Fitness – Core exercises Guides and Foam Rollers

Some resources to learn how to do core exercises:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=core
great site because they break up the exercises in beginner and advanced. some use balls, weights etc, some do not. they tell you what muscles are worked and how to do it as well as have a picture that shows someone doing the exercise.

the stretching exercises are also good:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercise_demos.asp?exercise_type=stretch

I have used a foam roller (http://www.amazon.com/PB-Elite-Molded-Foam-Rollers/dp/B000HLLREA ) at the gym for a while, and they are AWESOME for basically giving you a deep tissue massage of your quads, inner and outer thighs. And, I have to say it felt fantastic to roll out my quads after all that muramandi sitting yesterday.

here’s more about the stretches you can do with the foam roller: http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/self-myofascial-release.html

Akka’s comment on the foam roller: I personally love the foam roller, my trainer introduced me to it and it was just too good. Its like giving yourself a massage.

Group Dancing…great example

Given that all of you are going to be performing group Bharatanatyam, this is a great video to watch and learn from in terms of lines, synchronising movement etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcvkGhhoj7E&feature=related

A new interpretation for Bha;Ra;Ta

From Prince Ravi Varma’s talk – Instead of Bhavam, Ragam and Talam the three syllables in Bharatanatyam could be interpreted to represent Bhakti, Rakti and Tanmayatvam ie., Devotion, Emotional Content and Aesthetic Quality.

Me likey

Salsa with an Indian twist

Tell me if it doests make you smile.

The Dip :)

INGREDIENTS
2 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried parsley or a few table spoons of freshly chopped parsley
OPTIONAL: (if using, add with the cheeses/mayo)
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
dash of tabasco and/or worcestershire sauce
Salt
fresh crushed pepper
chilli flakes for added spice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Drain the artichokes, squeeze the juice out of them, pull them apart and place in a 1-quart casserole dish.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and mayonnaise. Pour this mixture into the casserole and mix well until the artichoke hearts are mixed in well. Sprinkle the parsley over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or until the dip is brown on top.

Pushpanjali Nattai

{(Taam-3) taam kitta taka tatto danga takku ta
(Dheem-3) dheem kita taka dhitto danga dhikku tai} repeat {…} 5 times
(taam-3) taam kita taka tatto danga takku taaa tai

{tattodaga taam (tam-4) (dhim-4) takatodanga takku taa tai} repeat {…} 2 times

{(dhid-4) tai dhimi taka
dhimi to hastanka dhimi taka
dhimi to hastanka dhimi to
hastanka taka tonka} repeat {…} 2 times

kutta kitta kinna tonga to to daka tam to tai
to dhikku takka to to daka tam to tai
taam taam dheem dheem dheem
tatto danga takku taaa tai

Mooshika vahana modaga hasta chaamara karna vilambita sootra
vaamana roopa maheshwara putra vighne vinayaka (paada namaste-3)

dhikku taa dhikku taa dhikku tat tari tat tat taa
kutta kita kinna tonga to to daga taam to to daka taam to tai

Mooshika vahana modaga hasta chaamara karna vilambita sootra
dhikku taa dhikku taa dhikku tat tari tat tat taa
kutta kita kinna tonga to to daga taam to to daka taam to tai

vaamana roopa maheshwara putra vighne vinayaka (paada namaste-3) namaste.

taka dhimi taka jhunu taka dhimi taka jhunu
tktdkt tktdkt
taka dhimi taka jhunu TKTDKT
taka dhimi taka jhunu TKTDKT
tktdkt tktdkt
Dkt dkt dkt dkt
tktdkt ta
tktdkt tai
tktdkt
tktdkt ta
tktdkt tai
tktdkt
tktdkt ta -
tktdkt tai -
tktdkt tam

Synchronized movements.

The beauty of it is — the dancers are of different body types, and yet their araimandis, mulumandis and adavus make them look like photocopies of each other. This is from the same person who coreographed the Shankarabarnam piece…. I wish I could meet him. The piece has the feel of ballet…the way the dancers move….their footwork and hand movements as they criss-cross… Akka, has he borrowed from ballet, or are they from the adavus we havent learnt yet?

How, oh how do these people make it look so effortless??

Oh… the beautiful backdrop does FULL justice to the choreography. Now I am beginning to understand what Akka said about us being involved in every part of the performance, from dress making to organizing.

How to make what I call besan laddoos

yeah… my mom tells me they are not really besan laddoos, but the kiddie version of “paruppu urundai” (lentil balls).

Akka asked me to add the recipe here, and I figured I might do the world some good promoting my own laziness in the kitchen (the recipe was handed down to me by my grandma(maybe she came up with it) when  I couldnt stay in the kitchen for more than 10 minutes to learn anything)

Here is how you make it:

What you need:

1. Dalia (the ones you get as Roasted split chick peas, or Roasted split Chana dal, or pottu kadalai for the Tamil speaking arpanites)
2. Sugar (powdered or granulated.. your choice)
3. Ghee
4. Cashews (or almonds, or whatever nuts you are in the mood for)
5. Blender/Mixie/ whatever you use to grind a considerable amount of stuff to powder.

You see the clever omission of ratio and proportion of things? Um yeah.. I dont do measuring. I belong to the “Just taste the thing as you make, and add whatever is missing” club.

10 minutes start now:

1. Grind the dalia to a fine powder.
2. Add sugar to the apparatus so it can be ground to powder form as well. You can add powdered sugar as well.. the apparatus will help you mix it in evenly.
3. Taste mix and adjust accordingly.
4. Heat Ghee till it is warm and liquidy.
5. Break cashews (or the nuts of your choice) to tiny little pieces and fry them in the ghee.
6. Add hot (ghee+nuts) to the powder, use it as the “fevicol” to make the balls.
7. Tadaaa! you are done.

Here is how you “correctly” make Besan laddoo.

Here is the recipe for paruppu urundai, the original of this variant.

Mohiniyattam to Swan Lake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzEBVtjltE

I am overjoyed. The way in which Mohiniyattam was blended into the original score was absolutely brilliant. Santosh did an amazing job of bringing his Chhau and Modern dance experience into the piece.

Paras Tillana – study material

You can hear the audio and learn how to sing it here -

Streaming

http://www.esnips.com/doc/e38717ec-5f60-4e91-ab55-5572a4112aaf/8.Thillana—Paras

Words as per http://www.karnatik.com/c3270.shtml

Song: tanOm tanata (tillaanaa)

---

thanOm thanatha (thillAnA)
raagam: paras

15 maayamaaLava gowLa janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P D1 N3 S
Av: S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S

taaLam: dEshaadi
Composer: Pooci Sreenivaasa Aiyyangaar
Language: Telugu

pallavi

tAanOm tanata dhiranA dhru dhru dAni tOmta dhiranA dhru dhru

anupallavi

tAnOm tanata dhira dhirana dhImta dhIm dhIm dhIm tanana dhirnA dhiranA
taddHim dhIm tanana dhirana dhIm tadhIm dhitLAm kiTatakajhaNu
takakiTa takajhaNutaka kiTataka jhaNutaka

caraNam

rAmanAthapura pAlakuDau muddu rAmalinga rAjEndra vibhuni abhi-
rAmijayamuga rakSincumi vArAhi rAjarAjEshvari shankari

shorkkaTTu

tAm takiTa nirisani taka dhimi taka jham gamadagA takiTa jhamtaka
tajham jham magari takiTa jham nidhapa tathaNa risamagari sanidha tadhingiNatOm