Thursday, November 30, 2006

The World Goes Gaga Over Yoga As A Stress Reducer

By Aasheesh Jain

Yoga has intruded into almost all spheres of healthcare. A good number of health organizations in America have come up with strong advocation for Yoga practices. And they are no fool in doing so as they are well aware of yoga's efficacy in holistic health improvement. Furthermore yoga has also proven its worth in shooting out stress and anxiety that are widely prevalent. In fact, if you keep practicing Yoga on a regular basis, you are very likely to remain stress free for the whole life. There could not be a better natural stress reducer than yoga.


A good number of workaholic folks have been found falling prey to stress and anxiety and usage of medications seem to worsen the situation. That's why people are rather keen to follow natural ways to control stress. It's just because of that millions of Americans have taken refuge in Yoga to fight their stress and anxiety. Not only in America but in Europe and other continents as well, Yoga is increasingly becoming popular as stress reducer.


Yoga curbs stress by bringing tranquility and peace of mind. Your mind experiences complete rejuvenation with yoga exercises. There are certain yoga asanas (postures) that are specifically meant to provide relaxation to mind and greatly contribute to stress reduction. For example, corpse posture of Shavasana. Other relaxation providing yoga poses equally contribute to mental peace.


An aggravated stress could be effectively cured yoga dhyana or meditation. Meditation offers a long term solution to people who are prone to stressful situations. In today's life you can't avoid stress, so stress management becomes a prerequisite. That's when Yoga proves it's efficacy as stress management tool with its wider range of exercise practices.


What is particularly beneficial in curbing stress is hot Yoga exercises. You are made to exercise in soared temperature. Once you are through with a session of hot yoga, you feel completely rejuvenated.


You may go for practices like Ashtanga and kundalini, they are quite helpful in freeing you from tensions. Anxiety could be successfully eliminated with regular practice of Vinyasa.


Various breathing exercises are of special significance in preventing stress. They are easy to practice and could be made a part of your daily schedule.


A consultation with an experienced Yogi would give you a detailed insight into yoga poses and exercises that are of help in keeping you mentally fit in order to cope up with stressful situations.


So take up yoga practices to keep yourself stress free, it's not only you but the entire world who is looking at yoga as a sure remedy of stress.


To get more information on yoga, yoga and meditation and your body and yoga visit http://www.therealyoga.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aasheesh_Jain
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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Yoga For Healthy Life

By Jennifer Miller

Yoga position Relieve from depression, stress, and tension required regular practice of yoga. Yoga is the best exercise to get rid from the disease.


Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word meaning join or unite. This implies union between body, mind and soul of the individual to achieve the good health and well being. There are 8 disciplines of yoga which includes


1. Asanas - practice of the yoga postures or position.

2. Dharana- concentration or focus

3. Dhyana- meditation

4. Pranayama- Breathing technique

5. Niyama- Principles of self conduct: purity, self-surrender and satisfaction.

6. Samadhi- the state of higher consciousness where the individual dissolves in the meditation

7. Yama- Universal ethics like sexual restraint, non-stealing, truthfulness, non-violence.

8. Pratyahara- Control of Sense


These are the disciplines of yoga but if person do regular practice of yoga position, meditation and breathing technique. He will get rid from all disease like depression, stress, back pain, high blood pressure, obesity etc.


The yoga position or postures can be classified into the seven categories like
1. Standing yoga position - Chair Position, Eagle Position

2. Forward bends - Child's Position

3. Sitting yoga position - lotus position, Bound Angle Position

4. Lying position -- Corpse position, Fish Position

5. Twisting yoga position

6. Upside down yoga position

7. Back bending yoga position


Research proved that regular practice of yoga position, breathing techniques has many benefits like weight reduction, blood pressure normalize, immune power increase, increase of concentration, increase flexibility of body, detoxification of body system. Scientific experiement proved that yoga and breathing exercise releive stress, tension and calm the body. breathing exercise is the most effective exercise to control the asthama, depression and cool the nervous system


Jennifer Miller is the associate editor to the website http://abhinavexports.com The Website offers yoga books, books on yoga position, yoga for beginner, and wide range of book on yoga and its related topic. Buy books from india online books store, visit http://abhinavexports.com/book.php?id=124 Your feed back comment and suggestions will be highly appreciated at jennifer.84.miller@gmail.com

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Friday, November 24, 2006

Yoga for Beginners: Stress Management Solutions

By Paul Jerard

Yoga training gives us empowerment. Among the many powers we receive from regular Yoga practice is the power to say “no.” How often do you fill your plate with excessive obligations? Do you take on problems, which cannot be helped? We are not talking about getting away from your responsibilities. Some of us have a terrible time saying “no” to people who waste our time.
Here is an example: A co-worker has had the same problem, day in, day out, for years, and calls you on the telephone, about her problem, at your home. You have errands to run, for your family, but this co-worker spends the better part of an hour using you for a “sounding board.” You have given her advice, but she never listens because she is too busy complaining to consider listening to you or solving her problem.


Your Yoga teacher talks about mindfulness and loving kindness toward others all the time. What can you do? Do not pick up the phone or try to handle this person’s problems. You have given this person advice and she refuses to listen.


Your Yoga teacher has discussed “living in the moment.” Your objective is to make positive changes, now, for a brighter future. You cannot do that, if you are listening to the same problem over and over again. What is the best course of action?


As Yoga practitioners, we should show loving kindness, mindfulness, and help others whenever it is possible, but we cannot help anyone who refuses to take responsibility for his or her life.
When you empathically listen to your friends, family, and associates - you are giving your time, and this is a form of Karma Yoga, but you cannot afford to absorb their stress. See negative energy for what it is. When a person is full of negative thought, and you cannot help, you will, most likely, absorb this energy in the form of stress.


Now, let’s look at some other ways, in which, Yoga will help us with everyday stress. Consider your “total health picture.” What you eat and drink can also cause stress. Caffeine, which speeds the heart rate and shortens your breath, can be found in coffee, tea, soda, hot cocoa, and chocolate.


How fast do you eat? How much do you eat at one sitting? How much sleep do you get per night? All of these factors can be modified to manage your stress levels. Yoga teaches us that moderation is the key to good health. The results of steady Yoga practice will be reflected by living a less stressful lifestyle and making a change.


One last point to mention: Many of us worry about the future, causing us even more stress. Yoga practice teaches us to live in the present moment. The future has many variables, and we cannot see all of them. Preparation and pro-active behavior should be geared toward finding solutions, instead of worrying. It is normal to worry, but we all know it is a waste of time. How often do the things you worry about really happen?


© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

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Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Pilates and Yoga Both Are Quality Workouts

By Mike Herman

Both pilates and yoga are quality workouts and more than that they are very similar.
In fact pilates was developed, by Joseph Pilates and his wife in the early to mid-twentieth century as for the purposes of rehabilitation, based on the movements and postures of yoga and Joseph incorporated this into his form or exercise.


Both pilates and yoga mind-body exercises that look for measured, smooth and precise movements and breathe control.


However pilates is usually thought of as a form of exercise as opposed to yoga, which tends to be thought as a lifestyle choice.


While pilates is done for toning and strengthening the body, particularly the abdominal and back muscles. These muscles are thought of as the 'core' muscles of the body and is what pilates focuses on and in doing so help increase circulation, improve posture, and create long and lean muscles.


Yoga, however, is more a philosophy of ones lifestyle, which besides exercises designed for stress reduction and helping the body with fluidity of movement, also delves into meditation and relaxation. Yoga practitioner's work on breathing control, maintaining a proper diet, and several other disciplines in order to find a more perfect symmetry in their lives.


Both pilates and yoga do have a similar emphasis on the breathing of their practitioner's. It is well known that proper breathing does provide more of a benefit with the different pilates exercises and yoga postures. There is a slight difference between the differing practices recommendations: in pilates, the you are instructed to inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. However, breathing yoga is you inhale and exhale through the nose.


While both pilates and yoga do use tools, mats and exercise balls in order to more accurately perform the exercises. Both also utilize their own tools that are uniquely designed, exercise balls, blocks, elastic bands, etc., so as to get the most out of the particular exercise or posture.


Both pilates and yoga are also recommended by top athletes for overall body conditioning and flexibility, as well as muscle symmetry and coordination. This is especially true with sports such as golf, but is also recommend and practiced by athlete in many other sports as well.


And in addition to overall body condition, pilates is especially good when problems with the back arise. One of the main reasons that the regular use of a pilates program can be of benefit to those with a back problem is the fact that the program focuses largely around the idea of increasing the strength of the core muscles.


Anyone who works out with pilates usually experience a better sense of body awareness, and that can also aid to a person's ability to bounce back from a back problem and other rehabilitation needs.


If you need some free pilates mat exercises click on over to Mike Herman's site http://www.ThePilatesSolution.info or just what to more about the benefits of yoga click on over to http://www.HealthImproving.com/Yoga

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Friday, November 10, 2006

Practice Hatha Yoga for Happiness

By Paul Jerard

Does life feel like a carnival ride? How do we deal with life’s challenges? What do you consider happiness to be? Can Hatha Yoga really open the “Gateway to Happiness?” Let’s look at solutions to happiness, which you can find in your Hatha Yoga practice.


Life is often compared to a carnival ride. The “ups and downs” of life cause us pleasure and pain. To a degree, we all need a certain amount of stress, but Hatha Yoga practice can help you gauge the amount of stress you take.


Picture stress like water: You need some water to live, but too much water can become a flood. Hatha Yoga controls stress, like a dam controls water. We want a steady flow, but not too much.
How do we deal with life’s challenges? Many people want to avoid challenges and stress, but in the proper “dosage,” challenges are what keep us going. Start or finish your day with Yoga, and you will face life’s daily challenges with positive energy in your heart.


What do you consider happiness to be? Is it money, possessions, power, fame, retirement, or something else? All of these things tax our spirit. The more we have, the more we want, the more we are bored, and the more there is to worry about.


Happiness cannot be bought. Look at the lives of the “rich and famous,” if you need proof. Happiness is a choice, and Hatha Yoga can help anyone find the path of happiness.


Can Yoga really open the gateway to happiness? Absolutely! All forms of Yoga teach meditation and Pranayama. In Hatha Yoga, these concepts sometimes become secondary to Yoga postures (Asanas). Yet, all three of these concepts combined will help you feel more cheerful - even during disappointing times.


Yoga can be practiced all day long. When you display acts of kindness, you will feel gratified in knowing you helped someone. Loving kindness is a universal Yogic concept. This is just one of many methods of “Yoga off the mat.”


You can practice loving kindness by giving to others. Let someone in front of you, while you are in traffic, or help someone in need. If you have no money, loving kindness does not have to be material. Karma Yoga is selfless service; all you have to do is help or listen to someone who needs you.


Lastly, every time you give, help, or listen, it “comes back.” This should not be your primary motivation for helping others, but giving is always rewarded in one way or another. This is just one example of the law of cause and effect, which we also know as “Karma.”


© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Yoga For Beginners: Help, I Was Told Yoga Practice Is The Work Of The Devil

By Paul Jerard

Once in a “blue moon,” a Yoga center receives a phone call, letter, or Email, telling them how evil Yoga is. So I ask: Where have all the evil Yogis gone? All forms of Yoga aid mental, physical, and spiritual health. It is a mystery as to how this misunderstanding of Yoga ever got started.


Throughout history, a few politicians, and religious leaders, who created polarization, have existed in every century. This has caused holy wars, inquisitions, pogroms, and genocide. It is easy to point, at what we do not understand, and claim it is evil.


However, I would like to remind some religious fundamentalists of Mathew 7:1, where Jesus states: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” There are many good people who practice Yoga, for improved health, and do no harm to anyone.


There is no reason for any religion to look at Yoga as a threat. We all have access to information, which allows all of us to see similarities in the Torah, Quran, Bible, Vedas, and Sutras. Morality is, and has been, a universal concept and does not belong to a specific group.


Within Matthew Chapter 22, Jesus also said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."


Without going too deep into the Book of Matthew, or tracing the origin of this concept back to Deuteronomy, let’s just say a representative of God should know better. If you are educated, you cannot plead ignorance. If you believe in a “higher authority,” be careful what you “stir up” on this earth.


Do any of us really know the exact standards to enter heaven? To be safe, we might all start treating each other with more respect and courtesy. If our neighbor is a Christian, Moslem, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, or something else, we might as well accept our differences and live in peace.
We should avoid judgment of others. Who are we to judge anyone? As Jesus said, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.”


When someone tells you something is evil, think for yourself. Observe it and see if it is harmful, before you condemn something, which you know nothing about.


When people become polarized about an issue - they easily become a mindless mob. When we look back through history, we have to learn from our past mistakes. It is so easy to follow the crowd down the wrong path.


© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

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Saturday, November 04, 2006

Yoga for Beginners: The Second Step of Yoga Practice

By Paul Jerard

What is more important - the Yoga teacher or the style of Yoga being taught? Firstly, you should research the nine major styles of Yoga: Bhakti, Hatha, Jnana, Karma, Kundalini, Mantra, Raja, Tantra, and Yantra Yoga. Then, make a choice as to which path of Yoga you would like to pursue.


Seek out a Yoga teacher or Guru, in your preferred style, for guidance. If this is not possible, due to distance or time, you should do a lot more Yoga reading. When visiting a bookstore or library, browse through the Yoga books for the one that “draws you in.”


If you choose to study Hatha Yoga, or a Hatha Yoga sub-style, the first book I would personally recommend is, “The Heart of Yoga, Developing a Personal Practice,” by T.K.V. Desikachar. T.K.V. Desikachar trained many of today's modern Yoga masters, and this one book will help anyone develop their own routine.


Notice that I have not recommended a DVD. Why is that? Although Yoga DVD’s are very informative, some people get hurt practicing Hatha Yoga, while watching a DVD at the same time. It is not uncommon to hear that a beginning Yoga student was injured at home while practicing Yoga with a DVD.


The truth is - DVD’s are great learning tools for Yoga teachers, Yoga teacher interns, and Yoga teacher training sessions. Until a “holographic Yoga teacher” is developed to guide and assist you, in your own home, reading is much safer.


If you have been reading and practicing for six months, a beginner or gentle Yoga DVD should be fine, but please watch it, at least once, before attempting to do any Yoga technique. There is nothing wrong with watching a Yoga DVD a few times and taking notes before attempting any Yoga technique.


When you read, envision, and understand a Yoga technique, it will be much safer on your first attempt. Many of us are impatient and want to learn everything at once. In Yoga, this will never happen. In fact, one life is just not enough time to learn everything there is to know about Yoga.


Let’s look at options for learning Yoga from a Yoga teacher in your area. How do you choose a local Yoga teacher that is right for you? If you have done your research, you know what style of Yoga that you are interested in; but what should you be looking for in a Yoga teacher?
A Yoga teacher should be ethical, compassionate, understanding, and have time for your questions. Your religious ideas should not be challenged in a Yoga class. You should not be required to make drastic lifestyle changes.


However, as you continue to study Yoga, you will naturally improve your health.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications


Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995.

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Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Yoga Helps A Great Deal In Lowering Cholesterol

By Javier Fuller

Are you worried for having some extra cholesterol in your blood? Well, many people are fighting hard battle against the increased cholesterol levels. For, they are much vulnerable to heart diseases much like the heart patients. But I have got a very easy and natural remedy to control your high cholesterol.


Some time back, I had a cholesterol level above the normal range and I used this alternative technique to reduce my extra cholesterols. Well, the technique being discussed here is none other the age old technique of keeping fit. That is YOGA.


Yes, Yoga helped me a great deal in reducing my high cholesterol levels. Now I am perfectly fit and rocking. So, if you have also found high cholesterol in your blood don't get stressed as stress will only harm you further. The tensed brain and heart needs more blood so the heartbeat and blood circulation will increase and will create more problems to your arteries.


Yoga has solved the problem of cholesterol for many people. It has been acclaimed by all for its simple nature and mode of exercises, which any one can do quite easily.


Yoga is a kind of exercise based on the unification of body, mind and spirit. There are meditations associated with it. There are different kinds of exercises under the yoga program that are used for various problems in your body. Some of them are to keep your mind and body in sound health.


Yoga for controlling cholesterol reduces the fat content in your blood and ensures you a healthy heart, brain and blood circulation. Don't misguide yourself with certain ideas that the LDL cholesterol is very hard to get rid of. Th main factor with cholesterol is that the fats in your body don't get burned up due to lack of physical activity or improper life style.


The cholesterol flows in the blood and an increase in its amount make the cholesterol deposit on the walls of the blood vessels. The result is clogging of the blood arteries.


Join yoga classes today for the unwanted fats in your blood. If you postpone your admission to the yoga classes, the fats may slowly go on increasing and may create some serious problems for you in the future. The yoga instructor will teach you all those exercises that burn the fat faster, increase your blood circulation and make your heart healthy.


Yoga can control cholesterol by asanas (mode of exercise) meant for the cholesterol. There are millions of people performing yoga for different ailments. Especially, in the quest of a perfect body. They are highly satisfied and I am sure you too will find the similar benefits.


Discover the magnificence of the yoga that has so many things to impart. They will surely help you get rid of the cholesterol and you will be highly satisfied when after two months you go to check the level and find them impressively low.


To get more information on cholesterol, cholestrol and reduce cholesterol visit http://www.urcholesterol.com/

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