So, What Is Yoga About Anyway?

A little history...

Yoga is a combination of physical and spiritual exercises came to us through the centuries. Designed twelve thousand years ago by ancient sages of India, yoga has not lost its popularity today. Nowadays most of the exercises included in a fitness program that has a positive effect on body shape.

There are several types of yoga - hatha yoga, classical yoga and therapy yoga. The basis for all types of practices is same- strengthening of physical health, improving mental abilities, mental balance and strong-willed attitude. Yoga is is not a religious cult or way, but rather a spiritual study about how to "live" and to appreciate yourself and the whole world.

Tips for Beginners

If you want to always look neat, orderly and fun, forget about back pain and other "troubles", turn yourself to yoga practice. Do not worry if you are not physically prepared, it is important to have a strong desire and will to succeed.

Exercises in yoga are called asanas, and are suitable for people of all ages. It is recommended to start practicing yoga under supervision, and later you can continue practicing at home, following tips and guidelines achieved at class sessions.

Do not rush. It is important to feel each pose with the whole body and your consciousness. Sharp, quick movements will not provide the required result. Complex movements designed for body understanding, and this takes time. If you have never done string stretching and rapidly try to make it...? Bdoy won't be very happy about it. You will feel pain and possible injury may occur. You would not teach higher mathematics to the newborn, skipping the alphabet? At the beginning of yoga practice you are a newborn and your success depends on the step by step learning. From how to crouch to running marathon. For example, you perform a certain asana, do not rush and concentrate your senses on every movement of the body, fell every organ and muscle.

Learn how to listen to your body. If you feel tense, stop and take rest. Relax and try to smile. Gain strength, try again, and each time you will perform better. Over time you will be surprised by the abilities of your own body.

It is also important not to wait if something can be done today. Large gaps between classes can lead to unmanageable burden. But when you practice regularly, the efforts are evenly spread and taken much easier. The slow rhythm of execution of asanas helps improving stamina. No muscle ignored and holding pose strengthens muscles and improves their tone.

Interchangeably with "asanas" Pranayama is performed, i.e. breathing exercises. Yoga teaches us to monitor breathing, especially during exercise. Try to breathe only with the nose that helps to enrich the body with oxygen and increase vitality.

Also carefully chose the place for doing yoga. You do not need special equipment and clothing, perhaps a yoga mat and of course quiet environment and desire. In records stores there are plenty of music for yoga practice. Choose the kind you like. The mood should be calm and relaxing. While doing yoga exercises you will learn about positive thinking, clarity of thought and concentration. Problems and daily routine will remain in the background. You will feel the "smile" of life.

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Yoga Improves Mood, Reduces Inflammation and Relieves Chronic Diseases

As it turns out, yoga is no longer just a gentle stretching for aging hippies. Ongoing research shows that this ancient ritual improves mood, helps breast cancer survivors, reduces inflammation and counteracts fibromyalgia.

It's common knowledge that yoga improves mood and shrugs off stress, but until recently, we didn't know why. Chris Streeter, MD, and his colleagues from Boston University School of Medicine discovered that it may be because of yoga's ability to increase levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an endogenous antidepressant neurotransmitter present in the brain.

They followed several healthy individuals who were divided into two groups. The first group practiced yoga over a 12-week long period, while the participants in the other group walked for the same period of time. At the end of the study, researchers evaluated psychological state of both groups and found that subjects who practiced yoga experienced a greater decrease in anxiety and more significant improvements in mood than those who walked.

"Over time, positive changes in these reports were associated with climbing GABA levels," explains Streeter. The findings of the study demonstrate that yoga is superior to other types of exercise in its positive effects on anxiety and overall mood.

Yoga reduces inflammation and helps chronically ill

According to last year's studies, yoga exercises may have the ability to improve recovery of breast cancer survivors and combat fibromyalgia:

• Conventional cancer treatments leave many women in pain, immobilized, depressed and tired. That's why Amy Speed-Andrews from University of Alberta decided to examine how a 10-week session of Iyengar yoga makes a difference in the recovery of women struggling with breast cancer. The results were impressive as 94 percent of study participants experienced improvements in their quality of life and 87 percent reported being happier. 80 percent also said they were less tired.


• Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by fatigue and chronic widespread pain. Fortunately, the journal Pain published a study comparing 53 female subjects that proved that an eight-week yoga program can combat a wide variety of fibromyalgia symptoms. Participants of the study experienced a reduction in depression (up to 42 percent), pain (24%) and fatigue (30%).

Furthermore, yoga also reduces the amount of cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the blood. This compound is associated with the body's inflammatory response and plays one of the key roles in a host of debilitating diseases. "We know that inflammation plays a major role in many diseases. Yoga appears to be a simple and enjoyable way to add an intervention that might reduce risks for developing heart disease, diabetes and other age-related diseases," says Ron Glaser, a co-author of a study that revealed the link between yoga and inflammation.

For the study, the scientists analyzed blood samples of 50 women, age 41 on average. As a result, those who had regularly practiced yoga for one or two years had significantly lower levels of inflammation than novices. They were also better able to limit their stress responses, too.

"People need to be educated about this," says Bill Malarkey, one of the co-authors of the study. "They need to be taking responsibility for their health and how they live. Doing yoga and similar activities can make a difference."

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Yoga for Weight Loss - What Is Needed to Lose Weight With Yoga?

There are many reasons to implement a yoga routine into your weekly schedule. Many people focus on the increase of flexibility and balance that is sure to be seen by those who practice yoga regularly. While it is definitely true that avid yoga participants are more flexible and balanced than when they first begin, there are other physical benefits of yoga. There are many different methods for attempting to lose weight, but if you want to appreciate all the other spiritual, mental and physical benefits of yoga, you can choose this as your method of weight loss. The reduction of weight you experience will be based on what type of yoga you choose and the diet you adopt.

There are a couple types of yoga that are specifically geared toward helping participants lose weight. One is called hot yoga. By practicing yoga in a room that is well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit with an instructor who has hot yoga certification, you can see a quick drop in pounds. Of course, this is primarily water weight since you will sweat more performing hot yoga than other forms. Many people love this method because it loosens up your muscles and helps you relax. You cannot count on the temporary, quick loss of pounds offered by hot yoga, however.

For a more intense weight loss program, you can choose power yoga, also known as ashtanga yoga. Athletes and others who want to see a quick and permanent physical change choose this type of yoga for its increased emphasis on cardiovascular activity. This is also a great type of yoga to pursue if you want to obtain training to be a yoga teacher. The sequences of poses you learn will help you be able to practice yoga wherever you are and whenever you want.

Your diet will also be critical for you to lose weight. You may try to eat things you know are healthy, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free, organic products, but the simple fact is that the earth's soils are not what they used to be. The combination of genetically engineered food and the depleted nutrients in the soil is leading to less and less healthy foods, even if they are organic. That is why your yoga for weight loss should be coupled with as healthy of a diet as you can muster along with the right dietary supplements to help counter the nutrient-lacking foods available today.

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Best Yoga Warm-Up? Somatic Movement Might Be the Answer

Do you really need a warm-up for a yoga session? Isn't yoga gentle enough on its own? If you need a little kickstart, how about just doing some sun salutes? The answers are, respectively... Maybe not, probably, and yes, often that's enough... But haven't you ever got a couple of postures into your routine and thought that something's just a little sticky? Maybe there's one little bit of your back that feels a tad locked, or the hips are just not as supple as usual. Well, if you have, somatic movement might just be the answer...

Somatic movement is so incredibly subtle that when I was first introduced to it, even though I had been a long-time yoga practitioner, I thought it was just a little bit too gentle. However, when I had actually tried out the exercises, my body felt so energized and alive, totally effortlessly, that I was forced to change my views.

I started to use somatics as a preparation for my daily yoga practice and found that I was experiencing a far deeper and subtler level in the asanas. This was not just from the fact that the body was well warmed up and the joints 'lubricated' before I even started, but because somatics itself relies on such a deep awareness of movement, which, although that is also encouraged in yoga practice, can often get lost as our asanas become so familiar that our attention drifts.

Somatics brings you back to the importance of breathing and awareness of every bodily sensation as you move, and this calms every aspect of the physiology so that by the time you get to your asanas, you are already deep into that experience.

I find that I think of somatics as a sort of finer sandpaper than the asanas, and with this it can also be useful to finish off after the your yoga practice. After all, these routines were all conceived to deepen our understanding of our own physiologies and expand our intuition, so each day you might spontaneously design some slightly different routine to unlock the stresses and strains of modern life, and adding somatics to your arsenal of techniques to choose from can only be a good thing.

So, however experienced you are at yoga, and however you choose to use somatics as part of your daily workout, I urge you to check out these wonderful techniques. Doing so can only deepen your practice! Good luck!

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Finding Balance through Yoga

Author: Darius Herrera

Yoga is an ancient science that aims to create a balance between the body, mind and soul, thereby curing physical mental and spiritual disorders that are caused by this imbalance. In common language, yoga means union; it's a union of the individual consciousness with the super-consciousness. To be exact, yoga aims at reminding the individual of this union that already exists and has merely been forgotten. To put it simply, yoga is experiencing and knowing what already exists, not inventing anything new.


At the physical level, yoga can create a balance and harmony among the various organs and systems of the body, allowing the healing powers inherent in the body to work and cure physical ailments. At the mental level, yoga is the harmony between mind, heart and hands or between thought, speech and action. At the spiritual level, yoga aims to destroy the individual ego that stands between the individual and the cosmos, thus attaining to the ultimate truth.


Yoga is basically a set of systematically devised physical exercises that lay emphasis on balance and posture. Combined with breathing exercises they have the capacity to cure almost any ailment of the body and mind. The underlying concept of yoga is to create the situation in which the human body can function at its optimum capacity.


Yoga Asanas or positions are simple and effective body movements that massage the muscles lubricate the joints and tone the whole body. Yoga postures help to keep the body healthy and the mind peaceful. Asanas exercise the nerves, glands, ligaments, and muscles. These exercises increase flexibility and balance in the body.


Yoga poses refer to the sequence of exercises which is extremely important to get the best results. They are scientifically graded to move from the simple to the complex, to cure the body first and then move on to mental and spiritual goals.


Though it is best to begin yoga practice under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher, you can now learn to do these exercises at home with the help of videos and yoga software. Once you have learned the basic exercises you can make it a part of your daily routine. It's best to fix a time and place for doing yoga so that you can be regular and reap rich benefits from it. After some time you will see a sea change in yourself. Your body will become shapely, attractive and healthy; you will have a positive attitude and your worldview on life will become beautiful. You will feel blessed!


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Yandara Asana Yoga for the Aspiring Yogi

Author: Alex Mc Stafani

As a yoga practitioner, you are already familiar with the body, mind, and spiritual benefits of yoga. It's likely you have experienced revitalization and lifestyle changes whether you have practiced for only a short time, or have been an avid practitioner for years. Yoga is growing in popularity in the Western world because of its physical and spiritual benefits and many people new to the practice seek out qualified instructors to guide them in self-practice. If you have ever aspired to share the benefits of yoga with others as a certified asana yoga instructor, the Yandara Yoga Institute provides the training you need to become Yoga Alliance Certified. You can become a confident and inspiring teacher in the art of yoga while attending either a 16- or 21-day training retreat.


Yandara Yoga Teacher Training emphasizes teaching methods that focus on becoming a safe, effective and inspirational yoga instructor. With expert training in teaching skills, including effective communication skills, posture correction and demonstration skills, students will learn the basics of practicing and teaching yoga. Learning to perform and demonstrate the asanas with precision and alignment is essential to successful yoga teaching, as is the ability to effectively communicate with others. Yandara offers this training and more to help future yoga instructors successfully teach the practice of yoga to other students.


Yandara yoga teacher training retreats comply with the 200-Hour Level of the Yoga Alliance Standards for registered yoga teachers with 180 hours of contact instruction with a teacher trainer and 20 hours of non-contact, independent study. Successful completion of the program will result in the award of a teaching certificate issued by the Yandara Yoga Institute. Upon certification, you are then qualified to teach yoga in a variety of community settings or independently.


The course is broken down into techniques, teaching methodology, anatomy and physiology as it pertains to the practice, philosophy, ethics, and lifestyle, practicum, and electives drawn from categories such as natural diet and health. Participants are immersed into the yoga lifestyle with many hours spent perfecting the precision of asanas, as well as the inclusion of quiet reflection time.


Yandara Yoga Institute is a beautiful oceanfront retreat located on the Pacific side of the Baja Penninsula in Mexico. Meals and accommodations are included in tuition. Anyone interested in yoga is welcome to attend teacher training, providing they have at least six months of yoga practice. Yandara encourages people of all ages, body types, and walks of life to attend, as the practice of yoga is not selective. Becoming a yoga instructor can enrich your life while enriching the lives of those you teach. No further experience or education is required other than the desire to make a difference. Bringing inner peace, relaxation, and self-confidence to others is a very rewarding endeavor.


Yandara also offers shorter retreats for yoga practioners with a desire to reconnect with their inner self, rather than intensely studying and training to become an instructor. Week-long retreats that include accommodations, daily yoga practice, breathing workshops, and spa services are on-going. If you've never experienced the benefits of yoga or are just beginning to explore yoga, and would like to take the opportunity to revitalize your inner spirit, a Yandara retreat is the perfect way to show yourself love and liberate your spirit.


All teaching staff at Yandara are committed to the yogi lifestyle and possess years of experience and practice. The goal of Yandara is to completely immerse students into the natural lifestyle and benefits that come from practicing by promoting inner peace. Mastery of the principles and practice of yoga, as well as the ability to effectively communicate them to others is required for successful yoga instructor certification.


Learning the proper techniques, the principles and practices of yoga, and the ability to inspire others is just the beginning. You could be looking for personal fulfillment or even a career change, in which case Yandara Yoga Institute is fully committed to supporting you and your endeavors. The combination of nature, seclusion, and expert support make an ideal environment for learning and self-exploration. Training programs are offered year-round but don't wait to fulfill your goals. The experience could be life changing for you and for others.Yandara.com offers yoga certification emphasizing yoga practice, teaching skills, organizing a class, creating confidence and making postural corrections. Visit us online to learn Hatha Yoga with Iyengar-based precision alignment, emphasizing heart-felt energy.

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Using Yoga Techniques to Cure Insomnia

Author: healthinfo

Insomnia is a condition characterized by an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep and receive decent quality rest. It can develop at any time during a person's life and will either fall under the primary insomnia category whereby it occurs on its own with little known cause, or under the secondary insomnia category whereby it is a result of another condition (such as arthritis) because they cannot sleep through the symptoms.

In the 1960s, the ancient Indian practice of yoga spread throughout the Western world. It was popularized by the Beatles and over the next forty years its many health benefits would become common knowledge. Yoga involves combining calm thought and specific breathing with certain bodily movements and held poses to bring the body into union. Most of us know that yoga relaxes the mind and makes the body more flexible, but many remain unaware that it can also be beneficial to insomniacs.

You see, yoga as a whole stimulates the brain and can improve cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. It does this by improving circulation to, from and around the brain which also improves the function of the part of the brain that controls sleep. It improves our circadian rhythms (natural biological processes that occur over a 24 hour period) and helps to define them, so we feel sleepy when it's time to sleep at night, and awake during the day. Yoga poses also cause the body to flush out toxins that might be keeping us awake, such as an excess of caffeine, or even something as simple as a cold virus that has our nose blocked, making it hard to sleep comfortably.

Yoga is the perfect choice of exercise for an insomniac, because it doesn't require raising the heart rate or getting out of breath. Doctors recommend you don't do any exercise in the three hours before going to bed because it will wake your body up, but yoga will not do this. If you are considering taking up yoga then there's no need to consult your doctor, but you should try to find a reputable yoga class and qualified teacher to learn how to do it properly. This will also allow you to personalize your yoga experience and ask your teacher to teach you the poses and breathing exercises that specifically help with insomnia, rather than following a generic yoga DVD. Just some of the poses and exercises that could help you to get a better night's sleep include:

- The Sukhasana: a yoga pose which is done cross legged to promote healthy breathing

- The Ananda Balsana: a pose which relaxes the hips and lower back

- The Halasana: perhaps the most relevant to insomnia, this pose involves deep breathing and concentration

- The Three-Part Breath: a breathing exercise that is beneficial when done right before attempting to sleeping

Although it may not be obvious at first, many people will find that their insomnia is caused by an underlying factor such as stress, anxiety or depression. Yoga has been shown to have a positive effect on all of these conditions. Therefore, rather than going to your doctor for stupefying sleeping pills and addictive beta-blockers it's a much better idea to improve your posture and flexibility at the same time as your insomnia, with a natural approach such as yoga.



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Back Pain Relief Using Yoga

Author: Harry Ayala

The back is a well-designed body part that is made up of bones, muscles, nerves, and soft body tissues. It is a very important part of the human body because the bones of the back acts as a supporting frame for the back and the whole body. The back muscles work with abdominal muscles to keep the body upright and mobile. However, because of the stress of everyday life, many individuals tend to overwork or overuse their back muscles, which then leads to back pain. This condition may hamper performance and affect everyday. Common symptoms of back pain may include spasms, stiffness, pain, numbness, and sometimes pain in the leg area and depends on the cause of pain and its severity. Back pain is one the most frequent health complaints that are received by doctors in the United States. However, individuals experiencing back pain should not despair because of the availability of many methods and medication that may give back pain relief. One of the most popular alternative back pain treatments is the ancient Indian meditative exercise called yoga.

Not long ago, the primary treatment for chronic back pain was sufficient rest and the use of painkillers. Nowadays, doctors are encouraging their patients to manage pain and illness by engaging in activities like yoga. Many medical researches suggest that yoga is one of the most effective treatments for body pain. Yoga has gone from a spiritual discipline practiced by many in the Far East into a mainstream exercise routine that is taught in many fitness gyms around the world. Other than back pain relief, many medical researches also show that yoga helps strengthen one's bones and muscles, reduce stress, and promote moments of relaxation. Yoga works by building strength, improving flexibility, and reducing joint and muscle pain.

Other proven benefits of yoga include:

-Increases muscle strength, endurance, and stamina;

-Develops muscles in the abdomen, legs, and arms;

-Release of physical tension;

-Helps maintain good and proper posture;

-Serves as a good warm up for athletes; and

-Improves an individual's overall performance


However, not all forms of yoga can be used for back pain relief. When the back is injured or hurting, slow-paced and gentle stretches and poses should be practiced. Some yoga posses and stretches may aggravate back pain and lead to serious injuries. A type of yoga called Viniyoga is adapted from yoga that gives emphasis on precise deep breathing and slow stretches. Another type of yoga called Iyengar yoga, focuses on accurate bodily alignment. Students of this practice use different props like straps, blocks, blankets, and many more. This type of yoga works best with individuals who have little mobility and need some support.

Individuals who want to engage in physical activities like yoga should consult doctors and other health professionals before taking yoga classes. Certain injuries to the wrist, back, and ankles may prevent some individuals from practicing yoga postures and positions. Furthermore, yoga should be practiced with care and precaution. Some people have reported injuries that were acquired by executing yoga postures without focus, or by attempting difficult positions without working on them gradually or by not having proper supervision. Oftentimes, beginners complain of muscle soreness and fatigue after engaging in yoga. These effects may disappear with continuous practice. Yoga is a great way to strengthen the body and improve overall health.

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Prenatal Yoga Poses - The Benefits

Author: Ashley J Michaels

It's time for you to learn about one of the best ways to keep yourself in shape during your pregnancy: yoga poses. Yoga is not just for die-hard enthusiasts any more... it's for everyone who has a desire for both fitness and peace of mind. Keeping your body fit can be a task at any point in time, but more so during pregnancy. You don't only have to think about injuring yourself while you exercise but also the possibility of doing harm to your baby. That's why adopting pregnancy yoga poses is such a good idea.

The advantages of practicing pregnancy yoga poses are numerous. As with any type of yoga, you can look forward to increased flexibility and some level of stress relief. However, the benefits include so much more. Did you know that pregnancy yoga postures can actually help in preparing for labor? It does this by stretching and strengthening the muscles used in childbirth. The breathing techniques which make up a part of the yoga regimen also aid in relaxation and can go a long way towards alleviating some of your anxieties.

Of course you don't have to stop doing the poses once you've had your child. Yoga is something that can be done by anyone who is interested in their overall well being. Since most of the postures you would have become accustomed too are so gentle, they are a good way to transition into more strenuous exercises so you get back into shape after your pregnancy. Plus, continued peace of mind can never be a bad thing.

There are certain poses which are a bit more suitable for pregnancy: yoga postures which do not put too much strain on the body. These involve:

Breathing exercises: Ask any pregnant woman and she'll tell you that pregnancy places more stress on the body. Breathing techniques can help to alleviate the tension that an expectant mother may feel. Proper breathing not only increases the amount of oxygen in the body but by concentrating on the movement itself you can put yourself into a state of deep relaxation.

Standing poses: Many pregnant women experience some level of back and leg pain. Standing yoga postures improve circulation in the lower body while also strengthening the muscles so they can deal with the added weight of that precious bundle of joy you're carrying. These are best attempted during your first trimester. During your pregnancy, yoga poses which include moderate twisting can also help to alleviate some of the lumbar discomfort.

You may be wondering about the inversion poses and whether you should try them. A skilled instructor will be able to determine what is right for you depending on your level of comfort. A good prenatal yoga DVD instructor will tell you exactly what you need to know. Please, for heaven's sake, do not attempt inversion poses unless you are instructed by a certified trainer. You may consider putting a halt to some particular poses after your seventh month though. It is often difficult to balance properly after this point and you run a great risk of hurting both yourself and your unborn child.


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