Few people realize that the source of many of the body’s ailments is poor blood circulation; it can increase wrinkles, cause headaches, prevent proper food metabolizing, and more.
If you’re going to do one thing to promote your physical health it should be making time in your day to increase blood circulation.
This is a classic yoga maneuver and easy to accomplish for the yoga novice.
Lie on your back with legs stretched out in front of you on the floor. Then slowly and gracefully raise your legs taking hold of your lower back with your hands to gently push your lower body up until your legs are up in the air at a 90 degree angle. You are essentially standing on your shoulders now because your body weight is balanced on the shoulders, with legs stretching into the air. Hold the position for 1 minute, keeping your legs straight. Then carefully and slowly bend your knees into your chest as you allow your lower back to come back down to the floor. As you do this slowly stretch your legs out to slightly higher than parallel to the floor and then bring your legs all the way down to rest on the floor. Rest comfortably in this position for 1-2 minutes.
As you do this exercise you will build strength and stamina until you can hold the position for 3-5 minutes.
The beauty of this exercise is that it shifts the blood flow from the feet back into the head. If you do this exercise daily you will increase the brain’s mental alertness, improve scalp and follicle condition, and balance the activity of your thyroid.
This exercise is considerably more difficult to accomplish in it’s advanced stage, but there are many simple variations that can be done to achieve relatively similar results. In the beginning try doing this exercise against a sturdy wall or door with a pillow placed under the head. Begin by kneeling on the floor, leaning forward until your head is resting on the pillow. Then carefully raise your legs, keeping the knees bent and pulled close to the body but not right against it. Your knees should be about mid height, just barely touching your ribcage. Hold this position for a few seconds until you get your balance (if you want to stop here and hold the position for 1 minute, that is an effective beginning stage of the exercise). Once you have your balance, slowly raise your legs, knees now only slightly bent until they are almost straight overhead but not quite. Again, you can stop here and hold the position for an intermediate version of this exercise, but if you want to continue to the advanced stage, begin straightening your legs and raise them directly overhead. Once in the completed pose, hold this position for 1 minute.
Repeat this exercise daily either in the morning or at night gradually building until you can hold the position for 5-10 minutes.
I promise you, if you do this one exercise everyday you will see and feel results. Try this exercise in particular if you have had hair loss due to stress of if your mental acuity feels a bit dull or fuzzy.
Many people view spices as a food taste enhancer and nothing more. That’s really quite sad because the healing properties are often cooked out when only consumed in meals.
It’s amazing what a few spices mixed with a little good old-fashioned H2O can do. Try making yourself a tonic each day to warm the blood, promote circulation, and speed up the metabolism. Try infusing one or more of the spices mentioned below in a mug of steaming hot water. To jazz it up or to add some sweetness, try adding lime juice and/or vanilla extract to your tonic.
**I would suggest consulting a physician or dietitian before incorporating any of these spices or tonics into your daily diet.
. Spices that promote circulation:
Paprika and clove are known for their warming capabilities. If you don’t believe a few simple spices can be
an effective remedy, just try mixing a little paprika and clove with some sugar and a dab of water and rub the mixture into sore muscles — you’ll feel the tingling and warming effects instantly. This is a great cost effective way to deal with headaches brought on by poor circulation as well as general muscle pain.
Other good spices that complement the spices mentioned above:
Ginger
Cinnamon
Mint
Ginger and mint both soothe the stomach and promote healthy digestion so they both complement the blood warming spices listed above though each does not taste wonderful with all of the circulation enhancing spices listed above, you’ll need to taste test and experiment to get a drink you enjoy.
** For good blood circulation also remember to keep hot or spicy foods in your daily repertoire if you can: crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, and curry powder are all spices that warm the body and promote blood flow.
I must say that the tonics mentioned here are not necessarily going to be a taste you’re used to or even incredibly pleasant (depending on how you mix the ingredients and which ingredients you choose), but they are certainly part of a well-balanced diet and are worth incorporating into your daily routine for the positive health benefits they yield.
