Archive for the ‘Yoga for Health’ Category

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 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.

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

By Madan G Singh

Yoga is an art that is entirely Indian in origin and practice. The origins of Yoga are buried in antiquity, but most famous saints and rishis have practiced this art. Yoga has two dimensions which are physical as well as spiritual. This is peculiar to the exercise systems that originate from the orient. The western world cannot fathom how an exercise system can have spiritual overtones as well.

The science of Yoga is an ancient science that has been practiced in India since time immemorial. The Vedas allude to this and many men even after decades of study have not been able to unravel the mysteries of this system.

The physical side of yoga concerns a set of poses that are to be retained for some length of time for their beneficial effects to take place. Western physical exercise systems like weight training require repetitive sets, but yoga has nothing like this and consists of retaining a pose for some time. These poses are called asanas.

Yogic asans can be divided into elementary, intermediate and difficult. But bear in mind that all these asans need to be done in the correct way for the benefits to accrue, otherwise there is a chance that you could in the extreme case even harm yourself.

Out of all the yogic poses the sirsha asana or head stand is the king of all asans (poses). It is also the most advanced and difficult. Ancient seers laid great stress on this asana as it was also supposed to lead to nirvana -eternal bliss. But I will caution a beginner who wishes to perfect this pose. Firstly a degree of physical fitness is essential to do this pose. I will recommend that to learn this pose it is best to consult an instructor or join a Yoga school. In the 21st century the western world has realized the benefits of Yoga and a lot many teachers and schools are available to teach Yoga.

The Sirsha asan consists of a basic pose of standing upright on your head. It is also called the inverted pose as the human body is inverted with feet up and head resting on a floor or mat. For this pose it is desirable that you have a mat. I will not advise doing this pose on a concrete floor. You could also do this pose in the garden with the soft grass acting as a cushion for your head.

I will also caution people to attempt this pose only if you are fit and have no serious problems like low or high blood pressure. In such cases the Sirsha asan is to be avoided at all costs. The benefits of the asan are many and have stood the test of time. Basically this pose strengthens the back bone and neck as well as acts as tonic to the brain and other systems of the body. Regular practice of this asan can also act as a rejuvenator of your sex life as well as.

The sirsha asan is done in a simple way. Invert your body and put your hands under your head. Stretch your legs and give an upward push so that your body rises up with the head resting on your palms as the base. The best way to describe this is to practice half a somersault and raise your feet up instead of rolling over. The pose itself can be mastered by doing it repeatedly. The trick in this pose is to retain it for some length of time. I recommend that initially you try and keep the pose for 15 seconds and then gradually increase the timing to 2 minutes.

The sirsha asan has another peculiarity. In case you are celibate and you do the head stand for some time regularly then the as per the learned Yogis the sperms of your body are supposed to go slowly up the spine and form a Lotus flower at the base of the brain. This is supposed to give the person ESP sensations. But nobody has verified this scientifically.

Forgetting the spiritual part a yogic head stand has many beneficial properties that will certainly invigorate your body, strengthen the spine and make the brain sharper. But some external guidance or a guru must be contacted to master this pose. Sirsha asana can also be safely done by women, though some experts do not recommend it during menstruation.

By Tamara Tangney

We are living an era that is obsessed in “quick fixes” instead of making us responsible for our own health. For example: If we are depressed, take a pill instead of resolving the issue that is making us depressed is the more accepted way to go. There are many factors that weaken the immune system that flu shots and other vaccines can not resolve.

• Toxins in the environment and/or food (cars and processed foods mainly)

• SAD (Standard American Diet, which is a poor diet rich in processed foods)

• Excessive alcohol intake (Which is promoted by our society)

• Lack of exercise (Excessive screen time and our love for our cars)

• Stress (Our current economic situation is not helping with this!)

There is good news. We can take charge of our lives by strengthening our immune system. A strong immune system not only leads to less occurrences of illness, but also helps prevent more extreme manifestations of illness. A few of the ways that yoga positively impacts the immune system include:

• Stimulating the Lymph Nodes

• Improving circulation

• Improving oxygen flow, thus aiding the transfer of energy from nutrients to cells

• Improving the flow of the sinuses and flushing out mucous from the lungs

• Increasing lung capacity and mobility

• Massaging the internal organs

• Relaxing the nervous system

Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakopatasana) and Eagle Pose (Garudasana) are both effective in charging up the Lymph System.

In Pigeon Pose, the pressure of the heel of the foot on the groin stimulates the lymph nodes to “release their juices”, thus cleansing them out and making them work more efficiently. Eagle Pose stimulates the lymph in the armpits and the groin as the arms and legs are crossed at the elbows and knees respectively.

Ujjayi Breathing promotes cleansing of the upper respiratory tract, increases lung capacity, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).

Sun Salute A & B (Surya Namaskara A & B)

These two sequences create “heat” in your body by, increasing blood flow, oxygen flow, heart rate and muscle strength. They are energizing sequences that produce similar cardiovascular results as running with out the injuries. If you are new to yoga, try practicing Sun Salute A every day for one month. Once that is mastered, add Sun Salute B to receive the full immunological benefits of these sequences.

Cows Face Pose (Gomukasana) Stimulates the lymph nodes in the groin and armpits, increases lung capacity and mobility, massages internal organs and calms the nervous system (when bent forward). Bonus: Your body looks like a cow’s face when in the full pose!

Bow Pose is a backbend with extra benefits! Your upper and lower back muscles and chest is opened by grabbing your ankles and “pushing away” from your hands with your feet and legs. Your internal organs are massaged by rocking back and forth in the full posture.

Corpse Pose (Shavasana) is the most important pose in yoga. Honor your self by quieting your mind. Freeing your self from tension and stress for even a few minutes every day will increase your sense of self and give you power to fight off illnesses.

Tamara Tangney is a yogi, ice hockey player, health enthusiast and mother and frequently writes about new ways to incorporate yoga and healthful eating into one’s life. For more information about yoga and fitness, visit http://www.chickswithkick.com

By Gaylene Thoeny

The New Year is a natural time to think about detoxing but any time of the year is great. Yoga in general is detoxifying. Yoga gets more blood & oxygen to flow through the body, cleaning stale air out of our lungs, loosening our muscles and creating positive thoughts. There are numerous ways to detox the body, by breath, by nutrition, drinking more water, brushing the skin, fasting and many, many more.

Once basic way to detoxify through yoga is twists. Twists oxygenate and feed the internal organs in the abdomen and pelvis delivering fresh blood to the spinal nerves, blood vessels and tissues. Twists loosen muscles freeing toxins that may be stuck in knotted muscles and increasing the circulation through the whole body. Twists stretch and contract the muscles in the back, feeding the vertebrae and creating a healthy back.

Mentally and physically twists makes things flower better through the body. Once things are flowing freely through the body and body is able to rid itself of toxins faster & easier. There are many twists in yoga but one very simple and gentle twist is a reclined twist (this pose also works wonders on a hangover).

Reclined Spinal Twist:

Getting Into the Pose: Lying on your back, with your arms at your sides, bringing the soles of the feet to the floor the width of the mat (or hip width apart), knees pointing towards the ceiling.

Holding the Pose: Exhale and let the knees fall down to one side, inhale the knees up to center, exhale the knees down to the other side. Repeat for a minimum of 6 breaths. Or until you feel you are done.

Benefits: Improved digestion & circulation, reduce backache and sciatica, relieves menstrual discomfort, stimulates the lymphatic system, relieves stress & anxiety, massages the internal organs, feeds the vertebrae in the spinal cord, loosens muscles in the back and surrounding the spine.

Happy Twisting & Detoxing to you all!

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 Helena Lucas

Yoga practice aims for internal balance. Fundamentally this involves optimisation of your endocrine system. Yoga postures and breathing techniques, in conjunction with meditation practices and chanting, stimulate your endocrine glands to enhance their functioning. This is achieved by internal massage on muscles and spine, by internal massage through sounds, by improving circulation, by stimulation of body areas which have connections to specific organs as demonstrated through reflexology techniques, focusing on chakras, and exercising the triple warmer muscles of your thorax.

Your endocrine system consists of glands that release chemical messages called ‘hormones’ to regulate your organism’s functions. Hormones are involved in growth and development, tissue function, metabolism (affecting weight regulation and hunger), and in your mood. They play a role in your experiencing relaxation or stress, pleasure or frustration, and fear or joy. Scientific experiments prove the relationship between our moods as reaction to external stimuli or circumstances, as with film themes, and hormone secretion. We know that hormonal imbalances affect our mood, and thus our decision-making, in undesirable ways. Consequences of our day-to-day choices will inevitably amount to change the direction of our lives. In this light, Yoga’s beneficial effect on our endocrine system is of paramount importance to all regardless of age or gender.

Your body ‘chakras’ or energy foci keep close relation with your internal glands that constitute your endocrine system. Yogis understand that when the pineal gland and the pituitary gland (or hypophysis) receive sufficient energy, they will channel impulses from the other endocrine glands in synchronicity to optimise rhythms for good health. Your pineal gland corresponds to your ‘third eye’ and is linked to your developing transcendental wisdom. Yoga meditation techniques powerfully stimulate this gland. Your pituitary gland, at the base of your brain, relates to inspiration and intuition. Its functioning is enhanced by The Archway yoga posture. A very pleasant practice to promote emotional balance through your endocrine system is the Kundalini Yoga Sat Nam (True Self) meditation exercise using breathing and chanting techniques.

Your thyroid gland, found below your larynx, or below Adam’s apple in men, is responsible for your body’s energy burning rate, and for your body’s sensitivity to other hormones. It produces the thyroid hormones Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3), involved in regulating your metabolism, and in the growth and rate of function of other bodily systems. It is controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. In Yoga, it is connected to your chakra visshudda, which relates to your communication skills. Your thyroid’s functions are directly linked to your mood. When this gland becomes overactive (hyperthyroidism) or underactive (hypothyroidism) we experience undesirable effects. Excessive thyroid hormonal secretion produces nervousness, irritability, excessive hunger, palpitations, laboured breathing and an abnormally fast digestion. An underactive thyroid results in our apathy and tiredness. The inverted yoga posture Head Stand greatly enhances the functioning of your thyroid gland by bringing an increased amount of blood to your throat area, resulting especially helpful in execution with the Breath of Fire in Kundalini Yoga. The Throat Lotus Kriya combines exercises with powerful yoga breathing techniques to work your thyroid and parathyroid glands.

The thymus gland, also part of your endocrine system and located under your breastbone, has a central role in keeping a strong immune system. In Yoga, it is connected to your anahata chakra, relating to your capacity for loving and opening up to others. The Throat Lotus Kriya also stimulates this gland.

Your adrenal glands, sitting above your kidneys, release hormones in conjunction to stress due to our fear or frustration, and also when hipoglucemia occurs. This results in the hyperactive state of ‘fight or flight’. If we don’t respond to this state through movement as intended by its bodily mechanism then we enter a state of stress. These glands of your endocrine system are connected to your manipura chakra relating to power-seeking, perseverance and will-power. The Camel yoga posture enhances blood flow through your suprarenal glands.

Your gonads secrete sex hormones and affect your vitality.They connect with your svadisthana chakra in relation to pleasure, creativity and joy of life. Yoga exercises and meditation are of help to men and women experiencing changes in hormonal levels due to aging. Women dealing with the perimenopause or menopause find relief from stress, and production of stress hormones by their bodies is reduced. Yoga’s inverted postures, as the Downward Facing Dog, direct blood towards our pineal, pituitary, thyroid and hypothalamus glands. This can help stabilise severe hormonal fluctuations. It is important here to note contraindications to yoga’s inverted postures for people with high blood pressure, hyperactive thyroid, Graves disease, glaucoma, and detached retina. If this includes you, please be sure to consult with a professional for evaluation and advice.

The invaluable benefits to be experienced through our mood and stability by engaging in yoga practice are not to be dismissed by anyone who wishes to enhance their well-being. This holds regardless of your present condition. You will undoubtedly enrich your life through these simple techniques, be it to elevate your wellness to an even higher level, or to mark the start of a rising stage that promotes healing and comfort. Whatever your situation, yoga will lead your way to unprecedented well-being.

Helena Lucas is qualified in psychology and is engaged in the practice of alternative healing techniques and treatments. She has travelled throughout Europe and Africa to care for rescued chimpanzees in primate sanctuaries, always sharing her bed with her two cats Fairy and Aisha on board. Be it in jungle or metropolis, Helena greets each sunrise through Yoga for strength and motivation. To open your life to ancient techniques that will have you shining in no time visit http://yogainyourlife.com.

By Helena Lucas

My greatest sources of joy are spending time with my cats, living in the ever watching jungle, belly-dancing, ballet and rock-climbing. I studied Psychology at …

What qualities do you long to perceive in yourself? Do you feel that you can only change ‘that’ much of you? If this is so, you are not yet familiar with the fundamental truth of Yoga: “The body is the temple of the spirit, conceived in the image of its maker”. Through consistent yoga practice, students soon become aware of the infinite power and beauty of their own individual body. Indeed others around will be quick to perceive “something different” in you- be sure to share your secret with them. Yoga’s breathing, stretching and meditation exercises promote optimal physical and mental health that shows.

Yoga’s ingenious postures trigger positive changes in your metabolism and functioning of your endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, and urinary systems by direct stimulation of organs and glands. The Shoulder Stand stimulates your thyroid gland, having an important direct positive effect on weight regulation. Yoga breathing techniques (pranayama) are designed to trigger burning of excess body fat, to enhance detoxification processes and expulsion of toxins through our breath, and prove extremely effective for tension-relief, promoting a relaxed state and elevated awareness. Charismatic people transmit beauty through this irresistible combination of positivity, humility and self-confidence.

Positive changes in your mood and stability, and improved well-being, are essential factors contributing to your choice of foods that have a desirable effect on your organism and keep a healthy chemical balance in your brain. Awareness of your body’s response to different foods is crucial in unmasking food allergies that place an unnecessary burden on your organism.

Toning of your muscles from head to toes is achieved in yoga by holding poses for extended time durations (as with the Locust for firming your legs, the Bust Exercise for firming and developing your chest and bust, or the Bow for firming flabby areas of your back), by attaining postures in slow motion (as with the Slow Motion Firming for intensive firming of the abdomen and thighs), and by executing fast paced routines in a rhythmic flow to encourage flux and reposition of somatic energies (as with the Sun Salutations). Yoga breathing techniques are extremely powerful in developing your abdominal wall.

As well as working on your figure, yoga exercises promote beauty of your complexion, as does the Lion by firming the muscles of your face and neck, and healthy appearance of your hair, as does the Scalp Exercise. Still, yoga goes further to enhance your beauty. Its techniques, inspired to some degree by stretches seen in our feline friends, will impart unprecedented flexibility to your spine, and this you can maintain throughout your life. An ancient yogic adage claims “You are as young as your spine is flexible”. As you develop an erect posture and gain poise and balance in your movement through yoga exercises like Rishi’s Posture or the Dancer’s Posture, you will feel a youthful spring return beauty to your movements, this blended with growing confidence and stability.

In terms of evolutionary theory it makes perfect sense: healthy in and out is beautiful, the law of the fittest. It is no secret that a great part of admired personalities turn to yoga practice and meditation for health, beauty, inspiration and clarity and alertness of the mind. You too owe yourself to embarque on this journey to your unprecedented wellness.

Helena Lucas is qualified in psychology and is engaged in the practice of alternative healing techniques and treatments. She has travelled throughout Europe and Africa to care for rescued chimpanzees in primate sanctuaries, always sharing her bed with her two cats Fairy and Aisha on board. Be it in jungle or metropolis, Helena greets each sunrise through Yoga for strength and motivation. To open your life to ancient techniques that will have you shining in no time visit http://yogainyourlife.com

By Tara Hawks

If you are new to yoga, you may have different ideas of what it is all about. You have seen people doing impossible looking poses and you may have wondered if you could do that. You may have also wondered what yoga can do for your body. How is it beneficial to your health?

Health is more than being free of illness. We need to think about health as a positive state of being. To be full of health is more than a well functioning body and mind. It is to have vitality and be connected and aware of your environment. Part of being healthy is happiness as well.

No one has perfect health all the time, in fact perfect health is a fleeting image. Even a small paper cut will throw your health out of balance because your body will react to the injury. By practicing yoga regularly you will create the best conditions in your body for self-healing. You will help to boost your immune system for better health and faster healing.

Yoga doesn’t cure, it promotes healing. Many times our illness or injury and the healing of those takes place in the mind and in the way you live. Yoga promotes self understanding and thereby allows your body to heal itself.

Most people do not take an active part in their health. They wait until a problem arises then run to the doctor for a pill to fix them. Yoga helps you to take control of your health, not by self diagnosis but by learning to be responsible for your well being. Doctors believe that a patient who takes an active part in the healing process has a much better prognosis than one who relies on modern medicine to provide a cure. For instance a doctor can treat digestive problems with medications for the rest of your life, but if you eat better, get enough rest, exercise and reduce stress there is a good chance you can be medication free.

While you may never run a marathon or achieve a perfect dance pose, you can greatly increase your health and well being by regularly practicing yoga. Yoga helps to focus your mind and a focused mind can help shape your body! The mind is powerful and what we think we can become.

You can learn to do yoga by attending a beginning yoga class or rent a video from the library. The Nintendo Wii Fit has a great yoga program that forces your body to stay balance. There are a lot of different options and making it a game can be a fun alternative.

Find the yoga method that fits you, but keep a few things in mind:

Don’t expect health from junk food. You need good fuel for the best performance!

Don’t expect something from nothing. You need to work a good program to get optimum results.

Don’t expect other people to make you happy. You are in control of your emotions. No one can make you feel a certain way. You make the choice to feel that way.

Don’t expect good results from poor yoga practice. You need to stay focused and in control of your body.

Yoga can improve your flexibility, mental clarity, and sense of well being. Don’t we all want to feel peace in our lives again?

Tara enjoys all kinds of exercise. She realizes the importance of keeping her body healthy naturally. She writes about her findings on her blog, Healty Immunity.

By Watham Zenith Chanu and Vikram Chauhan

The meaning of Yoga is to connect the Soul with God. Moksha (Salvation), freedom from all types of pain by living a balanced life is the ultimate goal of Yoga. Doing away with mundane and trivial desires arising in the mind is Yoga.

Yoga is a technique through which man exercised control over his physical and mental being, to attain hitherto unachieved states of bliss and to be able to conjecture on God or The Supreme Soul, the Parmatma, and to dwell upon the creation and existence of this world. Yoga offers a path to final Salvation as well as a more temporal kind, temporal in terms of relieving unhappiness, the kind that certainly results from poor health.

The practice or process of Yoga are very beneficial for the maintenance of health. It helps to maintain both physical and mental health, which cannot be done by either taking pills or drinking potions. Yoga helps one overcome mental depression as well as attain equilibrium between body and soul. It increases the capacity to work and benefits the brain by increasing retention power and memory.

Yoga is known as Astanga or eight-faceted Yoga and these eight facets are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.

Yama: It stands for Ahimsa, benevolence to all living beings, respect and tolerance and objectivity in all feeling, doing and observing.

Satya (Truth): One must always speak and think truthfully.

Asteya (Abstaining from Stealing): One who overcomes such act is showered with precious stones.

Brahmacharya (Celibacy): It is when the mind fuses with the Parabrahma or the highest level of consciousness. Brahmacharya would include doing away with: thinking about sexual partners, singing about attractions, about ladies, meeting, interacting with other potential partners, other ladies, coitus and voyeurism, viewing entertainment with titillating content, reading books or discussing or viewing material with pornographic content, and Kriya Nispathi.

Rutu Kala: One must not indulge physically with any other than one’s lawfully wedded wife or husband and that too only during Rutu Kala, the period which starts on the fourth day after menstruation and ends on the sixteenth.

Aparigraha: Although enjoyable, many things we do and are addicted to, such as some of the foods that we eat, are not good for us and must be given up.

Niyama: It encompasses the five concepts of Cleanliness, Contentment, Penance, Swadhyaya and Ishwari Pranidhana.

Santoshadanuttama Sukha Labha; to be truly happy and contented is a state of mind.

Vidhinoktera Margena Kricchra Chandra Yanadibhi:|

Sareera Soshanam Prahu Stapa Sasta Pa Uttanam||

This advocates leading an austere life.

Karyendrisiddhirasuddhi Kshaya Staasa:|

Practice the Vedas and Mantras of which the Gayatri Mantra is the root, strictly in accordance to the procedure prescribed in the Shastras.

Kamatos Kamatospi Yatkaromisubhasubhi|

Tatsarvam Twayivinyasya Twatparata Yuktaha karomyoham||

One should devote one’s soul to God and dedicate one’s work to Him regardless of whether one’s work brings any material gains.

Samadhi Siddhirswareeswara Pranidhanath|

By practicing Yama and Niyama and the Asanas of Yoga, one is able to gain control of one’s body, mind and soul, and thereby gain control over disease.

When the focus of practice is on the Antaratma, the inner spirit of the soul, it is called Hathayoga, and when this focus is on the Atma or one’s own mentality, it is called Rajayoga.

To sum up, the Yoga Asanas help to condition the body, the mind and the soul so that one can overcome impervious to disease, but before Asanas may be practice, a suitable state of mental readiness must be achieved.

The practice of Yoga involves the imposition of considerable self-discipline in one’s diet and in the activities one pursues. A Satvic diet is advocated for those who wish to take up Yoga as a practice. The practitioner’s diet must consist of foods that are healthy and provide strength and well-being, foods of the quality comparable to those that are offered to Gods.

Yoga may be practiced at various levels, and so, it is a beneficial activity. The place for practicing Yogasanas must be clean and airy but not windy. It should not be performed in an unclean or offensive smell area and also never on the roof or in a basement.

Before the conclusion of the session, the practitioner should have work up a light sweat. At this stage, he or she should rub down the perspiration on the body itself before bathing. At the conclusion of a session of Yogasanas, the body should not be exposed to breeze for at least an hour, otherwise it will sap strength. Perspiration should be rubbed down on the body itself, before a bath in tepid or hot water. One should not be on a fast or without nourishment when practicing Yoga. Yoga practitioners should respect and obey God, their elders, the Gurus and parents.

The practice of Yoga is beneficial for all ages and genders, from the time when a child is about eight years old. Practice of Yoga is not advised for pregnant women. Regular practice of Yogasanas rejuvenates the body. It gives relief to ailments of both the body and the mind.

Asanas in Yoga and their Benefits:

The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara):

A proper starting point for the practice of Yoga is the Surya Namaskara or a salutation to the sun. The Sun Salutation provides happiness to the body, the mind and the senses. It is good for the heart. The regular performer will live long, be hale and hearty, with a strong and a sturdy body and keen intellect.

Kurmasana:

This exercise will reduce the formation of phlegm in the chest and throat. It is also beneficial for the heart, lungs and the cardiovascular system, besides strengthening the chest and the back.

Padmasana:

It improves the consciousness and the intellect, and brings about mental stability. On the physical level, it will reduce the fat in the thighs.

Sarvangasana:

This exercise stimulates the thyroid glands and the genitalia of both males and females. It is also useful in conditions of haemorrhoids, hernias and menstrual disorder. But it is not to be practiced by people suffering from cervical spondylitis.

Matsyasana:

It provides benefits to sufferers of bronchial asthma and Diabetes Mellitus.

Bhujangasana:

This exercise is good for developing the ligaments of the back and beneficial for the sufferers of backache. It also benefits those with cough and respiratory disease, besides ridding the body of fat or adipose tissue around the abdomen.

Dhanurasana:

This exercise is meant for the relief of stomach disorders and to improve digestion.

Shirsasana:

This exercise, which culminates in a headstand, enhances blood supply to the brain, besides providing a high level of conditioning to the body. It stimulates the thyroid and pituitary glands and is good for relieving a condition known as orchitis, as well as dysfunction connected with virility. It enhances blood flow to the brain and so benefits all brain functions. But it is not to be practiced by people suffering from high blood pressure, otitis media and eye diseases.

Shavasana:

It is good for relieving alleviated levels of blood pressure, inducing sleep and maintaining a tranquil state of mind, and creating a sense of peace.

Vajrasana:

It provides the benefits of relieving stiffness in the knees and legs and in relieving oedema.

Hansasana:

It improves digestion, relieve constipation and stimulates the pancrease, this exercise helps the wrist joints to relax and strengthens the arms.

Mayurasana:

This exercise promates abdominal secretions, relieves indigestion and digestive disorders and conditions the muscles of the abdomen.

Pavanamuktasana:

It relieve constipation and digestive complications.

Sputa Vajrasana:

This exercise brings relief to stiffness and pain in the back and the joints.

Chakrasana:

This serves to stimulate the nervous system, and also provides benefits for conditions of asthma, constipation and diabetes. But it should not to be practiced by people suffering from stomach ulcers, slipped discs and heart disease.

Swasthikasana:

This helps the lower limbs to shed fat while removing stiffness in them. It is also good for the stimulation of the circulatory system and the mind.

Bhadrasana:

It shapes the thighs and is beneficial for the bladder and the genitor-urinary system.

Simhasana:

This is an exercise for the throat, the salivary glands and for sufferers of tonsillitis.

Siddhasana:

It is a classic pose for meditation adopted by multitudes of sages over the years.

Kukkutasana:

It is helpful for those suffering from constipation and retention of urine.

Gomukhasana:

This exercise is beneficial for the spinal cord, in treatment for abdominal disease and it aids in digestion.

Facets of Yoga (Samadhi):

This is the eighth facet of Yoga, enabling the practitioner to reach a state from which salvation is possible. This is the ultimate objective of the practice of Yoga. Samadhi can take two forms:

Samprajnata Samadhi: Samadhi achieved by spurning attachments to the material world is called Savikalpa or Samprajnata Samadhi.

Asamprajnata Samadhi: It is the point of conclusion, when the mind dissociates from the material world, all the afflictions vanish along with image, sight and senses.

Classification of Yoga:

There are a number of ways of developing consciousness. All are Yoga of one sort or another. They may be classified as:

1. Jnanayoga: Attaining realization through knowledge.

2. Karmayoga: Attaining realization through action.

3. Bhaktiyoga: Attaining realization through devotion.

4. Mantrayoga: Attaining realization through Mantra.

5. Rajayoga: Attaining realization through meditation.

6. Hathayoga: Attaining realization through practice and meditation.

Thus, with Yoga, both mental efficiency and activity improve. Yoga preserves and protects health by producing antibodies in the blood and by regulating the mind.

In the modern world, with pollution in air and water and declining nutrition in foods due to adulteration and synthetic production, health threats abound. Yoga and meditation are proven to have beneficial effects on health and this is gaining worldwide recognition and popularity.

http://www.planetayurveda.com for more information contact Dr. Vikram Chauhan http://planetayurveda.com