Kiran demonstrates exercise with Magic ring on NDTV

Dance forms and variations

Few more dance forms.

SAMBA



rumba



PASO DOBLE





waltz



tango





Argentine Tango



Quick step



jive



cha cha cha







jitterburg



swing



zouk



bachata



lindy hop



Black Bottom



Foxtrot



rock and roll



disco



ballroom



ballet



twist



break dance



jazz



flamenco



tap



street dance



I had to finish my post as promised. The work pressure has increased tremendously. Lots of Personal Training, Work on my videos, study and then new batch of course for budding fitness trainers has started. I would not be blogging for this month of December regularly. Forgive me for that. Would be back with you all very soon. Most probably in the New Year. Wish You all a Very Very Happy New Year in advance. If time permits, I would be back sooner. Till then you all take care and Happy Blogging.

Dance forms.

I was doing my research about various dance forms and was amazed. In this post, I would not take Indian classical dance forms. Because that would take another full post. Right now few Latin American Dances and with some of their videos that I found online. They are all so interesting. Worth watching.

Bolero



Carimbo



Conga



Cueca



Cumbia



Joropo



Lambada



Macarena



Mambo



Merengue



Rueda



Salsa



The post will continue and in the next, there would be videos for the following


SAMBA
rumba
PASO DOBLE
waltz
tango
jive
cha cha cha
jitterburg
swing
zouk
bachata
lindy hop
Black Bottom
Foxtrot
rock and roll
disco
ballroom
ballet
twist
break dance
jazz
flamenco

Do you know of more styles? share them with me. Share a video link too if you have.
Which one is your favorite?
Which one have you learnt or intend to learn or love watching?
Share with me here.

My Humble House

My Humble House is the new roof top restaurant at Maurya, which generally has excellent restaurants. I got much more cosy and personal corner. My Humble House is an award winning contemporary Chinese cuisine restaurant. It Infuses distinctively Chinese styles with global touches, to offers its diners a vibrant menu of neo-classic Chinese dishes, christened with equally poetic names that showcase themselves more as a form of art than simply as a cuisine!

What I loved about the place is the ambience, excellent service, attention to small details (like lovely rose petals and candle on my table) and of course the food.



I had soup, appetisers and green tea.



But my friends with whom I had gone there, insisted that I get photographed with huge bowls of food and wine for my clients to see that I EAT.

Broadway Swan Lake Ballet

I recently saw Broadway Swan Lake Ballet performance live at Kamani Auditorium. It was Choreographed by Fernando Aguilera. It was so beautiful a performance that I almost forgot to clap. My jaw was dropping throughout and I was awestruck. Gosh! how I wish that I was younger and I could learn ballet. The dancers were beautiful, agile, delicate yet strong (you know what I mean).
It was one of my best experiences of life. The high I got seeing the performance cannot be described.

I clicked few pics from my iphone (sorry not very clear ones). They do not do justice to the performance at all. But I wanted to put them here on my blog.

And besides Ballet, there was modern dance, tango, latino,hip hop, pachuko, blue jazz, techno duo, flamenco and le corsaire.

Swan lake followed star crossed lovers swan queen Odette and Prince Siegfried as they fought for eternal love against forces of magic, family and destiny. It was set against the backdrop of medieval Europe. It epitomized classical ballet with all its elegance, grace and bittersweet romance.

my web site

I have revamped my web site

www.fitnesolution.com

Guys please see it and do give me your honest feedback and suggestions for the same. I and my website designer are still working on it.

Core Conditioning on Swiss Ball on NDTV

Patanjali's eight fold path

Chakras depend on the following eight fold path, laid by Patanjali in his Hatha Yoga Padipika.

1. Yamas- Behaving with restraint: non violent, truthful, honest and kind manner. Purity of thoughts, deeds and mind. Eating moderately.

2. Niyamas- Having spiritual and devotional attitude towards everything like prayer, austerity etc. Following few rules discipline in life.

3. Asanas- Practicing yoga postures/asanas regularly. It will lead to a meditative stage when the mind will become still.

4. Pranayama- Developing prana/breath control.

5. Pratyahara- controlling the senses so that they do not disturb. Preparing the mind for concentration, focus and visualisation.

6. Dharana- Firm belief, will power, concentration, focus.

7- Dhyana- Practicing meditation so that the mind becomes still, thoughtless and does not wander. You become calm and uninterrupted by thoughts.

8. Samadhi- The final goal; bliss/transcendent consciousness. Mind, Body and Soul becoming one.

Chakras.

Ever since, I took my first course in the field of fitness back in 1996, I constantly wanted to update my knowledge in this field with newer and more advanced courses, seminars, resolutions, researches, books, DVD's etc. I wanted to learn everything in this field.
Now for quite some time, I was not getting to learn something NEW and was feeling stagnated.
Now the excitement has come back. I have recently started learning about Chakra Workout, I am learning about aura, balancing chakra with yoga.

We have 7 main Chakras

The crown chakra- on and slightly above the crown
The brow chakra- at the middle of the bow
Throat Chakra- on the centre of the throat
Heart Chakra- on the middle of the chest
Solar plexus Chakra- two finger above and below the naval
Sacral Chakra- on and slightly above genitals
Root Chakra- at the base of the spine


Ok. Now following are pics of my Salsa party.





Below are are pictures of scintillating performance by Sai and Kirti which everyone including me were gaping and watching.

Black, Children Day, Salsa, Tango

My blogger friend Santoshi has sent me such awesome pictures of me. I had to put them on my blog. Thanks Santoshi.





Today is Children's Day. My sons have planned for movie- Dostana for tomorrow.

Morning, I had few children over in my studio for whom there were fitness sessions on the house. Exercises for kids. Stretching, jumping and playing around. My weekend starts tonight. I am off to do Salsa.

Tomorrow there is also Tango workshop in my studio by Rebacca and Olga.

Hair Care

For quite some time, I had been neglecting my hair and they were turning lifeless. Lot of sweat during exercise was also taking its toll on my hair. I have always been very experimental with my hair. Till few years back, I had long hair below my hips. Then I got them chopped short. I have tried various colors, styles, perms etc on my hair. Genetically I am blessed with good quality, thick, lustrous hair. But now I realized that they were screaming for my attention.

I decided to go for L'Oreal Hair Spa treatment yesterday to my nearby beauty parlour.

If you haven't tried the L'Oreal Hair Spa already, you must. A lot of salons are offering this service. It's 45 minutes of hair pampering you won't be able to get enough of! And the best thing about the Hair Spa is that it is customized to your specific hair need (normal/greasy/dry/problem hair). Depending on the type of Hair Spa you choose (aromatherapy, for example), there will be a hot-oil massage, steaming, hair wash and deep conditioning. At the end of 45 minutes, your hair is left smelling like heaven- and feeling like it too! So book a salon appointment right now and treat your hair to something it won't stop thanking you for.

Hair spa is an advance way of conditioning hair, which provides all the answers to the personal needs of every hair type, with refreshing & relaxing, stimulating and nourishing sensation for the scalp & hair.

It works on both hair and scalp and give instant smoothening, manages the hair making it is easier to style with softer feel and lots of shine
.

The hair is conditioned, steamed, massaged, washed and dried.

Hair spa treatment is available in salons for hair damaged due to repeated coloring. It is administered to improve and add shine to damaged hair. 


People with very dry or damaged hair can use replenishing balms or hair serum after colouring.

My hair are simply thanking me now. In just one sitting, the difference is drastically noticeable.

Flashback

This is one of my first post. But it had to be put up again. And 6 kg are still left to go.

October 2008 54 kgs!!

June 2008 58 kgs !!

End of May 2008 59 kgs !!

May 2008 61 kgs !!

April 2008 63 kgs !!

March 2008 65 kgs !!

Feb 2008 80 kgs !!

Dance Etiquette

I was sent this over email by a friend. I thought I can share it with my readers.

Attire and Grooming

Dance Shoes
Its recommend to purchase dance shoes if you plan to make dancing your hobby. They are specifically designed for flexibility, comfort, balance and movement, not to mention that they are kind to our wood floors.
Attire
As with your shoes, you want to wear something comfortable, but keep the comfort of your partner in mind as well. Avoid heavy clothing that will make you sweat, as well as baggy clothing or strappy outfits that can swing and hit your partner.

Breath
You will be dancing in close quarters with a lot of new people. You may want to chew gum or bring breath mints (Listerine Pocket Paks are popular, but bring enough to share!). Some dancers avoid eating certain foods (garlic or onions, for example) on dance days.

Be prepared to sweat!
Don't forget to wear deodorant, but if you wear cologne, use it sparingly if at all. Your partner may not appreciate it if you use too much. Some people are even allergic to colognes and may have to turn you down for a dance if you choose to wear it.

Asking/Refusing a Dance

Asking for a dance
Notice what the person is doing before you ask them to dance. Be wary of interrupting conversations.

Ask politely, "Would you like to dance?" Avoid grabbing a partner and pulling them onto the dance floor.

One dance at a time is the norm. Should you want a consecutive dance with your partner, ask them first. Consider asking them if they want to dance at a later time.

It is very acceptable for ladies to ask gentlemen to dance. Most gentlemen are flattered by the offer.

Take the time to dance with someone new. Get into the habit of making new friends and giving everyone the opportunity to dance. If you are advanced dancer, that might mean even asking a beginner to dance. Remember, you were there once yourself; don't forget how exciting it was to dance with someone more experienced than you. Share the same joy.

On the other hand, if you are a beginner and it seems advanced dancers keep to themselves, feel free to break the ice if they don't. They are probably not intentionally keeping to themselves; most likely since they've been dancing a long time, they just know each other better.

Try to avoid monopolizing partners, particularly ones of a higher level than yourself. Advanced dancers are often in high demand. While the advanced dancers do usually dance with anyone, beginners included, I'm sure they like to dance with others of their own level as well, so it's good not to monopolize them.



How to say "no"
Ideally, we would all say "yes" to everyone who asked.

If you must decline, it's common, but not required, to provide a reason (e.g., I'm resting, I promised this dance to someone else). Then suggest dancing the next dance or a later dance, but if you do, make sure you do reserve that dance and don't dance it with someone else. A turn-down without explanation is generally considered more serious and usually taken more personally than a turn-down with an explanation, so you should be careful about declining without giving a reason.

What to do if they say "no"
Don't take it personally. All dancers get turned down from time to time, and there are other people who would very much like to dance with you. You can always ask again, but give him or her time and space and ask again later. It is usually a good idea to let several songs pass. If you continually get turned down, it might be time to seek out private lessons. Perhaps your lead or follow is too heavy, or your frame too tight to make it comfortable for a partner. This is not something that is evident in group classes and you need the one-on-one with an instructor to correct these problems.

Floor

Don't over extend your bounds on a crowded dance floor. Respect the space of those around you. Don't over project with your arms or over use the dance floor at the expense of colliding with another couple.

Dips and lifts are best executed in shows and competitions. Avoid these types of movements in a club or social setting unless you're sure you have plenty of room around you. Injuries can occur when positioned incorrectly on a crowded dance floor.

Dance to the level of your partner. Dancing takes two; adjust to the skill level of your partner.

It is not necessary to apologize to your partner if a particular move is not executed perfectly. The point is not to have a perfect dance, but to have fun. However, if your mistake may have physically hurt your partner, please apologize and make sure they are okay.

Don't give dance advice unless it has been solicited. Never criticize.

Thank your partner for the dance. Show your appreciation.

Advice for Leaders

When starting a dance, especially with someone you don't know, take it slow. Everyone dances differently, so take your time and get to know the other person by starting off with less complex moves, and possibly keeping it at that if she is not able to do more.
Do not push or pull your partner too hard.

If she is not following something, try leading other moves. It may be that she is not a good follower, but perhaps your lead isn't clear and you need to work on that at a later time, preferably with a private instructor.

Make sure you pay attention to where your partner is and where she is going. The social dance floor is crowded and it is generally up to you to see that she does not collide with other dancers.

In closed-hold dances, do not hold your partner too tight. Many people are uncomfortable with close body contact, particularly with someone they do not know.

Advice for Followers

Try to be light and attentive to your lead. Your leader should never have to pull you.

If your arm is resting on his as in closed hold dances, do not let it be heavy. Hold your own weight.

Help your leader with floorcraft. He does not have eyes in the back of his head and you may have to warn him if you are in danger of colliding.


1. Personal oral and bodily hygiene is of utmost importance. If you notice
that your partner is hesitant to get into the proper Dance hold, is
holding their breath, bolts from the dance floor once the dance is over
and repeatedly refuses to dance with you again, take the hint.

You will be dancing in close quarters with a lot of new people.
You may want to chew gum or bring breath mints (Listerine Pocket Paks are
popular, but bring enough to share!). Some dancers avoid eating certain
foods (garlic or onions, for example) on dance days.

2. Smile, be warm and personable, be nice, and have fun!

3. Make sure you keep your attention on your partner while you dance, this
means usually on his/her face not wandering up and down his/her body, and
watch the dance floor ahead and around you to avoid possible collisions with
other people around you.

4. It is the lady's prerogative to how close she wants to be held. The gentleman
can readjust if he feels she's too close but not if he feels she's not close
enough. Do not take offence if your partner does not want to dance really closely
with you. We all have our levels of comfort.

5. Avoid declining a dance under almost all circumstances. For example, there is
no correct way of refusing a dance on the basis of preferring to dance with
someone else. According to tradition, the only graceful way of declining a dance
is either
a. you do not know the dance,
b. you need to take a rest, or
c. you have promised the dance to someone else.

Note that is it is improper to book many dances ahead of time and once you
decline dancing with one person, it is inconsiderate and outright rude to
dance the song with someone else.

6. Stationary dancers (e.g. swing dancers) stay in the middle, traveling dancers
move on the boundary along the line of dance. The line of dance goes in the
counterclockwise direction.

7. Do not monopolize one partner for the whole night, unless you are there with
your regular dance partner. Ask everyone to dance.

8. Do escort your partner off the dance floor. Never leave him/her in the
middle of the dance floor.

9. It often happens that the two partners dancing socially are not at the same
level. It is important that the more experienced partner dances at the level of
the less experienced partner.

10. Turn OFF your cell phone before the class/dance starts.

Marathon, Movie, Merengue

It has been a very happening day of my life. I ran Airtel Half Marathon Delhi today morning. I finished my 21 kms in 1.50 mins but I was also cheering a group of my friends along.

Ethiopia's Deriba Merga won the Airtel Delhi half marathon with the fastest time of the year of 59 minutes and 15 seconds here Sunday. Fellow-Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia won the women's race, clocking, 60:08:17.

Sandeep Kumar and Kavita Raut recorded the best timings among the Indians and pocketed $4,000 each.

It was an African sweep in the open event, with silver and bronze medals in the men's category going to Kenyans Wilson Kipsang (59:16:0)and Wilson Chebet (59:34:0), receiving $15,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Ethiopian Gelet Getent (1:08:18) and Kenyan Peninah Arusei (1:08:20) finished second and third respectively among women.

Defending champion Rwanda's Dieuone Disi, who came in 1:43:0 minutes in the 2007 edition, finished seventh here with 1:00:47.

Merga who recorded his personal best over the 21-km stretch, however, was given a stiff competition by Kipsang and Chebet, with all three recording 27:30:0 at 10km. It was at 19.5 km, when Merga broke away from the pack, clocking 54:10 as compared to Kipsang's 54:12 and Chebet's 54:15.

The competition was even fierce among women, with all the top three finishers at 1:02:24 at 19.5 km. It was indeed a close call for Mergia who won the event just by a second.

Both Merga and Mergia will take home $25,000 each with second and third placed runners in both the categories pocketing $15,000 and $10,000 respectively.

In the evening, I shot for Merengue. This video is going to one of Bollywood producer. What happens next, future will decide. We did this impromptu. Really there was not a single rehearsal or retake. You see me and my dance partner Idrees A Jhon. He is simply awesome. I tell him that he can even make a tree dance. In my previous post also, you see him in the picture. And those of you who could not spot me, can see me next to him.



After quickly shooting for this video, I went with my son to watch the latest James Bond Movie- Quantum of Solace. Since childhood, I have been die hard fan of James Bond Movies and have not missed a single one. In fact, my first crush was Roger Moore but Daniel Craig has been brilliant. The movie is really s(exciting). A must Watch.

Dance for fun.

Can you spot me in the above pictures?

Past full week, I have been partying hard. And I am loving it. There is a whole group of people in Delhi who have formed various salsa clubs. They are fun loving and die hard salsa fans. The lights are dim, the music is pulsing and couples are circling the dance floor. Besides Salsa, we also do Merengue. There are two more awesome dance forms that need mention here- Bachata and Zouk. These are very close and sensual dance forms.

Salsa is a fantastic way of keeping fit because, the movements of the dance require the use of various muscles in the body. Like swimming, you naturally start to tone up as you dance. You will also find that your stamina increases and gets better the more you dance, which is perfect if you hate exercise or going to the gym.

Salsa is so much fun, elegant and sexy, and the sound of the music and atmosphere in Salsa clubs is electric. So much so that you are generally oblivious to the fact that you are excercising while dancing and enjoying yourself. The movements of salsa are also great if you already go to the gym but want suppler tone. Salsa clubs are friendly, relaxing and once you learn the dance, the feeling is even greater.

Dancing offers a great deal of physical, mental and spiritual benefits.

Physical benefits are many. Dancing recruits large and small muscle groups, which allows the development of body awareness as muscle strength increases. The heart and lungs also benefit from the engagement of all muscle groups in movement. Side to side moves help strengthen weight bearing bones in the legs. Dance also decreases bone mass loss, which prevent osteoporosis.

Posture is also improved from the development of body awareness, at the same time that balance and stability are greatly enhanced thorough dancing. Additionally, dancing promotes the development of core strength. A flatter stomach and a strong mid section are wonderful results of dancing because recruitment of abdominal and back muscles is the "core" of dance.

Mental sharpness is exercised through dance by learning choreography and memorizing step sequence and styling. The brain is fully involved in the activity as new connections are made through insightful discoveries on how the body moves as a result of applying the new knowledge. Intellectual involvement aids in stress relief because individuals focus on the activity while temporarily "forgetting" about their busy lives and schedules.

Spiritual wellness is achieved though dancing because each participant gets the satisfaction of learning and performing new moves. Also, socialization is inevitable in dancing as participants interact with each other and celebrate each other's successes. And let's not forget one of the most seductive reasons for dancing: having fun!

Dancing is the ultimate form of exercise. It is non-impact, high intensity and a mood enhancer. It also promotes life style changes that positively affect the body, the mind and the spirit. You get all in one: complete wellness with every dance step you take.

Ardh matsyendra asana

In my previous post, I have demonstrated a video for Ardh matsyendra asana. or the Half Spinal Twist Pose

Due to the repetitive strain caused by cyclical exercises such as walking, jogging, biking and spinning, as well as due to the unnatural act of long duration sitting, many people suffer piriformis syndrome. My clients often complain of a nagging ache under the glutes and even pins and needles associated with sciatica.

The piriformis originates in the sacral spine and attaches to the greater trochanter – that large boney “can-opener” where your femur attaches to your pelvis on your hip. The sciatic nerve runs underneath it, though in 15% of the population it runs through the piriformis. So, when you strain the piriformis, you can impinge the sciatic nerve. A strained piriformis muscle can irritate the sciatic nerve. This causes pain underneath the glute often refers down the back of the thigh and/or into the lower back, called sciatica.

The piriformis muscle assists in the abduction and laterally rotation of the thigh. For example, you can experience the action of the right piriformis muscle, by balancing on the left foot, and moving the right leg directly sideways away from the body, then rotating the right leg so that the toes point towards the ceiling. Strain causes a “turn-out” of the foot so that the toes no longer point forward directly in front of the heel, which is one of the tell-tale signs that I look for in my poise analysis of new athletes.

The conventional gluteal stretch often only addresses superficial tension, and athletes never get deep enough to contract-relax the piriformis muscle. I have found that using Half Spinal Twisting Pose perfect for inhibiting the glute from action so that we can actually get deep enough to release the piriformis.

Ardha means half. Matsyendra is one of many Siddhas or masters who where accomplished Yogis mentioned in the medieval Yoga text the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika.

This posture posture is traditionally called the Spinal Twist because the spinal column is twisted gently.

"Keeping the abdominal region at ease like the back, bending the left leg, place it on the right thigh; then place on this the elbow of the right hand, and place the face on the palm of the right hand, and fix the gaize between the eye-brows. This is called Matsyendra-posture."

The Half Spinal Twist Pose (Ardha-matsyendra-asana) Instruction:

1 Sit in any comfortable cross-legged position.
2 Straighten the legs out in front. Bend the left knee and bring the heel of the right foot close to the left hip.



3 Inhale and bend the right knee upward and place the right foot flat on the floor to the left of the left leg with the ankle touching the left hip.



4. Raise the left hand up overhead.



5. While turning the spine to the right straighten the left arm bringing it around to the outside of the right knee and grasp the right foot with the left hand.





6. Turn your head as far as possible to the right and look back across your shoulder. Bend the right arm behind your back. Keep your spine, neck and head aligned and continue to exert effort at turning to the right.





7. Now here come the challenge. Take the left hand (which was earlier holding the right ankle) down under the right knee and try to grab hold of your right hand (which is already behind). This causes more spinal twist and fingers of bothe hands are interlocked behind.





8. Repeat the posture the other side by reversing directions 2-6.







Benefits:-

The twist benefits the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver and spleen.

It is very helpful for asthma, indigestion, constipation, and obesity.

This exercise strengthens the spine and deep muscles. They are also made flexible. It corrects stooping shoulders, a bent back, and defective posture.

This is the only asana which twists the spine. The other asanas stretch the spine in the flexion (forwards) and extension (backwards). The twist completes the stretching of the spine so that now every muscle and ligament of the back and neck has been stretched in all directions.

The Half Spinal Twist is one of the best Yoga postures for cultivating flexibility and strength in the spine. It sooths stiff necks and upper back tension caused by stress, poor posture, or prolonged periods of sitting in one position.

The alternating compression and release of the abdominal region flushes this area with blood and massages the internal organs. Muscles of the stomach and hips are also toned from repeated practice of the Half Spinal Twist.

The posture can be held for as long as you are comfortable.