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Fitness and beyond Presentation by Gita Krishnaraj on 20-7-13 at Auetaa House

Mrs Gita Krishnaraj, CEO of Maverick fitness studio made a brilliant presentation on "Fitness and Beyond" on the 20'th July at our AUETAA House. We had a preconceived notion that this presentation would have a regular talk about fitness, i.e running, weight lifting, flexibility exercises and core strengthening but the presentation contained more than just that and perhaps that is why the name "Fitness and Beyond."

We all have been taught health is wealth and Gita added that this body which has got about 100 trillion cells is the only address for the Enlivening force in your body and that is "YOU" in this life time. Somehow a sperm out of 600 million sperm and an egg decided to join and after 272 days the most beautiful and creative phenomena happened and that is a human Being. We take our body for granted and not revere it one bit and stuff it with all what the mind likes. We are the best created product produced by nature and aren't we supposed to look at awe and respect at our body? Indian esoteric wisdom states that the microcosm i.e the human body is a part of the macrocosm, i.e the Universe. The Universe operates at zero defect and is ever expanding but we somehow manage to be unhealthy. Gita's presentation had the explanation about the primordial elements comprising of the earth, water, fire, air and ether which has not only created this ever expanding humongous Universe but also helps keep you fit.

Scientific evidence states that human beings are frugivores (not a herbivore nor a carnivore nor an omnivore). where the preferred food is fruits. Even if a person eats non vegetarian foods which is so acidic by nature he has to neutralize by having fruits and vegetables which are alkaline to ensure a PH of 6.8 to 7.4 in our blood. Any increase would show that the blood is acidic which can cause problems and has to be set right by taking fruits and vegetables.

The source for all life on earth is the Sun which is about 150 million kilometers away. Although we aren't taking a bite from the Sun we receive sustenance from plants that have used the Sun's energy to grow. In a way the Sun is a part of us. Photosynthesis is the conversion of light energy into chemical energy in cells that contain Chlorophyll a green pigment. For Photosynthesis to occur, water, carbon dioxide, chlorophyll and light are necessary. In the making of our constituent the first of the elements is earth and we get food from it and the characteristic of the element earth is smell. The second element is water which occupies 75 % of the body and carries food to all the parts of the body as well as carries waste for disposal and the characteristic of the element water is taste. The amount quantity of water one is supposed to take is approximately (0.033 X the weight of your body in kilograms) liters. The third element is fire and the digestive fire metabolism which is responsible for processing and absorbing the foods we eat. You are what you eat is the conventional saying but ayurveda says you are what you digest. Undigested food is toxic and 90% of all the diseases are because of this. In ayurveda it is called ama and it clogs, sticks, blocks and clouds the channel in the body/mind and creates the disease. The characteristic of the element fire is vision. The fourth element is air, i.e Oxygen. Oxygen is necessary and should be present in all the cells in the body and the level of fitness is dependent on the Oxygen content in all the cells; the characteristic of the element air is touch. The fifth element is Space within the field of which everything happens and is characterized of the element space is hearing.

All the 5 elements comprising all the matter in the Universe -- earth, water, fire, air and space are also the same 5 elements found in the human body, still most of us are unhealthy. That is because of one of the 3 doshas according to ayurveda and they are vata, pitta and kapha which would not be in the right proportion . A proper homeostasis is achieved if the doshas are in proper proportion. Vata is energy of movement, pitta means energy of transformation and kapha means energy of construction.

Gita also explained about the circadian rhythm that are controlled by circadian pacemaker or a biological clock. The biological clock that control circadian rhythms are groupings of interacting molecules in cells throughout the body. A master clock in the brain coordinates all the body clocks so that they are in synch. Two hormones play a very important role which plays a very important role in our well being and that depends on the circadian rhythm set w.r.t the time. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland is involved in the circadian regulation and facilitation of sleep. 10 pm to 2 pm is a good time to sleep in a dark room when physical repair in the body takes place and from 2 am to 4 am psychological repairs take place when you address the incomplete mental cycles of the previous day/past and just at Sun rise (about 5.30 am)the body wakes up to face an other day in the world. The timing of cortisol, a hormone prepared in the adrenal glands is linked to the daily activity patterns. The peak cortisol production occurs in the early morning, time to get up... Cortisol activates anti stress and and anti inflammatory pathways and prepares you for the day ahead.

Too much of cortisol is produced if a person is under severe stress and that is not good. Increased cortisol amounts to muscle wasting, decreased bone formation and decreases the immune system. Burnout is associated with high cortisol levels. Caffeine increases cortisol levels and can be restrained to having the last coffee for the day at 4 pm. Music therapy, laughing therapy, exercises, meditation every day for 20 minutes would help reduce cortisol in this stress filled life. It is quite simple to conclude this para by saying the quote from Benjamin Franklin,

" Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."

Gita also explained the importance of women/girls above 14 years using small weights of about 1 - 2 kg to strengthen the muscles. Muscles are crucial to us. Muscles are efficient at turning fuel into motion, they are long lasting, self healing, and they are able to grow stronger with practice. She said that a woman can never have a muscle like that of a man if she wants to by lifting small weights !! Muscles do everything from helping us to walk, blood flow and the food you take does not go inside your your stomach by gravity, it is because of the muscle contraction that the food go down. So much the muscles play a part right from giving shape to the body it is worthwhile to take care of the muscles.

Summarising the program it is good to do the following: Eat lot of fruits. Learn to breathe properly - the quality of your breathing determines the quality of your health. Normal breathing is about 12 -13 times a minute. Go to bed by latest 10.30 pm and get up by 5.30 am. Exercise. Take approximately ( 0.033 X your body weight in kilogram) liters of water everyday. Laugh, listen to music, keep life simple. Meditate. Movement is life and so keep moving.....

Sleep allows an overactive adrenal to rest overnight, also allowing your melatonin to give you a good night's sleep. Cortisol and melatonin are agonists, and fight for dominance. Cortisol is a stress hormone made by the adrenal gland and melatonin is an antioxidant sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland at night, in darkness. Normally melatonin takes over the night, slowing down cortisol production in the adrenal gland and encouraging proper rest and repair cycles. Then it wanes and cortisol and other adrenal hormones take over during the day, giving you energy. They should switch off in a normal daily cycle. If the adrenal won't shut down properly overnight due to stress, one may have inadequate melatonin resulting in an improper rest and repair cycle wearing you down. High cortisol levels are also associated with encouraging the depositing of fat in the abdomen, specifically. So reducing cortisol may also inhibit the formation of abdominal fat.

• Movement is life (space)
• The quality of your breathing determines the quality of your life.
• There are 100 trillion cells in our body.
• A drop of protoplasm and an egg join and produce 100 trillion cells.
• First revere your body for it is the temple of the spirit. The only address in your life time.
• The 5 elements primordial how they help keep us fit?
• Esoteric wisdom states that the body (microcosm) is a part of the (macrocosm) the Universal body.
• Neivedyam - pranayaswaha, abanayaswaha......
• 75 % of the content in the body is water.
• Sun - grass - deer - lion10. Everything depends on the Sun.
• All the 100 trillion cells have Oxygen.
• Sound - space. Water - taste. Fire - eyes. Earth - smell. Air - touch