Yoga

Yoga for Fun and Profit

2008-11-09T03:28:00.001-08:00

Stress levels around the world are on the rise. In order to deal with this, relaxation and stress reduction therapies have sprung up from everywhere. Yoga instruction is no longer just a fringe population idea. It is now a mainstream fitness methodology. Yoga certifications are now available from many places in North America. As a result of this, yoga instructors are now available everywhere. Each gym now offers yoga classes from certified yoga instructors. It’s time we understood what this is all about and where we are going with respect to the fitness industry.

The word yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning joining or union. What are we joining? The human being consists of several entities commonly referred to as body-mind-spirit. An integrated human being is the goal of yoga. We are joining the different pieces of the human being to make an integrated, holistic being that is attuned to one goal. The body, mind and spirit are all integrated with a common attitude and viewpoint. This is different from the state of being where the body wants to satisfy one need and the mind another and the spirit yet a third. This is the state during which mental storms occur and the body responds in turn with a manifestation of that mental vortex.

Yoga seeks to align the human being using its own tool of breathing. When we breathe rhythmically, our body is more in tune with itself. We function better as an integrated being in a holistic way. Yoga was invented in India, about 5000 years ago, precisely to achieve the goal of integration. When our being is aligned our interaction with the world will be more efficient. We perform better at work and in our home life. Rela-tionships become easier. This is what yoga achieves.

In India, yoga is taught and researched as a science at a place in Bangalore called the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusamdhana Samsthan (SVYASA). This means Yoga Research Institute. One can obtain intensive instruction in yoga and therapy techniques using yoga. Recently, I completed a month long certificate course for yoga instructors at this institute. The yoga that is taught here is not just about the physical poses. The idea of yoga from the original meaning is to really integrate the whole human being. This involves all of our activities in life. We must be aligned and integrated during all of our tasks during the day. All of our activies can be divided into several broad categories. All actions like going to work, eating breakfast are classified as Karma yoga. All philosophical discussions are classified under Jnana yoga. Any devotional activities such as the singing of hymns or prayers are considered part of Bhakti yoga. The physical poses of Western ideas of yoga are a part of Raja yoga, which includes other methods for gaining mastery over the physical body. This is the original concept of yoga from India and is taught in that form at the SVYASA Institute.

The institute is named after Swami Vivekananda who was a monk and scholar of Indian philosophy. In 1893, Swami Vivekananda was invited to speak at the Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago, on the topic of Hinduism. His speech became famous for explaining the unity of religions as many paths to God, and that Hinduism in its original sense encompassed that view. Swami Vivekananda wanted the Western world to understand Indian spirituality in the correct view, as a synthesis of the four types of yoga, which ultimately leads to the goal of spiritual evolution. SVYASA is dedicated to the education and research of yoga in this context. The school retains strict attention to the original sources of yoga from Sanskrit scripture.

The teaching styles of the school and environmental factors do not cater to the Western lifestyle. Those who come from abroad must acclimatize themselves to the pure Indian way. Meals are served on the floor and must be eaten using the hands. Vegetarian Indian food is served. No cutlery is provided. Footwear must be left outside of all classes. Be prepared to literally be on your feet for long amounts of time. While the majority of the students are comfortably able to sit on the floor during the long lecture sessions, chairs are available for those who will not be able to survive in that position. The philosophy of discipline is everywhere, starting from the boot camp like nature of the roll call before each session. Students who miss a portion of the attendance will not receive their certificate. Attendance is considered a very important factor of the study. In addition, a strict code of uniforms is enforced. Women must wear the Indian dress of salwaar kameez, which is a tunic, and pant set made of 100% cotton. This dress could be modified to be more forgiving for yoga poses. Men must wear loose fitting track pants and t-shirt. This is more conducive to rigorous physical activity. It must be noted that everywhere the students of the yoga instructors course can be identified by their uniform.

As attendance is strict, so is the keeping of students on the grounds. While exceptions can be made for justifiable reasons, students cannot usually leave the campus for any reason after the start of the course. The campus is 32 km north of the major city of Bangalore. Fortunately, Bangalore boasts many amenities including an international airport. The city of Bangalore itself is very multicultural. One can find the modern world mixed with the original flavour of India everywhere. The SVYASA institute has a city office in Bangalore from where a bus is arranged to take travellers to its campus outside the city in a place called Geddallahalli. The name of the campus is Prashanti Kutiram, which means abode of peace. While the name is very amenable to yoga studies, I found that one needs to practice yoga in sincerity to find the true peace, which is only inside the human being.

A variety of personal interests and professional paths have led the author to her current role as a personal trainer and lifestyle consultant with over 20 years experience. Siva is an author, lecturer and Can-Fit-Pro certified personal trainer who specializes in body-mind-spirit consulting and training women. Currently she is writing a book entitled Body, Mind, and Spirit Fitness, which discusses her particular style of training the complete being, rather than just the physical body.

Siva is a yoga instructor, an expert on East Indian Philosophy and teacher of Sanskrit. She holds a doctorate in engineering from the University of Toronto and has balanced her time between personal training and engineering for over 20 years. In February 2005, Siva spent an intensive month studying a course for Yoga Instructors, at the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Institute in Bangalore, India to further her interest in yoga as a science of holistic living and not merely as yoga postures.

For more information on yoga visit http://www.getshanti.com

Ayurveda and Yoga, Ancient Sister Sciences

2008-11-09T03:27:00.002-08:00

Ayurveda and yoga are sister Vedic sciences that have been united for thousands of years for the sake of healing body, mind, and consciousness. Generally speaking, Ayurveda deals more with the health of the body, while yoga deals with purifying the mind and consciousness, but in reality they complement and embrace each other.

The ancient rishis (seers) were the original masters of all Vedic sciences. They understood that good health is a great asset on the path toward Self-realization. If the body is neglected it can easily become an obstacle to spiritual practice. Anyone who has practiced meditation for any length of time would agree to how difficult it can be to sit still for long periods of time without feeling discomfort and fatigue. Both yoga and Ayurveda are mutually supportive and offer many ways to prevent and heal various disorders as well as to cleanse and rejuvenate the body.

Besides sharing a philosophical foundation, both systems have many similarities in relation to attitude, nutrition, diet, hygiene, exercise, cleansing practices, as well as spiritual practices. Traditionally, a student of yoga would first live close to and serve the guru for many years, during which time he would learn healthy habits. The basic Ayurvedic principles for health and longevity were past on in the lineage in oral form to serve as a foundation for a life of sadhana (spiritual practice).

Nowadays, the teachings of yoga are easily available to all, and whether prepared or not we can leap headlong into its practice. This has its blessings, in the sense that more people can be turned on to the teachings, although much is often lost without the parampara, or close guidance at the feet of an accomplished master. With this in mind, modern yoga practitioners would most certainly benefit from a basic knowledge of Ayurveda to help establish a healthy daily routine and adjust their practice according to the constitution, dosha imbalance, season, and so on, to prevent disease and promote longevity.

First, let’s take a look at the similarities between yoga and Ayurveda:

* Both are ancient Vedic teachings. Yoga originates in the Yajur Veda, while Ayurveda originates in the Atharva Veda and Rig Veda.

* Both recognize that keeping the body healthy is vital for fulfilling the four aims of life: Dharma (duty), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation).

* Both recognize that the balance of doshas (humors), dhatus (tissues), and malas (waste products) is essential for maintaining good health.

* Both share virtually the same metaphysical anatomy and physiology, which consists of 72,000 nadis (subtle channels), 7 main chakras (energy centers), 5 bodily sheaths, and the Kundalini Shakti (energy).

* Both advocate the use of diet, herbs, asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, astrology, prayer, puja, and rituals for healing the entire being.

* Both encourage physical health as a good foundation for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

* Both share the same view on psychology. Ayurveda embraces all six of the main schools of philosophy including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Vedanta (a non-dual philosophical and spiritual path). They both understand that the attachment to the body-mind complex is the root cause of all suffering and that the ultimate state of health is experienced when we abide in our true nature, which is total peace, regardless of the state of the physical body.

* Both use cleansing methods for the body, all of which encourage the removal of waste products and toxins through their natural routes of elimination. Ayurveda has panchakarma (five cleansing actions) and yoga uses Shat Karma (six purification measures).

Ayurvedic approach to asana practice

The use of asana, pranayama, and meditation for healing is known as Yoga Chikitsa, or Yoga Therapy and has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic and yogic adepts. In Yoga Chikitsa, a group of yogic exercises are chosen that will best support the individual and are practiced daily. This can be done over an extended period of time in conjunction with an Ayurvedic regime and herbal and dietary therapies. Yoga Chikitsa also plays an integral role in the Ayurvedic cleansing and rejuvenation process known as panchakarma.

For a well balanced personal yoga practice, it is important to take into consideration the individual’s body structure, prakruti (original constitution), and vikruti (present constitutional imbalance). The following are general recommendations according to the predominant dosha.

Vata predominant individuals should remember to focus on calming, grounding, stillness, strengthening, and balancing while doing their practice.

Precautions for vata:

* Vinyasa or flow styles of yoga tend to move too quickly from one pose to the next and can aggravate the hyper-mobile quality of vata over time. Flow sequences can be made to be more vata pacifying if they are not excessively long, the length of time poses are held is extended, and transitions are done slowly and consciously.

* Those with lower back problems may find that bending the knees in standing forward bends can prevent discomfort.

* Back bends should be done slowly, carefully and within one's own limits.

Pitta individuals should maintain a calm, cool, and relaxed intention while doing asanas. Pitta types may benefit from trying to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness, and of surrendering or offering the fruits of their practice to the divine of to those in need of positive healing energy. Because asana practice tends to generate heat in the body, it is best to do them at cooling times of the day, such as dawn or dusk. Also, it is useful to place some emphasis on poses that help to release excess heat from the body, such as poses that compress the solar plexus and poses that open the chest like.

Kapha types tend to be sedentary and often dislike vigorous exercise. For this reason, their practice should be energetic, warming, lightening, and stimulating, providing they are physically capable. Vinyasa or flow style yoga is good for kapha because it is dynamic and moves quickly from one pose to the next, it induces sweating and gets the heart pumping.

Yoga poses that address specific doshic problems can be easily added to an Ayurvedic regime and integrated into an existing yoga routine, or they can be organized as a small session with the help of an Ayurvedic clinician who knows each individual case well and can help set up a well balanced program according to the needs of each client.

Ayurveda also offers Yoga Chikitsa, or Yoga Therapy, for specific doshic disorders. It is advised to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner for an individualized regime.

Ayurvedic Approach to Pranayama (breathing techniques).

The ultimate goal of pranayama is to calm the mind and prepare it for meditation. It also has a therapeutic effect on the physical body as well. It is not essential to do a pranayama practice according to dosha, but knowing its effects on the body is a valuable tool for management of the doshas. Below is a general list of pranayama and bandha exercises according to dosha.

Vata: Nadi Shodhana, Kapala Bhati, Agnisara Dhauti, Ujjayi, Tri Bandha, Maha Mudra.

Pitta: Sheetali or Sitkari, Nadi shodhana.

Kapha: Bastrika, Agnisara Dhauti, Kapala Bhati, Ashvini Mudra (contracting and releasing Mula Bandha), Ashvini Mudra, Ujjayi, Tri Bandha, Maha Mudra.

Furthermore, the Four Purifications taught in our workshops is an ancient method from the Ashtanga Yoga for purifying the gross and subtle body in order to prepare it for more advanced practices. They are tridoshic and safe for everyone, providing they are performed correctly.

Meditation According to Dosha.

These spiritual paths and their meditation techniques can be practiced by anyone, regardless of their prakruti. This list is only intended to give an idea on how dosha can support or influence one’s spiritual practice. Many traditions of yoga blend various aspects of the paths listed here.

* Vata: Kriya Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga and other structured techniques help to keep vata stabilized and focused.

* Pitta: Jnana Yoga and Vedanta are good for pitta types because they often have sharp intellects and have a keen interest in self-study (Atma-vichara).

* Kapha: Bhakti yoga is natural for kapha types because they are often loving and devotional by nature.

Ayurvedic and Yogic Diet.

Ayurveda is more concerned with food being constitutionally balanced, while Yoga promotes a diet that is sattwic (light and pure). A combination of both aspects is the best choice for a yogi or anyone wanting to make real progress on a spiritual path.

Ayurvedic diet:

* According to dosha.

* Primarily vegetarian (meat is used as medicine, mainly for extreme deficiencies).

* Primarily cooked (raw food in moderation, especially for vata types).

* Containing six tastes.

Yogic diet:

* Sattwic vegetarian diet.

* Easy to digest.

* Simple meals (to limit desire).

* Both cooked and raw.

* Foods recommended in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika consist of rejuvenating substances such as wheat, whole grain, white basmati, corn, raw milk, raw sugar, butter, ghee, honey, dried ginger, mung beans, pure water, vegetables.

* Fruits, roots and nuts.

* Avoiding excessive hot, sour, salty, fermented, and fried foods.

* Avoiding tamasic (dulling) foods like meat, onions, garlic and mushrooms as a regular part of the daily diet.

Cleansing in Yoga and Ayurveda.

Ayurveda and Yoga both emphasize cleansing of the body for health and support of spiritual practices. Their methods are similar and work by expelling excess dosha and ama, or toxins, using the body's natural routes of elimination.

The yogic method is known in the Ashtanga tradition as Shat Karma, or six cleansing measures. These are:

1. Neti (nasal cleansing):

Jala neti (salt water flushing of the sinuses).

Sutra neti (nasal cleaning with string).

2. Dhauti (washing the GI tract).

Teeth, tongue, eyes, ears and forehead.

Agnisara Dhauti.

Vamana Dhauti (vomiting salt water).

Vastra Dhauti (washing with a cloth).

Varisara Dhauti (washing with water for purgation).

3. Basti (enema).

4. Trataka (forehead wash, gazing into a candle flame).

5. Nauli (intestinal washing, abdominal rolling).

6. Kapala Bhati (skull shining).

The Ayurvedic method for cleansing and rejuvenation is known as panchakarma (pancha karma), or five cleansing actions. This program is usually done for a week or two, but can also be done for longer periods depending on the case. The five actions of this method are:

1. Basti (Enema).

2. Nasya (Nasal application of herbs and herbal oils).

3. Vamana (Therapeutic vomiting).

4. Virechana (Purgation).

5. Rakta Moksha (Blood letting).

It is obvious that Ayurveda and yoga not only complement each other. Both sciences actually embrace each other as they share similarities and fundamental principles on many levels. Ayurveda and yoga should go hand in hand if we want to achieve optimal health, peace, and longevity.

Vishnu Dass, NTS, LMT, CAyu, is an Ayurvedic practitioner and educator and the Director of Blue Lotus Ayurveda - Natural Health & Rejuvenation - an Ayurvedic clinic in Asheville, NC, that offers holistic health care, panchakarma (for deep detox and rejuvenation), rejuvenating therapies, diet and lifestyle counseling, yoga and yoga therapy, therapeutic massage & bodywork, workshops, and more. For more information, articles and products, visit: http://www.bluelotusayurveda.com

Yoga for Relaxation

2008-11-09T03:27:00.001-08:00

Discover the true meaning of yoga…

In taking any modern yoga class, you will find parallels to ballet. Like ballet, the promise of poise, grace and flexibility encourages much interest. Yet if yoga is like any other exercise, it is only at first glance. Underneath the coveted health and fitness benefits of modern yoga practice are the roots of a great spiritual tradition blending cultures and religions.

Unfortunately, through the westernization of yoga, we have lost an essential component of this peaceful practice. Though the ritual remains intact the meaning has gone astray. Where previously the postures of yoga practice were merely a branch of a tree; today they are viewed by western society as the tree itself. How do we bring meaning to our poses?

Modern Yoga’s Roots and Benefits

Though the development of yoga cannot be pinned to an exact year, the discovery of the Indus seals, which show figures in the classic yoga asana (posture) of lotus pose, trace yoga back to at least 3000 BCE. At this time the Vedas were being written, which today’s yoga postures are derived from. These gave birth to Vedic yoga, which accommodated the ancient Indians fixation on ritual and sacrifice. We see evidence of the importance of sacrifice in the yogic corpse posture. Lying as though we were placed in a coffin, this represents the ultimate sacrifice-that of death. Though seemingly morbid, corpse posture is one of hope when we understand that according to the Vedanta sutras, death results in liberation

Sacrifice was meant to join the material and the physical, and create the longed-for “union” that defines the word Yoga. The Vedanta sutras (vs.4:4,13-14) declare that the liberated soul is not materially motivated.. By asking us to free ourselves from the bondage of material motivation, compassion requires us to be selfless. Surely, this giving is an exercise in compassion. Even still, the modern practice of yoga facilitates this. Through postures and stillness, we alter our consciousness and therefore change our perspective. In our new realization of others as being part of the cosmic whole, we feel that in giving to them we are also giving to ourselves.

The ancient philosophy of yoga saw its postures as part of a greater whole. Thousands of years ago during the time of Astanga yoga, posture practice was one piece of a more important whole. Astanga yoga, which originated during Vedic India, was derived of eight branches; yama (control and discipline), niyama (rules, methods and principle), asana (posture), pranayama (focused breathing), prathyahara(avoidance of undesirable action),dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (contemplation). In contrast, most contemporary yoga focuses on postures and uses breath work as a small component or an afterthought. Though admittedly, the current vision of yoga over-emphasizes asana, it is extremely important and has enormous benefits. The medically studied benefits of yoga include the following: Stress reduction, improved muscle strength and tone, increased energy and flexibility, improved balance and coordination and a reduction in depression.
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Moving with Compassion

Through most of asana practice, we are unconsciously engaging in physical metaphor. Many yoga postures are named after and imitate the living world; tree pose, eagle pose, frog pose, cat pose. By developing postures that imitate the stance of animals, the vedic seers may have been seeking not only to embrace the qualities of these animals, but to formulate compassion for them.
The way that compassion serves as a partner to yoga’s goal of liberation can be understood through reading the ancient yogic texts. Understand these vedas; whether they be the Rig Veda (knowledge of praise),Yajur-Veda (knowledge of sacrifice), Sama Veda (knowledge of chants), and Atharva-Veda(knowledge of atharvan), is likelier while deep in meditation. Understanding the vedic sutras, we are permitted to experience a bliss unknown through material grasping.

In this state everyday experiences fade away and a greater perspective unfolds. Over time, meditation also allows us to become more intuitive and receptive. This opens us up to others, enhancing our compassionate nature. This experience has been discussed by Eastern sacred-text expert “H.P. Blavatsky’s in “The Voice of the Silence.” Blavatsky writes: “Compassion is no attribute. IT is the LAW of LAWS—eternal Harmony, Alaya’s SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal.”

In order to experience compassion for others we must first extend it to ourselves. Straining too forcefully in a pose is counter to compassion. Why? Yoga teaches us that we are all connected, so when we hurt ourselves this pain eventually reaches others. Instead we must strive for gentle self-acceptance, competing with nobody-not even ourselves. This is essential to a rewarding experience of yoga.

Postures for Peace

By the time of Patanjali’s yoga sutras, which were written near the beginning of the common era, we begin to see a discussion of the more practical aspects of yoga. Posture is discussed (be it mainly for meditative purposes), as is concentration of the mind during this exercise. In the Yoga-Sutra, Patanjali presents relaxation as the very essence of yoga practice. He teaches us that posture should be steady and comfortable .This sentiment is reflected in the postures (asanas) of today’s practice. The physical dimension of yogic exercise requires us to have compassion for our limits. We are never asked to push, instead only to release. Mercifully, our small efforts are graced with us connecting to a life-force that is divine and encompassing.

Asanas urge us to see our body as divine, and to nurture health in this mortal temple. Yogic adepts understand that their body is flawed, however slender and toned it may look externally. This acknowledgement leads to less judgement of other’s bodies. However pleasing to the eye a yogis shape may be, the same vedic texts that encourage the practice of yoga for health, also remind us that true “liberation” comes from being free of the cycle of rebirth-free of the physical form.

Yogic postures work in contrast to the western notion of exercise. Here we see exercise as an end, such as an end to overweight and fatigue. Yoga is different. While in most forms of exercise the physical results are the sole goal, in yoga the soul is the goal. The ancient tradition of yoga exercise stands apart in its doctrines. The ancient yoga texts insist that the mind and spirit are more important than the physical body. While many other eastern forms of mind-body fitness also encourage this awareness, no other physical practice has the ultimate goal of union with the divine. In yoga, the process of attaining this union is as important as the actual attainment.

Yoga practice is not a means to an end. It is an end in of itself. Even distinguished from vedas and sutras, the modern practice of yoga posture is a beautiful and calming pursuit. Though modern yoga practice makes little mention of the scriptures that it is based on, the experience of union and compassion can be woven into each pose. In doing this we are enhancing more than our practice, we are improving our life.

Galina Pembroke is an internationally published writer. In addition she publishes and edits New View magazine online, http://www.nuvunow.ca. New View is dedicated to providing unique, non-mainstream articles for personal and planetary growth. To aid this we have rapidly expanding sections on Green Living, Animal Rights and Self-Help

Yoga and Low Carb Diets

2008-11-09T03:26:00.001-08:00

Yoga is an ancient system of movement designed to generate vibrant health and well being. Excellent health and well being are experienced in the results of a yoga practice such as: stress reduction, increased energy and awareness, increased flexibility, focused mind and strong body. In our modern world there are so many types of yoga to choose from that it can be confusing and difficult to start a yoga program. Do you have to practice postures(asanas) in a hot room for an hour and a half in order to enjoy the benefits of this ancient art? And, is it necessary to execute postures under strict guidelines created for East Indian bodies and minds? As a yoga instructor my answer would be no. A successful yoga practice supports the goals of the practitioner without rigidity.

An appropriate yoga program should be adapted around our needs. Those on low-carb diets for weight loss or weight control can benefit tremendously by practicing yoga. A major benefit of yoga is a developed awareness. A consistent yoga practice assists us in recognizing the causes of stress in our lives. Yoga helps us observe the thoughts that cause stress. Once we are able to recognize the stress we are able to calm our carb cravings. When we develop awareness we can make conscious choices around food and feel more in control of our lives. I have taught lunch time yoga classes where students practiced forty-five minutes of yoga instead of reaching for high carb snacks. Students have reported that after class they choose healthier foods and actually eat less. Yoga can be a carb substitute, a healthy alternative.

Breath work is also an important component of yoga. Yoga trains the mind to recognize where and when we hold our breath. The less access we have to the breath the more stress is stored in the body. Yoga teaches us to fill ourselves up with breath instead of high-carb food. Yoga can inform us when we are becoming stressed so we can make the choice to sit and breathe, meditate or do physical yoga postures. With a consistent yoga practice we have less need of carbs that deplete our energy. Focus on the breath dissolves our cravings and reduces stress. We naturally reach for more nourishing foods. If we hold the breath then we become unaware of our cravings and old eating patterns take over. Cultivating awareness while we move in yoga postures is just as important as the movement, especially for those wanting to change eating patterns.

Since low-carb dieters need to be careful not to hit a sugar low during the day yoga is an excellent movement program. Yoga conserves energy while many exercise programs such as aerobics, weight training, bicycling etc. expend energy. Yoga assists the practitioner to tap into reserves of energy in the body. If the low carb dieter feels energy depleted the craving will increase. For anyone with the goal of life style or dietary change it is important that the exercise program be accessible and stress-free. Yoga postures teach us to expand into our own energy without judgment or criticism. A practice of relaxation and meditation (either seated cross-legged or lying on your back) when you have completed your postures is key in a yoga program. The relaxation assists us in integrating the movement and regenerating our energy.

How do we choose a class that is appropriate for us? How do we get started on a yoga practice? Try several styles and notice how you feel after each. An appropriate class is one where at the end of class you feel internally rejuvenated. When you leave class you should feel lightness in your step and a desire to return. Other positive signs are: more access to your breath, a feeling of well being (combination of calm and high energy). Here are eight postures that will get you started. I suggest you do them every three to four days and familiarize yourself with the movements. Again, your yoga postures should express who you are so you won’t look like someone else performing the same pose. Simply follow the directions and while you’re in the pose try to become as aware of your body and thoughts as you can. Breathe a simple breath based on the rhythm of your inhale and exhale. Take four or five breaths for each movement. Notice where and when you might hold your breath. I would recommend purchasing a yoga mat. You can buy them in most health food and sports stores.

1) Mountain Pose

Stand with feet together or hip distance. Imagine roots growing out of your feet into the earth. Feel your spine lengthening as the crown of your head lifts toward the sky. Inhale and exhale and feel the oppositional movement of feet planted firmly on the ground while the crown reaches upward. Keep your gaze focused at the horizon line. This posture prepares the body for a yoga practice.

2) Forward facing warrior

Stand in mountain pose and lift your arms by your ears, a few breaths and center yourself. Take a step forward on your right foot and bend your knee over your ankle. Focus your gaze at the horizon. Lengthen the torso and drop your shoulders. Repeat on the other side. This pose strengthens the thighs and brings in warrior energy.

3) Forward facing warrior with a forward bend

Repeat the above posture. Slowly straighten the front leg and extend the spine over the front leg. Relax the arms beside the leg. Repeat on the other side. This pose opens the spine and stretches both legs. This movement also soothes the mind.

4) Tree balance

Stand in mountain pose and become centered. Slowly transition your weight onto the left leg. Bring your hands into a prayer position over your chest. And position your left foot on your calf. Balance on your right leg while you breathe and focus your gaze at the horizon. Allow your body to move with the flow of your breath. Balances are never static. This pose develops balance and confidence.

5) Downward facing dog

Come on your hands and knees. Legs hip width apart and arms shoulder distance apart. Tuck your toes and lift your tailbone up toward the ceiling into an upsidedown V position. Fan out your fingers and press them into the floor. Keep moving your tailbone and elongate your spine. Bring your ears between your arms. Return to your hands and knees slowly and rest. This pose cleanses the mind and strengthens the upper body.

6) Bridge

Lay on your back and bend your knees, legs hip width apart. Lift your hips and spine toward the ceiling as you move through the front of the knees. Bring your arms underneath your body on the floor and interlace your fingers. Keep your gaze at the chest. This posture increases energy and increases flexibility in the spine.

7) Seated twist

Sit with both legs extended in front of you. Bend your right leg keeping the left in front with the foot flexed. Place your left hand below the right knee and bring the right hand around the back of the body close to the spine. Lift and rise through the crown of your head on the inhale, on the exhale twist the spine to the right, moving around the axis of the spine. Move from the lower to the upper spine, the head is the last to twist around. Slowly release from the base of the spine and come back to center. Repeat on the other side. Twists flush and balance the nervous system.

8) Reclining bound pose

Now it’s time for relaxation. Lie on your back and bring your feet together. Allow your knees to splay apart. You can also extend your legs and come into corpse pose if bound pose is too much for your hips. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Let go of any stress and allow your body to release into the floor. Stay as long as you like.

About the Author

Combining twenty years of yoga and thirty years of professional nursing experience, Carmela Cattuti offers students a unique and effective teaching style. A strong medical background in childbirth allows her to provide women with valuable yogic breathing, stretching, and meditation techniques to aid with the fertility, delivery and postpartum stages of pregnancy.

Having studied extensively at the Iyengar Center and achieving instructor certification at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Carmela also provides in depth yoga instruction to both men and women for reducing stress and harnessing ones full capabilities of body, mind, and spirit. Workshops and private sessions offer practical tools for creating balance and relaxtion in daily living and are available throughout the Boston area for individuals and corporations. Carmela can be reached at (617) 970-5320.web: http://www.yogaofthefuture.com

Using Yoga to Manage ADD

2008-11-09T03:25:00.001-08:00

Exercise is a powerful tool for ADD management. Medical professionals recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (such as running or biking) 3-5 times per week to improve their general health. For ADDers, this type of exercise is particularly beneficial, because it may balance production of neurotransmitters and reduce stress levels. Another form of exercise that ADDers are finding valuable is yoga. When practiced regularly, yoga offers numerous health benefits, such as increased strength and flexibility, and decreased blood pressure and cholesterol
levels. However, the greater benefits of yoga are arguably the psychological ones. Yoga combines physical activity with self-awareness, which promotes a mind-body connection that many ADDers lack.

When ADDers report challenges with impulsivity and hyperactivity, they often describe feeling like they don’t have control over their own bodies. They find themselves speaking before thinking their thoughts through, and often regret their words. They constantly fidget, unaware that their bubbling energy can be disruptive to others in work and social situations. And they feel as if they simply cannot stop the whirlwind of thoughts spinning in their heads.

Yoga can help ADDers learn how to forge a mind-body connection that promotes self-awareness and self-control. Yoga practitioners are taught deep breathing and relaxation techniques that help center the mind in the present moment. Practitioners are also guided into holding different postures, called asanas. Each asana is held for an extended period of time, as the practitioner focuses on holding the best posture that they can, while breathing calmly and deeply. The asanas promote stretching, strengthening, and balancing, as the deep breathing promotes relaxation and
mental awareness.

It is important to remember that yoga is not meant to be stressful or taxing on the body. People should be encouraged to concentrate only on themselves and not the others in the class, and to do only what feels comfortable. A practitioner should never feel pressured to perform. If an ADDer finds him/herself at a yoga class that moves too quickly, or focuses heavily on strength training, they will not reap the
intended benefits, and may find themselves overwhelmed. The best place to find yoga instruction is at a yoga center, where the instructors practice yoga as a way of life, and teach both the physical and psychological components.

Yoga can help ADDers feel calm, centered, in control, and in touch with their bodies. Practiced regularly, ADDers will find that yoga is a powerful mental and physical refresher that they can retreat to when feeling out of control or overwhelmed.

Jennifer Koretsky is a Professional ADD Management Coach who helps adults manage their ADD and move forward in life. She encourages clients to increase self-awareness, focus on strengths and talents, and create realistic action plans. She offers a 90-day intensive skill-building program, workshops, and private coaching. Her work has been featured in numerous media, including The New York Times Magazine and The Times (UK). To subscribe to Jennifer’s free email newsletter, The ADD Management Guide, please visit http://www.addmanagement.com/e-newsletter.htm

Are You Willing To Follow Eight Yoga Exercises For the Lower Back

2008-11-09T03:24:00.002-08:00

EXERCISES FOR BACK RELIEF

Many people believe that rest is best for a painful back, but actually, what your back really needs when it’s hurt is exercise. Regular exercise relieves back pain by strengthening and stretching the muscles that support the spine and helps to prevent future injury. This is a use it or lose it situation: the more you rest, the weaker your back gets, even if it is hurt. Studies have actually shown that you can heal your back pain faster and get back to your regular activities with just two days of rest. This article will focus on Yoga Exercises. Remember to contact your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

YOGA EXERCISES FOR YOUR BACK

A good, regular yoga practice will go far in relieving the stress and tension that sometimes cause mild back pain, and in fact, studies have shown that yoga is the number one most effective exercise for relieving back pain. However, not all yoga poses relieve back pain, and some can in fact aggravate existing pain, so it is important to know which poses will be most helpful in relieving back pain. It is best to do these exercises under the supervision of a certified yoga instructor, and if you encounter any problems with these poses, you should consult an expert. Even just one or two sessions with a yoga instructor can help, as an instructor will help you with your form and posture during poses. Here are some of the best yoga poses for relieving back pain. Each pose should be held from five to ten seconds, depending upon your level of comfort, and should be done on a mat or other soft, supportive surface.

CORPSE: Lie flat on your back in a relaxed position, arms resting at your sides, palms down, and legs lying naturally, with knees turned out slightly. If it hurts your back to have your knees turned outward, do this pose with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Breathe in and out for a few seconds while allowing any tension to leave the body.

CAT STRETCH: Start out on your hands and knees with a flat back. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders with fingers spread. Knees should be directly under the hips. Head is held loosely so that you are looking at the floor between your hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling, tuck your chin in to your chest so that you are looking at your navel, and tuck your tailbone underneath. Hold, then release back into your original position.

WIND-RELEASING POSE: Lie flat on your back as in Corpse pose. As you inhale, bend your knee, place your hands right below the knee, and draw your leg towards your chest. Your left leg should remain flat on the floor. Exhale and bring your forehead up to touch your knee. Inhale, and then as you exhale, return to your original position. Repeat with the other leg.

SAGE TWIST: Warning for this pose—it involves twisting your back, so you should take particular care not to twist too far or you risk aggravating any existing back pain. This should be a gentle stretch; twist just as far as is comfortable. Sit on the floor with both legs out in front of you. Bend your right knee, lift your right leg over your left, and place your right foot on the floor next to your left knee. Sitting with spine straight, place your left elbow on the right side of your right knee. Bend your left arm so that your left fingertips are touching your right hip, while at the same time, twisting to look over your right shoulder. This is where you need to be careful not to twist too far. Hold for a few seconds, release, and repeat on the opposite side.

PALM TREE: Stand with feet facing forward, arms at your sides, weight distributed evenly on both feet. Raise both arms over your head, interlock your fingers, and turn your hands so that your palms are facing upward. Next, place your palms on your head and turn your head so that you are looking slightly upward. Stretch your arms upwards, and at the same time, come up onto your toes if you can do so without pain. Stretch your entire body upward and hold, if you can. Some people have difficulty balancing during this pose, so just do the stretching part if you need to.

FISH POSE: Lie on your back with knees bent and arms at your side. Arch your back as far as you comfortably can and raise it off the ground by pushing the floor with your elbows. If you can, tilt your head backwards and rest the crown of your head on the floor. Breathe deeply from the diaphragm and hold pose for one minute if you can.

LOCUST: Lie face down with arms at the side, palms down, and elbows slightly bent with fingers pointing towards the feet. Raise your legs and thighs as high off the ground as possible without causing your back any pain. Hold for one second and repeat up to twelve times. This can be a vigorous exercise so you must take care to strain already injured muscles.

BENDING FORWARD POSTURE: Stand up straight with feet together and arms hanging loosely along your sides. Breathe in deeply and raise your arms straight above your head. While breathing out, bend forward and touch your toes if you can. If you can’t reach your toes, grab hold of your ankles or calves. To complete the pose, you should touch your head to your knees, but this may be too difficult for many who suffer from lower back pain. Your movements during this pose should be smooth, not jerky.

Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer. Sign up for her free Exercise Advice journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html

Some Tantric Exercises to Increase General Well-Being and Sexual Abilities

2008-11-09T03:24:00.001-08:00

A healthy anal and genital area is of great importance both for the general well-being and for the sexual abilities. The same is thrue about a healthy respiratory tract and breathing apparatus. Here are presented three poses and three breathing exercises that have the following effects when done together in a series:
-They stimulate the physiological functions of the genital and anal area.
-They correct muscle weakness and anatomical problems of the anal and genital region.
-They increase the sexual drive and abilities.
-They produce a stimulating response that spreads upwords along the spine and revitalizes the whole body.
-They stimulate the physiological functions of the respiratory tract and help against infections in the airways.
-The exercises are very good to start each day with, or to do before going to bed in the night.
POSE 1
Stand on your hands and knees upon the floor.
Kneel backword so that your buttocks go backword and down towords your feet and stretch your arms foreword.
Breath out and then take a deep breath in, filling your lungs totally with air. Hold your breath with the air inside.
Squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inword as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting.
Relax your anal muscles compleetely again.
Repeat the sqeesing and relaxing 3-5 times, but not so long that you go out of oxygen in your body.
Empty your lungs.
Rize up on your hands and knees again. Relax a while in this position and then you can repeat the exercise if you wish.
POSE 2
Lie on your back upon a carpet on the floor with your arms along your sides and relax.
Breath out.
Then breath inn deeply while relaxing all the muscles you do not need for the breathing.
Then breath out. When breathing out, squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inword as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting.
After having breathed out, relax your anal muscles again.
Repeat the breathing in and breathing out whiile squeezing 3-8 times, but not som much that you get exhausted.
Then relax again.
POSE 3
Lie on your back upon a carpet on the floor.
Breath out completely.
Swing your armes in an arch over your head and down to the floor over your head so that your whole body is stretched from top to toe. When swinging your arms, take a deep breath filling your lungs totally with air.
Hold your breath with the air inside.
Squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inword as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting. Relax your anal muscles compleetely again.
Repeat the sqeezing and relaxing 3-5 times.
Swing your arms back at the same time as you empty your lungs.
Relax some while and then you can repeat the exercise if you wish.
BREATHING EXERCISE 1
Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and the back streight.
Empty your lungs completely.
Breath in counting to 4.
When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves out. Then fill further by using your chest muscles. And then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.
Hold your breath counting to 16.
Then breath out counting to 8.
When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves in.Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.
BREATHING EXERCISE 2
Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and your back streight.
Take 10 rapid deep breathes in and out after another, but not so rapid that you get strained or breath uncompleetely.
When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves out.Then fill further by using your chest muscles.And then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.
When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.
After the last in-breath , hold your breath with your lungs filled counting to 10.
Then breath out.
BREATHING EXERCISE 3
Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and your back streight.
Empty your lungs completely.
Close your left nostril with the fingers of one of your hands. Breath in through your right nostril counting to 4.
When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves out. Then fill further by using your chest muscles, and then compleete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.
Hold your breath counting to 16.
Then close your right nostril with your fingers. Then breath out through your left nostril counting to 8.
When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.
When you have breathed out, repeat the exercise, but this time begin by closing your right nostril first.
RELAXING AT THE END OF THE SERIES:
When the series is done, then lie down upon a carpet on the floor andrelax for 2-5 minutes. This relaxation will increase the effects of the exercises and make you recover if the exercises have made you tired.
Concetrate upon relaxing your legs first, then your lover body, then your upper body, then your arms and shoulders, and at last your head and face. When the whole body is relaxed, try not to think about anything, and relax your whole body even furter.
Then lie some time in this relaxed state without thinking about anything.
By Knut Holt
At these link you may find other articles about health topics:
http://www.panteraconsulting.com/salg2.htm
http://www.abicana.com

Hot Yoga - Bikram's Twenty Six

2008-11-09T03:23:00.000-08:00

Even though the world population has shifted from mainly rural to mainly urban in the last decade, there are still lots of folks like me who live in the sticks. Doing things like taking a yoga class becomes a different thing in our case from driving to the neighborhood gym. Since I live 40 miles from the nearest town large enough for yoga studios, when I decided to take a class, I was more interested in the schedule than I was the type of yoga. I couldn't afford to be picky if I preferred not to wait around for a couple hours after getting off work. So I looked in the phone book, and didn't pay attention to anything but the schedule. There it was: M-W-F at 4:00. Perfect. I don't know what rock I'd been living under, but the word "Bikram" writ large across the ad in the yellow pages didn't trigger the term 'hot yoga' in my mind, and that left me in for a big surprise.
I showed up with a comfy pair of sweatpants and a long- sleeved t-shirt. As the woman at the desk was giving me a little orientation information - explaining that the room was heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit - I realized that my concept of yoga clothes weren't going to work here. Apparently, I wasn't the first to make this error. Susie told me they had loaners. Now, it's been a while since the last time I wore hot-pants, so when she handed me the little scrap of shorts, I thought, "No way." She said, "Trust me, you'll fit right in."
Susie continued, giving a few more orientation tips, which started to seem like a set of warnings. "Our first-time students are encouraged to rest whenever you feel you should - kind of take it gradually. The instructors just ask that you do your best to stay in the room for the entire time." What? Were we still talking yoga here? I'd seen pictures. Sure, I might not be able to balance on one leg while holding the other one over my head at my first try, but come on. How hard could it be to stretch as far as I could go and stop there? Why would I get desperate to leave the room?
Her next suggestion: "OK, I see you brought a bottle of water. That's good, but you'll be tempted to drink a lot, and I recommend you just drink sips - not too much at a time." Hmm. What was I getting into here? It sounded like I was facing some kind of ordeal - not what I had in mind at all since I was thinking of yoga as a peaceful, low- impact way just to stretch and keep my aging body flexible and strong.
Once I was dressed in the little bit of shorts, I opened the door to the yoga studio and was met with a rush of hot, stultifying air. Oh goody. I walked to an open space, spread my mat, lay on my back, and understood exactly what she meant by asking me to at least stay in the room. I was already dripping sweat, and we hadn't even begun the class.
Ninety minutes and twice through the 26 poses later, I was indeed still in the room. In the non-competitive, supportive atmosphere I had been completely guided to go to my edge, but not so far that I would be turned off by struggle. In fact, I was exhilarated. I lay on my back at the end, eyes closed in the peaceful, very hot room, and knew I'd be back for more.
Carina Snowden is a contributing author to Apex Yoga News the leading resource for yoga information. Visit Carina's archive of articles at http://www.apexyoga.com/

Yoga For Weight Loss - How To Lose Weight With Yoga By Lookcut

2008-11-07T18:49:00.003-08:00

Yoga For Weight Loss - How To Lose Weight With Yoga By Lookcut

There are a number of techniques that can be employed to get an effective weight loss treatment. The weight loss programs employs the diet planning techniques and the exercise management using which you can control the amount of intake calories and burned calories. The way the calories are burned in the body is dependent on an individual. The calories and fat burning procedure in the body is dependent on the rate of metabolism of the body. The rate of metabolism of the body is dependent on the hormones that are produced in the body. The thyroid is mainly responsible for keeping a check on the metabolism rate of a person. Thyroid secretes a hormone that controls the metabolism of the body. If the amount of hormones produced by the thyroid gland is more then you can easily burn the fat in the body, and reduce your weight.The different medicines that are available in the market related to weight loss increase the metabolism of the body. Yoga is a good exercising technique that can be employed to increase the body's flexibility and to reduce weight and fat. Yoga employs easy to do exercise to gain control of the fat in the body. Yoga can be used for an efficient weight loss. Yoga exercises can be used for reducing the weight efficiently. The yoga exercises require less time of yours and can easily be practiced at home, thus saving a lot of your time. You can do the yoga exercise on your own; however you should always learn it from a professional trainer first. There are different breathing techniques as well that are a part of the yoga exercise, which can be followed to increase the body's metabolism. The exercises included in yoga for weight loss, are comparatively much easy to do than the regular aerobic exercise, and at the same time, they are more efficient as well.The yoga employs different structural exercises that require you to bend your body and selectively exercise different parts of the body. You can take the help of the yoga exercises to reduce the fat selectively off the body. The yoga exercises are meant to make your body more flexible and to reduce weight easily. The yogis who have been doing these exercises are a perfect example of the power of yoga. These people not only have a good physique but also are much more capable than a normal healthy person.
About the Author: Get more information on weight loss

Laughter Yoga in New York

2008-11-07T18:49:00.001-08:00

Laughteryoga is a series of yogic exercises undertaken voluntarily, with the express purpose of inducing laughter. To understand the dynamics of such a session, please take the quick tour and have a peek at the photos or the video clippings. Gently thru' breathing and yogic exercises, we reach your heart with playful laughter exercises and soon reach a crescendo of excited belly laughter. No tricks, no tickling, no alcohol and no jokes. The laughter comes straight from the heart as pure joy. As one leading personality claims "we go to the gym for physical exercise, but a laughteryoga session is a gym of the soul!". Laughteryoga is non-political, non religious, non-racial, non-threatening and non-competitive.In 1995, the pioneer of the movement Dr. Kataria was impressed by the findings of Norman Cousins, a leading journalist in U.S.A. dying from a degenerative disease, who then thru' the therapeutic use of laughter managed to heal himself completely. Dr. Kataria then tried various methods to arouse laughter within friends & patients and for this initially tried the turn-by-turn telling of jokes. However very soon the stock of good jokes was depleted and rather than abort the experiment, he resorted to certain psycho-social and playful techniques to arouse laughter in a group. Whereas these worked to an extent, it was only when Dr. Kataria stumbled on a branch of yoga called hasya yoga (the Sanskrit original name of laughteryoga) that he was able to obtain deep, lasting belly laughter amongst his participants. He then built upon the yoga connection of laughter and designed the laughter exercises based on existing yoga postures & practices for maximum benefit. Dr. Kataria discovered that by linking the mind-body-soul together in an integrated manner thru' yogic breathing and other yogic exercises, he could reach the very souls of the people he laughed with. These exercises are playful and value-based, thus inciting the participant to feel more excited and enthusiastic. The end result is that the inner spirit of laughter is realised, leading to hearty, aerobic belly laughter with all the attendant benefits. The full origins of laughteryoga can be studied from the yoga connection. The brain cannot recognise self-induced laughter from the laughter from external stimuli and what to some may seem like a silly and artificial beginning almost always leads into a natural euphoric state of hearty laughter. Since its humble beginnings in 1995, the movement has spread in scope and recognition by the media and scientific community alike and is tipped to grow considerably in the coming years.The positive health benefits of laughter are well known as supported by the scientific research, however due to the aerobic nature of the actual laughter process, it is a good idea to heed the medical precautions to such an activity.
About the Author: Vishwa Prakash is a well known writer who writes on topics like Laughter Therapy, Laughteryoga etc for the site www.yogalaff.com

The Benefits of Yoga for Children

2008-11-07T18:48:00.002-08:00

Various trends and fads have come and gone with fitness and exercise which makes it very easy to be cynical about any new developments in this field. However, because of the believed benefits of both mental and physical health yoga has been able to endure and become a favorite.Having children practice yoga is becoming an increasingly popular trend. Like adults, children do not get enough exercise according to studies by experts and they can also exhibit tension and stress - therefore the perfect solution for overworked children is yoga.Finding the Right PlaceIt is important to research the yoga class you are thinking of having your kid join as with any class or group. Talk with the instructors and ask them how spiritual their classes will be since some parents may be put off by the very religious nature of the Eastern/Buddhist influence.It is also a good idea to find out how physically demanding the class is. The more strenuous positions may be dealt with by children that are natural athletes, but children who are beginners might need to be signed up for a more basic course.For some parents, just the thought of sending a child to a yoga class is seen as too trendy. However, there are some organizations out there that are working to make the idea of yoga for children not so foreign. Converts out of skeptics can happen if your read up on the information available.Just as much as adults, children need to find balance and peace of mind. Since yoga is so successful with adults, a natural progression seems to be developing and adapting it for children.Yoga Fitness Exercises. The benefits of yoga in young children’s health is promoted by a group called YogaKids International. The website of this large organization is www.yogakids.com where people can get information on their mission as well as locations, teachers, equipment and accreditation.Is it Right for Your Kid?There is a pensive, spiritual side to yoga in addition to the physical part which is the most important part of the exercise. Yoga might be a problem therefore if your child’s attention span doesn’t allow them to sit still longer than the average commercial break.This don’t mean hyperactive children can’t benefit from yoga, it just means that you need to have a patient instructor who has prior experience in dealing with children - particularly those who are antsy at the thought of sitting on a mat and concentrating on breath when they would rather be in front of a television screen annihilating galaxies. It is this children who will benefit the most from yoga Yoga for Beginners

A Look At The Reasons For Beginning Yoga Classes

2008-11-07T18:48:00.001-08:00

A Look At The Reasons For Beginning Yoga Classes

Health improvement, stress management, spiritual balance or physical purification, these can all be reasons for beginning yoga classes, but deciding to turn to yoga is only the very first step of the quest. The next thing to do before beginning yoga is to decide which type or approach to turn to. Make some research on the various approaches and see which one best suits your needs and personality, not to mention the level of physical fitness that has a word to say in the matter. Beginners are usually attracted by Hatha yoga since it is so popular in the West that it has become synonym with “yoga” in a broader sense of the word.

Whichever be your choice keep in mind that when beginning yoga you need something basic, and you can turn to fancy styles later. The next thing to do is to actually find a yoga class in your area. Very often local newspapers and magazines give listings of centers and organizations that are involved in the teaching of yoga for beginners. All you need to do is take things the easy way; you will actually learn the secrets of yoga practice in time, step by step, so there is no point in trying some of the most difficult asanas from the very beginning.

When beginning yoga it is important that you pay enough attention to ligaments and joints; if you suffer from an osteoarticular problem, it is best to inform the yoga instructor before you start practicing. Furthermore, entering the meditation state will not be something to happen all of a sudden, first you'll have to learn the tricks of correct breathing and little by little get into the state in which the body and mind are happily balanced. Many yogis will actually tell you that practice is the key to achieving great things on the path to self-knowledge.

Last but not least, it could be pretty risk to commit yourself to yoga practice without proper guidance; therefore, beginning yoga only with the help of some web pages it is definitely wrong. Do not try asanas and meditation techniques on your own, after reading some informative materials; things are definitely more complex than they seem, and the presence of a master to help you through the training stages is essential. Consequently, refer to the information you find online only to enrich your knowledge of the practice, and do not use it as a basis for beginning yoga.

About the Author: Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Yoga for Years. For More Information on Beginning Yoga, Visit His Site at Beginning Yoga I Will Also Highly Appreciate Your Views On Beginning Yoga At My Blog here Beginning Yoga

How Can Yoga Change Your Life

2008-11-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

Yoga is one of the best natural "risk-free" solutions against stress.
It can be practiced by anyone, anywhere in the world.

Many people do yoga on a daily basis, to keep fit and
avoid any trouble can be caused by depression or anxiety.
They don't just practice yoga for its healthy benefits,
but they consider it as the effective way to concentrate,
and focus to achieve their goals.

Yoga opens the doors for a new, exotic universe, in front of its serious yogi and yogini. These later refers to the man and woman who practice yoga for their well-being.
They live in peace of mind, and feel the beauty inside
and around them. They are proud of their achievement!

Let's talk about the major mental and physical benefits of yoga.

In addition to its stress relieve effect, yoga has many
other wonderful benefits:

When you start your yoga exercise, you clean your mind
from any destruction.

You gain self-confidence, and the power of mental visualization.

You beat all your fears and frustrations in life.

You can easily solve your daily problems, and find your
suitable solutions for them..

On the physical side, yoga gives you the opportunity to
get rid of your body fat.

You can obtain a nice flatten, toned belly and improve those
"ugly" big thighs and butts looking, through the practice
of yoga poses and asanas.

These later are known as the mind, body connection exercises.

The yoga student accomplishes them in a total mental and physical Harmony.

Yoga is an effective, natural way to eliminate the back pain, and
Make the body more flexible.

All these benefits of yoga assure a strong, yet skinny body, and healthy Lifestyle.

Move your body and mind. Be active and happy! Be yoga!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author: Chaker Saaf
Founder: http://www.yoga-health-beauty-energy.com

Easy ways to practice yoga at home

2008-11-07T18:43:00.001-08:00

Yoga is a spiritual practice which assists people in unifying mind, body and heart. Yoga consists of many Asanas and different yoga postures. For practicing yoga you are not necessarily required to join some sort of yoga classes, instead, you can easily practice yoga at home. Many times on account of many reasons such as lack of time, living far from yoga studios or unable to afford join yoga classes’ people prefer to practice yoga at home rather than going anywhere else.

Sometimes people want to do yoga in odd hours, like late night for peace of mind and at such time home is the best place to practise it. But to do that you should know how and what to do. There is below mentioned some points which you should keep in mind when you are going to do yoga at home –

• Make a specific place for meditation. It may be either a room with door or even you can part one room into two sections with the help of furniture or a screen.

• Arrange for tools required for doing yoga at home like yoga mat. It becomes easy to practice yoga with right tools.

• Paint this place with soothing colours and decorate it with music, art and plants. Soothing music will help you in concentrating your mind.

• Use some media assistance like yoga DVD. Then you will not have to worry remembering yoga steps and you will be able to practice well. During meditation if you are taking help of VCD or DVD voice then it prevents your mind from wandering anywhere.

There is no such compulsion that for yoga you must join some yoga studios. This is the best feature of yoga that you can do it anywhere you desire. When you are doing yoga at home then first of all you should make sure that you are physically fit and able to do it. If you are suffering from some sort of disease then doing yoga may be harmful. Hence practice yoga at home only when you are physically sound and healthy.

About the Author: Jim is a normal person who has realized his passion by writing about being healthy. He has struggled with health problems. He is fit now, and wants to send the message accords to everyone. For more information and advice on Health and yoga. Please visit us at http://www.whatyouneedtoknow.co.in

Choose the Best Sticky Yoga Mat

2008-11-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

The best thing is that your new exercise program won’t require much equipment. A sticky yoga mat is the one major thing you will need.

Yoga teacher Angela Farmer came up with the idea for sticky yoga mats. Doing yoga while her hands and feet slipped out from under her caused frustration. Soon she started using carpet padding to do yoga. Her father soon took interested and patented the first sticky yoga mat. Then came the “Tapas Mat” under the Hugger Mugger company.

Today sticky yoga mats come in a dizzying array of colors and thickness. To find the right mat for you, it is best to take into account the workouts that you do along with your personal taste. A yoga mat at least four millimeters thick is needed by people who practice Ashtanga Yoga which is a fast paced type of yoga preferred by athletes. If you are very thin or frail and need extra padding then you might want to choose a thicker mat.

Other Considerations in Buying a Sticky Yoga Mat

There are dozens of different colors for sticky yoga mats. There are a few that also have pictures or patterns. Many health or sporting goods stores have sticky yoga mats and then there are countless yoga sites online. A basic mat will cost between fifteen and twenty dollars while a more specialized mat will cost you between thirty-five and forty dollars. You can find good deal on used or new sticky yoga mats by checking some of the online auction sites.

The chemicals that go into most sticky yoga mats are a concern for some people. If this is the case then you can choose to use a rubber mat, Gaiam mats, eco-Yoga mat or the Earth Elements mat. It is a little more expensive for these mats at about thirty-five dollars but you won’t have to worry about the toxins in the environment and find the higher price is worth it.

An important first step to practicing yoga is selecting the right sticky mat for your needs Yoga for Beginners.You will be well on your way to enjoying the benefits of yoga once you have a good mat Yoga Exercise.

How To Become A Yoga Teacher

2008-11-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

Many of the "quickly certified" Yoga teachers come to a realization and later join other Yoga teacher programs to be re-educated and re-certified again, because they, themselves, did not learn about contraindications, modifications, working with special populations. Yoga methodology, and a multitude of other previously mentioned Yoga subjects.

Unfortunately, these Yoga teachers are often trained to teach Yoga as an exercise program by learning a dozen or two dozen asanas, and not much beyond this. The fact is Yoga is much more than an exercise program. For more details go to www.automatic-content.com. Yoga is the most complete health maintenance system known to mankind, with a lineage of thousands of years. Whole health needs to be addressed by much more than an exercise program.

Does anyone offer Yoga teacher interns a guarantee? Not often, and as of today, I only know of only one guaranteed Yoga teacher training course in existence.

On the other hand, Yoga teacher correspondence courses are much more reasonable, but can vary in the number of study hours and overall quality. For example: A forty hour Yoga course is just not enough time for anyone to safely learn to teach Yoga students. Once again, you should research the syllabus and get a complete Yoga teacher training course.

If you are considering a Yoga teacher correspondence course, you should have sufficient knowledge of Yoga. Also, make sure that customer service is always a priority to the Yoga teacher training center after the sale has been made to the Yoga teacher intern. To know more about it login to www.javascript-magic.com. If you call during business hours and get a live person who answers your questions diplomatically, that will give you some indication of the technical service you should expect.

While you are at it, make sure that you are calling a Yoga teacher training center and not a "diploma house." If they certify everything from pet sitting to web design, what do you think they really know about teaching Yoga?

Once you have received the study material, there will undoubtedly be questions, concerns, or need for further assistance, via email, or telephone, from the intern who has purchased the Yoga teacher course. Make sure you get answers if you are "stuck" during your Yoga teacher internship.

What are your goals in regard to your Yogic career? Plan long term and short term goals, but add your continuing education to both lists. At least, make it a point to read Yoga books and watch Yoga DVD's. Audio books are handy too.

Lastly, if you feel the calling to teach Yoga, please do the following. Write your plans down, take action, and go after your goal of becoming a Yoga teacher. The public needs more compassionate Yoga instructors and the job is very rewarding.

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Can Lose Weight with Yoga?

2008-05-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

Yoga has abounding benefits. A approved affairs of yoga can advice accumulate your back supple, your amount strong, and advice you advance antithesis and poise. It aswell tones your muscles, helps strengthen your allowed system, and boosts your metabolism. However, yoga abandoned cannot advice you lose ample amounts of weight. It is, however, a acceptable abstraction to add it to any advantageous active plan.

Yoga will advice you feel bigger about yourself and is a abundant aplomb booster. Abounding acquisition yoga is an island of calm in an contrarily animated world. While not all yoga is aerobic, there are some types of yoga that can acting for aerobic activity. Using yoga to lose weight all depends on the blazon you do and how frequently you do it. You should opt to appoint in 90 account of aerobic appearance yoga three or added times per week, and if you add in accession appearance of yoga the actual canicule per anniversary you can accretion all the allowances of a lot of added types of concrete action such as weight or backbone training and flexibility.

In adjustment to lose weight and accumulate it off you charge to aftereffect abiding changes in your affairs permanently. Doing this requires accumulation 5 key elements into your lifestyle. These are able rest, bubbler abundant water, bistro a counterbalanced diet, able types of exercise, and caring for yourself emotionally. Yoga can advice with the exercise and affecting elements. So what is yoga?

Hatha Yoga: Exercise for the Apperception & Spirit

Yoga is based on eight attempt as a abstraction of all religions. It is not of itself a religion. One of the eight studies deals with concrete training and befitting the physique in acceptable alive order. When humans in the west anticipate about yoga, it is the annex of Hatha Yoga they accept in mind. Hatha Yoga itself has abounding branches or types of concrete training systems developed over abounding years that are all based on the aforementioned concrete postures or poses. Actuality are just a few:

• Hatha: while this is the yoga annex that deals with concrete yoga, actuality in the west a chic that is alleged Hatha about agency it will be apathetic and affable and appropriately accommodate a acceptable accession for beginners to apprentice the yoga poses.

• Vinyasa: this may aswell be alleged sun commendations or breath-synchronized movement. It is just hardly added active than Hatha. Some places use this as a balmy up afore added added active types of yoga begin.

• Ashtanga & Adeptness Yoga: Ashtanga agency eight limbs and is based on the accomplished aesthetics of yoga. It is a actual fast paced blazon of yoga that is consistently performed in the aforementioned order. It flows and confused after pauses. Adeptness yoga is usually based on Ashtanga, but not always, admitting it usually is the afflatus for adeptness yoga.

• Iyengar: this is based on the article of Yogi B.K.S. Iyengar which is based on an accent of physique alignment. Precise alignment is able to aerate allowances and abstain injury. In this blazon of exercise you usually authority anniversary affectation over continued periods of time rather than affective bound anatomy one to the next. You usually will use backdrop such as blankets, blocks, and straps.

• Kundalini: this emphasizes animation in affiliation with movement. Accumulation movement with controlled animation is meant to move and chargeless activity aural the chakras or physique systems. This blazon of yoga can be actual accessible to animate adjustment with the assimilation and adrenal systems.

• Bikram or Hot Yoga: be able to absorb time in a hot allowance that is usually about 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This blazon of yoga is advantageous for detoxing admitting abounding afraid and alleviation bound muscles. The aboriginal Bikram was based on 26 poses. But not all classes chase this.

• Anusara: this almost new appearance of yoga founded in 1977 by a man called John Friend combines concrete alignment with absolute activity acquired from tantra. The aesthetics actuality is the advantage of all beings. Backdrop are aswell about acclimated in this chic which is about accessible to humans of all levels of exercise and abilities.

• Jivanukti: David activity and Sharon Gannon founded this appearance in New York at one of the a lot of aristocratic Yoga Studios. It is aggressive by Ashtanga and acerb emphasizes chanting, meditation, and spirituality. A lot of agents of yoga in the United States accept been accomplished by them.

• Forrest: Originated by Anna Forrest in California and is based on active Asana poses. It is advised to strengthen, purify, release, and alleviate the physique and advance healing anatomy aural both physically and emotionally. You can apprehend acute aerobic exercise that helps advance your amount and aggrandize your breath ability.

• Integral: based on the article of Yogi Sri Swami Sachinananda who came to the US in the 1960's. He founded abounding Institutes that use affable Hatha convenance forth with chanting and mediation. You can acquisition books aswell based on this such as Richard Hittlemans 28 day exercise plan which advice newbie's and beginners to accept best allowances and after-effects through circadian convenance in their aboriginal month.

Yoga is about based on 5 accepted attempt Able exercise, able breathing, able relaxation, able diet, and absolute thinking. By accumulation aerobic Yoga or added aerobic exercise for 90 account per affair 3 or added times per anniversary forth with yoga on a lot of added canicule per anniversary in to your exercise plan you can apprehend to see after-effects n your aboriginal 4 to 6 weeks. The ambush is to stick with it and accomplish a absolute accomplishment for consistency. Yoga forth with rest, water, sleep, and added affairs changes can advice you lose weight and accumulate it off. Just bethink to accomplish it circadian and chase forth with a book, video, or audio actual if you opt to do it at home, abnormally if you are a beginner.

Yoga works by aesthetic the adrenal systems and allowance to bright out your lymph and allowed arrangement of toxins. The absolution of pent up energy, the furnishings of the calmness yoga emphasizes, and by assuming both aerobic and stretching, Hatha blazon yoga, you can get you strength, flexibility, and aerobic exercise all jut by practicing the altered types of yoga styles. You will close and accent muscles, bake calories, and accession your allowed arrangement and metabolism. Added furnishings are continued lasting, such as calmness, poise, and balance. A lot of yogis apperceive that approved yoga produces a afterglow and active activity that tends to draw like absent humans to you. (Anyone who practices yoga consistently is advised a yogi.)

If you accept anytime capital to lose weight you may accept begin the advanced arrangement of methods and ideologies confusing. You may accept wondered if you could lose it by dieting, pills, exercise, or added desperate admeasurement alone. The acknowledgment is no! Losing weight takes a bent effort, alertness and patience, and the action of aggravating and accumulation methods to accomplish what works best for you personally. In accession to affairs habits, comestible changes, and afterward the 5 key attempt of a acceptable lifestyle, yoga can advice you accomplish your goals.

Yoga, According To Swami Ramdev

2008-05-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

He is neither the foreground man of a Rock 'N' Roll bandage nor he is a archimage or an actor, but he has the looks, charisma, the body, movement and the accommodation to afire an absolute amphitheater with his presence. He doesn't axis the date like a panther, but mostly he sits in Padmasana or Vajrasana, except of advance if he is adherent the sun or walking on his hands! He does bewitched things with his abdomen, but alone with the use of alpha air and a bit of beef power. He is a angelic getting absolutely alone from carnal pleasures and committed to confined the humanity; he has this abundant admiration to change the apple into a 'healthy world' with no illness. And how does he plan to do this? Just with the aid of controlled breath and alpha air, contrarily accepted as Pranayam. In added words, this is Yoga, according to Swami Ramdev! He does not deliver religion, but the all-powerful ability surrounds him like a aura and anyone who comes abreast him feels that ability and draws on that absolute energy. In animosity of all these attributes, this saint of a man, about angelic is actual apprehensive but has the ability to authority an admirers in the access of his easily by accomplishing just a little Nouli! (For the un- accomplished few, Nouli is the bewitched massaging movement of ones 'stomach')

If anyone is apprehensive if such a getting exists, 'the angelic aureate admiration from India', His Holiness Swami Ramdev who has adapted India to deathwatch up to a advantageous tomorrow, is the answer! Swami Ramdev was accomplished in the abstinent adjustment on the banks of the angelic River Ganga. He accustomed Divya Yog Mandir Trust in 1995 with the advice of Muktanand Maharaj and Acharya Balkrishen. His kindness, admiring attributes and adherence to serve altruism accept won him an astronomic afterward in India and all over the globe, just aural a abbreviate amount of 6-7 years! He is awful accomplished in Ayurved and Vedic philosophy, Sanskrit and yog practice. Yog is an age-old Indian art that has been in convenance for over 5000 years. But it was Saint Patanjali who aggregate it so that the accepted man could accept it and alleged it the Ashtanga yog, the eight yogic practices, that brings about the absolute way of thinking. Swami Ramdev follows in the footsteps of Maharshi Patanjali and he brought it to the masses, in the anatomy of simple Pranayam and Asanas. Though Pranayam was accepted to be an capital allotment of Yog practice, it was hardly accustomed the pride of abode it deserved. Swami Ramdev can alone yield the acclaim for alteration the angel of yog and its practice.

One have to accept that Yog is not a adoration and the chat Om is not allotment of alone the Hindu religion, but the Buddhists and Gregorian Monks acclimated it as the angelic complete for chanting; Yog is absoluteness with the divine, a holistic access to the art of active through charge and understanding. It is ascendant that anybody understands the absolute acceptation of yog and the convenance of its assorted techniques to actual the alterity of prana (life force) and physique, which will again be reflected in the body, apperception and intellect. Therefore, the attendance of Swami Ramdev and his yog workshops in the UK was a absolution in deed. These workshops were of colossal magnitude, abounding by humans of bunch origin. Language was no barrier as Swami Ramdev is above any language; his attendance was abundant action for the adherent army and they followed his every individual chat and bewitched move!

Swami Ramdev was in absolute ascendancy of what went on at anniversary affair and he conducted it with such amplitude that, three hours of music, asanas, Pranayam, Ayurved and teaching of aesthetics looked like alone a few minutes! His admirable faculty of humour kept the admirers captivated and Bastrika, kabhal-bhati, Anulom Vilom, Bahya Pranayam, Omkar japa, Bhramari and asanas were conducted like a able-bodied choreographed works of art. Though there are assorted methods of Pranayam and Asanas, Swami had called seven methods of Pranayam that can be completed in about 20 account and a few awful advantageous Asanas, which would accord best benefit. His altered admirable faculty of amusement was axiomatic at every affair through the week.

The allowances are amaranthine to those who complete these called exercises. Manipulation of breath arrangement will advance manual of impulses consistent in anatomic changes arch to an access in amnesty and assuredly an acquired accompaniment of abiding bliss. Assorted systems in the anatomy advance advancement acceptable bloom and analysis of ailments to those who are in poor health. Diseases like asthma, top claret pressure, diabetes, top cholesterol, obesity, abhorrence and Hay fever, migraine, diseases pertaining to lungs, affection and academician are convalescent by accomplishing Pranayam, at atomic 5 to 15 minutes, alert circadian ; advance in Parkinsons disease, eye afterimage and anamnesis aswell are noted; hair accident and abortive graying are adequate by abrading ones nails -- impulses are beatific through the burden points.

There were abounding patients in the admirers at anniversary area who were absolutely convalescent of assorted ailments such as asthma, hypertension, migraine, diabetes, top cholesterol, hay fever, coarse uterus, crohn's disease, derma altitude such as leucoderma, psoriasis, eczema, ovarian cysts, and advance in afraid disorders. I was afraid at the revelations at the branch I attended; there were even adviser physicians, surgeons and GPs who were advice abstracts of cure a part of their ancestors and patients. The apparent advance in analgesic ailments, aeroembolism and abnormally in PD (Parkinsons) was abating to abounding of the sufferers who abounding the venue. Swami Ramdev, who brought Pranayam to the forefront, believes in 75%of Pranayam and 25% asanas to abide advantageous and get rid of diseases, absolutely altered to the beforehand abstraction of Asanas getting the capital basic and thereby giving Pranayam a accessory role!

It was cutting to attestant the allowances of Pranayam in coarse uterus, ovarian cysts, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, fibrosis of lungs, rheumatoid arthritis, arctic shoulder, cephalalgia not responding to any treatment, assorted malignancies. Etc, anecdotal by the patients themselves in a lot of instances, assuming allowances aural 4-9-12 months. (Graves disease, blight of prostate and float were a part of the cases disclosed) These patients had the analysis after-effects with them taken above-mentioned to starting Pranayam and during, at approved intervals. (Anulom Vilom, Kabhal bhati and Basthrika are a lot of beneficial). Blubber showed arresting improvement, loosing from 5- 11 kilograms and even up to 40 kilograms in a few, in 4-12 months! These revelations are absolutely difficult to accept until one has witnessed it and even I was agnostic in the beginning. His admiration to accommodated all doctors accessory the branch was awful commendable; the appointment was abiding area medico-legal credibility were discussed and the charge for evidence-based anesthetic was stressed. A lot of doctors were of the assessment that advertisement of abstracts from Swami Ramdev's analytic trials is of ascendant importance.

The allowances and the absolute acceptation of Kabhal Bhati (glow on the ahead head/ advantageous glow) were absolutely axiomatic on Swami Ramdev! I could not advice cerebration that one does not charge to go to a gym to get a absolute body, just one attending at the 'treasure chest of India' was abundant to argue anyone that he is a active advertisement for Pranayam, to accomplish the 'perfect triangle' and the belly to die for! (no boldness to Swami, of course). Swami Ramdev believes that analgesic and collective injuries with the absent-minded use of weights at a gym could be abhorred a part of youngsters, by practicing Asanas and Pranayam. His affection and affinity with anniversary getting at the area was apparent and the absolution he bestowed on anniversary of those who were adversity was athrill to witness. His arresting mannerisms, his allure and the way his arm goes up in the air if he wants to accent a point, about a 'Mercurial gesture', reminded me of the Rock 'N' Roll fable with an consummate voice! Swami's all-encompassing and absolute ability of allopathic medicine, acupressure and Ayurved alone add to his abundance as a Yogic Master.

How To Avoid Aback Affliction When At The Computer - 1

2008-05-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Office workers absorb a acceptable block of their time angled over a computer anguish abroad aggravating to exhausted those ever-pressing deadlines.

Each day, over 100,000 Americans ache from lower aback pain. Lifting abundant altar incorrectly, sitting still at plan or at a computer for continued periods, poor posture, or even sleeping in the amiss position can all accord to lower aback pain.

Furthermore, cerebral accent can accept as one of its after-effects concrete pain, and one of the places this affliction tends to apparent is in the back.

There are abounding means to amusement this pain: medicines, chiropractic and beating therapy, and bed blow getting some of them. All of these therapies are valuable, and no another antidote is a acting for able medical care.

However, practicing assertive yoga techniques can accompaniment acceptable therapy, and can abundantly alleviate, or even eliminate, lower aback pain.

Something simple you could try. A accepted and simple yoga affectation to anticipate aback affliction is alleged the Cobra. If you accept apparent a cobra at the zoo, accumulate that angel in mind.

Lay collapsed on your abdomen agreement your award down on the arena either beneath of the amateur or just added than the shoulders. Accumulate your physique relaxed, with elbows aback and out. Raise your physique acceptance the aback to accomplished and authority this affectation for 10 to 15 seconds. If you feel uncomfortable, use your elbows instead of easily and it will accord your physique a gentler stretch.

This will amplitude the belly anatomy while the aback anatomy are relaxing. Slowly lower the high allotment of your physique to the ground.

Yoga helps allay lower aback affliction by deepening the anatomy of the lower back, authoritative strains beneath acceptable to occur. Yoga aswell stretches the muscles, acceptance them to elongate and relax, and abating tension.

Regular yoga convenance aswell improves posture, abating aback affliction by befitting the aback in able alignment. The afterward are three yoga asanas, or postures, which can advice in addition and deepening the lower back. These postures can be accomplished singularly, or as a abounding series.

Cobra is just one. While at your computer try this. Place your basal in abutting to the armchair back, try to get your accept blades over the aback of the chair, next as you breathe with your accoutrements bankrupt aerial acclaim angular aback over the chair. Use your animation to deepen the pose.

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher, committed to unlocking the Real Secrets of Aback and Accept Pain.

How To Alpha A Yoga Business

2008-05-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Starting a business adventure can be fun and agreeable if done properly. This aswell applies in the case of basic a activity in yoga. We, therefore, accompany calm all you will anytime charge to apperceive on How to Alpha a Yoga Business.

The aboriginal claim for starting a acknowledged business is a accurate yoga certification. It would be ideal if you could get a affidavit from a well-reputed yoga convention or a acceptable yoga teacher. Various online courses are aswell accessible these days, but it is consistently appropriate to abstain such lures.

Yoga is a actual absolute address and requires a lot of convenance just to get a adhere of what you are doing. A acceptable instructor, who is accurate to his subject, will consistently assert on demography hands-on apprenticeship rather than an online course. In fact, it is so believed that yoga cannot be abstruse even by account books, let abandoned websites.

Therefore, apprentice from a acceptable adviser and afterwards you accept baffled the address enough, alpha acceptable your adviser in his/her courses. This will advance the added commonsense in you for administration a accumulation of analytical students.

Once this is done, you can alpha cerebration about starting your own business. The aboriginal footfall actuality would be to acquisition out what affectionate of an investment you can added for this new adventure of yours. We can alarm this the Berry Capital. The bulk of the berry basic that you are accommodating to advance in your business will break your next catechism of where, and for whom to alpha your business.

If you wish to ambition the upmarket consumers, again your flat should be abundantly designed. It should accept the all-important equipments and the appropriate facilities. Hence, the money appropriate would aswell be on the college side.

On the added hand, if your berry basic is low again you can alpha your flat at your own residence, or maybe at some added bargain location. A cheaper belt will allure lower assets accumulation consumers. You may not crave a lot of added equipments and accessories in this case.

Once this is done, you can alpha insuring you and your business adjoin abrupt acknowledged complications. Acknowledged complications access if you yield your flat bounds on lease. Adequate allowance advantage is consistently a acceptable abstraction in any case.

After all this, you can devise bargain means to bazaar your casework and alpha your work. Pricing of your casework is addition agency that have to be advised actual carefully. A little bazaar analysis as to your competitors will advice you adjudge a aggressive amount for your classes.

This is a abrupt and the a lot of applied acknowledgment on How to Alpha a Yoga Business. Hope you will chase it to its atomic detail and be acknowledged in your endeavor.

Yoga for Good Health

2008-05-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

The chat “Yoga” is acquired from the Sanskrit chat “yeund” acceptation to bond or join. According to Hindu aesthetics this agency abutment of the alone physique (Jivatma) with accepted alertness (Parmatma), - or the abutment of the physique with the apperception and apperception with the soul. This art defines methods and practices which advice an alone attain all-powerful realization.

Suffering is a allotment of activity – whether physical, brainy or spiritual. The science of yoga focuses on altered areas of body, apperception and spirit to accompany them into absolute accord to accomplish able bloom and able-bodied being. This is done through the convenance of assorted physique postures alleged ‘asanas’, breath contest alleged ‘pranayama’ and meditations alleged ‘dhyana’. The prerequisite for all this is a acclimatized activity and immense dedication.

Yoga as a accurate arrangement of physique and apperception practices, took its roots in India three thousand years ago. The able apparatus of yogic contest was advised to advice an alone reside a abounding activity of constant bloom and abundance on all levels. As a science of apperception it is alleged raja-yoga and as a science of intelligence Jnana-yoga. Jnana agency intelligence. However the aforementioned manifests as a science of assignment in karma-yoga and as a science of physique and will in hatha- yoga.

Yoga enhances bloom and accepted abundance in a person, through a administration of concrete contest and physique postures. Acclimatized and approved convenance of asanas or postures and breath contest alleged pranayama makes the physique healthy, adaptable and strong. Yogic practices accept a abundant appulse on the action of physique organs, claret circulation, fretfulness and glands. It affects all the systems of the body, authoritative an alone healthy, energetic, sharp, focused and peaceful. Many accepted diseases and concrete ailments can be advised through approved convenance of yogic postures.

Yoga and bloom are accordingly affiliated in the Hindu way of life. People are mainly fatigued to this convenance for its bloom benefits. It arrests crumbling and brings accord and antithesis in the physique and apperception – both evidently and internally. It is aswell not difficult to learn, and adjustable abundant to be accomplished by anyone at all stages of life.

You can consistently buy exercise equipments to advance yourself at home. However it is believed that yoga has the ability to cure all bloom problems. Altered yoga positions charge to be accomplished for altered illnesses. You can go in for yoga acceptance to accept the acceptation of assorted yoga postures.

Yoga and the Age of Magic and Information

2008-05-07T23:18:00.002-07:00

We reside in a bewitched universe. Every angle and action and dash of activity is miraculous, abstruse and, to use a actual abracadabra adjective these days: Awesome. We accessory the appellation abracadabra with conjuration of duke showmen, who actualize absorbing illusions, able deceptions. But absolute abracadabra is the abracadabra of reality, the abracadabra of attributes and the universe. For instance the abracadabra of a flower, the bewitched transformation of a berry into a plant, again into a flowerChildren see the apple as magical, and they are right, it is. Adults stop acquainted the accustomed phenomenon of activity as our accession of facts about the apple replaces the awe that already abounding our hearts and minds. The adolescent may ask, “How does a bulb abound from a seed?” And we would acquaint the adolescent of baptize and clay and sunlight, accurate not to abash him with big words like “photosynthesis” and added avant-garde concepts that we adults understand. We agree the angle of accouchement with the angle of the apprenticed and uneducated. Do we absolutely accept what we anticipate we know?

For instance, if I was a adolescent and asked the question, “How does claret broadcast throughout the body? You would apparently acknowledgment patiently, “The affection pumps the claret throughout the body, ” charmed and absorbed by my accustomed curiosity. However, getting an analytical sort, I would not be annoyed by that answer, “HOW does the affection pump the claret throughout the body,” I would insist. “The affection is controlled by a allotment of the academician that automatically sends an electrical actuation to it,’” you would say. “How does the academician do THAT” I would ask, “and how does the academician apperceive HOW MANY times the affection should beat” At this point you would apparently be searching for a section of bonbon to accord me or aggravating to acquisition some added way to abstract me or alter my attention. Any 5 year old adolescent can accompany the blind down bound on our brainy arrogance, on our cerebration we absolutely accept how things work.

The accuracy is no one understands HOW these things happen. Just because we accept been able to abstract and beam the areas of the academician that ascendancy autonomic functions, for instance, does not beggarly we accept HOW they happen. What is the agent of the electrical actuation that is beatific alternating from the R-Complex of the brain? From area does the atom of activity originate? How does an absolute bulb abound from a baby seed? HOW or WHY does photosynthesis work? Just because we apperceive how to abound the bulb does not beggarly we accept how it happens. We accept empiric beef and how they function, we accept breach atoms and afresh even accomplished the animal genome activity which maps the absolute animal DNA sequence. Yet we accept no abstraction why or how it happens.

Life is just as abundant a abstruseness now as it has consistently been, in actuality added so now, as we accept the technology to see and appreciate how abundantly circuitous activity is. Sub diminutive particles appear, abandon again reappear and behave in means we do not activate to understand. The anytime accretion cosmos reveals added and added mysteries all the time. And yet even the simple phenomenon of a annual aperture at sunrise, or angle who acknowledgment to the aforementioned river to spawn or crustaceans that acquaintance alone at assertive abounding moons every year, how do they know? How does it all work, and WHY any of it? We are added afflicted by magicians, the showmen type, who abduct us with their cheat than we are in awe of the majestic accustomed universe.

In simpler times, there was added admiration for the abracadabra of nature. There was not as abundant bookish dispatch as today. What was abstruse and empiric was done so with abundant depth. There was time to appraise and appointment the accuracy directly, through the heart. To accept a flower, one would sit with the annual and beam it, feel it. Just like with a person, we accept to get to apperceive a getting through the affection and acquaintance them in adjustment to accept a adventitious at compassionate them. To accept the annual one accept to allotment its getting with the annual and acquiesce the annual to allotment its getting too. Flowers are humans too! If tomorrow you were to sit with a bulb or a annual for a brace of hours, I bet your account about plants and flowers will be altered than what they were beforehand.

Yoga and The Vedic Sciences appearance the simple yet abstruse affiliation to an age-old affection centered acumen based on absolute acquaintance of and admiration for the cycles and abracadabra of nature. They exists above apparent explanations and dry bookish abstracts that boss our cerebration and ultimately leave us activity abandoned and disconnected. The blazon of cerebration that explains a annual as the accustomed artefact of soil, water, sunlight and photosynthesis. The accuracy is, a annual is a abstruseness and a phenomenon to be experienced. That is alone accessible if our getting is alloyed with it’s being, through communion. Acumen is a by artefact of acquaintance not of information.

The Heart of Yoga - Your Acquaintance Required

2008-05-07T23:18:00.001-07:00

The Heart of Yoga - Your Acquaintance Required

There is a classical Indian adventure about three dark men and an elephant. Anniversary of the three dark men are aggravating to accept absolutely what the albatross is like, but experiencing altered locations of the ample creature. The aboriginal dark man is activity all over the leg of the albatross and says, "It is like a able tree." But, the additional is captivation the trunk, explaining, "It is like an anytime alteration vine." The third dark man is active his easily beyond the ample physique of the elephant, exclaiming, "No, it is endless, like a advanced mountain." What does this adventure accept to do with Westerners and Yoga? To anniversary of the dark men, the abstracts they accept accomplished about the Albatross is correct, accustomed their adventures and acoustic data. Based on their acquaintance with the elephant, they are correct. The botheration is with the abstracts itself and apathy their own limitations. They are not seeing the accomplished account and not experiencing the accumulation of the albatross because the animal is abundant beyond than they are able to grasp. Aswell they are apathy their own limitations, i.e., apathy that they are blind.

In some means this adventure illustrates how Westerners appearance Yoga and the Vedic Sciences. Our abstracts assume valid, accustomed our culture, accomplishments and commonsense that we frequently use actuality in the West, yet we generally abort to see the bigger picture. Practices like chanting and praying to multi armed Gods and speaking of accord and absoluteness do not bell with the individualistic, somewhat cynical, hip angel so abiding in the West. Yoga and the Vedic Sciences are abysmal and all-inclusive and not able to be grasped so quickly. In abounding means our angle is attenuated by what we cannot see, and accept not been apparent to. Before we abutting our apperception to an absolute way of analytic at the world, it is aboriginal astute to attending at ourselves, to attending at our own biases, preconceptions and dark spots.

Let’s say we stumbled aloft these three dark men while they were arguing about the accurate attributes of the Elephant. One insisting it is like a tree, the added a backcountry and addition a mountain. If like a lot of humans we would try to arbitrate and say, “hey guys, an albatross is a ample active animal that roams the Earth in ample groups, is acute and intelligent.” But why should the dark men accept us? They may doubtable that we accept ambiguous motives. They cannot see the things we are describing. They may be apprehensive and feel we are aggravating to ambush them. Conceivably we will accumulation by affairs them our description of the elephant. A lot of of us are apprehensive if relying on additional duke advice that challenges our bulk beliefs, which are based on our bulk experiences. Abounding are like the dark men, apprehensive of Yoga and the added layers of it.

Let’s just say we are talking to a dark man who does not accept in light. He has alone accepted darkness. He has never apparent the world. What could we say to argue him that afterimage exists, that ablaze exists? According to his experience, ablaze is not even accessible in dreams. Conceivably he will accept us, but conceivably not. There is no accurate affidavit possible, because it is the acquaintance of afterimage that is it’s own teacher. The aforementioned is accurate of adulation and God and aggregate abroad allusive in life. The dark man does not charge abstracts and advice in adjustment to accept in light, he needs anesthetic or an operation. He needs to see! No bulk of advice can argue a getting to change their axiological behavior and principles. Ability is a artefact of experience, aggregate abroad is a belief.

Belief is alone all-important for that which we do not know. Acceptance is based on doubt. For example, for sighted humans there is no charge to accept in the blush yellow. We accept accomplished the blush yellow. Chicken is a fact, if we accept sight. But to a dark man, the abstraction of the blush chicken accept to be a acceptance because he has no absolute knowledge, no acquaintance with the phenomena. If we were to call the blush chicken to the dark man, we would accept to accredit to things that are a allotment of his experience. Conceivably something like “ Chicken is like the that appears to smell of a auto and the amore of the sunshine and the aftertaste of boilerplate and the complete of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and he would be added abashed than aware afterwards that description.

So what to say about our behavior if it comes to the things we do not know? We too are like the dark men analytic for ablaze if it comes to college concepts like God, or the acceptation of life. We accept to await on our behavior because we do not yet apperceive the answer. Our bulk behavior are based on our experiences, just like the dark men. In the West we are agnostic of concepts like ‘God” or “worship,” because we are acclimated to these concepts getting based on dark faith, which goes adjoin our nature. As acquainted beings we are analytic for activity to accomplish sense, and our allotment in it to accomplish faculty also. Everyone wants to accept in something higher, something transcendent, but we do not wish to feel mentally apprenticed in the process. In some means Western religions accept aback done that and fabricated us contemptuous in the process. Western religions are based on adoration (Bhakti Yoga) and service. (Karma Yoga ) These are both atonement and important paths, but there is a abridgement if it comes to acceptable the mind’s charge for answers (Jnana Yoga) and the charge for able techniques (Raja Yoga - Hatha Yoga) and methods to access our akin of consciousness, to accord that all-important acquaintance of truth, not just article or additional duke explanations. These accurate adventures are what change our bulk beliefs.

Tips For Accomplishing Antagonism Yoga Poses

2008-05-07T23:16:00.000-07:00

Tips For Accomplishing Antagonism Yoga Poses

Headstand (salamba shirshasana) is one of the yoga poses that are advised antagonism poses. Antagonism poses absorb any asanas that lift the anxiety aloft the head. Added antagonism poses that are able-bodied accepted cover shoulderstand (salamba sarvangasana) and bisected shoulderstand (viparita karani). But even lying on the attic with your legs on a armchair is an antagonism pose.

The abstraction abaft antagonism poses is bidding in yoga texts as viparita karani. Viparita karani is translated as acceptation 'opposite process'. This artlessly agency facilitating a altered perspective. From the absolutely concrete point of view, this altered angle in antagonism poses is accurate - in agreement of searching at the apple from a altered concrete angle - as able-bodied as involving the physique accepting accurate in a altered way.

But as yoga is added than artlessly concrete exercises, there are added processes that are assisted. A lot of yoga is advised to advice us change brainy habits as able-bodied as concrete habits. Through accretion our adeptness to acclimate to change, instead of accepting ashore in old accepted responses, we access our accommodation for advance and transformation. This applies in all areas of our lives.

There is a abstract abstraction in yoga about why antagonism postures help. Ayurveda considers that abounding of the body's algae are in the lower abdomen. When we accession our anxiety aloft the head, force is acceptable us to move these algae appear what the Ayurvedic arrangement calls agni, or 'fire'. Agni decidedly relates to our 'digestive fire', and is appropriately amid aloft our lower abdomen.

So, by accepting upside down, and by application the abysmal and apathetic breath archetypal of yoga, we advice 'burn off' the algae that were ahead stuck.

Improved apportionment is a added readily credible and beneath 'esoteric' account of antagonism yoga poses.

Whilst antagonism postures accept abounding bloom benefits, the adeptness of an alone to accept those allowances depends as abundant on their accommodation to calmly authority these sometimes difficult postures. For example, headstand and shoulderstand should artlessly not be done if humans are pregnant, accept close pain, top or low claret pressure, close injuries, or are menstruating. And neither of these postures should be attempted after the adapted basic postures. Otherwise the accident is there that an injury, or stiffness, decidedly to the close area, will result.

Likewise, if accomplishing these postures is actual afflictive and difficult, added account will be acquired from accomplishing either the adapted versions, or artlessly alive on added yoga poses that strengthen these areas.

There are several important prerequisites for accepting the a lot of account fro inversions. The aboriginal one, a able neck, I've mentioned. The others are a able aback and belly muscles, and the accommodation to breathe able-bodied whilst in the posture. The closing is traveling to get bigger with practice, both of yoga itself and the inversions. It is aswell somewhat angry into accepting a able back. Our aback and abdomen anatomy will accommodate the abutment to authority the legs straight, which inturn opens up the thoracic cavity, and increases our adeptness to breathe able-bodied whilst upside down!

Tips for Accomplishing the Inverted Postures

For Bisected Shoulderstand:

* Lengthen the exhale

* Don't lock the chin

* Keep your weight not on the arch but on the wrists and elbows

* Don't try to cull your anatomy (and legs) into the vertical like in abounding shoulderstand if you accept difficulties with your neck. By accomplishing so, you're agreement added burden on your neck.

* Accomplish abiding you do the adapted acclimation postures afterwards. These cover shalabhasana and bhujangasana

For Shoulderstand:

* Don't anguish so abundant about befitting your elbows and accoutrements parallel. This will actualize added astriction in your close if you're not accomplished in this posture.

* Do the adapted acclimation postures. These are the aforementioned as for bisected shoulderstand.

For Headstand:

* Don't anytime accomplish adjustments whilst in headstand. If you feel your alignment is not absolutely right, appear down and do it again.

* Never do this aspect aboriginal up, or after the prerequisite postures. It will advance to acerbity in the close at best, and abrasion at worst. And the abrogating furnishings can physique up over time. This aspect is never done commonly after preparation, and there is acumen for this.

* Use a bank for abutment as a acquirements stage

* Abutment your arch with all of your fingers, including the little fingers and thumbs

* Finding the appropriate position for your arch will accomplish abiding weight is broadcast evenly, and ensure you don't accept to ever columnist down with your elbows to compensate

* Think of the abutment for the accomplished physique as accepting broadcast analogously above both elbows and the head

* Don't authority your weight too abundant on the aback of your body. It will abode too abundant burden on your neck.

* Don't use backdrop that acquiesce the close to be free. It will advance to the close anatomy contracting

* Use the acclimation postures. Shoulderstand is the traditional, but Mohan recommends bisected shoulderstand instead

* Rest your close afore accomplishing the acclimation postures, however. Lie down with your legs bent.

* Added acclimation postures cover chakravakasana, dvipada pitham with the arms, and shalabhasana

There may be fears or a faculty of limitation about accomplishing antagonism poses that will be confronted. Sometimes, it's best to alpha an asana gradually. Shoulder angle comes with a few variations that you can use to physique up backbone and flexibility, as able-bodied as affected any abhorrence based animosity about the aspect and your adeptness to do it.

Overcoming the fear, and assuredly accepting able to do a difficult affectation that you anticipation you couldn't, can actualize absolute cerebral effects. When we prove to ourselves that our fears don't bind us, that we can move above our limitations, we are added able to accomplish changes in added areas of our lives area afore we anticipation it just wasn't possible.

References: A.G.Mohan, Yoga for Body, Breath, and Mind

Exercise And Yoga For Asthma

2008-05-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

Exercise And Yoga For Asthma

Give yourself a breach -- or two. Dr. Firshein advises anybody with asthma to appoint in approved abstinent exercise. "It strengthens the lungs, which helps anticipate asthma symptoms," he explains. He prefers what he calls pulsed exercise-brief workญouts with blow periods in between. The breach advice anticipate exercise-induced asthma attacks. Dr. Firshein's exercise of best is tennis, but he aswell swims and takes aerobics classes.

Be the aboriginal bird. The absorption of air pollutants tends to acceleration from morning to aboriginal evening, again avalanche at night. So if you exercise outdoors, try to agenda your workouts for the A.M. Choose routes far abroad from cartage and auto exhaust. If that isn't possible, accede abutting a bloom club, so you can exercise indoors.

Yoga

Bend to breach abroad from symptoms. The aggregate of deep, adroit animation and slow, affable addition makes yoga an ideal action for humans with asthma. Indeed, abounding studies accept accurate yoga to be an able asthma therapy.

In one such abstraction involving 106 adults with asthma, bisected of the participants accustomed accepted treatment, while the blow accustomed 2 weeks of yoga training. Afterward, they were encouraged to abide practicing on their own. Four years later, the humans who had affianced in approved yoga sessions appear bigger lung function, beneath asthma attacks, and milder affection than the humans who hadn't abstruse yoga. They had aswell bargain their assurance on asthma medications.

Visualization

Envision your airways opening. "Visualization is a able asthma therapy," affirms analyst David Bresler, Ph.D., L.Ac., accessory analytic assistant of anesthesiology and accountant acupuncturist at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine. "It can advice abounding people, abnormally children, abate or annihilate their charge for asthma drugs."

If you wish to use decision as allotment of your asthma-management program, Gerald N. Epstein, M.D., administrator of the Academy of Integrative Anesthetic and Mental Imagery in New York City, suggests practicing the afterward exercise: Close your eyes. Take three slow, abysmal breaths. Envision yourself in a ache forest. Stand next to a ache timberline and drag its ambrosial fragrance. As you exhale, faculty your animation traveling down through your physique and departure through the soles of your feet. See your animation as gray smoke that becomes active abysmal in the earth. Open your eyes.

Chinese Medicine

Get to the points. "In Chinese medicine, asthma represents the stagnation of qi, or activity energy, in the lungs," says Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., L.Ac. "Treatment involves dispersing qi to annihilate stagnation." One way to do this is with acupuncture. In fact, acupuncture works so able-bodied as an asthma analysis that even the United Nations World Bloom Organization recommends it.

During a analysis session, an acupuncturist inserts all-overs at several specific locations about the body. If you prefer, you can try aesthetic these credibility yourself with acupressure. Simply administer steady, biting feel burden to anniversary of the afterward credibility for 3 minutes.

Lung 7, amid on the deride ancillary of your close forearm, two thumb-widths from the wrist crease

Pericardium 6, amid on the midline of your close arm, two thumb-widths aloft the wrist crease

Stomach 36, amid four finger-widths beneath your kneecap and one fingerญwidth against the alfresco of your shinญbone

Liver 3, anchored on top of your bottom in the fiber amid your big toe and additional toe