Would you like to try some Yoga Poses to see if it’s something that will really work for you? You don’t want to buy that Yoga video, or sign up for that class unless you feel Yoga is something that will improve your health and enhance your quality of life. Let’s look at a few simple poses and how to do them.

The Mountain Pose is one of the most basic of poses. It helps to improve posture and strengthen the thighs. Follow these steps. This is a standing pose, start with your big toes touching. Lift your toes off the floor and spread them out. If your ankles are knocking together, you can spread your heels apart slightly. Make sure your weight is on all four corners of both feet. Draw in your quadriceps upwards causing your kneecaps to rise. Then rotate the thighs in which widens your sit bones and then try tucking your tailbone in between the sit bones. Draw in your body; make sure your body is straight. Lengthen your neck and feel as your head rises to the ceiling and your shoulder bones relax. A beginner can do this pose up against the wall so you can actually feel your body getting into alignment. This Mountain Pose is a beginning of many other simple Asanas so it’s important that you learn to do this one correctly.

The Awkward Chair Pose begins with the Mountain Pose. When you have achieved the Mountain Pose, bend your knees until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Keep that rear end low while bringing the arms up towards the ceiling. This should bring a slight bend in the upper back. Inhale and exhale deeply for five to ten breaths. A beginner can work on just bringing your thighs closer and closer to being parallel to the floor.

Another popular pose that is mentioned frequently is the Bridge Pose. This is classified as a back bend but don’t let that scare you away. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Bring the soles of your feet parallel on your mat close to the buttocks. Now lift the hips to the ceiling. Lace the fingers behind your back and straighten your arms as you are pushing them down into the mat. Once you have done this, roll one shoulder and then the other. Try to lift your hips higher. Draw your chest toward the chin but don’t move the chin towards your chest, keeping your feel parallel. Release your hands and then bring everything slowly back down until you are flat on the floor.

The Boat Pose is a seated posture technically called the Navasana. This pose will help build core and abdominal strength. Begin in a seated position and bring the legs up to a 45-degree angle. Your body will naturally fall back; allow it to do so without letting the spine collapse. This makes a “V” shape with your body. Bring out your arms straight in line with your shoulders. Be sure you are balancing on your sit bones. Beginners can bend their knees if necessary, this is called the Half Boat Pose.

Try these basic Yoga poses; I think you will find them easier than what you think and so rewarding!

Yoga is an ancient practice that has produced amazing results in modern medicine. This practice and philosophy of Yoga is gaining worldwide attention as the focal point in treating seizures. The World Health Organization gives an estimate that about 50 million people in the world have epilepsy, 75 percent with seizure disorders and many of them do not receive any medical treatment.

Ancient Indian writings have described four types of epilepsy and nine other disorders that cause seizures in children. They believed the discipline of Yoga reestablishes the balance that can help prevent or even stop seizures. Epilepsy is a basic term used to describe different illnesses that has one common symptom and that is seizures. Seizures disrupt the normal activity of the central nervous system. Yoga is one of the oldest practices known for its usefulness in balancing the different aspects of your mind and body.

So, what can Yoga do to help prevent or stop seizures? If you practice Yoga, you are keeping the balance between mind and body normal. This imbalance can cause seizures. Therefore, practicing poses, doing breathing exercises and clearing your mind with meditation can go a long way toward preventing seizures. Tension is a well-known trigger for seizures as well and practicing Yoga is a great stress reliever.

Here is something you can do to stop a seizure. If you feel yourself slipping into a seizure, catch a sharp breath, just as if you are frightened and hold it. This will cause a change in your blood pressure, metabolism, and altars the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. Then go into deep breathing to help restore normal respiration. If this practice can be learned, it may help to control seizures or even stop one before it starts.

The physical practice of Yoga helps restore the metabolic balance of your body. It also increases stamina, improves circulation, concentration and respiration. It also helps calm the central nervous system that will decrease your chances of having a seizure.

Meditation is also an important part of the Yoga practice to help prevent seizures. Stress can be a major trigger to seizures. Meditation can improve blood flow to the brain, slows stress hormones, and helps to increase the serotonin which helps keep the nervous system calm.

Ten years ago, the results of a study was published in The Indian Journal of Medical Research on Yoga practice for seizure control. Researchers in Europe and United States did their own study with astounding results. Those in the study that practiced the style of Sahaja Yoga for six months experience a decrease in their seizure activity by 86 percent.

This is a large enough percentage to warrant using Yoga techniques to help control seizures. It’s easy to do, free of medication and can help your body with its overall health. If you are already taking medication for control of seizures, consult with your Doctor. Don’t just stop taking your medication without his approval. Why not try it if you suffer from occasional seizures.

Yoga is a great mood enhancer and it does that naturally. Any form of exercise releases hormones that help ease the stress that often leads to the blahs, blues, or outright depression. Being active keeps your mind away from negative thoughts and allows you to gain perspective on problems you are facing. People who are depressed or “down” often lack the motivation to exercise. It doesn’t take near as much effort to do a Yoga routine as it does to work out to a video or drive to the gym. A word of warning; if you suffer from more than just the occasional bout of the blahs and feel down for more than two weeks at one time, you should seek professional help. They may feel that you need medication and therapy, and proper exercise.

Often people who are depressed often lack the concentration to stop and try to detach themselves from their thoughts. Yoga is a moving meditation so it is easier to take your mind away from negative thoughts. Yoga’s focus on balance can also help you restore your mental stability.

Yoga has a definite connection between mind, body, and spirit that no other form of exercise or meditation can achieve by doing those alone. Negative thoughts can keep us from finding our essential inner nature. Doubt, hopelessness, despair, apathy and either sleeping too much or not enough are all signs of depression. Yoga is designed to bring you closer to your inner truth; it then is only natural that it can help with some of the symptoms of depression.

Certain postures can influence your mood and allow depression to lift. One special Asana can’t cure depression or the blahs. They can help to open your lung capacity to allow more oxygen to reach all the affected parts of your body including your mood. Asana postures can help low energy levels, and lethargy. You should ask your Yoga instructor to help you with the postures that would best help you balance your moods.

Yoga can calm the nervous system, and allow you to understand the connection between your mind and your emotions. They can both be used to help each other. As breathing is an important part of Yoga, it can also help you to curb anxiety, quiet your thoughts, and help you concentrate on positive energy rather than negative.

Any form of Yoga can help you banish the blahs. Even just doing it making you do the routine will help. It isn’t physically demanding but can make you feel so much better at the end of your session. Remember, if you have a severe depressive episode, consult with a professional. Yoga is drug-free and so can be practiced as well as any medication or therapy your Doctor orders. If you want to try a Yoga routine specifically for depression, find one who can create one for you personally. They have been extensively trained for this purpose and know the positions that are most adaptable for therapeutic purposes.

If you are just starting out in Yoga practice, you may want to know what is needed for a Yoga class. First, you will want to wear comfortable clothes that will breathe. Your shirt should not be loose and flowing but formfitting because you will be doing poses with your head drops below your hips. If you are wearing a more formfitting top, you won’t have the problem of your top sliding down. A regular pair of exercise shorts or pants will do fine. It’s best not to wear anything slick because some poses you do could make you slip.

Shoes are not a necessity for Yoga classes. Now that is good news! If you are going to class after work, you won’t have to carry heavy athletic shoes with you. In most classes, the instructor will ask you to leave your shoes at the door. Yoga is practiced barefoot.

Mats are great both in gyms and in Yoga studios. It is normal to use a mat but if you are just starting, you may want to wait to buy your own. Most studios will rent mats; the downside is they can get smelly between washing because many people use them. Mats can be bought for as little as $20 and if you are a regular at a studio, they may allow you to store it for your use when you are there.

You can buy some optional equipment. If you are following Lyengar Style Yoga, props are usually used to help keep the correct pose. They help keep your body in alignment and help you get the most out of your workout. Blankets are often used in certain poses and can be used while practicing the sitting positions. They also come in handy when you are in the cool down, relaxation period at the end of your practice.

Blocks are like blankets and used as props to improve your alignment and make it more comfortable for your body. They are great for the standing practices when your fingers are supposed to touch the floor and they don’t quite make it.

Straps are also useful for poses when your hands need to meet, and for poses that you need to hold on to your feet.

These items are just props and you shouldn’t have to buy them unless you find you need them for your at-home workouts. Most Yoga classes provide props.

Starting Yoga can be done on a small budget, whether you go to a studio or gym, or get a video to work with at home. Just remember, you need comfortable, breathable clothes, a top that is formfitting, regular exercise shorts, and no shoes!
You might want to try your Yoga routine with just a folded blanket in place of a mat if you are practicing your routine at home. If you will be going regularly to a class, buying your own mat and either carrying it with you or storing it there is your best option.

Therefore, you have no more excuses! Get busy practicing your Yoga poses today.

We often forget that many of today’s children are under a considerable amount of stress just as we adults are.

There are lots of pressures on them, and pressure to compete with their peers, their after school activities and ever increasing amounts of homework are just some of the factors causing this.

It’s been found that more and more children are turning to yoga to help manage their stress levels, because by teaching children yoga, they can develop body awareness, flexibility, coordination and self control. These skills are also often displayed beyond their daily routines.

Yoga has also been proven to help the attention-deficit and hyperactive child. This is because children such as these crave a movement and sensory/motor stimulus. Yoga can assist a child channel impulses such as these in a positive way.

The warrior pose and the tree pose practised through yoga tend to work especially well. They can help the child create a calm, confidence and balance. The most difficult part of yoga is getting beyond the idea of simply doing the posture. The child should aim to think about what this posture means and how to become strong and warrior like just like these postures.

A child’s trust can be developed through the partner pose. Team skills and bonding can be developed through working with each other.

Many children have difficulties with relaxation and sleeping where as other children feel like they can never get enough. Visualization is one technique that can encourage relaxation.

Some yoga teachers firstly focus on belly breathing whilst listening to relaxing music or imagine that they are somewhere peaceful or are doing their favourite activity. Children should be encouraged to share their experiences with their yoga peers.

Another approach may be to make up a visualisation or story with a theme that is calming for the child. The child may be asked to imaging that they are walking some very peaceful like a quiet beach or peaceful forest. They will be prompted to visualise the beautiful plants and trees along with the birds and butterflies flying around them. A sense of peace and tranquillity will be instilled into them by asking them to smell the fresh, scented air around them and listen to the birds and wildlife around them. This also encourages the child to form a strong relationship with nature.

The children should be encouraged to contribute their own ideas and questions whilst teaching them the meaning of union of mind, body and spirit.

Do you like your feet? Most people pay little attention to what their feet look like or just think they are down right ugly. Maybe you only think about your feet after walking around in pair of shoes that don’t fit. Do you know whey your feet hurt it affects your whole body? Yoga works with the body from the ground up. That means that every standing pose consists of working with your toes and feet. If you think about it, by working with your feet and being good to them could add a new dimension to your life!

So, what king of shape are your feet in? Try standing in the Mountain Asana, it’s one of the very basic of poses. Look at your feet, concentrate on them. What are they doing? What do they feel like? First, be sure that your weight is distributed evenly between both feet. Do you favor one foot over the other because you have pain in one of your feet? Your arches should be lifted, toes spread out wide with spaces in between. Your toes should be able to move independently of one another. If you have bunions, calluses or hammertoes you may have been abusing your feet for years. You can start right now, make a difference in your feet, and give your body more comfort over-all.

If you have serious problems, go to a podiatrist. If they are only stiff and neglected, you can work on them and relieve some of the stiffness. Start with a gentle massage. Go ahead, pamper yourself, but don’t just mindlessly rub them. Explore your feet and toes. Really, look at them and take the time to feel the 26 bones each foot has. Pull your toes back and forth and from side to side. Are they stiff, can you separate them? Be gentle, but try to separate them. Spend a lot of time looking at your toes and realizing how your toes feel. Is your big toe numb? Can you interlace your fingers through your toes? If your toes are rigid and hard to bend, work with them. Carefully move them around, spreading them apart gently. If your big toe is numb, gently rub it until you feel some life return to it. By working with your feet and toes on a regular basis, you will have better foot health and it will be much easier to do your Yoga poses.

Go to the soles of your feet. Each foot contains 26 bones. Squeeze the sides of your feet, feel how those bones connect to one another. Rub your thumb firmly along your arch; feel your heel is there any pain. Pain in the center of your heel may indicate a bone spur that can be treated.

If you have heard of reflexology, you know there are pressure points in your feet that correspond with different parts of your body. Your whole body can feel better after a foot massage and your Yoga routine will give you more enjoyment.

There are many people who get really excited about yoga as it is supposed to make all those who take it up feel much better about themselves generally. This is because yoga does not just act on the body (helping to keep it in shape), but also on the mind of the person as well.

It is thought the different poses and postures in yoga makes the body become healthier, it is also good for the mind, as Yoga is one of the best ways to help us relax and unwind.

It is thought that yoga can also assist in the fight against certain illness, and there has been research proving yoga helps people control anxiety, arthritis, asthma, blood pressure, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, headaches, diabetes, stress and lots more illnesses and problems.

Yoga has a lot of advantages and benefits. It is said to reduce tension and stress. After a busy day, we often feel our muscles are tense and we feel burnt out. Self esteem is increased through yoga. Confidence boosting is important as it means you can associate with people with less worry.

Yoga can increase your muscle tone, stamina, strength and flexibility. Yoga can help those who believe they are too fat and who are conscious about their figure keep their body in shape. The exercises in yoga can burn up excess fat and provide you with your desired figure.

Everyone’s body needs to relax once in a while. Work often leaves us exhausted and burnt out. We often find little time to unwind on those days that are particularly busy and stressful. A sense of calmness and well being can be found with yoga.

Yoga can help improve your concentration and enhance your creativities especially if you need time to relax and forget about the stressful things in life such as responsibilities. You will find it easier to think more positively and with a fresh mind, you can think only about the good things in life.

The exercise involved in yoga can improve circulation. Our organs and veins require exercise for them to function properly. Our immune systems can be stimulated by yoga to help prevent diseases by improving the immune system.

Many people practise yoga to be enlightened. Some people believe yoga helps them bring about their spirit and keep them relieved. It works differently for different people in the emotional, psychological, mental, physical and spiritual sense. Many people believe yoga is only for spiritual people. This is not true. People who are not religious can also practice yoga successfully.

We become stressed out and forget the essence of life due to the pressure and demands of life. We often lose touch of with those we used to spend time with and some of us even lose touch of ourselves.

Due to deadlines and daily hassles, we feed ourselves rushing about most of the time, leaving us with little time to have physical awareness and think.

Once in a time one should find time to dedicate a part of themselves to relations and unwind. These are just a few things that yoga can provide. Its possibilities are endless.

When you are doing an exercise routine, you are doing just that. You are doing a routine by rote, many times thinking of other things as you are doing the repetitive motions. Day to day problems may be clouding your mind, what will I have for dinner, what can I do to help Billy or Suzy bring up their grades, or when in the world will I have time to go grocery shopping? This is plain exercise. Practicing Yoga not only helps your body become more flexible and fit, it also is designed to calm your spirit and give you a new sense of awareness.

What is awareness? That is something that is hard to describe. You might have had flashes of awareness in your life, it’s like a light bulb turns on and you have an “ah-ha” moment. Yoga is designed to make this happen more frequently and gives you the capacity to be more alert to your surroundings or what your body is saying.

Awareness is living in the present moment. It’s even more; it’s realizing your place in the now. If you are experiencing the moment and enjoying that moment for what it is, you are experiencing awareness. Awareness allows you to focus on your surroundings, feel the muscles in your body responding to either the tension of the moment or the total relaxation you feel.

There isn’t any place for daydreams or fantasies in the state of awareness. If you are truly aware of your present surroundings, living in the moment, you won’t need to daydream. You’ll be too busy to enjoying the moment you’re in. If you lose your center, and allow your emotions to run rampant, you are likely to go somewhere that has nothing to do with reality. Events around you make sense when you have a heightened sense of awareness, even if they aren’t pleasant. Awareness goes hand in hand with serenity.

Your Yoga routine quality is directly affected by your awareness. When you are practicing your pose, concentrating on your breathing, and finding that inner calm we all have, we are aware and the limitations on your mind falls away and you find your inner calm. You might be surprised at what new insights you will find when you allow full awareness to take over.

You can take that sense of awareness that you are learning in Yoga to help you in your everyday life. Being at one with your surroundings gives you a peace and serenity. You can look around you and notice the beauty in ordinary items. You can enjoy the simple pleasures of everyday sounds. Can you hear how beautiful the wind chimes in your yard as it whispers its melody? The birds singing in the tree next door, or maybe the sound of a child laughing while playing in a nearby yard are all sounds that we can experience in a deeper sense by allowing ourselves to live in the moment. Awareness is part of the ultimate goal of Yoga.

Yoga is a type of exercise that has been around for thousands of years.
It consists of a series of postures, breathing and meditation and offers excellent health benefits to all who do it.

Here are some physiological benefits that arise out of doing yoga:

Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
Pulse rate decreases
Respiratory rate decreases
Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hypo reactors)
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
EMG activity decreases
Cardiovascular efficiency increases
Respiratory efficiency increases
Gastrointestinal function normalizes
Endocrine function normalizes
Excretory functions improve
Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
Breath-holding time increases
Joint range of motion increase
Grip strength increases
Eye-hand coordination improves
Dexterity skills improve
Reaction time improves
Posture improves
Strength and resiliency increase
Endurance increases
Energy level increases
Weight normalizes
Sleep improves
Immunity increases
Pain decreases
Steadiness improves
Depth perception improves
Balance improves
Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Yoga originated in India and was practised by the ascetics who lived in the forests in solitude practising this individual art form. The yogic postures and different
stages of yoga were only handed down to some deserving students and as a result, yoga was kept relatively to India and not popularised elsewhere in the world.

It was only in 1918, when the Yoga Institute was founded in Mumbai, that yoga was then made available for everyone else.

Yoga is based on the premise that our physical body is supposed to move and exercise and proper exercise is obtained by carrying out specific yoga postures (also known as “asana”). These postures stretch and tone all parts of the body, including the ligaments and muscles, and in doing so aid with the circulation of blood. The asanas, in particular, are designed to regulate the physical and physiological functions of the body and as a result of this they help rejuvenate the different body parts.

As well as this, Yoga involves a lot of stretching postures which are excellent for the spine and for helping it to gain and maintain flexibility.

Regular yoga sessions are known to have excellent beneficial results for the body. These include relaxing your body, rejuvenating different parts of your body and giving you more strength, energy and greater flexibility.

Yoga is considered more a relaxing and therapeutic way of rejuvenating the body (as opposed to a heavy session at the gym, pounding away in an aerobics class). At a deeper level it works at uniting the mind, body and spirit. It helps you to be more in tune with your body, to be more self aware of your posture, alignment and movement.

In fact, many people now take up yoga because it enables them to have more energy, to be fitter, to be more relaxed and centered – and ultimately, able to handle stress and to be happy! Now that may sound like rather a tall order – but ask anyone who practices yoga regularly, and they will tell you that they have benefited enormously from yoga.

Bi-Polar disorder, also known as manic depression is common and is found in even young teenagers. The statistics say that 20 out of every 1000 people suffer from this disorder. Better ways of diagnosing the disorder and an increased awareness of the symptoms have increased the percentage of those that suffer from this. It’s often lumped with other major mental illness but unlike schizophrenia, there are no changes in the brain tissue. Yoga can help program the brain and direct the energy swings to avenues that are more productive.

Bi-Polar is as the name implies, swinging moods from happy, giddy, and increased energy. Rapidly the mood can fall and deep depression will follow. Some other signs of this disorder are sleeplessness, weight loss, and if it progress far enough can cause visual and auditory hallucinations. If this energy is allowed to continue to build, it makes the brain cells disorganized and can cause cell damage. This disorder can be treated, and the patient can lead a productive and satisfying life.

Yoga will help get in touch with your own body, make you more aware of your mood swings, and help you to stay calm. By concentrating on Yoga poses, breathing and being in the moment will all help to control this disorder. You can’t overlook the importance of professional health and the right medications. Medical help is important to lessen the risk of cellular damage if it’s allowed to continue unchecked. Once the patient has been diagnosed and medication is started, they can then concentrate on raising the level of awareness to what their body needs.

Yoga is a great tool for mentally challenging your body to slow down, and reduce the mood swings. Concentrating on poses, meditating, practicing breathing techniques are all tools for helping you reduce the anxiety and level out the moods in your body. It is important that medication be taken to help stabilize the energy in the brain cells. Clearing out the old negative way of thinking and letting go of the traumas that they have gone through and exercise are all-important to treating Bi-Polar disorder. It’s important for the patient to be medically diagnosed because this disorder is sometimes just treated as depression. The medication and treatment for depression is different from what a patient needs for Bi-Polar.

By listening to your body, practicing concentration and breathing techniques, and follow healthy eating patterns can help your body and lessen the need for large amounts of medications which can damage otherwise healthy organs. One patient after being treated for depression for over 20 years was correctly diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. After receiving therapy, changed to a different medicine, and increasing his exercise has turned him around. He is now able to live a normal and productive life and is for the first time able to relate emotionally to his wife and children.

The importance of meditation and breathing can’t be stressed enough in helping to treat patients with Bi-Polar disorder. Yoga helps you to achieve the balance of emotions the body needs to produce a healthy and happier person.