The Universal Appeal of Yoga

  Yoga has been practiced for 400 years and is a system of exercises which are very easy and effective at increasing a persons overall health ad well-being.  Yoga instructors and students alike will often talk about phrases like "being in harmony with oneself and surroundings" and indeed this is a primary goal of Yoga, to achieve a unity of body, mind and spirit in a oneness with the world around us.  Yoga will teach a person to stimulate internal organs including the likes of the prostate, which is practically never exercised by any other discipline.  It will teach you to apply pressure upon glandular areas of the body and it will combine this with meditation and breathing techniques that will grant you the ability to turn your concentration inward to examine your feelings and thoughts.

  There are a number of different aspects in Yoga, but one of the most appealing is that this is a set of exercises that anyone can enjoy and benefit from.  It does not require any expensive equipment or a special setting, it can be practiced by anyone, man or women, rich or poor, young or old, healthy or ill.  Perhaps it's greatest appeal has always been that it is a set of beneficial exercises that anyone can do at any time and in any place.  Yoga is even a safe form of exercise for pregnant women and prenatal Yoga classes are often recommended to expectant mothers.  A specially tailored prenatal yoga class will help prepare a women, physically and mentally to become a mother.  It gives her a number of useful tools for coping with labour and the strengthening of the body means that the recovery period after giving birth will be much shorter.

  There is a preconception amongst many men that Yoga is a female pastime, but this couldn't be further from the truth.  Yoga provides numerous benefits to men:  decreasing stress, assisting in relaxation and increasing power, stamina and flexibility across the board.

  Senior citizens can get a number of benefits from a yoga course and are often the first to praise the mental advantages such as an increased attention span and a better memory both long and short term.

  Even young children will benefit from a Yoga regime by stronger bones, increased circulation and a better disposition resulting from breathing exercises and the relaxation of the exercise.

  Regardless of the person Yoga has a number of lasting benefits and will aid in a wide variety of different health issues.  Regular practitioners of yoga will live an overall enhanced lifestyle, are more likely to have a strong memory and better stamina combined with a stronger sense of balance.  Even late starters can use Yoga to combat a range of health disorders from Blood pressure to arthritis to breathing orders.

  It's no wonder when you consider all the different benefits of Yoga how very popular it is, and the fact that it is a regime of exercise that is open to everyone is one more big advantage of it.  It means that families can stay fit and healthy together and include everyone from the youngest child through to the oldest family members.  The exercises can be performed at varying levels of difficulty and intensity, which means that two people at completely different levels of strength and flexibility can go through the same motions and both benefit.

The Three Chief Benefits Of Yoga

  Four thousand years ago Yoga was practiced in India, today it is popular all over the world and in numerous different styles and forms.  Not only is the popularity of this form of exercises remarkable, but so is the results and benefits that people are getting from Yoga every day.  The benefits can be broadly split into three different groups - physical benefits, mental benefits and spiritual benefits.  Which benefits are most important to an individual will vary based on their preconceptions and motivations, but anyone can experience beneficial results in all three areas from a prolonged use of Yoga.

Physical Benefits

  The first types of benefits are those purely on a physical level.  Yoga is at it's core a group of exercises.  Some disciplines will use these exercises to prepare the body for a deeper meditative process, but they will still experience physical benefits from performing them as exercises.  The deep breathing exercise has immediate health benefits due to increasing the intake of oxygen into the system.  This oxygen is transported by the blood to our organs and tissues, which will become sick without sufficient oxygen and nutrients.  Frequently these tissues and organs are starved of nutrients due to a number of reasons including poor air intake or quality, bad circulation or disease within the body.  Yoga increases the oxygen intake, removes blockages in the circulation to ensure it's safe delivery and also stimulates the lymphatic system to aid in the removal of toxins from our system, leaving our bodies auto immune system more free to deal with invading disease or viruses.

  Beyond this internal health which many people take for granted, Yoga will also greatly increase a persons balance, flexibility and muscle strength.

Mental Benefits.

  Many people see this as the most import benefit that we can gain from Yoga.  It will of course depend on what your priorities are but the mental benefits of Yoga are certainly impressive.  The ability to focus on ones breathing has a natural consequence of allowing extraneous thoughts to melt away and a state of calmness to be introduced.  This is not a feat to be taken lightly as it provides a valuable skill in the ability to remain calm amidst turmoil.  A mother can use this when everything happens at once in the home, a businessperson can use it to focus on a single task despite everyone around him being panicked or a soldier can use it to block out the bullets and noise and focus on an important task.
 
  Yoga also requires a high level of discipline from those practicing it - both the discipline required to perform the exercises themselves and the discipline needed to stick to a regular exercise regime.  Again this is something that comes surprisingly easy to people once they have mastered the basis of the Yoga breathing exercises.

Spiritual Benefits

  Generally newcomers to yoga will not understand these benefits for some time.  There are a number of benefits that can fall into the 'spiritual' category.  Yoga itself is built around a philosophy that includes it's own set of ethics, but these are seldom taught as part of Western Yoga practise.  Instead the spiritual benefits we talk about tend to be a persona acceptance of yourself and contentment with your place in life.  For some people it goes beyond that but discussing spiritual feelings is always difficult to do so broadly.  Overall the level of spiritual satisfaction you get is likely to depend on your own personal beliefs.

The Different Motivations And benefits Of Yoga

There are many different reasons for taking up and practising Yoga.  For one person they may be ill and looking to rejuvenate themselves.  Another will want to maintain and improve their current level of health.  Some people like the mental challenge...and for some it is a physical challenge that can be overcome.  Some people may use Yoga as a relaxing form of stress relief.  The great thing about Yoga is that all these people are going to find what they are looking for and so much more.

  Yoga has a long list of benefits, both physical and mental, associated with it.  Yoga can assist in recovery from a heart attack through it's blood lowering and distressing effects.  There has been a considerable amount of research done into heart patients and Yoga, most notably by Dr Ornish who is now also a best selling author.  Dean Ornish has no reservations in recommending Yoga both as a way of recovering from heart attacks and also avoiding future heart problems.  Yoga has also been reported to be very beneficial to people with diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis due to it's ability to assist with balance and muscle tone.

  Yoga gently works muscle groups around the back and spine of spinal injury sufferers and because it puts very little stress on the muscles while still working them thoroughly it is a fantastic way of strengthening this part of the body.  Regular Yoga for back pain sufferers can result in complete restoration of their range of movement.

  As we age most of us become frailer and less co-ordinated in our movements, but Yoga can help us age more gracefully by ensuring we are always in control of our body and mind.  In fact most Yoga sessions are filled with a slightly older crowd who recognize the ongoing benefits it gives them.

  Yoga is also a strength building discipline that allows even progression in the arms, the legs and the trunk or core of the body.  Many of us take strength for granted until it fails us, but increasing your physical strength will benefit you not just with lifting heavy objects, but also in everyday tasks like getting groceries or mowing the lawn.  It even makes it easier for us to move ourselves!

  As well as strength Yoga will greatly increase the range of motion we are able to achieve, particularly in the spine and joint areas.  Once again this is often something we take for granted unless it is missing.  The act of reaching up to put something in a cupboard is natural to many of us, but for others it can cause a jolt of pain down their back, they simply cannot move their arm through the range of motion needed to reach up, or when they do their grasp is not strong enough to grab anything from the cupboard.

  It's important not to just focus on the physical benefits of Yoga because the mental benefits are at least as impressive.  Simply put Yoga will focus and sharpen your mind.  Each posture is performed with a focus and an awareness of your body and your breathing.  This is not a gym session with mind numbing reps or chatter between exercises.  Whatever you are doing during a Yoga session is done with absolute focus on the movement, the body, the breathing and the moment.  Breathing is something that most of us do wrong most of the time.  We are accustomed to taking shorter, quicker breaths, but with Yoga the breathing is deeper and fuller.  These deeper breaths will make the mind calmer and more focused.  Yoga enthusiasts often describe this calmness as a sense of well-being.  The deep breathing also makes it easier to release the stress and negative thinking that accumulates in us.  Just as the physical blocks are removed through increased blood circulation during the exercises, so the mental blockages are removed by clarity of thought.

  Yoga is not a discipline you simply know or do not know; it is an ongoing learning process.   There are a huge number of different postures and each posture has a number of different variations on how it can be performed.  This never-ending sea of options keeps the body stimulated and engages the mind constantly.  Behind the postures and exercises themselves there is a complex philosophical system based in the writings that Yoga derives from.  Not many people think of a complete code of ethics including steadfastness, truth, self inquiry and an opposition to stealing, harming others and hoarding when they think of yoga, but these ethical issues are a central part of the system on which Yoga was founded.

  The different postures, breathing exercises and the deep philosophy of Yoga all lead to the same end - a deep contemplation.  Because Yoga relaxes both the body and the mind tension and stress are greatly reduced.  This is highlighted during a Yoga class by pauses for us to get in touch with how we are feeling and reacting.  Ending the class in a point by point contemplative meditation performed on the back is common.

  Yoga is an exercise, but it is also a meditative process, a code of ethics and a confidence and character building course all rolled into one.  It's no wonder the group of people who attend the classes are so diverse.

The Effects And Benefits Of Different Types Of Yoga

The origins of Yoga are about 4000 years old and based in a Far Eastern spiritual practice designed to realize ones own Divine Nature.  In the western world today it is mostly seen as a form of exercise although all forms of Yoga are still based in the three traditional techniques of Eastern Yoga.  These three fundamentals of Yoga are the Asanas (Sanskrit for Postures), the Pranyama (the Sanskrit for breathing or breath control) and meditation.  Yoga increases the strength of your muscles, your flexibility, helps you relax and calm yourself and centre your thought.

Different Types Of Yoga

Raja Yoga:  This form of Yoga focusses on achieving unification or oneness ( Samadhi ) through the ahstangas of Yoga (Yama, Niyama etc).  Anyone competent enough to achieve the goal of Samahdi through this method is believed to be a Raja(King of Yoga).  A most famous example is Swami Vivekananda.

Bhakthi Yoga:  In Bhakthi yoga a person seeks to reach the ultimate state of oneness or attunement through the sheer power of devotion and faith.  Bhakthi does not concentrate on the traditional methods of pranyama, yogasnas or mudra, and instead preaches attention to a loving god, unquestioning devotion to god's will and a sharing of gods love towards humanity.

Jivamukti Yoga: In 1986 Sharon Gannon and David Life developed the Jivamukti Yoga method because they believed that traditional western Yoga practices focussed only on the physical aspects of Eastern Yoga and not the spiritual.

Ananda Yoga:  This discipline is a preparatory one for entering a state of meditation.  Gentle postures, correct body alignment and focus on breathing are all used towards the end of preparing the Yogi for a meditative state.

The Effects Of yoga

    There are a number of different paths that are intended to lead a person to a higher state or realization of Moksha(the oneness with ultimate reality).  It refers to a gradual 'yoking of the self' through strong spiritual discipline so that each subsequent session of Yoga brings one a little closer to a full state of acceptance of themselves and their place in the universe.  The ego is seen as an aspect which limits our ability to accept our place in the universe and something which is gradually toned down.  The traditional yoga Margas, or path to salvation, would involve a long and dedicated apprenticeship to a Yoga Guru.

The Benefits Of Yoga

  Yoga has a number of specific benefits.  One of the most well known and commented on is an increased level of flexibility.  Yoga will work through all the muscle groups and grant increased range of motion through the attention it plays to some muscle groups which are often overlooked by other exercise programs.  Yoga also works the internal glands and body organs in a thorough manner.  This is a very impressive ability when we consider that Yoga can act on glands and organs such as the prostate which are unlikely to receive any regular external stimulation.

  Another advantage of yoga is a toning of the muscles.  Excess flabbiness is shed from muscles which have become flaccid and weak.  The circulation is greatly improved by the poses of Yoga which will assist the body by clearing knots and blockages.  This, combined with the valuable skill of learning to breath properly result in an increased flow of blood to the vital organs and about the body.

Ten Minute Yoga Plan to Pep Up

Whether you might be staying home with a new baby or working too many hours at the office, anytime is a good time for yoga. You can do yoga stretches and postures in bed or even while driving to work.

Hundreds of fitness seekers use their lunch hour to squeeze in exercise and take off extra pounds.

I occasionally use my lunch hour for Yoga, said John Ray White, 35, who works at the Arkansas attorney general's office. Downward facing dog and sun salutation are two of the postures she practices every day.

Practicing yoga in the middle of day some people think is the break that they need to face the afternoon, said Ray.

Lunch-hour fitness routines become more popular in warm weather.

Kick Back Log-on Pose

Interlace your fingers behind your head. Relax your elbows and shoulders. Smile, breathe and stretch your elbows back. Let the tightness release slowly.

E-mail Meditation

While reading your e-mail, remember to breathe slowly and focus your attention on your breath. Make the out-breath two times longer than the in-breath. This will immediately calm you.

Photocopier Stretch

Place your hands on the edge of the copier. Stand back with feet apart. Drop your head and chest. Breathe and relax your shoulders.

Close-the-deal Warrior Pose

Raise your arms to the side with fingers pointed. Take a big step to the side, with your right foot out and knee bent, your left foot planted, left leg straight. Keep the upper body straight and strong, shoulders relaxed. Relax into the stretch -- don't hold your breath. Return to a standing position, switch sides and repeat.

Tantra yoga for the new generation

Yoga is very popular nowadays. With its various benefits, many are influenced to engage in this form of exercise and meditation. There are so many kinds of Yoga that are known and practiced by many as of today. One if this is Tantra Yoga.

Tantra yoga is more concentrated on the spiritual healing and most of all the integration f the body, mind, and spirit. In India, it is an ancient tradition that sexuality is an important and significant phase to be able to achieve a certain degree of enlightenment.

In Western religious norms, sexual pleasures and desires are not inclined or associated with spirituality. With these differences in traditions, there exists a fine line between their feelings and attitude towards sexuality along with spirituality.

However, in Eastern philosophy, they celebrate and rejoice on the splendor and glory of creation. And later on, they have developed a study or science for understanding how to get most of this therapeutic and wonderful experience. Energy is known and considered to be the source of life in Tantra.

Furthermore, they consider the sexual energy and urge as great and sacred energy. There exists a few of the many exercises that help in the performance on the sexual aspect as well as some dietary adjustments. Some of these physical exercises include contractions, breathing and holding certain positions.

There are so many benefits that can be obtained by performing these various physical exercises. Some of these include improved prostate functioning and enhanced and improved sexual performance. Another benefit is improved sexual stamina when engaging in sexual intercourse.

There are also different kinds of exercises. Aside from the physical exercises, there are psycho-spiritual exercises. These exercises are ways to develop mediation on unconditional love and desire. As a result, this can make sexual activities less anxious and awkward, aside from that, the pressure to perform and move is minimized.

It is said that the most fascinating sexual experience is giving in completely to your partner or lover what he or she really wants. Expectations may be high so one must perform and must do something about it.

Through mediation and proper exercises, one can think of the various ways which he can satisfy his lover. When one is focused and concentrated on giving what your lover really wants is an experience which can strengthen your relationship with each other, moreover, you will receive the satisfaction you had always wanted. There are few exercises which can help you a lot I focusing on your sexual performance.

By repeating some mantras and chants together with breathing exercises and proper meditation, one can achieve these benefits.

There are also numerous ways to take your foreplay to the highest level. With healing massages and gentle stroking, one can receive a rewarding experience that can stimulate both physical and spiritual and healing in different ways.

Reiki or energy channeling healing is practiced before engaging in a sexual activity. This is known to heighten the sexual pleasure in an intercourse. It is an Eastern healing art where-by one partner channels his energy to the other.

Through tactile stimulation, healing is achieved and both the physical and spiritual aspect is enhanced. In this manner, both of you can achieve a deeper state of relaxation and meditation which is very helpful to couples and partnerships.

Some of the Lesser Known Yoga Videos

With more than 100 yoga videos on the market, you can imagine the diversity among them - everything from nude yoga to postnatal yoga.

Healing Yoga for Common Conditions
This video promises to improve circulation, promote weight loss and manage the symptoms of diabetes and high cholesterol. Without a medical study it's hard to say if it can really deliver, but the hosts, Lisa and Charles Matkin, come with good credentials.

They have taught therapeutic yoga programs at Beth Israel Hospital in New York and New York Presbyterian Medical Center, working with physicians in using yoga to help people with chronic injuries and illnesses.

The 35-minute video is designed to help you increase your metabolism, according to the Matkins. The couple begin the workout with Lisa demonstrating the moves next to a pool with an ocean in the background while Charles does the voice-over, then they switch, then switch again. Both have soothing voices and good form.

The workout is divided into three sections. The first deals with learning to control your breath. It's a pretty basic segment, teaching you breathing techniques and stretching out the body.

The second is for strength, and involves poses that are a bit more difficult, such as the warrior and downward-facing dog poses.

In the third section, you work on releasing tension and relaxation.

This is a good video for all fitness levels. The moves are explained well, as are the benefits and purposes of yoga. None of the poses is very difficult, and the instructors give you modifications to make the moves easier.

Power Strength Yoga for Beginners
Though the title says for beginners, don't believe a word of it. This video takes you through a vigorous set of poses collectively called the Sun Salutation (which you learn in another video, Power Yoga Stamina for Beginners).

Then, with the mountains of Maui as a backdrop, instructor Rodney Yee takes you through a series of very difficult poses including the pendulum, where you balance your entire body off the floor with the strength of your arms, and others that require a good deal of upper-body strength.

The workout takes only 20 minutes, but you work hard in those 20 minutes. It's the only yoga video of those reviewed here in which your heart rate gets close to an aerobic rate.

Yee has a great, soothing voice and perfect form, but he never really offers an explanation of the poses or an easier way to do them. Nor does he offer any help in how to build up to them. That said, if you have the upper-body strength, this is an amazing - and fast - way to get in a strength workout without having to go to the gym.