Which Yoga is Right For You?

It seems like yoga is everywhere these days. There are yoga classes in gyms, high schools, senior citizen centers, and strip malls, each with a different spin: gentle yoga, hot yoga, restorative yoga, pre- and post-natal yoga, power yoga, and mommy and me yoga, just to name a few.

Why is yoga experiencing such popularity? It might be because of the health benefits yoga practitioners say they experience, and the fact that yoga can be tailored to their specific needs.

I am a firm believer that anyone can benefit from a dedicated yoga practice. Yoga can improve your health and bring clarity to your mind. Your muscles become stronger, and you will gain more flexibility in your joints, something that doesn’t happen from working out at the gym.

In fact, many students have come to me with injuries sustained from working with weights or from years of running. You have to be careful if you have injuries, but that shouldn’t prevent you from beginning a yoga practice. You should never feel pain in a posture. There are always modifications to protect an injured area.

Students Report Benefits

Dedicated yogis report all kinds of benefits from practicing yoga, from improved health to reduced pain.

“I began yoga to become flexible and strengthen my body for running, especially my upper body,” says Suzanne Gentry of Eaton’s Neck. “The benefits I have gained are numerous. I have a lot of flexibility, tighter abs, stronger legs and upper body. I am more relaxed and sleep well. I am able to run like I did ten years ago. My hamstrings no longer hurt and my quads are stronger.”

Susan Noddle of Manhattan reports that yoga has reduced her pain from two herniated discs in her back that lie on the L5 nerve root and cause discomfort in her foot.

“I have practiced with this injury and while at times I have to modify or take it slow, it has not prevented me from practicing for any sustained amount of time,” says Susan. “I have had to take a week or a few days off when it flares up, but I am always able to return. I also have had surgeries on both of my knees. My surgeon recommends yoga for my knees.”

Monica Diamond-Caravella of Huntington tells of the positive effects of yoga on her chronic neck pain. “I suffer from chronic neck pain related to a motor vehicle accident. I’ve been through physical therapy twice, for at least nine months each, with traction. Yoga keeps my neck supple and flexible and the majority of the time I have no pain. If I don’t keep up my practice, my neck pain comes back.”

Yoga For Any Age, Any Level of Ability

People of any age can practice yoga. My students are all ages: from teenagers to 70-year-olds. Not only is practicing yoga possible at any age, you don’t have to be able to touch your toes or bend like a pretzel to do it. Flexibility is a byproduct of practicing yoga. It’s one of the benefits.

If you’ve “tried yoga and didn’t like it,” I would encourage you to take a class with a different teacher or try a different style. Yoga is so beneficial on many levels, no matter what your age. Don’t give up because you didn’t like the teacher, or you felt the class was too difficult, or too easy. There’s a yoga class for everybody!

A Guide to the Types of Yoga

Not sure where to begin? Here are brief descriptions of some of the different types of yoga available in our area:

VINYASA FLOW – “Vinyasa” means “to move with the breath.” In some vinyasa-style yoga classes you will flow in and out of postures without having to hold one pose for very long. In others, the teacher may instruct you to stay in the posture longer, which may be more challenging. Anusara, Ashtanga, Jivamukti and Power Yoga are all vinyasa style practices.

ANUSARA – Founded in 1997 by John Friend, Anusara is a vinyasa-style practice that emphasizes heart-opening through backbending and alignment and includes the use of props. Anusara means “flowing with Grace” and the practice aims to look for the good in all things. This class is good for students of all levels.

ASHTANGA – This system, passed on by Pattabhi Jois, involves linking movement to breath in a series of postures designed to detoxify, align and strengthen the body. In this type of yoga, the room in usually heated to 85 degrees. Many people find this a challenging practice.

JIVAMUKTI – Jivamukti means “liberation while living.” This type of yoga was founded by David Life and Sharon Gannon and incorporates chanting, yoga philosophy and meditation along with postures and breath.

POWER YOGA – Similar to Ashtanga, power yoga synchronizes breath and movement. These classes are designed to build strength and flexibility and can be quite challenging.

BIKRAM YOGA (or HOT YOGA) – Named after its founder, Bikram Choudhury, this type of yoga is practiced in a room heated to 100 degrees or more. Prepare to sweat. A lot! This method consists of a set series of 26 postures with each posture repeated twice in 90 minutes. Wear light clothing, bring a water bottle and a very big towel.

HATHA – A hatha yoga class is a good place for beginners to learn the basic standing, seated and balancing postures of yoga. These classes generally move at a slower pace.

KUNDALINI – Kundalini yoga is designed to free energy in the lower body, allowing it to move upwards, awakening the seven charkas. This class consists of rapid, repetitive movements done with breath or holding a pose while breathing in a particular way. Classes include chanting and can be physically intense.

IYENGAR – This style is named after its originator, BKS Iyengar, and is characterized by precise attention to alignment in each posture. You will more than likely hear the teacher direct your attention to your feet, knees, hips, spine, sternum, neck, head, and other body parts in just about every pose. The use of props such as blocks, straps, bolsters, and blankets is encouraged.

RESTORATIVE – These classes focus on relaxing the body in postures that are comfortable, usually using props such as bolsters and blankets.

One way to make sure your instructor has been properly trained is to see if they are registered with Yoga Alliance, a national registry for yoga teachers. This indicates that the teacher has completed a standard course of study. A poorly trained instructor may inadvertently cause injury by forcing a pose or allowing a student to try something the student isn’t ready for. Yoga Alliance’s national registry is available online at www.yogaalliance.org.

Yvonne Suzuki Licopoli, Registered Yoga Teacher
Northport, New York

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_Suzuki_Licopoli
http://EzineArticles.com/?Which-Yoga-is-Right-For-You?&id=2280518

You and Yoga

You and Yoga
By Irina Tischenko

So you’ve heard all the hype of Yoga and you are definitely sold. However, between your full day of work and your quality time with the family at night, how are you going to fit your planned Yoga sessions in? Furthermore, you have been spending the last ten years of your life behind a desk, behind a wheel or in front of the TV. How are you going to be able to do those seemingly body breaking Yoga routines when you can’t even pick up your fallen car keys without a grunt?

Fortunately Yoga is not an exercise regimen but a meditation technique. There is no minimum amount of repetitions for you to do for it to be effective nor do you need to strictly setup your regimen for maximum results. Simply put, Yoga does not require a lot of time from you. It also does not need for you to become ultra-flexible to be able to perform Yoga movements.

However, before you begin with your Yoga session, remember that some aspects of Yoga require a bit of body flexibility. It is a good idea to check with your physician first before you do Yoga especially if you have orthopedic problems or other special health concerns.

Yoga can actually be performed in as gentle or as vigorous as you want it. This means that anyone, even you can do it.

With a hectic schedule, you can still find a way to work your Yoga sessions in. Here’s how:

• Yoga sessions need take up a lot of your time. Try breaking them into manageable sessions. If you are planning on taking up thirty minutes of Yoga a day, break it up to 15 minute sessions. Try 15 minutes of Yoga in the morning, after waking up and another 15 minutes of Yoga before you go to bed.

• Consider what Yoga session schedule will be best for you. People have different preferences. Some enjoy Yoga in the morning, just before a vigorous day of work. Others, on the other hand, prefer to wind down the day with a Yoga session in the evening, just before they get to bed.

• Be consistent with your workout. The benefits of Yoga will only be attained by those practicing it if they are consistent with their Yoga practices. Short sessions of Yoga can already have immediate benefits but, for maximum effect, consistency is key.

• In order to be consistent, try to keep interested in your Yoga sessions. A good way is to find a Yoga buddy so that you can both keep yourselves motivated in continuing with your Yoga program. Another way is to set goals for yourself and to reward yourself whenever you achieve your goals.

Yoga is a great way to relieve yourself of the stresses of your life and to make shape your body into a healthier form. Unlike other exercise routines, Yoga also has the benefit of being a less aggressive form of exercise and can easily be attuned to the specific needs of the Yoga practitioner.

Tischenko Irina is one of the top rated Copywriter and Search Engine Optimization expert on most of outsourcing portals. She is ready to write for you on any topics under this holy sun. Please visit http://www.bluebirdwritingservices.com for all your outsourcing needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Irina_Tischenko
http://EzineArticles.com/?You-and-Yoga&id=2315907

Doing Yoga Positions With the Help of a Yoga Mat

There are many yoga positions in the eight limbs of yoga. The most popular in these eight styles is the Hatha yoga. However, before you start with all the bending ensure that you are wearing the right clothes that will allow you to perform various positions. In addition, it is also advisable to use a yoga mat. This is to avoid accidents and to give you comfort while you are in a yoga pose.

Meditation is the main goal of Hatha yoga positions. To achieve this, you need to relax and free your mind. Now, you might wonder how anybody can be relaxed in such a position. This is because yoga poses allow you to focus your energy in certain chakra points. If you are still having a hard time relaxing in each posture or asana, you can use a yoga mat for added comfort.

Before we continue with the topic, let us take a pause for some reminders from experts in yoga. Professional yoga practitioners always tell us not to take each position as simply an exercise to build up or strengthen body muscles. Exercise is only part of the yoga, its main goal is to achieve overall well being. Prior to the positions that you are going to do, do it on yoga mat for safety reasons.

Now going back to the yoga practice, on your yoga mat, do a little of bending and stretching to warm up your body and loosen up some joints. If you are doing yoga in a class, the instructor, or the guru, already prepared the yoga poses that you are going to do. However, if you are going to do yoga in your home, one recommendable position for you is the savasana or corpse pose.

Savasana is the type of position that involves just lying down on the yoga mat. You can do it in between other yoga poses to relax your whole body and mind. You can also use it to cool down after the exercise. The reason why is it’s recommended to people practicing yoga in their homes is because it is not complicated. It does not involve complex bending or twisting that without a proper guidance of a guru could cause some injuries.

Here are some of the commonly used yoga positions. The matsyana or the fish pose, which can relieve the body from tension. The dhanurasana, known as bow pose, which is a great stretching position. Setu bandhasana is for flexible persons and involves a lot of bending. Before trying out some of the yoga position, ensure that your yoga mat is clean from any liquids such as sweat. This is necessary in order for you to achieve the position you are aiming for.

After you are through with the yoga practice, always cool yourself down before beginning any other task. This is to put your muscles back in the relaxed state. As mentioned before, you can do the corpse pose on your yoga mat. This would return your heart rate at a normal level.

Over all, yoga poses are essential in the meditation process. If you are going to practice by yourself, always ensure your safety first. Do not do complex positions if you are not an expert or without the help of guru. Lastly, always use yoga mat to give you a grip of the supporting surface.

Robert has extensive knowledge on yoga mats, and also provides information on yoga dvds

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Probert
http://EzineArticles.com/?Doing-Yoga-Positions-With-the-Help-of-a-Yoga-Mat&id=2404937