The Badass Guide to Yoga for Men

 



I know what you’re thinking: another article about why more men should do yoga.
But listen up, guys, because it’s time to get real. Below are seven hardcore facts to support incorporating a solid yoga practice into your life. After all, one man’s loss is another man’s gain—and it’s time for more gains, bruh.

Before we get down to the solution, let’s address the problem. I have heard all the excuses dudes give for not doing yoga. And for the fun of it, here are the top five.

1. Yoga is for chicks.

Yes, most yoga classes are filled with women, but I’m curious as to how many guys would complain about that. The notion that yoga is for women is a strange misconception, considering yoga was originally designed for men. Women were not allowed to practice until the early 20^th century.

2. I’m not flexible enough.

Developing flexibility is exactly the reason you go to yoga. It’s a practice that you build into. You didn’t start bench-pressing 300 pounds the first time you went to the gym, and I’m sure you didn’t start with the excuse, “I’m not strong enough.”
Yoga improves muscle length and endurance of muscle tissue, while increasing joint mobility. More mobility means more gains, bruh.

3. Yoga is too easy.

I thought the same thing: Why would I pay for a stretching class when I stretch everyday? That was my excuse. When I took my first class, however, it was not easy, as I was trying to get through all the postures and move my body in ways it’s never been before. I was sore for days in places I didn’t know existed. No amount of weight lifting even came close to that impact.

4. I’m not into the spiritual mumbo jumbo.

Om nama shi…oh my bad. Not all classes are designed around the element of spiritualty or chanting. There are classes designed specifically for men, such as Broga and Man Flow Yoga, that are structured and built around strength, stability, and mobility without the yogic spiritual philosophy.

5. I may get sexually aroused in class.

You are on your own with that one! However, yoga does balance your sexual hormones and increase the release of pheromones, which draws sexual attention and increases libido. It also rids the body of toxins that affect sexual performance and reproductive health.
A 2010 study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, revealed that yoga effectively improves all sexual functions in men. Is better sex something to fear, boys?

Why real men do yoga

If any of these arguments resonated with you, you are not alone. Many guys have avoided yoga for these reasons and more. With all assumptions aside, let’s consider the benefits of yoga for the male body. Here are seven reasons why this epic practice should not be missed by any man.

1. Relieve stress and tension.

Yoga gives us a chance to unplug and withdraw from the daily grind and endless flurry of texts, emails, phone calls, and obligations. Yoga allows you a mental and physical detox by employing breathing (pranayama) techniques that are known for their relaxation effects. These techniques calm the central nervous system, which is responsible for the fight or flight response.

2. Increase flexibility.

Any sports or physical activity requires engagement of multiple muscles fibers to perform powerful, explosive, and strategic movement patterns. The physical practice of yoga, or asana, targets specific areas of muscle in the body to increase extensibility and endurance in the muscle fiber. This increases blood flow, nutrient delivery, and range of motion.
Greater range of motion equals more leverage, power, and agility during sporting activities in addition to greater gains in the gym.

3. Shred muscles and shed body fat.

Yoga utilizes postures which are held for extended periods of time. These poses tend to focus on multiple isometric contractions of various muscle groups in the body. Imagine holding a plank for 1-2 minutes after your upper body is already spent from other postures—easier said than done.
Yoga also jumpstarts your metabolism and releases healthy hormones, while balancing out your cortisol levels and in turn helps to burn unwanted fat to be turned into energy. Think of it as being green for your body.
Twisting postures help to sculpt and tone the midsection. Standing postures build a solid foundation for powerful, fine-tuned legs. Weight-bearing postures on the arms help to build and tone the entire upper body. This creates a total body workout and detox entirely built into a one-hour class—and even better, you get to chillax at the end.

 

  4. Improve balance and stability.

Yoga employs multiple postures that challenge single leg balance, arm balance, bending forward with a split leg stance. All of which helps to improve overall postural stability and promotes deep core engagement and support, while strengthening supportive structures along the spine to allow for protection and stability.

5. Prevent injury.

The majority of injuries come from repetitive overuse and a lack of overall body maintenance in active or inactive individuals. Over tightening of the muscles can place you at higher risk for muscle and tendon strains, sprains and tears, making it extremely important to maintain healthy extensibility of the muscular tissues.
Yoga balances muscular connections in the body and allows for increase space and mobility in the body to create less joint compression and increased range of motion.

6. Improve endurance and cardiovascular health.

Heart disease is on the rise for men as we age. Vinyasa-style yoga employs moving through multiple postures and sequences to heat and warm the body and as a result, fires up the circulatory system and organically improves cardiac output. This supports building healthy heart tissue and delivering blood flow and nutrients to every nook and cranny of the body.

7. Clear mental fog and fatigue.

Traditionally, asana is employed to unlock and relax the body to prepare you to meditate comfortably and without interruption. Even taking five minutes to close yours eyes and just focus on your breathing can greatly improve mental clarity and improve energy levels. It allows the mind a short period to reboot from the endless stream of thoughts and information we receive on a daily basis.

How to deal with employee substance abuse | Dr Fazal Mahmood

How to deal with employee substance abuse

About one in 10 workers is affected by substance abuse, and the tech industry isn't without issues in this area. Here are some steps managers can take.

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"If you had told me 20 years ago that I was going struggle with cocaine addiction, I would have laughed," said Charlotte, whose last name isn't used, in an article on the website for Alta Mira, a California-based addiction treatment facility. "My idea of a coke addict was Kelly's mom on 90210, frantically snorting C in the ladies bathroom before the big fashion show, all shoulder pads and leather skirt. I was a mousy girl from Iowa, not exactly primed to take on a $200/day habit."
Charlotte had landed a job in the Silicon Valley that paid her more than both of her parents made together. She got introduced to cocaine by a co-worker. The two of them kept snorting at work, and before long, the habit was consuming most of her income.

This quote from David J. Linden, PhD, a neuroscience professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine appears in a post on Alta Mira's website: "When we think of the qualities we seek in visionary leaders, we think of intelligence, creativity, wisdom and charisma, but also the drive to succeed, a hunger for innovation, a willingness to challenge established ideas and practices. But in fact, the psychological profile of a compelling leader [...] is also that of the compulsive risk-taker, someone with a high degree of novelty-seeking behavior. In short, what we seek in leaders is often the same kind of personality type that is found in addicts, whether they are dependent on gambling, alcohol, sex or drugs."

Hence, it is not entirely surprising that substance abuse crops up in the tech workforce—and it is likely that managers of tech functions and at tech companies see symptoms of these behaviors. But then, what do they do about it?

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports that around 14 million people who are employed either full- or part-time abuse alcohol or drugs, and that these employees account for about 10% of the U.S. workforce. While substance abuse has soared in the U.S. workforce, many managers and companies seem to feel that dealing with this issue is the HR's responsibility.

But with so much of the US workforce allegedly "under the influence," it is also in the interest of managers to be more proactive about helping to ensure the welfare of these affected employees, and of the staff members who work with and around them.

Here are six steps that managers can take:

Recognize potential signs of substance abuse

These signs include:

• Absenteeism, particularly absences without notification;
• Excessive use of sick days;
• Frequent disappearances from work;
• Unreliability in keeping appointments;
• Work performance that alters between high and low periods of productivity;
• Increase in accidents on and off the job;
• Mistakes attributable to inattention, poor judgment or bad decisions;
• Increases in time and effort for ordinary tasks;
• Problems with interpersonal relations with co-workers;
• Confusion, or difficulty concentrating;
• Progressive deterioration in personal appearance and hygiene;
• Physical signs such as exhaustion, hyperactivity, dilated pupils, slurred speech or an unsteady walk, etc.

·         Document complaints and concerns about the employee's behavior

·         As a manager, it is likely that you will not be the first one to observe changes in an employee's behavior. Most likely, staff members who work directly with the employee will be the first to know. If the problem is serious enough, they will come to you and expect you to do something about it. Listen carefully, take thorough notes, and let them know you will be looking into the situation.

·         Investigate

·         You will want to personally observe the employee in question to see if you can confirm the types of behaviors that others are raising concerns about. If you observe these behaviors, you should document them. Also, this is the time to invite another fellow manager to observe the employee, and to record his or her observations.

·         Visit with HR

·         Most IT and tech managers focus on their disciplines and projects. They are not psychologists or human behavior specialists. Consequently, once you uncover a potential employee substance abuse issue, it is time to visit with HR, which specializes in people issues. HR can work with you to refresh on company policy covering substance abuse, as well as on what the potential legal and people issues are. They will likely recommend that you meet directly with the employee. They will also likely have guidelines for the meeting that they will want you to follow as you conduct it. Follow these guidelines to the letter.

·         Meet with the employee

·         Meeting with an employee about substance abuse is a highly personal issue—and one that is ideally handled on a private, one-to-one basis. Unfortunately, because of the legalities that can be involved in dealing with substance abuse, employee rights and fair treatment in the workplace, you cannot afford to put yourself at risk as a manager flying solo in a meeting like this. Your HR department will likely be on top of this. They will recommend that an HR manager accompany you to the meeting so there is a second person who can be a witness to what is said by all parties as the meeting is conducted. The goal should to confront the employee directly with what has been observed at work. This is also a time when the employee can fill you in on what has been going on.

·         Take action

·            Some companies have policies that enable them to conduct drug testing when an employee is suspected of substance abuse. Employees sign consent agreements for drug testing when they start their employment with the company.

·         However, the longer term and more important issue for companies and managers is to help employees address their substance abuse issues, whether it is through counseling, leave of absence programs that allow them to get more focused help, and even workforce reintegration programs that enable them to re-establish themselves with the company once their problems are under control. Managers play a critical role in reintegration efforts, because it is their job to ensure that these employees as they re-enter the workforce are not stigmatized by other staff who may have been privy to internal rumor mills.

·         In 2016, the National Institute on Drug Abuse put the abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs at over $700 billion annually in costs related to crime, lost work productivity and health care. No one manager can solve this enormous problem in his or her domain, but if more managers can intelligently confront the problem when they first see it surface in staff members, relief can be brought not only to substance abusers but to those around them who are deeply concerned.

Digital Marketing for Doctors: A click closer to the patients

Digital Marketing for Doctors : As they say, we must embrace meaningful changes. And since we are already living in a generation which is predominantly run by technological advancements such as the use of  computers and the rise and rise of internet , it is about time to embrace change  for our own advantage.
Despite it being both on the extreme sides, healthcare has something to benefit from digital marketing. Obviously, there are plenty of industries nowadays which are using these strategies and at the same time harnessing the benefits of it. The use of Digital marketing for doctors would result in more engagement from patients for improved satisfaction, increased brand awareness, improvement in patient retention, promotion of a positive reputation online, and improved digital visibility.
In the healthcare industry alone, doctors have slowly embraced the paradigm shift specifically on how healthcare has been marketed since then to the people. Nowadays, we can see that the healthcare industry and doctors alike already have custom websites, emails, social media, mobile app, and so on. After all, people nowadays are driven extensively by the use of social media as well as other available digital platforms in managing their health. And after thorough analysis, it is only the time that they decide to look at this medium more seriously. Doctors that can make use of these new channels of communication are prospects for new patient communication and engagement.
Due to the extreme ease with with information is available now , patients, as consumers, would no longer just accept anything that doctors feed them as information. Instead, people rely on most of the time health-related information that is accessible online. It’s no surprise then that patients today would search online first about medical conditions instead of asking it from doctors. And once they are able to search what they need to look for online, then that is the time that they book an appointment with a physician. Such scenario is a clear indication of how people nowadays are taking ownership and responsibility for their health, as well as taking to the online medium for looking for health information. And this is the same change that doctors must cope up with in order to keep the ball rolling.
Fortunately, the digital channels that are now present nowadays are becoming beneficial for a lot of doctors. They are no longer relying solely on the traditional means of marketing such as the word of mouth. But instead, they prioritize more the digital outreach that which is quite the norm of today. There might be a stiff competition but it is the only way for doctors to fair well in the competition of online reputation. Thus, it is very important for doctors to learn online marketing in their industry.
Interestingly, doctors must abide by the rules of today specifically in social media services for doctors as part of their strategy. It has been an indispensable way for doctors nowadays in order to nurture a relationship based on credibility and trust. Online medium and offers a great way to build a profile  and credibility about the doctors and cross geographic boundaries in terms of being able to provide consulting service. Digital marketing for doctors takes it a notch further by proactively reaching out to the people who may be looking for these services.
By embracing the digital marketing services for doctors that are present nowadays, doctors will be able to have a meaningful channel of communication with their patients that will work later on in their favor. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube & Google have been innovative used by some healthcare professionals across the world to better engage with their patients.  As the number of digital natives , people who grow with smart phones and tablets in their hands, increases and information access becomes easier for the masses across all socio-economic strata , doctors, must also think of managing their online brand reputation and perception and of better ways to engage with their patients.

Think Tank: Where Is Fashion’s March on Washington?

Professor Susan Scafidi teaches at Fordham and is founder of the Fashion Law Institute.

 

Washington is the destination of choice for 2017. Since the presidential inauguration, the immediately historic Women’s March on Washington and the annual March for Life have filled the National Mall in quick succession, to be followed by a March for Science, a Tax March, a Pride March and an Immigrants’ March. But amidst the red hats and the pointy-eared pink ones, a question remains: Where is fashion’s march on Washington?
Business interests are more often represented through conversing in the corridors of power than by chanting in the streets or posting on social media. At least two of fashion’s leading ladies, Diane von Furstenberg and Anna Wintour, did make strategic appearances during the campaign, and after the election some designers debated the ethics of dressing the female family members of a victor for whom they hadn’t voted. As large industries go, however, fashion is thin on the ground in terms of a comprehensive political agenda.
While lobbying expenditures are only one measure of influence, fashion barely registers in a summary of federal disclosure reports. Nike, at just over a million dollars, may be fashion’s biggest spender for 2016 and the only one in the seven-figure range. Indeed, it appears that among fashion-specific entities, the American Apparel & Footwear Association is one of only a few reporting expenditures of over half a million. Several organizations and companies in general retail sales or in cosmetics and personal-care products have more substantial lobbying budgets, but nothing like the tens of millions of the pharmaceutical or tech industries.
Fashion has not always been functionally invisible to Washington in the years between inaugural galas. In the early twentieth century, when the American industry consisted largely of manufacturing, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire shocked the nation, galvanized unions and led to extensive legal reforms. Frances Perkins, who personally witnessed the fire, later became Secretary of Labor and the first woman to hold a U.S. Cabinet position. Fashion’s periodic efforts to obtain intellectual property protection have been less successful, apart from jewelry and fabric designs, but the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s recent campaign drew widespread bipartisan attention and support.
Modern divisions within the industry pose a challenge, but not an insuperable barrier, to reestablishing an effective, unified voice. The growing class of creative designers will never see eye-to-eye with their copyists. There is general agreement, however, that fashion is a global industry. At a moment when a new administration is engaging in comprehensive restructuring of international policies, fashion needs its own shopping list.
Fashion’s deep-rooted globalism points to two topics in particular: tariffs and immigration. Approximately 97 percent of apparel and footwear purchased in the U.S. is manufactured overseas. While fast fashion and luxury items are often imported from different nations, they all cross borders to reach the American consumer — and proposals like a 20 percent border adjustment tax levied on imports but not exports could, if inexpertly crafted, have an immediate negative effect. Granted, the footwear feud that developed over the now-defunct TPP trade agreement highlighted divisions between companies that manufacture largely overseas and those that retain domestic manufacturing. The industry can agree, however, that reshoring all manufacturing immediately is neither logistically possible nor wise in terms of supporting economic stability elsewhere.
Immigration enhances the creativity and competitiveness of American fashion through personal roles, such as those of designers, executives, garment workers, models and editors, as well as diverse student bodies. Promoting Made in America isn’t feasible without a sufficient number of people willing and able to run the sewing machines. Like other developed countries, the U.S. can profit from advances in robotics and other technologies in the revitalization of manufacturing, but transition takes time and calls for shared expertise. Reform of visa categories may ultimately benefit fashion, but only if the industry is part of the conversation.
To claim a regular place at the negotiating table, even more important than investment of money or time is a proactive rather than reactive agenda that is reflective of the industry as a whole, as opposed to discrete segments. Incisive tweets and statement accessories can be an important part of public discourse, but fashion ultimately needs to draw from deeper wells of examination and expertise to advance a sustained strategic program.
Infrastructure investment, sustainability, health and safety, employment law, regulation of advertising, intellectual property, data privacy — even a partial list of policy changes and initiatives poised to affect the fashion industry is impressive. But so is fashion’s unacknowledged advantage: a First Family linked to the industry and aware of its economic significance. At the very least, Washington may stop using the f-word — frivolous — in reference to fashion, provided that we mount an intelligent virtual march of our own.

How to Radically Improve Your Writing in Under 2 Minutes

We're already more than a week into January, but I'm still slowly working my way through all the "best of" year-end lists out there (there are so many of them!). Combing through these recommendations may be time-consuming, but it's worth the commitment, I've found, as sometimes you turn up an absolute gem you missed earlier in the year.

Take the post titled "The Two Minutes It Takes to Read This Will Improve Your Writing Forever," by marketer Josh Spector, for example. As short as it is useful, the piece is one of the most recommended posts of 2016, Medium informs me. It's not hard to see why.

Spector offers five dead-simple changes you can make to basically any piece of writing in a matter of seconds that will make it more forceful and compelling. We'd all enjoy reading a bit more if more writers followed his tips:

    1. Delete the word that. At least 90 percent of the time, the word that can be removed from your writing    and it will instantly make your sentence stronger.

    2. Delete the words I think. It adds nothing. Remove it to strengthen your point.

    3. Avoid words that end in -ing. Example: "The experiences we're seeking end up being underwhelming and even disappointing." Change this to: "The experiences we seek often underwhelm and disappoint."

    4. Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Most sentences can be cut in half. Don't be afraid to have a two- or three-word sentence. Keep paragraphs to less than three sentences.

    5. Shrink your opening sentence. Example: "This is a post that's going to help you become a better writer." Change to: "I can help you."

9 Healthcare Predictions For 2017

Every year at Frost & Sullivan, the Transformation Health team brainstorm top predictions for the New Year to come. 2017 will definitely continue to be a year of tumultuous uncertainty and turbulence, but amidst this uncertainty we know for a fact that technology will continue to flourish and will have unprecedented impact on healthcare in terms of building some of the foundation blocks towards a connected home and healthcare ecosystem.

The following are our nine top predictions for healthcare for 2017:

Strong Push Toward Price Control And Transparency Measures Around Drugs
Public and political pressure on the control of surging drug prices, globally, will compel health authorities to bring transparency measures around drugs pricing, especially for some of the diabetes and cholesterol medicines where more low-cost generic competition is gaining market acceptance.
Blockchain Becomes One Of The Most Important Technologies In The Healthcare Industry
With the potential to change how healthcare information is stored, shared, secured and paid for, blockchain technologies have immense potential to tackle some of the biggest challenges in healthcare information management. Companies like Gem Health are among the few companies currently advocating the use and benefits of such a platform.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Transforms Medical Imaging Informatics
As more and more experts and healthcare professionals find the usability of these AI systems as decision support tools and not decision makers, uptake of AI-enabled clinical decision support tools is expected to increase in the coming years. More particularly during 2017, AI will play a big role in diagnostic imaging by complementing radiologists with advanced interpretation and imaging informatics supports.