Yoga for better living

Yoga for mind, body and spirit

2012-05-10T23:40:00.002-07:00

We all want to feel loved, open, free and peaceful. We all desire to let go of the ideals and expectations of the "world" and be simply still. What if you had permission to be anything your heart wanted you to be? What if there was no right or wrong way of doing yoga poses, just simply YOUR way. The way that feels good for your body, mind and spirit. That is yoga to me.

There's a smorgasbord of yoga labels all around us. Each having its own fancy term or cool yoga gear. It's a bummer to see yoga magazines or videos with the same types of bodies representing yoga. This sends a message to the world that yoga is about looking a specific way. Instead of getting lost in the confusion, I chose to start really looking at my responsibility in this. Most of my clients share with me that they don't feel comfortable going to a yoga studio. One, they don't look like a yogi, two they might not do the poses "perfectly", and finally, they don't know where to even start. So many labels to choose from, so little time!

This is a very common experience with the people I teach or know. It is extremely challenging to go to a studio and relax when immediately you have to get your legs in lotus position. How uncomfortable is that? Yikes. Or you are so busy doing power yoga that you forgot to breathe or relax, feeling sore as you walk out the studio. Since I have experienced both being uncomfortable as a student and teacher I feel it is my duty to spread some of my truth around.

There is no label or box to fit yoga in. When I first began teaching yoga, I felt as if I had to "be" a certain way. Speak in a particular soft tone, and know all the right terminology. I've realized it's the total opposite. The more authentic I am, which means, giving myself permission to be Jenny, giggling, hugging, singing, sharing, being as transparent as possible, gives the student permission to choose to do the same.

Yes, poses are a part of yoga, and they do wonders for your body! But yoga is not about the poses or how long we can balance. The body listens when its given an opportunity to connect with your true self, and not edit what comes out.

Releasing the need to force your body into poses that hurt and allow yourself to explore what DOES feel good. To make your yoga practice, like life, all about you.

Instead of wishing for the world to change their box on what yoga should be, I decided to create and be the difference. Teach yoga from my heart, and allow it to guide each class. Whenever I share with my students that it's perfect to be exactly the way they are, my eyes well up. It feels good to share what I have yearned for in a yoga class.

If you feel uncomfortable going to a yoga studio, you are not alone. Listen to your heart, and listen to what your body is sharing with you. Start investigating and asking around for guidance on what form works for you. You are worth it. Give yourself permission to BE yourself no matter what. That is yoga.

Pranayama to stop bad breath

2012-02-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone wants fresh breath. Period. It would especially be nice if you could wake up and already have the fresh minty mouth. One way to assure this would be starting the day off with exercise followed by a proper diet. Not very many people want to go to all that trouble so they are looking for something even easier.

There is always something easier but, there are consequences:

There are mouthwashes that could be used even though most of them contain ethanol and that could eventually be lethal, especially if used in larger amounts or by younger people (especially with low body weight). Additionally, mouthwash isn't a sure shot remedy. Sometimes the mouthwash will kick the bad breath and sometimes it will not. Even worse, a person might become addicted to the mouthwash since chemical dependency is an issue.

Far away from all these complications, in order to get your complete system in balance, there is pranayama. This is a type of yoga that helps in different breathing techniques. The sages from years ago discovered that this type of technique has an influence over the digestive and respiratory organs. The benefit of doing pranayama is a sweet smelling exhalation.

When looking into pranayama the first thing you will notice is there are a vast amount of different techniques. The one for starting out the breathing techniques is called kapalbhati. There are different ways of actually doing this but, the main key that is focused on is exhalation. Find a comfortable chair and have a seat so the belly can relax and extend out. Now, rhythmically begin to contract the belly, the objective is to imagine someone is punching you in the gut fast and you are exhaling through the nose. Close your eyes and concentrate on exhaling as fast as possible. This should be done around 50 times if you are just starting out.

Respiratory system benefits of Yoga: Can help to relive the symptoms due to the common cold, rhinitis, cough, bronchitis, emphysema, pharyngitis, nasal septum, and tuberculosis.

The digestive system will also be improved when it comes to peristaltic movement and absorption of the digestion of foods. Kapalbhati is a remedy that is used for constipation and hyperacidity, gastritis, along with any suffering from indigestion. One thing to keep in mind is all these things have something in common, they cause bad breath.

When practicing kapalbhati it is important to have a teacher that will watch in order to make sure it is being done correctly. There are physical benefits as well as the mind will benefit from the technique also. There will be no reason for using chemicals since the bad breath will improve naturally.

Amazing benefits of Yoga Teacher

2012-01-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the fitness professionals industry had an amazing 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey.

Job Satisfaction

In the same survey, 98% of those interviewed felt that "My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment." Lack of personal satisfaction is the most frequent reason why people leave a job. These statistics make it obvious that this is an extremely harmonious atmosphere to work in.

For many of us who worked in the corporate world and shifted into the health and fitness industry, the energy felt in a health club, ashram, or wellness center is similar to being on vacation. There's always something to do, but the job itself is very gratifying.

Rewards of Helping Family, Friends, Students, and Co-workers

Your self esteem improves as you find solutions for the pain management of others, ailments, fitness, stress management, positive thinking, etc.

The list goes on, as you continue your own journey of self improvement, but the feeling of gratification you get from helping someone find the right path, is beyond words.

You will always remember: That student who reaches their ideal body weight, the physically impaired student who finds that they, too, can live a better quality life, and the student who leaves your class without the headache or backache they came in with.

Your Own Health

As a practitioner of Yoga, you have become more aware of your daily ups and downs. You monitor your breath, posture, moods, diet, and exercise on a daily basis.

As a Yoga teacher, you are setting an example to your students and teaching them to live a quality life. This path will enable you to live longer and live better.

There is no Shortage of Work

When the working world is in the "9 to 5" mode, you have many opportunities with Corporate Accounts, The Fitness Industry, Senior Centers, Medical Centers, Referrals, etc. This is when you to teach them, with any free time you have.

Once I became totally self-employed, there were more daytime off-site Yoga teaching opportunities than I had time for in a geographic area that has many active Yoga teachers and studios. One of my best students, who became a Yoga teacher through our on-site program, inherited an area that I could no longer service due to time restraints.

The object is to contact them. This is where your post cards come in handy, if you don't have a personal referral.

Continuing Education

Yes, learning new things keeps your mind stimulated and healthy. You will never tire of subjects to study, explore, and investigate. There are so many facets of Yoga, that one life span, is just not enough time to learn it all.

It's not a race, but it is a journey. You will find friends, colleagues, and students who are on the same path. This makes giving, receiving, and sharing a wonderful thing along the way.

Time

You will have time to stop, think, breathe, relax, or meditate. You can always fill your plate beyond its limits, but you no longer have to.

You can determine whether or not you will be stuck in traffic during rush hour. You decide what hours you will work and what days you have off. You will come to the realization that your time is your own.

Independence

Everyone wants control of their own life, but very few achieve it. Being in business for yourself, can help you control your own destiny and that of your family.

Sure there are limits to what one person can accomplish, but it is better to try than to have never tried.

Success

No matter what you want, if you write down your short-term and long-term goals, you will make great progress toward them.

You should keep these goals in a place where you can see them daily and visualize yourself accomplishing your goals. You should be specific about time frames and ethical methods used to meet them. You can even use them in meditation.

Review your long-term goals at least once every season and every year. Review your short-term goals daily. You will see yourself make rapid success in this way.

Lastly, goals do not have to be material at all. For example: You may want to start teaching Yoga in a year, and the following year, get a part-time Yoga teaching position. This type of goal setting is realistic and beneficial to mankind.

Many benefits of Yoga

2011-12-18T22:52:00.000-08:00

Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that has been known to keep the mind and body healthy. However, its effectiveness in weight loss has been questioned time and again. However, it has been proved that is effective.
This form of exercise does not produce too much sweat. The process is slow and works of the principle of deep breathing and slow movements to induce weight loss steadily. Doctors and trainers all over the world agree with the fact that yoga, if done properly, cannot only help you lose weight, but also tone your body and calm your mind while increasing concentration.
Types of Yoga
There are various types of yoga that helps you to burn out calories. Power yoga, like Vinyasa yoga and ashtanga yoga, are some types that help in quick weight loss. Your body can burn as much as 200-350 calories per hour depending on the form of yoga you are practicing. These types of yogas create a fusion by combining yoga poses with dance steps and kickboxing.
Benefits of Yoga
The benefit of yoga is not only burning calories and losing weight. It also helps you to understand your body signals. Your mind and body become attuned to each other and identify food that is unhealthy for you, when you must not eat and what foods make you unwell. You begin to understand your body's food requirements and thus, your food habits become healthy resulting in a healthier and fitter you.
Yoga and Weight Loss
Practicing yoga of all types helps you to reduce your weight. It also regulates your breath and restores your body's natural digestion and balances the hormone levels. There are some yoga exercises that scan burn calorie and strengthen muscles by speeding up the body's metabolism. The endocrine glands responsible for the body's metabolism are stimulated to function properly.
Yoga for Emotional Well-being
For those who practice yoga for weight loss, it must be said that the regular practice also helps your body to achieve mental calmness and emotional well being. You can understand when you are eating to fulfill your body's demand for food and when you eat to as an emotional response. Practice yoga postures such as spinal twist, fish pose, up and down facing dog and shoulder stand et al for a healthy body and calm mind.
There are many places around the world to try out and possibly get into regular Yoga Studio Classes.

Significance of Yoga

2011-11-28T22:51:00.000-08:00

Yoga originated from India and is based on the Indian word "Yuj" which basically means "to unite together". The basic idea behind it is very clear, if a person wants to be happy in his surroundings, he should make sure that his mind, soul and spirit work together in harmony. The yogis, in the past, devised a program, which followed mediation, proper breathing and exercise in order to maintain one's health and create a balance in one's life. Performing and incorporating yoga into one's life is very essential and there are many benefits of yoga.

Firstly, it helps in increasing the flexibility in one's body, by enhancing the range of motion and stretching it. It also helps in building strength as you are forced to weigh your body with the support of one leg or arms, etc. Many people do yoga in order to avoid pain, especially pains related to the back.

Another major benefit of yoga is that it involves not only the participation of your whole body but also requires attention from your mind. This involvement of the mind helps people to become calm and more relaxed when performing yoga postures. Yoga helps people to forget about the world affairs and places concentration on uniting mind and soul, which are very beneficial for health.

Stress is very dangerous for health and can lead to disorders like blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. One of the most important benefits of yoga is that it acts like a stress releaser. As mentioned above, it requires the participation and integration of mind, soul, spirit and body thus making people forget about all their worries. So, mundane problems and quagmires, which affect the life badly, can be avoided easily by adopting this routine.

Yoga involves breathing techniques, which need to be mastered and done properly. Once you get the hang of this, you will start taking part in meditation, which helps in cleaning the mind and focusing on the postures. Besides this, it helps in improving the health by decreasing blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate and increasing cardiovascular efficiency, respiratory efficiency, and improves excretory functions. It also helps in improving eye and hand coordination, reaction time and improves one's strength, flexibility and increases the immunity. The benefits of yoga are numerous and uncountable. This is one of the reasons why many people have this routine in their lives because they know its importance and significance. Whether it's your favorite celebrity or a house wife, nobody can deny its significance in the life.

Benefits of Kundalini Yoga

2011-11-06T06:08:00.000-08:00

There are many different types of yoga in the world today, and one is the Kundalini yoga. Just like any other type of yoga, the purpose of Kundalini is to bring spiritual enlightening familiarity of deep peace, a wide knowledge and understanding of the Universe and an unstoppable energy for you. This is one of the natural ways in which you can attain health and beauty. Many people would ask what yoga can do for beauty. The answer is simple, through this natural method of making the inner body, mind and soul healthier, the outer aspect of the person comes next.

The benefits of this type of yoga come from awakening your Kundalini. As what people who practice this believes, awakening the Kundalini is the path to the unlimited energy that can assist you to go beyond the ego. This type of yoga is also known as the yoga of awareness. The primary focus of this type of yoga is to improve the sensory awareness of the person and to raise the consciousness for it to be able to merge with the inestimable consciousness of God.

The Kundalini yoga is believed to be only for the people who have already mastered the 21 different yogas. In short, this may not be for beginners. This practice is one of the most advanced ones which can help you increase your consciousness and vibration every day. There are a lot of benefits of this type of yoga to a person's health. There are even medical institutions now that are applying some of the meditations and exercises of Kundalini yoga for the benefit of their patients.

It can heal diabetes, asthma, pain, memory problems, diseases related to stress, addictive behaviors and even mental disorders. Though it cannot totally heal the health condition, it is still a contributing factor for the healing of the patient. Practicing yoga is one of the most acceptable and effective ways in attaining health naturally and having natural beauty.

There are now a lot of medical researches regarding Kundalini and its benefits to the health and beauty of a person. This is good news because through these researches, a lot of people will now know that there is an activity like this that they can do to and have a lot of benefit from it. Yoga is not only a simple activity that one can do for fun. It is rather more challenging because you are going to discipline your body, mind and soul. And that will be more challenging but satisfying if you have decided to pursue Kundalini yoga.

Benefits of hot yoga

2011-10-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Many claims are made about the benefits of hot yoga. These ideas are often publicized by enthusiastic hot yoga devotees expressing their fanatic love of the program of their guru. To evaluate the truth of these claims it's necessary to move beyond bias and take an honest look at the nature of hot yoga.

According to the teachings of Patanjali, the 'father of modern yoga', the asana is one part of an eight-limbed system leading to greater understanding. Asana is meant primarily to purify and strengthen the body, preparing it for lengthy meditations and raised levels of energy. In this setting, hot yoga is best suited to assist in the removal of ama, or waste.

Ama is considered the cause of all diseases. It is a byproduct of improper metabolic processes. This is not only related to digestion, but also includes the creation of all parts of entire body. Ayurveda clarifies that there are seven tissue systems formed in the making of the human body. Any fault in the creation of these tissues can result in the accumulation of ama, causing disease. Heat helps to stoke the Agni, and aids in the efficient fabrication of these building mechanisms.

The body removes ama in three ways: sweating, urination and defecation. Hot yoga improves metabolism, which helps to direct toxins to their proper removal areas. Only small amounts of toxins are actually sweated out. Most leave in urine and feces. The urinary system is the body's temperature regulator, so practicing hot yoga will promote frequent urination, thereby expelling the ama that has been stored in this system.

Hot yoga directs added heat to the digestive fires, insuring that food will be broken down properly and ama removed. Cleansing through asana is not limited to the physical realm. Once the gross ama is removed, prana, subtle energy, is allowed to surge freely throughout the energetic body. Subtle ama is also known as karma. Removing karmas from the subtle body is the overall goal of any asana practice. This starts the awakening process described by Patanjali.

A person who practices yoga is called a yogi, someone aspiring toward higher understanding. Yoga demands that you look closer at your actions and intentions. Enjoy your asana class, but be careful not to become complacent. Explore the rich wisdom at the foundation of yoga. The benefits of hot yoga are the top most tip of the iceberg.

Yoga benefits for Women

2011-09-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

There are a number of healthy benefits a woman can receive from practicing yoga. Through this form of exercise women are able to build on their strengths and focus on bettering themselves through a calming method of breathing, meditation, and gentle poses.

Here are just some of the healthy benefits that women can get from yoga:

1) Yoga can help enhance your immune system and decrease chances of illnesses. It is believed that yoga can greatly enhance the function of your immune system. This will lead to the more effective curbing of a number of diseases that women normally get. Yoga is also known to be very effective in controlling the level of cholesterol in the body as well as a woman’s blood pressure.

2) For those women who can’t seem to find the time to perform exercises that will help control their cholesterol level and blood pressure, yoga could be very advantageous. This is because yoga makes use of breathing exercises and meditation that could help in calming down nerves that have been stressed by work or daily activities.

3) Yoga can help bring about a more healthy pregnancy. Although pregnancy brings with it a great deal of happiness, it can also lead to experiencing a lot of discomforts. Yoga can help alleviate these discomforts, which could include backaches, morning sickness, and mood swings. Yoga exercises can also help greatly in maintaining an ideal weight during pregnancy. There are different prenatal poses being practiced in yoga that are recommended for women who are pregnant. These are intended to aid women in preparing their bodies for their babies’ birth.

4) Yoga helps decrease pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms. Menstruation is known to cause a number of hormonal changes among women. These changes as well as the inconveniences they bring often make women uncomfortable. Because of these changes, pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms could also be experienced before, during, and after a menstrual period. These include cramps, mood swings, depression and irritation. These symptoms can be considerably reduced through practicing yoga, which has some poses that could aid in the reduction of pain during menstrual periods.

5) Yoga helps women deal with stress and depression. Because women are emotional in nature, it is expected that they fall victim to stress and depression more than men do. Yoga makes use of meditation, which is a great aid in decreasing the stress and tension levels in the body. Practicing yoga will also help stimulate positive levels of energy.

6) Yoga also helps make the body more flexible. Women tend to lose the flexibility of their bodies faster than men. This is because most of the work that really requires brute physical strength is done by men. Because of this, men’s muscles are known to remain more tight and flexible longer than those of the women. Aside from this, women also lose bone density faster than most men because of the rigors that they go through during childbirth, which could make them lose more calcium, thus leading to making their bones very fragile. Because of this, a woman’s body will begin to lose its flexibility during her thirties. However, this can be delayed by doing yoga exercises.

Learn Yoga and be an Instructor

2011-08-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

Yoga has allowed countless numbers of people all over the world the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health. There are many modalities and methods in practice and anyone can do it. Indeed, there is a style that is applicable for just about any body type, desired end goal or belief system. However, for some, simply being committed to yoga as a regular form of exercise isn't satisfying enough - they want to do or know or learn more.

An easy way to gain a deeper knowledge of yoga is to become a teacher of yoga. Being inspired by your own body and health improvement is a wonderful feeling, but delving into teaching yoga instead of just practicing it is generally uncharted territory. How do I become a teacher? What credentials are required? Do I need to take special course at a special school?

As a teacher you will need to focus on exactly what type of yoga it is that you want to teach. It may be a simple as wanting to teach what you already know and have been taught, or perhaps you're looking to teach as a way of branching out. Either way, being focused is the key. Knowing exactly what style you want to teach will be helpful in getting started properly.

If you're considering teaching yoga you're likely fairly advanced in your ability, but there is always room to improve or supplement your established ability level and knowledge-base. Head to your local library and see what kinds of books or instructional videos are available, the additional practice will only serve to solidify what you currently know and add to your overall ability. If you've got friends who practice different types or styles of yoga, ask them to show you some poses or techniques that are not part of your normal regimen. Practice makes perfect!

Find out what kind of yoga workshops are available in your area. While these may be a bit more intense than your usual one hour-three times a week regimen, they are an invaluable way to learn a lot. And the best part is, you'll likely be learning from highly qualified, experienced individuals - this will go a long way in assisting you in your teaching goal.

If you have the opportunity, approach the instructor(s) at the workshop and explain what you are seeking to do and see what kind of advice they might offer you. Find out where they received their training. If you live in an area with no available teacher-training programs, consider doing an intensive program at a yoga institute or ashram.

Once you feel comfortable in your physical abilities and your knowledge base has been spread out, you can start looking at options to obtain official certification. This part of becoming a teacher will vary greatly depending on where you live - you may be able to complete certification courses locally, or you may need to take them away from home. It may even be possible to gain certification on-line.

Explore all of the options available to you and logistically possible in the context of your day to day lifestyle. Be aware that certification credentials may differ greatly from state to state. Make sure you know exactly what you need and then you can determine an appropriate course of action.

In the U.S., the teacher-training programs that meet specific standards are registered and recognized by the Yoga Alliance, a national organization. There are two levels of Yoga Alliance certificates you can obtain - 200 hour and 500 hour, the numbers refer to the length of the program. New trainees will first be expected to complete a 200-Hour program, which most yoga studios require as the minimum training for their teachers. Some teachers then opt to continue their studies by undertaking the 500-hour training. Newly certified teachers who have completed a Yoga Alliance registered teacher-training program may use the acronym RYT (which stands for - Registered Yoga Teacher) after their name.

It may seem like common sense, but it would be wise to know the cost of any training upfront. Be prepared for financial obligations that may be higher than you might've expected - certification that allows any individual to teach others is not likely to be inexpensive. Before signing up for time intensive teacher certification courses, make sure you have met the instructor and that you feel as though you will get along with personally as you'll be spending a lot of time with them you will want to ensure you are compatible.

Becoming a certified, professional yoga teacher is certainly not for everyone, but if you've decided to become a teacher chances are you're already well aware of the time and discipline required. Eventually, you will be able to teach others the power and healing that yoga can grant the human body and mind.

Benefits of Yoga Nidra

2011-07-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Yoga Nidra is the deepest form of relaxation - experienced by Yogis during states of meditation. It is commonly described as bringing an incredible calmness and clarity to the mind, and often referred to as a form of 'Yogic sleep.' While in the state of Yoga Nidra, you are beyond a waking state, past a dreaming state, and in a form of sleep state, while you are actually awake.

Yoga Nidra can be difficult to achieve, but with regular practice, and a devoted attitude, it can occur at every meditation session, if a practitioner chooses to do so. When Yoga Nidra is practiced regularly, it brings a deep state of calm to the practitioner, which transcends into everyday life. Even strenuous mental and physical activities will not feel as stressful when you have achieved this state of calm.

As a result, you will become more effective in everything you do, as your mind is no longer so clouded by unnecessary or negative thoughts, and you can focus on doing the task at hand. This renewed calmness in your life, and the ability to clear your mind, can also lead to better, more restful sleep at night - translating into a positive cycle that creates a healthier being.

The state of Yoga Nidra creates a powerful mind and body link, unlike any other. While it is being practiced, the mind makes the entire body relax, promoting better circulation of the blood and easing the pains of the body, such as the ones that occur with headaches or backaches.

One of the amazing aspects of Yoga Nidra is the fact that you can actually restructure your personality in a positive way and wipe your "emotional baggage clean." This ability to let go takes place because you are in such a state of relaxation and emotional well-being. By spending your time in Yoga Nidra, while focusing on a positive thought, you can make this positive thought override your mind, and become a permanent aspect of your being.

Being in the state of Yoga Nidra also makes it easier to learn new things, as it opens the mind to new thoughts and experiences. As a result of this, and the states of relaxation it promotes, Nidra is an effective treatment for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders. It has been also known to lessen or cure such ailments as depression, asthma, migraines, and ulcers.

By harnessing the power of your mind in this deep sleep conscious state, you can become a more intelligent and peaceful person overall - not to mention experiencing a whole new state of being.

Yoga postures for a stiff necks and shoulders

2011-05-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

Facing the computer screen all day can be very stressful. Not only does it strain the eyes, it also leads to common complaints of stiff neck and painful shoulders. Poor posture further compromises these conditions. When we allow our shoulders to sag and our backs to bend as we carry our bodies in the performance of day-to-day activities, it takes on the force of habit. Over time, the misaligned joints and muscles show the effects of the strain. This is usually evident in the stiffness and pain experienced in the neck and shoulder areas.

In Yoga, the affected areas are stretched and freed to make them more limber and facilitate blood flow. With constant practice of Yoga postures for stiff neck and shoulders, the muscles and joints are placed to where they should rightfully be. Pain and discomfort gradually diminishes as well. Following the method taught by B.K.S. Iyengar, a modern pioneer of Yoga, Mira Mehta, in her book How to Use Yoga, gives the following Yoga postures for stiff neck and shoulders. These poses can be used even by beginners. You will need a block to accomplish these poses.

Pose I: Triangle Pose

Stand against a ledge and place a block on one side. Inhale deeply and the spread the legs so that your feet are about 3 ½ to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms to the level of your shoulders as you spread your legs. Keep your palms facing down with both feet facing forward. Then, turn the left foot about 15 degrees inward and the right foot about 90 degrees outwards so that the right heel is exactly the opposite of the left instep. Turn the left foot in and rotate the left leg outwards. As you turn the right foot out, the whole leg must also be rotated in the same direction. Knees must be tight as you lift the trunk. As you exhale, take the trunk down sideways to the right and place one hand on the block. Grip the ledge using the other hand so you can turn the trunk more. Look up. Stay in this position for 20 to 30 seconds before repeating on the other side.

Pose II: Lateral Angle Pose

Stand against a ledge with a block on one side. Breathe in deeply and spread your feet about 4 feet apart while raising your arms to the length of your shoulders. Rotate the right foot about 15 degrees inwards and the left foot 90 degrees outwards. In this position, the left heel stays opposite of the right instep. When you turn the right foot in, the right leg must be turned outward. However, when you turn the left foot out, the whole leg must also follow in the same direction. With your right leg straight, bend the left leg to 90 degrees with the shin perpendicular to thigh parallel to the ground. As you exhale, take the trunk sideways down to the left. Grip the ledge with your left hand and turn the trunk with the help of your hands. Stay in this pose for 20 to 30 seconds before repeating on the other side.

Yoga exercise for runners

2011-05-09T01:15:00.000-07:00

Although running and Yoga may seem like activities that are on opposite ends of the exercise spectrum, they are complementary practices that work beautifully together. Running is a great way to aerobically exercise your whole body, at a relatively high level of intensity. One of the primary benefits to running is great cardiovascular health and muscular strength, particularly throughout your legs. Running, however, can be stressful to your joints, ligaments and muscles.

It is estimated that with each mile, your feet will strike the ground a thousand times, and this is only over a distance of one mile. If you run twenty miles a week, each foot will strike the ground twenty thousand times. This repetitive impact affects your legs, hips and feet, which can lead to stress fractures, pain, and stiffness on a regular basis. In order to counteract the stressful affects of running and maximize the positive benefits, practicing Yoga poses before and/or after your run will help you to stay limber, flexible, balanced, and less prone to injury.

Basic Sun Salutation Series

This is the best Yoga exercise for runners and an excellent series of poses. The Suns Salutations are a great way to warm up all of the major muscle groups in your body.

Stand tall with hands in namaste mudra, while your feet are hips width apart from each other, and your elbows are flared to your sides. Take three, deep complete breaths. On your fourth breath inhale and raise your arms over your head with your hands in prayer position. Look up at your hands and feel the stretch all along the sides of your torso, arms and shoulders. With your exhale, bring your hands down past your hips and forward to touch your toes. If your hamstrings are tight, you may need to bend your knees a little. Hold for ten seconds while breathing evenly.

Now, move into a suspended push-up position, this position is called Plank position because you maintain the straightness of your body like a board. Hold for five to ten seconds. The holding will build upper body strength very quickly. With an exhale, come down onto your mat and inhale up into a gentle cobra pose with your hands next to your chest, elbows in, and palms flat on the floor. Only come up to where you are comfortable. Hold for ten seconds stretching out the front of your chest, throat and shoulders.

Slowly come down and push back into an inverted "V" shape. This pose is called Downward Facing Dog, just like the pose a dog does when he or she wakes up from a nap. Keep your hands shoulder distance apart, fingers spread out, elbows slightly cracked (not locked), and your upper arms gently rotated a little bit inwards towards your chest. This pose will stretch out your hamstrings, Achilles tendons, back, shoulders and arms. Hold for five breaths.

Slowly bring your feet to the front of your mat and come up to your original standing position with your arms overhead. As you exhale, bring your hands slowly back down to your sides. This is one round of the Basic Sun Salutation. Repeat three to five times. It is a great way to warm up prior to your run.

Keep fit your knees through Yoga

2011-04-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Fortunately for us, the knee is a very mobile joint. It takes us up, down, forward and back throughout each day. Imagine your life if knees didn't bend! Inherent to this mobility, however, is the knee's instability, making it susceptible to injury.

Repetitive movement of aerobic and muscle-training exercise puts stress on joints. (Keep reading, and don't let that last sentence motivate you to cancel your gym membership.) Numerous and substantial health benefits of regular, well-balanced exercise far outweigh any skeletal risks for most healthy adults. The key to keeping fit and injury-free is to perform exercises that strengthen muscles crossing over the knee, thus helping stabilize the joint. Because the knee joint is complex, there are several types of knee injuries. If you have a knee injury, consult your healthcare provider so you can recover effectively and efficiently. In terms of injury prevention and decreased flare-ups, yoga can help.

Yoga is ideal for strengthening muscles without the repetitive impact characteristic of other exercise modalities. Certain yoga poses directly target knee stability. Below are two poses that you can do anytime, anywhere to avoid injury and keep you on track toward your fitness goals.

First, an anatomy tidbit. Four muscles of the quadriceps extend along the front side of the thigh bone. They meet at a tendon that crosses over the knee and attach to the lower leg. The kneecap resides within this tendon, so the quadriceps muscle is responsible for correct alignment and tracking of the kneecap. Three hamstring muscles extend from the pelvis and cross the back side the knee, also attaching at the lower leg. Strong quadriceps and hamstrings support the knee joint. Other muscles are involved, and knee stability is linked to hip stability, but for now we'll keep our focus on these two muscle groups.

Tree pose (Vrksasana, a one-leg standing balance) simultaneously generates force in the quadriceps and hamstrings. Quadriceps shorten, pulling upward on the kneecap. Hamstrings lengthen, keeping the hip and knee joints in alignment. Chair pose (Utkatasana, essentially a squat held at the lowest position) requires force generation in all lower body muscles, including quadriceps and hamstrings. In this pose, quadriceps lengthen, and hamstrings shorten.

A complete yoga practice (one or two classes a week) can perfectly balance your other fitness endeavors. If this doesn't suit you, a few minutes anytime during your day will suffice. Tree pose and chair pose are two great examples, but most standing poses that engage the leg muscles serve the same purpose.

How to do tree pose: Begin standing. Shift your weight onto your left foot. Place the right foot sole against the left inner calf with, or use your hands to bring the right foot up to the left inner thigh. Right toes are pointing downward. Avoid pressing the right foot into the left knee; go above or below. Simultaneously open your right knee to the right and left hip to the left. Root your supporting foot strongly into the floor, and lift the crown of your head to the ceiling. Engage your abdominals by pulling your navel to your spine, and it is helpful to gaze at a focal point. Hold for 3-5 breaths. Come out of the posture repeat on the other side.

How to do chair pose: Begin standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, lowering your hips into a squat position. Tuck your tailbone slightly and squeeze the back of your thighs and inner thighs into the thighbones. Pull your navel to your spine. Feel strong and lengthened from the crown of your head drawing upward, and your tailbone drawing downward. Hold for 3-5 breaths and repeat one or two more times.

Yoga is highly beneficial

2011-03-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

Reaping the benefits of yogic breathing

In addition to relaxing the body and calming the mind, yogic breathing offers an entire spectrum of other benefits that work like insurance, protecting your investment in a longer and healthier life. Here are six important advantages of controlled breathing:
It steps up your metabolism (which helps with weight control);
It uses muscles that automatically help improve your posture, prevention the stiff, slumped carriage characteristic of many older people;
It keeps the lung tissue elastic, which allows you to take in more oxygen to nourish the 50 trillion cells in your body.It tones your abdominal area, a common site for health problems because many illnesses begin in the intestines;
It helps strengthen your immune system;
It reduces your levels of tension and anxiety.
Warm-up exercises
Always start your session with warm-up exercises and be safe from injuries. It's not about injuries or any damage, by the way, because you get a lot from warm-up exercises, while it:
Brings awareness and presence of mind;
Allows you to test your body before executing the postures;
Increases the temperature and blood supply to your muscles, joints, and
connective tissue;
Prepares your body for more challenging demands and reduces the possibility
of muscle tear or strain;
Enhances the supply of oxygen and nutrients, thus providing more stamina
for the practice;
Prevents muscle soreness.
Benefits of yoga postures
1. The easy posture: Sukhasana
The easy posture is a steady and comfortable sitting position for meditation and breathing exercises. The posture also helps you become more aware of and actually increase the flexibility in your hips.
2. The thunderbolt posture: Vajrasana
The thunderbolt posture is one of the safer sitting postures for students with back problems. Vajrasana increases the flexibility of your ankles, knees, and thighs, improves circulation to the abdomen, and is good for digestion.
3. The auspicious posture: Svastikasana
The svastikasana improves the flexibility of the hips, knees, and ankles and strengthens the back. The following instructions help you get the hang of this posture.
4. The perfect posture: Siddhasana
The siddhasana improves the flexibility of your hips, knees, and ankles, and strengthens the back. The posture is considered the perfect meditation posture for those practicing celibacy. Siddhasana is also beneficial for men with various prostate problems.
5. Shoulder Stands
It improves circulation to your legs, hips, back, neck, heart, and head. The postures all stimulate your endocrine glands and improve your lymphatic drainage, enhance elimination, and produce a calming and rejuvenating effect on your nervous system. The wall provides a useful prop for the easier two variations; when you're ready, you can then advance with confidence to viparita karani, the half shoulder
stand.
Yoga benefits for pregnant woman
Yoga can make a major difference in your pregnancy experience. The increased self-awareness that Yoga brings is very helpful during this special time when your body is continually undergoing change. Yogic practice provides the many benefits during that special time in your - and your baby's - life.
Yoga:
Relaxes your whole body;
Helps with back problems;
Relieves nausea;
Reduces swelling and leg cramps;
Improves mood;
Provides focusing and breathing techniques for labor;
Provides a sense of community and social support through prenatal and postnatal Yoga classes.

Finding Yoga Classes online

2011-02-21T00:24:00.000-08:00

The internet is full of online yoga classes you can watch to learn about this very popular practice. Yoga is an ancient art that keeps the body in a full range of motion and the soul in balance. More and more people become interested in practicing it, as they realize that keeping your body healthy, flexible and strong is extremely important. Yoga will help you make sure that all of your joints, muscles and tendons will work as they should and will help you focus and learn better.

People who practice yoga don’t ever need a doctor. The body is kept in such a good shape that illness simply seems to stay away. The amazing thing is that people can begin yoga at any age and it can still do wonders for them. If you hear how passionately people talk about yoga and the way it changed their life you will feel like buying into the first class that come your way and start doing it immediately.

There are many online yoga classes available but finding good ones is tricky. Some of them are in video form and some are documents with images and many step-by-step instructions. Therefore, whether you prefer a video class, or would rather learn from 'scripture' there is always something available for you. Be very careful about the websites that offer online yoga classes, as many of them are just spam sites looking to fill your life with ads. There are some legitimate free ones out there however. The key is to take some time to look for them, as they are not always obvious in the long list of Google results. At the same time, you cannot be really sure that actual certified instructors offer the online yoga classes you find on the internet. Ultimately, it may be better to seek out advice from someone who has studied yoga and check their credentials. Learning from someone in person is usually better. An instructor can point out the mistakes you are making and he or she can keep you motivated. It is pretty easy to ignore your online yoga classes, but it is harder to forget about a set, weekly yoga class you paid a subscription for.

Every time you find some new online yoga classes check the credentials of the people who are offering them as there are many con artists out there looking to make a quick buck and they will pretend they are just about anything. Ensure you are practicing techniques that are safe and which will not push your limits too much. Take things slow and ease into your new form of exercise. Pushing anything too far, too fast is bad for your body and will result in you hurting yourself.

If you start following some online yoga classes, you will sometimes lose your patience and will want to quit. Don't let the negative parts discourage you, as yoga can be one of the most beneficial exercises that you can do for the rest of your life. Just remember that maybe millions of people live a healthy, fulfilling life, not needing a doctor due to practicing yoga.

Yoga Poses

2011-02-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

Regular practice of yoga strengthens the body and the mind. There are some poses in yoga which should be practiced only after one has mastered the easy yoga asana, that is, if one has a good hold on all the arm balances, inverted poses and backward bends, it is time to move on to the next level of poses which are called advanced yoga poses. A yoga practitioner should master the basic and intermediate yoga positions before moving on to the advanced ones.
One major difference between the advanced and other ones is that the former needs immense strength and flexibility which is achieved only after regular practice of the basic as well as intermediate yoga poses for a considerable period of time. They are often very demanding and involve twisting of the body to look like some object or being from the nature.
The ability to balance the body properly is another aspect of them as almost all the advanced asana require the practitioner to balance and control the body to a great extent. And for a proper balance during difficult poses, it is essential for the mind to work with the body which is possible only for the veterans.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the advanced yoga poses take the individual or the aspirant to the next level of existence. The advanced yoga poses involve deep levels of meditation, which allows the mind to be free from all the worldly thoughts and which also paves the way for spiritually enriching experience.
Some of the popular advanced yoga poses are:
Compass Pose or Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana
Crow Pose or Bakasana
Eagle Pose or Garudasana
Firefly Pose or Tittibhasana
Flying Crow Pose or Eka Pada Galavasana
Flying Crow Pose or Eka Pada Galavasana
Forearm Stand or Pincha Mayurasana
Forearm Stand or Pincha Mayurasana
Headstand Pose or Salamba Sirsasana
King Dancer Pose or Natarajasana Pose
Monkey Pose or Hanumanasana
One Legged Kind Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Revolved Half Moon Pose or Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana
Scorpion Pose or Vrschikasana
Side Crow Pose or Parsva Bakasana
Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana
It is very important for any yoga enthusiast to understand that rushing into advanced yoga poses will not help much, as the foundation of any yoga course is the performance and practice of yoga poses. Each yoga pose has its own benefits and it is important to not strain one's body during yoga which becomes a possibility if one rushes into the advanced yoga poses.

Importance of Yoga Pants

2011-01-11T00:35:00.000-08:00

Yoga pants are considered to be one of the most basic and yet the most important gear for every yoga practitioner. These pants come in all shapes, sizes, and in different designs, but all share the same basic features including flexibility and ease of movement. The attribute of these outfits, which set them apart from other types of garments for other forms of exercise or sports, is that they are designed or embroidered in such a way that they are fashionable. They can also be used outside and not only for yoga practice.

The length of each pant depends upon the choice of the practitioner and upon the temperature of the studio, as well as the intensity of the exercise. Shorter pants are mostly used in studios which are colder, or when the exercise is not so intense, while longer pants are utilized in studios, which are warmer in temperature or during intense sessions.

Yoga is an exercise where body form is very important. Thus, the pants are mostly made out of synthetic knits or cotton, which provides not just comfort and ease of movement, but more importantly, it hugs the body of the practitioner to allow poses to be clearly executed. Therefore, it aids in the checking of posture and form.

Because of their exceptional qualities, people in other activities, which are not related to exercise or fitness, use them. Today most people who work in massage clinics also wear them so that they can move more freely and more comfortably when working.

Yoga Teacher

2010-12-28T06:59:00.000-08:00

Lately, there has been a fuss over who has a right to become a Yoga teacher; but let's look at some of the variables to consider if you desire to teach Yoga. Consider the following questions, "from both sides of the Yoga certification debate."

Do you have the correct Yoga lineage? This is interesting because - what exactly is the correct Yoga lineage? There are so many styles of Yoga and many sub-styles of those Yoga styles. In general, you should know who your Yoga teachers were and possibly, who their teachers were.

However, Yoga traveled outside of India in a variety of ways. Although there have been many famous Indian Gurus, who helped Yoga flourish worldwide, the British carried Yoga abroad, as well. There are competent Yoga teachers, who trace their Yoga lineage back to Englishmen, who served in India.

Some of the first non-Indian Yoga teachers did not have extensive Yoga training under the guidance of a Guru, but a few did. Consider this idea: If you know nothing about Yoga, but I know a little something - I can show you what little I know. This happens with any form of shared knowledge, and the person who knows a little more about Yoga, becomes a Yoga teacher.

Granted, we are considering the beginning of Yoga's worldwide proliferation, but now we have 21st century Yoga teacher certification in a fast-changing world - with a variety of styles and approaches to overall health.

There are many new forms of Hatha Yoga being created and evolving at this moment. If you have a traditional Yoga lineage, that's wonderful, but times change, and so does Yoga.

I can remember when some traditional Yoga teachers did not believe in the Yoga teacher certification process. For example: The master Yoga teacher did not have a Yoga teacher's diploma, and would not fill one out for their long-time students, who worked as "substitute Yoga teachers," in the ashram.

Some of these substitutes had over twenty years of experience in Yoga practice, and taught classes when the master teacher was on vacation, but the master Yoga teacher would still not certify them.

Meanwhile some Yoga certifications were obtained, over a weekend Yoga teacher training intensive, by people who just needed a quick Yoga certification for a health club.

So, who has a right to become a Yoga teacher? Anybody, I guess, but Yoga certification bodies should stick to the 200 study hour minimum standard for graduates of their Yoga teacher training programs.

Yoga teacher interns should have at least two years of steady practice, under the guidance of a Yoga teacher, before entering the Yoga teacher certification process. Correspondence and distance learning, for Yoga teachers, should also conform to the 200-hour minimum standard.

Yoga means union

2010-12-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

Yoga means "union."

Yoga is a positive way of life that teaches relaxation, positive thinking, truthfulness, proper diet and healthy living.

Hatha Yoga combines breathing with physical postures, or asanas, which are done slowly and mindfully. As the breath is coordinated with the postures and the body is moved and stretched in wonderful ways, you come to realize a state of mental and physical health and well-being.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

Regular practice of yoga has many wonderful physical benefits. Yoga can improve muscle tone, digestion and the immune system. It can help increase oxygen intake so the lungs operate more efficiently. Body alignment and balance can improve. Yoga gives you energy and helps you relax and stay relaxed. Yoga helps to improve all systems of the body including the glands and nerves. Yoga can even help slow down the effects of aging. Many health concerns such as arthritis, headaches and digestion problems can improve with a regular yoga practice.

Yoga is great for athletes.

A regular practice of Yoga helps develop focus, concentration, strength and flexibility. Many hockey players and basketball players include Yoga into their fitness program. The Edmonton Oilers NHL Team and Ottawa Senators NHL Team have included yoga into their programs as well as tennis player Maria Sharapova.

Anyone can practice Yoga

The beauty of Yoga is that you can do it at your own pace and always receive the benefits regardless of your individual level of flexibility and strength.

There is a yoga pose for everyone and all poses can be modified to fit a person's body. Sometimes props are used to help a person do a pose and after regular practice they may no longer be needed.

Yoga is invigorating

Yoga can make you feel alive and energetic. You're moving your body the way it was meant to move - bending and stretching, increasing strength with wonderful moves that don't wear you out. One of my Yoga students who had arthritis once told me Yoga made him feel like a kid again. Yoga will make your body feel alive and put you in touch with your true self.

Joy and Contentment

Yoga is a wonderful way to feel joy and contentment. This is one of the most wonderful benefits that I discovered many years ago. I was practicing in my living room every morning learning the poses and I experienced a sense of peace, or equilibrium that seemed to help me get through life's challenges. It's contentment no matter what happens.

Peace and stillness

Regular Yoga practice can help you to slow down and discover the peace and stillness in your heart. Everything seems to fall into place when we listen to our heart, when we take time to listen to the silence.

Yoga is a form of human art

2010-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Education is the cornerstone towards gaining knowledge of yoga poses. For a lasting outcome an attitude of perseverance must be set in order to become trained in yoga. Becoming disheartened is a common trend amongst beginners in any starting practice and loosing focus happens but with persistence one can attain long term lasting results with yoga. To be able to practice the art of yoga by the book effectively,

Your body and mind must be relaxed through breathing to start with. Built up tension or stiff muscles may delay progression and the end result is not achieved. If you have doubts and concerns at the time of your yoga session just dissolve them in the moment as if there's nothing else to think about but breathing and the flow of movement. The trick is to realize the power of now and to dissolve all anxieties with the rhythm of the breath. To separate oneself from physical and mental bondage's of this world the practice must maintained, with an attitude aimed toward the cultivation of lasting joy and physical well being. Pursuing knowledge in the form of yoga increases ones desire to reach the unattainable a burning passion is ignited to excel beyond the current state of being. Development of dormant attributes is another side effect of yoga.

Coming into balance with one's mind is a gift that only the Gods can give,yoga allows this gift to be received in full. Significant changes can emotionally be felt and visible changes noted.Polluted thinking is broken down and blockages that restrict physical development and conscious evolution are removed with continued practice and dedication.It 's an art form of many benefits and can fulfill the lacking void in one's life. It is a life saver in many ways and will continue to change many bodies and minds for years to come.

Know Your Yoga

2010-11-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Yoga is quickly becoming one of the most popular fitness activities in the world and it's not a surprise. Yoga is a great way to maintain your physical, mental, and spiritual health. While there are several types of yoga in existence today, western society generally focuses on three types. These types of yoga are generally the ones that you will find in wellness centers, gyms, and other places that focus on physical, mental, and spiritual well being. Below you will find these three types of yoga listed by degree of complexity, starting with the easiest and ending with the more complicated. Decide which type of best for you and start there. Eventually you will be able to work your way to more complicated yoga traditions.

Hatha Yoga: The best place to start is obviously the beginning which makes Hatha yoga the most popular place to begin your yoga experience. Hatha yoga is the most basic form of yoga and acts as a foundation for the more complex types that you may encounter if you delve deeper into the world of yoga wellness. Hatha yoga incorporates postures or poses (Asanas), breathing regulation (Pranayama), and meditation (Dhyana and Dharana). The combination of these focus points results in an excellent way to maintain your physical health while working to eliminate or cope with everyday stress. As you progress through Hatha yoga your goal should be to execute positions in a slow, serious, graceful, and meaningful manner. The overall effect of this type of yoga should be to relax, therefore, it's not necessary to overexert or physically exhaust yourself during your session.
Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga Yoga is a more challenging type of yoga and is meant for those who are experienced in yoga practices. While Hatha yoga focuses on relaxing the body through a combination of poses, breathing, and reflection, Ashtanga yoga focuses on raising the heart rate and is ultimately more physically challenging. Ashtanga yoga is achieved by combining synchronized breathing with a succession of physically taxing poses or postures. These things combined raise the internal temperature of your body causing you to sweat. If is believe that this sweat cleanses your organs and muscles while improving your flexibility, circulation, and stamina.
Power Yoga: Power yoga is basically the westernized version of Ashtanga Yoga. While the general concept is the same, the session is accompanied by physically demanding activities not generally associated with yoga practices. For example, it is very common to find push-ups, toe touches, and various other forms of aerobic movement during Power Yoga sessions. Because of the heavy influence of aerobics, power yoga is a lot similar to a well choreographed exercise routine with one movement leading into the next and so on. It the most simplistic terms, power yoga is a combination of yoga and aerobic exercises resulting in a form of yoga that is physically demanding workout more so than a relaxing slow paced experience.

What You Should Know

Yoga is a personal journey. Regardless of what type of yoga you choose, it's important to work at your own pace. The goal of the experience is to improve your physical, mental, and spiritual health. This cannot be achieved if you are in pain, feel inadequate, or are pushing yourself too far too fast.

It is a general rule to attend yoga in a empty of almost empty stomach. You will feel better partaking in the yoga experience with only juice, tea, or coffee in your stomach. Anything extra may result in the inability to fully execute postures.

Yoga requires a lot of movement and therefore you should always wear loose fitting clothing that allows you complete flexibility. There are several clothing lines that make apparel for yoga, but a jogging suit or leggings and a t-shirt will work just fine.

While you may choose to wear socks to your to your class, it's generally advised that you don't wear them during your session. Some postures require a great deal of balance and socks can cause you to slip and lose traction while executing your poses.

As with any exercise regime it's recommended you don't' wear jewelry and that you tie long hair back.

If you experience any medical problems that may prevent you from benefiting from the yoga experience you may want to speak to your physician before attending classes.

The Power of Pranayam

2010-10-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

The person who wrote the song "Love's In The Air" must have known some of the secrets behind the power of our breath. Besides being simply a romantic love song, I think this is one song who is discreetly exalting the wondrous cosmic energy underlying our breath.

Human beings can survive weeks without food, days without water, but not more than a few min without breathing. Is there some Universal secret behind this often taken-for-granted fact?

If there is, the ancient Vedic masters definitely knew about it. Apparently, they have been using Pranayam Yoga for centuries to heal the body, rejuvenate the soul, remain youthful regardless of biological age, and even to attain enlightenment.

Pranayama Yoga itself can be practiced for longevity, vitality and restoration of health. Even if the person has serious physical injuries, handicaps and/or mobility problems, Pranayama Yoga can be practiced for improved health.

No matter what level of wellness a person starts from, the health situation has a chance to improve upon incorporating Yoga.

Breath is something we often overlook in life. Most rejuvenation exercises, healing, stress management and emotional management workshops incorporate some kind of breathing in the cirriculum. They are intelligently using the power of Pranayams to manage emotional states.

Within the school of Pranayam Yoga itself, there are varying techniques of practising. They can be different in terms of where it is done from - breathing through left, right nostrils vs mouth; how it is being done - the pattern of recurrence; locks - which basically means contracting certain muscles in the body, frequency, rhythm/speed and many more. The list goes on, and I'm pretty sure there could be more which could be undiscovered by modern humans yet.

Speaking from personal experience, I know for sure that Pranayams work, anytime, anywhere without fail. By varying my breath patterns, I am able to change my moods and manage emotional states.

And more incredibly, when various Pranayam techniques are used in conjunction with Yoga postures, I feel miracles taking place within. And these miracles are projected outwards because we are no more than manifestations of everything that is within.

A simple experiment to conduct on yourself would be to consciously take 5 long deep breaths when you are feeling stressed and/or tired. Consciously means to empty your mind and focus on nothing else but the action of breathing only - the drawing in and out of air through your nostrils.

And suddenly, you feel better, more stable, more in control, and more grounded. For someone who is eating simple foods, or better still, a large of raw vegan foods, you may even feel love!

This love is, mind you, not the usual kind of conditional love we all experience in everyday life. This love is the vibrational force emanating from Mother Earth - who is Divine and Pure Love in essence.

Learn different types of Yoga

2010-10-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yoga is becoming a more and more popular activity in the Western world today. The number of places holding Yoga classes is on the increase and there is a plethora of different types of Yoga. With a choice of Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and many more it can be easy to get confused

The article will help you to understand the difference between the most popular types of Yoga so you can choose which type is right for you.

Hatha Yoga - in Sanskrit (an ancient classical language of India) "Ha" means "sun" and "tha" means "moon". This type of Yoga is relatively slow paced, gentle type of Yoga and is a good place to start if you are completely new to Yoga and don't know any of the asanas (poses). Like all types of Yoga, Hatha Yoga aims to unite the mind, body and spirit.

Ashtanga Yoga - this is the type of Yoga that I practice on a regular basis and means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit. It's a fast moving, intense style of Yoga practice and is based on a progressive set sequence of asanas, synchronized with the breath. Ashtanga Yoga can be quite physically demanding as you constantly move from one asana in the sequence to the next, so you'll find that it will improve your stamina as well as your flexibility and strength..

Power Yoga - this is a western interpretation of Yoga and is based on Ashtanga Yoga. A Power Yoga class may not necessarily stick to the exact sequence of poses like Ashtanga Yoga does, but it does involve practicing a series of poses without stopping and starting.

Iyengar Yoga - This type of Yoga is based on teachings by B.K.S Igengar and concentrates on the correct alignment and form of the body. Unlike Ashtanga Yoga, there is an emphasis on holding each pose for a long period of time rather than moving constantly from one pose to the next. Iyengar Yoga uses props such as blocks and straps to help align the body into the different poses.

Vinyasa Yoga - Vinyasa means breath synchronized movement and is another fast paced type of Yoga, with an emphasis on breathing. A practice typically starts with sun salutations and moves on to more intense stretching. Throughout the practice each pose is balanced with a counter pose.

Bikram Yoga - otherwise known as "Hot Yoga", is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees, with a humidity of around 40%. Generally a sequence of 26 different poses is practiced during a Bikram Yoga class and the hot temperature helps to loosen muscles. Due to the high temperature most people sweat a lot during the class and this helps to cleanse the body of toxins.

If you're just starting out or have never done any Yoga before, I recommend trying a few different types of yoga to find out what you like best.

Remember, there's no rule that says you have to stick to one type of Yoga. I like Ashtanga Yoga best, but I also go to occasional Iyengar and Hatha Yoga classes for a bit of variety.

Weight loss through Yoga asanas

2010-09-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

For those that have decided that they want to be in better shape both physically and mentally, there are few better options than Weight Loss Yoga Asanas. This special form of yoga is designed in such a way that many have found it to be perfect for losing fat. Though this may come as a surprise to some especially when you consider the fact that it mostly consists of holding different poses for extended periods of time, it is very effective nonetheless.

There are several reasons why Weight Loss Yoga Asanas is possible. One of the main reasons is how well this form targets the entire body. By involving the entire body in difficult stretches and positions, you are expending a great deal of calories. Not only that, but it goes a long way in strengthening the core, which is crucial in weight reduction. It also helps the respiratory system a great deal, which translates to improved breathing and endurance. Stamina is also greatly affected, and that can help you in other types of exercises like running and biking which can be instrumental in weight loss.

One of the most popular things about the yoga form Asanas is the fact that has a great variety of different positions. What this means is that it is great for those that like to mix up their daily routine. It also means that there are several levels of difficulty to overcome and there is something for those of all different skill levels. So if you are looking for Weight Loss Yoga Asanas is one of the best options to choose from. You will find that it is not easy to do some of the more advanced poses, but through patience, practice, and dedication it is possible.

Everyday Pranayam recomended by Ramdev Baba

2010-09-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

A few of Pranayama exercises that Swami Ramdev recommends for everyday practice are:

Bhastrika Pranayam

Bhastrika Pranayam

Procedure: Take deep breaths and then completely breathe out.

Kapal Bhati Pranayam

Kapal Bharati Pranayam

Procedure: Push air forcefully out. Stomach will itself go in.

Duration: Start with 30 times or 1 min. increase upto 5 mins min. upto 10 mins max.
Benefits : aabha, tej, obesity, constipation, gastric, acidity, Croesus(liver), hepatitis B, uterus, diabetes, stomach problems, cholesterol, allergic problems, asthma, snoring, concentration, and even cancer and AIDS.
Tips : heart and high BP patients, and weak people do it slowly.
Swamiji says "dharti ki sanjivini hai kapal-bhati pranayam" and that it "cures all diseases of world".

Baharya Pranayam

Baharya Pranayam

Procedure: Breathe air out, touch chin to chest, squeeze stomach completely and hold for a while. then release chin, breathe in slowly.

Duration: 3 times to 5 times normally. max upto 11 times. and extremely max upto 21 times (in winters).
Benefits : stomach(udar), hernia, urinal, uterus
Tips : not for heart and high BP patients

Anulom Vilom Pranayam

Anulom Vilom Pranayam

Procedure: Hold your right nasal with thumb, breathe in from left. Now open right nasal and close left nasal with middle and ring finger and breathe out from right nasal. Now breathe in from right nasal. Now close right nasal and open left and breathe out and in from left nasal. and so on.

Duration: atleast 10 mins.
Benefits : heart, high BP, heart blockage, vat-cuf-pit, arthritis, cartilage, bent ligaments, sinual fluid reduced, parkinson, paralysis, neural related, depression, migraine pain, asthma, sinus, allergy
Tips : breathe into lungs not to stomach. no organ in stomach absorb oxygen. Do not hurry. Do it slowly. Rest whenever needed (in any pranayam).

Bhramri Pranayam

Bhramri Pranayam

Procedure: Close ears with thumb, index finger on forehead, and rest three on base of nose touching eyes. Breathe in. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee.

Duration: 10 mins
Benefits : tension, hypertension, high BP, heart, heart blockage, paralysis, migraine pain, confidence, concentration

Udgeeth Pranayam

Udgeeth Pranayam

Procedure: Breathe in deeply, and chant 'Om'kar. OOOOOOm ( long O and small m )
Duration : 10 mins or more
Benefits : meditation