Several of the most effective poses are the standing positions. They provide superior stretching of the muscles and they have recognizable effects on the speed and efficiency of the nervous system. Most standing poses manage to enhance the asanas and they offer you an increased opportunity of mastering equilibrium, both physical and mental. In the following paragraphs we will take a look at two of the most significant standing poses, the Mountain pose and the Triangle pose.
The mountain pose (known as the Tadasana) got its name from a number of defining properties that share the symbols of the mountain. The pose benefits from a high level of relaxed strength and a sense of invulnerability. Very like a mountain, the person practicing this pose will be surrounded by tranquillity and will feel a heightened impression of balance. The clarity and profound vision offered by this pose permit you to go deeper in your inner emotions and unite with your inner self on a very deep level.
The mountain pose is achieved by placing the heels slightly apart, so that toes are parallel. Carry out a back and forth rocking movement on your toes and slowly come to a complete stop. Raise the ankles in order to consolidate the pose while also tightening the leg muscles. Thrust your tailbone towards the floor while lifting your pelvic area towards the navel. Your arms should be resting near your body while you are pushing your shoulder blades backwards.
The clear-cut positive effects of the mountain pose made it the basis of many other poses. Tadasana implies that the practicing yogi has to discover the meaning of balance and stillness before progressing further. For this reason, the mountain pose is one of the best ways to connect with your inner emotions while uncovering the subtle ways of yoga. The energy channels of the mountain pose traverse your whole body, following the spine, from the back of the neck and on towards the legs.
The next significant standing pose is the Triangle pose, or the Trikonasana. This comparatively easy pose has a satisfactory stretching effect on the spine, giving it a good lateral motion that complements the stretching of alternate forward poses. The straightness of the knees is essential while performing this pose, as this will allow your movements to be fluent and to stretch all the targeted muscles and organs. Bending to the left and right needs to be done gradually and fluently. This is one of the yoga poses that is good for providing the foundation for the next levels of postures, which are more advanced and harder to perform. The stimulation of the spinal nerves is also useful and it improves complete body flexibility.
In order to enjoy the full advantage of the triangle pose you have to position your body properly. Your feet have to be spread apart while you are pointing to your toes. Try to alternate the pointing motion from your left foot to your right one while keeping a constant rhythm and perfect balance. After you extend your arms parallel to the floor you should breathe in deeply, allowing the energy to reinforce your movements. While exhaling aim to execute a slight bend to either left or right while sliding your hand down your foot. This motion requires a lot of flexibility in the lower back muscles area, so a good warm up session is completely essential before attempting the triangle. Yogis who try this pose often notice the sensation of a lighter body, joined with a feeling of mild warmth in the stretched muscles.
To find out how yoga can be beneficial for you, check out http://www.infoaboutyoga.com.
Showing posts with label Ankles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ankles. Show all posts
February 26, 2009
February 25, 2009
Yoga for Life
No matter what your current level of fitness; you can do, and you can benefit from, yoga.
You don?t need to renounce your religion, be able to tie yourself in knots or hold your breath for ten minutes. All you need is a desire to improve your physical and mental health ? and a good guru to guide you.
The word ?guru? is the combination of two Sanskrit words: ?gu? meaning darkness; and ?ru? meaning light. Enjoy this journey from the darkness to the light.
Yoga is a wonderful and relaxing way to lower your stress, increase strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and ability to concentrate.
People who practice yoga can retain full range of motion and excellent balance into their 90?s and beyond. I can?t stress enough how valuable that is to quality of life.
To give you some idea, think of all the falls not taken, backs not wrenched and ankles not sprained or broken. With good range of motion and the balance to adjust to life?s little missteps, you are less likely to fall and, even if you do, you are less likely to suffer serious injury.
When anyone asks me how to come back to exercise after an injury or depression or many years as a couch potato, I recommend they begin walking and sign up for a beginner?s yoga class.
When a fit exerciser hits a plateau and asks me what they can do to provide new challenges and take their body to the next level, I again suggest yoga.
Yoga is one of the world?s oldest exercise disciplines, having been practiced continually for over 5,000 years. That certainly says a lot for its content.
It is interesting to note how many ?new? disciplines borrow from, or are even based on, classical yoga. Floor Pilates should probably be named ?Pilates Yoga?. It incorporates many classic yoga poses or ?asanas? and emphasizes deep breathing coordinated with the movements, as well as development of the body?s ?core? ? all ideas central to the practice of yoga.
If you have any exercise experience, you might be surprised to learn how many of the moves you?ve picked up in various classes actually come from Hatha Yoga ? the most common form of yoga practiced in the West.
Almost all of those stretches at the end of a typical aerobics class come directly from yoga. The child?s pose (garbh-asana) is sitting on your heels with head down and back rounded ? and it is sooo relaxing.
On hands and knees, you would probably recognize the cat back (marjari-asana) and the table (svan-asana). And what about all those wonderful twists to release the spine: seated twist (matsyendr-asana); and the knee down twist (supta matsyendr-asana).
These are the same stretches orthopedists recommend for back pain linked to stress or disuse. Lying on your back, you might recognize the knee squeeze (pavana mukt-asana) and standing, the stretch tall (tad-asana).
So it seems, you can learn a lot of yoga moves by taking a variety of exercise classes. You might ask, ?Why then should I take yoga classes??
My answer is that ?doing? the poses can be quite different from doing them correctly. The coordinated breathing, the sustaining of poses and the concentration that are so integral to yoga are not likely to be achieved in a general exercise class.
Yoga teaches deep diaphragmatic breathing in tempo with each movement. Focusing on breathing allows you to transition smoothly from asana to asana and helps the muscles and joints to achieve greater range of motion.
In yoga, you will never bounce or force a stretch. You will be coached to go to your point of resistance, breathe in deeply, and stretch a tiny bit further on the exhale. You relax into the stretch; never force it.
Focusing on breathing into each asana serves yet another purpose. It takes you away from your day-to-day concerns. Once you get into your yoga zone, you will be amazed at how light you feel, how relaxed and how focused. And then, ironically, when you complete your workout and come back to earth, you will feel invigorated and energized.
Anyone undergoing a life transition or under any kind of stress (whether negative or positive) can benefit from getting away from it all and into their yoga zone where they feel calm, centered and focused. It?s a lot less expensive and easier to schedule than a vacation!
Many asanas combine the stretching of one muscle and the contraction of an opposing muscle. This is why yoga is often recommended for well-muscled athletes. Muscle building alone results in imbalances between opposing muscles. To maintain flexibility, body builders should make sure they are getting enough proper stretching work.
Very little equipment is needed to begin yoga. Your clothing should be comfortable but close-fitting so that you can observe your form. As you focus on proper breathing you want to be able to see your diaphragm moving in and out. Yoga can be done barefoot but, for sanitary reasons, most people now prefer to wear yoga socks.
Likewise, yoga can be done on a bare floor but most people prefer to use a mat. It is not just for sanitation that mats and socks have become so popular. Many poses are sustained and at first may feel awkward and difficult to maintain. The non-slip socks and mat provide the optimal surface. Further, your portable yoga surface will be the same no matter where you take your class, making it easier to perform consistently and progress rapidly.
By: Jean Bowler. For more articles about exercise for the boomer generation, visit http://www.ageless-beauty.com/exercise.html
You don?t need to renounce your religion, be able to tie yourself in knots or hold your breath for ten minutes. All you need is a desire to improve your physical and mental health ? and a good guru to guide you.
The word ?guru? is the combination of two Sanskrit words: ?gu? meaning darkness; and ?ru? meaning light. Enjoy this journey from the darkness to the light.
Yoga is a wonderful and relaxing way to lower your stress, increase strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and ability to concentrate.
People who practice yoga can retain full range of motion and excellent balance into their 90?s and beyond. I can?t stress enough how valuable that is to quality of life.
To give you some idea, think of all the falls not taken, backs not wrenched and ankles not sprained or broken. With good range of motion and the balance to adjust to life?s little missteps, you are less likely to fall and, even if you do, you are less likely to suffer serious injury.
When anyone asks me how to come back to exercise after an injury or depression or many years as a couch potato, I recommend they begin walking and sign up for a beginner?s yoga class.
When a fit exerciser hits a plateau and asks me what they can do to provide new challenges and take their body to the next level, I again suggest yoga.
Yoga is one of the world?s oldest exercise disciplines, having been practiced continually for over 5,000 years. That certainly says a lot for its content.
It is interesting to note how many ?new? disciplines borrow from, or are even based on, classical yoga. Floor Pilates should probably be named ?Pilates Yoga?. It incorporates many classic yoga poses or ?asanas? and emphasizes deep breathing coordinated with the movements, as well as development of the body?s ?core? ? all ideas central to the practice of yoga.
If you have any exercise experience, you might be surprised to learn how many of the moves you?ve picked up in various classes actually come from Hatha Yoga ? the most common form of yoga practiced in the West.
Almost all of those stretches at the end of a typical aerobics class come directly from yoga. The child?s pose (garbh-asana) is sitting on your heels with head down and back rounded ? and it is sooo relaxing.
On hands and knees, you would probably recognize the cat back (marjari-asana) and the table (svan-asana). And what about all those wonderful twists to release the spine: seated twist (matsyendr-asana); and the knee down twist (supta matsyendr-asana).
These are the same stretches orthopedists recommend for back pain linked to stress or disuse. Lying on your back, you might recognize the knee squeeze (pavana mukt-asana) and standing, the stretch tall (tad-asana).
So it seems, you can learn a lot of yoga moves by taking a variety of exercise classes. You might ask, ?Why then should I take yoga classes??
My answer is that ?doing? the poses can be quite different from doing them correctly. The coordinated breathing, the sustaining of poses and the concentration that are so integral to yoga are not likely to be achieved in a general exercise class.
Yoga teaches deep diaphragmatic breathing in tempo with each movement. Focusing on breathing allows you to transition smoothly from asana to asana and helps the muscles and joints to achieve greater range of motion.
In yoga, you will never bounce or force a stretch. You will be coached to go to your point of resistance, breathe in deeply, and stretch a tiny bit further on the exhale. You relax into the stretch; never force it.
Focusing on breathing into each asana serves yet another purpose. It takes you away from your day-to-day concerns. Once you get into your yoga zone, you will be amazed at how light you feel, how relaxed and how focused. And then, ironically, when you complete your workout and come back to earth, you will feel invigorated and energized.
Anyone undergoing a life transition or under any kind of stress (whether negative or positive) can benefit from getting away from it all and into their yoga zone where they feel calm, centered and focused. It?s a lot less expensive and easier to schedule than a vacation!
Many asanas combine the stretching of one muscle and the contraction of an opposing muscle. This is why yoga is often recommended for well-muscled athletes. Muscle building alone results in imbalances between opposing muscles. To maintain flexibility, body builders should make sure they are getting enough proper stretching work.
Very little equipment is needed to begin yoga. Your clothing should be comfortable but close-fitting so that you can observe your form. As you focus on proper breathing you want to be able to see your diaphragm moving in and out. Yoga can be done barefoot but, for sanitary reasons, most people now prefer to wear yoga socks.
Likewise, yoga can be done on a bare floor but most people prefer to use a mat. It is not just for sanitation that mats and socks have become so popular. Many poses are sustained and at first may feel awkward and difficult to maintain. The non-slip socks and mat provide the optimal surface. Further, your portable yoga surface will be the same no matter where you take your class, making it easier to perform consistently and progress rapidly.
By: Jean Bowler. For more articles about exercise for the boomer generation, visit http://www.ageless-beauty.com/exercise.html
February 24, 2009
Yoga for PMS
Most women experience PMS symptoms at different points of their lives. PMS (premenstrual symptom) is usually characterized by anxiety, irritability, depression, craving sugary foods and feeling bloated. There are many homeopathic and nutritional solutions for relieving the PMS, but a regular yoga asana practice can be tremendously beneficial as well.
Many women experience chocolate and sugar cravings before periods. Chocolate contains magnesium, a mineral that decreases menstrual cramping and helps normalize glucose metabolism. Magnesium is also found in bananas, dried apricots and almonds, so keep that in mind when the next PMS hits.
Poses for sugar cravings:
Bow Pose ? Dhanurasana
The bow stretches and tones the ovaries, uterus, and abdominal organs. It increases the overall energy and improves the mood.
Lay face down on the floor. Bend your knees, grab a hold of the outsides of your ankles and on the inhale come up, arching your back and trying to reach the top of your head and your feet up towards the sky and towards each other. Keep drawing your feet towards each other, eventually drawing your knees together. Hold for five to ten breaths.
Modified Bridge Pose
Modified bridge pose rejuvenates and tones the reproductive organs as well as the abdominal organs, relieving carbohydrate cravings.
Lay down on your back, with the knees bent, soles of the feet hip width apart on the floor, as close as possible to your body. Arms are extended next to your body. On the inhale, raise your seat, your lower back and your middle back upwards, raising up on your toe tips. Take a yoga block and place it on its highest level under your sacrum (a flat bone that?s located right under your lower spine.) Place the soles of your feet back on the floor and interlace your fingers on the floor behind the block. Breathe for as long as you need to. You should feel a wonderful sense of release from this pose.
Poses for anxiety and irritability:
Child?s Pose
The child’s pose focuses the breath on the organ systems in the abdomen and pelvis, which helps massage and tone them. The gentle inversion of head, neck, and torso relaxes the back muscles and eases the lower back pain.
Kneel with your buttocks resting on your heels. Bend at the hips and let your torso relax on your thighs and your forehead rest on the floor. Relax your arms and hands on the floor beside you with the palms up and the fingers pointing toward your feet. Stay for ten breaths.
Upward Facing Dog ? Urdva Mukha Svanasana
This pose is a backbend; it tones the abdominal organs. By raising the energy up, it also has a tendency to improve the mood.
Begin with arms bent at the elbows next to your chest, fingers pointing forward, elbows in. On an inhalation, rise up from the forehead, nose, and chin, continuing the stretch through your neck, upper torso, and lower torso until your entire pelvic basin is tilting upward and your thighs are poff the floor. Straighten the arms, broadening your shoulders down and away from the ears, stretching and curving your spine. Your weight is supported on the tops of your feet and your hands.
Poses for Bloating
Modified Wide Angle - boddhakonasana
The modified wide-angle pose reverses the effects of bloating and fluid retention in the legs and feet.
Lie on your back with your pelvis against a wall, your legs extended up the wall, and your arms resting at your sides. Open your legs into a V on the wall. Breathe easily, holding the position for 20 deep breaths.
Shoulderstand, headstand and handstand and plough pose tend to improve the mood as well. However, you should avoid practicing these inverted poses when menstruating.
Now give yourself an extra long Savasana (final relaxation pose.)
Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing up, and your feet a comfortable distance apart. Close your eyes and relax. Allow the floor to support you.
After the relaxation, meditate for a few minutes. Maybe you saved yourself a trip to GoDiva.
Anastasia Dorohova is a certified yoga teacher and a holistic health counselor,regisitered with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Anastasia teaches private and group yoga classes and helps her clients with their nutriion and overall sense of well-beling. http://www.steadybliss.com
Many women experience chocolate and sugar cravings before periods. Chocolate contains magnesium, a mineral that decreases menstrual cramping and helps normalize glucose metabolism. Magnesium is also found in bananas, dried apricots and almonds, so keep that in mind when the next PMS hits.
Poses for sugar cravings:
Bow Pose ? Dhanurasana
The bow stretches and tones the ovaries, uterus, and abdominal organs. It increases the overall energy and improves the mood.
Lay face down on the floor. Bend your knees, grab a hold of the outsides of your ankles and on the inhale come up, arching your back and trying to reach the top of your head and your feet up towards the sky and towards each other. Keep drawing your feet towards each other, eventually drawing your knees together. Hold for five to ten breaths.
Modified Bridge Pose
Modified bridge pose rejuvenates and tones the reproductive organs as well as the abdominal organs, relieving carbohydrate cravings.
Lay down on your back, with the knees bent, soles of the feet hip width apart on the floor, as close as possible to your body. Arms are extended next to your body. On the inhale, raise your seat, your lower back and your middle back upwards, raising up on your toe tips. Take a yoga block and place it on its highest level under your sacrum (a flat bone that?s located right under your lower spine.) Place the soles of your feet back on the floor and interlace your fingers on the floor behind the block. Breathe for as long as you need to. You should feel a wonderful sense of release from this pose.
Poses for anxiety and irritability:
Child?s Pose
The child’s pose focuses the breath on the organ systems in the abdomen and pelvis, which helps massage and tone them. The gentle inversion of head, neck, and torso relaxes the back muscles and eases the lower back pain.
Kneel with your buttocks resting on your heels. Bend at the hips and let your torso relax on your thighs and your forehead rest on the floor. Relax your arms and hands on the floor beside you with the palms up and the fingers pointing toward your feet. Stay for ten breaths.
Upward Facing Dog ? Urdva Mukha Svanasana
This pose is a backbend; it tones the abdominal organs. By raising the energy up, it also has a tendency to improve the mood.
Begin with arms bent at the elbows next to your chest, fingers pointing forward, elbows in. On an inhalation, rise up from the forehead, nose, and chin, continuing the stretch through your neck, upper torso, and lower torso until your entire pelvic basin is tilting upward and your thighs are poff the floor. Straighten the arms, broadening your shoulders down and away from the ears, stretching and curving your spine. Your weight is supported on the tops of your feet and your hands.
Poses for Bloating
Modified Wide Angle - boddhakonasana
The modified wide-angle pose reverses the effects of bloating and fluid retention in the legs and feet.
Lie on your back with your pelvis against a wall, your legs extended up the wall, and your arms resting at your sides. Open your legs into a V on the wall. Breathe easily, holding the position for 20 deep breaths.
Shoulderstand, headstand and handstand and plough pose tend to improve the mood as well. However, you should avoid practicing these inverted poses when menstruating.
Now give yourself an extra long Savasana (final relaxation pose.)
Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing up, and your feet a comfortable distance apart. Close your eyes and relax. Allow the floor to support you.
After the relaxation, meditate for a few minutes. Maybe you saved yourself a trip to GoDiva.
Anastasia Dorohova is a certified yoga teacher and a holistic health counselor,regisitered with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Anastasia teaches private and group yoga classes and helps her clients with their nutriion and overall sense of well-beling. http://www.steadybliss.com
February 23, 2009
Yoga Bolster An Equipment To Better Your Yoga
Yoga an ancient art has penetrated into our daily lives and that too in full swing. Every other person is hooked on to it, no matter what your age or size. As it can be done by any other person its popularity has increased and grown in different parts of the world. The different accessory which is used makes it simpler to perform. It clears and opens your mind and soul by doing some of these poses.
These bolsters come in different variety of sizes and shapes to give that extra strength and support. The bolsters are mostly placed under knees, ankles or neck, which helps to alleviate the muscle strain. It can also be used in different styles depending on the various yoga poses. These bolsters are used for the different poses like Bikram, Ananda and Kirpalu Yoga, which helps in extending the pose and to give support to the back, abdomen or legs.
Bolsters prove to be of great help as it gives proper alignment to your body, which maintains your pose and creates a proper balance. This helps your spinal vertebrae as it provides stability in your posture. By doing yoga you are relieved from many tensions but by using these bolsters it gives a proper support to your lower and upper back, neck, abdomen, or legs.
While doing some of the difficult poses these bolsters come of great help. It also can be used as a cushion for your lower body to make all the sessions a cake walk. It comes in different colors as well as shapes such as square bolster, rectangular bolster, round bolster, breathing bolster, zafus, neck rolls too.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz , the benefits of yoga is being provided with the usefulness of the yoga accessories like yoga bolsters.
These bolsters come in different variety of sizes and shapes to give that extra strength and support. The bolsters are mostly placed under knees, ankles or neck, which helps to alleviate the muscle strain. It can also be used in different styles depending on the various yoga poses. These bolsters are used for the different poses like Bikram, Ananda and Kirpalu Yoga, which helps in extending the pose and to give support to the back, abdomen or legs.
Bolsters prove to be of great help as it gives proper alignment to your body, which maintains your pose and creates a proper balance. This helps your spinal vertebrae as it provides stability in your posture. By doing yoga you are relieved from many tensions but by using these bolsters it gives a proper support to your lower and upper back, neck, abdomen, or legs.
While doing some of the difficult poses these bolsters come of great help. It also can be used as a cushion for your lower body to make all the sessions a cake walk. It comes in different colors as well as shapes such as square bolster, rectangular bolster, round bolster, breathing bolster, zafus, neck rolls too.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz , the benefits of yoga is being provided with the usefulness of the yoga accessories like yoga bolsters.
February 22, 2009
Yoga Clothes for Comfort, Functionality - and Let’s Not Leave Out Fun!
Yoga clothes should be comfortable and functional. They should allow you to move freely and not distract you from your practice. They should feel good against your skin so they don?t cause any irritation.
Ideally, the clothing should be absorbent so that it wicks sweat away from your body. There are few things that feel as uncomfortable as a sticky, clammy body that is moist from perspiration.
I also think they should be attractive and fun to wear. When I do yoga alone in my home, I am willing to wear an old tee shirt and sweats or baggy shorts. When I practice in a class, I am more discriminating in what I choose to wear.
I admit it. I work very hard to keep my body in shape, and when I am with others, I want to show off the efforts of my hard work. I usually choose form fitting pants and a fitted tee shirt. This allows me to see the outline of my body in the mirror so I can maintain good form, and it lets me move without having to fuss with my clothes. They are also flattering to my body, so when I wear them I feel good.
Here are some of the things that you should look for in yoga clothing so that they work well for you and make you feel good about yourself and your practice.
Yoga Pants
There are many types of yoga pants. Some are long and go down to your ankles; others stop just below your knees. Often they are relatively form fitting. These types of pants have the benefit of allowing your instructor to see your alignment so she can make any necessary adjustments to your form.
If you aren?t comfortable in pants that are so revealing, you might enjoy wearing loose, cotton trousers. They offer freedom of movement without being too tight.
Whatever pants you choose, make sure that you can bend and move freely in them. Also be sure that there are no bulky ties at the waist that might be uncomfortable when you are lying in a prone position.
Yoga Shorts
Yoga shorts are a very good choice if you practice Bikram or hot yoga, because the room is heated to such a high temperature. They are a good bet in the warm summer months when long pants might be too warm. They also help you more easily check the proper alignment of your lower body because you can see your knees and ankles.
The yoga shorts should be long enough to cover your derriere and they should not ride up. Form fitting shorts usually don?t move too much, so they may be just right for you.
Yoga Tops
Yoga tops should allow you to move freely without having them fall in your face. Tee shirts should be short enough so that your lower body is not hidden, so you can more easily check your alignment. Some women like to wear sports bras (especially those who practice Bikram yoga). If you choose to wear one, make sure that it holds you securely and that nothing falls out when you are bending or stretching. You don?t want to wear something that is going to cause you to worry about what you might be showing to the rest of the class.
Yoga tops come in many bright and attractive colors. You might also have fun wearing shirts with characters such as Yoga girl on them.
Yoga Shoes
Most people do not wear shoes during their practice. However, they might be useful if you practice outside in a park, on a beach, or some place where you would not want to take off your shoes and socks. Yoga shoes look very similar to other athletic footwear, except that the soles allow for considerable flexibility in your foot and the tops of the shoes are very lightweight. Some popular brands include Puma yoga shoes and Adidas shoes for yoga.
Jacket
Many people might not think that a jacket is an important part of yoga clothing, but I beg to disagree. I think it is absolutely critical to take a jacket with you to your yoga class. I have been in many classes where the temperature has been quite cool (some are downright freezing). While the temperature often doesn?t matter too much while I am moving during the poses, it becomes quite a different story when the time comes to meditate.
I don?t know about you, but I find it difficult if not impossible, to relax when I am cold. Bringing a jacket with you gives you an option of covering up during the relaxation period if you are feeling chilly. Feeling warm and comfortable allows you the pleasure of letting your body relax fully.
So yoga clothes should be functional, comfortable, and give you the freedom to totally enjoy your practice. Have fun with them and enjoy wearing the ones that make you feel good!
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Her website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life. Visit the site and get your free meditation e-book.
Ideally, the clothing should be absorbent so that it wicks sweat away from your body. There are few things that feel as uncomfortable as a sticky, clammy body that is moist from perspiration.
I also think they should be attractive and fun to wear. When I do yoga alone in my home, I am willing to wear an old tee shirt and sweats or baggy shorts. When I practice in a class, I am more discriminating in what I choose to wear.
I admit it. I work very hard to keep my body in shape, and when I am with others, I want to show off the efforts of my hard work. I usually choose form fitting pants and a fitted tee shirt. This allows me to see the outline of my body in the mirror so I can maintain good form, and it lets me move without having to fuss with my clothes. They are also flattering to my body, so when I wear them I feel good.
Here are some of the things that you should look for in yoga clothing so that they work well for you and make you feel good about yourself and your practice.
Yoga Pants
There are many types of yoga pants. Some are long and go down to your ankles; others stop just below your knees. Often they are relatively form fitting. These types of pants have the benefit of allowing your instructor to see your alignment so she can make any necessary adjustments to your form.
If you aren?t comfortable in pants that are so revealing, you might enjoy wearing loose, cotton trousers. They offer freedom of movement without being too tight.
Whatever pants you choose, make sure that you can bend and move freely in them. Also be sure that there are no bulky ties at the waist that might be uncomfortable when you are lying in a prone position.
Yoga Shorts
Yoga shorts are a very good choice if you practice Bikram or hot yoga, because the room is heated to such a high temperature. They are a good bet in the warm summer months when long pants might be too warm. They also help you more easily check the proper alignment of your lower body because you can see your knees and ankles.
The yoga shorts should be long enough to cover your derriere and they should not ride up. Form fitting shorts usually don?t move too much, so they may be just right for you.
Yoga Tops
Yoga tops should allow you to move freely without having them fall in your face. Tee shirts should be short enough so that your lower body is not hidden, so you can more easily check your alignment. Some women like to wear sports bras (especially those who practice Bikram yoga). If you choose to wear one, make sure that it holds you securely and that nothing falls out when you are bending or stretching. You don?t want to wear something that is going to cause you to worry about what you might be showing to the rest of the class.
Yoga tops come in many bright and attractive colors. You might also have fun wearing shirts with characters such as Yoga girl on them.
Yoga Shoes
Most people do not wear shoes during their practice. However, they might be useful if you practice outside in a park, on a beach, or some place where you would not want to take off your shoes and socks. Yoga shoes look very similar to other athletic footwear, except that the soles allow for considerable flexibility in your foot and the tops of the shoes are very lightweight. Some popular brands include Puma yoga shoes and Adidas shoes for yoga.
Jacket
Many people might not think that a jacket is an important part of yoga clothing, but I beg to disagree. I think it is absolutely critical to take a jacket with you to your yoga class. I have been in many classes where the temperature has been quite cool (some are downright freezing). While the temperature often doesn?t matter too much while I am moving during the poses, it becomes quite a different story when the time comes to meditate.
I don?t know about you, but I find it difficult if not impossible, to relax when I am cold. Bringing a jacket with you gives you an option of covering up during the relaxation period if you are feeling chilly. Feeling warm and comfortable allows you the pleasure of letting your body relax fully.
So yoga clothes should be functional, comfortable, and give you the freedom to totally enjoy your practice. Have fun with them and enjoy wearing the ones that make you feel good!
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Her website http://www.beauty-fitness-yoga-source.com/ is filled with practical information about how you can make yoga and fitness a positive part of your life. Visit the site and get your free meditation e-book.
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