No down you have heard about yoga for years but you may not really know much about it. If you are just a beginner in the yoga world, here are some things that you need to know about before you start.
There are several different styles or kinds of yoga exercises, that range from very gentle and relaxing positions to fairly fast-paced cardio workouts. So first decide what you want to accomplish with yoga. If you have suffered an injury or are trying to manage pain, then perhaps one of the more gentle types of yoga will be best at least for now.
So how do you learn how to practice yoga? Well, there are plenty of DVDs and videos available that can help you learn more about it. However, it’s usually best to learn the exercises from a quality instructor instead. There are many yoga classes available at studios and gyms all across the country. It may be a good idea to ask around and get recommendations from others about the best yoga instructors in your area. A good instructor will be very patient with you as you start out and will focus on teaching you not only the exercises themselves, but also how to maintain proper body alignment and breathing techniques throughout the positions and poses. It’s a good idea to visit a few yoga classes and perhaps sit in on a session or two to learn more about each instructor, and then choose the one that you like best.
It’s important that you approach yoga with the right mental attitude. It is not a competition. It is not a challenge. You are not trying to do something better than anyone else. In fact, yoga is a very personal experience. So listen to your own body as you learn the exercises and you can’t go wrong.
So what equipment are you going to need for this new adventure? Well, wearing the right clothing will be important. Your clothing needs to be comfortable and not restrictive. And since you can get very warm from practicing the poses and positions, your clothing should also be breathable and keep your skin as dry as possible.
Perhaps the most common piece of equipment is a yoga mat. They can actually come in handy for a couple of reasons. First of all, the mat can help keep you from slipping as you exercise on the floor. This gets more important as the session progresses and you perspire at your body heats up. The other benefit of using a yoga mat is that it keeps you from having to sit on a hard bare floor. There are several types of mats available, so just choose the one that fits you best.
Water will be important to have handy as you will need to stay hydrated as you exercise and replace any lost fluids. Generally, it’s best to practice yoga on an empty stomach, so try to avoid eating heavy meals very soon beforehand too.
Many people have found that yoga makes a very important contribution to their mental and physical well-being. Hopefully, it can do the same for you.
Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including fitness. You can find free yoga exercises and free yoga poses by visiting our Home Fitness website.
Showing posts with label Different Styles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Different Styles. Show all posts
February 25, 2009
February 23, 2009
An Alternative to Aging
Springtime and summer in all its abundance! A time of rebirth and blossoming all around us. Life energy flowing, first slowly, building imperceptibly, as we impatiently wait for the buds to blossom. We know the life force is rising and we want to see it in all its glory: the green, the flowers, the Earth rejoicing! How reassuring that nature is abundantly alive after such a long dormant winter, year after reassuring year. We too, are that. How long have parts of us remained dormant, just waiting to burst forth and blossom?
Yoga itself is a process of unfoldment. For centuries, one of the symbols of yoga has been the thousand petaled lotus, unfolding unfolding, unfolding; reaching deeper and deeper within. As we begin a yoga practice, the first challenge is to overcome the mental and emotional resistance to our inertia, getting our own life force flowing. We challenge the physical limitations of lack of strength and flexibility we feel after perhaps a long period of dormancy. The process of moving comfortably into and out of the poses, maintaining a consistent breathing rhythm and focusing the mind is our process of tuning into the flow of our own life energy. Patience is required, but that flow of life is as surely there within us as it is in nature’s springtime. Its our own personal springtime waiting for us to encourage our life force energy to rise and bloom into summer flower.
Just as different types of plants thrive in different conditions, so do each of us relate differently to different styles of yoga. There are as many different teaching styles as there are yoga teachers. Even those trained in the same traditions bring their own special approach to their classes. Shop around for a yoga teacher that feels nurturing to you and encourages you to unfold at your own pace, in your own way. As we master the physical challenges of yoga, we are also diving deeper into ourselves. The physical yoga is really only the beginning of opening the many layers of petals of our own personal lotus.
We, ourselves, are full of surprises. Our blossoming takes many forms, and a consistent yoga practice can be the springtime nurturing that brings hidden areas of our unfoldment into the summer sunshine. Focused and grounded in our physical form, we can integrate and balance the other areas of our lives into a blossoming of our true potential, an expression of our own powerful, peaceful, precious life paths.
Susan Winter Ward, internationally recognized yoga instructor, author, and video producer, is the creator of Yoga for the Young at Heart?, a multimedia publisher which publishes an informative and inspiring collection of CDRoms, videos, audio tapes, books and television programs, as well as exciting vacation retreats. Her product line is available at: Yoga for the Young at Heart
Yoga itself is a process of unfoldment. For centuries, one of the symbols of yoga has been the thousand petaled lotus, unfolding unfolding, unfolding; reaching deeper and deeper within. As we begin a yoga practice, the first challenge is to overcome the mental and emotional resistance to our inertia, getting our own life force flowing. We challenge the physical limitations of lack of strength and flexibility we feel after perhaps a long period of dormancy. The process of moving comfortably into and out of the poses, maintaining a consistent breathing rhythm and focusing the mind is our process of tuning into the flow of our own life energy. Patience is required, but that flow of life is as surely there within us as it is in nature’s springtime. Its our own personal springtime waiting for us to encourage our life force energy to rise and bloom into summer flower.
Just as different types of plants thrive in different conditions, so do each of us relate differently to different styles of yoga. There are as many different teaching styles as there are yoga teachers. Even those trained in the same traditions bring their own special approach to their classes. Shop around for a yoga teacher that feels nurturing to you and encourages you to unfold at your own pace, in your own way. As we master the physical challenges of yoga, we are also diving deeper into ourselves. The physical yoga is really only the beginning of opening the many layers of petals of our own personal lotus.
We, ourselves, are full of surprises. Our blossoming takes many forms, and a consistent yoga practice can be the springtime nurturing that brings hidden areas of our unfoldment into the summer sunshine. Focused and grounded in our physical form, we can integrate and balance the other areas of our lives into a blossoming of our true potential, an expression of our own powerful, peaceful, precious life paths.
Susan Winter Ward, internationally recognized yoga instructor, author, and video producer, is the creator of Yoga for the Young at Heart?, a multimedia publisher which publishes an informative and inspiring collection of CDRoms, videos, audio tapes, books and television programs, as well as exciting vacation retreats. Her product line is available at: Yoga for the Young at Heart
Yoga in Practice: Anger Management - Part 1
Yoga has been able to help many of mankind?s ailments, but what about anger management? How can Yoga prevent rage and the burning desire for revenge? Many people say: ?Don?t get mad, get even.? Is this what we are talking about?
As any Yoga practitioner knows, Yoga has nothing to do with ?getting even.? However, revenge has become ?the special of the day.? Many people feel revenge is justified, and we all know that revenge is a result of anger - whether it is slow burning or instant.
As I have mentioned before, Yoga does not stop when you roll up your Yoga mat. Most of what you take care of on your Yoga mat is the physical aspect of Yoga. This is a wonderful thing, but the rewards of your practice should be carried with you wherever you go.
Very few of us can say we have not felt anger. Many people, who know me, think I do not feel anger. However, that is pure myth. The fact is anger can be held in check, and managed, by using the following methods from Yogic philosophy and the many different styles of Yoga.
See attachment for what it is, and remove yourself from it. In reality, we own nothing. We are attached to money, possessions, relationships, and loved ones. Does this mean we own them or have control of them? Only on a temporary basis do you have control - if the universe permits.
What am I talking about? If you faced a catastrophic disaster today, you could lose some, or all, of your perceived possessions. Restrain your feelings of possessiveness for everything. You are only the temporary custodian of your possessions in this life. Once you clearly see this, you can prevent anger that is wrapped around attachment.
Be aware of desire. It is good to better yourself, but do not let reckless desire run your life. There is nothing wrong with the desire to succeed; this is healthy, but when desire incites anger, we must place restraints on our desires.
This task will take some self-observation, and we must be honest with ourselves. For example: We have the desire to get to work on time, but should we use our car as a weapon on the way?
At first, this may sound ridiculous, but many people risk their lives in a frenzy of anger, just to get to work on time. They also risk the lives of everyone else on the road. This is only one small example of how anger and reckless desire are linked.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
As any Yoga practitioner knows, Yoga has nothing to do with ?getting even.? However, revenge has become ?the special of the day.? Many people feel revenge is justified, and we all know that revenge is a result of anger - whether it is slow burning or instant.
As I have mentioned before, Yoga does not stop when you roll up your Yoga mat. Most of what you take care of on your Yoga mat is the physical aspect of Yoga. This is a wonderful thing, but the rewards of your practice should be carried with you wherever you go.
Very few of us can say we have not felt anger. Many people, who know me, think I do not feel anger. However, that is pure myth. The fact is anger can be held in check, and managed, by using the following methods from Yogic philosophy and the many different styles of Yoga.
See attachment for what it is, and remove yourself from it. In reality, we own nothing. We are attached to money, possessions, relationships, and loved ones. Does this mean we own them or have control of them? Only on a temporary basis do you have control - if the universe permits.
What am I talking about? If you faced a catastrophic disaster today, you could lose some, or all, of your perceived possessions. Restrain your feelings of possessiveness for everything. You are only the temporary custodian of your possessions in this life. Once you clearly see this, you can prevent anger that is wrapped around attachment.
Be aware of desire. It is good to better yourself, but do not let reckless desire run your life. There is nothing wrong with the desire to succeed; this is healthy, but when desire incites anger, we must place restraints on our desires.
This task will take some self-observation, and we must be honest with ourselves. For example: We have the desire to get to work on time, but should we use our car as a weapon on the way?
At first, this may sound ridiculous, but many people risk their lives in a frenzy of anger, just to get to work on time. They also risk the lives of everyone else on the road. This is only one small example of how anger and reckless desire are linked.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
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.
The History of Yoga
The history of yoga is long and steeped in tradition. Contrary to what some people may believe, yoga was not developed as the newest way to slim down so they could fit into a smaller pants size.
The history of yoga goes back 5,000 years. It originated in India, and the first time the word yoga was found in written form was in the Rig Vada, one of the sacred texts used by Vedic priests. Yoga is a means of achieving spiritual enlightenment.
Originally, yoga techniques were passed down from teacher to student through word of mouth. These techniques had never been written down until the Indian sage Patanjali wrote down a systematic method of yoga in the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali is considered to be the father of yoga.
According to Patanjali, there are eight limbs of yoga, which lead to the ultimate goal of enlightenment.
Yama - abstaining from violence, stealing, lust, greed
Niyam - developing devotion, purity, studiousness, contentment, discipline
Pranayama - controlling the breath
Pratyahara - going inward and withdrawing attention from the outside world
Dharana - concentration
Dhyana - meditation
Samadhi - merging with the universal consciousness
The Swami Vivekananda added to the history of yoga by bringing it to America. In 1893, he addressed the Parliament of World Religions and discussed the path of yoga. As a result of his speech, it quickly began to blossom as a practice in many areas of the country. Yoga has since gained major popularity in the United States and many different styles including Hatha, Bikram, and Iyengar, are practiced by millions of people.
Knowing the history of yoga can help you, the practitioner, realize the richness that it has to offer. More than just a means of being fit and trim, yoga can help you live a healthy, whole, and empowered life.
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here 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.
The history of yoga goes back 5,000 years. It originated in India, and the first time the word yoga was found in written form was in the Rig Vada, one of the sacred texts used by Vedic priests. Yoga is a means of achieving spiritual enlightenment.
Originally, yoga techniques were passed down from teacher to student through word of mouth. These techniques had never been written down until the Indian sage Patanjali wrote down a systematic method of yoga in the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali is considered to be the father of yoga.
According to Patanjali, there are eight limbs of yoga, which lead to the ultimate goal of enlightenment.
Yama - abstaining from violence, stealing, lust, greed
Niyam - developing devotion, purity, studiousness, contentment, discipline
Pranayama - controlling the breath
Pratyahara - going inward and withdrawing attention from the outside world
Dharana - concentration
Dhyana - meditation
Samadhi - merging with the universal consciousness
The Swami Vivekananda added to the history of yoga by bringing it to America. In 1893, he addressed the Parliament of World Religions and discussed the path of yoga. As a result of his speech, it quickly began to blossom as a practice in many areas of the country. Yoga has since gained major popularity in the United States and many different styles including Hatha, Bikram, and Iyengar, are practiced by millions of people.
Knowing the history of yoga can help you, the practitioner, realize the richness that it has to offer. More than just a means of being fit and trim, yoga can help you live a healthy, whole, and empowered life.
Della Menechella is a yoga and fitness enthusiast who has been involved in fitness for over thirty years. Here 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.
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