Cigar Smoking in Lebanon

Cigar smoking is still a big thing among the Lebanese male population. Contrary to Europe or the US, where men go smoke their cigars in select bars, Lebanese do smoke their cigars wherever and whenever they feel like it.

I remember an eve having dinner at Napoletana, a pizzeria in Hamra where families come enjoy Italian food. A couple sat next to us, and the man pulled a thick cigar that he started smoking. The odor was so aggressive that it spoiled our dinner, so we decided to continue our dinner on the terrace even though it was a bit chilly. I don’t understand how restaurants allow cigar smoking indoors. But this is another subject. The purpose of this article is to rebuke a myth: “Not inhaling the smoke means it’s less harmful.”

Most cigars smokers do not inhale the smoke like cigarette smokers do, and they do have less cases of lungs cancer as a result. But on the other hand, cigar smokers are exposed to cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, and esophagus. In addition, they are more exposed to lung cancer than the non-smoking population.

The National Cancer Institute notes that

“All cigar smokers, whether or not they inhale, directly expose their lips, mouth, tongue, throat, and larynx to smoke and its toxic and cancer-causing chemicals. In addition, when saliva containing the chemicals in tobacco smoke is swallowed, the esophagus is exposed to carcinogens.”

Second Hand Smoke Hazards

Smoking cigars is unhealthy for smokers but also for the people exposed to their smoke. In fact, second hand smoke from cigars is more harmful than from cigarettes.

According to the same institute:

Cigar smoke has:

◦    A higher level of cancer-causing substances: During the fermentation process for cigar tobacco, high concentrations of cancer-causing nitrosamines are produced. These compounds are released when a cigar is smoked. Nitrosamines are found at higher levels in cigar smoke than in cigarette smoke.

◦    More tar: For every gram of tobacco smoked, there is more cancer-causing tar in cigars than in cigarettes.

◦    A higher level of toxins: Cigar wrappers are less porous than cigarette wrappers. The nonporous cigar wrapper makes the burning of cigar tobacco less complete than the burning of cigarette tobacco. As a result, cigar smoke has higher concentrations of toxins than cigarette smoke.

Cigar smoking is also addictive.  Even if the smoke is not inhaled, high levels of nicotine (the chemical that causes addiction) can still be absorbed into the body. A cigar smoker can get nicotine by two routes: by inhalation into the lungs and by absorption through the lining of the mouth. Either way, the smoker becomes addicted to the nicotine that gets into the body. A single cigar can potentially provide as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.

So if you are a cigar smoker, and smoke a cigar a day, you need to seriously consider slowing down. First, to prevent developing complicated cancers, second to protect your loved ones, and lastly by simple “savoir vivre”.

If the smoke of cigars annoys us as much as it annoys me, share this article!

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Yoga in Beirut - Interview with Mona Nasreddeen

How did you discover Yoga?

I started to take yoga classes back in 2006, because I had severe lower back pain and stiffness in the neck, and overall stress. I had done sports before (basketball, training at the gym ...). After like a month or so, I knew that yoga was really working. I felt better about myself and felt my blood circulation improved, stiffness was gone and back and neck pain slowly disappeared. With the practice (which started as once per week but evolved to 3 times per week in one year), the positive change which I was experiencing on the physical level spread to all aspects of my life: mentally, psychologically and spiritually. My first years of practice were in Beirut, in centers like Houna, SoulSpa and Yoga House.


What made you decide to teach it? Where did you do your training?

When I saw and experienced all the positive changes that happened with me and how my quality of life was improving, which was mostly attributed to my persevere yoga practice, I decided to take it to the next level. I went to India in October 2010 to learn more about the yoga philosophy and to deepen my practice. I did my 300 hr yoga teacher training at a nice ashram in South India, where we stayed for almost a month, studying yoga theory, discovering how each breath works and each muscle stretches. For me, it was a personal endeavor, which resulted in a calmer mind, an open heart and a stronger will to live. Of course, I returned to Lebanon with my certificate to teach yoga. I feel I have a mission to spread the essence of yoga, and help people enjoy its benefits, which I had personally experienced, at least.     




Do you talk about the spiritual aspect of Yoga in your classes or do you only teach asanas? 

Oftentimes, I talk about the spiritual aspects of yoga during my classes. Referring the asanas to the energy centers in the body, explaining Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga, description of Raja yoga and other types, emphasis on Prana and why we do Pranayama, the meaning of AUM and other chants, how the mind works and what is meditation,.. these are few examples. Some people, especially those who have been practicing for a while, ask questions regarding this stuff; beginners don’t really get interested.

Can a yoga teacher live out of his work in Lebanon? 

Yes and No. It’s a pretty much trend now; yoga is spreading. So, yes there are many work opportunities for a yoga instructor; however, the holistic field, in Lebanon, is not yet mature, and legally-speaking not very clear on some issues. There are few full-time yoga instructors in Lebanon, who seem to be managing J, maybe you should ask them. I work in the marketing business; I’m also a health coach and have 4-5 yoga classes per week plus few more private sessions. For me, as long as it is not the main source of income, yoga is a passion and kind of a mission that gives me satisfaction.


Who are your students (age average, having lived abroad?)?

Those who come to yoga are mostly females, though there is an increasing number of men showing up, aged anywhere between 16 and 55. Young women (20’s-30’s) are the dominant group, followed by older ladies and men. I don’t see the connection between yoga and having lived abroad; yoga is in the mainstream now, on TV, radio, magazines, everywhere,.. and a large portion of people are trying out yoga, at least once, for stress reduction, better sleep, relaxation, flexibility or as a gentle fix for their back pain. I have had some people who went on talking about how yoga is in Europe or the United States, how different it is, the types and the instructors.

  


How do you perceive the expansion of Yoga in Lebanon over the last few years?


It is a very positive expansion. The media is playing the main role of bringing yoga to the front and getting people to know what yoga is. Although, I have to admit, that there are some misconceptions still about yoga. I think with time, people will have a better understanding. When someone asks me what is yoga, I always say “the right answer lies in the experience, come and try it for yourself, and observe what you get out of it”. 

Other articles in "Yoga in Beirut" :
Prenatal Yoga With Duna
Interview with Aaed Ghanem

Contact:

Mona Nasreddeen

Certified Yoga Instructor

Holistic Health Coach

00961 3 594589

Email

Website

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Yoga in Beirut - Interview with Aaed Ghanem

"Yoga offers an efficient way to shift from the ego to the hear"

Aaed Ghanem discovered yoga at the age of 15 in the first Indian book on Yoga translated to Arabic (Yoga Prolongs your life by Sri Yogindra). “I got pulled towards that book. I picked it up from the shelf and started reading and practicing every thing that was described in it.” Aaed was hooked. From then on he worked on deepening his understanding of the yoga philosophy and his practice of asana (postures). In 2006, he studied Thai Yoga and Thai Massage. He went to Madurai, in Southern India where he took his first yoga certification from the Sivananda yoga vedanta center, Meenakshi Ashram in 2008. Then to the Himalaya, Uttarkashi where he attended the Sadhana Intensive on the Banks of Ganga. Lately to LA where he received The Bikram Yoga Certification or known as Hot Yoga.

Aaed began teaching Yoga in Beirut,Hamra in 2008. “During this time, yoga was not known as it is today, with less than 10 practitioners in a session. Classes were relatively small. Nowadays, it is more popular and my average attendance varies between 25 to 30 or more students in one session.” I asked Aaed why, in his opinion, did yoga grow to become so popular?

Expansion of yoga in Beirut and Lebanon

Aaed in Utkatasana (chair pose)

“It is the right time for Yoga. We are living in times where we have reached the last level in our descent, and now we are rising in consciousness into a fourth dimension merging this new level into the experiences of our day to day life". He adds that “Yoga offers an efficient way to shift from the ego to the heart, from the blunt disturbed agitated mind to the serene tranquil and joyful loving Heart.” For Aaed, Yoga is a tool for personal growth. He however notes that many people do not initially start yoga for that purpose. “The popularity of Yoga in the West, mainly in the US, has contributed greatly to its expansion in Lebanon. But as a result many students come to practice because they want to tone up their body and loose weight through a good sweat.” No matter for what reasons his students attend his class, Aaed is a dedicated teacher. For the last few years, he’s been teaching throughout Beirut in yoga studios and in the major fitness clubs.

“He has Yoga written all over him!” told me a friend who recently started taking classes with Aaed. After meeting and seating with Aaed I couldn’t agree more with her. He breathes and lives yoga, and he loves it!


Contact Aaed by email.

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Is Stress Contagious?

Stress in others appears to affect our own emotions. And it doesn’t just happen with direct interaction like when a family member shares his worries with us, or our stressed out boss pressures us to get things done. It can happen by just seeing someone manifesting signs of stress. It often takes place under the radar of our consciousness. You have a glimpse of a colleague who is frowning his eyebrows, you hear him sigh, and you start feeling some of his distress. Why is that?

Seeing and feeling

Our nervous system has the ability to pick up in others very subtle clues: facial expression, body movements, breathing patterns, etc. It happens unconsciously due to mirror neurons (see box below). These neurons that are part of the autonomic system fire automatically when an action is taking place, but also when that same action is observed. If you watch someone furrow their brow and tighten their jaw, the neurons required to do the same facial expression will be activated in your brain, although your face doesn’t change. The same process can stimulate the feelings and emotions linked to the actions observed. In that case, worries and negative mood.

2 steps to stop the contagion!

Even though this mechanism appears to make us vulnerable to how others feel, it is in reality an essential part of living in society. Indeed, these mirror neurons allow us to feel what others are going through. Now, how to not get overwhelmed by the stress from other people? There are 2 things we can do. First, be vigilant about our body. If we start to slouch and hold our breath, catch it on time before we start to feel down for no apparent reason. Stand up straight, take a nice breath, go for a walk, or do whatever you have to do to shake off the tension. Second action we can take, if the situation allows it, is to go up to the person manifesting signs of stress and just ask them how they are feeling. 2-3 minutes of attentive listening can go a long way in helping the other person feeling understood. It will often offer her some relief for the good of all.

Mirror neurons: we neurologically mimic what others do

Mirror Neurons were discovered in 1995 by an Italian team of researchers in psycho-neurology. The discovery happened, as major discoveries often do, by chance. They were studying the brain function of a monkey. During their lunchtime, as they started to eat a pizza, they noticed that the scanner to which the monkey was hooked started to ring. The animal was nonetheless seating quietly looking at the researchers who were eating.  As Professor Giacomo Rizzolatti, the lead researcher, looked closer at the scanner, he noticed that the monkey, when he saw the men reaching for the pizza, was firing the same neurons he would have to move his right arm. That initial discovery was further studied over the following decade, and major research center like the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, confirmed the mimetic function of neurons.

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