How you can Apply the Principles of Yoga to Any area of your Life

Author: Caroline Makepeace

Yoga is a physical demanding workout which can develop in you physical, emotional and spirtual strength. There are numerous studies out there that show that people who practice yoga are calmer, more at peace and better able to deal with the challenges that surface in life. Living a life of wealth and happiness involves you being a well balanced and strong person. Increased strength, flexibility and sense of balance are also great physical advantages to practicing yoga.

I have been practicing yoga for a short time and have already seen dramatic improvements in my flexibility, strength, balance and in my ability to connect to the source of my power. Yoga has taught me where to find the source of my power and how to use it to bring clarity, vision and purpose into my life.


The Power of your Core Strength

Your back and abdominal area is where your core strength lies. These are the muscles you engage and develop in order for you to develop strength and balance throughout your body. In yoga, your focus needs to be on engaging your core strength in order for you to complete many of the postures. If your core is strong you are better able to balance and hold your postures.

Power from your core will radiate out through your whole body. Yoga teaches you how to tap into and engage this power. After learning this through yoga I could see how it was my core that gave me the strength to complete most tasks every day. Knowing what to focus on I could easily utilize that power to send it to the areas of my body that needed it to perform each particular assignment.

I began to see how the power of my core could be used to be the source of power for all things not just physical tasks. It made sense to me that the powerful energy that radiated out from my core could be used to help me be successful in visualizing, decision making and in creativity.

existing through your core allows you to make authentic and right decisions. Your head is far too rational and your heart is too emotional. Your gut will always speak to you in truth and perfect balance. 'Listen to your gut' is a powerful piece of advice. Your gut speaks truthfully to you as it is the part that connects right to the center of your being; the source of true power.

During times of tough decisions turn directly to your core, it will clearly instruct you as to what you need to do It never lies, it is never wrong and you will feel the strength of your core decision radiating outwards to keep you balanced and strong.

Great success will occur when you live through this space. With what seems like no effort from you, things will fall easily into place. Creativity will freely flow and your work will be fueled by the strength of the energy and passion that comes out from your core.

Gains are made through tiny, eeper Stretches each time

When you are doing a posture you must only move from the level that you are at. From there you only want to move a little deeper so that you feel a slight discomfort and not pain. You don't want to cause damage so don't move too far. Moving at this pace will give you steady improvements each week. You are not going to increase your flexibility to yogi status in one go- that´s wrought with much danger. Just small increases in your stretch will bring to your eventual goal in a more knowledgeable, safe and peaceful way.

Apply this principle to the attainment of any goal. Stretch a little deeper each time so that you feel a little uneasiness but not too much that it shatters you and takes you out of the game.

Your Breath Helps you to Maintain Focus and Stay Calm


Your breathe will help you to move through and maintain a posture. Notice that in times of difficulty your breath becomes shallow, races or even disappears. This will only sieze your body and not allow you the oxygen adn calmness of mind to compelte your task. You have to make sure you breathe evenly and deeply through each posture. This will help you to relax and settle into the posture.

Your breath is the most important factor of any posture or anything in life- obviously, as long as you´re breathing you´re doing okay, right? During the tough times of your life, the first step is to remember to breathe correctly. This will bring to you the clarity you need to relax, and the strength you need to reach a little further will follow.

Learn to Let Go


Yoga is all about learning to let go and experiencing your body. Experiencing your body will allow you to challenge it and take it to a whole new place. When you release yourself to the posture your whole body and mind will relax which will allow you to increase your flexibility and create a whole new flow of energy.

In life, you have to learn to let go of everything you are holding. All your stresses, problems and stories. Just let them go and allow yourself to relax, gain strength and create a whole new flow of energy.

Yoga is such a beneficial form of exercise both for your mind and body. It will allow you to grow in strength, stability, flexibility and calmness of mind and spirit. Healthy mind and body equals a healthy life full of wealth and happiness.


Caroline Makepeace is an expert at living a life of wealth and happiness. You can sign up for her free weekly inspirational newsletter at her blog

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Signs of a Good Yoga Teacher

Yoga is an excellent way to combine exercise and meditation, as you're learning to limber up both your body and mind. It also can be beneficial to join a class, so that you can have help with learning the more challenging poses. However, just like anything else, there are just as many bad yoga instructors as there are good ones.

If you want to get the most out of your yoga instruction, then don't just sign up for any old yoga class. Whether you're looking for a yoga instructor or a meditation guide, here are a few signs of a good teacher, one who will help you expand your knowledge of yoga and meditation with patience and compassion.

Signs of a Good Teacher:

1) A good teacher will see and welcome their students before the class, appreciating them for who they are as unique and beautiful people. He or she will have a positive attitude toward the class in general.


2) Yoga can be challenging, so people with injuries, even minor ones, should be careful. Because of this, the teacher should ask at the beginning of every class if there are any injuries, strains, concerns or tensions at all in anyone's body, and what that issue is. This way, the the teacher can keep that in mind as the class goes through the poses.

3) The teacher will choose poses for the class so people with injuries get help and the people without injuries get challenged.

4) A good teacher explains and demonstrates a pose, especially challenging ones, so the students understand it from beginning to end. The teacher should make sure the whole class is on the same page and everyone is aware of the dangers and mistakes.

5) The teacher knows how to explain the poses in a variety of ways so if explaining it one way doesn’t resonate with someone, they have an arsenal of perspectives on the poses.


6) Good teachers will know how to teach. They will see subtle errors and weaknesses and know how to correct them graciously. A positive teacher will assume you are putting your all into the class and gently encourage you, working with whatever energy level you may have. The teacher will use frequent positive reinforcement when he or she checks on students, and will never, ever embarrass or bully a student.

7) At the end of the class, a good teacher asks how the students are feeling. Teachers should want to make sure that the class was helpful and challenging for everybody.

8) They should have a wealth of meditations for Savasana (Dead Man’s Pose) at the end of class. Good meditations really enhance yoga, so good teachers should know of several to help their students get the most out of the class.

9) A good teacher always thanks their students for attending. It's just common courtesy.

10) Most importantly, they practice what they preach. They treat their lives, their students, their emotions and attitudes with the grounding and peace brought forth in good yoga.

Fortunately, there are more good teachers than bad ones in the world, as the very nature of yoga promotes compassion and the pursuit of wisdom. If you're looking for a new class, keep these signs in mind and you'll find a teacher and group that you'll be able to mesh with.

Laurie Desjardins is a meditation expert and creator of the Zen Stick relaxation tool. If you want to get more out of your yoga and meditation, consider adding the Zen Stick to your relaxation repertoire. For more information about meditation, yoga and Zen Sticks, visit http://www.sleepingtiger.org.

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How to Burn Fat with Exercises and Yoga

What is the best exercise to burn fat? Any physical aggression may be exercise or yoga that gets your heart rate into your targeted heart range. If you desire to lose weight, you require exercising hard enough to raise your pulse rate enough to burn fat more competently.

The exercises that get your heart rate into your targeted heart range will raise your metabolism and that's what burns fat. So if you find the best exercise to burn fat you'll lose weight automatically.

Losing weight has much more health benefits other than mere making you look attractive. By losing 10 to 15% of your body weight you can reduce your risk of heart attack, reduce your cholesterol level and get healthier overall.

So how do you initiate?

Your first obstacle that you will need to conquer is dedication. If you want to lose weight, then you have to consign to a good cardio workout routine.

This means that you will have to exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week for 1/2 to 1 hour. If you commit to 1 month of regular exercise, you will find that at the end of that month you will have more energy, be in a better mood and you will almost certainly have lost a few kilos. Commitment is one single key to find the best exercise to burn fat.

Keep your exercise routine thrilling and differ it so you will keep interest in your workout routine. Finding a work out that burns fat is not that difficult.

Any exercise can burn fat if you get your heart rate in the targeted level. This can comprise of running, walking, hiking, playing basketball, spinning, interval training or anything else that you can think of doing.

Make it fun and you will take pleasure in it and have a much better chance of gluing to it. Changing your daily routine around will help you to stay interested and dedicated. Make sure that you work your entire body for utmost results.

A full body exercise work out can comprise adding some weight training into your workout session. If you enjoy walking and jogging, then you could do one thing more in it. You should add some weight training for your arms and shoulders to make it more of a full body workout.

Or you could interchange running and jogging days with weight training days. Alternating exercise is the best way to ensure that you work your entire body.

If you can find a few exercises that you enjoy doing, then you can rotate them to make a workout routine that you will love. Always think about what you enjoy doing and then work to generate the best exercise to burn fat for your body.

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Using Yoga to strenthen your abs

Yoga has become a very popular form of exercise. There are different types of yoga. It reduces stress and exercises your body and mind. It is actually the body's way of healing itself. It is a mind, body connection. However, did you know you can also work your abs using yoga? The stretching exercises in yoga are good for your abdominal muscles because they make the muscles tone and firm. The best part is that you can do yoga right in your own home. Remember to start out slow and don't overdo it. Remember to warm up first and consult a physician as you would before beginning any physical workouts.

Here are a few exercises you may want to try:

1. The torso stretch - Place your hands at your sides and lift yourself up towards the ceiling while holding your breath for about 40 seconds.


2. The yoga crunch - Lay on your back and bring your knees up to your chest, hands over your head. Flex your feet towards the ceiling. Do not arch your back on the way down.

You will want slow and controlled movements when doing these exercises. You should feel the burn after several repetitions. You should also control your breathing process. This helps to stretch your abdominal muscles. one of the best forms of yoga is Pilates. This form of yoga focuses on the core/torso of the body and the rear, which control most of the body's actions throughout the day. There are movements for every fitness level. Pilates has become very popular at working the abdominal region. There is a yoga movement known as "the plank", where you basically push up your entire body on your arms and toes. It is very difficult, but very rewarding. There is also the "side plank". These are both beneficial movements, but may take a while to master.

If you take a few minutes out of your hectic day and try some yoga, it will not only benefit your abdominals, but your total body and mind as well. You will gain confidence by accomplishing the more advanced yoga movements. Along with your newfound confidence, you will also gain focus in your life.

For more information on picking a program to get that six pack abs now you can visit my six pack abs review or my article on how to build six pack abs.

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Yoga Improves Your Overall Health (yoga and whey protein)

Yoga is an ancient spiritual tradition dating back 5000 years. But today, many people separate the spiritual yoga and the physical yoga, and focus primarily on the physical aspect: stretching and breathing as an exercise program. Yoga has many health benefits. It will improve your balance and posture. It will also improve your mood, memory, and your overall well-being. Specifically, yoga can improve your flexibility, build lean muscle, and reduce stress.

Flexibility—Stretching of your body will help your joints and muscles to become more flexible. Yoga especially helps your legs, back, shoulders, and hips become more flexible. Yoga is a serious of poses that stretch your muscles. As you do more yoga, you will feel yourself becoming more flexible. Not only will your muscles become more flexible, but your joints will be more flexible as well. Each time you practice the poses you will be able to reach a little farther. Yoga will loosen your tight muscles by releasing the lactic acid that builds up while weight training. Yoga is a total body stretch. It stretches not only the muscle, but the ligaments and tendons.


Building Lean Muscle—Yoga is a way of building muscle without the bulk. Yoga uses isometric resistance to help build lean muscle. Isometrics uses the body’s own weight as resistance. This happens when the muscle does not change its length. For example, when you lift a dumbbell you are shortening the muscle, and when you lower the dumbbell you are lengthening the muscle. Isometrics does not move the added weight to make it stronger. This type of training is easier on the muscle.

In addition to yoga another good way to build lean muscle is by taking whey protein. Whey protein is dairy based, so it is easy for people to digest. It offers more pure protein than soy based proteins. There are many other benefits to taking whey protein. It also aids in the keeping your immune system healthy. But mainly, it helps build lean muscle and promotes the loss of fat giving you a lean physique. When purchasing Whey Protein be sure to buy Isolate Whey Protein solutions. They contain 90 % pure protein without the fats and carbohydrates of a Whey Protein Concentrate.


Reduce Stress—Studies have shown that participating in some kind of physical activity at least three times a week will reduce stress. Exercise releases endorphins, which naturally make you happy. Yoga helps you to relax by learning how to breathe deeply and through meditation. The concentrated stretching in Yoga releases the tension that is stored because of stress. One way to reduce stress is to breathe deeply. Yoga teaches this. The more oxygen you take in the less stressed you will be. Yoga also teaches you to meditate. Meditation also relieves stress. The mental benefits of yoga offset the stress in our life. Yoga is all about relaxation.

Yoga will increase your flexibility, build lean muscles, and reduce stress. This ancient tradition has many health benefits—inside and outside the body, emotional, disease prevention, and alleviation. There are many styles and forms of yoga. It can be an intense aerobic workout or a peaceful meditation. The stretching of the muscle to create lean muscle and taking whey protein as a nutritional supplement can have a positive effect overall on your bodies health.

For more info on Whey Protein, visit MyTopForm.com
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How can yoga help in cerebral palsy treatment?

The need to create more awareness among people about cerebral palsy and the need to accept it has to grow amongst the people of this world. Most parents who have children who have cerebral palsy are often dejected and wonder how they are going to find the right kind of treatment for their child. Since there is no established cure for this disorder, there are different types of treatments, which are available.

While most people often resort to medications and various therapies to help reduce pain and muscular movement in the limbs, many parents prefer to look at alternative treatments for their children without having to use medications that have side effects. Parents can become more aware of alternative treatments that are available for treating cerebral palsy. These are found not only in journals but also on the internet.

Parents of children with cerebral palsy can consider teaching their kids yoga. Yoga postures help to reduce the high muscle tone, which is present in children with cerebral palsy. Yoga helps to stretch these muscles and tendons thus allowing them to become less rigid. This allows free movement in the joints over a period. Not only will this yoga postures when performed by patients of cerebral palsy find that areas, which have low muscle tone, also are exercised. Thus both low and high muscle tone parts get the exercise they need so much.

Yoga is a simple set of exercises, which most children would love to do. So it will certainly not be difficult to cultivate this system of exercises in children with cerebral palsy. Of course, a certain amount of care and patience is required before they can get some results. Yoga not only helps to tone their muscles but it also helps them become more relaxed.

The yoga postures, which help stretch and twist the spine, are extremely useful in increasing the distance between the vertebras in the spinal column. This helps to reduce the pressure on the spinal discs and this will result in the reduction in pressure on the nerves. Muscular tension becomes relieved and there is an overall enhancement in the neurological functions allowing the child with cerebral palsy to move their limbs with more flexibility. The affected child gets a greater range of movement and there is greater coordination in the muscles over a period. This allows the child to be more independent and take care of their own personal work like getting dressed for school, brushing and washing themselves etc.

If your child has

">payday loans cerebral palsy and you would like to enroll him or her in a yoga school, it is time you sat down and began looking for one that is close to your home. Many yoga teachers and instructors would be most willing to help your child get over with its disability. You can begin by searching the internet where you are sure to find a list of yoga schools in your area. Enroll your child immediately and watch your child flower. You will be surprised to see the big difference and the ease with which your child now moves around much more independently and that too with confidence.

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All About Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is a text that covers many aspects of life, beginning with a code of conduct and ending with the goal of yoga, a vision of one's true Self. The Pantajali'sYoga Sutras is probably the most authoritative text on yoga. It defines yoga as a focusing of the attention to whatever object is being contemplated to the exclusion of all others. Yoga isn't only about postures, or meditation, it is a way of life, or religion. In this influencing scripture there are eight steps to awakening or enlightenment through yoga. These eight astanga or limbs of yoga are: yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

The yamas consist of lessons in moral and social conduct in our environment. It teaches us to restrain from lying, stealing, and greed. Non-violence and consideration toward all living things is the key. Communication with sensitivity towards others and moderation in all things we do is revered.

The niyama focuses on attitudes towards ourselves: compromising, cleanliness, serenity, devotion, and asceticism. One should study and reverence to a higher intelligence. There is an acceptance of our limitations in relation to God. It is key to have removed the impurities from the mind and body.

In the asanas, one focuses on posture practice, positioning the body while incorporating the breath to achieve a greater awareness in the mind. One is alert and relaxed without tension, while observing the reactions of the body and breath to various postures. This minimizes the effect of the external influences on the body, such as diet and climate.

Pranayama, or the restraint and control of the breath, helps with concentration, energizing and balancing of the mind and body.

Pratyahara is the relaxation of the senses, where no distractions actually activate the mind. Dharana, or concentration, is the ability to direct the mind toward a chosen object and focus in on it alone. Dhyana, or meditation, is the ability to develop focused interactions with what we seek to understand. Lastly, but most importantly, Samadhi is the ultimate state of Self-realization, or union with the Source. To learn about goldfish facts, goldfish illness and other information, visit the Interesting Animals website.

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Bending It Like Bikram - Hot Yoga, A Novice's Findings

Having been encouraged to give Bikram Yoga a try, it was with some trepidation that I climbed the stairs to the studio. For those of you unfamiliar with this fom of the ancient Indian practice, it involves doing yoga postures in a room heated to 40 degrees.

It was therefore with some trepidation that I found myself slipping into my shorts, grabbing my two towels and bottle of water and heading into the yoga room. The room itself was big with mirrors all along one wall. Picking up a rubber yoga mat I took my place among the other acolytes. Soon enough I heard what sounded like a ship's boiler roaring into life and the room started to get warm, then hot. Next news is that a very fit looking woman hoves into view with a Madonna-esque radio mic and let's us know that we are about to begin.

After a bit of preamble about not pushing yourself too hard and that just staying in the room for 90 minutes was an achievement it was time to start the first breathing exercise. This completed I was puffing like the Flying Scotsman and redder than Dennis Healey. I was also sweating up a storm. After breathing it was straight into Half Moon. You would be amazed at how difficult it is standing with your arms above your head or on one leg for over a minute. The people around me were also bending sideways like bendy pink bananas.

And so it went for about 20 minutes when we were allowed our first water break. At this point I made the rookie error of downing about a litre of water. If I wasn't nauseated before I certainly was after that bit of tomfoolery!

After our break we were taken through all manner of contortions from the punishing Triangle to the just plain sadistic Rabbit posture. In the end things settled down a tad and I was able to get into some of the postures without wondering how I would be able to get out. Apparently when you are squeezing in and out of the postures, you are dumping a lot of toxins into the bloodstream which can cause a bit of nausea.

By the time we got to the final breathing I was standing on a soaking towel in shorts that were as wet as if I had been sitting in a bath. However I felt strangely euphoric. Standing under an ice cold shower some 10 minutes later I began to feel even better. When I got outside I was feeling yet more full of beans. I was buzzing well into the evening and most of the next day. In fact I found going to sleep quite hard and I am now very familiar with the details of my bedroom ceiling.

So next day and every day for the following 10 days I returned for more hot stretching and bending action and the results have been amazing. Apart from the stone in weight that has gone somewhere, the big difference I feel is the increased energy - a total revelation. So while it can be very daunting and 26 postures done twice each in such a hot room can cause you to have many strange moments, the results have to be felt to be believed. So get yourself down to your local hot yoga studio and start puffing like the Flying Sctosman!

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As well as now being a leading light on the Bikram Yoga scene, Patrick Attlee can also show you the best hair thickening shampoo to use. Amazing eh?

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“Prenatal Yoga: ‘Ohm’ Your Way to a Healthier, More Comfortable Pregnancy”

From the moment you saw that positive pregnancy test, you knew life would never be the same. For the next nine months, you’ll be doing everything for two, from eating a healthful diet to getting regular medical care. You’ll also be exercising for two, which is why it’s critical to find a safe exercise, like prenatal yoga, that will keep you and your baby healthy and comfortable.
Prenatal Yoga is Good for You.

Like any safe exercise, yoga has a host of benefits for expecting moms. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), exercising just 30 minutes on most days of the week may help prevent gestational diabetes, which is a factor in the development of preeclampsia, a potentially serious pregnancy complication.
Studies also support prenatal yoga’s benefits. Research at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital found that pregnant women who practiced yoga had lower blood pressure than those who walked for an hour each day. Thai researchers concluded that prenatal yoga shortened the amount of time participants spent in labor as well as the amount of labor pain they reported. A potentially shorter labor and perhaps less labor pain. What woman wouldn’t want that?

Yoga practice may also relieve common pregnancy aches. For example, child’s pose can help relieve the back pain that afflicts nearly 90% of expecting moms. If you suffer with sciatica, a compressed nerve that triggers shooting pain, specific forward bend poses can provide much-needed relief.

Insomnia, another common complaint, stems from a number of causes, including excitement, anxiety, and heartburn. But you don’t need to suffer through those sleepless nights— after all, you’ll have enough of those after the baby comes. The ACOG recommends using yoga relaxation techniques as a way to cope with pregnancy insomnia. These relaxation methods are a common feature in many prenatal yoga classes, and, once you learn to use them properly, they’re an effective, drug-free way to find insomnia relief.

Harry Lawrence
Visit http://www.harryzbiz.com/yogaforlife/category/prenatal-yoga for more articles and videos about prenatal Yoga.

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