FIFA-Some interesting facts

FIFA fever is everywhere. All are talking about FIFA. And i am no exception. Thought of listing out some interesting facts about the same.

The South African National team is called Bafana Bafana (which means the boys, the boys in isiZulu) was nicknamed by the fans during the 1996 African Nations Cup.

The million bees like sound which we hear in the stadium is from the noisy plastic trumpet called Vuvuzela. That was the subject of controversy, but has finally got the blessing by FIFA

The Rankings in FIFA -- World Rankings in which the top three are Brazil ,Spain and Portugal in that order, as of May 2010. This is updated monthly and rank each team based on their performance in terms of international competitions, qualifiers, and friendly matches.

India pulled away from the 1950 World Cup because the players were not allowed to play without shoes.

The red and yellow card system was not introduced until the 1970 World Cup. The first player to receive a red card was Chile’s Carlos Caszely in 1974 in a match against West Germany in the 67th minute.

The three matchtimes are 1:30 pm, 4:00 pm, 8:30 pm local time. (The 1:30 timeslot will soon disappear, as the third group matches are played simultaneously.)

Slovakia is the team that has made its debut in this world cup

Brazil has been the only country with most appearances- all 19 from 1930 to 2010 and also winning 5, making it the most wins of the World Cup.

Pelé from Brazil is the only player who has won the most World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970.

Roger Milla of Cameroon has been the oldest player to have participated in the World Cup game. He was 42 years and 39 days old when he played against Russia in World Cup USA 1994.

Prize Money-The total prize money on offer for the tournament was confirmed by FIFA as $420 million, a 60 percent increase on the 2006 tournament. Before the tournament, each participating team would receive $1 million, for preparation costs. Once at the tournament, teams exiting at the group stage would receive $8 million. Thereafter, the prize money would be distributed as follows

$9 million – Round of 16

$18 million – Quarter-finals

$20 million – Semi-finals

$24 million – Runners up

$30 million – Winners

And finally the Winners chart till now

Winners Country	Years
Uruguay	1930,1950 (2)
Italy	1934, 1938, 1982, 2006 (4)
West Gernany	1954, 1974, 1990 (3)
Brazil	1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 (5)
England	1966 (1)
Argentina	1978, 1986 (2)
France	1998 (1)
ITALY is the defending Champion

You are most welcome to contribute to this list.....

[The above facts are from credible sources : fifa.com,Wikipedia,journeymart.com]

How to do Pranayama - the art of Breath control

Hope the earlier post of  Suryanamaskar was helpful for many.

Continuing further on Yoga, this post is dedicated to Pranayama-the practice of breath control. The benefits and advantages of Pranayama are endless.

There are various kinds of Pranayama techniques. Here i will discuss few of them. Couple of things to remember before you start practising this yogic practice.

Time: The best time for practice is early morning, preferably before sunrise when the pollution is at its lowest level. However, if morning is unsuitable, pranayama may be practiced after sunset, when the air is cool and pleasant.

Posture: For the practice of Pranayama, the most suitable and preferable postures are Padmasana, Vajrasana or any Meditative posture. If the preferred posture is not possible to practice, one can sit on a chair or bench keeping the spine erect, or even taking the support of a wall.

Pranayama should be performed preferably on empty stomach.

People suffering from any ailments should seek the guidance of an expert instructor before practising Pranayama.

1. Kapalbhati :

In this practice, the breath is short, rapid and strong. This technique is called passive inhalation, forceful exhalation.

To perform the kapalabhati, sit in a comfortable position as mentioned above.Take two to three deep inhales and exhales.

Now inhale deeply and exhale forcefully drawing all the air out through your nose. Your belly should be drawn in, as you exhale.

Before the next cycle starts, you automatically inhale without any effort and your belly comes to normal position. Then forceful exhalation continues. Likewise the process goes on..

(Those trying to reduce their tummy, try this out. It really works!)

2. Anulama & Viloma :

This technique is also called as alternate nostril breathing. Here inhalation and exhalation is done with one nostril at a time.

To start with, take two to three deep breaths. Close the right nostril with your right thumb, inhale through left nostril. While holding the breath, hold the right ring finger on the left nostril and exhale through right nostril.

Now with left nostril still closed, inhale through the right nostril( the same side you had exhaled previously). Now closing the right nostril, exhale through left nostril. One cycle is complete. Practice for at least 10 min, then increase the duration.

Note that there is no shoulder movement in this, only the belly goes completely inside when you exhale and bloats when you inhale.

3. Sheetali :

As the name suggests this technique brings about the cooling effect. It is generally done in summers or when there is a need to cool down the body because of excess heat and stress.

Start by taking few deep inhalations. Fold the tongue so as to form a long narrow tube resembling the beak of a bird. The passage is further narrowed by pressing the lips round the tongue.

Now inhale, making a hissing noise and perceive the cooling effect of the air as it passes through the tongue.

Close your mouth, hold the breath for couple of seconds, then exhale through both the nostrils.

4. Bhastrika : Sit comfortably in an erect spine position

Breathe in through both the nostrils forcefully till the lungs are full and diaphragm is stretched. Then breathe out forcefully also.

Perform deep and long inhalations and exhalations continuously through both the nostrils.

It increases blood circulation in the body. Very good for chronic cold, nasal allergies and various respiratory ailments.

5. Bhramari :

Sit erect in Padmasana or Vajrasana or any meditative posture with head and trunk in straight line.

Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, rest three fingers placing on the eyes upto the sides of the nose.

Breathe in. Now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee. Keep the ears pressed and feel the vibrations inside.

It is extremely useful in voice culture. Reduces stress and tension, hypertension, high BP, heart blockage,paralysis.

How to do Suryanamaskara?