Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Pilates and yoga benefits
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice which consists of physical
and spiritual exercises meant to cause the practitioner's total
improvement, implying health, inner peace, mental control, but
also access to a superior level of consciousness, unity with the
supreme and liberation from karma. The basis of yoga is actually
represented by unity: the unity between mind, body and spirit.
The term itself comes from a Sanskrit word (yuj) which has the
exact meaning of unite.
When a person decides to start practicing these exercises, it is
certainly because of the multiple benefits of yoga. There are
extremely numerous types of yoga to choose from, each and every
one of them involving different styles and offering distinct
advantages. What they usually have in common is the combination
between contemplation, breath control and physical exercise. The
most common yoga types are: Hatha, Iyengar, Sahaja, Ashtanga,
Kundalini, Mantra, Raja, Bikram etc. We are going to present a
couple of them along with the entailed benefits of yoga.
For a beginner, for instance, Iyengar yoga would be most
suitable. This one is a method using different props to
compensate the lack of exercise. It involves meditation and
focuses on the correct alignment of the body. It implies
synthesis between pranayama (breath control) and asanas (body
posture). The most important Iyengar benefits of yoga are
attaining muscle flexibility by eliminating tension and calming
pain by eliminating aches.
Continue Read Full Article Here : Pilates and Yoga Benefits
and spiritual exercises meant to cause the practitioner's total
improvement, implying health, inner peace, mental control, but
also access to a superior level of consciousness, unity with the
supreme and liberation from karma. The basis of yoga is actually
represented by unity: the unity between mind, body and spirit.
The term itself comes from a Sanskrit word (yuj) which has the
exact meaning of unite.
When a person decides to start practicing these exercises, it is
certainly because of the multiple benefits of yoga. There are
extremely numerous types of yoga to choose from, each and every
one of them involving different styles and offering distinct
advantages. What they usually have in common is the combination
between contemplation, breath control and physical exercise. The
most common yoga types are: Hatha, Iyengar, Sahaja, Ashtanga,
Kundalini, Mantra, Raja, Bikram etc. We are going to present a
couple of them along with the entailed benefits of yoga.
For a beginner, for instance, Iyengar yoga would be most
suitable. This one is a method using different props to
compensate the lack of exercise. It involves meditation and
focuses on the correct alignment of the body. It implies
synthesis between pranayama (breath control) and asanas (body
posture). The most important Iyengar benefits of yoga are
attaining muscle flexibility by eliminating tension and calming
pain by eliminating aches.
Continue Read Full Article Here : Pilates and Yoga Benefits
Monday, February 05, 2007
Ashtanga Yoga- The Eight Limbs
Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in
India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In
India and across the World, Yoga is seen as a means to both
physical health and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has
become primarily associated with the practice of asanas or
postures of Hatha Yoga.
In the United States the American Fitness Professionals &
Associates offers Yoga Certification for intructors.
Ashtanga means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, a reference to eight
elements that define as a lifestyle. These "limbs" cover your
attitudes towards the world around you, your attitudes towards
yourself, the poses, breathing exercises, the withdrawal of the
senses, concentration, contemplation, and enlightenment.
As a type of yoga, Ashtanga is better known as "power yoga."
This specialized form of Hatha yoga (which uses the third and
forth of the eight limbs, poses and breathing exercises)
provides an intense workout. Six series of poses within Ashtanga
yoga allow for steps of progression in skill, strength, and
flexibility. After learning the order of poses from an
instructor (the first series includes 75 poses and can take two
hours to complete), students often practice Ashtanga
independently. This allows them to progress at their own pace to
master each series before attempting to learn the next.
Continue To Read Full Article Here : Ashtanga Yoga- The Eight Limbs
India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In
India and across the World, Yoga is seen as a means to both
physical health and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has
become primarily associated with the practice of asanas or
postures of Hatha Yoga.
In the United States the American Fitness Professionals &
Associates offers Yoga Certification for intructors.
Ashtanga means "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, a reference to eight
elements that define as a lifestyle. These "limbs" cover your
attitudes towards the world around you, your attitudes towards
yourself, the poses, breathing exercises, the withdrawal of the
senses, concentration, contemplation, and enlightenment.
As a type of yoga, Ashtanga is better known as "power yoga."
This specialized form of Hatha yoga (which uses the third and
forth of the eight limbs, poses and breathing exercises)
provides an intense workout. Six series of poses within Ashtanga
yoga allow for steps of progression in skill, strength, and
flexibility. After learning the order of poses from an
instructor (the first series includes 75 poses and can take two
hours to complete), students often practice Ashtanga
independently. This allows them to progress at their own pace to
master each series before attempting to learn the next.
Continue To Read Full Article Here : Ashtanga Yoga- The Eight Limbs
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Coping Strategies - Yoga For Menopause Relief
Yoga is not a 'remedy' for menopause - not least because
menopause represents a stage of life, rather than an illness. A
woman's experience during menopause is completely individual,
and yoga is not specific like the drugs of modern medicine.
There is no one set series of postures that thus make up a
'remedy' for the symptoms of perimenopause.
Yoga is, instead, an adaptive discipline that can support the
body through the myriad of biological changes it is making.
Importantly, it can also support our minds and emotions, and
allow us to come to a perspective on the inner processes that
are happening. Many perimenopausal women have found both the
physical and less tangible benefits of yoga helpful at this time.
If you haven't done any yoga before, it would be best to go to a
class to learn. No DVD or book can quite replace watching a
teacher demonstrate a posture, taking you through the different
breathing practices, and offering insight into how your body is
coping with the poses. It also helps to have a practical
grounding like this if you're reading yoga books, where they
will present a number of different poses and variations.
Learning yoga first by practicing it in class, gives you the
experience to adapt what you read in books to your own needs.
There are some general points about asanas (poses), however.
Back bends can be great for improving one's mood and lifting
energy levels, and forward bends are good for anxiety and stress.
Continue To Read Full Article Here : Coping Strategies - Yoga For Menopause Relief
menopause represents a stage of life, rather than an illness. A
woman's experience during menopause is completely individual,
and yoga is not specific like the drugs of modern medicine.
There is no one set series of postures that thus make up a
'remedy' for the symptoms of perimenopause.
Yoga is, instead, an adaptive discipline that can support the
body through the myriad of biological changes it is making.
Importantly, it can also support our minds and emotions, and
allow us to come to a perspective on the inner processes that
are happening. Many perimenopausal women have found both the
physical and less tangible benefits of yoga helpful at this time.
If you haven't done any yoga before, it would be best to go to a
class to learn. No DVD or book can quite replace watching a
teacher demonstrate a posture, taking you through the different
breathing practices, and offering insight into how your body is
coping with the poses. It also helps to have a practical
grounding like this if you're reading yoga books, where they
will present a number of different poses and variations.
Learning yoga first by practicing it in class, gives you the
experience to adapt what you read in books to your own needs.
There are some general points about asanas (poses), however.
Back bends can be great for improving one's mood and lifting
energy levels, and forward bends are good for anxiety and stress.
Continue To Read Full Article Here : Coping Strategies - Yoga For Menopause Relief
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