Archive for the ‘Yoga Lifestyle’ Category

By Dave Teitler

How to understand the real purpose of practicing yoga:

After practicing and teaching karate and tai chi for many years, I was drawn to yoga in my quest for a spiritual connection. First it was from books, then from videos and finally I started visiting local yoga studios in search of a teacher. In the beginning of my practice I was concentrating on the physical practice, and was not sure where I was going with it. I just loved the feeling of stretching and twisting my body into various postures. Soon I was addicted to the quest for perfect postures. At that point I found my teacher Alan Finger and my emphasis began to change. I realized that the physical practice was primarily meant for developing the strength of mind and body necessary to sit in meditation for at least 20 minutes and that the side effects of the physical practice like discipline, flexibility calmness and strength were secondary.

Ancient civilizations realized this and developed the Eighth Fold Path of yoga consisting of Yamas, (rules to live your life by) Niyamas, (methods of purifying the body) Pranayamas (breathing exercises for energy cultivation) Asana (physical postures) Pratyhara (withdrawal of the senses) and the three stages of meditation consisting of concentration, merging of the meditator with the object of concentration and Samadhi (realization of the true self). Real yoga was the practice of all eight paths. Just paying attention to the asana wont give you a clear picture of where your practice is going. The true test of your whole development takes place in your daily activities. Yoga aims at achieving a human beings highest state of development.

It is said by a Taoist that upon birth ones soul splits apart. Half going to the heart chakra and half going to heaven. Our lives, if we are in touch with ourselves, are based on our innate desire to bring the two halves of the soul together. In order to do that we need a modality such as yoga to open us up to our possibilities. Our lives begin to change and we slowly change the way we navigate our daily activities. This is purpose of yoga. Anyone who has natural flexibility can do yoga postures, however it takes someone who feels the calling of the soul to transcend the limited world we live in and live a life of ethics, morality, love and compassion, being thankful of each new day.

http://www.realyoga.org/

By Michelle Marie Chant

All you need is a comfortable space to place your yoga mat…preferably just over an inch thick to protect the median nerve in the wrist joint.

Sit down in a crossed leg position with the sit bones rooting to the floor…As you push down through your sit bones, lift up, through the entire torso….Visualize the top of the head reaching toward the ceiling. Draw your shoulder blades into your back. Broaden your collar bones, spreading the chest muscles without pushing your front ribs forward. Pull your belly up and in toward the spine… With each inhalation expand through your front ribs as if you had a balloon in the belly. With each exhalation contract your belly, working the abdominal muscles to keep your lower back lifting out of the hips as you sit. Hold this for 5 to 10 minutes or until you feel like you are struggling to stay lifted. Avoid any compression through the low back and use a blanket or pillow to sit up on if the exercise alone is challenging for you. You would also benefit from the aid of a prop if your knees are not able to drop toward the floor, which is an indication of extremely tight hips and/ or hamstrings. Lifting yourself up onto a prop will help you to feel much more at ease in the pose.

The beauty of yoga is that we do what we can, when we can. It is your time with you…Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. We all have good days and bad days and part of yoga is heightening the internal awareness so that we embrace exactly where we are today.

Staying seated in this position, drop the head toward the floor gently and roll the neck side to side… Do this for a few breathes or until your feel like your ready for the next pose..Let each breathe initiate each movement and not the reverse. Stay connected with the breathe. If you lose the breathe, stop, and reconnect.

Next inhale the arms up over your head, interlace them with the palm of the hands toward the ceiling. Hold this for 5-15 breaths. Release the fingers and reach the torso forward, folding out front until you feel a stretch in the hips and lower back. Hold for 5-15 breaths. Reach to the left, hold for 5 breaths, and reach to the right, hold for 5 breaths. Bring the arms back to the center, begin to flatten the back and bring the arms back in toward the shins until your back to a seated, upright position.

Come to the hands and knees on your mat. Bring the wrists directly under the shoulders, and the knees directly below the hips. Begin to round the back, seperating the shoulder blades, and then reverse the motion, drawing the shoulder blades down the back, lifting the tail bone and then top of the head simultaneously. Do this for 2 minutes or until the muscles that house the spine begin to feel warm and more elastic.

With the spine neutral and back to the hands and the knees, curl the toes, lift the hips and move into downward facing dog. Allow the knees to be slightly bent and shift the weight back into the legs. Move the shoulder blades down the back, and squeeze the arms into the ears. Continue to lengthen the spine and gentle start to work the top of the thighs, dropping the heels toward the floor, without forcing… Hold for 5- 10 breaths and come down to the floor, resting into “child’s pose”… (knees to the floor, hips drop back into the heels, arms rest along your sides). Continue this until you feel like you need rest and try again…

You are on your way to a yoga practice! Each day you will feel like you can hold each pose a little bit longer. Stay present with the breath. The breathe is the single most important component to the practice.

There are several books and videos to help ease you into your practice.

Michelle Marie Chant is an Exercise physiologist B.S., that has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 10 yrs. She has been in the fitness industry for two decades and feels yoga has been extremely instrumental in encompassing the intensity of her favorite workouts yet focusing equally on creating balance in the body and peace in the mind. And… as we get older, we learn to appreciate this concept! Feel free to contact Michelle at michellemariedesigns@verizon.net  with any questions.

By Keira Benson

So, why should I do yoga? I don’t have time to fit any more into my busy life.

1. Yoga works in a holistic way, that is, it addresses the whole body, improving the entire structure.

By working with physical movements known as postures or ‘asana’, we can improve the range of movement within our joints, increasing both suppleness and strength. Tight muscles can restrict our movements and cause structural strain; tightness in the hips can put pressure on the knees and the restriction of short hamstrings can put the lower back at risk.

Strong muscles help to support and bring stability to our joints, especially the spine, which is a common site of strain.

Yoga postures take the spine through its full range of movements in a precise, controlled way, which can be extremely beneficial in releasing postural back pain.

Taking joints through their full range of movement keeps them healthy and can even help to prevent against degenerative arthritis.

2. Our breathing capacity can be increased through yoga.

It focuses on the breath by encouraging a relaxed ’steady’ breathing during the physical postures and, in particular, during relaxation at the end of the class.

Dedicated breathing exercises can also be taught during the class. All of these techniques help to improve lung function and reduce stress.

3. Yoga can also bring us a sense of calm and relaxation.

It can help to minimise stress by shifting the emphasis from the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response, to the parasympathetic nervous system, which brings the body back into balance.

By staying focused on our breath and our physical movements, we can also switch off from the constant fluctuations of the mind.

This is why yoga is a holistic practice; bringing together enhanced physical well-being and improved breathing with a quiet, restful mind.

There are many different forms of yoga available, some of the most common being:

Hatha – The practice of mental and physical cleansing through postures (asana) and breathing (pranayama).

Ashtanga – The exploration of postures, breath control and concentration.

Sivananda – A flowing style, which includes breath control, meditation, postures, chanting and relaxation.

Yin – A practice that combines traditional Hatha postures with Taoist philosophy and Meridian Theory. It works with the feminine energy of the body and affects the deep layers of connective tissue, utilising long passive holds.

All forms of yoga come from the same root and are, therefore, relatively interchangeable, so an hour-long class once or twice a week in any of the disciplines will quickly start to work wonders on both your physical and mental well being.

This article may be reproduced providing a hard link to the site in the resource box is retained.

Keira Benson found yoga last year after a two-year battle with a shoulder injury and has seen huge improvements since she began regular classes.

For more information about yoga in Southend-on-Sea, visit: http://www.shambhalastudios.com

or email: wellbeing@shambhalastudios.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 Sally Janssen

It is important for the human psyche to have a concept or perceptions of our origin and our ultimate life destination. This motivates the study of psychology.

What is missing in the more material purposes of western psychology, are the components of the soul and spirit of a human being. Yet the spiritual life purpose is as important as a material one. It is a Truth to be sought and remains one of the main focal points for Vedic scholars and philosophers as for the genuine seeker for understanding of human being.

Although Indian scholars of Vedic lore will be capable of more profound discussions of psychology and analyses of human nature, most of us wish to use the tenets of Raja Yoga philosophy and teachings to help us towards the spiritual goal by relying upon the three simplest definitions of the psyche as an adjunct to what is already known to us through western psychology.

Consideration of these components serves to guide us through the labyrinth of information about the human mind and personality to illumine a clear path towards a higher destination. This spiritual path or Marga is known and highly regarded as that of kingly purpose in discovering life’s truth, hence its name Raja Yoga. However, it is a royal status that must be earned.

There are many successful exponents of Hatha Yoga who have achieved good health and balanced nature through the practices concentrating upon the body. Those who by nature have directed a strong stream of emotional development towards devotion rather than self satisfaction have succeeded in the spirit of Bhakti no matter what religious ideas they use to channel their full devotional energy – or if they follow no formal spiritual system at all. Those who explore the realities of human nature and are motivated by a search for truth are practising Raja Yoga and will find much to discover.

The simple tenets of Raja Yoga direct us to learn all we can of the three clear spheres and functions of human intelligence. They have been similarly identified by wise philosophers and leaders of mankind throughout the ages. Recognition followed by study of these three aspects of ourselves allows us in time, to integrate them.

Personality – consisting of the body and brain, emotions, and thoughts

Soul – the inhabiting intelligence, wisdom or sum-total of life experience

Spirit – the spark of life that links us with the Divine light, power and energy that has created and animates all living forms – and has entrusted us with the gift of life and free will.

Sally Janssen is a writer, and Yoga teacher well known both in Australia and abroad for her skill in demonstration of the Hatha Yoga practices and her wisdom in applying the principles of Raja Yoga -the study of the mind and consciousness. More details at http://www.essence-of-yoga.net

Her book “Mental Fitness: A Complete Self-help Guide” explains the principles of mental fitness that can be applied by us all. The book may be found here: http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog

By Santosh Dhanaji Patil

Yoga and India aren’t strangers, yet we find Yoga’s popularity suddenly spiking after it’s embraced by the west. It has become the thing to do to be fit with celebrities swearing by it. It is as if Yoga is a ‘novel’ concept or is reinvented by the west. After it has become the ‘in’ thing, there are two sets of people- the ones who do it and others who don’t. Most of people who do it, adopt yoga for life while the others don’t want to do it because of the myths around it or don’t know how.

Here, we will try to break the common myths about yoga.

Myth no.1: Yoga is only for the young and fit.

“Yoga takes care of the complete well being of a person. It doesn’t have an age barrier and can be done by anyone who is over the age of 12″ says Meena Joshi, a yoga instructor with degree from Kalidas University. Yoga in fact is good for the problems that come with old age like arthritis, blood pressure; it helps us to age well and improve immunity.

Myth no.2: You have to be really flexible to do Yoga.flexibilty and yoga

Most common images associated with yoga are of people either standing on the head or being fixed in positions you wouldn’t dream of reaching. But don’t fret, they might be pro at yoga but “one of the basic principle of yoga is ‘Shanai, Shanai’ or ‘take it slowly’. You aren’t expected to touch your toes or twist your neck in the beginning. Do only what you are comfortable with. There is no ‘ideal’ level of flexibility; it differs from person to person” she says.

Myth no.3: Yoga provides magical cures

Just starting yoga and expecting all the ailments to vanish isn’t going to work. Yoga is very good for maintaining good health and taking care of the nervous system. But you really have to be consistent to reap all the benefits of yoga. So don’t put away your medication as soon as you start yoga, take proper medical guidance before doing so.

Myth no.4: Doing yoga is all about spiritualism

Yoga and spiritualism – Though Yoga was founded by the rishis, it is not bounded by religion nor has it to be adopted only by those interested in spirituality. Yoga can be adopted by anybody with or without religious inclination. Yoga can provide the much needed relaxation and peace in today’s hectic lifestyle. So, yoga is more relevant for you and me than a person already away from every day cares.

Myth no.5: Only women do Yoga

Even though most of the followers of yoga may be the women, yoga is definitely also for men. If you observe, most of the famous practitioners or instructors they all are men. If men feel yoga is only about some postures and for flexibility, they should remember that yoga has so much to offer men like strengthening and toning muscles, relaxing and releasing stress.

Myth no 6: Yoga should only be done in the morning

You would be able to reap the best results of yoga if you do it in the morning. But if your schedule is what’s stopping you from practicing it in the morning, don’t worry. You can practice yoga at whatever time of the day as per your convenience but make sure you practice it after at least 2 hours of meals.

Myth no. 7: Asanas + Prananyam = Yoga

Relaxation and yoga – Though it is partly correct, Yoga is much more than Asanas or postures. Postures along with breathing exercises definitely improve your health and lifestyle but they are not the ultimate destination of yoga. “The aim is to have better self understanding and gain self acceptance. There are eight components of Yoga- Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahaar,dharana, dhyaan and samadhi which look into overall lifestyle and even behavior. These aspects have not been focused upon a lot by the teachers but it wrong to reduce yoga to fitness” Meena Joshi strongly believes.

Myth no.8: Learning Yoga is boring

If meditation and postures make you believe that yoga is boring and serious. Then it is not so. You will get plenty of laughs when stretch all you might, you don’t reach the toes. The serious expression on people’s faces while concentrating is also a cause to laugh out loud. In some classes, they have incorporated ‘hasya yoga’ or laughter yoga as part of the yoga classes, it starts with chuckles and giggles and then into belly laughs. It acts very well to reduce stress and break the serious mood.

Now that most of the myths are broken, you can try yoga for better health. Even if it doesn’t lead to immediate weight loss, it is definitely a good way to gain flexibility, fitness, improve immunity and relieve stress.