We all know how to stand, sit and lie down, and even the Yogic adaptations of these poses will pose no real problem for the layperson. The advanced poses
Archive for December, 2008
Basic Yoga Tips
Yoga can become quite complex, with the most experienced Yogis practising poses that the layman would look at in awe and fear. But for a beginner there are plenty of simple poses you can start with if the more esoteric efforts give you pause for thought.
These poses go only a little bit further than simple sitting, standing and lying down. The idea behind them is a simple path to relaxation, to shake off the everyday stresses one is feeling, and to give people a start towards performing the more complex poses and attaining a heightened state of relaxation.
If you have looked at people doing Yoga and have been put off by the complexity of their poses and the amount of time you deem would be necessary to reach that level, then there is a simple entry point to yoga for beginners. Very simple, in fact
Tips on Preventing Yoga Injury
As with any type of physical exercise, Yoga should be respected and done properly. If not given the due attention and respect, injuries can happen, particularly with the more advanced Yoga poses and techniques. Yet if you take the necessary precautions and due care and attention, these risks can be reduced.
The single greatest way to sustain a Yoga injury is to try and
Health Benefits of Yoga
Although yoga was primarily developed as a religious and mental discipline, there is no denying that the health benefits of yoga can be huge. It is for this reason that yoga became such a huge force in Western fitness and is now offered in thousands of gyms across the hemisphere.
The most obvious health benefit of yoga is flexibility. Over time, anyone practising yoga will see a huge increase in the flexibility of muscles and joints such as the back, hamstrings, shoulders and hips. A greater level of flexibility is hugely beneficial for anyone suffering from chronic pain, particularly back pain caused by sitting for long hours in a car or at a computer. As Yoga strengthens muscles and encourages development, many practitioners find general pain greatly reduced.
Yoga also requires a core level of strength, which can be developed and added to over time. Many Yoga poses require supporting your body weight on just one limb, while the slow movements of yoga help to build up strength. This, too, can help with chronic pain, as well as helping correct any problems in your alignment, another cause of general chronic pain.
Yoga also uses many breathing exercises, known as Pranayama. This encourages better breathing in general, which over time will continue outside of a Yoga class. Most people breathe very shallowly and will find focusing and controlling their breathing does indeed improve health, in particular clearing nasal passages and calming the central nervous system.
As well as this, Yoga can be used specifically to help alleviate the symptoms and problems caused by Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. A study was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998, which revealed that sufferers of Carpal Tunnel who participated in Yoga for eight weeks saw a greater improvement than those who did not. The poses found most effective were those that involved stretching, opening and strengthening the joints of the upper body.
With further benefits including stress reduces and general physical fitness, Yoga can play a dominant role in all-round physical well-being.
Celebrities and Yoga
Anything that is dubbed as having health benefits will, inevitably, become a celebrity fad at some stage. Maybe a particular diet, perhaps a specific drink, but you can guarantee that if it





