on our physiology, both body and mind.

Pranayama  ( Breathing  techniques)

For thousands of years, Yoga and Ayurveda have employed ( breathing techniques) pranayama to maintain, balance, and restore physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Prana refers to the universal life force and ayama means to regulate or lengthen. Pranayama means working in the dimension of prana.

Prana flows from thousand of channels called nadis and centers of the body called chakras. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determine one’s state of mind and create an aura around your body. A continuous and high flow of Prana can keep your mind calm, positive, and enthusiastic.

Benefits of regularly practicing  pranayama ( breathing techniques)

1.  Increase in your energy level by increasing and enhancing the quality and quantity of prana.

2. Clear your blocked veins and arteries resulting in increasing metabolism.

3. Brings clarity to the mind and good health to the body.

4. Keeps your mind calm, positive, and relaxed which results in making better decisions.

5. Brings harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, making one physically, mentally and, spiritually strong.

 Types of Pranayama and How to do them: 

· Bhramari Pranayama (The Bee Breath)

 If your mind buzzing with the activities and you are not able to  focus on any one thing, then find a quiet corner and try Bhramari Pranayama and apply brakes to your buzzing mind.

Steps for Bhramari Pranayama

1. Sit down in Vajrasana or Padma

2. Your shoulders must be stretched out and your spine straight. Now, open up your palms and close your ears with your thumbs.

3. Place your index fingers on the forehead, right above your eyebrows. Let your middle and ring fingers rest on your closed eyes. 

4. Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly, keeping your mouth closed. While breathing out, make a little humming sound.

5. Your fingers should feel the vibrations of the sound. Remove the fingers gently from your face and rest them on your knee.

6. One round is complete. Repeat the procedure 5-10 times.

· Kapal Bhati pranayama (skull shining breathing technique) 

Kapalbhati Pranayam can be used to detoxify your body from negative thoughts and emotions, it also helps in clearing your energy channels( nadis)and energy centres (chakras).

 Steps for Kapalbhati Pranayam

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes.

2.  Take a deep breath and exhale using all your strength from the belly

3.  As you exhale, release the exhale with `swoosh sound, while simultaneously visualizing that all your problems are exit through the nose. 

4. It's suggested that you increase your breathing time by an average of 15 to 30 minutes.

· Bhastrika pranayama (bellows breath)

A couple of rounds of Bhastrika can energize you completely. It keeps you awake, keeps the cerebrum active, hence enhancing your learning. Bhastrika helps the energy to keep flowing and removes harmful toxins from the body.

Steps for Bhastrika Pranayam

1.  Sit in Vajrasana  or sukhasana (cross-legged position).

2. (Pranayama can be more effective in Vajrasana as your spine is erect and the diaphragmatic movement is better. 

3. Makes a fist and fold your arms, placing them near your shoulders. 

4. Inhale deeply, raise your hands straight up and open your fists. 

5. Exhale slightly forcefully, bring your arms down next to your shoulders and close your fists.

6. Continue for 20 breaths.

7. Relax with palms on your thighs. 

8. Take a few normal breaths. 

9. Continue for two more rounds.

· Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing technique)

Can't concentrate on the task at hand? Try Nadi Shodhan Pranayama. It calms and centers the mind by bringing harmony between the mind, body, and soul.

Nadi = subtle energy channel; Shodhan = cleaning, purification; Pranayama = breathing technique.

Steps for Nadi Shodhan Pranayama

1.  Sit comfortably with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed. Keep a gentle smile on your face.

2.   Place your left hand on the left knee, and palms open to the sky or in Chin Mudra (thumb and index finger gently touching at the tips).

3. Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand in between the eyebrows, the ring finger, and the little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril. We will use the ring finger and little finger to open or close the left nostril and thumb for the right nostril.

4. Press your thumb down on the right nostril and breathe out gently through the left nostril.

5. Now breathe in from the left nostril and then press the left nostril gently with the ring finger and little finger. Removing the right thumb from the right nostril, breathe out from the right.

6. Breathe in from the right nostril and exhale from the left. You have now completed one round of Nadi Shodhan pranayama. Continue inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils.

7. Complete 9 such rounds by alternately breathing through both the nostrils. After every exhalation, remember to breathe in from the same nostril from which you exhaled. Keep your eyes closed throughout and continue taking long, deep, smooth breaths without any force or effort.

·  Ujjain Pranayama or Ocean Breathing

Ujjayi breathing is sometimes also called "the ocean breath", as the movement of air in the glottis (throat) resembles the sounds of waves of the ocean.A technique that builds heat in the body and relaxes the mind.

Steps for Ujjain Pranayama

1.  To create the Ujjayi breath, one can constrict the back of the throat, similar to the constriction made when speaking in a whisper.

2. Therefore, it is an audible breath that is often compared to the sound of the ocean or snoring. Although there is a constriction of the throat, the Ujjayi breath flows in and out through the nostrils, with the lips remaining gently closed.

3. The breath should be both long, smooth, and subtle allowing the air to reach all the cells in your lungs. In the beginning, it may seem like a lot of work, but eventually, it should become effortless.

For a beginner in yoga, exhalation with Ujjayi is relatively easier than inhalation. So you may start with learning Ujjayi exhalation.

These are some types of pranayama (Breathing techniques) which can help you stay calm, positive, and enthusiastic.

Since the pranayamas or breathing exercises deal with the subtle life force, it is important to practice them as taught by a certified yoga practitioner. Experimenting with these techniques is not advisable.

-Gunjan Kriplani (Team SYNC Snippets)  

Need of the hour: Binge- Health and Wellness!

Difficult times have led to the increasing need for coping mechanisms. Everyone reacts to anxious and uncertain times differently and learning to deal with them is a challenging task. Wellness, the overall care for mental and physical well-being is the need of the hour. 

Do I already know how to take care and what to look after? : Check out this way! 

The constant urge to check current facts about Corona Virus and stay updated with the news has been one of the major reasons for anxiety disorders. Another sign of unusual anxiety is feeling guilty and thinking about the past over and over again. Binge eating, feeling distracted, and experiencing sudden insomnia are other important factors that suggest you need to take care of your mental health.

Surveys speak and suggest: Recent surveys discussing the damages done to physical and mental well-being include 61% of Indians faced with Mental health problems in the lockdown. Anxiety and Uncertainty are growing phenomenon among young minds. Job cuts and financial constraints have added to the pressure.

Health: The bigger picture 

Health is a broad perspective. It is not just about mental health. Health compromises a physically fit body as well. Not only has the pandemic affected the minds of individuals but also has affected bodily functioning which damages the physically fit body. Body positivity is a big spectrum. Being happy in your own skin and enjoying the way you look is also very important. The pandemic has allowed us to see some drastic weight change or weight gain transformations. This has only made us compare and differentiate ourselves from others. Now we are in the vicious cycle of comparison. We have also been conditioned to positivity during these times that has converted to toxicity.

Here are some effective options to do what's best for you to Binge- Health! 

● Keep in touch with friends and family- Video calling options have allowed us to talk to our near and dear ones. Speak to your friends and discuss your day. 

● Reduce your screen time- Constantly scrolling on social networking sites endlessly will allow you to compare your lives to others. Instead, take up an online course that you're interested in and invest this time to up-skill.

● Exercise- For your mental well-being spend time on the terrace, meditate and engage in physical activity for health benefits. Take care of your daily food consumption and remain active.

● The importance of a routine- Set up a schedule, start ticking things to do off a to-do list. This way you will constantly be engaged in activities spread across the day which will keep your mind and body active.

● Importance of water and sleep- Have the correct amount of water, and a fixed sleeping schedule so that you’re mentally sound. An erratic sleep schedule distorts your day and you feel lazy and inactive. 

During these times, wellness is an under-rated term. People have started considering these small aspects of their daily schedule to bring about a positive and durable change to their lifestyle. For a brighter, better, and bigger tomorrow- choose health and decide on a wellness regime that works for you! 

 - Priya Bhagwani (Team SYNC Snippets)