Discover how a commitment to yoga can change your life forever

Author: Jez Heath
While it's true that you'll get out of your yoga practice only as much as you're willing or able to put into it, a committed approach to your practice can help you in ways that you've never expected. Indeed practicing yoga could be the platform and motivation you need to completely transform your life.

The basic benefits of yoga are widely documented and have been extensively researched. Research into the more controversial benefits of yoga continue - at the time of writing, pubmed.org (a Service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of health) listed more than 900 research papers investigating the benefits of yoga. A search on the internet typically reveals benefits which include:

• Increased fitness


• Increased strength


• Fat reduction and weight loss


• Relief of back pain


• Better relaxation

Individually these benefits sound like compelling reasons to practice yoga and may be exactly what you are looking for. But yoga is an all encompassing approach to health and well-being - the word itself literally means union, and when we look at the impact practicing yoga can have on our lives, we should also take an all encompassing approach. While yoga alone cannot work miracles, it may be the foundation, along with some self belief, to help you:-

Earn more money - Practicing yoga increases your ability to relax and cope with your daily stresses. It also helps to develop a meditative ability allowing you to slow or clear your mind of constantly racing thoughts. After a hard days work, these are exactly the techniques you need so you can unwind, and recharge through longer and deeper sleep. If you can achieve that then you'll feel more refreshed, energised and motivated each day, improving your focus and concentration. You can channel this in what ever direction you want including working towards a promotion, searching for your ideal job or starting your own business.

Write a book, learn to dance - As outlined above, regular yoga practice can help you increase your energy, motivation and focus as well as improving your concentration - all of which can be used to develop your personal hobbies and interests, whatever they may be, mental activities or physical ones.

Spend more time with your friends and family - Promotion and money aren't your motivators? How about using your increased energy levels to bring greater balance between your work and personal lives, allowing you to spend more time with the people that matter.

A shot of self confidence - performing regular exercise, combined with the positive effects yoga has on metabolism and appetite, can help with weight (fat) loss. Combine that slimming with the toning effect yoga has on your muscles and you can start to develop the body you want in no time - and be feeling better about yourself just as quick. What better boost is there to your self confidence?

Depression relief? - Yoga postures are designed to stretch, compress and massage your internal organs and glands. This stimulation is thought to help balance hormone levels in the body, which can help to achieve a more balanced emotional state.

Quit smoking - As well as strengthening your resolve to quit through the increased motivation, energy and focus, yoga breathing techniques (pranayama) are ideal to help you pass the cravings that at the biggest hurdle to quitting smoking.

As you can see, the benefits of yoga go far beyond simply improving your wellbeing - the benefits can be channelled to help you to make fundamental improvements to your whole life. When the rewards are so great, it's not difficult to understand why people become so enthusiastic about yoga.

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_135975_23.html

Jez Heath is helping real people to achieve the health benefits that yoga has to offer, even if they can't make it to yoga class. To find out how online yoga video instruction can help you commit to a regular exercise routine necessary to improve your health, visit http://www.TotalYogaPractice.com

http://www.totalyogapractice.com

Alternative Health Tips

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Alternative Health Tips

Naturopathy is Swasha Vritha or the prophylactic or preventive aspect. Ayurveda is the Athura Vritha or Therapy. Both are related sciences.

Daily Routines or Dinacharya, according to Ayurveda

The ideal time to get up is 04.30 AM. This is known as Brahma Muhurtha or the Time of Brahman, the Absolute.After getting up, one should know the condition of the body. Then one should brush one's teeth and go to toilet for bowel movement. One should brush teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Then one should go in for an Oil Bath. Oil, preferably coconut oil should be used. This oil should be pasted all over the body and one should wait for at least 30 minutes and then take a bath. Cold bath is ideal but for those suffering from diseases hot water bath is good.

Oil bath gives you good sleep. Weakness of the body will disappear. Your body will grow in strength. Your eyes will sparkle. " Abhyangam Achareth Nithyam " says Ayurveda ( Daily you should go in for Oil Bath ). But those suffering from indigestion and excess Kapha should not go in for Oil Bath.

Pathya - Diet Control

When Ayurvedic medicines are taken, one should observe Pathya or Diet Control.

The Six Tastes of Ayurveda are - Sweet, bitter, astringent, sour, pungent and salty. Those suffering from Hyperacidity or Ulcer should not take in foods that are Sour or Pungent. This is known as Pathya.For every disease, there are foods that should not be taken in. For people suffering from heart trouble, cholesterol containing eggs, meat, beef etc should not be taken in. This is Pathya.

Now there is a saying in Ayurveda that for one observing Pathya, there is no need for medicine, as negative food is phased out and Spontaneous Cure takes place. Also for one not observing Pathya, as intake of medicines become useless, as negative food devastates his disease.Pathya means the Way to Health. Apathya means taking in the negative food which foster the disease.

Banana - Nature's Tonic

The Banana is full of vitamins and minerals. It contains iron, phosphorus and vitamins like Niacin and Riboflavin. A big banana can confer more than 200 calories.

The fructose contained in banana turns to energy after intake. Along with protein and starch, it contains minerals like sulphur, iron, magnesium, copper & calcium. There is less fat content in bananas.Bananas will reduce the acidity in blood. It contains Vitamins C, A, B, D & E.

Along with bananas, warm milk should be taken. This is the ideal food for growing children. But then the obese should not take milk along with bananas.As Bananas have Rasayana properties, use of it will keep you young. You can live for months only on bananas.Bananas can be used as medicine for patients with liver complaints and for digestive tract disorders. Also it can be taken by those suffering from Malnutrition and Scurvy. Also for patients suffering from eye and dental diseases. ( as it contains Vitamin A & Cacium ).

Continence or Brahmacharya

By Continence or Brahmacharya, we mean the control of libidinal life. Both Ojas ( Light ) and Veerya ( Virility ) are based on the Seventh Tissue Element, Semen. Avoid the misuse of this great Dhathu, says Ayurveda. Too much indulgence in sex makes you lose this Seventh Tissue Element and this will result in weakness of body. Body ache, headache etc will be the result. Loss of semen adversely affects reversely the other Six Tisssue Elements.

If you observe Brahmacharya ( practise Continence ), improved memory, grapsing power, physical strength, discriminative intellect, mental happiness, increase of Ojas or effulgence on the face etc will be the result. In order to have good health, you have to control sex. But then as pure Brahmacharya is impossible for married men, controlled Brahmacharya or celibacy is advocated.

Insomnia

Lack of sleep is due to many factors - Anxiety, mental tension, over exercise, emotional suffering etc. When Anger and enmity are suppressed, sleeplessness is the result. Constipation, digestive tract disorders, coffee, tea etc will destroy sleep. Thoughts about sleeplessness will only compound the problem. Use of sleeling pills is not ideal. You may have to depend on such pills. And increasing the quantity is asking for trouble. If Alcohol is taken along with pills, there will repercussions.

Avoid beverages like Cola, tea and coffee. And take in less fatty foods. Avoid fried foods. Take only small quantity of food at night. If you have warm milk before going to sleep, if you keep the mind tranquil, you will doze off to slumberland. You should take food 3 hours before going to bed. It will be better if you can hear peaceful music. Reading is also a good habit which will take you to slumberland. You should walk at least half an hour before going to sleep. It will help to digest the food taken. Meditation will give you good sleep.

Constipation

The modern fast food culture is responsible for Constipation. Anxiety, fear, mental tension - all these create Constipation. Naturopaths averr that Constipation is the root cause of all diseases.Some antacids also create Constipation. In certain conditions, water will be absorbed in the Colon and faecal matter may solidify. Such hard stools are difficult to dislodge.Lack of proper timing of food, anxiety, mental problems etc all cause Constipation. Constipation will create back pain, weight in the stomach, headache, loss of appetite etc.

Intake of fruits and vegetables organically grown, 12 glasses of water daily, ensure mental peace, correct bowel movements - all these will cure Constipation

Gas Trouble or Hyperacidity

This is a very common disease. In India, there are very few homes without antacid tablets ! On one side, we take a lot of antacids and on the other take in acidic foods ! Amongst the Six Tastes, that which is Sour, Pungent and Salty foster Hyperacidity.

Fried foods, foods containing Masala, very cold drinks,potato, plantains - all these foster Gas Trouble. Lack of exercise is one of the causative factors. Also working seated for long hours.Mental tensions also foster this disease. It is not what you eat, but it is what eats you that is the cause of this common disease.

Mental pain, thoughts of revenge, fear - all these pave the way for this malady. There is an Emotional Center in the brain. When we have mental upsets, this Emotional Center stimulates the oxintic cells in our stomach to secrete Hyrochloric Acid.Lots of gas going from the rectal tract, indigestion - all these are the symptoms of gas trouble. Naturopaths averr that Constipation is the cause of this disease, nay, for all diseases !

Hurry, Worry and Curry are the main causative factors for this disease. Eating food fast, overeating, foods with masala, sour, pungent, salty foods, pickles, chillies, potato, soda, cola, chilled beer, nictoine, alcohol, very hot foods, chewing gum - all these cause Hyperacidity.Prevention is better than Cure. Avoid the Apathya foods and be healthy !

More information about Ayurveda can be had at

http://www.eastrovedica.com/html/ayurveda3.htm

Contradictory Foods

Contradictory Foods are known in Ayurveda as " Samyoga Viruddha". When contradictory foods are taken in, it will increase the Doshic imbalance and becomes the cause of many diseases.Shrimp and Milk, Fish and butter, Sour fruits & Milk - are some examples of Contradictory Foods. They are to be avoided at all costs.

Chicken & butter should not be taken in simultaneously. Honey and ghee in equal quantities also is prohibited in Ayurveda

Colon Hydrotherapy

Naturopathy says that diseases are caused by the accumulation of morbid matter. Natural Hygiene says the cause is Toxemia, or the infusion of toxins into the blood.

One of the methods of cleaning the Colon is Enema or Colon Hydrotherapy.I have been practising Enema for the last 18 years. In 1989, while I was participating in an Exhibition Stall in Trichur ( a 41 day affair ), the nearest stall was a Naturopathy stall and the Chief Naturopath told me that the best way to get rid of Gas trouble was to take 15 light enemas.

I bought an enema can and have been doing this when I have any rectal block. This therapy is effective as we can see putrified faecal matter going out 10 minutes after the enema is administered.This is Jalopasana or Water Therapy or Hydro Therapy. All the ancient cultures advocated Hydro Therapy, as Water has got tremendous medicinal properties. Not only faecal matter, but gas, mucous and toxins go out of the rectal tract.

Fasting Therapy

Fasting Therapy is one of the best therapies. The digestive system gets rest during fasting. " Lankhanam Paramoushadam " - Fasting is the best medicine. Water Fasting, Fruit Fasting, Juice fasting --- there are many types of fasting. Juice Fasting is superior to Water Fasting as the body is supported nutritionally.

The basic principle of Naturopathy is that Nature has healing power and that the Five Doctors are the Elemental Five -Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. ( Annam Brahma ). By Annam is not meant Food, but the Five Doctors, the Five Elements. " The Five Doctors are the best, as the Five Elements are prior to all ", declares the Upanishads. ( Annam hi bhoothanam jyeshtyam, thasmad Sarvoushadam Uchyathe )

Ghee - The True Rasayana

Rasayana Therapy is Rejuvenation Therapy. That which rejuvenates the body is Rasayana. Ghee is considered to be the True Rasayana. All Ayurvedic preparations are based on ghee, I mean, almost all the Rasayanas. Ghee contains Vitamins A E, K D etc. Vitamin E and Vitamin A are anti-oxidants. Diseases are caused by the excessive production of Free Radicals and these two are antidotes to Free Radicals. The famous Chyavan Prash is based on Ghee. It is said that the Rasayanas confer beauty, longevity, intelligence, youthfulness, health etc. Ghee, taken in moderate quantities, will confer these.

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About the Author

Article by G Kumar, astrologer, writer and programmer of www.eastrovedica.com He has 15 years research experience in Stock Market Astrology and other in various other branches of Astrology. Recentlyhe was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary Gemologists Association as a Planetary Gem Advisor. To subscribe to his Free ezine,the Z Files, click here mailto:info@eastrovedica.com?subject=ZFiles Blog - http://ayurwisdom.blogspot.com

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Exercise And Yoga For Asthma

Give yourself a break -- or two. Dr. Firshein advises everyone with asthma to engage in regular moderate exercise.

"It strengthens the lungs, which helps prevent asthma symptoms," he explains. He prefers what he calls pulsed exercise-brief work­outs with rest periods in between. The breaks help prevent exercise-induced asthma attacks. Dr. Firshein's exercise of choice is tennis, but he also swims and takes aerobics classes. Be the early bird.
The concentration of air pollutants tends to rise from morning to early evening, then falls at night. So if you exercise outdoors, try to schedule your workouts for the A.M. Choose routes far away from traffic and automobile exhaust. If that isn't possible, consider joining a health club, so you can exercise indoors.

Yoga bend to break away from symptoms. The combination of deep, rhythmic breathing and slow, gentle stretching makes yoga an ideal activity for people with asthma. Indeed, many studies have proven yoga to be an effective asthma therapy. In one such study involving 106 adults with asthma, half of the participants received standard treatment, while the rest received 2 weeks of yoga training. Afterward, they were encouraged to continue practicing on their own. Four years later, the people who had engaged in regular yoga sessions reported improved lung function, fewer asthma attacks, and milder symptoms than the people who hadn't learned yoga. They had also reduced their reliance on asthma medications.VisualizationEnvision your airways opening. "Visualization is a powerful asthma therapy," affirms psychologist David Bresler, Ph.D., L.Ac., associate clinical professor of anesthesiology and licensed acupuncturist at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine. "It can help many people, especially children, reduce or eliminate their need for asthma drugs."If you want to use visualization as part of your asthma-management program, Gerald N. Epstein, M.D., director of the Academy of Integrative Medicine and Mental Imagery in New York City, suggests practicing the following exercise: Close your eyes. Take three slow, deep breaths. Envision yourself in a pine forest. Stand next to a pine tree and inhale its aromatic fragrance. As you exhale, sense your breath traveling down through your body and exiting through the soles of your feet. See your breath as gray smoke that becomes buried deep in the earth. Open your eyes.

Chinese Medicine get to the points. "In Chinese medicine, asthma represents the stagnation of qi, or life energy, in the lungs," says Efrem Korngold, O.M.D., L.Ac. "Treatment involves dispersing qi to eliminate stagnation." One way to do this is with acupuncture. In fact, acupuncture works so well as an asthma therapy that even the United Nations World Health Organization recommends it.During a treatment session, an acupuncturist inserts needles at several specific locations around the body. If you prefer, you can try stimulating these points yourself with acupressure. Simply apply steady, penetrating finger pressure to each of the following points for 3 minutes.Lung 7, located on the thumb side of your inner forearm, two thumb-widths from the wrist creasePericardium 6, located on the midline of your inner arm, two thumb-widths above the wrist crease Stomach 36, located four finger-widths below your kneecap and one finger­width toward the outside of your shin­bone Liver 3, situated on top of your foot in the webbing between your big toe and second toe

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Yoga Breathing - Breath Control Pranayama

The most significant way of doing this is through the practice of pranayama (prah-nah-yah-mah), breathing techniques or breath control

"Pranayama is control of Breath". "Prana" is Breath or vital energy in the body. On subtle levels prana represents the pranic energy responsible for life or life force, and "ayama" means control. So Pranayama is "Control of Breath". One can control the rhythms of pranic energy with pranayama and achieve healthy body and mind.The importance of Prana is emphasized throughout yoga. Many yoga masters illustrate this by demonstrating the importance of breath for sustaining life. A very effective illustration comes by comparing the time people can survive without food (a few weeks), water (a few days) with the amount of time one could survive without air (only a few minutes). Efficient and effective breathing is essential to take in the required amounts of oxygen in order to sustain daily activities.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRANAYAMA
1. Place for pranayama should be clean, peaceful and airy.
2. Pranayama should not be performed under a fan on full speed.
3. Pranayama should be done in morning hours preferably before the dawn.
4. Body must be cleansed before sitting for Pranayama.
5. Duration of Pranayama should be increased gradually and gradually.
6. One should not sit for Pranayama after meals. At least a gap of 3-4 hours is essential.
7. Pranayama should be practiced after Asans and before Meditation.
8. One should not strain the body.Pranayama (According to the Gita)Apane juhvati pranam pranepanam tathapare; Pranapanagatee ruddhva pranayamaparayanah (Gita, Ch. IV-29.).

Others offer Prana (outgoing breath) in Apana (incoming breath) and Apana in Prana, restraining the passage of Prana and Apana, absorbed in Pranayama. Pranayama is a precious Yajna (sacrifice). Some practise the kind of Pranayama called Puraka (filling in). Some practise the kind of Pranayama called Rechaka (emptying). Some are engaged in the practice of Pranayama called Kumbhaka, by impeding the outward passage of air, through the nostrils and the mouth, and by impeding the inward passage of the air, in the opposite direction.What are the benefitsAt the anatomical level Pranayama aims to improve the strength of the diaphragm and the capacity of the lungs to improve the efficiency of the respiratory system, helping to increase fitness and increase the amount of oxygen entering the blood stream per breath. This oxygen helps to provide essential energy for muscle and brain function.On a more detailed level pranayama is though to:
* Open the Nadis and remove blockages to energy flow in the body
* Increase relaxation and calmness by releasing tension.
* improves focus and concentration
* Strengthen and gain control of the diaphragm - improving abdominal tone, singing capacity, and health.Here are some tips to help along the way: During the practice of yoga postures, shift your awareness frequently to the flow of breath. When you can hold a posture comfortably, let the breath become your primary focus and explore the effect of the posture on respiratory muscles and on breath flow.Spend generous amounts of time in the crocodile pose, learning to fully relax tension in the abdomen and lower back.

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Yoga Videos Part 2

Hatha Yoga Flow 1 -Easy Ground Work - Full 43 Minute Class

Teacher: Diane Jacobs, Duration: 43 min

Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain - 57 minutes, full class

Teacher: Michael Riel

Internal Yoga for Sexual Vitality

Your body's health is a complex system of mini-systems, just like a global village of its own - there are hills and valleys, eruptions and frozen areas, streams, oceans, and there are sometimes swamps. These areas of stagnation don't need to be treated with disdain - rather, they can be held as hidden treasure lands able to give forth fertile, recoverable items that are usable and actually add to the richness of the whole system. The trapped energy in stored fat or tension can be released thru deep breathing, allowing the normal cleansing functions to harmonize themselves more quickly. With this attitude, let's talk about your internal Riverway and the water treatment process that your body performs.

Get friendly with your highways and byways - the lymphatic system is responsible for transporting wastes, returning filtered blood particles, and transporting the immune response (lymphocytes). It is your internal shower - the ongoing action of the liquidy part of blood (plasma) "leaking" into the spaces in between the cells - like water permeating a sponge, the lymph is meant to go everywhere - grabbing up and carrying along extraneous or foreign particles and cells, flowing all the waste products toward the main water filtration stations (lymph nodes). The patrol brings the invaders to the station and a battle may ensue. We may realize our immune system is responding to an alarm because the warriors (lymphocytes) multiply and do the body's main defending in the node areas, making them swell when we fight a cold or other diseases.

The blood is pumped by the heart, but the lymph is pumped mostly by muscle contraction, along with the respiratory diaphragm movement. When we do deep, complete breathing, exercising and sweating, we add to the body's ability to cleanse itself of toxins and waste products - we pump the lymph along its Riverway. The branch of yoga studying the breath is called Pranayama, prana being the Sanskrit word for Life Force or Vital Energy.

We all seem to realize it's important to take our cars in for regular tune-ups, repairs, oil changes, radiator coolant flushes, gas and air filter changes, etc. But what about our bodies? Who changes the air filter in our lungs? and cleans out the oil filter in our gall bladder? or flushes out the blood cleaning mechanism in our spleen, kidneys and bladder? The intelligence of the human body is so elegant that, merely using our breath, we accomplish the minimum cleansing program. The diaphragm is beautifully situated where all the filtering organs are latticed into its movement, and they benefit greatly from the repetitive squeezing and releasing of cellular elements.

Our global village is ecological, too, in that it will reuse anything sitting around too long, So all the garbage (unused sugar, fat, protein) sitting around in your backyard (or front porch..?!) will be held in a hydro-culture (ground substance) waiting to be sent out as waste or turned into useful calories. If it sits too long in one spot, the sediment of the river's flow is deposited in hard immobile impactions (colon) or soggy, swampy pools (edema), making ripe ground for holding disease pockets. The largest organ of elimination is the skin, so it's important to perspire AND to exfoliate (dry skin brushing). We also eliminate thru the colon, bladder, and the lungs. When one organ isn't working efficiently or being given an opportunity to contribute, the other organs have to take over the extra toxic waste. This can, for example, lead to skin eruptions when the colon is not moving at least 1-3 times a day. Most people need to DRINK MORE WATER. Formula (your weight divided by two = how many ounces per day you need)

It is important to always eliminate whatever we can no longer use. Once we have assimilated and absorbed, transformed and integrated something into ourselves, we are meant to harmoniously and efficiently get rid of all the parts that are not useful or no longer need to be held in reserve. Another intrinsically elegant element in our design as human beings, is the metaphor of our physical and emotional lives. Once we can let go of our habits, grudges, or unneeded negative reactive patterns, we can breath easier in our daily lives.

Your internal organs depend on your deep breathing and muscle tone in order to be squeezed, re-oxygenated, flushed, and efficient in their functions. They also depend on the muscles that hold them up from gravity - the hammock or sling that is the bottom or pelvic floor for the abdominal cavity - the PC muscle group (pubococcygeus). Re-discovered in this century by Doctor Kegel, the diamond-shaped area where this group of muscles weaves the base sphincters together is also known in ancient yogic studies as Muladhara, or the Root Chakra. Learning how to hold or lock (Muladhara Bandha) and elevate the internal hammock is a Pranayama technique developed for increasing Vital Force. Once activated, it flows from the base of the spine up to the crown, and charges up each one of the neural plexes (chakras) as it moves. With this, the body has an abundance of energy for cleansing, relaxing, and rejuvenating all the internal organs. It creates a flow of electro-magnetic activity that harmonizes and reconnects the breaks in the continuous circuitry.

Yogis and the ancient Chinese have known that in order to be self-sufficient and isolated in the mountains, the body needed to be flexible, efficient, sensitive, and sturdy. They designed physical techniques for internal cleansing that needed to be done either manually or by one's own body's mechanisms. Using the anal sphincter lock and upward draw, the indigenous Polynesians and Egyptians drew sea water into the colon, for a natural enema effect. In order to gain instead of losing energy during love-making, tantric practitioners use these recycling techniques for preserving sexual energy. Pumping the base chakra with specific breathing and visualizations are meditative techniques that can lead to full-blown spiritual visions and inner blissful states. Most of us are not going to practice in that way, nonetheless, we can learn a great deal from this approach. Engaging the muscles of the Root or Base Chakra physiologically creates pressure on the cerebral-spinal fluid and repercusses along the dura mater and throughout the spinal column to the brain. Thus, massaging the perineum with our isometric exercise, we can affect the entire brain system. This brings a profound state of heightened relaxation, and is the basis for tantric yoga abilities - for the woman, to become full body and multi-orgasmic, and experience the Valley orgasm more easily - for the man, to sustain an erection all night long, controlling ejaculation, and also to become full body and multi-orgasmic. Extended states of bliss are said to be youthening and harmonizing to the brain and hormones. (Shorter periods of excitement and pleasure are equally as valuable, says my housecat).

Here's an interesting and alternative way to massage your own internal organs - Standing comfortably, let all the air out of your lungs and belly, and while trying to keep it out, allow your belly to move in and out - feel the swishing inside as you move all the viscera around with your muscles during the exhale (Uddhiyana Bandha & Nauli's). This kind of plunging action also occurs when you activate the perineal area with the Kegel contraction, known as an Upward Draw in Taoistic studies. First, you have to find your Pelvic Floor. Since ultimately, you will be elevating, or pulling the muscle more inward and up into the torso, there are no outward signs that it is contracting. All other muscles should be relaxed - isolate this group completely.

Find the urethral sphincter by starting and stopping the flow of urine. Only do this initially to ensure you are using the right muscles. For women, you could insert your finger slightly into the vaginal opening, and squeeze as though you would pull it up into the vaginal canal. For men, watching to see the reaction of the penis moving slightly, you can determine if you are activating the right group of muscles. At first, just "chewing gum" style will suffice (clench, release, clench, release). But that is only half of the fibers (short twitch). The endurance and tensile strengthening (long twitch) comes from holding and sustaining the clench, and actually increasing the grip force and drawing the muscles upward.

Most people think that Kegels are for women after childbirth, but they are actually FOR EVERYONE! MEN IN PARTICULAR can benefit because of the increased circulation to the prostate gland. Because men tend to be more yang, they are holding a contracted sphincter, and women being more yin, will become more and more flaccid. Thus, men need to use the exercise as a way to elasticize and relax the area, bringing fresh blood, vigor and sensitivity. And of course, women need to tone and strengthen, activate and juice up the area, making more and more of the cells alive and available.

Enjoy creating the inner fire you will begin to sense as you develop your inner yoga - feel a surge of vital force moving from a deep place, rising thru your body. This is simply your own physiology responding to your intention to pump energy. It WORKS!

Pelvic Floor Exercises for Women AND Men

•Use abdominal breathing.
Count to 10 for one cycle. As you exhale (1,2,3,4,5), begin to squeeze the pelvic floor tight, and as the exhale continues, increase your sense of drawing the base upward inside the body (6,7,8,9,10) like a freight elevator, slow and strong and weighted. Then slowly Inhale and release the muscle, allowing it to slowly lower and fully relax. Allow the sensation of a slight bulging out when you reach the "ground floor", the way a freight elevator drops slightly lower and then returns to neutral. The relaxation phase IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE MAN. Attempt to fully isolate the pelvic floor and avoid using any abdominal or buttox muscles.
Do 15 cycles 3X a day to improve tone.

Isometric and resistive exercises promote: circulation, activation, elasticity, responsiveness, strength, and endurance. These are sometimes called the Love muscles and will activate all functions of this area. Any muscle that you exercise and put your conscious intention into, will respond better, faster, longer, stronger, and more often.

Perineal release thru massage or activation thru pelvic floor exercises has been shown to have a dramatic effect on vaginal tone after birth. It also affects the elasticity of the opening, allowing for the possibility to avoid an episiotomy. After such a procedure, sustaining one's Internal Yoga practice will have a strong impact on recovery of all functions in this area.

Poor tone of the urogenital diaphragm has been shown to be related to: incontinence, hemorrhoids, organ prolapse, constipation, premature ejaculation, impotence, lower libido, non-lubrication, prostate disease, PMS.

Marci Javril, Vital Energist, is a Certified Somatic Therapist, spiritual counselor and movement therapist. She gives tutorials in Lymphatic Clearing© and Abdominal Integrity, including internal organ release and detox. Ms. Javril also coaches interested people in Pregnancy & Infant Massage, and Post-Surgical Intervention. Her work focuses on the art & science of rejuvenation, enriched by many years in the performing arts and in depth studies in Kriya Tantra Yoga. Marci has been in private practise since 1984 and can be reached for consultations at (866)-551-0062 or (310)-306-9838. See credentials on web site: http://VitalEnergyCenter.com or contact by email: MJavril@VitalEnergyCenter.com

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About the Author

Marci Javril, Vital Energist - expert bodyworker, ordained minister, tantra yoga educator, movement therapist. Marci combines her many talents as a performing artist and heealer, to bring more vital energy awareness into every aspect of life.

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Traditional Indian systems of Ayurveda & Yoga

Ayurveda places equal emphasis on the mind and body, it aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This balance is believed to lead to contentment and health, and to help prevent illness. The chief aim of Ayurvedic practices is to cleanse the body of substances that can cause disease, helping reestablish harmony and balane.

India has a long history of medical remedies practiced by holy men and local medicine men since ancient times. Some of these remedies date back to the Vedas or 600 BC. Among these medical wonders the two most prominent are Ayurveda and Yoga.

Ayurveda literally meaning the science of life, Ayurveda has evolved from understanding the laws of nature, the psyche, the conscious and the unconscious levels.

Ayurveda places equal emphasis on the mind and body, it aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This balance is believed to lead to contentment and health, and to help prevent illness. The chief aim of Ayurvedic practices is to cleanse the body of substances that can cause disease, helping reestablish harmony and balance.

Constitution or Prakriti Ayurveda has some basic beliefs about the body's constitution. Constitution refers to a person's general health. The constitution is called the prakriti which is a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics and the way the body functions. It is influenced by such factors as digestion and how the body deals with waste products. Three qualities called doshas form important characteristics of the constitution or prakriti and control the activities of the body.

The doshas are called: vata, pitta, and kapha. Each dosha is made up of one or two of the five basic elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. Ayurveda believes that an imbalance in the dosha produces symptoms and disease. Imbalances may be a result of an unhealthy lifestyle or diet; too much or too little mental and physical exertion; or not being properly protected from the weather, chemicals, or germs.

Ayurvedic treatments

Ayurvedic treatments are of many types Panchakarma is for cleansing; it focuses on the digestive tract and the respiratory system. Cleansing may be done through enemas, fasting, or special diets or medicated oils through a nasal spray or inhaler. Meditation is a conscious mental process using certain techniques like focusing attention or maintaining a specific posture to relax the body and mind, and lying in the sun. The patient may be advised to seek nurturing and peacefulness through yoga, meditation, exercise, or other techniques.Herbal Medicines patients may have to take herbs to improve digestion, reduce fever, and treat diarrhea. Very small amounts of metal and mineral preparations also may be given, such as gold or iron. Special Diets are an important part of treatment and patients may be asked to abstain or increase particular foods. Massages may be used to reduce pain, lessen fatigue, or improve circulation. Ayurveda proposes that there are 107 "vital points" in the body where life energy is stored, and that these points may be massaged to improve health.

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About the Author

Ashish Bhattacharya is an exponent of oriental and alternative medicine and working in a mauritius spa resort , and provides detailed information on Mauritius honeymoon resort packages..

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The Yoga of Menopause

It’s big news when a favored medical treatment – HRT for menopausal women – is found to be harmful. But it’s no news to readers of Susun Weed. She’s been blowing the whistle on both scientific and alternative treatments of menopause for nearly two decades. Read on to find out more! Susun maintains: “Menopause is not a ‘pathology’, but a passage to power. Like puberty, menopause is a natural – and healthy – change. Wise women the world over herald menopause as a health-promoting event. They see hot flashes as ‘power surges’ and menopause as an intense spiritual journey. Most treatments – including ERT, HRT, isoflavone, and progesterone creams – disrupt this process and can do severe damage to a woman’s health.”

MENOPAUSE IS ENLIGHTENMENT

The energy aspects of menopause are of special interest to me.

As a long-time student of yoga, I was struck by the many similarities between menopausal symptoms and the well-known esoteric goal of "awakening of the kundalini." Though the ideas presented in this section may seem strange or difficult to comprehend, they contain powerful messages about menopause, which lie at the heart of the Wise Woman approach.

Kundalini [is] the root [of] all spiritual experiences ... Kundalini is a special kind of energy known in many cultures, including Tibetan, Indian, Sumerian, Chinese, Irish, Aztec, and Greek. Kundalini is said to be hot, fast, powerful, and large. It exists within the earth, within all life, and within each person. Psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung called kundalini anima. Kundalini is usually represented as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine, but women's mystery stories locate it in the uterus - or the area where the uterus was, if a hysterectomy has occurred. During both puberty and menopause, a woman's kundalini is difficult to control and may cause a great number of symptoms.

East Indian yogis spend lifetimes learning to activate, or wake up, their kundalini. This is also called "achieving enlightenment". When they succeed, a surge of super-heated energy goes up the spine, throughout the nerves, dilating blood vessels, and fueling itself with hormones. As kundalini continues to travel up the spine, it changes the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Not just in yogis, but in any woman who allows herself to become aware of it. Menopause is a kind of enlightenment. Hot flashes are kundalini training sessions.

TAKING HORMONES? THESE HERBS ARE FOR YOU

More and more American women are using herbal remedies to help them with menopausal problems. Those who do take ERT (estrogen replacement) or HRT (hormone replacement) may be surprised to discover that herbal medicine has a lot to offer them as well.

Herbs for women on ERT/HRT include those that alleviate side-effects as well as those that counter problems caused by the hormones.

Herbal Helpers Counter Side-Effects

Water retention is the symptom most often cited for dissatisfaction with hormone replacement. Herbal tinctures and tea, such as dandelion or cleavers, and ordinary foods can not only relieve the distress, they will go to the root of the problem and help prevent recurrences.

Dandelion root tincture (Taraxacum officinale) strengthens the liver and helps it process out the excess hormones you are taking. When the liver works well, the kidneys work better, and tissues no longer bloat. A dose is 10-20 drops in several ounces of water or juice 2-3 three times a day. If you have any digestion problems, take your dandelion before meals; otherwise, anytime is fine. You can safely take dandelion daily for months or years if you need or want to.

Cleavers herb tincture (Galium molluga) tells the lymphatic tissues to get moving. Relief from edema is usually rapid when 20-30 drops are taken in several ounces of water or juice. Repeat up to six times at hourly intervals if needed. Cleavers is especially helpful for easing swollen, sore breasts.

Foods that relieve water retention include (in order of effectiveness): asparagus, nettles, corn (and corn silk tea), grapes, cucumbers, watermelon (and watermelon seed tea), parsley, celery, black tea, and green tea.

Headaches are the second most common side-effect of hormone use. Unfortunately, they are common among menopausal women not taking hormones, too. Herbs that help relieve headache without a drug-like action - such as dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle, burdock, garden sage, skullcap, and St. John's/Joan's wort - are generally considered safe to take with hormones.

Chinese herbalists say headaches are caused by liver stress. My favorite liver-strengthening herbs are dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle seed, and burdock. I use one at a time, a 15-25 drops of the tincture several times a day, for two weeks. If symptoms continue, I switch to a different herb.

A strong tea of garden sage leaves (Salvia officinalis) offers immediate relief from headaches and helps prevent future ones. It also reduces night sweats. Tinctures of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) ease pain and relieve muscle spasms. Use 5-20 drops of skullcap and a dropperful of St.J's at the very first sign - no, the very first thought - of a headache. Repeat the doses every five minutes until pain free. Skullcap can be quite sedative, especially in large doses.

Herbal Allies to Prevent Problems Caused by Taking Hormones

Breast cancer risk is increased 20% in women who use ERT for five or more years. Use of HRT for five or more years increases breast cancer risk by 40%. Each five years of continued use increases the risk. In addition, women who take ERT are far more likely to get uterine or endometrial cancers. All women on hormones increase their risks of lung and ovarian cancer, too. Nourishing herbs such as red clover, and foods such as beans and yogurt, offer easy ways to stay cancer-free.

Red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense), when dried and brewed into a strong infusion (one ounce herb steeped an a quart of boiling water for at least four hours) prevent cancer by providing phytoestrogens that counter the cancer-promoting effects of oral hormones. Usual dose is 2-4 cups a day. The infusion tastes like black tea and can be flavored with mint if you like.

Since uncooked beans and unfermented soy contain anti-nutritional factors that may promote bone loss and dementia, soy "milk" and tofu are not recommended. Miso and tamari definitely help to prevent breast cancer but soy isoflavones may promote it.

Yogurt helps build powerful immunity. Women who eat a quart of yogurt a week have 700% less cancer than women who eat no yogurt.

Dry eyes afflict more than 9% of women using ERT and over 7% of those on HRT. Risk increases by 70% for every year of continued use. And the longer a woman uses hormones, the greater her risk. Herbs such as oatstraw, chamomile, and chickweed can help relieve and prevent this problem.

Oatstraw infusion (Avena sativa) cools and moistens your eyes from the inside out, builds strong bones too. Use one ounce of dried herb in a quart jar; fill to the top with boiling water and cap tightly. Let steep four or more hours. Dose is 2-4 cups a day. Refrigerate after straining.

Cucumber slices ease dry eyes; so do chamomile tea bags.

The ultimate ally for women with dry eyes is fresh chickweed (Stellaria media), applied as a poultice to the closed eyes. Leave on for five minutes, or until the plant material feels warm (it will heat up). Repeat as needed.

Stroke and heart attack are actually increased by use of ERT/HRT, though modern medicine has long proclaimed the opposite. Every major double-blind study done to date has created a larger and larger gap between ERT/HRT's supposed ability to help cardiovascular health and its actual results. Protect your heart with nourishing and tonifying herbs and foods such as motherwort, hawthorn, and cherries.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture helps the heart. The Japanese claim it is their secret of longevity. A dose is 5-15 drops, twice a day. Motherwort also relieves hot flashes, calms tachycardiia, and eases anxiety. It's an all-in-one remedy for menopausal women.

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) flowers, leaves, and fruits are all used to maintain heart health and control fluid build-up in heart tissues. A dose is 20- 30 drops of tincture 2-4 times a day, or a cup of tea with meals. This widespread shrub is considered one of the finest heart tonics in the world.

Cherries are even better than apples at keeping the doctor away. Dried cherries and cherry juice, even tincture of cherries.

More than three-quarters of the women in America over the age of fifty have refused ERT/HRT. If you want to join them, taper off your dosage slowly, while continuing to use nourishing and tonifying herbs such as dandelion, motherwort, red clover, oatstraw, and seaweed.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF ESTROGENS

• Women make estrogens.
  
• Plants make estrogens and estrogen-like compounds.
  
• Chemicals, especially organochlorines, act like estrogens (xenoestrogens).

Pharmaceutical companies make estrogens from substances such as horse urine, wild yam roots, and petrochemicals. Tamoxifen, used to treat and prevent breast cancer, is a type of pharmaceutical estrogen.

Women make at least thirty types of estrogen, including estradiol, estrone, and estrace. Estradiol is the strongest; it is turned on at puberty and turned off at menopause. Estradiol is positively linked with breast cancer; other human estrogens are not. Anything that reduces the amount of estradiol a woman produces (such as pregnancy, lactation, early menopause, and late puberty) also decreases her risk of a breast cancer diagnosis.

Phytoestrogens counter the detrimental effects of estradiol by competing for the same receptor sites.

Estradiol is a strong estrogen and is metabolized by the long path. The other estrogens our bodies make are weak estrogens and are metabolized by the short path. Alcohol turns off the short path. Phytoestrogens are weak hormones and hormonal precursors. Phytoestrogens in foods are metabolized by the short path. Phytoestrogens appear to protect tissues from the cancer-causing effects of estradiol, xenoestrogens and pharmaceutical hormones. Phytoestrogens in foods prevent cancer and promote health; phytoestrogen supplements and processed soy fake-foods may do the opposite. Breast cancer occurs four times more often in women whose urinary output of phytoestrogen by-products is low compared to women whose urinary output is high.

Phytoestrogens are common in food. They are concentrated in seeds (grains, beans, nuts, berries) and roots. The exceptions to the rule that plants don't contain human hormones: French beans, rice, apple seeds, licorice, and pomegranate seeds contain the "weak" estrogen estrone.

To get the greatest benefit from phytoestrogenic foods and herbs remember:

1. Isolated phytoestrogens are not as safe as those "in matrix."
   
2. To make use of plant hormones, you need active, healthy gut flora.
   
3. Herbs and foods rich in phytoestrogens need to be used in different ways.
   
4. Phytoestrogens may have different effects on women who do not have their ovaries.

1. Plants contain many types of phytoestrogens; additionally, they contain minerals and other constituents which help our bodies modify the phytoestrogens and so we can use them safely. Red clover is mineral-rich and contains all four of the major types of phytoestrogens: lignans, coumestans, isoflavones, and resorcylic acid lactones. It is the world's best-known anti-cancer herb. In general, foods and herbs rich in phytoestrogens, with the possible exception of licorice, show anti-cancer abilities. Isoflavone, however, when isolated (usually from soy) has the opposite effect: in the lab it encourages the growth of breast cancer cells (endnote 32 in New Menopausal Years).
2. Plant hormones, including most phytoestrogens, can't be used by humans. But we can convert them into ones we can use - with the help of our gut bacteria. When women take antibiotics, their excretion of phytoestrogens plummets. Get your gut flora going by eating more yogurt, miso, unpasteurized sauerkraut, homemade beers and wines, picked-by-your-own-hands-and-unwashed fruits and salads, sourdough bread, and whey-fermented vegetables. (See Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for whey-fermented vegetable recipes.)
3. Plants which are exceptionally rich in phytoestrogens are regarded as powerful herbal medicines. Plants which are good sources of phytoestrogens are regarded as foods. While food can certainly be our medicine - a practice I advocate - it is also true that medicines are more dangerous than foods. Foods rich in phytoestrogens are different than medicinal herbs rich in phytoestrogens. They have different places in my life.
   • I eat phytoestrogenic foods daily in quantity.
     
   • I use phytoestrogenic food-like herbs regularly (not daily), in moderate quantity.
     
   • I take phytoestrogenic herbs rarely, in small amounts, for a limited time.

   Phytoestrogenic foods are the basis for a healthy diet and a long life. The first food listed is the highest in phytoestrogens. The best diet contains not just one but many choices from each list:

   • Whole grains (rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, wheat, corn)
     
   • Edible seeds (buckwheat, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, amaranth, quinoa)
     
   • Beans (yellow split peas, black turtle beans, baby limas, Anasazi beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, soy beans)
     
   • Leafy greens and seaweed (parsley, nettle, kelp, cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, lamb's quarter)
     
   • Fruits (olives, cherries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, salmon berries, apricots, crab apples, quinces, rosehips, blueberries)
     
   • Olive oil and seed oils. Garlic, onions and their relatives leeks, chives, scallions, ramps, shallot

   Phytoestrogenic food-like herbs are generally considered longevity tonics. For optimum effect, use only one from the list below and to stick with it for at least three months.

   • Citrus peel, dandelion leaves and/or roots, fenugreek seeds, flax seeds, green tea, hops, red clover, red wine.

   Phytoestrogenic herbs are usually too powerful for long- term use. From the list below (which is in alphabetical order), it is safest to use only one herb at a time, and use it only when needed, although that may mean daily use for several months. More information about these herbs, including specific dosages and cautions, is in New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.

   • Agave root, black cohosh root, black currant, black haw, chasteberries, cramp bark, dong quai root, devil's club root, false unicorn root, ginseng root, groundsel herb, licorice, liferoot herb, motherwort herb, peony root, raspberry leaves, rose family plants (most parts), sage leaves, sarsaparilla root, saw palmetto berried, wild yam root, yarrow blossoms.
4. Most of the warnings about phytoestrogenic herbs center on their proven ability to thicken the uterine wall in animals who have had their ovaries removed. This could encourage cancer, just as taking ERT encourages cancer of the uterus by stimulating cell growth. Women without ovaries are probably safe eating phytoestrogenic foods, but may want to use phytoestrogenic herbs - especially ginseng, dong quai, licorice, red clover, and wild yam - in small amounts and only for short periods.

FURTHER NOTES ON PHYTOESTROGENIC PLANTS

• Recent studies indicate black cohosh does not suppress luteinizing hormone, has no estrogenic effect, and contains no compounds related to estrogen. Red clover flower heads contain many hormone-like flavonoids, including isoflavone, daidzein, genistein, formononetin, biochanin, sitosterol, and coumestrol, a particularly strong phytoestrogen (six times more active than the one in soy). Red clover contains all four major estrogenic isoflavones; soy has only two of them. A cup of red clover infusion (not tea) contains ten times more phytoestrogens than a cup of soy beverage, is richer in calcium, has less calories, and contains no added sugars.
• Researchers in Australia report a million lambs a year are aborted after sheep eat clover on pasture. Yet red clover is renowned as a fertility enhancer. What's up? Stephen Buhner, author of The Secret Language of Plants, says clover plants make blood-thinning compounds (which cause abortion) when overgrazed, but don't otherwise. Plants, it turns out, can fight back.
• When unfermented soy takes the place of animal protein (meat and milk), its anti-nutritional factors can create brittle bones, thyroid problems, memory loss, vision impairment, irregular heartbeat, depression, and vulnerability to infections. Unfermented soy is high in hemoglutin, which causes clumping of red blood cells and may increase risk of stroke. It is also impressively rich in aluminum (up to 100 times more than is found in the same amount of real milk). Eating tofu more than once a week doubled the risk of Alzheimer's in a small group of Japanese men studied for thirty years.
• Human gut bacteria can cleave a sugar molecule from wild yam's steroidal saponin, producing diosgenin. Labs make progesterone from diosgenin, but our bodies can't. Diosgenin itself has a weak estrogenic effect. According to Australian herbalist Ruth Trickey: "A more probable explanation [for the observed effects of wild yam] ... is that [diosgenin] interacts with hypothalamic and pituitary hormones and ... initiates ovulation."

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Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com;and www.ashtreepublishing.com

For permission to reprint this article, contact us at: susunweed@herbshealing.com

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About the Author

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

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Arthritis Patients Try Yoga

Doctors strongly suggests people who have been diagnosed with arthritis to keep on regulating their body functions by exercising. In doing so, the deterioration of their joints won’t be as grave. By exercising on a daily basis, a person diagnosed with arthritis combats the bacteria that are slowly inflaming his joints and tendons.

Normally, hospitals recommend arthritis patients to sign up for an arthritis exercise fitness programs. These programs encourage them to walk for a good solid hour three times a week. Other exercises include weight lifting. It is an arduous task but in doing so, this benefits the patient to be stronger. Studies show that by exercising, the arthritis patient continues to be dependent and function on a normal state. As opposed to those who mope around and dwell on the fact that they have arthritis, they eventually became immobile and seek out the help of others to do simple personal activities such as getting out of bed, taking a shower and dressing. Yoga, brought to mainstream attention by pop icon Madonna, is an alternative exercise arthritis patients can consider. Yoga requires the use of special postures such as stretching and aligning the body. By doing so, the body is strengthened and that is what a person with arthritis must be aiming for. Yoga also uses breathing and meditation. This helps the mind to be focused and also relaxes the individual. People of any age and background have fun with yoga. As it turns out, people with arthritis are also recently discovering the thrill from this body-bender. It not only calms your thoughts, it also tones the muscles. Jessica Alba, watch out! Here are some tips for a person who has arthritis but does yoga.

1. If it is hard for you to sit in a cross-legged posture, simply wrap your legs around your head. Yoga can be customized. As long as the person is comfortable in doing the activity and is doing it properly, there are no specific rules that must be followed. Yoga is not the army. The goal of yoga is to relax your body but at the same time also tone your muscles without straining it too much.

2. People wonder whether yoga can help alleviate arthritis symptoms. At the moment, a study was conducted on the matter. Its results were published in a Western medical journal. The study involved 17 participants with arthritis. The group showed a decrease in the pain that they were feeling after participating in yoga. Yoga not only enhanced their strength and flexibility, it also gave them a better sense of well-being. It also made them feel powerful and not weak, as what most arthritis patients often convince themselves as.

3. If you feel sore after participating in a yoga class, do not worry. That is normal. Since the class required you to use a lot of your muscles, feeling pain at your joints and tendons does not mean something is off. It only means that you conducted yoga in the right way.

4. Find a good yoga class. Some people buy a video and try to do it by themselves. This is not advisable. One needs an experienced instructor in order for the person to show the proper way of doing the activity. This lessens the risk of obtaining an injury.

5. Because of the popularity of yoga in the United States, there are various styles to choose from. Choose one that is right for you. Do not push yourself too hard. If it is difficult, then try another style. People with arthritis has to take classes that approach the subject matter in a gradual manner. 6. Arthritis patients must also seek the advice of their doctors on whether the yoga style they chose is appropriate for them. Also, he must discuss the limitations he might experience with his yoga instructor.

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR'S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

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About the Author

Charlene J. NubleFor All the things you need to know about arthritis, please go to: Arthritis Exercise

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