Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years. It consists of ancient theories, observations and principles about the mind, spirit and body relationship. According to the principles of yoga the mind, spirit and the body are one and they together can heal itself.
Yoga has three main techniques:
Asanas or poses
The various yogic poses give your body flexibility and strengthen the muscles. Many asanas are aimed at improving blood circulation and functioning of specific organs in the body.
Pranayama or breathing
Pranayama is actually the most important aspect of yoga as they cleanse the subtle energies flowing through the body. These breathing techniques are an effective way to energize, harmonize and tranquillize the body, spirit and mind.
Meditation
Mediation is an important way in managing stress and anxiety. Regular meditation trains the mind to be calm and relaxed; it curtails overreaction, emotional outbursts and temper tantrums.
When these three techniques are done together in sync the health benefits to the mind, soul and body are tremendous.
Benefits
Yoga has many health benefits, the main are:
Yoga asanas massages all organs of the body. It works on the internal organs in a systematic manner. This stimulation of the organs benefits us by keeping away disease.
Yoga increases the lubrication of joints, ligament and tendons. Yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.
Yoga offers a complete detoxification of the body. It ensures the maximum blood supply to various parts of the body, which helps in the flushing out of toxins from all over the body.
Yoga exercises strengthen the nervous system through its non-tiring physiological asanas.
Yoga breathing exercises and meditations develop parts of the brain that are normally dormant.
Conditions Benefited By Yoga
Though yoga has a beneficiary effect on all ailments, the ailments mentioned below have specially been helped by yogic practices,
Acid Stomach
Addictions
Asthma
Backache
Bronchitis
Cold
Constipation
Depression
Diabetes
Emphysema
Eyestrain
Flatulence
Headache
Heart Disorders,
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Indigestion
Insomnia
Menstrual disorders
Migraines
Neurasthenia
Obesity
Premenstrual Tension
Prostate troubles
Pain Management
Rheumatism
Sciatica
Sexual debility
Sinus
Skin diseases
Sore throat
Stress And Tension
Wrinkles
Yoga helps to makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even at times of great stress. Practicing yoga makes you feel fitter, more energetic, happier and peaceful.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Powerful Yoga for Health
Meditating involves sitting still for a period of time maybe 10 minutes, or maybe 100 minutes. The increased flexibility that yoga brings helps the body to remain comfortable during this physical inactivity. I remember very well being on retreat, and noticing that I had more energy available to me in my meditation practice after doing yoga. Maybe it's something as simple as endorphin release, or maybe it's something more mysterious I don't know and don't really need to know. What I found in my experience was that in the meditation, in which normally I would be struggling to keep my body upright and in which my brain would tend to "go on standby" I was suddenly wide awake if I did yoga just beforehand.
More than that, I noticed that I felt full of life, as if I was plugged into the mains electricity. Those late afternoon meditations were certainly more productive than they used to be. Awareness of the body is said to be the first "foundation" of mindfulness. Mindfulness can't exist in the abstract we have to have something to be mindful of. And it's hard to be aware of what the more subtle elements of our experience are doing if we aren't aware of what relatively substantial parts of our experience are doing. Yoga helps us to be more aware of the body, which helps with the overall process of developing mindfulness. That brings me onto the fourth benefit that I noticed.
Yoga helps to promote a deeper awareness of the body and of its muscles and joints. This has a grounding effect, helping to calm the mind, which in turn slows down our emotions so that we feel more relaxed. At the end of a session of yoga, I'd notice a definite emotional buoyancy accompanied by mental clarity and calmness.
All this makes me think I should get to yoga classes more often. And I want to encourage you to do the same, so I asked my friend and colleague if he'd contribute some basic instruction in yoga. You'll find his advice on the following pages, and you might be interested also in his Body Wisdom CD, which leads you through the asanas that are illustrated here. For more details visit http://www.soundbodytrainer.com/
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Enjoy Yoga For Health As You Age
Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise and assists in controlling and balancing various aspects of the body and mind. Yoga helps you in the control of your Central Nervous System and more. Enjoying yoga will promote many positive changes including a boosted self-esteem, a reduction in stress levels as well as discovering strength in your body and improved overall health. For more than 5000 years, people have enjoyed yoga. Yoga derived from the Indian nations, and through time has now allowed many people in the western world take control of their body and mind. Yoga when enjoyed on a regular basis is a great method to help you with the many pressures of today's society. Yoga combines spirituality, exercise, positive thinking, breathing and so on to help you enjoy healthy ageing.
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a valued practice for many people worldwide. Yoga incorporates fitness, health, gymnastics, and training in a set of rules. Yoga helps you to maintain or lose weight along with strengthening and toning to the muscular system. Yoga is a stress reducing machine. Yoga will train your mind, as you learn to control your thoughts through meditation and breathing. Breathing correctly is essential to mastering yoga. When you practice this form of exercise, you are connected with your inner self. You learn to balance your mind and body, which leads to good health.
Through practicing yoga, your emotions are also controlled, meaning that fears, doubts, and other negative influences will not take control of your life. Rather you will have control. As you practice yoga, you will feel comfortable with both yourself and others around you. The world will become yours, as you learn to communicate effectively and stop sweating the small stuff.
As there are many forms of yoga, be aware that some types of yoga training may not be right for you. Sometimes you may have to modify the workouts to benefit your body type and to withhold the workout suited for your strengths. You have to determine the beginners level in whatever yoga form you participate in, and allow to progress naturally. Your instructor will provide you with the necessary steps to receive the utmost benefit to you and your body.
How To Get Started With Yoga
The first thing you should do is seek medical approval from your practitioner. Make sure you are able to enjoy the type of yoga you choose. Start out slowly and progress only when your body is comfortable. Guide your way into mediate exercising. Yoga will put you in connection with your spiritual side, so prepare to find a new you.
When you first begin yoga, perhaps you would benefit from joining groups that practice yoga at the appropriate level. The group sessions will inspire you to continue your journey to healthy ageing. Having support is essential for all of us, and these yoga groups can become your support team on your journey. If you cannot find a group in your area, visit your local library. You can also purchase books, videos and dvds that provide instruction on how you can both enjoy and benefit with yoga.
Where do I go after learning yoga?
After you have taken the steps to get started and learn and discover the correct methods to perform the yoga exercises, you will need to find a quiet area where you feel comfortable. You want to avoid interruptions while practicing yoga to receive the most benefit from your workout. As yoga involves both physical and mental connection and balance, the benefits from the meditation and breathing will be tantamount to your results, stimulation and healing.
When will I notice the change in me?
Be patient. As with almost everything in life, you may not notice a change right away. It takes time to notice or feel the changes. If you practice yoga on a regular basis changes will occur gradually and soon you will be amazed how your emotional and spiritual connections will begin changing your life in leaps and bounds. Keep in mind that yoga is teaching you how to control your mind, body and emotions.
Work with yoga and yoga will work with you. Yes, promote healthy ageing with the benefits of yoga.
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a valued practice for many people worldwide. Yoga incorporates fitness, health, gymnastics, and training in a set of rules. Yoga helps you to maintain or lose weight along with strengthening and toning to the muscular system. Yoga is a stress reducing machine. Yoga will train your mind, as you learn to control your thoughts through meditation and breathing. Breathing correctly is essential to mastering yoga. When you practice this form of exercise, you are connected with your inner self. You learn to balance your mind and body, which leads to good health.
Through practicing yoga, your emotions are also controlled, meaning that fears, doubts, and other negative influences will not take control of your life. Rather you will have control. As you practice yoga, you will feel comfortable with both yourself and others around you. The world will become yours, as you learn to communicate effectively and stop sweating the small stuff.
As there are many forms of yoga, be aware that some types of yoga training may not be right for you. Sometimes you may have to modify the workouts to benefit your body type and to withhold the workout suited for your strengths. You have to determine the beginners level in whatever yoga form you participate in, and allow to progress naturally. Your instructor will provide you with the necessary steps to receive the utmost benefit to you and your body.
How To Get Started With Yoga
The first thing you should do is seek medical approval from your practitioner. Make sure you are able to enjoy the type of yoga you choose. Start out slowly and progress only when your body is comfortable. Guide your way into mediate exercising. Yoga will put you in connection with your spiritual side, so prepare to find a new you.
When you first begin yoga, perhaps you would benefit from joining groups that practice yoga at the appropriate level. The group sessions will inspire you to continue your journey to healthy ageing. Having support is essential for all of us, and these yoga groups can become your support team on your journey. If you cannot find a group in your area, visit your local library. You can also purchase books, videos and dvds that provide instruction on how you can both enjoy and benefit with yoga.
Where do I go after learning yoga?
After you have taken the steps to get started and learn and discover the correct methods to perform the yoga exercises, you will need to find a quiet area where you feel comfortable. You want to avoid interruptions while practicing yoga to receive the most benefit from your workout. As yoga involves both physical and mental connection and balance, the benefits from the meditation and breathing will be tantamount to your results, stimulation and healing.
When will I notice the change in me?
Be patient. As with almost everything in life, you may not notice a change right away. It takes time to notice or feel the changes. If you practice yoga on a regular basis changes will occur gradually and soon you will be amazed how your emotional and spiritual connections will begin changing your life in leaps and bounds. Keep in mind that yoga is teaching you how to control your mind, body and emotions.
Work with yoga and yoga will work with you. Yes, promote healthy ageing with the benefits of yoga.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Easy And Simple Ways to Yoga Routines To Increase Height With Heightgainlover
Forty or Fifty years before, a many of people still didn't know the difference between Yoga and Yogurt. These days, Yoga is so widespread that it's basically a household word. Although it's very well established these days, it doesn't mean that public in fact understands what Yoga is. There are many myths about Yoga that are told by people that do not have a nice belief about it. Yoga is so complex that it offers something for every person that chooses to embrace it. It doesn't matter if you are young, old, plump, slim, flexible or inflexible, every person can gain from some form of Yoga. Yoga was originally formed in India, but people worldwide enjoy the payback each day.
Yoga is a chain of exercises that look like gymnastics. It's true, Yoga can help you stay fit and slim, keep your weight under control and reduce the amount of stress that you have. There are types of Yoga that too offer a cycle of meditation exercises, which include breathing techniques that will help exercise your lungs and calm your full body. Many believe that when you meditate and breathe deeply that it will charge your body with energy, helping you get more done without being as tired.
Many people try to classify Yoga as one specific thing, but that just simply isn't real. Its many distinctive things, depending on what you are doing. Yoga is not just gymnastics, or fitness training or even a way to control your weight. It's also not just a way to reduce your stress, meditate or be more spiritual. Yoga is all of these things and a good amount more that you are not aware of.
Yoga has also been used as a type of health care. People with injuries have used Yoga to restore their bodies and take care of their fitness. It's quite amazing that more and more doctors around the country are prescribing Yoga as a way to reduce stress and as a type of physical therapy for different parts of the body, such as the back and knees. Yoga doesn't merely help you restore your body, but it also helps you keep your mind healthy.
The word Yoga is derived from an ancient Sanskrit language in India and it means "union" or "integration" and "discipline". Thousands of years before when Yoga was practiced by Indian religious elite, they used forms of Yoga to unite the body and the mind. They said that being aware of your body and your mind will help you deal with the daily stresses of life. Often people will not be aware of their bodies at all and hover around day to day without being in tune with their body. This leads to an overall unhealthy lifestyle.
Yoga is often used to rationalize people's minds and their emotions. Many people keep their emotions bottled up inside and do no express their real feelings. Suppressing feelings and emotions and lead to serious health penalty. Yoga seeks to unite people's minds and their feelings, so that they can stop the emotions from consuming them and help them live a healthier life.
Yoga is so wonderful for so many different reasons. Look at different types of Yoga and get one that sounds like it will work for you. You will feel more relaxed and in tune with your body, like never before.
Friday, July 9, 2010
How To Yoga At Home
Yoga is a type of exercise that provides relaxation and union of the body and mind that results to acquiring a feeling of peace and stability. It revitalizes your nervous system, makes you feel taller and gives you the chance to be more acquainted with muscles you don't know you had. This exercise will also enable you to be more energized. If you are planning to involve yourself with yoga, here are some of the many benefits that you can get on knowing how to yoga at home.
Click Here For Simple Yoga Secrets Instant Access Now!
1. You can practice at a time that is most convenient to you.
For early risers, twenty minutes of yoga or meditation is all that is required to energize and be able to prepare yourself for the day. On the other hand, doing yoga at night will allow you to gently unwind and release the stress and tension in your body so you get a good night's sleep.
2. Be able to explore on certain poses further.
Learning how to yoga at home will enable you to spend more time practicing a certain pose and go deeper into new or existing poses on your own phase. This cannot be possible if you are in a class setting.
3. Yoga allows you to experiment with poses.
You will be able to feel more relaxed deeply in a pose especially if you are practicing this exercise at home, when there's nobody else that is looking at you. This way you will be able to explore and become more aware of your body.
4. Set a good example for other family members.
You'll be able to inspire your partner as well as your kids
and other members of the family to join you. Knowing how to yoga at home and doing it consistently will educate your family and be able to get a better insight about this beneficial exercise.
Click Here For Simple Yoga Secrets Instant Access Now!
1. You can practice at a time that is most convenient to you.
For early risers, twenty minutes of yoga or meditation is all that is required to energize and be able to prepare yourself for the day. On the other hand, doing yoga at night will allow you to gently unwind and release the stress and tension in your body so you get a good night's sleep.
2. Be able to explore on certain poses further.
Learning how to yoga at home will enable you to spend more time practicing a certain pose and go deeper into new or existing poses on your own phase. This cannot be possible if you are in a class setting.
3. Yoga allows you to experiment with poses.
You will be able to feel more relaxed deeply in a pose especially if you are practicing this exercise at home, when there's nobody else that is looking at you. This way you will be able to explore and become more aware of your body.
4. Set a good example for other family members.
You'll be able to inspire your partner as well as your kids
and other members of the family to join you. Knowing how to yoga at home and doing it consistently will educate your family and be able to get a better insight about this beneficial exercise.
Yoga Exercises for Beginners
Yoga is a great workout, but exactly how does one begin? There are so many exercises that it's hard to know just how to formulate a routine or know just exactly which exercises or "poses" are great for beginners. I've been doing yoga for about five months now, and I really didn't know what I was doing when I started. My experience with yoga would probably have been better had I done some research before I started. Instead of going through exercises that are great for beginners, I'm just going to suggest some things to do in order for you to find the right program for you. Here are some things I would suggest doing before starting:
1. Research which style you'd like to do. Styles of Yoga vary from Ashtanga to kundalini to Hatha yoga. Each style has different overall objectives. Hatha is more of a relaxing yoga, and less strenuous. However, Ashtanga, often called "power" yoga, works at building strength. In my opinion, Ashtanga gives the best overall workout and provides great yoga exercises for beginners. There's also Bikram Yoga which is fairly similar to Ashtanga and also provides great yoga exercises for beginners. A good place to research the different styles is about.com.
2. After finding what style suits you best, I would look into yoga dvds or classes that teach that style. Gaiam offers great dvds, particularly with Rodney Yee. There are other great yoga programs offered online and great classes are offered at gyms or yoga studios. Google should provide all the information one would need there.
One program that I recently discovered is great for beginners. That program is Runner's Yoga. It has short workouts, about 30 minutes. It also provides audio-visual learning which allows one to learn the poses on one's own. It's a great compliment to other workouts, and as a workout in and of itself. Runner's Yoga also provides great yoga exercises for beginners, as it is a fairly tame yoga program.
3. Try Yoga forums. Yoga forums are a great way to get quality advice from yogis all across the nation.
Hopefully this advice helps. Yoga is a great way to reduce stress, improve flexibility, among other health benefits. Good luck on your journey into yoga!
1. Research which style you'd like to do. Styles of Yoga vary from Ashtanga to kundalini to Hatha yoga. Each style has different overall objectives. Hatha is more of a relaxing yoga, and less strenuous. However, Ashtanga, often called "power" yoga, works at building strength. In my opinion, Ashtanga gives the best overall workout and provides great yoga exercises for beginners. There's also Bikram Yoga which is fairly similar to Ashtanga and also provides great yoga exercises for beginners. A good place to research the different styles is about.com.
2. After finding what style suits you best, I would look into yoga dvds or classes that teach that style. Gaiam offers great dvds, particularly with Rodney Yee. There are other great yoga programs offered online and great classes are offered at gyms or yoga studios. Google should provide all the information one would need there.
One program that I recently discovered is great for beginners. That program is Runner's Yoga. It has short workouts, about 30 minutes. It also provides audio-visual learning which allows one to learn the poses on one's own. It's a great compliment to other workouts, and as a workout in and of itself. Runner's Yoga also provides great yoga exercises for beginners, as it is a fairly tame yoga program.
3. Try Yoga forums. Yoga forums are a great way to get quality advice from yogis all across the nation.
Hopefully this advice helps. Yoga is a great way to reduce stress, improve flexibility, among other health benefits. Good luck on your journey into yoga!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Yoga Intro
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and consists of ancient theories, observations and principles regarding the connection of the mind with the body. The ancient Indian sage systemized yoga philosophy into eight paths or limbs: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. These limbs each express a different aspect of yoga and combined make up the path or yoga practice that unites the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels of our being.
Yama - Yama are ethical disciplines that relate to how we can live in a shared world with peace and integrity. Niyama - These disciplines relate to the individual and focus on living a healthy, fulfilled and masterful life. Asana - The word asana means ‘to be’, in the sense of being in a posture. The asanas were developed for the maintenance of a healthy mind and body, with each posture affecting the body, mind and emotions in a unique way and working as a pathway to balance and wellbeing. Pranayama - In the practice of pranayama, we develop breathing techniques that increase oxygen intake and strengthen lung capacity while also increasing the absorption of prana, or life force. In its simplest form, pranayama involves deep, full breathing. Dharana - Following on from pratyahara, dharana is the ability to be completely internally absorbed and focused. This practice of single-pointed concentration stills the mind and leads to profound quietness within. Dhyana - Following on from dharana is dhyana, or meditation – sitting where there is no focus, just stillness; no thoughts, only emptiness. Samadhi - In this state of absolute personal freedom there is union of the individual soul with the universal soul. It is the practice of living at one with all that is.
With regular yoga practice of yoga, you will get strength, flexibility and good health, the benefits of which flow into all aspects of life. Increased energy levels bring a new perspective on life, the increased feelings of self-love and inspiration lead us to discover talents and interests we never knew existed and problems that once seemed overwhelming become more manageable.
Starting yoga
To achieve the yoga glow-like zen, we have to start somewhere. Here are a few tips and products to help you start out small, and end up happy and limber with a glow all your own. Try using a yoga strap Using straps can really help you get into those tougher poses that require the flexibility that you just don't have yet. The yoga strap will allow you to put the resistance where you need it. For example, you can use straps to connect one arm to the other, extend your reach from your feet, and many other tricks.
Yoga Bolsters for back support
Bolsters are firm long and narrow pillows normally filled with a dense cotton and designed specifically to help support you tummy and back during your yoga practice. Bolsters can really come in handy for poses that require a lot of core strength. Another great use for them is to put them under your knees for support as you rest
Select the right mat
Selecting a mat can be overwhelming. They come in thin, thick, cotton, short, long, and wide. For starters I'd recommend getting a skidless thick and long yoga mat. This will provide the comfort and stability for getting the hang of the traditional poses you'll learn right away.
Yoga Blocks
Yoga blocks come in all shapes and sizes, and are mostly used to modify a pose or to provide support for your hands and feet for those poses where you can't quite stretch to the extent you want. Blocks can bring the stretch destination closer to you until you reach your flexibility goals.
These are just a few of the yoga props you can use when starting out, and can even serve you in your yoga practice over the years to come. Just remember that yoga is a very personal exercise, you set your own limits, and you set your own boundaries. You will only improve at the rate to which you push yourself.
Yoga Bolsters for back support
Bolsters are firm long and narrow pillows normally filled with a dense cotton and designed specifically to help support you tummy and back during your yoga practice. Bolsters can really come in handy for poses that require a lot of core strength. Another great use for them is to put them under your knees for support as you rest
Select the right mat
Selecting a mat can be overwhelming. They come in thin, thick, cotton, short, long, and wide. For starters I'd recommend getting a skidless thick and long yoga mat. This will provide the comfort and stability for getting the hang of the traditional poses you'll learn right away.
Yoga Blocks
Yoga blocks come in all shapes and sizes, and are mostly used to modify a pose or to provide support for your hands and feet for those poses where you can't quite stretch to the extent you want. Blocks can bring the stretch destination closer to you until you reach your flexibility goals.
These are just a few of the yoga props you can use when starting out, and can even serve you in your yoga practice over the years to come. Just remember that yoga is a very personal exercise, you set your own limits, and you set your own boundaries. You will only improve at the rate to which you push yourself.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Don't Waste Money on Fitness Equipment
Find Out Everything You Need To Know About Fitness Equipment. Do You Need It? Or Are You Better Off Investing Into A Fitness Trainer?
Fitness equipment in your home will not produce the same fitness results that a qualified personal trainer can offer for around the same price as the expensive fitness equipment, if not cheaper. Since a piece of fitness equipment is nothing more than an object, it is unable to compete with the advantages that an actual fitness trainer can provide. This equipment will not assist you in the proper techniques for losing weight and getting into better shape. Additionally, fitness equipment will become useless once you achieve your desired level of health.
As a resident interested in improving their health, you need to establish a proper fitness plan. The expertise that a fitness trainer has with fitness equipment will provide you a much better knowledge.
Fitness Equipment Is A Temporary Solution To Better Health
The fitness equipment, regardless of what type of equipment it is, only has limited use. There is not one piece of fitness equipment that will assist you in completing all of your fitness goals.
As mentioned earlier, this equipment is also expensive and has a tendency to collect dust after you have reached your fitness goals (or when you have decided to give up on reaching your fitness goals, as many people who purchase fitness equipment do).
Equipment For Fitness Will Not Plan Your Entire Workout
Regardless of the price that you pay for your fitness equipment, it will not plan your entire workout. It will not tell you everything that you need to do to succeed at your individual fitness goals.
Only a proper personal trainer can guide you to successfully completing your fitness goals, even if they seem impossible to tackle.
Invest Smart By Rethinking Your Fitness Equipment
In reality, there is not much of a difference between the price of fitness equipment and the price of hiring a personal trainer. Both options are considered expensive, but you will gain so much more from a personal trainer than you ever will from a piece of equipment.
Your Mental Health
Fitness equipment will not help you in maintaining your mental health. Even though you are trying to achieve a higher level of physical health, you will only receive the best results when you are mentally prepared for the enduring workout sessions that you will face.
A fitness trainer can assist you in keeping your morale up while the fitness equipment will encourage you to give up on your fitness goals, if anything.
Improving Your Social Life
By investing in the services of a fitness trainer against purchasing fitness equipment at your local store, you can improve your social life. You often meet other people with similar fitness goals when you work out in a fitness center.
Personal trainers want you to succeed. It's important to them, as it is to you.
You will have someone to talk to (in your personal trainer) when you have questions regarding your fitness plan. A piece of fitness equipment is unable to carry on a conversation with you, leaving you with a lonely workout session.
So, In Conclusion..
Fitness equipment won't do you a lot of good unless it's used by you under the guidance of your personal trainer. Your fitness trainer, just like any human, will always be more valuable than a mechanical device.
As I'm sure you've seen numerous people line up at health clubs or gyms on the treadmills and other machines and avail to no results.
Fitness equipment in your home will not produce the same fitness results that a qualified personal trainer can offer for around the same price as the expensive fitness equipment, if not cheaper. Since a piece of fitness equipment is nothing more than an object, it is unable to compete with the advantages that an actual fitness trainer can provide. This equipment will not assist you in the proper techniques for losing weight and getting into better shape. Additionally, fitness equipment will become useless once you achieve your desired level of health.
As a resident interested in improving their health, you need to establish a proper fitness plan. The expertise that a fitness trainer has with fitness equipment will provide you a much better knowledge.
Fitness Equipment Is A Temporary Solution To Better Health
The fitness equipment, regardless of what type of equipment it is, only has limited use. There is not one piece of fitness equipment that will assist you in completing all of your fitness goals.
As mentioned earlier, this equipment is also expensive and has a tendency to collect dust after you have reached your fitness goals (or when you have decided to give up on reaching your fitness goals, as many people who purchase fitness equipment do).
Equipment For Fitness Will Not Plan Your Entire Workout
Regardless of the price that you pay for your fitness equipment, it will not plan your entire workout. It will not tell you everything that you need to do to succeed at your individual fitness goals.
Only a proper personal trainer can guide you to successfully completing your fitness goals, even if they seem impossible to tackle.
Invest Smart By Rethinking Your Fitness Equipment
In reality, there is not much of a difference between the price of fitness equipment and the price of hiring a personal trainer. Both options are considered expensive, but you will gain so much more from a personal trainer than you ever will from a piece of equipment.
Your Mental Health
Fitness equipment will not help you in maintaining your mental health. Even though you are trying to achieve a higher level of physical health, you will only receive the best results when you are mentally prepared for the enduring workout sessions that you will face.
A fitness trainer can assist you in keeping your morale up while the fitness equipment will encourage you to give up on your fitness goals, if anything.
Improving Your Social Life
By investing in the services of a fitness trainer against purchasing fitness equipment at your local store, you can improve your social life. You often meet other people with similar fitness goals when you work out in a fitness center.
Personal trainers want you to succeed. It's important to them, as it is to you.
You will have someone to talk to (in your personal trainer) when you have questions regarding your fitness plan. A piece of fitness equipment is unable to carry on a conversation with you, leaving you with a lonely workout session.
So, In Conclusion..
Fitness equipment won't do you a lot of good unless it's used by you under the guidance of your personal trainer. Your fitness trainer, just like any human, will always be more valuable than a mechanical device.
As I'm sure you've seen numerous people line up at health clubs or gyms on the treadmills and other machines and avail to no results.
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Throughout the ages, in every civilization, there has been a hidden pathway, a secret technology of discovery, which enables the individual to reach the ultimate potential. This is a technique that has the ability to elevate, inspire and awaken the individual to their own greatness. That greatness is within every one of us, and the technology that can do this is Kundalini Yoga.
As an enthusiastic teacher of Kundalini Yoga, I am always asked ‘What is it? Is it like Hatha Yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga? Is it dynamic or static? Are there meditation or breathing techniques?’ My answer is always the same: it is all of those things, and a multitude more.
Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, now living in New Mexico, has explained that there are 22 major forms of yoga, each one expressing a facet of the whole. A good way of understanding this is that each different form of yoga is like the facet of a diamond. The diamond herself is Kundalini Yoga, the mother of all yogas.
Kundalini Yoga is the most inclusive of all yoga practices as it includes all aspects of yoga within its teachings. In this practice there are over 8.4 million kriyas (completed sequences, or sets). These kriyas are made up of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), mantra (chanting), mudras (hand gestures), bandhs (body locks) and meditation.
The kriyas are a blend of dynamic and static postures that deliver a perfect sequence of energy, tones and feelings played upon the instrument of the body. In the ancient scriptures it is said that Kundalini Yoga is the fastest way to create the transformation that the individual is seeking. There is a certain depth, completeness and timelessness that is inherent in Kundalini Yoga.
Kundalini Yoga is a legacy. It has been practised as an exact science by masters in communication with Infinity, coming directly from the Soul. It is a practice that has been experienced and handed down through enlightened souls for many thousands of years. It is said that Christ, Buddha and Moses practised Kundalini Yoga.
In ancient times it was often taught and passed down through the line of kings. These Kundalini Yoga masters did not specifically or personally pass on the knowledge. Rather it is thought that the teachings were handed down via an authentic lineage of Raj (Royal) Yogis. Kundalini Yoga knowledge was transmitted through meditation and altered states. It was this practice that was kept within the bloodline of royalty. We understand that the very first transmission of Kundalini Yoga was passed to the Hindu god Shiva, who in turn passed the knowledge to his consort Parvarti. From the Bhagavadgita we can understand that Lord Krishna was a keeper of the teachings, which were then passed to King Janaka, who was an early Raj Yogi and master of Kundalini Yoga. This was passed on through that lineage to Guru Ram Das, a Guru of the Sikhs, via the subtle realms. Guru Ram Das was bestowed the High Throne of Raj Yoga, known as the Takhat. The word takhat literally means ‘high throne’ and is not specific to any exclusive form of yoga; there are many other takhats. This meant that he had to pass the technology on with his blessing to anyone who came along. It was through Guru Ram Das that the teachings were passed on to Yogi Bhajan. In 1969 Yogi Bhajan took Kundalini Yoga to the United States, against the wishes of his peers. Until then, it had always been highly secret and was never practised in public.
Since Kundalini Yoga has become so popular in the United States the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) has been developed. This was founded to verify, promote, produce and preserve the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, exactly as they had been passed down.
There is much confusion surrounding kundalini and Kundalini Yoga. Some experts say that it is the most potent and powerful way to change consciousness, while others warn against practising it, or veil the entire teaching in secrecy. Yet how can something as essential to consciousness as kundalini be feared? Some people worry about raising the kundalini energy, but teachings from Yogi Bhajan have dispelled many misrepresentations and myths surrounding kundalini and his explicit teachings have given researchers techniques that can be thoroughly tested out. Kundalini Yoga is also known as the ‘yoga of awareness’. Awareness leads to understanding and understanding gives way to acceptance. When you can accept yourself, all your limitations fade away. All your fears, insecurities, and self-belittlement cease to be. In its place are abundance, hope and the wisdom of your true worth. Kundalini Yoga is so much more than a set of physical exercises. If genuinely practised, with respect and reverence, it will change your life.
There is only one way that you can practise Kundalini Yoga. It is very specific, clearly laid out and it is practised as it was given, with no alterations. Its path can take you to many places, whether you wish to achieve enlightenment or to release parts of yourself that are out of date and do not reflect the person you wish to be. Kundalini Yoga can also offer an approach for those who have only limited time to devote to this practice, but who also deserve the rewards of this priceless gift. The practice is easily understood and accessible for complete beginners to yoga who have decided that they need a tool to help them balance out everyday pressures. This is the yoga for modern humankind. This practice is for our present-day dilemma: to feel whole and complete while maintaining our day-to-day responsibilities. Kundalini Yoga is a sacred technology that is greatly needed at the present time. It is direct, powerful and simple.
It is important to understand that Kundalini Yoga is concerned with preparing the body for the kundalini energy to rise up through the Sushmana (the energetic spinal column). The scientific aspect of Kundalini Yoga is designed to provide you with the experience of your highest consciousness through the raising of your kundalini. Kundalini is your latent spiritual potential. Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, this psychic nerve centre is awakened; its revelation is the release of your true potential. For this energy to awaken safely, body and mind need to be strong and able to deal with this very powerful change in consciousness. The practice of Kundalini Yoga is the powerful cleansing of the whole being. Not only do the body and mind need to be cleansed but also the energetic aspects of ourselves. The chakras (energy centres) and meridians (energy pathways) need to be unblocked and activated to allow this new influx of dynamic energy to flow freely throughout the whole being.
Kundalini and chakra work are closely linked. The kundalini energy can be depicted as a serpent, coiled in three and a half turns, sleeping in the Muladhara (Base, or Root, Chakra), the densest of all the chakras. But please note that Yogi Bhajan does not support the concept of kundalini as the coiled serpent, but rather as the blueprint for the full potential of humankind. Kundalini is known as the spiritual nerve, seated in the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened. With the practice of Kundalini Yoga this nerve can be stimulated and start to become activated as it breaks through the blockage at the Muladhara, travelling upwards through the Sushmana and piercing every chakra along the way, until it reaches the Crown, where full enlightenment is attained.
You do not have to charge in with the intention of raising the kundalini to full enlightenment, although this is the goal of all forms of yoga. There is a more acceptable, more gentle, way of introducing you to the sheer potential that is within you, and showing you how this potential can be released. This method is to gently rouse or stir the kundalini energy in the Ida and Pingala channels, which interweave around the Sushmana, every time you embark on a kundalini kriya. The general pattern of a kundalini kriya is to awaken and build up the Pranic energy. This is then guided to the relevant area that you wish to work on. For example, if your digestive system needs working on, a set to help with decision-making or an emotional state that is upsetting you might be helpful. By directing the energy to a particular chakra, organ, or issue in your life, this blockage will be dissolved and once again you will be back in balance. The negative effects will harm you no more.
There are over 8.4 million kriyas, all designed to deal with the day-to-day challenges we face. There are kriyas for physical issues, such as the digestion, circulation, immune system (disease resistance), lower back problems, glandular malfunctions, menopause and sexuality problems. There are also kriyas for the mind, to clear confusion, addictions, haunting thoughts and creative blocks. Additionally, there are kriyas to balance the emotions, to bring about feelings of ecstasy, to dispel fear and paranoia, to bring about stillness and to attain the empowering ability to accept and forgive all aspects of your life.
Meditation is also a very important part of the practice. This allows the body and mind to process the journey of the kriya. The energy has travelled along a certain pathway, awakening, dispelling and moving your energetic bodies. The meditation process is a lesson in inner awareness. Sometimes the meditation will have a breathing technique to enable the mind to quieten as you turn inwards into the realm of feelings and emotions. When this happens you will be able to observe your thoughts as they come and go. This is the start of the practice known as ‘becoming the watcher’. It is through this method that you become master of the mind.
At other times there will be a mantra to accompany the meditation. A mantra is always equipped with a coded sonic vibration that cuts through the psyche and starts to balance out areas within that need attention. When there is a mantra, you may find yourself immersed in the sound. This is the most powerful part of Kundalini Yoga. The word mantra breaks down into man, which means ‘mind’ and tra, which is ‘to vibrate’. Therefore, mantra means ‘to vibrate the mind’. This miraculous technique shifts many character traits and behavioural patterns that keep us suffering. In the chapter on Mantra (see page 51), I will explain exactly how this sonic science works.
I would like to close this section by saying that you can never predict a kundalini class. It is always full of surprises, since many changes will be going on in all the various people present. There have been times in my classes when there have been outbursts of laughter, which is always good fun and I actively encourage it. Yoga is usually synonymous with seriousness, quiet and solemnity, but this is not always the case. Laughter is common in my classes. It is, after all, an explosion of happiness. This usually happens when a painful emotion or memory has been released. It is also common to find yourself so immersed in the kriya and the breathing that you surface to find tears falling down your cheeks. You may not actually be crying, but tears are falling silently. This is always a very powerful realization of the many changes that are taking place within you.
When you experience this, you will find that harmony and balance are restored to you, and you will feel within an endless supply of energy and happiness. When you experience this, even for a few brief moments, your life will not be the same again. The inner light is now switched on, shining through you, and others will not fail to be drawn towards you. You will become a beacon for humankind, a touchstone for the truth, and the living reality of who we really are.
To everyone who embarks on the path of kundalini, I wish you the greatest journey. May your path show you the many examples of Divinity that are around you at any given moment. May you realize the ultimate truth: that only Love can set you free. Be free, my friend, as it is your birthright.
Be Grateful, BE GREAT and BE FULL Yogi Bhajan
As an enthusiastic teacher of Kundalini Yoga, I am always asked ‘What is it? Is it like Hatha Yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga? Is it dynamic or static? Are there meditation or breathing techniques?’ My answer is always the same: it is all of those things, and a multitude more.
Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, now living in New Mexico, has explained that there are 22 major forms of yoga, each one expressing a facet of the whole. A good way of understanding this is that each different form of yoga is like the facet of a diamond. The diamond herself is Kundalini Yoga, the mother of all yogas.
Kundalini Yoga is the most inclusive of all yoga practices as it includes all aspects of yoga within its teachings. In this practice there are over 8.4 million kriyas (completed sequences, or sets). These kriyas are made up of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), mantra (chanting), mudras (hand gestures), bandhs (body locks) and meditation.
The kriyas are a blend of dynamic and static postures that deliver a perfect sequence of energy, tones and feelings played upon the instrument of the body. In the ancient scriptures it is said that Kundalini Yoga is the fastest way to create the transformation that the individual is seeking. There is a certain depth, completeness and timelessness that is inherent in Kundalini Yoga.
Kundalini Yoga is a legacy. It has been practised as an exact science by masters in communication with Infinity, coming directly from the Soul. It is a practice that has been experienced and handed down through enlightened souls for many thousands of years. It is said that Christ, Buddha and Moses practised Kundalini Yoga.
In ancient times it was often taught and passed down through the line of kings. These Kundalini Yoga masters did not specifically or personally pass on the knowledge. Rather it is thought that the teachings were handed down via an authentic lineage of Raj (Royal) Yogis. Kundalini Yoga knowledge was transmitted through meditation and altered states. It was this practice that was kept within the bloodline of royalty. We understand that the very first transmission of Kundalini Yoga was passed to the Hindu god Shiva, who in turn passed the knowledge to his consort Parvarti. From the Bhagavadgita we can understand that Lord Krishna was a keeper of the teachings, which were then passed to King Janaka, who was an early Raj Yogi and master of Kundalini Yoga. This was passed on through that lineage to Guru Ram Das, a Guru of the Sikhs, via the subtle realms. Guru Ram Das was bestowed the High Throne of Raj Yoga, known as the Takhat. The word takhat literally means ‘high throne’ and is not specific to any exclusive form of yoga; there are many other takhats. This meant that he had to pass the technology on with his blessing to anyone who came along. It was through Guru Ram Das that the teachings were passed on to Yogi Bhajan. In 1969 Yogi Bhajan took Kundalini Yoga to the United States, against the wishes of his peers. Until then, it had always been highly secret and was never practised in public.
Since Kundalini Yoga has become so popular in the United States the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) has been developed. This was founded to verify, promote, produce and preserve the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, exactly as they had been passed down.
There is much confusion surrounding kundalini and Kundalini Yoga. Some experts say that it is the most potent and powerful way to change consciousness, while others warn against practising it, or veil the entire teaching in secrecy. Yet how can something as essential to consciousness as kundalini be feared? Some people worry about raising the kundalini energy, but teachings from Yogi Bhajan have dispelled many misrepresentations and myths surrounding kundalini and his explicit teachings have given researchers techniques that can be thoroughly tested out. Kundalini Yoga is also known as the ‘yoga of awareness’. Awareness leads to understanding and understanding gives way to acceptance. When you can accept yourself, all your limitations fade away. All your fears, insecurities, and self-belittlement cease to be. In its place are abundance, hope and the wisdom of your true worth. Kundalini Yoga is so much more than a set of physical exercises. If genuinely practised, with respect and reverence, it will change your life.
There is only one way that you can practise Kundalini Yoga. It is very specific, clearly laid out and it is practised as it was given, with no alterations. Its path can take you to many places, whether you wish to achieve enlightenment or to release parts of yourself that are out of date and do not reflect the person you wish to be. Kundalini Yoga can also offer an approach for those who have only limited time to devote to this practice, but who also deserve the rewards of this priceless gift. The practice is easily understood and accessible for complete beginners to yoga who have decided that they need a tool to help them balance out everyday pressures. This is the yoga for modern humankind. This practice is for our present-day dilemma: to feel whole and complete while maintaining our day-to-day responsibilities. Kundalini Yoga is a sacred technology that is greatly needed at the present time. It is direct, powerful and simple.
It is important to understand that Kundalini Yoga is concerned with preparing the body for the kundalini energy to rise up through the Sushmana (the energetic spinal column). The scientific aspect of Kundalini Yoga is designed to provide you with the experience of your highest consciousness through the raising of your kundalini. Kundalini is your latent spiritual potential. Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, this psychic nerve centre is awakened; its revelation is the release of your true potential. For this energy to awaken safely, body and mind need to be strong and able to deal with this very powerful change in consciousness. The practice of Kundalini Yoga is the powerful cleansing of the whole being. Not only do the body and mind need to be cleansed but also the energetic aspects of ourselves. The chakras (energy centres) and meridians (energy pathways) need to be unblocked and activated to allow this new influx of dynamic energy to flow freely throughout the whole being.
Kundalini and chakra work are closely linked. The kundalini energy can be depicted as a serpent, coiled in three and a half turns, sleeping in the Muladhara (Base, or Root, Chakra), the densest of all the chakras. But please note that Yogi Bhajan does not support the concept of kundalini as the coiled serpent, but rather as the blueprint for the full potential of humankind. Kundalini is known as the spiritual nerve, seated in the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened. With the practice of Kundalini Yoga this nerve can be stimulated and start to become activated as it breaks through the blockage at the Muladhara, travelling upwards through the Sushmana and piercing every chakra along the way, until it reaches the Crown, where full enlightenment is attained.
You do not have to charge in with the intention of raising the kundalini to full enlightenment, although this is the goal of all forms of yoga. There is a more acceptable, more gentle, way of introducing you to the sheer potential that is within you, and showing you how this potential can be released. This method is to gently rouse or stir the kundalini energy in the Ida and Pingala channels, which interweave around the Sushmana, every time you embark on a kundalini kriya. The general pattern of a kundalini kriya is to awaken and build up the Pranic energy. This is then guided to the relevant area that you wish to work on. For example, if your digestive system needs working on, a set to help with decision-making or an emotional state that is upsetting you might be helpful. By directing the energy to a particular chakra, organ, or issue in your life, this blockage will be dissolved and once again you will be back in balance. The negative effects will harm you no more.
There are over 8.4 million kriyas, all designed to deal with the day-to-day challenges we face. There are kriyas for physical issues, such as the digestion, circulation, immune system (disease resistance), lower back problems, glandular malfunctions, menopause and sexuality problems. There are also kriyas for the mind, to clear confusion, addictions, haunting thoughts and creative blocks. Additionally, there are kriyas to balance the emotions, to bring about feelings of ecstasy, to dispel fear and paranoia, to bring about stillness and to attain the empowering ability to accept and forgive all aspects of your life.
Meditation is also a very important part of the practice. This allows the body and mind to process the journey of the kriya. The energy has travelled along a certain pathway, awakening, dispelling and moving your energetic bodies. The meditation process is a lesson in inner awareness. Sometimes the meditation will have a breathing technique to enable the mind to quieten as you turn inwards into the realm of feelings and emotions. When this happens you will be able to observe your thoughts as they come and go. This is the start of the practice known as ‘becoming the watcher’. It is through this method that you become master of the mind.
At other times there will be a mantra to accompany the meditation. A mantra is always equipped with a coded sonic vibration that cuts through the psyche and starts to balance out areas within that need attention. When there is a mantra, you may find yourself immersed in the sound. This is the most powerful part of Kundalini Yoga. The word mantra breaks down into man, which means ‘mind’ and tra, which is ‘to vibrate’. Therefore, mantra means ‘to vibrate the mind’. This miraculous technique shifts many character traits and behavioural patterns that keep us suffering. In the chapter on Mantra (see page 51), I will explain exactly how this sonic science works.
I would like to close this section by saying that you can never predict a kundalini class. It is always full of surprises, since many changes will be going on in all the various people present. There have been times in my classes when there have been outbursts of laughter, which is always good fun and I actively encourage it. Yoga is usually synonymous with seriousness, quiet and solemnity, but this is not always the case. Laughter is common in my classes. It is, after all, an explosion of happiness. This usually happens when a painful emotion or memory has been released. It is also common to find yourself so immersed in the kriya and the breathing that you surface to find tears falling down your cheeks. You may not actually be crying, but tears are falling silently. This is always a very powerful realization of the many changes that are taking place within you.
When you experience this, you will find that harmony and balance are restored to you, and you will feel within an endless supply of energy and happiness. When you experience this, even for a few brief moments, your life will not be the same again. The inner light is now switched on, shining through you, and others will not fail to be drawn towards you. You will become a beacon for humankind, a touchstone for the truth, and the living reality of who we really are.
To everyone who embarks on the path of kundalini, I wish you the greatest journey. May your path show you the many examples of Divinity that are around you at any given moment. May you realize the ultimate truth: that only Love can set you free. Be free, my friend, as it is your birthright.
Be Grateful, BE GREAT and BE FULL Yogi Bhajan
Friday, September 25, 2009
Keep Fit by Doing Yoga
Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. We will look at the healing effects of yoga. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.
According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: “The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”
Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: “You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion.”
Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being. Will it help you lose weight, though?
Answer: Practicing any type of yoga will build strength, but some types may not raise your heart rate enough to make them the only form of exercise you need to include in your weight loss regime. It depends on the type of yoga you select and how frequently you practice it.
In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. Some types of yoga, such as Iyengar, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.
If you plan to make yoga your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. Many people also choose to combine yoga with running, walking or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style of practice with a few distinct advantages for those who want to lose weight. Ashtanga practitioners are among the most dedicated of yogis, and beginners are often encouraged to sign up for a series of classes, which will help with motivation. Another advantage is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.
Power Yoga:
Power Yoga is extremely popular, because it provides a very vigorous cardiovascular workout.
Hot Yoga:
Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing
Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. We will look at the healing effects of yoga. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.
According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: “The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”
Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: “You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion.”
Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being. Will it help you lose weight, though?
Answer: Practicing any type of yoga will build strength, but some types may not raise your heart rate enough to make them the only form of exercise you need to include in your weight loss regime. It depends on the type of yoga you select and how frequently you practice it.
In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. Some types of yoga, such as Iyengar, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.
If you plan to make yoga your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. Many people also choose to combine yoga with running, walking or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style of practice with a few distinct advantages for those who want to lose weight. Ashtanga practitioners are among the most dedicated of yogis, and beginners are often encouraged to sign up for a series of classes, which will help with motivation. Another advantage is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.
Power Yoga:
Power Yoga is extremely popular, because it provides a very vigorous cardiovascular workout.
Hot Yoga:
Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing
Yoga’s primary emphasis is upon general well-being. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Rather, yoga employs a broad holistic approach that focuses on teaching people a new lifestyle, way of thinking, and way of being in the world. In the process, however, it is also found to bring a myriad of healing effects. By attending to practices for improving, regaining or retaining general good health, a person is likely to find that some of his more specific difficulties tend to disappear. Many of the healing effects of yoga is clinically verified. We will look at the healing effects of yoga. However, one of the most important benefit of yoga is its application in relieving stress, fatigue, invigoration and vitality and its anti-aging properties and its application for relaxation therapy.
According to Swami Sivananda, the benefits of pranayama (yogic breathing practices) include: “The body becomes strong and healthy. Too much fat is reduced. There is luster in the face. Eyes sparkle like diamonds. The practitioner becomes very handsome. Voice becomes sweet and melodious”
Indra Devi, author of many books on yoga suggests that with yoga: “You will be able to enjoy better sleep, a happier disposition, a clearer and calmer mind. You will learn how to build up your health and protect yourself against colds, fevers, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and other troubles. You will know what to do in order to remain youthful, vital and alert, regardless of your calendar-age; how to lose or gain weight; how to get rid of premature wrinkles, and keep a smooth skin and clear complexion.”
Doing yoga regularly offers many benefits, including making you feel better about your body as you become stronger and more flexible, toning your muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental and physical well-being. Will it help you lose weight, though?
Answer: Practicing any type of yoga will build strength, but some types may not raise your heart rate enough to make them the only form of exercise you need to include in your weight loss regime. It depends on the type of yoga you select and how frequently you practice it.
In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. Some types of yoga, such as Iyengar, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.
If you plan to make yoga your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. Many people also choose to combine yoga with running, walking or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals.
Ashtanga:
Ashtanga Yoga is a very vigorous style of practice with a few distinct advantages for those who want to lose weight. Ashtanga practitioners are among the most dedicated of yogis, and beginners are often encouraged to sign up for a series of classes, which will help with motivation. Another advantage is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.
Power Yoga:
Power Yoga is extremely popular, because it provides a very vigorous cardiovascular workout.
Hot Yoga:
Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing you’ll sweat buckets.
Keep in mind that if you are just starting to do yoga or are quite out of shape, always choose a beginner-level class.
Yoga Workouts at Home
Keep yourself exercising by doing yoga at home on the days you can’t make a class. Follow along with a video or audio recording, if you are new to yoga. When you are ready to plan your own workouts, use these yoga sequencing ideas to help you come up with yoga sessions of varying lengths that suit your needs.
Importance of Breathing in Yoga
To make your body fit there are many exercise, many equipments, and also medicines. But if want your body fit and fine without any trainer, without ant equipments and medicines. Then there is only way by Yoga. Here I am describing you some features and explanation about yoga.
What is Yoga?
The word “Yoga” comes from Sanskrit. It is a Hindu traditional way of exercise by which we can make control on our body and mind. By doing yoga we can make our body physical and mentally strong. If you do yoga 45 minutes a day after doing that I can surely tell you that your mind and body feel relax. Now there is short information about types of Yoga.
Types of Yoga Position:
- Free Spirit
- Vinyasa yoga
- Gym Rat
- Bikram or Hot yoga
- Power Yoga
- Vinyasa Yoga
- Gymnast
- Ashtanga Yoga
- Forrest Yoga
- Injured
- Iyengar Yoga
- Mellow
- Hatha Yoga
- Integral Yoga
- Kripalu Yoga
- Self – motivated
- Ashtanga Yoga
- Singer
- Jivamukti Yoga
- Kundalini Yoga
- Spiritual Seeker
- Anusara Yoga
- Jivamukti Yoga
- Kundalini Yoga
- Traditionalist
- Iyengar Yoga
- Ashtanga Yoga
- Integral Yoga
- Kripalu Yoga
- Kundalini Yoga
Most Popular types of yoga:
- Raja Yoga – It is “Royal Yoga” running from the time of king. It is a special Yoga for your mind (dyana) to make it relax. Sit in any position and close your eyes and do meditation. It makes your whole body and mind relax. Do it 45 minutes in one day.
- Hatha Yoga – Hatha yoga is widely performed in America. It uses body position (asanas), breathing style (pranayama), and Meditation (dyana). This yoga makes you physically and mentally strong.
- Iyengar Yoga – It is a form of Hatha Yoga, is completely giving primacy to the physical alignment of the body.
- Bikram or Hot Yoga – Bikram yoga is developed by Bikram choudhury. This Yoga is performing in hot room. This yoga systemically for wellness and restoration. There are 26 different poses in Bikram Yoga.
- Pregnancy or Prenatal Yoga – This yoga is performing during the time of women pregnancy to make her body fit and in shape. It also best yoga for your baby. We enjoy performing this yoga in pregnancy period.
- Laughter or Hasya Yoga – Hasya Yoga is physical oriented methods that remove your tension, out of this world and place in new world of peace. During this yoga people laugh for 30 to 40 minutes with noise of clapping and Ha Ha……. People perform this yoga to make their mind free from their personal tension.
- Ashtanga Yoga – Ashtanga yoga is a yoga therapy, realigns the spine, detoxifies the body, and builds strength, flexibility and stamina.
Following are the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga:
- Yama (Restraints or Abstinence)
- Niyama (Disciplines or Devotion)
- Asanas ( Pose of Yoga)
- Pranayama (Breath Control)
- Pratyahara (Retraction of the Senses)
- Dharana ( Fix of Attention)
- Dyana (Meditation)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Practice and Non-attachment to Results
A life philosophy that I have often heard and am a big proponent of goes as such: how can you love others and be a happy person if you don’t love yourself and are not happy person? It is like teaching a person how to play guitar without ever having plucked a string. All this pondering about the meaning of life is fascinating enough but what does this have to do with yoga and, more importantly, poker?
Going back to the previous discussions of the yoga sutras, we must go back to the very beginning and study some of the core principles and pieces of advice given by Patanjali to all practitioners of the science of yoga.
In the beginning of the yoga sutras one of the very first pillars mentioned is abhyasa, or practice. This does not mean that one must constantly do asanas (poses) it merely means that one needs to be persistent in trying to maintain a tranquil state of being, which is the entire point of yoga.
The essential companion to abhyasa is vairagya, or non-attachment. Yoga teaches us that we must learn to let go of the many attachments we hold on to in our everyday live such as fears and distractions we pay attention to that cloud us from getting in touch with our true inner-selves.
These concepts, carried out during the practice of yoga, can be readily applied to one’s poker game. There is a reason why many of the best-known poker players in the world gained their renown through impressive and consistent online play, not just by winning a tournament on television - players who clock in such a great deal of hours gain their skill through experience and tenacity, not chance. Many of these players not only spend a great deal of time playing the game, they have also put in hours in the library studying texts and learning what the best in the business have to say. They learn every single strength and weakness of their game thereby finding ways to work with their shortcomings as well as gifts.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules. There are several young poker players that have begun to dominate the poker world such as Josh “JJProdigy” Field, Dario Minieri, and Annette Obrestad. These players seem to have an uncanny feel for the game and made it straight to the top as mere children with little or no experience. These players should be used as learning examples, but should not be emulated considering less than 1% of poker players have that kind of natural talent. The best way to improve one’s game is to simply put in the time, practice, and study. Studying the game is a key ingredient that keeps many average players from becoming truly great players.
Studying does not mean to sit and read one book. It goes much deeper than that. Studying the game means not only playing and reading, but watching others play poker. Sit down one day and watch a WSOP tournament on TV and take notes with a pen and paper. Take note of the various betting strategies players use and how their personalities reflect their playing style. Some writers even claim that by simply observing the way a person dresses and walks one can deduce a great deal about their playing style. Doing this on TV can be a little difficult considering the players are at such an elite level and are quite good at hiding their weaknesses, but there is still a great deal to learn from them. Even going to a local casino and observing other players can be a great help and for beginning players would do more than watching the pros.
There is much wisdom in the saying “practice makes perfect”. The ancient yogis were some of the original propagators of consistent practice in order to better their yoga practice as well as their lives. You too can take this advice and apply it to your poker game in order to increase the size of your bankroll.
Techniques of Yoga
Yoga
The ultimate goal of yoga is to reach complete peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety. Traditional yoga philosophy requires that students adhere to this mission through behavior, diet and meditation. But if you're simply looking for better stress management and not an entire lifestyle change, yoga can still help.
Yoga improves our concentration and can make us stronger both physically and emotionally. It is widely recognized as an excellent stress management tool; teaching us to relax, it aids restful sleep and helps foster spiritual peace and contentment.
Yoga for Stress Management
Yoga is very good for stress. It offers gentle asana, relaxation, pranayama, meditation, shat kriyas and hand mudras. The complete breath exercise can be done at your desk, in the car or anywhere else when you start to feel stressed out. Meditation helps calm your mind, teaching you to relax at will and giving you a quick mental vacation whenever you need one. And daily practice of three or four yoga poses will help ease knotted muscles. The methods of classical yoga include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breathing control and meditation. Virtually everyone can see physical benefits from yoga, and its practice can also give psychological benefits, such as stress reduction and a sense of well-being, and spiritual benefits, such as a feeling of connectedness with God or Spirit, or a feeling of transcendence.
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is supported by powerful tools derived from the Western psycho analytical methods as well as Eastern spiritual laws. It will help you to stay in high spirits when life throws up challenges. It will enhance your ability to laugh and smile when dealing with negative emotions, situations and negative or difficult people.
Virtually everyone can see physical benefits from yoga, and its practice can also give psychological benefits, such as stress reduction and a sense of well-being, and spiritual benefits, such as a feeling of connectedness with God or Spirit, or a feeling of transcendence. When we laugh our bodies release a cocktail of hormones & chemicals that have startling positive effects on our system. Stress is reduced, blood pressure drops, depression is lifted, your immune system is boosted & more. Laughter is nature's stress buster. It lifts our spirits with a happy high that makes us feel good and improves our behavior towards others.
The Future Of Online Yoga
Why? Because there is no one to watch the kids? Because there is no time for an hour long class and commute? There is always an excuse.
Part of the problem is that, as much as we love yoga, yoga studios themselves are not always what they are cracked up to be. The fact is that studio classes are expensive and, unless you have free time to burn, out of reach of many people. Newcomers often say they feel lost in classes that are geared to the higher skill levels of more frequent visitors. Or they worry about other students judging their bodies or their skill. For as egalitarian as yoga should be, the yoga studio can be a daunting place.
Online yoga is increasingly being seen as an alternative and a cure for these studio shortcomings. And the yoga studios are figuring it out. Every day it seems another yoga studio starts a website seeking to extend its reach into cyberspace. Some sites offer written instruction. Most offer video programs of their yogis' most popular classes, which can range from simple hand-drawn animations to high-definition video. Some of these videos are such high production value that they look like something out of Hollywood!
But videos are not where online yoga sets itself apart. After all, you have been able to buy a yoga video and watch it on your TV for at least a decade now. Where online yoga is making real strides is where it takes advantage of the power of its medium. The internet is a dynamic, fluid place where sites and experiences change on a daily basis in response to their users' choices. Your online yoga class should be the same way.
Guided Yoga is one of the online yoga sites that has transcended video. It was developed by a team of yogis and programmers, and allows you to control the difficulty of your yoga class and the length of the class down to the minute. It uses an algorithm to search through hundreds of poses to put together yoga classes that are personalized to your preferences. The yoga classes it creates are always different--there are literally thousands of possible classes for each length and level of difficulty.
Beginner Yoga Class Checklist
1. Nail down your goals and find the right style for you.
Everyone comes to yoga for different reasons. Sometimes these differences are slight, other times they’re vast.
For instance, are you interested in an intense physical workout to throbbing music, or are you on more of a spiritual path towards (quiet) enlightenment? Are you attracted to yoga because of its health benefits, and if so, is it physical or emotional health you are most interested in?
Are you interested in the philosophy and rich traditions of yoga, or are you on the other extreme and wouldn’t be caught dead reciting a mantra?
Whatever your personal needs and proclivities, there’s a yoga for you. If several flavors of yoga are offered in your area, do your research online or in the library to find which style would be the best fit for you.
Once you know what it is you’re looking for, you can set some goals. Call the teacher of the beginner yoga class you’re considering and ask if your expectations are reasonable.
2. Choose a drop-in or series beginner yoga class
A drop-in yoga class allows you to pay-as-you go. There will likely be some turnover week to week as to which students show up for class. The teacher is likely to keep this class on the mild side, because students will be at such differing ability levels.
This may be just what you’re looking for if you just want a taste of yoga but don’t want to buy an expensive package of classes. This may also be a good choice for you if your schedule won’t allow you to attend a class every week. Keep in mind there are significant drawbacks.
One, because the class is ongoing, you will never get to start at “the beginning.” You may be a little lost at first while you learn the culture of the class. Also, drop-in beginner yoga classes tend to be repetitive.
A series yoga class is different in that you buy a set number of classes and each class builds on what you learned in the previous week. A good series class is repetitive only in that there is some review each time, but then the teacher introduces new material.
You can learn much more much faster in a series class, but again there are drawbacks. First, if you miss a class it may be difficult to make up the material that you missed. Also, you will be asked to pay for the whole series up front.
Take a look at your level of commitment, your schedule and your budget and decide whether a drop-in or a series class is better for your needs.
3. Make sure the teacher has adequate training.
Yoga is now a significant contributor to sports injuries. This can be attributed to two things: students pushing themselves too hard for perfection and inadequate training of instructors.
Don’t be shy in asking your potential instructor about their background. There are certifications for teaching “gym yoga” that an instructor can get in a long weekend. A three day training is just enough to make someone dangerous. That’s not to say that some of the people who start with such certifications don’t turn out to be excellent instructors by dedicating themselves to practice and increasing their knowledge over the course of months and years.
There are of course people who teach yoga with no formal certification whatsoever, and though it might be difficult for these teachers to get liability insurance, there’s nothing illegal about it. Keep in mind that yoga is a spiritual tradition thousands of years old, and the idea of giving someone a certificate for learning a few poses and breathing techniques would have been an odd idea indeed even seventy years ago. It is one thing to wake up one morning and decide to teach yoga with little to no experience. It is quite another to teach after living for years under the tutelage of a master yogi who just doesn’t believe in certificates.
As a general rule, seek out yoga teachers with at the very least 200 hours of training. In the United States there’s an organization called the Yoga Alliance that offers a registry of teachers who attended training programs that meet certain standards. Someone can have the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) designation from the Yoga Alliance and still be a crummy teacher, but usually RYTs are a safe bet.
Learning Yoga For Your Good Health
For many of us, cranking out a ten-minute mile on a treadmill or pounding the floor of the racquetball court can mean major joint pain. Fortunately, you can cover all three of your major exercise types (aerobic, anaerobic and stretching) through a low-impact activity like yoga.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practiced designed to promote relaxation, health and flexibility. By using a series of poses and breathing techniques, yoga also works on the practitioner's balance, strength and overall health.
Yoga has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, diminish back pain and improve cardiovascular health. Depending on the type of yoga you do, yoga can be an aerobic, anaerobic or stretching exercise or all three.
Essentially, yoga tones and stretches all your joints and muscles. Not only does this unique form of exercise deliver physical benefits, it also reduces stress while promoting relaxation. When it comes to aging well, yoga is one of the best activities you can do.
Some types of yoga are more strenuous than others, so before you sign up for a class or purchase a yoga DVD, you may want to make sure you're choosing a yoga program that's right for you. Keep reading to learn about the five major types of yoga:
Integral Yoga: This is a basic and very gentle form of yoga with a set pattern of postures. The emphasis is on pose control, relaxation and deep meditation. Integral yoga is perfect for beginners.
Ashtanga Yoga: You may see Ashtanga yoga listed as power yoga. This type of yoga moves fast and focuses on a continuous flow of movement through the traditional yoga poses. By incorporating strength, aerobic exertion and flexibility, Ashtange embodies all three types of exercise.
Kundalini Yoga: This form of yoga is extremely spiritual and tends to focus predominantly on breathing exercises, chanting, relaxation and meditation.
Iyengar Yoga: Iyengar yoga focuses predominantly on positioning and poses that are precise and correct. Using wooden blocks, buckets or straps, Iyengar concentrates on alignment and the actual structure of a pose. Though slow and steady, Iyengar is not recommended for yoga beginners.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practiced designed to promote relaxation, health and flexibility. By using a series of poses and breathing techniques, yoga also works on the practitioner's balance, strength and overall health.
Yoga has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, diminish back pain and improve cardiovascular health. Depending on the type of yoga you do, yoga can be an aerobic, anaerobic or stretching exercise or all three.
Essentially, yoga tones and stretches all your joints and muscles. Not only does this unique form of exercise deliver physical benefits, it also reduces stress while promoting relaxation. When it comes to aging well, yoga is one of the best activities you can do.
Some types of yoga are more strenuous than others, so before you sign up for a class or purchase a yoga DVD, you may want to make sure you're choosing a yoga program that's right for you. Keep reading to learn about the five major types of yoga:
Integral Yoga: This is a basic and very gentle form of yoga with a set pattern of postures. The emphasis is on pose control, relaxation and deep meditation. Integral yoga is perfect for beginners.
Ashtanga Yoga: You may see Ashtanga yoga listed as power yoga. This type of yoga moves fast and focuses on a continuous flow of movement through the traditional yoga poses. By incorporating strength, aerobic exertion and flexibility, Ashtange embodies all three types of exercise.
Kundalini Yoga: This form of yoga is extremely spiritual and tends to focus predominantly on breathing exercises, chanting, relaxation and meditation.
Iyengar Yoga: Iyengar yoga focuses predominantly on positioning and poses that are precise and correct. Using wooden blocks, buckets or straps, Iyengar concentrates on alignment and the actual structure of a pose. Though slow and steady, Iyengar is not recommended for yoga beginners.
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