Sunday, January 4, 2009

Benefits of Doing Yoga

Yoga through meditation works remarkably to accomplish harmony and helps the mind work in synchronization with the body. How often do we find that we are unable to perform our activities properly and in a satisfying manner because of the confusions and conflicts in our mind weigh down heavily upon us?

Stress is the number one suspect affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional system. And with the help of yoga this things can be corrected. At the physical level, yoga and yoga poses have proven to be extremely effective for various disorders.

Listed below are just some of the benefits of yoga that you can get.

Benefits of Yoga 1: Yoga is known to amplify flexibility; yoga has postures that trigger the different joints of the body. Including those joints that are not acted upon with regular exercises routines.

Benefits of Yoga 2: Yoga also increases the lubrication of joints, ligament and tendons. The well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.
It has also been found that the body which may have started doing yoga being a inflexible one may experience a quite remarkable flexibility in the end on those parts of the body which have not been consciously worked upon.

Benefits of Yoga 3: Yoga also massages all organs of the body. Yoga is perhaps the only exercise that can work on through your internal organs in a thorough manner, including those that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime.

Benefits of Yoga 4: Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.
One of the far-reaching benefits of yoga is the uncanny sense of awareness that it develops in the practitioner of an impending health disorder or infection.

Benefits of Yoga 5: yoga offers a total detoxification of the body. It gently stretches the muscles and joints as we as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body.

Benefits of Yoga 6: Yoga helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny of your body as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life, and leads many researchers to believe that yoga is an effective cure for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Benefits of Yoga 7: yoga is also an excellent way to tone your muscles. Muscles which have been flaccid and weak are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess fats and flaccidity.

But these enormous physical benefits are just a “side effect” of this powerful practice. What yoga does is harmonize the mind with the body and these results in real quantum benefits.

It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which proves beyond doubt the mind and body connection.

In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and spirit which can lead to an experience of eternal bliss that you can only feel through yoga. The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment.

This in turn creates a extraordinary calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Yoga for Women: Hold that Pose

So, how can yoga help reshape your waist.

In simple terms, by requiring you to move - and hold - your torso muscles as a unit. Rather than isolating your abdominal muscles as you do in crunches, yoga poses help to lengthen your overall torso, creating a feeling that is both centered and strong.

Think of your torso as a long vessel through which numerous muscles interact to keep you looking lean. Your transversus abdominis, the deepest abdominal muscle, works with the others to hold in your lower belly. Your erector spinae, the muscles that attach on your spine, straighten your posture and can make you feel (and appear) taller, while your rectus abdominis and obliques are the strong and flexible muscles that allow your limbs to move freely.

Friday, March 21, 2008

What is Yoga Therapy?

What exactly is Yoga therapy, and what are its origins? Should a Yoga teacher consider becoming a Yoga therapist? Where will Yogic therapy go in the future?



If we look at a simplistic definition of what Yoga therapy is, it might be described as: A Yogic practice, which uses breathing techniques (pranayama), postures (asanas), hygienic duties (kriyas), proper diet, meditation, and many more methods, which treat mental, emotional, and physical ailments.



Want more Yoga Articles? Check out Yoga Instruction Therapy.



The origin of Yoga is, at least, 5,000 years old, but a contemporary school of therapy can be traced to Sri Tirumala Krishnamacharya, who is often regarded as a teacher of master teachers. Among his students were T.K.V. Desikachar, T.K. Sribhashyam, K. Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi, and more.



If a Yoga teacher considers becoming a therapist, there are a number of requirements to become competent. One priority is to develop in-depth knowledge of anatomy. This will require extra training and study. Some physical therapists, and physicians, are also Yoga teachers, so the jump to Yoga therapy is a logical one.



However, the average instructor does not have a medical background. Continuing education becomes the next logical step in this case. Another point to mention is that therapy, of any kind, requires compassion.



If compassion is not a natural ingredient built into the personality of an instructor, why pursue teaching Yoga as therapy? The truth is: A personality without compassion should not be teaching classes in any subject. There are a rare few people, who derive pleasure from pushing others into pain. They should not be working with the public in any type of care-giving capacity.



Where will Yoga therapy go in the future? It is only a matter of time for Yoga to be integrated into standard medical therapies. Being cost efficient, and without negative side effects, has made a very strong case for proponents of Yoga therapy. As studies continue to reveal the results of a holistic and pro-active approach to health, standard medicine will evolve.



Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. For more excellent yoga articles, check out our website.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Yoga for Women

WARRIOR III POSE: Start in the Mountain Pose with the heels slightly apart, big toes touching, legs straight, chest lifted, pelvis in a neutral position. Placing hands on hips, step back with your right foot so just your right toes touch the floor, all of your body weight on your left foot.

Keep your right leg extended in a straight line as you start to lean forward from your hips. Balance the length of your body, from your right heel to your fingertips, over your left leg until your torso is parallel to the floor. Keep your weight evenly distributed through inner and outer heel, with hips level. Begin with 5 breath cycles and progress to 15.

Lift your torso up and return to the Mountain Pose; repeat on the other side.

Want more Yoga Articles? Check out Yoga Instruction Therapy.



PLANK POSE, SIDE-PLANK POSE
Begin on your hands and knees, hands directly under shoulders, knees under hips. Move feet back until the legs are straight and you're balancing on your toes, feet together. Keep the shoulders pulled back and down, arms straight. This is the Plank Pose.

Squeezing the ankles together, roll onto the outer edge of the left foot, keeping feet stacked, legs straight. Lift the right hand toward ceiling then look up at it. Let your abs support your body without clamping and crunching. Then lower right hand to floor, rolling down toward the right, and return to the Plank Pose. Repeat on other side. Hold each pose for 5 breath cycles.

For more information about yoga training, check out this website