1. SNEHA
The Society for Nutrition,
Education and Health Action
(SNEHA) is amongst India’s
foremost NGOs working to
address the needs of women and
children living in urban slums.
SNEHA believes that investing
in women’s health is essential to
building viable urban communities.
The organisation SNEHA
targets four critical public health
areas: Maternal and Newborn
Health, Child Health and Nutrition,
Sexual and Reproductive
Health, and Prevention of
Violence against Women and
Children. SNEHA’s model is unique
as it engages effectively with both
care seekers and care providers.
It works at the community level
to empower women and slum
communities to be catalysts of
change in their own right and
collaborates with existing public
health systems and health care
providers to create sustainable
improvements in urban health.
SNEHA’s programmes cover a
target population of roughly
1.4 million people.
To know how you can be involved,
go to www.snehamumbai.org.
“Havethecouragetofollowyour
heart and intuition.Theysomehowknow
whatyoutrulywant to become.”
– Steve Jobs
YogaLife’s
charityofthe month
YOGA BITES…
Off the mat, we connect with all that is organic, natural and new in the community
Speak up for
mental health
DEMI LOVATO is a platinum-
selling recording artiste,
songwriter, actress, and
former Disney star. In 2011,
she was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder, and unlike
many people who shy away
from talking about mental
health issues, Demi has been
extremely outspoken about
her battle. To take this a few
steps further, she has started
a campaign called Be Vocal:
Speak Up For Mental Health,
which encourages people with
mental illnesses to talk about
it. Speaking to HuffPost Live,
Demi said, “Happiness is a
choice. Life is a roller coaster.
You can make the highs as
amazing as possible, and you
can control how low the lows
go.” For more information on
this campaign, go to
http://bevocalspeakup.com.
10 | yogalife | JULY-AUGUST 2015

2. D
id you know that
sleeping too little, or
too much can both be
detrimental to your reliability at work?
Researchers from Finland analysed the
sleep habits, in tandem with the missed
working days of thousands of men and
women in an experiment that lasted
seven years. They found that those
people, who did not get enough sleep
– whether it was due to insomnia, or
other sleep problems – were most likely
to miss work. Surprisingly, however,
even people who slept too much fell
into the same category. Optimal-
sleepers make the best workers, and
they are the ones who manage seven to
eight hours of sleep a night.
The reliability of sleep
Do you worry obsessively? Here are a
few ways to rescue yourself.
1. Be aware: This is as simple as it
sounds. Catch yourself out as soon as
you realise you’re starting to get fussy
about something. Just by doing this, you
will supress the fight or flight response
that gets triggered in your brain.
2. Breathe. A lot: Slow, deep breaths,
with slow exhales calm your nervous
system, automatically reducing your
body’s stress response.
3. Be in the moment: Tiny changes
will give you big results. Each time
you find yourself drifting into the
past, or future, snap yourself back to
the present. Tell yourself that you are
where you are, and you are OK. With
repetition, this can lead to a lasting
reduction in anxiety.
4. You’re in control: Start by avoiding
‘worst case scenarios’, and pay more
attention to what you can actually
control. This in itself will modulate brain
activity to reduce worry.
5. Decide, decide, decide!: Whether
you really want to or not, making
a decision about the cause of your
worry increases the levels of dopamine
in your brain and allows you to
compartmentalise those things that
actually matter most. Making a decision
also gives you a sense of control, which,
in turn, boosts your confidence.
6. Perfection is overrated: One
of the main causes of worry is the
expectations we dump on ourselves to
be perfect. Know that good enough is
actually, good enough!
In Mumbai, India, the railway
authorities are taking a serious
stand on the mental state of
their motormen and other
officials by offering one-hour
classes focussing on asanas,
meditation and other exercises,
depending on each individual’s
age and health. Instructors from
Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual
organisation, will be leading
these sessions. Although the
lessons are not mandatory, the
authorities are looking forward
to their staff participating
actively. This news comes after
a railway employee wrote to the
general manager, alleging that a
motorman was not in a ‘proper
mental state’ and action should
be taken immediately.
Yoga for
the railways
Be your own
therapist
JULY-AUGUST 2015 | yogalife | 11

3. When you read or think
about meditation, you are
naturally led to assume that it is
something that works best when
done alone – a time to silence
your mind and reflect. While this
is mostly true, have you ever
considered meditating with a
friend? Here are a few reasons
why it might be better for you:
• If you’re a beginner, meditation
can be a little daunting.
Starting off with a friend, gives
you the support you need to
dive into it head-first, with the
comfort of someone you trust
being part of your journey.
• Our bodies naturally emit
certain frequencies. When one
meditates, our brain becomes
more susceptible to sensing
them. When one or more
people share a meditation
space, you can actually
feel these waves of calm
emanating around you, which
tends to elevate your session.
• Like most activities, it is harder
to back out of something
when there are other people
involved. With studies showing
all the positive effects of
meditation, it will work out well
if you sometimes need that
extra push to relax and unwind.
• Sharing experiences can be
beneficial. After your session
of silence, you can choose to
talk about your thoughts, and
even your difficulties.
• A shared willingness to be
mindful comes with the
added benefit of a deeper
connection with your
meditation partner.
Friend-itation?
A form of Vitamin B3, Niacin is a
nutrient that helps release energy from
food. Studies have shown that apart
from all the vitamin goodness, it is also
good for your heart’s overall health. It
boosts levels of high-density lipoprotein,
better known as ‘good cholesterol’ in
the blood. Although meat, fish and dairy
are good sources of niacin, it can also be
taken as a supplement. For men, 17mg a
day is required, while women need 13
mg. Here’s to a happy, healthy heart!
Derek Lam
athletic wear
Health and fashion go hand-
in-hand with the first-ever
designer collaboration by the
fitness apparel brand Athleta.
They have teamed up with
Derek Lam of 10 Crosby
to make uber fashionable
clothes that can double up
as gym-wear. Using Athleta’s
high-performance fabrics,
the pieces will incorporate
the minimalist functionality
that is indigenous to so
many 10 Crosby garments.
The collection will have
a range of leggings,
dresses, sweats and
even sneakers with
washable leather,
which can transform
from a fun brunch
outfit into
something you
can sweat it out
in at the gym or
at your
yogastudio.
Niacin: for good heart
yoga bites
12 | yogalife | JULY-AUGUST 2015