Archive for January, 2010

By Clyde Granger

The word “chakra” literally means wheel. Traditionally, they are thought to be energy centers with the body. Chakras generally do not correspond to any western idea of the anatomy of the body. More commonly they are thought to be part of the subtle or astral body rather than the “gross” body. Kundalini Yoga attempts to awaken these energy centers though meditation. In Kundalini Yoga, seven principle Chakras are recognized (Tantric Buddhists recognize only four).  There are numerous minor and lesser chakras, but let’s focus on the seven major chakras.

1. Root or Muladhara Chakra is found at the base of the spine. It’s symbol is the lotus with four petals. The color yellow is associated with the Chakra as is the creator god Brahma. Element: Earth Goddess: Dakini

2. Pelvic or Swadhistana Chakra is located at the genitals. The six petal lotus is its symbol. The color white and the god Vishnu are also associated with this center. Element: water and Goddess: Rakini

3. Solar Plexus or Manipura Chakra is located at the solar plexus and is associated with the color red and the god Rudra. Its element: fire and Goddess: Lakini These three bottom chakras we hold in common with all sentient beings.

4. Heart or Anahata Chakra is located at the heart. The lotus with 12 petals and the god Isha are associated with the Heart Center. The element is air, the color is blue, and the Goddess is Kakini. Interestingly, the Buddha is said to have been born from side of his mother at the Heart Chakra.

5. Throat or Vishuddha Chakra is located at the base of the throat. The symbol is the sixteen petal lotus. God: Sadashiva Goddess: Sakini Element: ether Color: White

6. Brow or Ajna Chakra is located between the eyes and is sometimes called the “third eye.” The symbol associated with it is the two petal lotus, it’s sound is OM, the color is snow white and the goddess is Hakini.

7. Head or Sahasrara Chakra is located at the crown of the head at the cerebrum.  The symbol is the lotus with a thousand petals. The presiding god is Lord Shiva.

The first five charkas are said to correspond to the five elements of the universe and hence tie us to the earth. The last two charkas must be awakened in order to achieve self-realization. It is highly recommended that you practice Kundalini Yoga with an experienced practitioner because of the severity of the ordeals that result from experiencing full awakening without a qualified Yoga teacher present.

By Claire Bostock

With the H1N1 virus becoming a global epidemic just after the SARS scare a few years ago, people are starting to find ways to build up their immunity system from taking tablets to drinking herbal tonics and elixirs. However a simple way to help build up one’s immunity system is actually through a practice of yoga.

Stress has been shown to be a great contributor to weaken the immune system greatly. With a combination of asana practice, pranayama, meditation and relaxation, yoga can help to balance and strengthening the immune system as it reduces the stress hormones that compromise the immune system. A daily practice that combines breath with movement will also help strengthen the respiratory & circulatory systems stimulating the lymphatic system to move toxins out of the body and bring more oxygenated blood to the various organs ensuring their healthful function. Yoga also generates a balanced energy which is the key energy required for the immune system.

Looking closer at the immune system, it consists of the thymus glands, the spleen, lymph node and other organs. These organs are involved in generating & circulating immune cells and antibodies. Yoga poses that twist and compress these organs will help to massage & stimulate these organs allowing more immune cells & antibodies to be generated. A few postures that will help stimulate the immune system are the Tortoise pose ( Kurmasana) that helps stimulate the thymus glands, Inversions & forward bends such as Downward Facing Dog ( Adha Mukha Svanasana) help to drain the sinuses, Chest & lung openers such as Camel pose (Ustrasana) and Cobra Pose ( Bhujangasana) which also help to flush out the lungs & Restorative yoga poses such as Corpse Pose (Shavasana) and Shoulder Stand (Shasangasana) which help calm the nervous system down and strengthen the body’s immune response.

The thymus gland also corresponds to the fourth chakra and these postures if combined with fourth chakra sounds such as its mantra sound of “yum” or vowel sound of “ay” will improve the immune response. Yogic breathing practices such as Kapalbahti (breath of fire) or just slow deep Ujjayi breathing done in chest opening postures will not only help to stimulate the thymus gland but also induce a sense of calmness and relaxation that will help boost the immune system further.

Combining a yoga practice with a diet rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin C & E which help protect the body against free radicals, and also antibacterial agents such as finely chopped or grated fresh garlic will go a long way to help strengthen your immunity system. Start taking charge of your health today by doing a little yoga practice to help boost your immunity especially in these times of raging flu pandemics.

http://www.absolutesanctuary.com Claire Bostock a former banker turned yoga instructor & counselor is a Thailand-based writer who is the Executive Director of Absolute Sanctuary, Thailand’s Premier Detox & Yoga resort. http://www.absolutesanctuary.com

By Gaylene Thoeny

If you have taken or seen a Yoga class you may have heard “Lead with your Heart Center” (or something else similar). The Heart Center in Yoga refers to the Heart Chakra. The Heart Chakra is the 4th of 7 Chakras (or Energy Centers in the body). These centers are often used as reference points in Yoga, Chinese Medicine, Thai Massage or other traditional healing methods.

We are referring to the area of the body in and around the heart and lungs, including the shoulders, upper back and chest. This area is known as the domain of human intimacy – and is associated with love, acceptance, forgiving, devotion, understanding, acceptance, peach, harmony, contentment, compassion and relationships. I feel the most important of all this is self-love, we can’t love and care for others if we don’t do the same for ourselves first!

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to open up the heart chakra, increasing blood flow to the heart, lungs and the rest of the body. This also can bring us better posture, bigger lung capacity, better circulation, making us feel better and making it possible to pass on these great feelings to others.

A simple way to open up the heart Chakra is a Chest Expansion:

1.) Starting in a neutral standing position or mountain pose

2.) Reaching out palms back behind each other

3.) Imagine that you are holding a giant beach ball behind your back

4.) Squeezing the shoulder blades together

5.) Inhaling into the expanded lungs

6.) Gazing gently up and forward and closing our eyes

7.) Taking as many breaths in and out as you feel comfortable

8.) Releasing arms down to your sides

This can be repeated as often as is comfortable. Also a great pose to use after driving, sitting at a desk or anything that makes us prone to hunching forward.

This article by Gaylene Thoeny, a 500hr Registered Yoga Teacher, yogi and mom. Go to http://www.groundingfitness.ca for more information. Gaylene specializes in yoga and lifestyle management. Creating a grounded life on and off the mat.

By J. E. Jacobsen

Yoga is becoming more and more recognized as an accompaniment to cancer treatment. Mostly viewed and experienced as a way to relax the mind and to tone and shape the body, Yoga is a very ancient science that is misunderstood in today’s society. While the benefits of Yoga surely can include a calm mind and fit body, Yoga is a way of building and maintaining healing energy while removing the more damaging patterns and behaviors that otherwise drain this precious, healing resource. To be a Yogi, one must master one’s mind.

Mental, emotional, and physical stress stem from a mind that has become destructive rather than constructive. While most people live their lives in search of creativity, success, abundance, and a sense of accomplishment, they often do so at the expense of their own well-being. Most of the time, this is unconscious. Some people live very successful and creative lives, and then there are people who intend to live very successful and creative lives yet do not know how to. At the end of the day these individuals feel mentally, emotionally, and physically drained and exhausted.

Exhaustion, stress, and lack of energy all stem from behaviors and patterns of living that are in disharmony with the first two laws of Yoga: Yamas and Niyamas. The Sanksrit word Yama means “death”. The Sanskrit word Niyama means “death inside”. We must ask ourselves, what is it that needs to die in our external environments and in our internal environments? Of what can we let go? What is no longer needed? In which ways are we damaging ourselves, allowing our minds to drain our energy, and leading destructive rather than constructive lives?

Patanjali, a great Master of Yoga, has shone his light on a path we all must follow. In his legendary Yoga Sutras, he tells us that the reason our minds, bodies, and spirits are not at rest is because our minds are violent. It is the mind that seeks to hurt its own system and the systems of others. We are not truthful with ourselves. It is the mind that deceives its own self and attempts to be deceptive with others. The mind is a thief. It steals, covets, hoards, and eventually drains our energy in patterns of which most of us are unaware. Yet, for the Master of Yoga who has reclaimed his or her own energy through Yamas and Niyamas and the practices of Yoga, the mind is no longer an enemy, but it is a great friend.

The question that then forms in the mind is, what does Yoga have to do with cancer? Cancer appears in a body that is destructive rather than constructive. The internal cells are in a state of attack, and the body is a battlefield.

Science has been able to prove that cancer cannot exist in an oxygenated environment. Dr. Robert O. Young, head of the pH Miracle Center in Valley Center, CA, has demonstrated that when the pH of urine drops below 5, on the scale of 1-14, the chances of an individual developing cancer increase dramatically. A low internal body pH deprives the body of oxygen, and the blood becomes dirty. Our internal cells are like fish in a fish tank. If the cells are not bathed in pH balanced water, and if our “fish tank” is not kept clean, the body begins to lose more energy than it gains because it is forced to clean up a dirty internal environment. In a dirty fish tank, bacteria grow.

The bacteria morph into yeast. The yeast morph into fungus. The fungus morph into mold. These toxins deprive the body of oxygen. The internal pH of the blood begins to drop, and the body goes into survival mode. The pH of the blood will only drop when the tissues in the body have become so toxic that they have entered a state of latent tissue acidosis. The degree of latent tissue acidosis is most commonly measured by urinary pH. A urinary pH of 5 or below signals severe latent tissue acidosis and a body that is severely deprived of oxygen. The state of the blood can clearly be seen in a Live Blood Cell Analysis.

How does a body end up in a state of latent tissue acidosis, and how can Yoga return a body to health? The world of Yoga practices spans every bodily system. A Yogic diet is an alkaline diet centered around pure, fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and low-acid grains. Making the body more alkaline is the key to eliminating latent tissue acidosis. Cleansing the body and bringing fresh oxygen into the system also makes the body more alkaline. Pranayama (building healing energy in the body through breath) brings fresh oxygen into the lungs, the blood, and the cells. Both Pranayama and Yoga Asanas (postures) cleanse the body’s internal organs, remove acidic toxins from the body, and cleanse and heal energy pathways in the body (refered to as Nadis in the Sanskrit language). The practices of Yoga are designed to clean the blood.

Aligning oneself with the Yamas and Niyamas destroys the damaging patterns and behaviors that make an individual more extrovert, stressed, and capable of draining the healing energy built through the Yogic practices of Pranayama and Asana. In fact, there is a Yama in Pranayama. It is therefore necessary to be mindful of one’s attitude towards oneself and others before the practices of Yoga can begin to heal the body. This is the reason Yamas and Niyamas are the first two steps in the eightfold path of Yoga.

It is exciting that Yoga has been recognized as a useful and helpful addition to cancer treatment. Yoga is currently being taught in conjunction to cancer treatment in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, MC Anderson, and many other major cancer treatment centers. As a patient learns the ways his or her mind has become destructive rather than constructive, the practices of Yoga will naturally heal the body. The human body is remarkable by design. It contains everything it needs to heal itself, and the body is constantly amazing practitioners in the medical field. Unexplained miracles happen every day.

The practices of Yoga can bring a person who is out of balance into a state of balance. It can help an individual live a very long, happy, creative, and abundant life. It can assist a person to live free of sickness and disease, to move from a dark place into a place of love and healing light. This is my prayer for all of those who suffer with cancer or any dis-ease.

Jennifer E. Jacobsen is the owner of the Saint Augustine Lakulish School of Yoga in Saint Augustine, FL. If you would like more information on how Yoga can help you with your internal battle for health, please contact Jennifer at the Saint Augustine Lakulish School of Yoga online at http://lakulishyogaschool.com  or by phone at (904) 392-6588.

Namaskar Dear Ones,

If you are considering reading a new Yoga book, Ashtanga Yoga – The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy and Practice, by Gregor Maehle, is well worth your time. This book should be part of every Ashtanga practitioner’s library.

Hopefully, Gregor Maehle will continue writing quality books about Ashtanga Yoga. His latest book, Ashtanga Yoga – The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy and Practice, serves as a solid reference guide for practitioners of Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga. Gregor has managed to give the reader a full view of Intermediate Ashtanga Yoga.

All the Best.

OM Shanti,

Paul

By Mary Cruickshank

Some days a yoga practice is more focused, balanced, and centered. You stand stronger and remain more grounded throughout the sequences. Other days can be less steady and more wobbly, constantly struggling to find your balance with each yoga position. The tree pose happens to be one of those positions that can give a clear indication if you are going to have a strong practice or a wobbly one. It can appear as one of the simplest yoga positions but can be extremely challenging. Fortunately there are techniques and strategies to help stabilize your body through this position.

When starting to do the tree pose find a vertical line about six feet away from you that you can fix your eyes on. Balance yourself firmly on one leg. Bend the knee of the other leg and place the foot on the inside of the opposite thigh. Bring your hands together in front of your chest to assist with your beginning balance. Once you feel steady on your one leg, then lift the two hands to above your head and straighten your arms as if trying to touch the ceiling all while focusing your eyes on your vertical line. Stand firmly without wobbling or swaying for as long as possible, breath deeply and slowly. Release your arms back to your side and bring the foot back to the floor. Repeat with the other leg.

Subtle strategies that will increase your steadfastness during the tree pose:

Use a stripe on the wall, a doorway molding, a pole, any straight vertical line as your focal point instead of a spot. When moving the hands from in front of the body to above the head your line of vision can shift ever so slightly so with a linear focus your eyes can adjust without having to shift your balance.

Adjust the lifted foot between your high inner thigh and the inside knee. You can increase your steadiness by making a slight adjustment to the placement of your foot. Moving it just a little can stop the wobbles.

Breathe in deeply while raising the two hands towards the ceiling. Elongate the spine and lift your head away from your shoulders focusing on your vertical line.

If attempting the tree pose and find that you just can’t seem to find your balance, then simply straighten your bent knee so you again have two feet on the floor. Always opt for caution and safety. You can then either try again or not. Sometimes the second time can prove to be a very balanced tree pose.

Practicing the tree pose consistently will restore balance and equilibrium to the body by coordinating the mind with the body. It also increases hip flexibility and makes the pelvis more limber. One of the biggest benefits is the gain in personal confidence each time you successfully achieve the balance and stability of this empowering yoga position. There can be shakiness for beginners until your ankle stabilizer muscles become stronger and you find balance in your body. Fortunately with practice and perseverance the steadiness will happen more and more.

Whenever I practice the tree pose I concentrate on only one of the muscles or body areas involved in this position. By putting my attention on either the ankle stabilizer muscles, lower back, hips, pelvis, core, neck, or shoulders, the rest of the body relaxes and eases into the position with more lightness and flexibility and therefore more success.

Practice yoga to improve balance, get more energy, relieve tension and increase strength. If you are serious about improving your health and appearance then the next move is up to you.

Mary Cruickshank has been practicing yoga for over ten years. Visit http://www.MyReadingChair.com/Learn_Yoga_Review.html to learn the three biggest myths about getting into shape.

http://www.MyReadingChair.com is for people that want to learn how to feel healthier and become wealthier. Visit anytime.

By Cara Zolinsky

Yoga, with its emphasis on slow, controlled movements, muscle relaxation, and deep breathing would seem to be an odd addition to a runner’s cross training schedule. But these two forms of exercise are more complementary than they seem. Just ask 34-year-old Nicole Nakoneshny.

A fundraising consultant, Nakoneshny spends much of her leisure time running near her home in Toronto. But she is not just running. She is also meditating, a discipline that she learned from yoga. As she told Runners World, “because running is such a repetitive activity, I find it quite meditative.”

Nakoneshny is part of a growing breed of runners who have created their own yoga for runners’ programs designed for enhanced running performance.

Similarities Between Yoga and Running

Although the similarities between yoga and running are not obvious to onlookers, many runners see (and experience) the synchronycities. Both running and yoga, they say, require discipline, flexibility, concentration, practice, and breatthing techniques. These similarities make yoga an obvious, albeit uncommon, choice for a runner’s cross training routine.

But yoga does more than just provide runners with added variety to their training programs; indeed, there is evidence that yoga improves the running performance of these athletes. This is possible, say experts, through yoga’s ability to balance the body, which prepares the athlete for the rigors of running and protects the body from injury.

Yoga Does a Runner’s Body Good

While running one mile, each foot will strike the ground approximately 1,000 times, say health writers Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola. Moreover, with each running step, the feet, legs, and hips will absorb three to four times the runner’s weight. This can, and does, lead to stiffness, pain, and injury for most runners.

But these negative bodily reactions are not the inevitable result of running. Rather, say Baptiste and Mendola, such pain and injuries occur because the high impact nature of running throws the body out of balance. But yoga for runners is beneficial because it realigns the body and posture. Indeed, yoga is used as a therapeutic tool to counteract the damage caused by musculature imbalances that often begin by muscle tightening/shortening and end with injury.

When runners devote most of their training time to running, say experts, their muscles tend to tighten and shorten due to the repetitive, high-impact nature of this sport. When this happens, the body attempts to compensate for this imbalance by shifting the stress to other muscles and joints. This can lead to pain and often leads to injury.

Moreover, because every part of the body is interconnected, an imbalance in one part (as occurs with muscle shortening and tightness) can cause pain and injury in another part of the body. For instance, a common running injury is shin splints, which results from an uneven distribution of weight on the legs while running.

The practice of yoga, with its focus on relaxing and elongating the muscles, effectively minimizes these types of injuries.

Yoga for Runners: Exercises to Improve Running Performance

Hyongok Cho Kent is a sports trainer in Montreal who knows the benefits of yoga for runners. At his fitness studio, Cho Kent instructs his students in both the art of yoga and what he calls “Chi Running.” The program that he has developed is designed to stretch the muscles of the hamstrings and the calves so that soreness and running injuries are minimized. Moreover, his program strengthens the core muscles and the muscles in the arms and the back, which corrects postural misalignments and, ultimately, improves running performance.

To help the muscles to rebound, Cho Kent recommends that a runner spend 15 to 20 minutes, immediately after a run, performing these exercises. They should also be incorporated as part of a cross training schedule to improve running performance.

Wall Dog

1. Stand straight, facing a wall that is an arm’s length away from the body. Feet should be approximately the width of the shoulders apart.

2. Bend forward from the hips, touching the wall with both palms of the hand, fingertips pointing upward.

3. Slowly walk the legs backward, until the arms are fully extended, spine completely parallel to the floor.

4. Slowly push back and feel the stretch in the legs and the hips.

5. Pull the abdomen in and then relax those muscles.

6. Hold this pose and feel the stretch in the hamstring, calves, and lower back.

7. Take five to ten slow, deep breaths and then slowly stand upright.

Hamstring Stretch

1. Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart. Bring the arms behind the back and clasp the elbows or the forearms.

2. Step the right foot behind you (about two to three feet) and turn the foot 60 degrees inward for balance. (The left leg should remain in its original position.)

3. Slowly bend forward from the waist as far as you can, always keeping the spine and the legs straight

4. Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths. (You should feel the stretch in your calves, hamstrings, and thighs).

5. Release and slowly return to original position.

6. Repeat with the left leg.

Wide Leg Standing Forward Bend

1. Stand straight.

2. Step your right leg out until your legs are approximately 4 feet apart with feet parallel.

3. Turn toes inward slightly and place the hands on the hips.

4. Slowly contract abdominal muscles.

5. Slowly bend forward, keeping your legs straight, until your hands touch the floor.

6. Push your body weight into your palms or your fingertips

7. You should feel the stretch in your hamstrings, calves, ankles, thighs, and Achilles tendons (to name just a few of the running muscles positively affected by this pose.)

8. Hold this pose for five to ten slow breaths.

9. Release the pose and slowly stand upright.

Cho Kent’s yoga for runners program not only elongates and massages the main muscles involved in running, but it is a relaxing change of pace from the incessant muscle pounding resulting from running.

Although yoga and running were once considered to be at opposite ends of the sports or exercise spectrum, many runners are now combining the two and finding that they are, indeed, complementary physical disciplines. Moreover, yoga is spawning a new breed of “Chi runners” who are reaping the cross- training benefits of adding yoga to their training programs.

For more information about yoga for runners

visit http://www.ultrafitnessdynamics.com

Limited Edition Photo-Documentary Book Captures Daily Life and Lessons Learned

In Buddhist Indochina, Especially Myanmar. 100% of Profits from Book are Redirected to Educate Children in South East Asia.

 “It reads like a journal, the intimate record of a journey and the meanings [the author] discovered. His inclusion of the Buddhist teachings feels more like an act of personal realization than a need to preach some pre-established dogma or illustrate a point.”

~ Peter Clothier, author and blogger, The Huffington Post and The Buddha Diaries

Documentary photographer Alan Brigish has just released his second limited edition coffee table book, Breathing in the Buddha: A Photographic Exploration of Buddhist Life in Indochina. This carefully crafted compact-sized (8×10-inch) book of images and commentary pulls in readers both familiar with and new to Southeast Asia and the Buddhist philosophy practiced by most of its inhabitants and then hones in on Burma (Myanmar), the focus of the vast majority of the book.

The book’s luminous images and extended captions tell two parallel stories. The first explores the daily life of predominantly Buddhist people in three cities each in the countries of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and then reflects the author’s extensive travels throughout Burma. The second story is the author’s exploration of the Buddha’s teachings and how they impact on people’s lives. As Peter Clothier explains, the author’s “point-counterpoint strategy [of] image and text, narrative and teaching…creates the rhythm that moves the reader through the book.”

Brigish examines the notion, contrary to most Western thinking, that human beings can find fulfillment and contentment even when they lack property, material well-being, and freedom itself. Nonetheless, Breathing in the Buddha does not romanticize or lecture about deprivation or suffering. “Breathing in the Buddha is about a deeply personal experience,” notes the author, “about the realities of a world not seen by many and very much misunderstood. My inclusion of the Buddhist teaching is more about clarifying what I experienced than about preaching.”

100% of the profits from the sale of the book are being donated to well-established educational projects in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Nepal. “I believe that the true Buddhas are the living ones,” comments the author. “When people can learn to live with their suffering day in, day out, year in, year out, they are transformed into Buddhas. The Buddha is alive and well and represents real hope for the future of our troubled world. We can help to make a difference by helping to pay for education.”

Breathing in the Buddha may be purchased at http://sites.fastspring.com/brigish/product/buddha  Note: $50.00 of the cover price can potentially be deducted from U.S. tax returns.

# # #

Breathing in the Buddha: A Photographic Exploration of Buddhist Life in Indochina by Alan Brigish, Nonfiction; Hard cover; $99.50; ISBN: 978-0-615-33749-4

Author: Alan Brigish is a South African-born documentary photographer who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years. Since 1997, he has documented his travels in 26 countries, mainly in the developing world. He works exclusively in digital still photography.

By Elizabeth Henshall

Yoga has a long history as a practice used by ancient sages, yogis and monks in the East to help them achieve their goal of spiritual enlightenment. However in the last 50 years it has gained considerable popularity as a way for us in the West to keep fit and healthy. Introduced to Western mainstream consciousness by such celebrities as George Harrison in his days as a Beatle – and even having a Yogi master presenting at the legendary Woodstock concert in the 60’s – yoga has gradually and powerfully infiltrated our culture. Most gyms and even small villages have their yoga classes weekly and they are always very well attended by local women who form nice friendships through the classes as well as getting fit. It is less common for men to attend yoga sessions and many women really appreciate a quiet space, just for them, with no men around for 90 minutes while they concentrate on their fitness and inner peace.

Yoga is a different way to keep fit. If you are not keen on team sports, or if running/jogging doesn’t float your boat then you may well find that yoga is a better way forward for you. It also has the advantage of being safe for your body as you are being lead through appropriate poses by a qualified teacher and they will guide you in ways to adapt the pose if you need to do it in a modified way to suit your body.

Another advantage of yoga as a fitness routine for women is that it focuses on building strength and flexibility gradually and therefore you tend to notice a big difference after a while, but it is so easy to do that you don’t exhaust yourself or feel stressed getting to that state. Men tend to prefer full on, power building fitness programmes where they quickly see results but often hurt themselves as they challenge their bodies too hard. Women’s fitness programmes, especially if you are starting this route after a period of relatively little exercise as you had a family and worked, is better tackled gently and steadily. Gym sessions where you work with weights and equipment tend to be harder on your body and also harder to keep up as you are doing them alone – and they can be very boring!

Yoga has a reputation as a good weight loss programme as well as a women’s fitness routine. It steadily shapes your body into new curves and smooths out lumps and bumps but it does it in a way that is long lasting and becomes part of your life style rather than a crash and burn approach which some of the gym based programmes tend to do. Many women find that as they enjoy the other benefit of yoga (calmness) they don’t go for food as a prop nearly as much so their weight drops as well as their dress size through the body reshaping. The secret to success with yoga as a women’s fitness and weight management programme is to keep at it and do it with a friend so that you both enjoy the camaraderie and get the peace of mind that comes with yoga practice – then the other benefits follow automatically.

Lastly, there is a great benefit to yoga as a fitness programme for women. It helps to lower your stress levels enormously at the same time as it steadily sculpts your body into a new shape as I outlined above. There are many studies showing the health benefits to yoga and how the regular practice of it reduces blood pressure, changes breathing patterns to much more beneficial levels and reduces asthma attacks. People report feeling calmer, having better decision making skills as their minds are clearer and sharper and also that they sleep much better. Although any women’s fitness programme sensibly tackled will bring many benefits there are few that are as safe and as wide in their benefits as yoga.

Next time you go to your local gym ask the yoga teacher if you can try it out and see if it is something that appeals to you. Any yoga teacher will be delighted to let you join in with the class and experiment. Enjoy.

Building Women’s Fitness Using Yoga

Restorative Yoga Workshops and more information about how to use this form of self healing can be found on Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga. The Fifty, Fit and Fabulous programme provides a step by step approach to well-being through holistic care and is outlined on these sites.

By Suza Francina

When I began teaching yoga in the early 1970’s, the term, “yoga props,” was practically unheard of. When we sat on the floor to practice seated forward bends, people who could not touch their toes simply held onto their lower legs. Then someone had the bright idea to wrap a sock, towel, belt or an old neck tie around the foot to hang onto while stretching forward. While not as versatile as the modern prop known as a yoga strap, these early around-the-house props actually worked quite well!

At the time that I began teaching yoga, I was also working as a home health-care provider. I befriended and cared for many people up until the last years of their life. My main job was assisting people who were unable to take care of themselves independently with their daily activities. Many of these people had arthritis and other common health conditions that restrict movement. Back then, people with joint pain, swelling, heart disease, shortness of breath, etc., were generally advised not to move. So they became increasingly weaker, stiffer and incapacitated.

My background in home-health care showed me how important exercise is for all ages, but especially the older population. When an older beginner comes to my yoga class with pain and stiffness in their body, one of the first things I generally teach them is how to practice yoga’s challenging weight-bearing standing poses safely with the support of props such as a wall and chair.

What is a yoga prop?

In the world of yoga, a prop is any object helps you stretch, strengthen, balance, relax, or improve your body alignment. Props include yoga mats, which are sticky, nonskid mats essential for providing stability and preventing your hands and feet from slipping, blankets that provide padding and support, long yoga straps and belts that are used in dozens of innovative ways to help you stretch further and prevent muscle and joint strain, bolsters, blocks, chairs and benches that support the body in various ways, wall ropes, sandbags, back benders, and many other objects designed to help students experience the various yoga poses more profoundly and safely.

Many common features of our homes or work place can also serve as props: floors, walls, doors, doorways, stairs, ledges, tables, desks, chairs, windowsills and kitchen counters. When I teach people at home, I show them how to use these common household objects to improve their posture, maintain balance and stretch, strengthen and relax.

By providing support, props help you to extend beyond habitual limitations and teach you that your body is capable of doing much more than you think it can.

Props are used to teach specific actions such as lengthening the spine and opening the chest. For example, the student in the photo at right, a beginner in his mid-seventies, is practicing the Triangle Pose with the back of his body against a wall and his lower hand on a chair, rather than straining to reach the floor. This helps assure that his body is in good alignment which is especially important to prevent injury if we have joint problems (or hip or knee joint replacements) or weak bones that are susceptible to fractures. People who have scoliosis (curvature of the spine, rounded back, or other chronic postural problems can significantly improve their posture by stretching with the help of a wall and chair.

Props can be used to make postures more challenging; to safely stretch farther; to work in a deeper, stronger way; and to expand, open, and blossom in a pose. In yoga we are asking the body to “work against the grain.” We are asking the body to let go of the death grip that habit and conditioning have on us. Props help us to accept this revolutionary (and evolutionary) process.

Using yoga props makes postures safer and more accessible. Most older people are quite stiff by the time they start yoga, and props allow them to practice poses they would not ordinarily be able to do. Older students also frequently come to yoga with problems, ranging from back and neck pain to knee problems to old injuries. The more problems a student has, the more useful yoga props are.

Props allow you to hold poses longer, so you can experience their healing effects. By supporting the body in the yoga posture, muscles can lengthen in a passive, nonstrenuous way. By opening the body, the use of props also helps to improve blood circulation and breathing capacity.

One of the greatest benefits of yoga as we grow older is that it offers exercise without exhaustion. Yoga replenishes our precious energy reserves. Supporting the body with props opens the door to what is known as “Restorative Yoga”, which not only allows you to exercise without exerting any effort but simultaneously relaxes and reenergizes you. This is critical during times when we find ourselves feeling too tired to exercise and then feeling even more tired because we are not exercising.

By using props, students who need to conserve their energy can practice more strenuous poses without overexerting themselves. People with chronic illness can use props to practice without undue strain and fatigue.

Props are adapted to each student’s body type and flexibility. They are especially helpful to anyone who may avoid certain poses because of fear, problems with balance due to loss of hearing and eyesight, pain, or other limitations.

Props help all practitioners-including both the most advanced students and those of advanced years-to receive the deep benefits of postures held for sustained periods of time.

Eight Reasons Why Props Are Beneficial for Older Practitioners

Props help us conserve and replenish energy, which becomes increasingly important as we grow older and also during times of illness.

Props make difficult poses more accessible and safe. They allow even those who start late in life to hold poses for a long time, without strain.

Props help prevent injuries and help old injuries to heal.

People tend to stretch from their more flexible areas and rely on their better-developed muscles for strength. Props encourage weak parts to strengthen and stiff areas to stretch, thus balancing and realigning the whole body.

Props allow us to stay in poses long enough to release tension and experience deeper levels of relaxation.

Props help create space in the spine and the joints, ever more important as we grow older and cope with issues such as osteoporosis, arthritis and joint replacements.

Props allow older practitioners with balance problems to practice the weight-bearing standing poses, helping them to remain independent and out of wheelchairs.

Props allow us to practice inverted poses safely and to reverse the downward pull of gravity, slowing down the aging process.

SUZA FRANCINA, the former mayor of Ojai, California, is a writer, animal advocate and Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. She has taught yoga since 1972 and is a pioneer in the field of teaching yoga to seniors. Her first book, Yoga for People Over 50, was published in 1977. She is author of The New Yoga for People Over 50 (Health Communications, Inc., 1997); Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause (HCI, 2003); and The New Yoga for Healthy Aging (HCI 2007). She is currently completing a spiritual memoir, Autobiography of a Yogini. Her writing has appeared in numerous other books, magazines and publications worldwide. Born in Holland in 1949, she emigrated with her family to Ojai, California at the age of seven and has made the Ojai Valley her home ever since. To learn more visit  http://www.Suzafrancina.com