Yoga – A Different Philosophy

Contortion? A very recommendable strategy of preventive health, actually.

By Danitza Crosby*

If I had to explain what Yoga means by a gesture, I’d smile because from many aspects, we found Yoga is not just exercises and asanas. It goes much beyond and a smile also expresses it very much.

Some people have the notion that Yoga is about contortion. Perhaps that’s why few attend to Yoga centers, but the picture is clearly different in other countries.

As much as I remember, I went out at six o’clock in the morning to Colombia and Venezuela parks, where I could watch crowds who attend to practice some sports,  like exercises, tai-chi, Yoga, walkings, etc., from the youngest to the oldest. The truth is very pleasant to see population and government entities of those places interested in health.

We, from Piura’s JñakandaYoga Cultural Center, are 51 years giving this great service to the community and there are many who attend daily to our Yoga centers worldwide. It is about 51 years of hard work, years of setting up Yoga system in Peru and many upcoming years to continue teaching generations those truly live it.

As Dr. Serge Reynauld de la Ferriere says on his book Yug Yoga Yogism, “Yoga in this sense is not a simple philosophy anymore, and I pledge the grace to be the translator of great masters of ancient times for defending the pure thinking of spiritual elevation what yogism is.”

Then, Yoga leads us to look for perfection throughout methods, needed disciplines to educate again our pphysical, mental and emotional being, not stopping only in contortion exercises but looking for balance what respects natural rules of evolution, which we have close our eyes down.

Body is conscius

However, our being is smart. How many times are we sat down before aa fatty food dish and we have felt not to eat it?

The hard belief of feeding three times a day does not pay attention about our body knows consciously what hurts it and when and what it must eat. Only that, sincerely, because  an accostumed  laze, we do not make it right and even we challenge our health with so many bad costumes those just feed a bag of diseases we could prevent if we would. Many of them threaten us by a constant stress.

Learning  an adequate breathing and psyco-physical exercises plus yoga could reduce them significantly to us. Only the will to begin now is needed and to choose to care our health in the present.

I ever amaze to see elder ladies practicing Yoga, having an enviable Health and a walking that some 27-year-old or less guys would have for ghood because they have decided to change toward a healthy and natural lifestyle.

Every June 21^st we say “Happy International Day of Yoga!” Many thanks to every Yoga teachers who give this great service to our communities around the world.

• Teacher of Piura’s Jñacanda Yoga Cultural Center (link goes to a fanpage in Spanish).

Read also: The dance of life

Post-producido por Sheyla Benavente

Key Muscle Groups for a Harmonious Physique in Bodybuilding**

When you venture into the world of bodybuilding, it’s natural to focus on developing big, strong muscles, but the real challenge and goal lie in building a harmonious and balanced physique. Having a symmetrical figure will not only help you stand out in competitions but also help you maintain a healthy and functional body.

Here are the muscle groups you need to work on to achieve that desired shape!

1.  Pecs: The foundation of a powerful upper body – The chest is the focal point of the upper body. Well-developed pecs give you that voluminous, athletic look that stands out in any fitted shirt. Spend time on exercises like bench presses and flyes to achieve a defined, broad chest.

2.  Back: The key to the famous “V” shape – The back is one of the largest muscle groups and often one of the most neglected. Developing the lats will help you achieve the coveted “V” shape, adding width and depth to your physique. Lat pulldowns and barbell or dumbbell rows are your allies here. And don’t forget the traps—well-developed traps add visual bulk and strength!

3.  Shoulders: The touch of width— Strong shoulders not only increase your appearance of power but also harmoniously connect the torso with the arms. Work the deltoids in all their parts (anterior, lateral, and posterior) to avoid imbalances. Presses and lateral raises are key.

4.  Arms: The perfect combo of biceps and triceps – Well-developed arms are always admired. But to have fully developed arms, you need to focus on both the biceps and triceps. Exercises like barbell or dumbbell curls for biceps and dips or triceps extensions will help you maintain balance between both muscles, achieving an impressive aesthetic.

5.  Abs: Definition at the center of the body – A sculpted abdomen is the hallmark of a well-worked physique. It’s not just about aesthetics; strong abs provide stability in other heavy exercises. Incorporate variety: from crunches to planks, to achieve a strong, well-defined core.

6.  Legs: The foundation of any great physique – Voluminous quadriceps are fundamental if you want a complete and proportioned physique. Well-developed hamstrings balance the volume of your legs and protect you from injuries. Squats, leg presses, and deadlifts are essential to making your legs as impressive as your upper body.

7.  Glutes: Don’t underestimate them – In bodybuilding, well-developed glutes are crucial for a strong and balanced physique. They help improve your posture and shape the lower body. Exercises like hip thrusts and lunges are key for developing this area.

8.  Calves: Don’t neglect the details — Calves are one of the most challenging muscles to develop, but well-developed calves complete a balanced figure. Include calf raises in your leg workouts to ensure this muscle group doesn’t fall behind.

Why is balance important? – It’s not just about having big muscles; what will make you stand out is a proportioned physique. A harmonious development will help you avoid injuries, improve your performance, and, most importantly, achieve a visually pleasing body. Working on each muscle group in a balanced way will not only make you a bodybuilder but a complete athlete.

Stay motivated to keep improving! – Bodybuilding is an art, and you are the sculptor of your own body. Don’t just focus on the muscles that are more visible or easier to work on. The key to success lies in balance and consistency. With every workout, you are one step closer to your best version. Remember: true strength lies in balance! | Follow us on X | Write us at WhatsApp | chulucanasgym@gmail.com 

The Road To The Stage

Five lessons you must not forget  when deciding to contest.

By ChulucanasGym

The look of wrestling celebrities inspired Henry hernandez to sign up a gym. "If they can, maybe I  can". He was 18 years  old then. Today he's 29.

The first time he contested was in 2013, in Chulucanas, Peru, the city he born and where he lives currently, after checking  out many magazines and movies about Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I was wondered of the body's aesthetics,"  and in Arnold's  case, he thinks his best body part is his chest, no question about it.

Lesson 1: Give Up On Your Shame and Fear
One of the thinhgs he had to bear was the people bringing him down, but he learned soon to take that easy. "Everything I heard, it went in an ear then went out the other one. I just listened to my body, moving me forward."

Another thing he had to bear was standing up semi-naked on the stage before the public, but when he watched the other  contestants did it untroubled, he felt some relief. "I'm very nervous, so I watched the other contestants performing  without much complication,  and I tried to control that  fear for following the protocols ," he confesses.

[READ also: Our 11 tips when you're looking for a sponsorship.]

Something worst than that? Yes! That you forget about your choreography  and the poses you had planned to do. "I just had  to concentrate myself by looking at the judges, or I closed my eyes avoiding to see the audience, I got focused on my  technique to be well performed."

Henry says as the time passed by, he has come to work  about that topic, so he hopes the next times  he have to contest, he  will superate the fear, that is natural in the other side.  Even, experienced artists say to feel it every time they have  to stand up on the stage. Inclusive, it's a signal they are doing the things right.

The mental work of a contestant is so hard, as the physical one, because has to bear these situations, too many usual among  who contest. They also have to work much their attitude, that reflexes into  their moves fluency on the stage, and ever  keeping in mind to enjoy the time a lot, even when it's about a competition. Staying up there is already a high task.

[READ ALSO: The strategy of René baró for reaching real goals.]

Lesson 2: Internet is almost never right
The first time he decided to contest at Mister Piura, a state-wide contest, was in 2014, and he started to look for   information on Google to design his training strategy, but he didn't get the results he expected.

Then he understood something: what the search engines highlight is not ever true. For example, that the last days he had  to elliminate the sodium, and he ended holding liquids back. "Ones said one thing, others said another thing," Henry remembers. "The truth is I cannot put my health in risk."

Actually, the Internet doesn't lie although it might say the truth first.  What you have to do is gathering all relevant  information you can, to compare it, and to verify it with recognized and certified sources. Sometimes it's better to delay  many days  until having the full information than getting excited about what appears the first 10 seconds of research.

"Now I follow the people  who had contested and the appropriate sources," Henry affirms. 

In ChulucanasGym's case, we have a protocol  useful for you: once we gather all our data,  we consult them with scientific  sources to determine what are true, what are myths, what must be handled carefully; we discard the two last ones, and we only stand up and publish what is a scientific truth and preferently independent because many comes commercially polluted.

[READ ALSO: Henry's 5 steps for a correct warm-up.]

Lesson 3: The Body Doesn't Only Live From Weights
In the physical level, the training and the feeding are two key aspects to care.

"I have to manage a diet that fits me because not all the bodies are equal," Henry tells. The common to all the bodies   is indeed all the diets have to balance proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins in right ratios.

If you have access to a nutritionist, you'll can get help to create  a regime made according to your needs.

Henry also eats 5-6 times per day "for the body to be metabolically active, [plus¡ much fruit, much water."

The last week before a competition, reduce the ingestion of carbohydrates although increase the frequency of consumption.  Every two hours in Henry's case. Likewise reduce the consumption of potasium and water at the point that the last day  almost don't drink liquid.

"Gotta see yourself rocky," Henry points out.

[READ ALSO: The importance of a healthy feeding.]

The another aspect is compplying rigorously your training routine. The idea  during the first weeks is building muscle and stabilizing its volume as it grows up. Usually, it's about exercises with  much weight and short repetitions.

The previous weeks to a competition, the scheme changes. "I do hypertrophy exercises with low weight and many repetitions, or pumping-up  exercises to keep, for it to see more  ripped," Henry explains.

In the last weeks, much-weight exercises are not done longer, because you won't gain muscular mass yet.

Remember that two tools you ever got to have ready are the measuring tape for controlling progress in an objective way,   over body measures, and a weighing machine that doesn't lie, for controlling your weitht and being sure you belong  to the  cathegory in what you plan to contest.

[READ ALSO: Do you know what your genetics is?]

Lesson 4: Get everything Ready
The competition day usually divides in two parts: weight control and the performance itself. be aware you have in your  hands everything you need for each one of those phases.

If somebody can helps you for not carrying on everything everywhere, and relief you to take off a reason to concern by the way, will be the best.

If you are one of those who uses to forget the things in the last minute, make a written list on a copybook or your  cellphone, then write down everything you need, so when you have to carry it on, you check it out.  Of course, don't forget  the copybook or the cellphone.

If you learn to organize, everything will be easier.

Lesson 5: Don't Give Up
Despite all this preparation, Henry didn't get  any price in the last contest he entered. What went wrong? According to  him, his preparation was right but he wasn't clear about which one the judges criteria were at the qualification time.

Many contestants use to react angry when the results are not favorable to them. It's natural. But also remember there can  be many personal, external factors those don't generate a victory.

Superate the angryness, pass over the time, continue training consciously. The worst that a sportsman can do is giving up.  He is not done for that. It is not into his DNA. Then, continue superating, set up new goals, contest again.

[READ ALSO: The 7 tips of Pedro Bautista for being better in sports and life.]

Remember almost never the triumph comes in the first time you try, but neither expect to get something if you never try it. They can defeat on the stage, but they never won't defeat on your attitude.

Functional Training

An alternative to gain stamina, power and all their benefits.

By ChulucanasGym. Video by Alonso Mejía.

It’s common many people use weekends to practice sports, but what wonders in Chulucanas, Peru, is a specific group of men and women who don’t do one in particularexcept a special kind of fitness.

They workout specific parts of their bodies replying exercises or movements those could be done by apparels, barbells, or by using the body’s weight itself, so they can response before the same stimulation while their conventional training, or just adding agility to their daily lives.

As a result, they are developing potence and resistance at the same time – they practice functional training.

The discipline is just going into Piura, and the peculiar in Chulucanas is practicing it outdoors around or inside the city. “We had to go up the city watch hillas part of the routine, just once,” one of our producers tells.

In terms of sports, functional training is ideal to someones usually practicing other sports, especially those demanding much resistance like soccer or athletism, because of this advantage to customize routines at maximum and the using of your own body weight (mainly in beginner period), under the command of avoiding hurts.

Of course this technique isn’t new, as we think, because it had been already promoted by infamous Charles atlas through isometric exercises. What this mythical sportsman didn’t add is using weights, bars, and control of specific times for executing and resting.

As you go gaining time and skill, complexity and exigency of movements as well as using of accesories will be increasing. But in every moment this type of training looks for being flexible requirements of someones who practice it, not meaning they’ll become lazy.

According to Chulucanas group’s monitor Alonso Mejía, people report him much tone, stiffless, better breathing. “My muscles are firmer than before,” he assures.

Another functional training’s promise is a better blood circulation, but it could be proven after a cardiology checking. However, it’s suggested that before beginning it, you pass a medical checking to discard any background condition.

Despite, there isn’t a forbbiden age for functional training, almost. It’s recommended for children and older adults as well. The trick is giving each one the right exigency level.

Is it crossfit?

It has not be confused to crossfit or crossing fitness. We mean it must not be offered functional training like crossfit because it has own rules and a very strict licensing systemunder supervision of trademark owners .

The surely true one is that a great part of crossfit  is based on functional training, with differences in dificulty degree and the fact of it looks to superate very defined challenges, the most of times for competition scores. This means customized routines, discipline and precision are greater.

Actually in the U.S., corps of police, firefighters, marines, and top performance athletes are who mainly practice it. The idea should be haven in Peru, considering the public claim about our corps of police and soldiers seem to be  fitless.

Plus, using of accessories in crossfit is much more frequent than functional training, so using them is optional but recommended.

“Crossfit programs are almost mandatory in execution, in functional training, they are more adaptable and open, for instance,”  a trainer explains us.

What specialists suggest in both disciplines is a reduced group of people practicing. If it’s about customizing routines, numerous groups will do impossible the supervision and hurts risk is high.

Finally, some publishings suggest these requirements to practice them: consciousness and knowledge of own limits, reduced groups with expert proffessionals in charge of routines, customized training, intensity increase depending on skill gotten from movements and based on results, enough and adequate previous warming up, excellent technique in exercises, previous adaptation, discipline, correct hydratation, and previous medical controls to set up training to the own body.

Tell us your goals on our Twitter account.

Post-Produced by Sheyla Benavente.

How to reduce the pain after training

Pranayama - The Health In Your Breath

By Christian Palacios (also photos)

We live in shaking times. everything has been accelerated with the technology and the people sees affected by psychosomatic unbalances much everytime, like the stress and the anxiety.

The yoga is a millenial science that incorporates the practice of pranayamas (breath exercises)  and the meditation as part of a process that allows to activate the healing processes of our body, for reaching an optimal health sstate, the balance of our mind, and a calm state that leads us to the harmony with ourselves and everything around us.

The practices of pranayama allow us to get a better oxygenation of the blood. All components of the body require oxygen for its optimal function and because of pranayama we can balance the chemical processes happening inside ours.

The pranayama exercises allow us to reach a longer, deeper breath, which reflexes into a major oxygenation  and increasing of blood circulation.

Benefits Of Pranayama Practice

• Provides you more energy and vitality.
• Helps to disintoxicate the blood.
• Improves the circulation.
• Strengthen the inmunologic system.
• Helps to clean lungs.
• Reduces the depression sensation.
• Improves the digestive system.
• Benefits the spine function.
• Helps to relief thiroid  problems.

According to Dr Thakur Dass, doing pranayama can increase the normal volume of ventilation for ten times without needing workout. The researcher points out the oxygenation creates the energy, generating ATP (adenosynetriphosphate), what delays the cells degeneration, so doing pranayama acts as an anti-oxidant.

Dass affirms that doing pranayama provides the enough quantitty of oxygen to the entire body, and helps to relief breathing system diseases as the bronchitis, the laringitis, the bronchial asthma, helps in case of heart diseases as the thrombosis and allows to control the blood pressure.

It influences on the endocrine system. It helps to relief diseases as the diabetes and helps to improve the condition of kidney diseases.

[READ ALSO: How To Get Calm?]

Nidra Yoga
This practice  is based on the meditation and encourages the person to get learning to dominate the biological mechanisms of the body from the mind, for having a deep relaxation, that helps to sleep correctly and to avoid problems such as the anxiety and the insomnia.

If you need further information and you are in Piura City,  visit us in Reiki Yoga Piura: Magisterial Urbanization, 490 Bernal  St., in front of the  Santa Ana Park. You can also follow me on my fanpage.

The Risks of Contracting Monkeypox at the Gym: What You Need to Know

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that has gained attention in recent years due to outbreaks in various parts of the world. Although most cases have been limited to specific population groups and situations, it's natural to wonder if high-traffic places like gyms could pose a risk of infection.

 

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus from the same family as smallpox, though it is much less severe. It is primarily transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, skin lesions, or contaminated surfaces, as well as through respiratory droplets at short distances.

 

Transmission Mechanisms

To understand the risk at a gym, it's important to consider how monkeypox is transmitted:

 

Direct contact: The highest risk comes from direct contact with the skin or lesions of an infected person. In a gym, this type of contact could occur if shared equipment is used without proper cleaning or if there is close physical contact during certain activities.

Contaminated surfaces: The virus can survive on surfaces such as exercise machines, weights, mats, or towels. If someone infected touches a surface and another person comes into contact with that same area, there is a potential risk of transmission.

Respiratory droplets: While airborne transmission is less common and generally requires prolonged face-to-face contact, it is still a possibility in crowded and enclosed spaces like gyms.

 

Factors That Increase the Risk at the Gym

High usage frequency: Gyms are places where many people share equipment and spaces. If proper cleaning practices are not followed, this can increase the risk of the virus spreading.

Inadequate hygiene: Poor hygiene, such as not washing hands regularly, not disinfecting equipment before and after use, or not showering after exercise, can facilitate transmission.

Enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces: Poor ventilation in enclosed areas can increase the risk of transmission through respiratory droplets, especially in areas where high-intensity exercises are performed.

 

Measures to Reduce the Risk

To minimize the risk of contracting monkeypox at the gym, it's important to follow some recommendations:

Regular disinfection: Always clean and disinfect equipment before and after use. Bring your own towels and sterilize surfaces you will come into contact with.

Personal hygiene: Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face. Change clothes immediately after working out and shower as soon as possible.

Social distancing: Maintain a safe distance from other users when possible, especially in areas where high-intensity exercises are performed.

Use of personal equipment: If possible, bring your own equipment, such as yoga mats, small weights, or resistance bands, to avoid sharing objects with others.

 

While the risk of contracting monkeypox at a gym exists, it can be minimized with good hygiene practices and precautions. Stay informed about public health recommendations and take steps to protect yourself and others. If you experience symptoms or believe you have been in contact with someone infected, consult a healthcare professional and avoid going to the gym until you are sure you do not pose a risk to others. | X | WhatsApp | chulucanasgym@gmail.com

  

A medicine called rythm

Why shouldn’t just a dance morning be… just a dance morning?

By ChulucanasGym. Photos Courtesy Fuerza de la Juventud.

Last July 10th, a Group of boys and girls called Fuerza de la Juventud (Youth Power) summoned Piura City’s population to spend dancing in the  morning .

Their objective was to get the people involved into a healthy activity but they didn’t go deep more reasons. However, they got 50 men and women joined the idea. They also got Bodytech accepts to monitor it.

That’s the possitive, but we believe that Fuerza de la Juventud responsed much by spontaneity for ‘doing something’, according to one of its spokesman talked to us, before articulating a possibly beneficial project for a population with high levels of heart disease, diabetes, overweight, depression and anxiety.

In fact, since they joined, they follow isolated initiatives muchly fed by entusiasm –what it’s not bad- instead of strategic planning.

But, as they are a group just stepping on, they can adjust , correct and take ideas, specializing in some in particular. And dance is one of the best  they could have and they should continue in an articulated, plannedd way, with sequential goals… as dance and the whole physical activity are by definition.

Teaches, avoids, heals

Physically, diverse works take care to separate pedagogical, preventive and therapeutic aspects of dance.

Although the human being usually can move by reflexes, dance allows to organize them for make them a rhythm. This means to coordinate the ear and the muscles, eventually the eye too. When we program our reflexes to make rhythm, we develop auditive and space memory and muscles become more flexible for responsing better the next time they are stimulated to move in one or many determined directions.

Preventively, dance implies to sweat, that releases toxines. But few people realize the movement rregulates blood circulation and impacts possitively on all fluids of our body. In consequence, it reduces or controls heart conditions, improves breathing, corrects position, avoids or reduces hurts in muscles and articulations, regenerates the skin much fastly, and slows down the aging.

So, ever you have medical supervision, once those diseases have appeared, dance has shown to be a favorable therapy for recovering processes even the degenerative ones, as Parkinson’s disease.

“It helps to improve breathing because of exercises done before and during the dance, like breathing and body warm-up as arms, abs or legs, and some energy focusing exercises, something similar to meditation,” Picsi, Peru-based coach German Aguirre stresses.

An integrative activity

If physical benefits are significant, mental benefits are the equal. Since dancing is a learning process, each achieve you get contributes with much confidence, and that strengthen your self-steem. Regarding, this also implies to know better your body and its responses, what impacts on loving you more, appreciating you more.

Starting up here, when you focus your brain on dancing well, you bring it upgrade, keeping you far from any mental condition, depression especially, it doesn’t matter a diagnosis neither risky factors leading you to it. The same for anxiety.

And when dancing comes from an individual experience to a collective one, as Fuerza de la Juventud set up, and under an adequate monitoring, it improves your social skills and stimulates values as solidarity, fellowship and respect.

“Group dance has too many benefits because the persons, when joining, first have to meet for work well together so, then it helps they know much different things along the time: combined steps, lifts, maneuvers,, coach German Aguirre points on.

That’s why we consider a dancing morning can’t keep just in a spontaneous and isolated activity, but it must response to a frequent program to improve the life and health of each person, and what rebuilds us like a healthy community in body, mind and soul. The challenge is able for the vote.

Post-produced by Sheyla Benavente.

Read also:

• The dance of life
• Yoga – A Different Philosophy