Health - Sherif Sakr https://sherifsakr.com/blog/health/ Mon, 07 Sep 2020 23:47:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 How to Yoga https://sherifsakr.com/blog/mindfulness/how-to-yoga/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-yoga Sat, 19 Oct 2019 05:41:15 +0000 https://ceolegacy.wpenginepowered.com/?p=834 If you are new to yoga and looking to try it out, there are many choices. It’s important to understand that having ‘success’ with yoga means having the patience to find the right fit for you, because there is no such thing as ‘yoga is not for me’. There are many different styles of yoga and many teachers within each style. For every age, body type, and skill level there are classes out there. Discovering the right class with the right teacher for you is worth the effort. After all, few things can give you in just one hour the many benefits of yoga (depending on the style): aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, stress reduction, strength, flexibility, spirituality, and connection to a loving community. Flexibility has also been shown to increase blood flow to the brain and help in the aging process.

The first step is to commit to research, meaning to try out a couple of classes per week for a couple of months until you’ve found what makes you feel best. Try out more than one studio to determine which vibe you like better. If you’re fit or looking for a ‘workout’, Power, Vinyasa and Ashtanga classes are a good place to start because of the yoga pushups (Chatturanga) and the faster movement. Traditional classes are often referred to as Hatha – they are slower and tend to be more mindful. If you want to relax, Restorative yoga is wonderful and less intense than Yin yoga. In both of these you do fewer postures with longer holds. There are also ‘specialty’ options like Kundalini yoga, Yoga Nidra (a lying down guided meditation), Adaptive yoga, Chair yoga and more.

Look for ‘level 1’ or ‘all levels flow’ and make sure to tell the teacher that you’re new to yoga and if you have any injuries.

Once you’ve found the type of yoga that your body likes, try different instructors within that style to get the experience that fulfills you. Each teacher brings their own personality and atmosphere to the class. Most yoga studios have an intro special of some kind (free week or 30 days for $40) and you can also find deals on Groupon.

Two of my favorite teachers in Denver are Beth Sanchez and Jeremy Wolf. They are both knowledgeable, experienced, kind, and live what they teach. Currently my favorite studio is Sol 19 Yoga in Longmont where I teach a weekly class.

]]> A Water Experiment https://sherifsakr.com/blog/mindfulness/a-water-experiment/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-water-experiment Fri, 23 Aug 2019 19:03:41 +0000 https://ceolegacy.wpenginepowered.com/?p=757 The importance of water is in no small part related to the body’s 70+ % makeup of water. Studies by Japanese scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto revealed that crystals formed in frozen water take on different forms based on specific, concentrated thoughts directed towards them.

Water exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, colorful snowflake patterns.

Water exposed to negative thoughts shows incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors.

Since the body is mostly made up of water, imagine the impact that your positive or negative thoughts have on your body.

Try this experiment. Place two equal glasses of water in front of you (without ice). Put two hands on one glass and think of a highly loving thought in your heart. Now allow that love in your heart to go out your chest into your shoulders and arms and into your hands. Feel the love in your hands pouring into the glass of water for 2 minutes.

Now drink a sip of the water that you infused with love. Drink a sip of the second glass that wasn’t. What difference do you notice in taste or texture?

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