Managed to fly a kite today. COOL, it really feels good to see the kite flying up high in the sky. :) I got the kite for only $2.90 on thursday, cheap right?
We had total of 3 kites, today we only brought 2 out to test. The red one which belong to Joel cost 50 cents only is really lousy. Think I would get another $2.90 one for him. :)
Resolution #1: Get good skin
Resolution #2: Strengthen your heart
Resolution #4: Sleep well
Resolution #7: Lower your body fat
Resolution #8: Have gorgeous hair, minimise hair loss
Was told when you are into 30's one need to takecare of the face, else would looks old. So I need to start a routine as I am now going into mid-30's already.
Strengthen your heart - the need to exercise, I have lotsa of gadgets, but as usual do not know which one to starts with. Maybe I would just sign up a programme and force myself to attend.
Sleep well - If I am staying in the west, indeed I need to sleep early. So resolution to sleep early.
Lower your body fat - exercise, exercise my lower fats away! Else would forever looks pregnant when you are actually even not.
Have gorgeous hair, minimise hair loss - not sure if it is due to aging or what, I do notice that I seems to have some hair loss.
Didn't expect people to be so crazy to have a portable garden on the bicyle.
Today I have just have a basket installed on my bicycle all in all I cycled about 2Km today... 1 Km 1 trip. Really tiring.
hahha... today finally to go the gym again.
This time round is to try out on the step machine.
All-in-all did for 717 steps within the time of 12:17 mins and suppose to burn 170 cals. Wondering have Kilo to the calories or not, else the rate I am eating I would be getting fatter and fatter only.
Guess need to think positively is that to exercise and sweat better than none right? :)
Next target: 800 steps.
Finally, the exercise fever is back with me again.
Yesterday evening walked up and down the 4 level stairs once only and skipped for 120 times using the skipping rope. I realise all in all my exercise is less than 10 mins! After skipping for about 60 times, my legs began to feel weak... i tried hard and managed to do another 60. I hope by the end of the week I am able to do 150 times on the skipping rope.
How simple breath work can lead you to a deep state of relaxation.
By Claudia Cummins
Beginning students often ask for instructions on the "right" way to breathe. Alas, there's no single answer to that question, since the optimal breathing pattern at any given moment depends on the type of practice. Restorative yoga focuses solely on relaxation, though, and emphasizes breathing that creates calm and serene states of being. When you settle into restorative poses, try the following techniques for cultivating breathing patterns that are hallmarks of relaxation and well-being.
MOVE THE BELLY WITH THE BREATH. When we are at ease, the diaphragm is the primary engine of the breath. As we inhale, this domelike muscle descends toward the abdomen, displacing the abdominal muscles and gently swelling the belly. As we exhale, the diaphragm releases back toward the heart, enabling the belly to release toward the spine.
KEEP THE UPPER BODY QUIET. During high-stress times, it's common to heave the upper chest and grip the muscles in the shoulders and throat. When we're at rest, the muscles of the upper chest remain soft and relaxed as we breathe, and the real work occurs in the lower rib cage. To promote this type of breathing pattern, consciously relax the jaw, throat, neck, and shoulders, and envision the breath sweeping into the deepest parts of the lungs as you breathe in and out.
BREATHE EASY. Although some breaths may be deeper or faster than others, when we're relaxed, the alternating rhythm of the inhalations and exhalations feels like a lullaby—smooth, soft, and uninterrupted by jerks and jags. Consciously relaxing into this wavelike, oceanic quality of the breath deepens our sense of peace and ease.
LENGTHEN THE EXHALATIONS. When we feel stressed, our exhalations tend to grow short and choppy. When we're relaxed, though, the exhalations extend so completely that they are often longer than the inhalations. Some teachers even instruct that if we're deeply relaxed, each exhalation will be twice as long as the inhalation. To facilitate this, try gently extending each exhalation by one or two seconds.
PAUSE AFTER EACH EXHALATION. In our most relaxed state, the end of each exhalation is punctuated by a short pause. Lingering in this sweet spot can be deeply satisfying and can evoke feelings of profound quiet and stillness.
LET THE WHOLE BODY BREATHE. When we are at ease, the whole body participates in the breathing process. Imagine a sleeping baby: When he breathes in and out, the belly swells and releases, the hips rock to and fro, the shoulders bob, and the spine gently undulates. This offers a mini-massage for the muscles and organs of the whole body, and turns each breath into a soothing melody that further calms and quiets every cell within.
Maybe due to age, now I am beginning to have those aching at the back and legs when I sit for long hours. So now I am into the stretching exercise. At least do a little bit I was telling myself in my heart.
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When you take the shape of a forward bend, you fold in toward yourself, which encourages a sense of introspection and stillness. 
Steps:
1) Sit in Dandasana, then lean your torso back slightly on your hands and lift and open your legs to an angle of about 90 degrees (the legs should form an approximate right angle, with the pubis at the apex). Press your hands against the floor and slide your buttocks forward, widening the legs another 10 to 20 degrees. As with Dandasana, if you can’t sit comfortably on the floor, raise your buttocks on a folded blanket.
2)Rotate your thighs outwardly, pinning the outer thighs against the floor, so that the knee caps point straight up toward the ceiling. Reach out through your heels and stretch your soles, pressing though the balls of the feet.
3)With your thigh bones pressed heavily into the floor and your knee caps pointing up at the ceiling, walk your hands forward between your legs. Keep your arms long. As with all forward bends, the emphasis is on moving from the hip joints and maintaining the length of the front torso. As soon as you find yourself bending from the waist, stop, re-establish the length from the pubis to the navel, and continue forward if possible.
4)Increase the forward bend on each exhalation until you feel a comfortable stretch in the backs of your legs. Stay in the pose 1 minute or longer. Then come up on an inhalation with a long front torso.
Tension headaches can be brought on by any number of problems, including bad posture, muscle fatigue, sinus infections, emotional turmoil, high blood pressure, and more. Some migraines, however, can be brought on by food allergies and chemical sensitivities, among other things. Headaches can be a sign of an underlying health condition, so if it is not a tension-type headache, seek professional medical help. If the headaches are of the tension variety, yoga surely can help. Body awareness can help predict the onset of a headache and stop it early in its course. The most common cause of headaches is the forward head position, with rounded shoulders, a curved upper back, and accompanying muscular tension. The first sign of a headache is often a tightening of the shoulders and neck. This contraction causes a reduction in blood flow to the vessels of the head, resulting in a headache.
Yoga poses that can be done at the desk or at home to relieve tension include Garudasana (Eagle Pose) arms to open the space between the shoulder blades, and Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) arms to stretch the shoulders. Other poses to experiment with include Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose), Supta Baddha Konasana (Supine Bound Angle Pose), Supported Balasana (Child's Pose), Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall Pose), and of course, Savasana (Corpse Pose), for total relaxation. In addition, Tomas Brofeldt, M.D., a doctor of emergency medicine with a special interest in headaches at the University of California's Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, recommends repeating the following simple exercises several times a day to prevent headaches:
Extend the arms out, parallel to the floor, palms down. Rotate the palms up. Pull the elbows in toward the torso as you bring the palms to the belly. This aligns the clavicles and scapulae, straightening the upper back.
Stand tall, extending the top of the head up. Pull the chin in with the eyes on the horizon, then bend the head forward. This stretches the back of the neck, adjusting the forward head position.
Sit tall on a chair, with the chin pulled in, and reach the right arm behind, taking the seat back with your hand. Lean the body away diagonally to the left, and with the chin tucked in and dropped, tilt the head left. Place the left hand on the right side of the head and pull gently to stretch. Repeat on the opposite side. A pulling sensation (sometimes uncomfortable in the beginning) should extend from the base of the skull down to the shoulder.
Forgot to note that last monday YOGA class we did jogging.
The teacher introduce a few style of jogging wonder if you ever heard of it.
Front jog, back jog , side jog and also the normal jog.
After doing 20 count for each style, my legs ached for 2 days!
And my heart have been feeling beating faster too... see this is now bad shape I am in I guess. Time to improve!
Poses are particularly good for unblocking and stimulating the body's energy. Backbends in particular are energizing, since they stimulate the nervous system, open the heart, and expand our breathing capacity. Breathing practices help cultivate and maintain our life force, increasing our health and vitality. But while focusing on backbends and breath work can help our health, all we really need to do to start feeling better is unroll the mat. Each and every practice takes us one step closer to greater well-being.
Backends Poses:
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
This pose is so called because it looks like an archer's bow, the torso and legs representing the body of the bow, and the arms the string. 
Step by Step
1)Lie on your belly with your hands alongside your torso, palms up. (You can lie on a folded blanket to pad the front of your torso and legs.) Exhale and bend your knees, bringing your heels as close as you can to your buttocks. Reach back with your hands and take hold of your ankles (but not the tops of the feet). Make sure your knees aren't wider than the width of your hips, and keep your knees hip width for the duration of the pose.
2)Inhale and strongly lift your heels away from your buttocks and, at the same time, lift your thighs away from the floor. This will have the effect of pulling your upper torso and head off the floor. Burrow the tailbone down toward the floor, and keep your back muscles soft. As you continue lifting the heels and thighs higher, press your shoulder blades firmly against your back to open your heart. Draw the tops of the shoulders away from your ears. Gaze forward.
3)With the belly pressed against the floor, breathing will be difficult. Breathe more into the back of your torso, and be sure not to stop breathing.
4)Stay in this pose anywhere from 20 to 30 seconds. Release as you exhale, and lie quietly for a few breaths. You can repeat the pose once or twice more.
Natarajasana
Step by Step
1) Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Inhale, shift your weight onto your right foot, and lift your left heel toward your left buttock as you bend the knee. Press the head of your right thigh bone back, deep into the hip joint, and pull the knee cap up to keep the standing leg straight and strong.
2) There are two variations you might try here with your arms and hands. In either case, try to keep your torso relatively upright. The first is to reach back with your left hand and grasp the outside of your left foot or ankle. To avoid compression in your lower back, actively lift your pubis toward your navel, and at the same time, press your tailbone toward the floor.
3) Begin to lift your left foot up, away from the floor, and back, away from your torso. Extend the left thigh behind you and parallel to the floor. Stretch your right arm forward, in front of your torso, parallel to the floor.
4) The second option with the hands is to sweep your right hand around behind your back and catch hold of the inner left foot. Then sweep the left hand back and grab the outside of the left foot. This variation will challenge your balance even more. Then raise the thigh as described in step 3. This second variation will increase the lift of your chest and the stretch of your shoulders.
5) Stay in the pose for 20 to 30 seconds. Then release the grasp on the foot, place the left foot back onto the floor, and repeat for the same length of time on the other side.
Yeah! I finally make it to exercise last weekend.
I run + walk and managed to complete 1 km. To the others it maybe only a small distance to me is REALLY long.
Hope that i can continue it weekly. Workhard.
In fact I do not know if by strengthen the waist muscles going to help us to have a smaller waist or not. However, should be able to tone it rather than having a fatty one.
Here is the article:
The side waist muscles (also called the flank muscles), along with the front abdominal, lower back, and buttock muscles, are crucial in supporting and stabilizing the lower back and pelvis.
This can be achieved through the practice of Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). If done correctly in Iyengar style, the line of the torso from the side waist to the armpit should be flat, not rounded up toward the ceiling, and it is the contraction of the flank muscles that keeps it flat.
Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
Step by Step
STEP 1:
Stand in Tadasana. With an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down.
STEP 2:
Turn your left foot in slightly to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh outward, so that the center of the right knee cap is in line with the center of the right ankle.
STEP 3:
Exhale and extend your torso to the right directly over the plane of the right leg, bending from the hip joint, not the waist. Anchor this movement by strengthening the left leg and pressing the outer heel firmly to the floor. Rotate the torso to the left, keeping the two sides equally long. Let the left hip come slightly forward and lengthen the tailbone toward the back heel.
STEP 4:
Rest your right hand on your shin, ankle, or the floor outside your right foot, whatever is possible without distorting the sides of the torso. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops of your shoulders. Keep your head in a neutral position or turn it to the left, eyes gazing softly at the left thumb.
STEP 5:
Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Inhale to come up, strongly pressing the back heel into the floor and reaching the top arm toward the ceiling. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left.
You can make weight loss quicker and easier by increasing your metabolic rate and burning more calories – here’s how:
Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. A body that consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day will stay at the same weight. A body consuming 2500 calories daily but burning only 2000 will gain weight at the rate of about 1lb a week.
This explains why that ‘lucky’ person across the table from you doesn’t get fat from all that junk food.
You can do quite a lot to speed up your metabolism – the secret of burning calories lies in knowing what determines your metabolic rate and what you can do to influence it.
You burn calories to provide energy for three main functions:
1) Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
This is the amount of calories you burn just by being alive – even when you are lying down, doing nothing. BMR accounts for approximately 60% of the calories burned for an average person.
2) Burning Calories for Activity
This is the energy used during movement – from lifting your arm to operate the remote control to cleaning the windows. This accounts for approximately 30% of the calories burned by an average person.
3) Dietary Thermogenesis
The ‘thermogenic effect’ described as meal-induced heat production – the calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food.
You can influence all these factors, and speed up your rate of burning calories using some, or all, of the following tactics:
1) Build Muscle
Increase the amount of muscle in your body. For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day. In a recent study, researchers found that regular weight training boosts basal metabolic rate by about 15%. This is because muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving.
Training with weights just 3 times a week for around 20 minutes is enough to build muscle. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better – whatever your weight.
2) Move More
Although the average person burns around 30% of calories through daily activity, many sedentary people only use around 15%. Simply being aware of this fact – and taking every opportunity to move can make quite a dramatic difference to the amount of calories you burn.
The trick is to keep the ‘keep moving’ message in mind. Write the word ‘move’ on post-it notes and put them in places you’ll notice them when you’re sitting still. Then, take every opportunity to move – here’s some ideas for burning calories:
Tap your feet
Swing your legs
Drum your fingers
Stand up and stretch
Move your head from side to side
Change position
Wriggle and fidget
Pace up and down
Don’t use the internal phone – go in person
Use the upstairs loo
Park in the furthest corner of the car park
Stand up when you’re on the phone
Clench and release your muscles
You’ll find lots of opportunities for burning more calories if you remember that you’re looking for them! Keep thinking ‘keep moving’.
3) Eat Spicy Food
There is evidence to show that spices, especially chilli, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50% for up to 3 hours after you’ve eaten a spicy meal.
Drinks containing caffeine also stimulate the metabolism, as does green tea.
4) Aerobic Exercise
As well as the actual amount of calories burned during exercise – studies have shown that sustained, high-intensity exercise makes you burn more calories for several hours afterwards.
Try 30 minute sessions of heart rate raising exercise, such as vigorous walking, step aerobics, jogging or swimming, 3-4 times a week.
5) Eat Little and Often
There is some evidence to suggest that eating small, regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger, less frequent meals. There are two reasons why meal frequency may affect your metabolism. Firstly, levels of thyroid hormones begin to drop within hours of eating a meal, and metabolism slows. Secondly, it may be that the thermogenic effect of eating several small meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once.
Provided your small meals don’t degenerate into quick-fix, high fat, high sugar snacks, eating little and often can also help to control hunger and make you less likely binge.
new Year new Resolution, this year theme is "EXERCISE to better Health & Looks"
Well thinking i need some form of exercise and hope I am able to keep to it.
This is way i have thought of doing: Skipping and some stretching exercise.
Okay let us see what are the advantages of skipping:
Benefits
Skipping will help improve cardio-respiratory (heart and lungs) fitness, flexibility and co-ordination. As a high-impact exercise skipping is great for building bones and a good exercise to trim hips, thighs and backsides!
Burn Rate
Depending on your weight and exertion level you'll burn between 70-110 extra calories* in a ten minute session. 10min Skipping:
Moderate, 70kcal
Vigorous, 110kcal
Safety to watch out for
Skipping may not be suitable for everyone. As a high-impact activity avoid it if you have joint problems.
Warm up and cool down by marching on the spot for 3-5 min, and stretching your calves.
For a start: AIM TO DO at least 2 times a week!
While seated, interlace your fingers and place your hands on the back of your head. Allow your head and arms to relax forward and your chin to travel toward your chest. The weight of your head and arms, combined with gravity, will begin to release your neck and reduce or eliminate your headache.
Remember that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
While the inhale is stimulating, the exhale is relaxing. While the inhale is about bringing energy into the body, the exhale is about releasing stress, toxins, and pain.
Because of this, you can use conscious breathing as a break in your day. By focusing on your exhale, you can let go of the past and come into the present with a renewed commitment. Here's how:
Sit up in your chair with your feet on the floor and a long spine. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Inhale through the nose, feeling your spine get longer and taller. Then exhale through your mouth with a deep sigh. As you exhale, visualize the moments of your day moving away from you.
Try this for a few minutes anytime you need to let go of something. It can have a profound effect on your emotional and physical health.
I am now aiming to have a better and healthier lifestye.
Hence shall be focusing on exercising - not those jogging or running. It's beyond my scope. More of those relax swim, stretches.
I must start today and tried to maintain it.
Health is Wealth!
Also learnt in my course today the above subject.
(Extracted from the web the following)
Most people don't realize that the way they are breathing is not the healthiest way. Deep breathing down into your diaphragm is a much healthier way to breathe. Deep breathing has been shown on many occasions to help the body to relax and can increase liveliness and energy.
Some people, when attempting deep breathing, actually do the opposite - the diaphragm is sucked in and the shoulders go up. That is shallow breathing and not the most effective way to get the optimum amount of oxygen.
Here are some simple instructions to start you on your journey to learning deep breathing:
Lie down comfortable or sit in a chair, making sure your feet are flat on the floor.
Shut your eyes, to minimize distraction. If you are not in a location where closing your eyes is an option, focus on one particular spot.
Focus completely on your deep breathing - Inhale at a slow pace through your nose.
Imagine that your diaphragm is sinking while your lungs are filling with air.
Relax the lower portion of your diaphragm while you continue your deep breathing through your nose.
Once you feel you have reached your air capacity, release the air slowly out of your mouth. You can now imagine that your diaphragm is deflating.
Repeat this whole process several times.
Never stop quickly! Always give your body some time to return to normal breathing.
Once you learn the art of deep breathing, you may find your health improving and your stress levels decreasing!
Breathe in; breathe out - the Importance of Correct Breathing Techniques
The correct use of proper breathing techniques can be beneficial in many ways. Proper breathing can help to keep the body healthy, and reduce stress and anxiety. People who make a living in certain ways - swimming, public speaking or singing - are also well aware of the importance of breathing correctly.
Most therapeutic breathing techniques place an emphasis on concentrating on steady, rhythmic breathing. Some are used as an aid to more effective meditation or as part of a yoga routine.
And special breathing techniques have helped millions of women to give birth more effortlessly. Controlled breathing and deliberately concentrating on breathing during the act of childbirth can lead to a more relaxed state and can help to alleviate the pain of giving birth.
If you are giving birth, taking a deep breath - usually in through the nose and out through the mouth - before and after every contraction can help you concentrate more. This technique also allows your baby to receive more oxygen.
Correct breathing techniques are beneficial to health as well. If you breathe deeply and slowly, you take in oxygen which helps to remove waste products from the body and ultimately helps to increase energy.
On the other hand, erratic or fast breathing can lead to a rapid heartbeat and can constrict the flow of blood. It may be something we take for granted every day - but correct breathing techniques can certainly make a difference in our lives.
This is what i found on the web, I think i need this type of water health aid which do not require much of my energy one.
The Natural Remedy for a Good Night's Sleep
Did you know that a soak in a Jacuzzi spa can help you get a good night's sleep? According to the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 132 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. They found that 48% of women and 38% of men suffer from insomnia more than one night a week. Sleep researchers believe that many cases of insomnia are the result of the hectic, stressful lifestyles of otherwise healthy people.
A recent study in the scientific periodical Sleep, a drop in body temperature can help to ease your body into a deeper, more relaxing sleep.
They suggest that if you soak in very hot water (103° F) approximately 90 minutes before bedtime, you will fall sleep easier, naturally. So our recommendation for a good night's sleep is to soak in a Jacuzzi spa before bedtime.
Soak Away Stress
A number of studies are now suggesting that stress is as great a threat to health as smoking or not exercising. Learning to control stress is our life-long objective. Some of us are lucky to be stressed only occasionally. Many of us find stress a constant companion.
Soaking in a Jacuzzi spa is the perfect solution to control stress. Feel calmer, loosen tight muscles, and relax after a hard day of work or play. Soaking away your stress will help you enjoy life and will not only contribute to better health, but a greater ability to succeed in your own agenda.
Facing Dog—a pose performed by standing on the hands and feet with the hips lifted to the sky—is one of the most popular yoga postures today. It is taught in many classes and is part of many styles of yoga. But why is it such an important posture? The simple answer is that it's great for your health!
Down Dog calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression; it helps relieve the symptoms of menopause; it relieves menstrual discomfort when done with the head supported; it helps prevent osteoporosis; it improves digestion; it relieves headaches, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue; and it is therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, and sinusitis. 
STEP 1: Start on your hands and knees. Position your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath the hips. Have your fingers fully spread with the middle fingers pointing straight ahead. Make your back horizontal and flat. Gaze at the floor. This is your "neutral" position. When your pelvis is in neutral, your spine will be at full extension, with both the front and back sides equally long. 
STEP 2: As you wait for the inner cue, do not sag into your shoulders. Instead, create a line of energy through each arm by pressing downward into your hands and lifting your shoulders. Go back and forth like this several times to make sure you understand the movement. 
STEP 3: When you are ready to begin, breathe in deeply. As you exhale, turn your hips into "Cat Tilt". Do this by gently pulling the abdominal muscles backward toward the spine, tucking the tailbone (coccyx) down and under, and gently contracting the buttocks. Press firmly downward with your hands in order to stay lifted out of the shoulders, and lift the middle of your back toward the ceiling, rounding your spine upward. Curl your head inward. Gaze at the floor between your knees.
STEP 4: As you inhale, turn your hips into Dog Tilt. Do this by releasing the grip of the buttocks, reversing the tilt of your pelvis, and curving your spine into a smoothly arched backbend.
(Extracted from Yoga-ABC & Yoga Journal)
