Top 5 books to read

There are times when you need an escape from your life and your time frame. Books are the best escape, the best time travel and the best indulgence. The world right now is going through a lot, and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is the toughest time for the humanity. From being on the verge of several wars, burning forests and an almost wrecking virus, there are times when you need to get away. 

Here’s a list of top 5 books you should read—

  1. The Bell Jar

One of the most beautifully written novels, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath emerges as an absolute get-lost-into novel. The stories about confinement and trauma are shocking, the narrative of this book is so indulging that you fall for it being real and forget what’s outside.

2. Looking for Alaska

A young adult fiction, John Green’s books never disappoint you. The descriptive nature of the book portrays a real film in your mind. The book is hard to leave and harder to get over with. You just keep falling in love with it every day.

3. Mrs. Dalloway

Considered as one of the best works of Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway is a book about a woman in the post-war days in Britain. It covers the day-long schedule in the life of a woman. The realisation of time and society that the book leaves you with is incredible. 

4. War and Peace

Another classic novel by Leo Tolstoy, covers the Russia’s days with Napoleon. It is amazing to read how ordinary people deal with the extraordinary conditions they encounter in their daily lives due to the war. It is worth reading as it teaches how people dealt during a wartime, when the the society was rapidly changing. The book is a thick-read but it is worth the time.

5. The Kite-Runner

The kite-runner by Khaled is a story about a young boy Amir and his friend Hassan. 

The story is based in Afghanistan, a war-torn and landlocked country in Asia. The kite-fight tournaments, the friendship and the betrayal will have all of your heart.

Reach out to me on instagram @ekanika_shah

Why PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile is not banned in India?

Both PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile are available to download and play on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The Indian servers of both the games are also live and are functioning at 100 per cent capacity.

Mixed ownership and the IP registrations might not be the actual reason as to why these mobile video games were not banned.

Earlier this week the government of India banned 59 Chinese apps in India, stating that these apps were threatening country’s sovereignty, defence, and public order. The list includes TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser, Clash of Kings and many more but not popular mobile games PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile.

Many people have been asking why PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile have not been banned despite being owned by Tencent Games, which s based out of Shenzhen, China. The answer to this question is that they have not been banned because they are not completely Chinese.

PUBG Mobile has been developed and is managed by the PUBG Corporation, a subsidiary of Bluehole, which is located in South Korea. After the initial success of the game, Tencent Games approached PUBG Corporation to distribute the game in China. Soon after the game was a success in China, Tencent Games brought it to India.

On the other hand, to launch Call of Duty Mobile Activision partnered with TiMi Studios, which is a subsidiary of Tencent Games. Activision is a subsidiary of the California based company Activision Blizzard.

Keep in mind that the mixed ownership and the IP registrations might not be the actual reason as to why these mobile video games were not banned. The government hasn’t issued any statement on this topic yet.

Both PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile are available to download and play on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The Indian servers of both the games are also live and are functioning at 100 per cent capacity.

Google and Apple have removed all 59 banned Chinese apps from Play store and App store. TikTok was the first application of them all to be taken down from Play store. The popular short video platform is completely offline in the country right now which means the app isn’t working for any users in the country right now. In an official statement, TikTok noted that it is working with the Indian government right now.

@martin_christopher

India and Knowledge Society

Let knowledge come from all sides. (RIG VEDA):

Knowledge has always been an essential and distinguishing characteristic of human society, for human beings are unique among all species in their extended capacity to formulate, systematize, preserve and consciously transmit organized bodies of knowledge from one individual, community, generation and location to another. That is the essence of all that is known as education.

There is almost universal recognition that knowledge as a product and as an instrument will be the basic foundation for competitiveness of individual business and of nations in the 21st century. Robust research findings suggest that knowledge as a factor of production explains a substantial proportion of economic growth internationally.

 Historically, Indian society is a hierarchical society and its knowledge base has always been elitist. Whether it is the caste based system or the colonial education system, access to knowledge has primarily been the privilege of the few. But such a system can never lay the foundation for a holistic development strategy. Therefore, all socio-economic and political
ideas have to be focused on inclusive growth and socio-economic equality in the real sense

The recent focus of good governance is to enable inclusive growth and development. India has come a long way from the hierarchical society and its exclusive educational system which we imbibed from our cultural and social heritage, as well as our colonial past. The thrust of the envisaged changes in the society calls for knowledge for all and a shift towards an inclusive
knowledge based society.

“If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us” said Adlai E. Stevenson. This is the idea behind the concept of an inclusive society based on free and easy access to knowledge for all.

Knowledge Society consists of practices and policies for using intellectual assets to support key economic objectives and to reduce vulnerability gaps, and in the process of social transformation strengthening national security .Knowledge management deals with the knowledge as a corporate resource. Knowledge culture is necessary for survival and success in the modern world of business.

Knowledge is only one input to the development process, but it is an absolutely essential one. Without adequate knowledge all the other essential inputs-land, infrastructure, factories, capital, technology, administrative and social organization-cannot yield full results. Enhancing knowledge generation, dissemination and application is the fastest, most cost-effective means of increasing the productivity of all these other resources and accelerating national development.
Development depends on four knowledge processes:

  • Knowledge generation and acquisition through scientific discovery, R&D and transfer of technology.
  • Knowledge adaptation through innovation to particular fields, needs and operating environments.
  • Knowledge dissemination through formal and informal channels from knowledge developers and adapters to those responsible for applying the knowledge in society.
  • Knowledge application through skilled action in fields, factories, classrooms, hospitals and every other field of activity to achieve practical results.

The competencies that would count in the emerging Knowledge Age are intelligence, knowledge, good formal educational qualifications and skills in communicative English-we are abundant in it.

Knowledge is important not only for the rich but also for the poor. This is all the more relevant in a country such as India where the gap between the rich and the poor is enormous. Thus India has to closely link economic development with social development .Technology can assist in the development of the social sector. The anytime-anywhere and death-of-distance paradigms of technology enable better leveraging of scarce resources. Computerized learning aids, cyber classes and e-education are instances of use of technology in education. Knowledge is the key driver in the race for economic leadership. A key imperative today is for the government to collaborate with the private sector and industry in building knowledge infrastructure. This includes partnership for developing talent, formulating conducive regulatory framework, creating bandwidth and providing affordable computing power.

It is suggested that Indian policy makers and organisations consider focusing on the following areas to prepare for a knowledge-based economy and society.

First, good quality institutions, a reasonable degree of contestability in the economy and in polity, and an outward-orientation are essential for creating, diffusing and adapting knowledge in India; efforts should be made to deepen and institutionalise economic and governance reforms.

Second, strong education and training in technology and science are essential as knowledge cannot be absorbed unless some basic knowledge is already possessed. Reforming education policies and regulations, particularly those designed to increase supply and quality, should be an urgent priority. India must preserve traditional knowledge and subject it to scientific enquiry and application.

Third, capabilities to take advantage of international conventions such as converting product and process knowledge into patents and intellectual property rights must be developed. Commoditisation of traditional knowledge by more resourceful countries needs to be addressed through cooperation among developing countries, which have similar interests.

Fourth, private and public sector firms and organisations of developing countries must be open to new ideas. There is no more insidious colonisation than colonisation of the mind. In most Indian organisations, the desire to reform traditional methods of administration and delivery of government services is essential if the efficiencies arising from the knowledge-economy are to be realised.

Fifth, multiple sources of new ideas and experiments, including rural technology innovations, need to be cultivated. If such sources of ideas are combined with encouraging social entrepreneurship, i.e. meeting social needs with capitalist means, and with effective public private partnerships, application of knowledge-economy to diverse areas can be facilitated.

Sixth, a great deal of knowledge is organisation, context or location-specific. The challenge is to use it to address specific economic and social needs. India’s heterogeneity can be used to great advantage in discovering and diffusing location specific knowledge to develop more sustainable, relatively less elaborate, production and supply chains.

These, in turn, may help increase resilience of local economies to external shocks.

The National Knowledge Commission (NKC), an advisory body set up in 2005, has five focus areas, namely easy access to knowledge, emphasis on education at all levels, creation of knowledge, application of knowledge to all sectors, and better delivery of services in all sectors. The NKC however has not received strong political support. Its recommendations have been blocked by petty political and bureaucratic rivalries. Unwillingness or inability to assert strong political leadership by the Prime Minister in this area has contributed to the erosion of his authority, while constraining India’s future options and prospects.

Many believe that those representing Indian institutions will have the capacity to push for a level playing field on the world scene as far as access to technology and the relevant knowledge bases are concerned at the same time as they foster the development of local knowledge and ICT applications. However, this will depend on other factors such as international trade relations and whether the government and other stakeholders can avoid becoming victims of the ICT fetish. India’s resilient features and strengths in terms of its social organisation, its cultural resources and its vast reservoir of knowledge workers should not be frittered away as a result of greater than necessary participation in the global knowledge society.

India was a knowledge force in the ancient days. Let us again restore this status to Bharat again. Let us draw inspiration from our great wise men of the past and the intellectual leadership of the present and make the world exclaim, “The Wonder That Is India.”

India of the ages is not dead nor has she spoken her last word, she lives and has still something to do for herself and the humankind. (AURBINDO GHOSH)

ROOPKUND: SKELETON LAKE

ROOPKUND locally known as skeleton Lake or Mysterious Lake , It’s lies in the Lap of Trishul  Massif , located in the Himalayas. It’s a high altitude glacial lake in the Uttarak hand  Roopkund is one of the important places for trekking in Chamoli District, Himalayas, near the base of two Himalayan peaks: Trisul (7,120 m) and Nanda Ghunti (6,310 m)  The Lake is flanked by a rock face named Junargali to the North and a peak named Chandania Kot to the East. Roopkund lake is covered with ice for most of the year Roopkund is known as a mystery lake and is surrounded by rock-strewn glaciers and snow-clad mountains. The lake is about two metres deep and invites hundreds of trekkers and pilgrims every year

  • TRISHUL
  • ROOPKUND
SOURCE OF THE IMAGES HIMALAYA DIARY AND GOOGLE

IN 1942 A BRITISH FOREST guard in Roopkund, India made an alarming discovery. Some 16,000 feet above sea level, at the bottom of a small valley, was a frozen lake absolutely full of skeletons. That summer, the ice melting revealed even more skeletal remains, floating in the water and lying haphazardly around the lake’s edges.

SKELETON AT ROOPKUND

Something horrible had happened here. The immediate assumption (it being war time) was that these were the remains of Japanese soldiers who had died of exposure while sneaking through India. The British government, terrified of a Japanese land invasion, sent a team of investigators to determine if this was true. However upon examination they realized these bones were not from Japanese soldiers—they weren’t fresh enough. As it turns out, all the bodies date to around 850 AD. DNA evidence indicates that there were two distinct groups of people, one a family or tribe of closely related individuals, and a second smaller, shorter group of locals, likely hired as porters and guides. Rings, spears, leather shoes, and bamboo staves were found, leading experts to believe that the group was comprised of pilgrims heading through the valley with the help of the locals.The researchers concluded that the death was due to a fatal blow on the back of their heads and not due to any wound by weapons, avalanche or landslide. The marks on their skulls and shoulders indicated at being hit by something round, like a cricket ball. The absence of injuries to other body parts indicated that hard round objects, possibly cricket ball sized hail stones or ice balls, fell from above.

Marriages- a pure relation or a money deal

A great marriage isn’t something that just happens; it’s something that must be created.” – Fawn Weaver

Almost everybody, once in their lifetime, must have heard of the great saying, marriages are made in heaven. One of the purest of all relations that exist on the earth, is certainly in danger in one or the other manner.

Child marriage, have been into practice in our country for many centuries, but it is due to the tireless works of Keshab Chandra Sen, founder of Brahmo Samaj, the ill mentality which was pulping in earlier are now demolished from it’s roots. Another practice that prevailed during mid eighteenth and late nineteenth century, Dowry System, was also a big reason to worry. Since, it put great financial strain on the bride’s family, its ebolition was a must. But, today, these practices have almost come to an end, and people are leading towards more independent and maverick lives.

Although, the ill practices that were prevailing earlier in the Indian subcontinent, have now been put to an end, or we can say that, though not from the roots, above the board, it is all sorted. But, at the same time, a more ill and heart melting practice is being put into force, by most of the literate, along with illiterate people, i.e. people nowadays sale their bride and groom, in order to get them married at any cost.

It is a common tendency among Indians to get their children married once they enter their twenties, but if their marriage happens to fail, any cost is being given to the other party, in order to get them married. The reason why these things happen is the greed, as well as the pathetic excuse for their getting old.

And the only meaning driven out of these practices is that, people, or the young people, are being sold out, under the name of getting married, which is often hidden behind the pure and holy relation of marriage. Which is equal to a crime, also, it can be associated with Human Trafficking. It is simply selling of people, but the only difference here is, they know at what price, and where they are being sold to.

It is a common practice in most of the hindu families, that are supposed to be one of the literate class, but unfortunately are into such practices that lead to detoriation of the human values, and morals, along with cultural heritage. We often blame it on most of the Muslim families, or people that they are much more into practices such as marrying more than one lady, instead all are equally guilty in promoting every kind of ill practice that is prevailing in the society, and continue to be there forever.

It is a massive problem, that has settled its roots into the society, behind the name of marriage. Often, it is neglected and taken for granted, but until its ebolition is done with a force, it will take over the society forever and will detoriate the pureness of such a relation.

“Goal Of A Human Life”

Is there anybody among you who wants such a happiness which is not perfect or complete, which is incomplete or transitory? Does anybody wants such a life which should not always be; we should be living some time and not live at another time? Who wants such a life? Does anybody wish for a knowledge which is incomplete? We want such happiness which would never end. We want such life which should always be. We want such knowledge which is supreme and perfect without the least faint of incompleteness therein. Such a longing is in fact, the longing for the Supreme truth of life, God. Save god there is nothing which is eternal, perfect and absolute. We hush up the desire to seek truth by petty worldly desires and become happy or unhappy at times and intervals.
All the efforts are being made in the all-world – this pull, this beat-up, this jump-jump and this run-sun – their golden results may be whatever, but the ultimate goal is the destruction of humanity. Man is being homed only for humans. For the betterment of man, only by giving himself a special sense of life can the completion of life.
Distinction and opposition, different ideologies, different goals – all are upper things; The only truth inside is man and its true service – that should be the ultimate goal of our life. Whether we serve literature, or society: whether through commerce, or through the path of service – this common element ‘man’ will be found in all. For this, our only duty should be to collect maximum welfare resources.
We have to make our goal so easy with our practice that the “electric particles of power which are scattered in busy circles, are voidable. May all Vijayini become humanity in coordination. “
The only goal of a human’s life should be nation-service, human-service, social service. Our goal should be to ensure maximum welfare of the society by making our life successful.
The goal gives the person a right direction. Tells him which work is necessary for him and which is not. If the goals are clear, then we prepare ourselves accordingly. Our subconscious mind inspires us to act accordingly. If the goal is clear in the mind, then the path to achieve it also appears clear and a person moves in that direction.

Narration of Arnold H Glasgow, “Like football, even in life, you cannot move forward until you know your goal.”
I feel just right. So if you have not yet set any goal for yourself, then start thinking in this direction. Make goals, make big goals, and achieve them only!

“Celebrating Plastic Bag Free Day And Finding Technological Aspects to fight with Plastic”

Humans have been developing science and technology so as to make their life more comfortable and easy. This humans have made some of the products which have proven to be boon for mankind. Such a product and material which has made life of humans more easier and comfortable.The ease of carrying material and storing them,manufacturing components and many more benefits have been available through this material to humans. Cost Effectiveness, light weight, easy to carry , rust resistance and many more things make this material the best to be used. But with times this has lead to deteriorate the condition of earth. This material as we know takes about 100-500 years to decompose and even more . These have led to pollution of our rivers, ocean sea and our land. 

We humans mostly focus on using plastic as single use plastic and throw it as soon as it’s used.This is especially for carrying bags. Every year, billions of waste material is recorded around the world with maximum concentration of plastic in it. People to get rid of this are starting campaigns which include recycle, reuse and even some believe in getting rid of it simply by burning, but a strong and well planned action to reduce and utilize the waste or stop product hasn’t been seen. 

So what can be done. As a campaign to stop the use of single use plastic every year, people celebrate “Plastic Free Bag day” on 3rd of july increasing the awareness about how plastic is bad for our nature, and how this problem is piling up, and would definitely lead to nowhere but doomsday. 

 

  • So people usually spread awareness about how plastic products can be utilized or reused most of which we threw away. 
  • People prevent the use of plastic bags on this day and prefer carrying a paper bag or a usual bag.
  • Most of the shopkeepers also do not prefer giving our things in plastic bags and aware people to use paper bags or cloth bags.
  • Most people go on hiking where they collect waste plastic things and recycle them or give it to the people who are good at recycling them and making the best out of waste. Most people also provide charities to these working individuals and this provides a helping hand in saving their earth.

 

We human surly need to understand, that we have polluted our earth with every kind of waste and destroyed its environment. Piling Up of waste, floating plastic In water in oceans and sea, disturbing aquatic life, polluted air, polluted soil and many more problems to be addressed which have made our life horrible . We surely need to shift toward better resources and material having the capabilities and abilities to give better results.Alternative to plastic and be the top contender to be utilized in place of it. The research work should be funded and people should prevent wasting and throwing plastic . Material possessing properties like lighter weight, cost effective nes and eco friendly must be initialised to be launched soon so as to get rid of the problems people need to come up with brighter ideas and reduce plastic waste or utilize in some better manner so that we make this earth better and cleaner and thus a better and purest place to live in. 

Peanuts : Nutrition And Health Benefits

A native to South America and introduced to other tropical countries many centuries ago, peanuts though classified as a nut, are actually not nuts as it belongs to the family of legumes like soy, beans and lentils. In India, they are mostly grown in tropical states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana , Tamil Nadu, Gujrat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Nutrition :

Peanuts or Ground nuts are abundant in protein, healthy fats and dietary fibres that can curb your appetite, lower the risk of heart disease and regulate sugar levels. They are immensely rich in Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus and B Vitamins which can provide you with a lot of health benefits.

Groundnut Nutrition per 100 gms

Calories 567 kcal

Total Carbohydrate 16g

Dietary fiber 9g

Sugar 4g

Protein 26g

Total Fat 49g

Saturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 18mg

Potassium 705 mg

Calcium 134mg

Iron 6.7mg

Manganese 245mg

Phosphorus 549

Water 7%

Health Benefits :

Heart – friendly

Peanuts help to keep the heart healthy. They lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels in the blood, only to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by promoting healthy blood lipid profile.

Brain Food

It is due to the presence of Vitamin B3 or niacin that helps improve the functionality of the brain and further boosts memory. They also contain a flavonoid known as resveratrol that helps in improving blood flow to the brain.

Helps in weight loss

The combination of fiber, fat and protein in peanuts helps keep you full for longer and lowers your appetite. They are good source of energy that help increase the metabolic rate.

Helps deal with stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety are two symptoms of depression. Amino acid known as tryptophan present in peanuts releases serotonin a brain chemical that is involved in mood regulation. It keeps us calm and mentally aware.

Best for diabetics

Peanuts make a great snack option for diabetics due to the presence of manganese, a mineral that plays an important role in metabolizing fat and carbohydrate, Calcium absorption and blood sugar regulation. They are known to have a low glycemic index that makes it a perfect go to snack for diabetics.

Good for skin and hair

Vitamins present in peanuts helps in delaying visible significance ageing. It is beneficial for skin. It is also good source of B Vitamins that convert in to biotin only to induce hair growth.

Promotes Fertility

It also contains a good amount of flame. Several studies have shown that women who had a daily consumption of 400 mg of folic acid before and during early pregnancy reduced the risk of having a baby born with a serious neutral tube defect by up to 70%.

The article was all about nutrition facts and health benefits of peanuts. Hope you find this article useful.

BEST BOARD GAMES TO FILL THE TIME

Board games not only kill time, but also entertain. This statement was of no worth  to people before the lockdown. Only on been locked inside our houses for 2 months along with our families, it felt like we ‘re  going  back in flashback  to our fun-filled summer holidays in childhood .In my opinion , this lockdown was the best time for my family to gel along with each other, and play some of the best board games. There is a list of my personal favourite board games like dart board to kill time.

Monopoly-Monopoly is  one of the most popular board game  played,  having license in over 103 countries. It is  a 2-8 players game, for anyone above the age of 8 years. The players roll over two six sided dice, to buy and trade over the properties. The players go on to place their  houses and rents over their properties, with the hope of the opponent landing there and paying more. It comes in around 21 unique editions, and it’ s price  varies from Rs.350-Rs.3000.It’s actually based on the economic concept of “Monopoly”, which means a single identity dominating over the market.

Cluedo(Rs. 649)- Cluedo is a murder mystery game ,for either 2-6 players or 3-6 players depending upon the variation. This is for anyone above the age of  8 years. There are six players, where each one play one suspect, and everyone with the help of clues , collected from moving around the board game object of the game have to determine the victim, and the weapon used to murder. This game involve strategically thinking , and narrowing down by deducing the culprit.

Scrabble(Rs.749)-Scrabble is a word game played in 121 countries,  and available in 29 languages. The game is played by 2-4 players, in a square shaped 15*15 grid, where players with the help of letters embedded tiles, have to make works crossword. The words should be of a standard lexicon, and can be placed either horizontally in a row, or vertical as in columns. At a time, there should be 7 tiles with them ,nothing more or less than that. Each letter have different points. At the end ,the players to  have the highest score wins the game.

Sequence(rs.999)-This is one of the best and easiest card games to play for 2-12 players. It is the best for all ages. All we need here to win this game is a little bit of strategy , and loads of luck. The players have to make a sequence , a row of five chips, similar to the ones used in poker, on  top of the card pictures. It’s a simple,yet challenging board game for fun.

The Game Of Life-This board game is sometimes referred to as the “Life” game. In this game ,2-6 players have to travel down their path ,choosing their own actions. It has a spinner in the center, where each one would be taking turns and cruise through life. Each player has to collect money with their own token money . At the end, when all the players have retired, the one with most amount of wealth, wins the game.Depending on the quality ,the price varies in the range of Rs.899-Rs. 11200.

What has brought together families this pandemic, may also be useful in our future. The board games culture could give the parents a ray of hope, wishing their children lead their lives normally, away from the fear of  being addicted to mobile phones. This game’s   will surely reinvent our lives, and make us  forget our quarantine for sometime.

Why you should try yoga?

Top 10 Unexpected Health Benefits of Yoga | Shape

What is yoga, and why is it so popular? Yoga is a series of stretches and poses that you do with breathing techniques. It offers the powerful benefits of exercise. And since yoga is gentle, almost anyone can do it, regardless of your age or fitness level.

Yoga is a 5,000-year-old discipline from India. It was developed as a practice to unite the mind and body. There are many branches of yoga. All yoga styles can help balance your body, mind, and spirit, but they achieve it in various ways.

A study in The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine (among others) shows that yoga can build strength in addition to flexibility. And flexibility is the key to strength. When your muscles and the tissues that surround them are super tight, you’re not able to move as much weight with a full range of motion in the gym. Doing yoga helps loosen up those tissues so you can get more out of your strength sessions.

Research in the International Journal of Yoga shows that yoga not only reduces stress, but can help lower anxiety and depression, too. (It can also help battle insomnia, helping people who have it to sleep sounder at night, per researchers in Southern India.) There are as many types of yoga as there are machines in the gym, each having their unique benefits. There’s something for everyone: From hot yoga to aerial yoga to a good ‘ol Vinyasa flow to Ashtanga and Kundalini.

A study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that yoga can ward off heart disease helping to keep your heart in good form. Since that’s one of the key reasons people do cardio in gyms, to boost heart health, it’s interesting to note that similar benefits can be reaped from a yoga class. The twisting, stretching and folding of a yoga practice are good for the digestive system, the circulatory system, the lymph system and more. It’s a great way to detox the body and can improve your cardiovascular system. And all this while developing stronger muscles. A gym workout is focused just on strengthening muscles and boosting cardio.

Yoga is a different experience in a yoga studio, but you can easily practice yoga at home, outside or in small spaces. All you need is about 6 feet by 4 feet and you have your own yoga studio. A gym workout requires more equipment and more space.

Yoga eases your aches and pains. A gym workout increases them. Yoga slowly stretches muscles and opens the energy channels of the body. The increased flexibility keeps muscles and joints lubricated and healthy. Weights and treadmill can cause strain which leads to soreness and injuries.

Yoga helps you breathe easier. During times of stress, it’s easy to forget to breathe, really breathe, and not just shallow breaths. Without deep breaths, it’s harder to think clearly and fatigue can set in. Yoga focuses on the breath so that when you need it most, those deep breaths are the norm.