Benefits of Heated Yoga

What is Heated Yoga?

Heated yoga is traditional yoga which takes place in a room whose temperature is increased to between ninety five and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The style used is often linked poses which are vigorous and promote increased sweating while raising the body temperature.

Heated yoga is a low-impact exercise which reaps many benefits for your mind, body, and soul. Hot yoga is a series of linked yoga poses which are done in a room with a temperature between ninety five and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. This is done so that your body sweats more during the yoga exercise, leading to increased results and ridding your body of toxins.

Doing yoga in a heating room feels much the same as a sauna. The heated room increases the pulse, metabolism, and the flexibility of the blood vessels. The latter increases blood flow to each of your limbs during the exercise and eases circulation. If your muscles are cold they are prone to injury, but keeping them warm (hence the reason athletes "warm-up" before exercising) can help your body move freely. When you do hot yoga, your body will sweat profusely and this sweating will control the internal body temperature.

The series of flowing postures used during heated yoga allows your muscles to remain flexible as the body moves from one pose into the next. Hot yoga offers the same benefits as traditional yoga, but forces you to truly focus your thoughts. You have to push yourself beyond what is normal for yoga, because of the extreme heat conditions.

There are psychological benefits associated with incorporating heated yoga. By doing yoga your flicker fusion frequency improves, as well as your depth perception, symbol coding, learning efficiency, and your concentration. Doing yoga daily or weekly can also increase your memory and attention. You can increase your mood, self-actualization, social skills, and your overall well-being by doing even a basic yoga workout each day for just fifteen minutes. By doing yoga you can increase your somatic awareness, kinesthetic awareness, and self-acceptance. Yoga leads to increased social adjustment and decreased hostility, anxiety, and depression.

The biochemical benefits of heated yoga will decrease your glucose levels, your sodium levels, as well as your total cholesterol. By implementing yoga you will also decrease your triglycerides, your LDL, and VLDL. You will increase your HDL, cholinesterase, and ATPase. When doing yoga you will decrease your catecholamines and total white blood cell count. You will increase your total serum protein, vitamin C, as well as thyroxin. When you incorporate yoga into your daily life you can enjoy an increased lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit.

The health benefits of heated yoga are better than traditional exercise for many reasons. Firstly, when you exercise with yoga your parasympathetic nervous system dominates. At the same time, the subcortical regions of your brain will dominate.

Doing yoga in lieu of other exercises will produce slow and dynamic yet static movements while you enjoy a normalization of your muscle tone. By doing this you can decrease your risk of injury while minimizing the total effort your body puts out during each work out or session. You will also cause your mind to be aware of the internal things such as breathing while working out in a process-oriented and non-competitive environment. In such a state, your energy is controlled through the process of yoga breathing.

I have found that heated yoga helps relax your muscles and prepares your body for a fulfilling workout.

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Relief for Pediatric Conditions Through Yoga

Families who have sickly, depressed or injured children would do anything to make them feel better. They pay for therapy, take them to the doctor for checkups and treatments, and generally do anything to help them feel at ease. Studies today show that yoga-centered treatments can have a good effect on pediatric conditions like the ones mentioned above.

Classes that teach basic yoga poses for children can often pinpoint a significant improvement in their pediatric issues. It doesn't matter if the child is tired, in pain, or just hyperactive and easily distracted. The teachers and parents alike saw that after a few sessions of yoga, the children were generally calmer, focused, and reported feeling less pain and exhaustion.

The Emotional Benefits of Learning Yoga Basics

Yoga instructors often teach children by 'playing pretend,' trying to get them to see the connection between themselves, their peers, and the world at large. The children who took yoga at least 45 minutes every week reported feeling more relaxed, imaginative, and reflective of their actions. The results were the same regardless of the children's ages.

More than a thousand schoolteachers in the United States these days chose to train in yoga instruction. Hundreds of school districts now offer mind-body practices and yoga-inspired activities into their curricula. Schools report that yoga-inspired class activities were effective in teaching their students self-control, anger management, respect, and good hygiene, and health practices.

The Pediatric Conditions Addressed through Yoga

Yoga elevates your mood and makes you feel better, and has a literal effect on your physical condition. Children and teens who take yoga classes and practice regularly can notice a significant amount of relief from physical ailments and emotional conditions.

Below are some of the conditions that yoga can relieve. They include:

ADHD

Students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can be hard to control. This condition makes their attention span short, distracting them from activities and disrupting the flow of their classes. A paper from the Journal of Attention Disorders presented facts on how ADHD medication and yoga could go hand-in-hand. It provides the children with a way to focus and relax, which makes their medication more effective.

Chronic Pain

Accident-prone children have a high risk of developing chronic pain in adulthood. They are not as likely to suffer from long-term pain, but the risk is still high. The researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston studied the effects of yoga together with anesthesia programs. They suggested that yoga's relaxation and breathing techniques could be an invaluable part of many pain management programs.

Today, yoga is one of the most sought-after forms of alternative pain management. Almost 86 per cent of pain clinics offer yoga as one of their alternatives.

Depression

Teens and young adults often suffer from depression, but the symptoms and onset actually begins during childhood. Research indicates that practicing yoga at a young age can effectively reduce the symptoms of depression among adolescents, teenagers, and young adults.

According to the Alternative Therapies journal, a depressed youth can benefit from undergoing two or more yoga sessions each week. The youths who chose to try to yoga basics showed marked improvements in mood and anxiety levels. It also helped them relax and think.

Yoga can improve many more conditions aside from the ones listed above. Some journals suggest that yoga plays a big role in children who suffer from severe mental and physical problems. Yoga-centered treatments is also a big help for respiratory health conditions like asthma, anxiety, and irritable bowel syndrome.

There are many yoga studios offering classes for children, adults, and groups today.

Click here to learn more about the health benefits of yoga.

Stephanie is an avid yoga practitioner who goes to yoga classes every week.

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Yoga and Asthma - The Benefits of Yoga

The many benefits of yoga have long been stated by yoga gurus and teachers, but there have not been many scientific studies to prove this. Lots of yoga practitioners rave about how great they feel and how many illnesses and symptoms have improved or disappeared after months and years of yoga practice.

A recent study has shown clear benefits from regular yoga practice on asthma symptoms. The study completed this year in New York followed two groups of people with asthma and no other significant types of difference. There was a control group consisting of 20 people who did not follow the yoga practice. After a ten week period the group of 20 doing regular yoga showed an improvement of 43 percent in heart rate variability, oxygen consumption and ventilation whilst performing two tasks compared to the control group who did no yoga.

This is great news for both people who do yoga and those with asthma, to improve your medical condition after ten weeks is quite amazing and to do so without any change in medication or procedures is wonderful. This is an improvement assessable to everyone although any exercise program should obviously be discussed with your doctor first.

Yoga can be adapted to consider any disability with a good yoga teacher; it is advisable to take some classes before using any home DVDs. The study group practiced three times a week, two classes and one home session equaling 165 minutes a week. I really want this information out there to help others, as a yoga practitioner and someone with asthma, I consider yoga to be essential to my general well being and health.

Yoga is a wonderful way to get fit and healthy. There are many ways to get a healthier lifestyle. Check out [http://greenssupplements.com]

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Using Yoga to Lose Weight

These days there are many alternative ways to get fit. Pilates and yoga are both great ways to stretch the muscles, lessen stress, and start some weight loss (and certainly more interesting than using a treadmill). If you want to lose weight by using yoga, follow these steps.
 
Eating healthy. Yoga and nutrition have little in common. But it has everything to do with losing the pounds. Exercising is imperative for weight loss. You cannot get away with doing one without the other. Jumpstart your yoga weight loss results by making sure you eat healthy too.
 
Work out for a long enough period of time. As a cardio exercise, yoga is not as effective, even though it offers the same weight loss benefits. To ensure that doing yoga is effective in helping you to reach your weight loss goals, do it for long enough periods. Aim for a 60 to 90 minute yoga session 3 or 4 times a week if yoga is going to be your only form of weight loss exercise. You can also add to your workouts by running or walking. Just be sure to get four to five hours in total of heavy cardio workouts in a week, whether from just yoga or not.
 
Ashtanga yoga. Even though there are many different types of yoga, not all will help you shed pounds. Ashtanga yoga helps in reducing weight. Enrol for a beginner's class until you learn the proper poses and stretches. Or why not try a DVD and do yoga at home.
 
Try Power yoga. I can give another method for yoga for weight loss. It is power yoga. Because it is a high intensity cardiovascular workout, it is a very popular form of yoga. This kind of yoga is not for faint-hearted! You will sweat the whole time you're there.

By simply doing a few power yoga sessions a week you will begin to notice a quick weight change.

 
Think about doing yoga in a warm environment. Not surprisingly, doing a workout in a warm area helps people lose weight. It's known as "Hot yoga" because the workout room has the heat turned up high to guarantee that you'll feel hot and sweaty when doing the workout.
 
Yoga at home. The key to shedding pounds through yoga is to stay motivated. If you're not comfortable working out with others, try different types at home. The great thing about yoga is that you have the choice of going to the gym or doing it in your living room. 

Tiffany Provost writes about exercise yoga and other health and fitness tips for HowToDoThings.com.

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Yoga is a Safe Solution to Weight Control

One more study tells the world, that Yoga can help with weight control and weight loss. The latest study was held by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.

The study involved 15,500 healthy, middle-aged, men and women. This is a group that typically has difficulty with weight loss, since the number of calories needed declines, and the energy levels needed to burn calories, is not what it used to be.

Unfortunately, this is a fact that I have become painfully aware of during the past few years, and cutting back on food was my unwanted last option. Although, I cross train almost daily, it took me one year to lose 16 pounds of extra weight.

Back to the study: Yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years. Comparatively speaking, this is truly "bare minimum," and many Yoga teachers used to say that this amount of Yoga will do nothing.

How times change; Yoga has been keeping people fit for approximately 5,000 years, and its many health benefits are still a mystery worthy of more studies.

Alan R. Kristal, Dr.P.H., the study's lead author at Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division said, "Men and women who were of normal weight at age 45, and who regularly practiced Yoga, gained about three fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn't practice Yoga."

Until all the studies are in, it would be safe to say that adding Yoga practice to your weekly routine, and eating wisely, will contribute to weight control or weight loss.

When seeking a Yoga teacher, find one who is compassionate, yet will encourage you to practice more frequently. The results you will gain from regular practice, of three to four Yoga classes per week, will be extraordinary, especially, if you practice Yoga for years.

Yoga is very low impact - in comparison to many aerobic exercise routines, and can be practiced for longevity. Your knees, spine, hips, and shoulders, will thank you for the condition Yoga will keep them in. Many of today's "standard" forms of exercise do not have the same "bragging rights," as Yoga.

With respect to eating, take the time to identify hunger and cravings. You will notice that they are not the same thing. Being a chocolate lover, it is much better to eat a piece of chocolate, now and then, than to buy a dozen chocolate donuts. This is not to justify, or surrender, to chocolate, but to eat it in moderation, and not every day.

Based upon what I have said so far, it is all about identification, control, and moderation. We have to stop "mindless eating" habits.

Recently, researchers found that women who received a 1200 mg. calcium supplement, on a daily basis, reduced their number of premenstrual food cravings by 54%.

On another note: When you have anxiety, your body produces more of the hormone cortisol, which may increase the volume of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates temporarily increase our levels of serotonin, making us feel relaxed for the short term.

Learn the art of substituting foods for more nutritionally dense variations. I cover this, in detail, in my eBook, "14 Days to Change Your Life," which will be released in August 2005.

Being in the best shape you can be is also connected to positive thinking. Therefore, use self-improvement sources to keep you on the right track toward optimum health.

Paul Jerard, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? - for Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

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Yoga and Pregnancy: Advice for Instructors and Students From a Mother of Three

I have been a student of yoga for 11 years now. Usually I will take about two classes a week and alternating with other forms of exercise, such as walking or karate, but during my three pregnancies I have taken as many as 4 yoga classes per week, especially near the end. Whether pregnant or not, I have found yoga practice to be very beneficial. I sleep better, I feel better, and I'm more flexible. There are no pregnancy yoga classes in my area, but I have studied with more than a dozen instructors over the years, many of them certified in teaching yoga to pregnant women. I have been given some very strange and contradictory advice over the years -- some of the strangest coming from the instructors so certified.

With my current pregnancy well into my 9th month and after months of trying to contain my frustration with well-intentioned but erroneous instructors, today I snapped. I got into an argument in the middle of one of my yoga classes with an instructor who forbade me to lie on my back with my legs elevated against the wall. She informed me (incorrectly) that to do so would harm my unborn child. This was like being told not to take a multivitamin because swallowing the entire whole bottle is toxic. The first time she told me I was harming my unborn child, it scared me. I worried about it, talked to another instructor, and finally asked my doctor. My doctor informed me that, while she wouldn't want me to lie on my back for an hour or fall asleep that way, there is absolutely NO problem lying on my back during a yoga class for up to 15 minutes (personally, 5 minutes is enough for me). Short periods of lying back with legs elevated reduces edema, and is beneficial for pregnant women.

This is not the first time I've been given misinformation regarding pregnancy yoga practice by an instructor who considered themselves knowledgeable. I've also been told:

• never to stand on one foot in late pregnancy (e.g. tree pose) because of pressure to my pelvis
• never to use my abdominal muscles
• never to raise my arms in the air

My doctor found these strictures mystifying and amusing.

Reasonable modifications I've been given by yoga instructors include:

• not standing on my head
• not laying on my stomach, and
• not doing spinal twists in late pregnancy

For yoga instructors who are concerned about safely supporting pregnant women in their classes, and worried about any of their students' capacities, I would suggest requesting a doctor's note. I've had massage therapists ask for this too. I would advise instructors to be very specific about any postures of concern (e.g. list and describe any such postures and ask the doctor to grant permission for their patient to do each one). There are many kinds of woman's bodies, and there is a big difference between someone taking yoga for the first time vs. an experienced long-term student. There is a big difference between a healthy pregnancy and a high risk pregnancy. There is not one type of pregnant body. What is safe for one woman might not be safe for another.

Yoga instructors: get your facts straight. It is obvious to me from my own experience with numerous instructors that many books and teacher trainings about pregnancy yoga are as likely as not to pass on over-simplified, incomplete, or simply inaccurate information. Others are extremely conservative, probably due to fear of liability. If you are going to give advice, make sure it is accurate and complete. Make sure it is evidence-based and not an old wife's tale. Try to avoid passing on unwarranted fear and stress through misinformation. When in doubt, consult with a health care professional - or more than one.

Pregnant Yoga students: Listen to your body. Take it easy, and do not push yourself beyond your limits. At the same time, if you are used to being physical active in your pre-pregnancy life, are in good physical condition, and have your doctor's permission to exercise, do not be afraid to give yourself an actual workout. Don't be afraid to question your instructor. If it does not feel good, don't do it - even if the instructor tells you it is okay. Conversely, if something feels good, it is probably okay. However, take any of your concerns, or those expressed by your instructor, seriously enough to double check with your doctor or midwife. Too make things even more complicated, health professionals are not always in agreement either. So, when in doubt, we must all navigate sometimes contradictory advice to make as an informed choice as possible.

A teacher student relationship is a trust relationship. The student trusts that the information given by the instructor is accurate. The instructor trusts that the student will communicate their needs and limitations and behave responsibly. This is particularly essential when the student is pregnant, so I am distressed that there is so much contradictory and inaccurate information being passed around. The only advice I can offer, is to seek multiple sources of information within both the health care and the yoga communities. Do not to be afraid to question authority. If necessary, seek additional opinions, new classes and mentors. Make decisions that are thoughtful and informed - not based in fear or ignorance.

Pamela Block, Ph.D.
Cultural Anthropologist, yoga enthusiast, and mother of three

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Yoga For Weight Loss - 3 Steps To See Results

More and more people are turning to yoga as a form of exercise, and as a way of losing or maintaining their weight. It's estimated that over 16 million people practice yoga in the US alone and that figure continues to increase as more and more people become aware of the benefits yoga can offer.

While weight loss is not one of the core concepts of yoga, it's certainly true that regular practice of asanas can assist in weight control, but to see any real benefits there are 3 key concepts you need to be aware of. Specifically you need to ensure that you are practising the right style of yoga, that you are practising on a regular basis, and that you embrace yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle.

1. Style of yoga

There are many different styles of yoga, and some are far more valuable for weight loss than others. Static forms of yoga where postures are help for extended periods of time to build strength and balance, such as Iyengar yoga, will have minimal weight loss value. A faster, more flowing vinyasa form of yoga however, such as Ashtanga will get the heart and lungs working, the blood pumping, and will burn far more calories. So if one of your main goals from yoga is helping you lose weight, look for Ashtanga or Power Yoga classes.

2. Frequency of practice

It almost goes without saying, but popping along to a yoga class once a month really isn't going to do much good, whether you want to lose weight or get any of the other benefits yoga can offer. Ideally you want to be practising yoga on a daily basis, but realistically you should aim for 2 good sessions of at least an hour, preferably 90 minutes, every week. If you can attend 2 90 minute classes each week, and find some time to practice sun salutations at home you will start to notice the benefits quite quickly.

3. Part of a lifestyle

Yoga is a lifestyle choice. All the benefits that yoga can offer, from weight loss, increased strength, flexibility and balance to reducing stress, improving self esteem and confidence, and aiding with relaxed sleep will mean nothing if you goggle a hamburger right after class, don't get enough sleep, and fail to practice what you're taught. The good news however, is that over eating is often largely emotionally triggered. Since yoga will help improve your self esteem and confidence, it is also likely to help you control your snacking, and you may well find that you'll be able to keep your weight under control much easier as your yoga progresses.

Following these 3 key points - choosing the right style of yoga, practising on a regular basis, and including your yoga as part of a healthy lifestyle - will give you the best possible results.

Whatever the goals of your yoga practice, remember that yoga is about unity, and learning control of your mind and body. Yoga isn't about rushing or forcing anything, so be patient, take your time, enjoy your yoga practice and the results will follow.

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New Research Shows Yoga Reduces Workplace Stress

A new study backs up what yogis have experienced for five thousand years - that yoga is a highly effective stress management tool. The research, done at Bangor University, compared a group of University employees who practised a special type of yoga taught by Dru UK for 6 weeks, compared to a wait list group. Results showed that the yoga group reported feeling significantly less anxious, unsure, confused, tired, and depressed than the control group who did not practice yoga. In addition, the yoga group reported feeling more life purpose and satisfaction, and greater self-confidence during stressful situations.

This research is very timely as latest figures from the HSE suggest that stress in the workplace costs the UK over £530 million per year, which equates to over 13 million 'lost' working days. Experts believe these figures will increase further as a result of the recession.

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled study, (the first robust research done on yoga in the workplace) involving 48 university employees. They were either placed into a yoga programme, or wait listed, as the control group. The yoga group participated in a six week program of Yoga, comprising one weekly 60-minute class.

In the programme used in this research, top yoga teacher trainer Padma McIntyre taught lunchtime classes of Yoga to the participants in this study. Padma taught flowing Dru movements, which are accessible to people of all fitness levels and which have been found effective in reducing workplace stress. This programme was chosen for its accessibility for all employees (as the majority had never done yoga before), and for its effectiveness in reducing stress. The wait- list control group received no intervention during this study. All participants were self-assessed on mood and wellbeing before and after the six week study.

Results showed that the Yoga group reported feeling significantly less anxious, unsure, confused, tired, and depressed than the control group who did not practice yoga. In addition, the yoga group felt increased emotional well-being and resilience to stress.

Researchers concluded that even a short program of Yoga is effective for enhancing emotional well-being and resilience to stress in the workplace, and recommended that employers should consider offering yoga classes to their employees.

This research is important, not just because it is the first ever randomised controlled study done on yoga in the workplace, but because stress is becoming a major problem for thousands of people in Europe. In the UK over 13 million working days are lost every year because of stress and it is believed to trigger 70% of visits to doctors, and 85% of serious illnesses (UK HSE stress statistics). Experts believe these figures will increase further as a result of the recession.

Stress at work is a major problem, as it reduces productivity by affecting the performance of the brain, including major functions of work performance; memory, concentration, and learning. Stress also causes absenteeism and is believed to trigger 70% of visits to doctors, and 85% of serious illnesses (UK HSE stress statistics) Employers are actively seeking proven methods to deal with stress and yoga is a perfect solution. This study shows that even a short term programme of yoga can have long-term effects, enhancing emotional well-being and resilience to stress. Ideally, companies could offer lunchtime yoga classes to their employees, but even a short period of yoga can have great benefits.

Jane Clapham is a Dru Yoga and Meditation teacher, and leads yoga retreats and holidays in the Celtic mountains of Wales and worldwide. Contact her at hello@druworldwide.com to be included in the weekly newsletter from Dru worldwide, which includes yoga and stress-busting tips. For more information about Dru Yoga, which is the perfect preparation for meditation, visit http://www.druworldwide.com/ You'll find yoga classes, yoga holidays and yoga training courses which are taught in the UK, North America, Netherlands and Australia. Have a stress-free day!

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How to Improve Your Cycling Performance With Yoga

To achieve you maximum performance you need to develop more than just cardiovascular fitness and strong legs. If your core is weak you will be limited in how much power makes it to the pedals. Add to this tight muscles and you have a recipe for mediocre results.

You've been putting the time on the bike but your progress has slowed down. You might feel tight in the hamstrings and hips. Your long, hard efforts start to fade as your back gives out. When you stand on hill climbs you fade muscularly before the cardio and legs give out.

So what is the answer?

You could do a core training program and work on your flexibility after every ride. The problem is that will cut down on your riding time. The easy way to improve these areas is to take up Yoga. The combination of poses will stretch and strengthen the muscles with particular emphasis on the hip, legs and core.

Three sessions a week of around 20 minutes will make a huge difference to your riding and how you feel. Not to get all "new age" on you, but yoga unleash inner energy and gets the body aligned. The increased blood flow from Yoga also helps speed up recovery. Scar tissue is broken up and the joints move more freely.

While it is best to sign up for a Yoga class, you can make good progress on your own with Yoga DVDs or online yoga courses. This is the way I started many years ago. I bought Power Yoga by Rodney Yee and started doing it a few times per week. After a couple of weeks I stopped going to the chiropractor as all of my back pain disappeared. After a couple of months I noticed it really improved my riding as tight hamstrings and back pain didn't flare up on long rides and races.

I have since incorporated Yoga into the training programs of the athletes I coach. Training beats up your body. Yoga keeps it limber and strong and speeds up recovery allowing you to get in more quality training. Yoga will also decrease the chance of injury. To improve your cycling performance you need to make sure you don't have any weak links. With very little time spent each week, Yoga takes care of two very important pieces of the puzzle and it makes you feel great.

If you are feeling adventurous, sign up for a Bikram hot yoga session each week. This is a long, intense yoga in a hot environment. The heat really loosens up your muscles and you sweat out a lot of toxins.

If you are a cyclist and you aren't doing Yoga yet, you are missing a great opportunity to increase your performance. Buy a DVD or sign up for a local class and start seeing the difference from the first session.

My name is Winston Endall. I'm a bike shop owner and cycling coach. Over the last 12 years I've worked developing my Speed Factory Training System to allow real people like you to maximize their fitness. My system lets people with jobs and families build a high level of cycling performance with the minimum time spent each week. Speed Factory combines bike workouts, crosstraining and flexibility work to make you a stronger overall athlete in as little as 4 hours per week. For more information go to my site http://www.cyclecambridge.com

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Stay Mobile for Longer: Just 1 of Many Benefits of Chair Yoga for Seniors

Traditional yoga poses make it look as though you need to be a talented contortionist to experience the benefits. Yet surprisingly with chair yoga, in only 45 minutes a week, it's the one thing that can keep seniors mobile for longer, without relying on a walker frame to get around.

Nobody wants to feel as though they're a burden on their family members, and the way to avoid that is by getting active through exercising.

Whoa, hold up - Exercise?

Settle your nerves - there's no need to break out in a cold sweat...

We're not talking about preparing to climb Mount Everest, or Skiing the Swiss Alps.

Chair yoga is simplistic motions you can do right from your armchair. Just as you lift your arm when you're drinking your coffee, green tea, or sipping on a glass of water, the same motions are mimicked in chair yoga poses.

Just 45 minutes per week keeps your joints flexible and helps with pain management

If you're sitting there thinking you've left it too late, or you've an elder relative that will think the same, I'm here to tell you you're wrong.

Even those who are wheelchair bound can experience the benefits of chair yoga.

Simple poses have a massive impact on your lifestyle.

• Being able to reach into the top shelf of the cupboard and not worry about spraining your wrist
• Being able to move around without a walker frame, cane, or other walking aid
• Being able to bend down and get up minus mirroring the appearance of the Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

I'm in my thirties and tasks as simple as weeding can become a nightmare. You've heard this before probably...

It's not the getting down that's the problem; it's the getting back up part!

I can vouch for that one, as I mentioned above about when I'm weeding the garden. Standing up after that is a real pain - right up the spine.

For seniors that problem is heightened as part of the aging process will see your joints stiffen and your muscles tense.

It's only natural, but listen up...

Yoga teachers are in more demand now than they've ever been. Do you know where they work?

They work in every corner of health care supporting seniors with independent living.

• Day care centers
• Senior centres
• Nursing homes
• Assisted living complexes

In all of those places, yoga instructors provide around 45 minutes of exercise to patients in need of support.

The medical community recognise that chair yoga increases flexibility and strength, while reducing the following:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Vertigo
• Chronic pain (Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Multiple Sclerosis)
• Depression

That's for those already in support centers for assisted living.

Why wait until then though?

All the benefits of chair yoga can be experienced by anyone, regardless of age, or current health.

Don't miss this page with a sample chair yoga exercise video, and tons of free information on the benefits of chair yoga and how anyone can get started today! http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga

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What Are the Reasonable User Expectations for Tony Horton's 10-Minute Yoga Workout?

Before we get into the topic at hand, I have to confess that I am a certified yoga fanatic. I have said many times that if I could get rid of all the workouts in the world and keep only 1, I'd choose yoga and there wouldn't be a close second.

The upsides generally of yoga are a great total body workout, improved strength stamina and balance, and a refreshed and an energized, but calm feeling when you are done. There aren't too many workouts which can claim rightly to accomplish all that.

This brings me to the somewhat tricky part writing about the Tony Horton's 10-minute workout "10-Minute Trainer" and it's "yoga flex" program. My favorite yoga program bar none is the P90X "yoga x" workout. If you haven't done P90X or another Beachbody program before, you probably will have no clue what I am talking about when I bring up the "yoga controversy".

In a nutshell, the yoga controversy centers around complaints by many who do P90X that the yoga portion is simply too long at 1.5 hours. Personally, I don't agree. However, this sets the stage for looking closer at the other extreme in the total time disagreement involving beachbody yoga workouts: "yoga flex" in 10-Minute Trainer.

I went into the workout skeptical and came out underwhelmed. However, I think the user should go in with realistic expectations about what can get accomplished with a yoga program in that amount of time. Basically, there are hard moves within yoga flex, but they are hard in the stretching and flexibility sense. They are not hard in the strength and stamina sense.

The poses are designed more to open up your joints in the hips, lower back and legs, and center the breathing. The extreme poses found in P90X that have you sweating up a storm in minutes aren't really included to any degree in yoga flex. Reasonable user expectations are to feel more limber, more refreshed, and have a calmer mind when you are done. In fairness, it does accomplish those goals in the 10 minutes allowed.

Rather than trash yoga flex, I think the better approach is to see it for the benefits it does provide. Those benefits are a nice complement to the extreme high-impact nature of the rest of the Tony Horton's 10-minute workout. If you are an absolute beginner to yoga, I think you'll love yoga flex. If you have a background in yoga like I did, enjoy the stretch and take a yoga class or do a real yoga tape every week.

Cheryl Boswell is a writer and researcher on home fitness and health products. You can save time and money by getting FREE in depth news, features, and reviews on home exercise equipment, workout programs, health, and nutrition, including discounts and best prices at http://bodyslimdown.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7009594

Why You Should Start Yoga

Yoga is one of the oldest forms of exercise on the planet, with new research suggesting that it may be up to 5000 years old! Yoga has a huge number of benefits, improving physical, mental and emotional health, so it's no surprise that its popularity is again on the rise! Here are my 10 top reasons why you should start doing yoga today!

1. Stress busting

Stress causes one in five British employees to suffer from anxiety and depression, and costs the UK £100 billion in lost output every year. Yoga is one of the most effective methods of stress relief, and recent research supervised by a British University found that a six week programme of weekly Yoga classes reduced anxiety and fatigue, while increasing emotional well-being and resilience to stress.

'The benefits that Yoga has brought me have dramatically reduced my stress levels and increased my awareness of the daily pressures that are faced by most of my colleagues. I am more conscious of not taking on this stress myself. As a result, people value my increased creativity, clarity and calm, and my client base has expanded.' - J.M. senior management consultant, UK

2. Reduces anxiety

'I hardly recognise myself as the person I was six years ago, before starting a regular yoga practice. The bouts of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem I used to suffer on a regular basis have gone, to be replaced by increasing self confidence and a joyfulness in life that I'd forgotten was possible.' - Catherine, Yoga teacher, UK 

3. Good for your back

Yoga is one of the safest forms of exercise to improve back pain. In a recent study, 72 % of yoga practitioners questioned found Yoga reduced their back pain. Many people believe that rest is best for back pain, whereas in fact, gentle exercise such as Dru Yoga helps to stretch and relax the tight muscles that can cause back pain. 

4. Increases energy

One of the surprising benefits of yoga is the higher levels of energy which regular practitioners experience. Rather than relying on coffee or other stimulants to get going in the morning, ten minutes of daily yoga can give you a great energy rush with no side effects. Yoga students reported that 86% of them enjoyed increased energy levels after practising yoga. 

5. Emotional balance

Yoga can help you to feel good, no matter what the weather's like! True happiness comes from within, and the inner joy that comes from a great yoga class or meditation session is second to none. Many people find that a regular practice of yoga helps them to keep emotionally balanced, and ready to face each day with an optimistic attitude. Try it! 

6. Banish aches and pains

Yoga's gentle movements and stretches are a perfect way to deal with general aches and pains. I've found that a ten minute practice of Yoga daily helps keep my body in top condition and to melt away the niggling aches which can build up when we're working hard, or not exercising enough. Dru's Energy Block release sequences, which systematically twist, bend and stretch the body from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, are the ideal yoga practice to soothe away bodily pains.

7. Better breathing

Many people come to yoga because of health conditions such as asthma or bronchitis. Pranayama, or yoga breathing exercises, can be very benefiicial in helping you to relax and gain control of your mind and emotions, thus helping you to breathe easier. In Yoga, exercises such as the pigeon breath or the windmill are often taught to help people with breathing problems - to great effect.

8. Feel ageless

One of my yoga students trained as a teacher at the young age of 85! Yoga is one of the most effective ways of keeping young, fit and health - both in mind and body, no matter what your age! It naturally tackles all those signs of aging from inside out - as it restores the elasticity of the spine and joints, firms the skin, corrects poor posture and brings higher energy levels.

9. Improved flexibility

If you've had trouble bending or twisting recently then you'd benefit from yoga's effects of increasing flexibility. Yoga stretches are a gentle way of helping the muscles and joints regain their natural mobility. When I was a teenager, I was so inflexible that I couldn't touch my toes, whereas after just a few months of regular Yoga pracice, my flexibility had increased hugely and I could easily touch my toes! Many people who do sports such as football, climbing or running appreciate the fact that yoga quickly increases flexibility. 

10. The feel-good factor

A recent study of yoga in the workplace found that just one yoga class a week led to increased life purpose and satisfaction, and feelings of greater self-confidence during stressful situations. Yoga increases self-confidence by improving posture, increasing health and feelings of well-being. So if you fancy having a post-yoga glow - then get to a yoga class!

Jane Clapham is a Dru Yoga teacher trainer, and leads meditation retreats and holidays in the Celtic mountains of Wales and worldwide. Contact her at hello@druworldwide.com to be included in the weekly newsletter from Dru worldwide, which includes yoga and stress-busting tips. For more information about Dru Yoga, which is the perfect preparation for meditation, visit http://www.druworldwide.com/ You'll find yoga classes, yoga holidays and yoga training courses which are taught in the UK, North America, Netherlands and Australia. Have a stress-free day!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5470542

The Benefits of a 30-Minute Yoga For Busy People

Yoga is widely known to improve health and well being. It is the union of the mind, body and soul and the benefit you get out of yoga far outweighs the time you spent practicing it. While many people find it difficult to set aside an hour or two of yoga practice each week, a 30 minute yoga session is finding its way into the lives of busy executives, financial brokers, teachers, bankers, and other people with very busy schedules.  

The body responds positively to 30 minutes of yoga exercise done routinely everyday or every alternate day, compared to an hour of yoga done each week. This half-hour yoga fits very well into the lives of people who can't spare an hour or two of practice because of their busy careers.   

30 minutes a day is all it takes to reap the benefit of yoga as it stretches and lengthens the muscles and reduces the risk of injuries. It also gives balance and a sense of agility as we get older. It relaxes the muscles and reduces tension which minimizes pain that is associated with it while toning them to build stamina and endurance.  

This daily incremental yoga session helps us to relax, clearing away tension in our body. As a result of that we benefit by getting higher levels of energy to carry out our daily chores. The breathing practices in yoga helps to relax the muscles and the mind and brings the much needed oxygen to the cells in our system. This produces a sense calmness and confidence and also better quality sleep as it clears away clutter and allows us to focus our attention on every aspect of our lives and be present in our current activity without having to worry about the past and the future.  

The deep breathing in yoga reduces our stress level as it decreases the hormones in the body which are released when we are overwhelmed. The different yoga poses create a relaxation response and helps us to reach an inner state of calmness for more focus, alertness and attention.  

Many successful people routinely practices this 30 minute yoga each day to keep themselves in balance, alert and productive. Yoga practitioners have also attributed their success in business and in their personal lives to this daily routine.

Azmi Adnan is a writer and a yoga practitioner. Subscribe to his newsletter for interesting articles on the yoga at his website [http://www.power-to-live.com/yoga.htm]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2476985

I Don't Have Time For A Daily Yoga Practice - Actually You Don't Have Time Not To Practice Daily

I cannot begin to count the number of times a student has told me they don't have time for a daily yoga practice. They tend to start with, "I really can't find an extra hour in my day". Then they go on to tell me that they can't remember enough poses to practice on their own. So, they come to class once a week and consider that enough.

Practicing yoga once a week is wonderful, but a daily practice is essential if you really want to see benefits from your yoga practice.

Let's start with the fallacy that you have to do an hour of yoga for it to count. Doing as little as five to ten minutes of yoga every day will add up to true, long-term benefits. Everyone's life is busy. But, we all have to set priorities. Why not get up ten minutes early and do a few yoga poses while the coffee brews? This will set the tone for your day and wake up your mind and body.

You really don't have to know all the yoga poses you have practiced in class to start your own yoga practice at home. Start with one pose. Pay close attention to that pose the next time you encounter it in class. Then take it home and practice it every day. The next week, add another pose. After only a few months, you will know enough poses to have a well-rounded personal practice. It really is that simple!

Now that I have eliminated the top two excuses for not having a daily yoga practice, let's talk about a few others I have heard. "I don't have time to put on my yoga clothes just to practice for a few minutes." So, don't bother with your yoga clothes. Practice in your pajamas in the morning. Practice in your underwear when you are changing clothes after work. Practice in your comfy clothes before you go to bed.

Another excuse is that the only time they have any free moments are at work. So practice yoga in your desk chair! Here's a very gentle neck stretch series that can be done anywhere you can sit - at your desk, at the breakfast table, in the car (not while you are driving, please!), waiting for the bus, you get the idea!

Begin by sitting comfortably in a chair with your feet planted firmly on the floor, your hands resting gently in your lap.

Inhale and lift your head straight up - feel your ears getting further from your shoulders. As you exhale allow your head to come forward - chin to the chest. Rest in this pose for 5-15 breaths. Relax your shoulders, keep your back as straight as possible and keep your mouth soft. Inhale as you return the head to the chin parallel to the floor position. Exhale softly.

Inhale and again lift your head. As you exhale turn your head to look over your right shoulder. Keep your chin parallel to the floor and will your shoulders to stay down and relaxed. Rest in this pose for 5-15 breaths. Inhale as you return the head to the forward facing position. Repeat the sequence on the left side.

Inhale and again lift your head. As you exhale bring your right ear down towards your right shoulder. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed - don't force on this one! Be careful not to twist the neck but keep your face fully forward. Rest in this pose for 5-15 breaths. Inhale as you return the head to the chin parallel to the floor position. Repeat the sequence on the left side.

Sound simple, it really is! So stop making excuses and go practice some yoga. Your mind and you body will thank you.

Liz Franklin created Liz Franklin's Yoga In Chairs® so that anyone who can sit in a chair - including a wheel chair - can practice yoga. She is a certified yoga instructor and registered with the Yoga Alliance. She offers teacher training to yoga instructors who wish to expand into teaching chair yoga. She also has a set of DVD videos for home practice. Yoga is her passion and her life's work. Her motto is: "Sit Down and Feel Better". Liz resides in Denver, Colorado where she teaches chair yoga classes and enjoys the beautiful outdoors. Please visit http://www.YogaInChairs.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5366084

Hot Yoga Poses Make You Look Hotter Than Madonna

Want to get fit and lean with Yoga? Then what do you imagine Yoga to be?

Yes it's a series of body extensions can be one aspect the other is that is develops the mind when you merge the two it becomes a very complete healthy routine. It is common knowledge yoga poses improves flexibility but some still question how does it improve fitness.

YOGA BODY AND MIND FITNESS (I like to call it Muscle Mind Link.)

There are many Yoga styles which can help you get in shape. One model is Ashtanga Yoga; it's a style which supports dynamic movements and flowing transitions between postures. It can be conducted as a very powerful cardio workout and isometric body weight training. World famous Madonna practices Ashtanga yoga, she began to practice Ashtanga after the birth of her first daughter. That's more than 12 years ago, now she has a great figure as a 51 year old. Boyer Coe (World Pro Grand Prix Champion) says about Yoga stretching; "it builds bigger, better-quality muscles."

THE OBVIOUS BENEFITS ARE:

• Helps prevent postural problems. (after I do yoga I sit and stand straighter)
• Increases your range of motion. (especially after lifting weights)
• Enhances appearance of Muscle
• Lengthens muscles,
• Gives that lean, toned look
• Calms your mind and help you to focus.

THE NOT SO OBVIOUS BENEFITS ARE;

• After weight lifting it will minimise soreness, allowing for quicker recovery and improved muscle growth. It gets the blood flowing into those muscular areas that necessitate repair.
• It develops core strength (try a hand stand and feel those abs working)
• It stimulates the circulatory, respiratory and neuromuscular systems. (Heavy weight lifting damages the nervous system you will need to rest, Yoga aids greatly in this recovery).

PROOF IS IN THE YOGA PUDDING

In a analysis done at the University of California at Davis in the US, they studied the relationship between yoga and fitness. The researchers tested the muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and lung function of 10 college students before and after eight weeks of yoga training.

Each week, the students attended four sessions that included

• 10 minutes of pranayama (breath control),
• 15 minutes of warm-up exercises,
• 50 minutes of asanas (Yoga Poses),
• 10 minutes of meditation.

After eight weeks, the students:

• muscular strength had increased by as much as 31 percent,
• muscular endurance by 57 percent,
• flexibility by as much as 188 percent,
• and VO2max by 7 percent

A very respectable increase, given the brevity of the experiment.

MORE PUDDING?

A related study done at Ball State University offers further evidence for yoga and it's fitness benefits. This research looked at how 15 weeks of twice-weekly yoga classes changed the lung capacity of 287 college students. All of the students involved, including athletes, asthmatics, and smokers,significantly improved lung capacity by the end of the semester.

Jack England, an 81-year-old yoga and yoga instructor at the Club Med in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, says more than 30 years of yoga have kept him flexible, healthy, and strong. He has the very same weight and height as he was in high school, and his outstanding health continues to amaze his doctor. He delights audiences at Club Med by performing Shoulderstand and other poses while balancing on a float board in a water ski show. He is an inspiration to people of all ages, he says." I do things that 14-year-old can't do".

Stephanie Griffin, a 33-year-old director of business development for a pharmaceutical research company in San Francisco, discovered yoga after years of running marathons, spinning, and weight lifting. Before finding yoga, she thought her Intensive exercise habits had turned her into a poster child for health and fitness. During the last four years, however, Griffin began doing more yoga and less running, weight lifting, and aerobics. As she reduced back on her hardcore fitness pursuits, she worried she might gain weight or lose her muscle tone or exercise capacity.She didn't '"I have maintained my fitness and even enhanced it through yoga," says Griffin, who no longer has a gym membership. "And I like the way my body looks and feels now better than the way it did before".

HOW TO PROCEED?

Always stretch after you warm up! Warm muscles Stretch out much easier than cold muscles.

Best case scenario is to stretch every single day for a minimum of 10-15 minutes. At the least, 3-4 times per week. A 10-15 minute stretching warmup is better. In addition, recuperation can greatly be accelerated when one stretches 10-15 minutes as a cool down. Another good time to stretch is right before bed. It relaxes the muscles and will help you unwind from the strain of the day and have a good night sleep.

So if you would like to become and stay physically and mentally fit, make sure your yoga practice includes a balance of poses that build strength, stamina, and flexibility, along with breath-work and meditation to help develop body awareness.

In particular, include a series of standing poses in your practice. As your practice expands, add more challenging asanas such as balancing poses and inversions. If you're just doing 15 minutes of gentle yoga stretches three to four times a week, you will also require to do some other form of exercise to stay fit. You will need to do something additionally to yoga for a while until they can practice more robustly.

ENJOY What ever you do!

But the right form of exercise is whatever you enjoy most and will prolong doing it on a regular and almost daily basis. Yoga has a lot of benefits, so do yoga regularly and enjoy it. Going past the fitness aspects, yoga offers many other gifts.

It improves your health, reduces stress, improves sleep, and typically acts like a powerful therapy to help heal relationships, improve your career, and advance your overall outlook on life.

Hi my name is Raymond Ho.

Please feel free to visit my holistic blog called Zen My Fitness [http://www.zenmyfitness.com] where it combines Zen, Yoga, Body Building and Nutrition to enhance performance and fitness.

On my blog I have freely downloadable body weight, body building and body improvement posture workouts, also information on where to learn all about Yoga. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4192561