Healthy Journey » Yoga

Yoga Poses: Corpse Pose

Barbara Holbrook — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:41:13 +0000

Corpse Pose (Savasana), also know as Death Pose, is probably the most relaxing of all yoga positions. Almost like meditation, many find that a few minutes in Corpse Pose is as relaxing and rejuvenating as an hour-long nap. It is usually used as the ending to a yoga session, although some practitioners like to use it at the beginning as well.

While some toss this into the “easy yoga poses” category, but it’s actually deceptively simple which makes it a perfect yoga pose for beginners. This is because the true goal of Corpse Pose is to quiet your mind and be completely still and relaxed. With proper practice you will find that awareness of your body and your breathing will become more pronounced.

If you find yourself getting sleepy or feeling restless while in Corpse Pose, focus your mind on your breathing. Slowing or quickening your breath rate can deepen your meditation practice.

Corpse Pose

1. Lay down flat on your back ad let your arms fall naturally at your sides, palms up. Relax your legs and let your feet fall open.

2. Relax your body. Let it sink into the floor and become heavy.

3. Breathe naturally.

4. Awaken gently starting with your fingers and toes. Breathe deeply and feel your body come back to life.

5. Bring yourself back to a sitting position.

Can Yoga Ball Exercise Round Out Your Fitness Routine

editor — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:27:22 +0000

It’s a bit of a strange combination actually, yoga and exercise ball, since the advent of these large and virtually indestructible rubber balls is a fairly recent development while yoga is centuries old. I guess what we’re trying to say is that there really is no such thing as a yoga ball. There is yoga, and then there are exercise balls, doing them together is going to require just as much mental agility as it will physical agility.

However, there certainly are cases where an exercise ball can help with certain yoga positions.

In that case what you can do is consider an exercise ball as a kind of yoga prop that you can use if you already have one available. But just because you are stretching while on a ball doesn’t make what you’re doing yoga ball exercise—not really.

Yoga is a lot more than stretching. As a matter of fact, it is about training your body to hold certain positions, or even get into certain positions for beginners, without any sort of help whatsoever. Therefore, using a fitness ball during a yoga practice session is something less than actual yoga.

But when you are first starting out, props can make practicing yoga far easier. As a matter of fact, there are many people who are so stiff that they simply must use props in order to begin practicing yoga. Towels, straps, pillows and blocks are all used as yoga props for beginners. If you find yourself in this type of scenario, practicing yoga with an exercise ball might work for you.

So, What’s the Deal with Yoga Ball Exercise?

Now, it may sound like we are against the idea of yoga ball exercise. That is not entirely the case. Because a yoga ball is not rigid, it will still force you to do the one thing necessary during yoga practice, and that is tense your muscles to hold a position. You may not be using proper yoga form, or even doing a traditional yoga pose, but you can still be accomplishing very much the same thing. And that is, holding your body weight in a position.

You will probably not use an exercise ball for very long in your yoga practice. At a certain point you will want to cast aside all types of yoga props as you progress to more advanced positions. But when you are first starting out, an exercise ball can certainly help you with certain yoga poses while you are learning the more advanced positions.

Karma Yoga Intertwines East and West for Inner Harmony

editor — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:30:33 +0000

Karma yoga is the one type of yoga that brings the physical and the spiritual worlds together — most other types of yoga focus on either one or the other. If practiced properly, students of karma yoga can experience the harmony that comes when the physical and spiritual worlds are in balance.

The basis of karma yoga is found in ancient Hindu religions and philosophy. Over time, the practice has evolved to a meditative state that many believe can be achieved by no other form of yoga because only karma yoga combines the two main philosophies of the world. This means that it combines the theory of Western philosophy, that life should be lived with pleasure with the Eastern philosophy that life should be lived for knowledge. With karma yoga, the two philosophies become intertwined in the act of karma.

By learning karma, you are learning the knowledge of the world and living in complete and pure happiness.

The progression of your karmic growth depends solely on the way you live your life. If you live your life for wealth and material possessions then you are acquiring bad karma. If you live your life for pure happiness and love then you have good karma on your side. If you do not work on yourself and the life that you are living then karma yoga cannot help you. The type of person that you already are, reflects the results that you will see by participating in karma yoga. (...)

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Yoga Poses: Downward Dog

Barbara Holbrook — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:52:09 +0000

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is often one of the first yoga positions that beginners learn. This pose helps to lengthen the muscles in your hamstrings, calves and the Achilles tendon. Downward Facing Dog is also good for strengthening your hands and wrists, decreasing back pain and elongating the shoulders.

This pose is great after a long day at work hunched over a computer! It can increase blood supplies to the brain and stimulate the nervous system to help you feel rejuvenated and relive fatigue.

Downward Facing Dog

1. Start on your hands and knees.

2. Slowly exhale as you pull back on your knees and begin to raise up into an into an inverted v position

3. Let your head relax and hand loosely. You will feel the stretch in your legs and hips as if you are being pulled up from behind.

4. Let your heels sink into the floor and keep the weight off your arms. Keep your back straight and your arms extended but relaxed. Breathe deeply and rest while holding the pose for up to 5 minutes.

Raising Children with Yoga

editor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:42:37 +0000

I remember growing up throwing rocks, jumping off of buildings, riding bicycles over huge ramps, and yet somehow I managed to survive with little more than a few bruises and scrapes. Comparing yoga to the types of reckless behavior I displayed as a child seems incredibly tiny by comparison.

When it comes to fitness, yoga is a great for children because they are naturally quite limber. Positions that adults might find an incredibly intense stretch, will simply fall right into place for children. Sometimes it seems as though children are made out of rubber bands! Although they may not have the physical strength for advanced poses, if children are capable of getting into the pose with out any discomfort, it’s probably not going to hurt them either.

Yoga for children will have lasting benefits for them down the road. (...)

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Yoga Poses: Mountain Pose

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:26:45 +0000

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) is the foundation for all the standing poses so it’s a good place to start for beginning yoga students. This yoga pose can improve posture by properly aligning your spine, strengthening your thighs and can help relieve back pain.

Over time, practicing Mountain Pose will teach you to become more attuned to your body so that you will notice when you are out of balance. Pay close attention to any tight muscles or stiffness which may indicate what areas of the body you need to work on.

When practicing Mountain Pose, reach down through your body and picture yourself rooted to the earth. Hold still and steady like a mountain.

Mountain Pose

1. Stand with your feet touching tip to tip, arms down at your side, palms facing inward and your back straight.

2. Evenly distribute your weight and feel your feet deeply rooted into the ground. Tighten your leg muscles through your calves and quadriceps with your knees slightly raised.

3. Draw in your abdomen and tuck in your tailbone.

4. Feel your body lengthen and draw your head and neck up, taller towards the sky.

The Secret About Buying Cheap Yoga Mats

editor — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:32:18 +0000

People that practice yoga eventually choose to get their own yoga mat for many reasons: you might want a unique mat that shows off your personality, or perhaps you need a mat with better support so you’ve custom ordered one that has the right firmness, thickness, and dimensions for your height.

When first shopping for a yoga mat, it’s easy to be surprised by the prices. High-end yoga mats can cost up to $100 while basic mats are still in the $20-$30 range. Are the higher quality Yoga mats worth the extra cash? What about cheap yoga mats? Are they bad?

Believe it or not, a cheap yoga mat is perfectly fine for most people. Buying a cheap yoga mat may even be the best decision. Here’s why. (...)

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Exercise Ideas For Individuals With Limited Mobility

editor — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:27:18 +0000

It is a fact that people who are sedentary are more likely to suffer from the diseases and conditions that come with aging than those who are more active—the same goes for injuries. On the flip-side, people who are physically active are more likely to recover after an injury than those who are not active.

It’s clear the being active is key for a healthy life. But, how can you get active if you have limited mobility? Although there are many challenges that come with having mobility issues, it’s rarely impossible to exercise. You may need to modify your approach to exercise and fitness, but there are exercises suited for people with limited mobility.

Start by talking with your doctor about exercises that are within your reach. Ask your doctor to recommend services that help people with limited mobility to live more active lives.

Here are some more helpful ideas to get a good exercise program working for you. (...)

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Yoga and Tai Chi as Pathways to Better Health

editor — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:35:27 +0000

For an investment of 20 minutes each morning, the payback is reduced stress, a sense of calm and peace, improved strength, limberness, better immune function and lower blood pressure.

It’s not too good to be true. The investment is practicing yoga or tai chi, which were developed and revised over many centuries. The October issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter includes an in-depth Special Report on Yoga and Tai Chi, covering health benefits, differences between yoga and tai chi, tips for learning postures and poses, simple stretches, how breathing enhances energy, and resources to learn more. (...)

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5 Easy Yoga Positions for Beginners

Barbara Holbrook — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:24:42 +0000

According to WebMD, close to 11 million Americans practice yoga. The health benefits of yoga are hard to ignore: increased flexibility, strength and balance; relaxation and stress relief; positive changes in mood and better focus. For beginners, choosing a type a yoga, is as individual as the reason for choosing yoga in the first place.

To help you get started on your yogic journey, we’ve round up a few yoga positions for beginners. Start with these easy yoga poses and see if yoga is a good fitness match for you.(...)

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Yoga Ball

editor — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:59:54 +0000

The term yoga ball is one of those things which should probably explode on the page the second that it is written. It is a bit like using a term like: slimming blubber. Ok, maybe it’s not quite that much of a misnomer, but there really isn’t any such thing as a yoga ball. You could read every traditional text on yoga and find absolutely nothing about a ball of any sort – at least until the mid 90′s. But, there just happens to be a place in yoga for the use of a ball, but the ball should actually be called a ” prop.” There are some forms of yoga that make extensive use of props, but using a big rubber ball is a relatively new phenomenon.

And for good reason. Learning yoga, especially if you are wickedly out of shape can be pretty tough. Certain forms of yoga, like Hatha (which means ‘forceful’) and ashtanga can also be virtually impossible if you aren’t already in pretty good shape, not to mention relatively thin, and probably young. So for those well past middle age and beginners who are starting from really ground zero or below, the use of certain props may be necessary even if the style doesn’t call for it at all. It just so happens that this is precisely how the use of exercise balls entered the realm of the yoga classroom.

The ball, when used in yoga, is there to minimize the position to the point where someone with limited flexibility and strength can actually begin to work on the position without falling over, breaking or otherwise injuring something. Torn things lead to bad meditation after. Downward dog is wicked hard to do if your hamstrings are tight, and even folks who can touch the floor with their fingers will grimace while in this pose. The ball is used to take some of the pressure off the hamstrings and generate what might be called a ” downward puppy.” A much lighter version of the pose that a beginner can actually hold for more than a half second before exploding.

I’m just trying to be humorous, please dont think I look down even an inch at anyone who uses a ball for yoga. As a matter of fact I could probably have used something bigger and squishier when I started yoga. The real key to yoga is sticking with it consistently enough and for long enough that you end up being able to do the poses without props, and then actually lengthen into each poses even further. If you need to start with small props, you’ll eventually get to using no props. If you need to start with big props you’ll eventually move on to smaller props. Everyone has to start somewhere, and getting started is more important than where you start.

So, while there may still be no such thing as a yoga ball, per se, there are certainly good uses for an exercise ball during a yoga session. If you’ve never tried yoga before at all, you would probably do well to check out some of the other online resources (with pictures and everything) that show many yoga poses using a ball as a prop, or a class based on the use of props such as the ball. Just remember that (at least eventually) you’re trying to get to the point where you’re just doing yoga, and letting the kids play with the big rubber ball.

You’re no Dummy! Consider the Yoga Book for Anyone

editor — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:33:12 +0000

There have lots of the “for dummies” books published over the last two decades. One of the most popular, is of course, Yoga for Dummies. And while you can get a really good overview of the practice in different types of yoga by using a book like Yoga for Dummies, there are also other resources that you might want to consider if you are really serious about practicing yoga.

If you’re ready to get started and really jump into a good yoga system without having to read through tons of material, you might want to also consider the resource Yoga Book for Anyone. Written by a master yogi from Kuala Lampur in Malaysia, this book will walk you from beginner to advanced yoga easier and faster than you might think it’s possible. (...)

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Hot Bikram Yoga

editor — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:04:05 +0000

Hot Bikram yoga was invented by yogi master Bikram Choudhury. It is practiced in a hot room at a temperature between 95 to 105 degrees F and a humidity of 50 percent. The hot and humid environment make your muscles stretch more while making you sweat. The theory is that sweating more releases toxins from the body. Hot Bikramm yoga requires you to do 26 poses that promote strengthening and stretching. Since you’ll be sweating a lot, it’s advisable to drink a full glass of water or two before beginning.

It is advisable to work your way up to the full hot Bikram yoga experience. You can start by purchasing or watching some Bikram yoga videos online. Practice the poses at home focusing on practicing your breathing. Breathing is very important in hot Bikram yoga as it helps you cope with the intense heat.

Finally, find a local class and if possible a friend to go with you. A friend is great for support and having someone to keep you motivated to keep going. Make sure you find a place to practice with certified instructors who are educated about Bikram specifically.

Yoga Poses: Child’s Pose

Barbara Holbrook — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:29:15 +0000

Child’s Pose (Balasana) is a resting pose that stretches the hips, thighs, ankles and back. It’s a good pose for relaxation and can be used if you’re tired and need a break, or between poses.

Like, Downward Facing Dog, Child’s Pose is another good yoga pose for getting blood to the brain. It can be refreshing if you’re feeling fatigued.

Child’s Pose

1. From a kneeling position, sit on your feet with your toes touching and your heels pointing out.

2. With your toes still touching, open your knees and lower your belly until it rests between your thighs.

3. Lean your forehead to the floor and reach your arms out in front of you, palms down.

4. Bring your arms around in a wide circle and bring them to rest at your sides, palms facing up.

Yoga Poses: Cobra

Barbara Holbrook — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:02:44 +0000

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) is a very basic backbend that is helpful for folks with lower back pain because it increases spine flexibility. This yoga position for beginners can decrease stiffness in your lower back while strengthening your arms and shoulders.

While easy enough for a beginner, Cobra Pose is good for a variety of ailments and will likely become a part of your regular yoga routine regardless of your skill level. It helps relieve stress, opens your chest up and is a good yoga pose for dealing with menstrual irregularities.

Cobra Pose

1. Start on the floor in a lying down position, face down resting your head on your arms.

2. Look up and begin to raise your head. With your hands palm down, shoulder width apart, slowly raise your upper torso.

3. Let your lower back do most of the work as you bend backwards and straighten your arms.

Dynamic Yoga Empowers Practitioners Through Extreme Exercise

editor — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:27:07 +0000

There is something about Americans when it comes to exercise. We just seem to love pushing the limits; it’s the no pain, no gain mentality. Now, I’m not saying it’s good or it’s bad. I’m just observing that there are a lot of fitness folks who believe that pushing yourself to the outer limits is the only way to “get in the zone.”

It’s probably this addiction to extreme exercise that has led to such popularity with more aggressive forms of yoga such as dynamic yoga and power yoga, etc. (...)

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Understanding the Different Types of Yoga

Barbara Holbrook — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:59:56 +0000

Yoga has become an increasingly popular way for people to build strength, flexibility and confidence. What started as meditative positions practiced by religious Buddhists and Hindus more than 5000 years ago has evolved into a physical and mental discipline practiced in gyms, yoga studios and living rooms all over the world.

There are seven major branches of yoga performed throughout the world as a form of exercise. If you’re interested in this ancient practice then it’s a good idea to explore one or two types of yoga to find the one your prefer.

Use this simple comparison of the yoga types to help narrow down the choices you’ll find in fitness magazines, gym schedules and home fitness instructional DVDs. Then try yoga and see for yourself why people return to this type of fitness over and over again.(...)

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Yoga for Men: Building Muscle, Strength, Endurance

editor — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:51:37 +0000

For most guys, and this probably means you, the only time that yoga ever crosses your mind is when you walk past the studio in your gym where all of the thin, attractive women are twisting themselves into lithe positions. You may have gone one step further and consider joining the class just for the view, but probably were never quite able to turn away from the more manly pursuits over in the free weight section.

If that sounds like you, the it’s high time that you reconsidered the way that you think about yoga. (...)

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