Although there are a lot of great reasons to try Yoga, most people won’t even take a shot at it. I think I know why. Stay with me for a couple of minutes and I’ll get there.
Years ago, I read one of the most truth filled statements I have ever encountered. Although I usually try to avoid generalities, I believe that most of them DO have a portion of truth to them. Unfortunately, many people either don’t realize that these statements are not ultimate truths or they assume that since there are times that these old adages and generalities are NOT true, not only are they false, but completely without merit.
Most generalities, as I have stated, DO contain some truth, enough truth that we can often at least glean guiding principles from them even if we cannot live our lives exactly by them.
Now, the statement I made mention of was, “The only job where you start at the top is digging a hole!”
I normally would not actually say that to someone who expected to get to the top of the heap by tomorrow, but the idea behind the statement would be understood by most of us. Those people who have made it to the top of their profession, art, or even their hobby, usually put in a lot of practice time and made a lot of mistakes on their way to achieving the level of skill or competence that they have reached.
Which brings me (finally, you say) to Yoga.
Yoga has the potential to be one of the best physical fitness programs that anybody can practice, but many people won’t even give it a chance.
Yoga requires no special clothing, not special skill, no special equipment. It doesn’t need a gym, because it can be practiced on the floor beside your bed, in the living room, or even in a large enough bathroom. Once you learn a few basic poses (asanas), you can do your yoga routine at home or on the road. You can even do some of your Yoga while riding in a car or bus. It doesn’t even require a personal trainer. You actually CAN learn Yoga from a book!
So what stops a lot of people from trying Yoga?
To tell the truth, I think they are intimidated.
Obviously, Yoga is not something we read about or hear about every day, so there is already a lot of misunderstanding and uncertainty about the practice anyway. On top of that, take a look at the pictures in any Yoga book and what do you see? Pencil-thin people twisting their bodies into impossible (to you and me…and I DO Yoga) positions. No way!
Let’s go back to the statement I mentioned. To get to the level where they are selected to pose for pictures for a book, they usually have had to practice for several years. When they started, some of them were as out-of-shape as you think you are now. You can bet they made a lot of mistakes along the way and some of them often thought of giving up because they weren’t able to perform the asanas the way their teachers did…or the way it was done in a picture in some book. Nobody is going to begin Yoga today and be able to do the positions that way right away.
Also, not everyone is going to be able to achieve the level of skill that they have achieved. Some of us just aren’t going to realize that potential for a long time and maybe never.
So why bother to learn Yoga?
After all, if you can’t do what the books and instructors say to do, then you have failed, right?
Wrong.
First of all, simply moving into your best imitation of the perfect position can begin to produce the health benefits associated with Yoga. Second, learning yoga breathing techniques and practicing this as you perform the movements and asanas (not to mention you daily activities) can also produce benefits in both your mental and physical health. Finally, continued practice of the asanas, breathing, and movements will, over time, move you closer to being able to do what the person in the picture was doing.
Remember, nobody said you had to be able to touch your toes, you just have to reach for them, breathe properly, and do it again tomorrow.
Yoga is actually simple and easy to learn, and can produce some startling affects in both mental and physical health.
Why not give it a try?
The author is retired from the Army after 21 years of service, has worked as an accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, and instructor. He has been a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. He developed an interest in health and fitness in the ’70s after reading numerous books, including Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s “Aerobics”. This has led him to continue his personal research into health and fitness for over 30 years, and to pursue course work on health and fitness, including yoga, which he practices regularly. Learn more about Yoga. Articles on Diet and Weight Loss.
Showing posts with label fit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fit. Show all posts
March 1, 2009
February 24, 2009
Facts About Giving to Charity
With all the news about natural disasters happening everywhere, the world has enthusiastically reached into its pockets to help. News about goodwill, good deeds, and acts of kindness, should be regularly broadcasted, but maybe bad news is more profitable to broadcast.
However, let me stick to the point of this article. In
order for nature, and the universe, to flow in harmony, we should all regularly give to charities, whenever it is possible to help someone in need. This is practicing Yoga “off the mat.”
“Saving for a rainy day” is one thing, and hording money, is quite another matter. By all means, save some money, but always remember to give to those in need, without expecting something in return.
To put it simply, selfishness creates a dead end, or
stagnation, within the universal flow of all things. The universal law of cause and effect (karma) will always override.
Just as stagnation within your body is unhealthy, the same law applies to the universe and all things within in it, including money. Stagnation will cause an infection of the body, mind, or spirit. This is the exact opposite of Yoga practice, where we seek to unify body, mind, and spirit in harmony.
Remember Nishkamya Bhakti, and take the time to research the meaning of the word again. We should give
unconditionally without pursuing a reward. It is also good to give anonymously and not to tell anyone. Giving is also good for your inner being and your self worth.
Take notice of how lucky you are in this life. Be content with what you have by appreciating your family, friends, and achievements. Look at the improvements and rewards you have seen, since you started practicing Yoga.
I will leave you with a short story and something to think about. Last Christmas season, a man, who was dressed as Santa Claus, worked outside a local store with a legitimate charity’s sign and donations bucket. Many people, including me, gave to him.
Within a few days, local police had chased this man through the parking lot and arrested him. It had been discovered that this man was allegedly an imposter and did not represent a charity at all.
Is this man a criminal? I think not ? he was a beggar who practiced deception. In some countries and cultures, like mine, begging is not tolerated at all. This man resorted to deception in order to beg. He did not rob people of their money.
This is not an endorsement of deception or begging, but I want to make you aware of the fact that when you give to a beggar, that is charity too. Don’t worry about which charity to give to - just give something. There are good forces at work that will distribute your donations evenly.
Always remember that Yoga is for the improvement of physical, mental, and spiritual health. If you think Yoga is only about physical mastery, asanas, and a beautiful body, you have missed the “big picture.” Yoga offers so many benefits for mental and spiritual health, that they should never be ignored.
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He?s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
However, let me stick to the point of this article. In
order for nature, and the universe, to flow in harmony, we should all regularly give to charities, whenever it is possible to help someone in need. This is practicing Yoga “off the mat.”
“Saving for a rainy day” is one thing, and hording money, is quite another matter. By all means, save some money, but always remember to give to those in need, without expecting something in return.
To put it simply, selfishness creates a dead end, or
stagnation, within the universal flow of all things. The universal law of cause and effect (karma) will always override.
Just as stagnation within your body is unhealthy, the same law applies to the universe and all things within in it, including money. Stagnation will cause an infection of the body, mind, or spirit. This is the exact opposite of Yoga practice, where we seek to unify body, mind, and spirit in harmony.
Remember Nishkamya Bhakti, and take the time to research the meaning of the word again. We should give
unconditionally without pursuing a reward. It is also good to give anonymously and not to tell anyone. Giving is also good for your inner being and your self worth.
Take notice of how lucky you are in this life. Be content with what you have by appreciating your family, friends, and achievements. Look at the improvements and rewards you have seen, since you started practicing Yoga.
I will leave you with a short story and something to think about. Last Christmas season, a man, who was dressed as Santa Claus, worked outside a local store with a legitimate charity’s sign and donations bucket. Many people, including me, gave to him.
Within a few days, local police had chased this man through the parking lot and arrested him. It had been discovered that this man was allegedly an imposter and did not represent a charity at all.
Is this man a criminal? I think not ? he was a beggar who practiced deception. In some countries and cultures, like mine, begging is not tolerated at all. This man resorted to deception in order to beg. He did not rob people of their money.
This is not an endorsement of deception or begging, but I want to make you aware of the fact that when you give to a beggar, that is charity too. Don’t worry about which charity to give to - just give something. There are good forces at work that will distribute your donations evenly.
Always remember that Yoga is for the improvement of physical, mental, and spiritual health. If you think Yoga is only about physical mastery, asanas, and a beautiful body, you have missed the “big picture.” Yoga offers so many benefits for mental and spiritual health, that they should never be ignored.
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He?s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
February 23, 2009
Yoga Clothes - A Fit For Better Yoga
While doing Yoga, one should always keep in mind the comfort and the level of stretch one can go through. To be able to achieve that level one should be wearing really comfortable clothes which can be determined as the need of the hour. Clothes have become an important accessory which cannot be overlooked or undermined. As yoga has become part of your life these clothes just become as important as any other things in your life.
The clothes which are used for doing yoga are made of different materials making it as popular as ever to all kinds of people for whom it will be very useful. One should see to it that these clothes should be very comfortable as it should allow free movement of your various body parts because while doing yoga you have to stretch a lot to get the proper benefit from it. These yoga clothes are very trendy and in vogue with the current fashion. Different design and designers have come into picture to make yoga not centuries old but a 21st century thing.
There are clothes available for women, men and kids too. You can wear comfortable which should restrict you while doing any kind of asanas but also be very stylish. Pants should be such a kind which would provide you free movement and enough flexibility to get all the poses right and accurate. You can wear shorts, camis, halter tops, t-shirts, tank tops and pants. You should see to it that these clothes are sweat absorbent, just do not go for the looks. It should make your presence feel but if it does not serve its purpose then there is no point in having it.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz, where you will find information on some of the basics of yoga and know more about yoga which can be done in office and at home and the use of yoga clothes to have full benefit.
http://www.yogawiz.com
The clothes which are used for doing yoga are made of different materials making it as popular as ever to all kinds of people for whom it will be very useful. One should see to it that these clothes should be very comfortable as it should allow free movement of your various body parts because while doing yoga you have to stretch a lot to get the proper benefit from it. These yoga clothes are very trendy and in vogue with the current fashion. Different design and designers have come into picture to make yoga not centuries old but a 21st century thing.
There are clothes available for women, men and kids too. You can wear comfortable which should restrict you while doing any kind of asanas but also be very stylish. Pants should be such a kind which would provide you free movement and enough flexibility to get all the poses right and accurate. You can wear shorts, camis, halter tops, t-shirts, tank tops and pants. You should see to it that these clothes are sweat absorbent, just do not go for the looks. It should make your presence feel but if it does not serve its purpose then there is no point in having it.
Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz, where you will find information on some of the basics of yoga and know more about yoga which can be done in office and at home and the use of yoga clothes to have full benefit.
http://www.yogawiz.com
Yoga Teachers Lead by Example - Part 1
During the course of a lifetime, most of us have heard the saying,? Do as I say, not as I do.? We see this kind of leadership everywhere we go. All politicians, religious leaders, police, sports professionals, parents, academic teachers, and Yoga teachers, lead by example, even if the example displayed is not a good one.
So, how does this concern you? You may not be a public
figure, but your students, and the general public, know who you are. Some may even know more about you than you would like. As a Yoga teacher, you want to keep your health, behavior, and your ethics at a high standard - if you are going to be in the ?public eye.?
As far as health is concerned, you should maintain your Yoga practice and meditate daily. This is an irony with many Yoga teachers because your time is also consumed with the business of Yoga, maintenance of the studio, advertising, and many more aspects that keep a business going.
My personal estimate of time that I spent on vacuuming, cleaning, and maintenance of the Yoga studio is thousands of hours before I hired someone else to do it. This does not account for any of the time spent on many other duties that go into running a Yoga studio.
The average Yoga student has no idea of the preparation and support services involved before they come to a typical Yoga class. In reality, you want them to feel relaxed, so you don?t want your Yoga students to feel stressed out over the bookkeeping, marketing, and maintenance of your Yoga studio.
Therefore, you have to put your best ?game face? on during class time. This is one very powerful reason for taking the time to develop your own personal Yoga practice. You still must expand your depth of understanding Yoga?s many facets.
Why do, or did, you want to be a Yoga teacher in the first place? The most common reasons for becoming a Yoga teacher are your passion for Yoga and to share the gift that has changed your life. Your health and your personal Yoga practice are an integral part of the Yoga teaching vocation.
Maybe you don?t have a staff and you are busy all the time preparing for the next Yoga class. What can you do? Budget your time and make a personal Yoga, or meditation session, for yourself. Spending thousands of hours on bookkeeping, marketing, cleaning, and maintenance is part of many Yoga studio owners? lives, but you must also make the time to become a better Yoga practitioner.
You can also offer reduced rates to volunteers or ?work for trade? programs to those Yoga students who help you with ?domestic chores.? You should consult your accountant to make sure everything is legal and ?above board.? You don?t want to violate any child labor laws or set yourself up for any legal problems, so make sure you are following the law ?to the letter.? Remember also, that laws vary depending upon your location.
It?s too easy to let the business of Yoga become your new reality. The business of teaching Yoga is more time consuming than any of us can imagine as Yoga students. If you are spending so much time working on your Yoga business, that you have little time to practice, you must re-evaluate your reason for teaching Yoga.
Make time every day to expand your knowledge about Yoga?s many aspects. If you don?t take the time to be a Yoga student and engage in learning, continuing education, and nurturing your passion for Yoga, you risk burn out. The best Yoga teachers are students for life, who love to practice this wonderful discipline we know as Yoga.
When your Yoga studio, Yoga teaching position, or ashram becomes a daily burden, and you cannot expand your knowledge; the end result is no different than any other job. As a Yoga teacher, you owe it to your students to keep your ?internal flames of passion? for Yoga going.
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He?s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
So, how does this concern you? You may not be a public
figure, but your students, and the general public, know who you are. Some may even know more about you than you would like. As a Yoga teacher, you want to keep your health, behavior, and your ethics at a high standard - if you are going to be in the ?public eye.?
As far as health is concerned, you should maintain your Yoga practice and meditate daily. This is an irony with many Yoga teachers because your time is also consumed with the business of Yoga, maintenance of the studio, advertising, and many more aspects that keep a business going.
My personal estimate of time that I spent on vacuuming, cleaning, and maintenance of the Yoga studio is thousands of hours before I hired someone else to do it. This does not account for any of the time spent on many other duties that go into running a Yoga studio.
The average Yoga student has no idea of the preparation and support services involved before they come to a typical Yoga class. In reality, you want them to feel relaxed, so you don?t want your Yoga students to feel stressed out over the bookkeeping, marketing, and maintenance of your Yoga studio.
Therefore, you have to put your best ?game face? on during class time. This is one very powerful reason for taking the time to develop your own personal Yoga practice. You still must expand your depth of understanding Yoga?s many facets.
Why do, or did, you want to be a Yoga teacher in the first place? The most common reasons for becoming a Yoga teacher are your passion for Yoga and to share the gift that has changed your life. Your health and your personal Yoga practice are an integral part of the Yoga teaching vocation.
Maybe you don?t have a staff and you are busy all the time preparing for the next Yoga class. What can you do? Budget your time and make a personal Yoga, or meditation session, for yourself. Spending thousands of hours on bookkeeping, marketing, cleaning, and maintenance is part of many Yoga studio owners? lives, but you must also make the time to become a better Yoga practitioner.
You can also offer reduced rates to volunteers or ?work for trade? programs to those Yoga students who help you with ?domestic chores.? You should consult your accountant to make sure everything is legal and ?above board.? You don?t want to violate any child labor laws or set yourself up for any legal problems, so make sure you are following the law ?to the letter.? Remember also, that laws vary depending upon your location.
It?s too easy to let the business of Yoga become your new reality. The business of teaching Yoga is more time consuming than any of us can imagine as Yoga students. If you are spending so much time working on your Yoga business, that you have little time to practice, you must re-evaluate your reason for teaching Yoga.
Make time every day to expand your knowledge about Yoga?s many aspects. If you don?t take the time to be a Yoga student and engage in learning, continuing education, and nurturing your passion for Yoga, you risk burn out. The best Yoga teachers are students for life, who love to practice this wonderful discipline we know as Yoga.
When your Yoga studio, Yoga teaching position, or ashram becomes a daily burden, and you cannot expand your knowledge; the end result is no different than any other job. As a Yoga teacher, you owe it to your students to keep your ?internal flames of passion? for Yoga going.
? Copyright 2005 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He?s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Selecting A Yoga Class - 3 Tips
If you are thinking about taking a yoga class, please bear in mind a couple of pointers. Not only are all classes not the same, the yoga instructors aren?t the same either. In the right yoga class, you will feel comfortable. That means you are more likely to come back time and time again. Secondly, you are better able to get the most out of the class. Third, you get your money?s worth out of it. So, what should you look for in the yoga class you plan to sign up for?
The Right Yoga Class Can Change Your Life
1) Experience: The most beneficial aspect of taking a yoga class is the one-on-one attention that the instructor can provide. He/she needs to be experienced. Not only should they have all the right certification(s), but they should tell you where they studied and how they are continuing the learning process. It takes years to become a quality instructor so take all the experience into account.
2) Class size: Being comfortable in your yoga class can really help you get the most out of it. If you aren?t comfortable with a large number of people in the class, you will not enjoy the class. Ideally, you should take this class with friends. In this way, you will have your own support group to discuss your progress.
3) Recommendations: As always, feedback from a friend who has taken such classes is the best way to find the good ones in your area. You?ll find that people will be glad to tell you about their experiences if you just ask. If you cannot find anyone to tell you about the course, ask to audit the course for one session. This way, you are not paying into a course that you don?t like or won?t fit well in.
Bonus Tip: Try looking for studios that offer the sessions at different times of the day. So, in case you miss one regular session you can go to one of the other sessions to maintain continuity.
The right yoga class will provide you with the right area and the right environment to enjoy all the benefits from yoga. Don?t stop looking until you find the right one for your specific needs and preferences.
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com/ On his website he provides more articles about free yoga exercises online and health benefits of yoga.
The Right Yoga Class Can Change Your Life
1) Experience: The most beneficial aspect of taking a yoga class is the one-on-one attention that the instructor can provide. He/she needs to be experienced. Not only should they have all the right certification(s), but they should tell you where they studied and how they are continuing the learning process. It takes years to become a quality instructor so take all the experience into account.
2) Class size: Being comfortable in your yoga class can really help you get the most out of it. If you aren?t comfortable with a large number of people in the class, you will not enjoy the class. Ideally, you should take this class with friends. In this way, you will have your own support group to discuss your progress.
3) Recommendations: As always, feedback from a friend who has taken such classes is the best way to find the good ones in your area. You?ll find that people will be glad to tell you about their experiences if you just ask. If you cannot find anyone to tell you about the course, ask to audit the course for one session. This way, you are not paying into a course that you don?t like or won?t fit well in.
Bonus Tip: Try looking for studios that offer the sessions at different times of the day. So, in case you miss one regular session you can go to one of the other sessions to maintain continuity.
The right yoga class will provide you with the right area and the right environment to enjoy all the benefits from yoga. Don?t stop looking until you find the right one for your specific needs and preferences.
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com/ On his website he provides more articles about free yoga exercises online and health benefits of yoga.
Yoga for Great Tennis
You are on a tennis court and everything is looking good: your backhand is as strong as ever and your serve is impeccable. Point after point, you are winning the match. Inspired, you come back to the same court the next day and unfortunately, are faced with a different scenario: nothing works, every ball goes out and the more points you are losing, the more irritable you become. Sadly, this scenario is too familiar to most tennis players. If you are not a pro, you are likely to experience some degree of unsteadiness in your tennis game.
Yogic practices can tremendously help in making your tennis game steadier and stronger.
Meditating for just ten minutes a day can greatly improve your concentration during a stressful match and dristi (single-pointed gaze) would prevent your tennis instructor from screaming: ?Watch the ball!? For seventeenth time during a half-hour practice. Pranayama (breathing practices) increase the lung capacity, so you don?t run out of breath while your tennis partner is busy running you from one corner of the court to the other. Regular asana practice would make you more flexible, therefore increasing your reach on the court. Sun Salutations make the spine suppler, so if used as a pre-game stretch, they can greatly reduce the risk of injury.
While most yoga poses can be used as an aid for a tennis game enhancement, some poses are still better than others, as they target tennis-specific injuries and problem areas. These poses can be done both on and off the court and of course, if you?d like to see quick improvement, you should try to practice regularly.
Before starting your yoga practice, take a moment to center your breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply and fully through the nose (ujjayi breath.) Try to remember to go back to this type of breathing in between difficult points during your next match. You will notice the soothing and the centering effect of ujjayi when you are stressing out about a tie-break or about losing a game.
Inhale and lift your arms in prayer pose up to the sky. Exhale and fold forward, placing your palms on the floor, with fingertips in line with the toes. Then, straighten your legs, if you can. Inhale and look up. The spine is straight. Exhale and jump or step back into chaturanga, bending your elbows straight back. Look in front of you, not down. The elbows have to be very close the body, don?t let your tailbone stick out in the air. Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. Hold the pose for five breaths. This pose strengthens the arms and the wrists, so you?d never have to use one of these annoying wrist machines again, because practicing chaturanga should eventually give you a better control of the racquet.
Inhale and move forward, lifting to upward-facing dog.
Your thighs should be a few inches off the floor. Gaze at the tip of your nose. Make sure that the inner elbow creases face forward, thus opening the shoulders. Hold for five breaths.
Up-dog is great for tennis elbow treatment and prevention. Because the pose opens up the shoulders, there is less pressure on the elbow joint. The pose also strengthens the spine, the arms and the wrists. It can improve your serve.
Exhale and make your way into a downward ?facing dog, pushing back, straightening the legs and trying to place the soles of the feet on the floor. Gaze at your navel. Spread your fingers wide and make sure the inner elbow creases are still rotated forward, while the middle fingers are parallel and pointed straight forward. This way you are preventing the tennis elbow through stretching the shoulder joint. Activate your quadriceps and hold the pose for five breaths.
Downward facing dog is one of the best pre-game stretches. It stretches the spine, the sides of the torso, the shoulders, the arms, the neck and the backs of the legs. If you practice downward-facing dog regularly, you should have a better reach on the court and you may feel lighter while running to the net. Your ground strokes can improve tremendously from all of this stretching. If you love this pose, you are unlikely to develop post-game cramping of the legs, because of the regular hamstring stretch. The serve should become very powerful from the shoulder opening.
From a standing pose, inhale and lift your right knee into the chest. Exhale and open your right knee to the right, placing the right sole of the foot into the inner side of the left thigh. Imagine energy, lifting through your left leg. Lift your pelvic floor in and up. Keep your torso straight and on the inhalation, lift your arms in prayer up above your head, with forearms being behind the ears to tree pose, vrksasana.
Keep your gaze steady at an unmoving point in front of you. Hold for ten breaths and repeat on the other side.
Tree pose is excellent for balance and coordination, necessary for tennis. It also strengthens the back and the torso muscles for a great serve and works on the leg muscles for ground strokes and volleys.
Yoga practice can make your tennis game steadier, through improving your strokes and helping your injuries. Most importantly, yoga can steady your mind, so you are able to get ?into the zone,? necessary for winning.
Anastasia Dorohova of Steady Bliss Yoga, is a certified yoga teacher, registered with the Yoga Alliance. Being a very experienced tennis player, she developed Yoga for Great Tennis program and is teaching ?yoga for tennis? workshops at various clubs and tennis camps. Anastasia produced and starred in two DVDS: Yoga for Great Tennis and Yoga for Tennis Elbow and Bad Knees. To purchase the DVDs and for workshop information, log onto http://www.steadybliss.com
Yogic practices can tremendously help in making your tennis game steadier and stronger.
Meditating for just ten minutes a day can greatly improve your concentration during a stressful match and dristi (single-pointed gaze) would prevent your tennis instructor from screaming: ?Watch the ball!? For seventeenth time during a half-hour practice. Pranayama (breathing practices) increase the lung capacity, so you don?t run out of breath while your tennis partner is busy running you from one corner of the court to the other. Regular asana practice would make you more flexible, therefore increasing your reach on the court. Sun Salutations make the spine suppler, so if used as a pre-game stretch, they can greatly reduce the risk of injury.
While most yoga poses can be used as an aid for a tennis game enhancement, some poses are still better than others, as they target tennis-specific injuries and problem areas. These poses can be done both on and off the court and of course, if you?d like to see quick improvement, you should try to practice regularly.
Before starting your yoga practice, take a moment to center your breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply and fully through the nose (ujjayi breath.) Try to remember to go back to this type of breathing in between difficult points during your next match. You will notice the soothing and the centering effect of ujjayi when you are stressing out about a tie-break or about losing a game.
Inhale and lift your arms in prayer pose up to the sky. Exhale and fold forward, placing your palms on the floor, with fingertips in line with the toes. Then, straighten your legs, if you can. Inhale and look up. The spine is straight. Exhale and jump or step back into chaturanga, bending your elbows straight back. Look in front of you, not down. The elbows have to be very close the body, don?t let your tailbone stick out in the air. Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. Hold the pose for five breaths. This pose strengthens the arms and the wrists, so you?d never have to use one of these annoying wrist machines again, because practicing chaturanga should eventually give you a better control of the racquet.
Inhale and move forward, lifting to upward-facing dog.
Your thighs should be a few inches off the floor. Gaze at the tip of your nose. Make sure that the inner elbow creases face forward, thus opening the shoulders. Hold for five breaths.
Up-dog is great for tennis elbow treatment and prevention. Because the pose opens up the shoulders, there is less pressure on the elbow joint. The pose also strengthens the spine, the arms and the wrists. It can improve your serve.
Exhale and make your way into a downward ?facing dog, pushing back, straightening the legs and trying to place the soles of the feet on the floor. Gaze at your navel. Spread your fingers wide and make sure the inner elbow creases are still rotated forward, while the middle fingers are parallel and pointed straight forward. This way you are preventing the tennis elbow through stretching the shoulder joint. Activate your quadriceps and hold the pose for five breaths.
Downward facing dog is one of the best pre-game stretches. It stretches the spine, the sides of the torso, the shoulders, the arms, the neck and the backs of the legs. If you practice downward-facing dog regularly, you should have a better reach on the court and you may feel lighter while running to the net. Your ground strokes can improve tremendously from all of this stretching. If you love this pose, you are unlikely to develop post-game cramping of the legs, because of the regular hamstring stretch. The serve should become very powerful from the shoulder opening.
From a standing pose, inhale and lift your right knee into the chest. Exhale and open your right knee to the right, placing the right sole of the foot into the inner side of the left thigh. Imagine energy, lifting through your left leg. Lift your pelvic floor in and up. Keep your torso straight and on the inhalation, lift your arms in prayer up above your head, with forearms being behind the ears to tree pose, vrksasana.
Keep your gaze steady at an unmoving point in front of you. Hold for ten breaths and repeat on the other side.
Tree pose is excellent for balance and coordination, necessary for tennis. It also strengthens the back and the torso muscles for a great serve and works on the leg muscles for ground strokes and volleys.
Yoga practice can make your tennis game steadier, through improving your strokes and helping your injuries. Most importantly, yoga can steady your mind, so you are able to get ?into the zone,? necessary for winning.
Anastasia Dorohova of Steady Bliss Yoga, is a certified yoga teacher, registered with the Yoga Alliance. Being a very experienced tennis player, she developed Yoga for Great Tennis program and is teaching ?yoga for tennis? workshops at various clubs and tennis camps. Anastasia produced and starred in two DVDS: Yoga for Great Tennis and Yoga for Tennis Elbow and Bad Knees. To purchase the DVDs and for workshop information, log onto http://www.steadybliss.com
Yoga Exercises For Pregnant Women
Pregnant women can definitely benefit from doing yoga. The experience is one in which you can focus on what is happening within your body, relieve the stresses from worry and anxiety as well as keep your body in shape during this time. Pregnancy is a time of great risk though, so any and all exercises performed during this time need to be done with great care. At any time that you feel that you have overdone it, stop and rest. Make sure to ask your doctor if yoga is safe for you during pregnancy especially if you have any complications during it.
Exercises You Can Enjoy And Reap Benefits From
Yoga breathing: Probably the most important aspect to the pregnant women is relaxing and relieving stress. Although it is not an exercise, it is a way of taking control of the body once again to encourage positive-ness and to increase health. The right breathing techniques can provide many benefits. Take the time to practice the most basic of techniques that yoga teaches in breathing.
Standing Yoga poses: In your first trimester, the best exercises to do are the standing yoga poses. These are basic and taught in most yoga sessions. This will help strengthen your legs and muscles and help with circulation while reducing leg cramps too.
Asanas: In the next couple of months, you can do what feels right to you. But, never push too hard. You may want to reduce the time that you spend practicing the Asanas as you do not want to overwork or tire your body.
Moderate twisting: You can do supine poses, backbends as well as some twisting as long as you are comfortable. Just ensure that you are doing these in moderation.
Word Of Caution
It is important to note that many yoga practitioners warn against practicing yoga from the tenth through the fourteenth week of pregnancy since these are crucial times in development. Also, it is important to never overstretch the abdomen during any time of the pregnancy. When twisting, do so with your shoulders and the upper back only. As for inversion poses, only do them through the seventh month is you are completely comfortable doing them. Never push too hard and yoga will be very enjoyable during pregnancy.
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com/ On this free online yoga resource, he provides more articles about health benefits of yoga.
Exercises You Can Enjoy And Reap Benefits From
Yoga breathing: Probably the most important aspect to the pregnant women is relaxing and relieving stress. Although it is not an exercise, it is a way of taking control of the body once again to encourage positive-ness and to increase health. The right breathing techniques can provide many benefits. Take the time to practice the most basic of techniques that yoga teaches in breathing.
Standing Yoga poses: In your first trimester, the best exercises to do are the standing yoga poses. These are basic and taught in most yoga sessions. This will help strengthen your legs and muscles and help with circulation while reducing leg cramps too.
Asanas: In the next couple of months, you can do what feels right to you. But, never push too hard. You may want to reduce the time that you spend practicing the Asanas as you do not want to overwork or tire your body.
Moderate twisting: You can do supine poses, backbends as well as some twisting as long as you are comfortable. Just ensure that you are doing these in moderation.
Word Of Caution
It is important to note that many yoga practitioners warn against practicing yoga from the tenth through the fourteenth week of pregnancy since these are crucial times in development. Also, it is important to never overstretch the abdomen during any time of the pregnancy. When twisting, do so with your shoulders and the upper back only. As for inversion poses, only do them through the seventh month is you are completely comfortable doing them. Never push too hard and yoga will be very enjoyable during pregnancy.
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com/ On this free online yoga resource, he provides more articles about health benefits of yoga.
Beginning Yoga Breathing - All You Need To Know
In yoga, breathing is everything. Breathing is more than just an intake of oxygen. It is also a way of cleansing the body and restoring equilibrium. But, in order to gain high quality results from the breathing that you do, you must do them correctly. There is no quick way to learn the right technique, but here are a few pointers to bear in mind while starting out with yoga breathing.
Kapalabhati- basic yoga breathing. In this method, you learn to breathe in order to purify the body. It is one of the six different Kriyas practices. Your breath is short, strong and fast. The lung acts as a pump that expels the waste from it. Here, you are deliberately breathing faster while breathing through your stomach and not your chest.
Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique- This is another basic yet fundamentally important type of breathing technique. Here, you will breathe through one nostril, hold your breath and then exhale through the opposite nostril. The ratio of inhale:hold:exhale is 2:8:4.
Brahmari- This type of less used yoga breathing is done by partially closing the glottis and then inhaling through both of your nostrils. Your lips are closed and the palate will vibrate due to the nasal airflow.
Sithali, Sitkari- This is a rarely used type of yoga breathing. It works in a different manner. Here you stick your tongue out a little and then softly curl the sides of the tongue up. Now, start inhaling through your mouth.
Yoga exercises are fundamental to the breathing work that you do. In any type of session, you will be taught the fundamentals of breathing. This is due to the simple fact that it is the source of life. It is essential to cleansing the body. It is one of the central focuses of successful, effective yoga.
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com/ On his website he provides free yoga exercises and more information about the different types of yoga.
Kapalabhati- basic yoga breathing. In this method, you learn to breathe in order to purify the body. It is one of the six different Kriyas practices. Your breath is short, strong and fast. The lung acts as a pump that expels the waste from it. Here, you are deliberately breathing faster while breathing through your stomach and not your chest.
Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique- This is another basic yet fundamentally important type of breathing technique. Here, you will breathe through one nostril, hold your breath and then exhale through the opposite nostril. The ratio of inhale:hold:exhale is 2:8:4.
Brahmari- This type of less used yoga breathing is done by partially closing the glottis and then inhaling through both of your nostrils. Your lips are closed and the palate will vibrate due to the nasal airflow.
Sithali, Sitkari- This is a rarely used type of yoga breathing. It works in a different manner. Here you stick your tongue out a little and then softly curl the sides of the tongue up. Now, start inhaling through your mouth.
Yoga exercises are fundamental to the breathing work that you do. In any type of session, you will be taught the fundamentals of breathing. This is due to the simple fact that it is the source of life. It is essential to cleansing the body. It is one of the central focuses of successful, effective yoga.
Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.yoga-made-ez.com/ On his website he provides free yoga exercises and more information about the different types of yoga.
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