Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Yoga For Inner and Outer Beauty

Sometime back I read an anecdote concerning Bill and Hillary Clinton. It seems that one time, many years ago, Hillary dragged Bill to a yoga class. Bill remarked that he was the only man in the class. In many countries, that is the way it is, with women being the primary enthusiasts at yoga classes. One of the main reasons for this may be that yoga is seen as a way to lose weight and become more beautiful. Let's take a look at this and see what role yoga has to play in making someone look beautiful.

No doubt yoga can help a person to become healthy, and fit. If someone practices the postures, does meditation, and follows the yogic prescriptions for eating, sleeping, hygiene and exercise it is almost certain that he or she will end up in great shape and look better.

In fact, our concept of beauty is in large part biological and part of the evolutionary process. Clear skin complexion, for example, is an indicator of good health and for our ancient ancestors it made good sense to choose partners who were healthy and could pass on their genes to future generations.

However the beauty of a person is not just based on physical factors alone. Just as internal physical factors, such as digestion and the proper functioning of physical organs, are reflected in the outer "look" of a person, there are internal psychic and spiritual factors that play a big role in how we feel and how others see us.

Although the physical practices of yoga, such as yoga postures (asanas) are the best known part of yoga, at the heart of yoga is a moral code which defines a way of life in which a person can live in harmony with herself and with society. This set of lifestyle instructions is know as Yama and Niyama.

Yama which means "that which controls" has five parts and the main function of these five practices is to help an individual achieve harmony with his or her external environment. One of the most important parts of Yama is a practice known as Satya.

Satya is loosely defined as "truth" but in fact there is no exact English equivalent for this term. In his book A Guide to Human Conduct, my guru Shrii Shrii Anandamurti defines satya as "action of mind and right use of words in the spirit of welfare." That is, we should do whatever we can to promote the welfare of others, by keeping good thoughts in mind and by speaking in the spirit of helping others.

Someone who practices satya and always keeps positive thoughts in mind develops will power and straightforwardness. This practice is actually going on in the subconscious mind, and results in an internal effulgence or glaze known as Ojas. This inner effulgence is expressed outwardly as a vigor that definitely contributes to the attractiveness of a person. If you practice satya you will achieve a glow that cannot be duplicated or achieved with any kind of makeup! When you are twenty years old you are helped out by Mother Nature, as the hormones of your body are helping you to blossom and enter your years of peak physical well-being. However, this help from Nature is not indefinite and also must be supported by a proper way of life.

If you practice the outer aspects of yoga (postures, diet, fasting, hygiene) then you will be able to make the most of what God has given to you in the way of a physical body. If you practice the inner aspect of yoga (meditation and balanced conduct) you will bring forth an inner effulgence and beauty that will remain with you long after you physical body begins to wind-down.

: article by Dada Vedaprajinananda [ Dada Vedaprajinananda is a senior meditation and yoga teacher with the Ananda Marga Society. You can read more of his articles at his yoga blog ( http://www.dadaveda.com/yogablog/ ) and check out his book on yoga weight loss: http://www.yogaweightlosssecrets.com/ ]

Monday, September 8, 2008

Steps To Beat Up A Good Yoga Posture Fast

Choosing a good YOGA POSTURE is one of the best ways to ensure you get the best for your yoga exercise. Yoga is among the best method to make you more elastic than ever, developing balance and achieving calmness. A good yoga posture can help you build your inner strength.

Here are some of the best yoga postures to help you get a good result fast.

(1) Fighting the Cobra Posture: To relieve slight pain in your back and tones abs

Step 1: Stretch out on your stomach with legs and feet joined in together. Plant palms on the floor below shoulders with fingers facing onward.

Step 2: Now lift the upper body by gradually lifting your head and chest, but make sure that you keep your shoulders down. (Pelvis and thighs shouldn't leave the yoga mat.)

Step 3: Lastly, hold your pose for about twenty to thirty seconds as you breathe in even breaths all the way through your nose. Go back to your preliminary location and do it all over again.

(2) Strengthens your abs Posture: To get the best result, follow these steps:

Step 1: In the first yoga posture, you should situate yourself in a standing position with legs hip width separately, holding arms directly ahead with palms facing down.

Step 2: Twist your knees and squat if you want as just if you're about to sit in a chair in your classroom. Make sure to center weight in your heels, lock it and don't bring hips lower than the level of your knees.

Step 3: Lastly, allow yourself to reach forward, and center your eyes in a straight line ahead while breathing in and breathing out all the way through the nose. Hold this yoga posture for about 20 seconds. Gradually go back to standing position, and then you can release your arms.

(3) Wind-Relieving Posture

This particular yoga posture stretches your spine and helps a lot in the digestion of your stomach. It's a good thing to have a good running stomach so that you will always feel fresh every time.

Step 1: Recline on your rear or back, just as you are beginning to breathe in, drag your right knee near to your chest. Keep your left leg in a straight line and on the ground.

Step 2: Now push your shoulders and the rear side of your neck into the ground at the same time and firmly holding your knee. You can breathe for about ten seconds only. This might be quick but seems longer when you execute it.

Step 3: Change the sides, while holding the left knee to your chest for about ten seconds. Complete this set by hugging both of your knees to your chest and holding it for another ten seconds. Do the set again.

(4) Upward Boat Posture:

This posture helps to strengthen your abs, improves your balancing ability, and also helps in digestion.

Step 1: Sit down on the floor. Bend your knees and place feet flat on the floor.

Step 2: Now breathe in, bend back and raise heels off the ground, straightening your legs as possible as you can. Expand your arms with palms facing downward. If you find it difficult to perform, you can rest your hands beneath your knees for support. This may be a difficult yoga posture to perform but after a few practices, you will never have that difficulty again.

Step 3: To making sure your abs are now doing the work, keep your back in a straight line (as possibly as you can) while you keep holding the pose for at list 30 seconds.

At first, practicing these yoga postures for the first time may seem too difficult. But when you keep repeating them all over again when you have time, you will find it easy to execute after you have continuously repeated it several times. A yoga posture can save your health, your digestion and your backbone. But if you want to achieve your goal, make sure you keep practicing them as often as you can.

: article by Fredrick Ituma [ For More Tips - For Your Best YOGA Practice Or How To Improve Your YOGA Activities, Visit Our Website At: http://www.fredpublishing.com/ebooks/yoga/index.html


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Thursday, September 4, 2008

How to Design Yoga Sets from Yoga Poses

At the heart of personal yoga practice, regardless of whether it is Hatha Yoga or Kundalini Yoga, lies yoga sets. The building block for these sets are, of course yoga poses and exercises, and how to put them together in order to design effective sets and routines is a key aspect of yoga as well. In this article I would like to give you six important guidelines on how to construct these sets.

6 Guidelines for Designing Kundalini & Hatha Yoga Sets:

1. Who Should Design Yoga Sets:

Do not try to design a set if you are just beginning yoga practice. Attend some classes first and develop your personal practice before tying to design your own routines and sets. The last thing you want to do is practice yoga and create more injuries and imbalances for yourself.

2. Yoga Sets Should be Balanced:

This is one of the most important aspects of a yoga set. By balance here I mean that the poses that twist and stretch you one way, should at some point be balanced with poses that twist and stretch you the other way. Similarly, you should design sets that stretch both arms, both legs, etc, equally if possible. In addition, rotations done in one direction should be followed by rotations done in the other direction.

So if in your set you have a backward bending yoga posture, then at some point it is wise to have a forward bending yoga pose as well. As an example, if you employ Cobra Pose early in your set, you can balance it with the Forward Bending Pose sometime later. This will ensure that you don't end up creating sets after which you feel out of balance and un-centered.

3. Chakras Work Should Be Done Low to High:

In general the rule to follow, especially for Kundalini Yoga Kriyas, is to start working on the lower chakras first and then move up towards the higher chakras. So you would tend to do an exercise like Crow Pose, which works on the Root Chakra, early in the set and do Stretch Pose, which works on the Navel Chakra, sometime after that. This helps to sequentially increase the vibration of the energy higher and higher.

4. Yoga Breathing Guidelines:

For most exercises and postures a corresponding breath is indicated. In most cases, there are several options available that allow you to breathe at a level which is comfortable for you. So advanced practitioners might do Breath of Fire, while a beginner might do Long Deep Breathing with a particular pose.

One rule with yoga breathing though, is that generally you should inhale when expanding the chest and abdominal region and exhale during the movement which contracts these regions. This allows for maximum benefit from the movements and exercises.

5. Rest Periods:

It is wise to design specific rest periods within a set. The one important aspect though of rest, which should be included in every Kundalini Yoga kriya, is a period of relaxation at the end of the kriya.

This relaxation time is critical to allow the body to assimilate all the energy that has been awakened by the yoga exercises. It is during this time, the body heals, grows and nourishes itself.

6. Warm-Ups:

If your set consists mostly of difficult yoga poses and exercises only, make sure you do a warm-up set first before jumping into advanced postures. If you plan to do your set only, then ensure that it first starts off with simple yoga postures and movements, so that you are properly warmed up, then moves on to the more challenging exercises. Warm-ups and not overdoing it are your best defenses against injury.

Summary of Making Your Own Yoga Sets:

The sciences of Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, etc, are tools to help you in your own unique path to spiritual awakening. Designing your own Yoga Sets, to help you overcome your personal challenges, I think is a valuable skill to learn. I hope the guidelines above help you maximize the benefits from your personal yoga practice.

: article by Anmol Mehta [ Anmol Mehta is a Yoga & Meditation expert. For Free Online Yoga & Meditation Classes ( http://anmolmehta.com/blog/classes-online/ ) visit, Free Online Guided Meditation Techniques ( http://www.anmolmehta.com/ ) or Chakra Kundalini Yoga Blog ( http://www.anmolmehta.com/blog/ ). ]

Monday, September 1, 2008

Basic Yoga - What Everyone Needs To Know Now

Basic yoga is very simple to learn. There is no exercise equipment required. You jut need to spend roughly 30 minutes at the most completing all the necessary movements. All that you really need is a yoga mat and some extra space and unless you have issues of mobility, you can begin immediately. It is no secret that the human body is a highly resilient and astonishing piece of machinery. It has the ability to do things that can literally astonish us.

There are things that are bodies can do that we are not even aware of. Yoga is a great case in point. Odds are, if you have ever noticed pictures of asanas or poses for yoga, you have witnessed the practitioners of yoga accomplish things that in normal cases, you would not believe possible, yet there they are doing it.

The odds are, you have the ability to accomplish these things as well, only not immediately. Attempting any one of the advanced asanas if you have before done any conditioning can end up in severe injury. The appropriate as well as persistent practice of primary techniques of yoga is essential so that you can make these types of advanced movements achievable.

Over the 5,000 years that yoga has been in existence there is said to be in excess of 8,400,000 asanas or positions of yoga that were compiled by the masters of yoga. For the majority of novices of yoga, substantially less are needed to get started. The amount of primary yoga asans that are recommended by instructors differs yet typically there are a little more than 12 primary movements of yoga positions that are trained to beginners.

Even if a person is not so inclined to have the ability to execute the more advanced and complex types of asanas, there are numerous benefits to practicing basic yoga exercises, regardless of the school of thought you may choose to follow. The initial and most clear benefits are that of improved flexibility, balance and strength.

One of the less obvious benefits of practicing yoga is that of an increased awareness of oneself as well as that of nature. Additionally, yoga has demonstrated to provide benefits to your health such a heightened internal functions of your organs, an increased immune system, reduction of the various symptoms of numerous types of diseases as well as numerous other types of benefits. All different kinds of yogas, which include basic yoga, assists in relaxation as well as lowering stress without any fatigue and too much exertion.

Yoga Body Movements

Basic yoga involves seven main types of movements while exercising that include flexion, rotation, circumduction, adduction, extension, as well as hyperextension. Various combinations of these kinds of body movements are utilized to make the yoga positions and stances. These movements are accompanied with breathing exercises as well as various levels of concentration.

A persons breathing is also the guide in basic yoga for arriving into an asanas, as well as coming out of it. All of the various movements are ideally completed in a graceful manner. To educate yourself on how to complete basic yoga, search for an instructor that is qualified or the next step would be to search for educational videos that might help you out.

: article by Korbin Newlyn [ Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of health. If you would like to learn more go to Yoga Exercises ( http://yoga.stressfreepro.com/ ) advice and at What Is Yoga ( http://yoga.stressfreepro.com/what-is-yoga-a-quick-look-at-an-ancient-practice/ ) tips. ]