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Can Yoga Help Reduce My High Cholesterol?

Pushpa

Pushpa R  |65 Answers  |Ask -

Yoga, Mindfulness Expert - Answered on Mar 05, 2025

Pushpa R is the founder of Radiant Yoga Vibes.
In the last 10 years, she has trained over 400 people in yoga and counselled many others at corporate events.
She holds a master of science degree in yoga for human excellence from Bharathidasan University, Trichy.
Pushpa specialises in meditation, yoga for wellness and mindfulness.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Mar 05, 2025Hindi
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My cholesterol is over 340 mg/dL. I am taking medication and I have been asked to do some exercises. I am 45 and my weight is 84 kg. Can you please suggest some yoga asanas to help reduce cholesterol levels?

Ans: High cholesterol can increase health risks, but with the right lifestyle changes, including yoga, diet, and medication, you can improve your heart health. Yoga helps by improving blood circulation, reducing stress, and boosting metabolism.

Yoga Asanas to Reduce Cholesterol:
? Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations) – 6-12 rounds daily to improve heart health and burn fat.
? Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) – Stimulates digestion and reduces belly fat.
? Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose) – Opens the chest and strengthens the heart.
? Ardha Matsyendrasana (Seated Twist) – Supports liver function and detoxifies the body.
? Vrikshasana (Tree Pose) – Improves balance and circulation.

Pranayama (Breathing Exercises) for Heart Health:
? Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing) – Regulates blood pressure and reduces stress.
? Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath) – Calms the mind and supports heart function.

Lifestyle Tips:
Eat a fiber-rich diet (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains).
Avoid oily, processed, and sugary foods.
Walk 30 minutes daily and stay hydrated.
Why You Need a Yoga Coach?
Practicing under guidance ensures you do the right asanas safely and effectively. With consistency and proper coaching, you’ll see positive changes in your health. Start today and take control of your well-being!

R. Pushpa, M.Sc (Yoga)
Online Yoga & Meditation Coach
Radiant YogaVibes
https://www.instagram.com/pushpa_radiantyogavibes/
DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.
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Radhika

Radhika Iyer  | Answer  |Ask -

Yoga Expert - Answered on Feb 01, 2024

Asked by Anonymous - Sep 11, 2023Hindi
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Dear Mam. Glad to know that there are so many questions you have answered on yoga. I am following yoga for last 9 months, on an average for 4 days in a week and meditation for almost on daily basis, with evening walks for 7k steps average. In around Sep 2022, i got my blood tests done, which i was not getting it done usually. There was slight scale up on all parameters like Tsh, Sugar and more specific cholesterol was bit on higher side. I have been practicing yoga since Dec 2022 and now i feel great and any day missed without yoga is not the nice feeling. After regular yoga and diet pattern, my gas, acidity, smomatch issues has gone, Tsh & Sugar normal, just in case of lipid, while - bad cholesterol and total cholesterol has come into the normal range, but good cholesteroal and triglicides has not yet touched to normal range. Doctor has given me very mild dose to bring triglisides to normal range. i am having this medicine since last 8 months on alternate days and could not stop this, off late. I have mild stress in 5 days in a month kind of worklife. The yoga i do are 1 hour a day- 10 min calming down, warm up - 15 min, suryanamaskar - 20 min, 20 min - sleeping yoga and concluded with savasana. there are many types of yoga, which i am doing. my question is that, with this lifestyle, what benefits i can continue to reap and if i would able to come out of this mild dose of medicine of cholesterol?
Ans: Namaste! Thank you for sharing your detailed lifestyle with me. You are on the right track. I always suggest that you take instructions from a qualified yoga instructor regularly to better your practice. If you feel spiritually uplifted with the practice of asanas it’s even better. Pranayam is a must and I see that you have not included that in your regime. So please start breathing exercises as well, first under guidance and then on your own. Start practicing meditation. You can check out my guided meditations on Spotify under the name “UNBLOCK” by Radhika Iyer Talati. This should be good enough to enable you to live a healthy life.

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Shalini

Shalini Singh  |171 Answers  |Ask -

Dating Coach - Answered on Sep 02, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Sep 02, 2025Hindi
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Hi, I am 32M. I never had any relationships in the past...One sided was there but I overcame it and focused on my work. One day in gym i came across a girl 23F, we connected on insta and started chatting. Eventually we fell in love, I know this doesn’t sound good due to the age gap. We dated, had good times and emotionally connected with each other a lot. Now while discussing something, she revealed that she is not a virgin. There was a guy in her society she met around 3 years back (when she was 19) and she was in one sided love with him. They never confessed their love to each other. And she is not in touch with him anymore it was long back. Also she said she had made out with another guy whom she met 1 month back during her classes, prior to meeting me. I was really hurt to listen all these. Like how all these things she is doing at this age. I accepted her and then we had good 2 months again. After 2 months, I got to know she was following the first guy on insta. When confronted she said she used to like to see him and his girlfriend together. She was really not in touch with the guy but she was just following him. It was hurtful to me. We had a big fight on this. They used to share intimate pics with each other too. After forcing her to tell everything about her past, she told that she used to flirt with lot of boys. First in junior college with best friend she shared intimate pics, then met with the guy she lost virginity with, then she met another friend she shared pics with. Then in last year, in classes she shared pics with friend, then again with someone and then she had a crush on some guy with whom she made out. She was connected with them on insta. Like no talks but she was following them and they followed her too. There were almost 6-7 guys she used to talk as friend and has shared intimate pics and she called it flirting. I was shocked to hear all these. I am still shocked. This is out of my mind. It is very difficult to accept that few boys have intimate pics of my girlfriend. She has been very very loyal to me since we are together. She never got this kind of love in her life. She is really super happy in this relationship. We are emotionally connected a lot. I have treated her like a child and I love her a lot. She comes from a good family. She says she has been in wrong circle and all her friends are like this only. She cried a lot and she regrets it deeply like what she has done and she wants to get out of all these. But if feel, a persons character never changes. There will be so cold moments in relationships In future, will she be able to manage herself and stay honest. I really doubt a lot. She is really good at heart like a family girl but her past is really really terrible I feel. I feel, even though I love her will I be able to accept her past. Do I deserve this ? Do my family deserve this ? But again I think of risking it all because she is really invested in this relationship and I feel very bad to break her heart. I come from a very traditional background and believe in sacred and pure form of love. But I feel I got trapped in something which I can’t leave and can’t have whole heartedly. I am not able to focus on my work and everything. It’s hurting me a lot. Should I accept her ac she is or moving on will be better for both of us, even though it might break her heart.
Ans: Why are you thinking about the past, doing so you are messing up your now.
If you trust the person then do so 100% - let it not be half-baked.
Wishing you the best.

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |10720 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Sep 02, 2025

Career
Hello sir.... I wanted to pursue ba/bsc psychology from a rci approved college but I don't have any clearity that what should be right. Since I have passed 12th in this year only I have given my cuet but my marks where not that good to get into any college I have filled the form of Calcutta University where I can get addmission through my 12th marks that is 72% overall but I didn't get into any as I'm from general category and cut offs are high.. mop up rounds are still yet to happen. But I talked there.. there are barely some colleges which are serious about teaching psychology and I don't think I can get into some good college that's why I'm thinking to take a drop I don't want to still and abhi bhi looking for some colleges which maybe have seat vacant so that I can try to get into that.. i don't have any clarity regarding which is good govt college because I can't afford private colleges whose fees is that high for pursuing psycology if I'm taking a gap year
Ans: Ayushi, With 72% in Class XII, you meet eligibility for most RCI-approved undergraduate psychology programs, which typically require 50–55% in PCM/Science or Humanities and English proficiency. The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) mandates that psychology graduates from approved institutions can register as professionals, so ensure the college holds RCI recognition or operates under a parent university with RCI-approved syllabi.

In West Bengal, government options are limited. The closely watched University of Calcutta offers a three-year BA Psychology through its morning shift at Ashutosh College and evening shift at Surendranath College with cutoffs often around 80% in general category. Vacancy rounds sometimes dip to 70–72%, so mop-up rounds could open seats. Rabindra Bharati University provides BA Psychology via merit; its cutoff hovers near 75%. Vidyasagar University in Midnapore and North Bengal University at Jalpaiguri offer BSc Psychology with lower cutoffs (65–70%), making them accessible.

Government colleges in Northern India include University of Delhi’s Cluster Innovation Centre and Gargi College, both offering BA Psychology admissions purely on Class XII marks. Their cutoffs range from 85–90%, so direct admission is unlikely at 72%, though invitation to waitlists in niche sections (e.g., evening courses) can occur. Banaras Hindu University’s BSc Psychology has a 70–75% cutoff in mop-up rounds. Panjab University (Chandigarh) and Punjab University (Patiala) allow 65–70% entries in BSc Psychology programs. University of Lucknow and Aligarh Muslim University also admit on board marks, often requiring 70–75%.

Affordable private institutions in West Bengal with RCI-approved curricula include St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, which conducts its own merit list and lowers cutoffs to 72% in later rounds. Presidency University also admits psychology undergraduates through its merit list. In North India, Christ University (Bengaluru campus) and Amity University offer scholarships to board-mark entrants drops seats for those without CUET scores, but fees remain higher. DAV College, Chandigarh, and Maitreyi College, Delhi, provide BA Psychology at moderate fees (?30,000–40,000 per year) based on 12th marks.

Practical Roadmap and Solutions
Track Mop-Up Rounds and Merit Lists: Immediately monitor UC, Rabindra Bharati, Presidency, and St. Xavier’s websites daily for vacancies. Prepare scanned documents for swift online submission.

Apply to Multiple Institutes: Simultaneously apply to Vidyasagar University, North Bengal University, BHU, Panjab University, and Lucknow University in their ongoing merit-based admission windows. Their lower cutoffs increase chances.

Secure Waiting-List Positions: For high-demand colleges like Calcutta University and Delhi University, join all available waitlists, including evening programmes, which often have softer cutoffs.

Explore Evening/Shift Courses: Many reputed institutions offer evening or self-financed sections with relaxed cutoffs. Investigate Ashutosh College evening shift, DU evening courses, and PU self-financed sections.

Financial Planning for Private Colleges: Shortlist affordable options Inquire about scholarships or fee-installment plans at DAV College Chandigarh and Maitreyi College to help mitigate costs.

Bridge Courses and Summer Programs: As you finalize admissions, consider enrolling in online certificate courses in introductory psychology, research methods, and statistics from platforms like NPTEL or Coursera to enhance your portfolio.

Consider Gap-Year Strategy: If no suitable seat materializes by mid-October, plan a structured gap year focused on significantly improving CUET scores. Engage in disciplined self-study with coaching for CUET’s aptitude, English, and psychology modules.

CUET Preparation: Develop a timetable allocating two hours daily for CUET Psychology syllabus (foundations, developmental, abnormal, social, and research methods) and one hour for General English and Logical Reasoning. Use previous years’ CUET papers and take weekly mocks to track progress.

Alternate Entrance Exams: Some private universities conduct their own entrance tests (Christ University’s CUCET, Amity’s AUEET). Register for these supplementary exams to widen your admission avenues.

Mentorship and Counseling: Seek guidance from academic mentors or a career counselor to evaluate admission offers, financial implications, and long-term career trajectories in clinical, counseling, or research psychology.

By following this multipronged approach—pursuing merit-based vacancies, evening/self-financed programs, affordable private colleges, and preparing for CUET retake if required—you can maximize your chances of enrolling in an RCI-approved psychology UG programme without forfeiting a year.

Exhaust mop-up and merit-based admission options in government and reputed private colleges by mid-October, while preparing a robust CUET retake plan during a potential gap year to secure admission into top-tier psychology programs. All the BEST for a Prosperous Future!

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