Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Yoga benefits and how they will benefit you

Some may wonder well how does yoga help me in my life? If I was answering your question I would wonder well where in the world do I start? That is good because yoga does so many great things for your body and overall health. The benefits of taking yoga really is limitless. It effects every joint inside of your body if done correctly. In this post I will give some of the best benefits you will experience while practicing yoga. Some of you are still wondering well just relax cause I have some answers to that question.

First of all let's think about how yoga can get intense as you practice all of the stretching poses that you will be doing. With all of the different yoga positions there is for you to try, you can literally stretch every single muscle and joint inside your entire body. Best thing is that you can accomplish this with just a few stretches if you know what you are doing. Better yet is it doesn't take that long before you start to realize all of the great effects that is associated with taking yoga. Not only is it effective, it doesn't take that long for you to master it.

The next major thing that yoga will impact in your life is your mental well being. Yoga helps you to relieve stress that has been built up over a certain time period. That is why so many people decide to pick up yoga so they can have a time during the day in which they don't have to stress about the problems they may go on during their daily lives. In order for you to do yoga correctly you must free your mind on everything else that's going on in your life in order for you to correctly execute your yoga stretches. It really helps to bring your body and mind together to do really cool things like yoga.

Another benefits that yoga gives you is the feeling of enhance spirituality. Some yoga practices especially in the beginning of the practice were known to be connected to the spiritual body. With the amount of meditation and focus if you are really into it you may get the feeling of being out of this world. Even if you don't, most people experience the feeling of being one with their spirit. If you haven't tried yoga before you may think that's nothing but crazy talk, but it all comes down to trying it and putting complete focus of the mind into it as you are doing it.

Other benefits of yoga are if you are in a group doing yoga it is a good time to meet new friends. People make new friends as they are trying something new that other like minded people have interest in it as well. Plus it will be nice to share your yoga experience with others as learn from them also. You all can work as a team to progress and become masters of yoga. People sometimes take for granted what team work and togetherness can accomplish don't be one of them.

If you have trouble getting out to the gym you can set up a yoga session right in the middle of your living room. Even if you are pressing for time there is still a option out there for you and that option is called yoga. If you need some space away for yourself you can do yoga while doing so. Most people need some quiet time, how about include some yoga while you are relaxing and enjoying your time that's set aside for yourself. Thinking about creating some time for yourself add some yoga to that time.

I can go on forever about all of the benefits you will enjoy as you take yoga. For the main part I think I covered all of the important information in this article. If I miss some and I probably did, please talk about them in the comments section of the blog. I hope after you read this article it inspired you to try to learn yoga. Like always think for reading this post and enjoy the rest of your day.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Yoga postures and position you should learn

    Now as you start practicing yoga you will find out all of the different kinds of yoga poses and stretches out there. That could lead to a serious problem when trying to learn something new and that's called information overload. Thankfully you choose to read this post today because I have some yoga poses that you should learn first. This will be a good starting point as you advance through all of the different yoga practices. So sit back, pop some popcorn and get ready to learn the foundation of your yoga knowledge.

The first pose that you should work on is both easy and simple which is a perfect combination for a beginner that's starting to learn yoga. What makes this move so simple for you to do is that you body is probably use to it or has been put in this position in the past. It may be some time ago but just think back to when you was little and you set Indian style. I know that was probably a long time ago for most so do a little stretching before attempting to do this yoga stretch. Now to do this move you just start off by sitting on a smooth comfortable surface. Then bring your legs into your thighs while bending your knees. Straight out your arms reaching to your toes, then use your hands to keep your feet locked together. Remember to keep your chess out while keeping your back perpendicular to the ground. You can further your stretch by bouncing your legs up and down this will stretch your thighs out. This is a great way to get started yoga stretching but that's not it because I got four more great one coming up next. This pose is called the butterfly pose.

Now this post is more easier then the previous butterfly yoga pose. You can do this pose from all sorts of different positions it can either standing up, sitting down, or laying do relaxing in a bed. It works great to tone and build some strength inside of your arms. Raising your arm in a straight motion will help you to breathe more smoothly because you are expanding your lungs allowing your lungs to capture more air. Basically the only thing that you have to do is raise your arms straight into the air vas if you were trying to touch the sky. Continue to do these reps until you count up to around ten then move on the next I have for you. By the way this yoga pose is officially called the straight arm yoga pose.

Here is yet another simple and easy yoga pose that even a beginner can master right away. This yoga move has to be down from a sitting down position. Sit down with your legs pointed straight out and remember to always practice before you decide to try any of these moves. Lean your body forward and grab your toes, this is where the stretching will start to begin. As you are touching to touch your toes remember that it is very important that you keep your legs straight and not bend them. This will help tone the muscles in your legs and thighs as well as your arms. Doing this is  in reps during a yoga session should build up that strength and tone your legs and arms. There you go yet another great way to practice yoga. Don't stop reading right now because I have two more excellent yoga poses that you can do as a beginner.

If you thought that all of the other poses was easy to get into wait until you here about the next one I have for you to try. This yoga pose if known as the staff pose, now this pose looks like putting your body in the form of the letter L. Some things that you will want to remember is to keep your back straight while your legs are stretched out. You will want to keep the bend in both of your legs to a minimal if not it will decrease the amount of stretch your legs will endure.


All of the other yoga poses I introduce was easy and simple to do so this one will be no different. In order for you to get off to a get start with yoga you must build your foundation of yoga by learning the basics first. I hope these poses will give you a basic understanding of yoga and what it is about. Now to get back to this move you lay on your back. Have your arms on the side of your body and pointed straight down as seen in the picture. Make sure each one of your legs are straight on the mat. Slowly lift each one of your legs into the air as you begin to lift you will notice the burn because your muscles are being used.

Now that you have your foundation of yoga poses down you should practice and master them then move on to others as you progress.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Find online yoga classes you can take

  If you are on the go like a lot most people typically are. You probably don't have enough time to sign up for a yoga class where you have scheduled dates and times you would have to be there physically. That is where the great miracle of the Internet will save the day yet again. You can sign up for great yoga classes and take them from the comfort of your own house in your spare time. Wonder what kind of great yoga classes that you can find on the web well just sit back because I have a few recommendations for you.

So I will give you around five great yoga classes that you can take online. For the online yoga class that I want to talk about is Myyogaonline.com this is one of the most well known online yoga classes that you will find. Checking out this website will give you videos poses and all kinds of great tutorials that will help to learn yoga better. They even provide you will a community that can help you answer any questions you may have with the service or the yoga moves. Whats so cool with the video's is that you can watch it on a wide range of devices. Not only do you have a chance to work on your yoga but they even help you to manage your health with their healthy eating platform. This should be one of your top choices when thinking about joining a online yoga class.

The next online yoga class that you should think about joining is yogavibes.com. You can try out this product for 15 days before you decide to put any money into it. Yogavibes.com brings the experience of taking a yoga class in person and brings it into your home with it's highly interactive and instructional videos. If you are a athletic kind of person they provide a special section for you to work on yoga that will help you excel at your athletic sport. If that still not enough it even has a large range of teachers with different unique teaching styles so you can follow the one you think you will connect with and enjoy.

I got three more great online yoga classes that you should think about checking out. The next one that I have in line that you will probably like has to be www.yogaglo.com. On the website you have the choice to choose from thousands of different instructional videos reaching across all topics of yoga. You can choose to work at a slow pace then as you get use to it move on to a fast pace. You will be able to manage the time of each of the videos so if you are pressing for time you can do a quick yoga session than be on your way. Which can come in handy with the modern way of life.

The next online yoga class I have to tell you about is called www.soulofyoga.com. This online yoga class embraces the spirituality behind yoga. As I stated before most forms of yoga consist of major points for the human body like mental, spiritual and physical. The online yoga class all the way from meditation to unloading build up stress. If you want some spiritual healing you should give this website a look.

Now to save for last, one of the best online yoga classes that you can take which is a website called dailyburn.com. This website gives you a chance to use the service for a month before charging for it. Website owners are currently updating the website with new information and they have a large section of old videos that will get you up to speed if you are a newbie. Well that is some of the best yoga classes that you will find on the internet. If you know some more that I didn't talk about please talk about them in the comment section. Continue to learn and master yoga and have a great day.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Check out some funny yoga for dummy information

  In this post I will talk about some funny parts of yoga. When you think about yoga it is mostly thought to be serious and that maybe true. Although when practicing yoga it should be in a fun and relaxing environment so you will feel comfortable. By looking at some yoga poses you can see where some of the humor might come from. Plus having a laugh when doing something always brings a little fun to the situation.

If you feel that your yoga practice is a little bit on the boring side. You may decide to be a little unique by creating a fun aspect to yoga. So you don't have to settle for such a boring environment you can add some fun as well. You may start to wonder well how in the world could I add some fun to my yoga practice? How about you decide to add some funny or fun things to your yoga experience by reading this article you will find out.

To put two things together such as being funny and having fun in yoga you need to add fun to it. One of the cool ways that you can add some fun is by the music you are listening to as you are doing yoga. Some of the funny and wacky moments in yoga come up because of the music that is being played. There is a wide variety of choices that you can choose from when deciding what songs will give you a fun environment. Some examples would be energizing beat or fun fast paced yoga instructional videos.

Music is one of the best and unique ways you can make your yoga experience different and more fun then common yoga classes.  Music is also a good way to motivate you to work on yoga when you may not be so interested. Don't be afraid to involve some goofy or wacky music into the formula also. If possible add some of your yoga moves to the beat of the music and you will be basically yoga dancing. Music is just one way you can make yoga a more funnier experience.


Now let me talk about some funny looking yoga poses. Now these yoga poses may look funny to some including me but they help out tremendously in building mental and physical strength. These yoga poses takes a lot of bending and flexibility so much respect goes to the yoga experts who do them. This post is about humor and you got to admit a yoga pose that look like this may bring in some laughs.

As you can see in this picture this pose requires tremendous amounts of skill and flexibility. It is also just down right amazing to see a human being with the ability to push there body to extreme limits such as the one being displayed in the picture above. The amount of muscle that is being stretch and build just by doing this one stretch alone is a thing of beauty. For crying out loud this woman is able to put the bottom of her feet on the top of her head. This may look a little funny but it's still a tough and respectable yoga pose to try to execute.

Now I'm going to continue with some more great but funny yoga pictures that will have you cracking up. I'm not going to go over each of them just gonna show you the pictures. Please in the comment if you did some crazy looking yoga stretches please let me in on some. This stretches I'm about to show takes lots of practice and maturity to execute. So although they may look a little weird these people in these photos knows exactly what they are doing.





Some of these poses are so bizarre I honestly can't believe they are possible. Some of this poses look so difficult that they even look as if they were photo copied or something. I also believe that with a lot of practice and being connected with the body some can put their bodies in these positions and it is simply mind blowing. You will really be surprise just how far you can push your body with extreme focus and dedication. These poses are just as amazing as they are humorous.

If you have been doing yoga for some time now you probably have some funny experiences that you can share. Having fun while doing yoga is what makes the practice so fun and motivating to do. It is true you still can get lots of work done as if you are having fun in the process. I know this post is suppose to be about the funny parts of yoga but I been listening to a lot of inspirational lectures so you might feel me leaning to the motivation focus some. Hey a little motivation never hurts when trying to learn something that is new.

With that being said here is some very interesting info on yoga. This is one of the most interesting kinds of information that is you can train your pets to learn yoga also. What a wonderful accomplishment that can be. You could become a online sensation by shooting a video of one of your pets doing yoga talk about a funny cool video.  Plus it will be something that you can enjoy as you continue to perfect yoga.

Another great fact about yoga is the industry and economic power house that it has become. The yoga industry it on a rise and is beginning to become a major dominant industry if it's not all ready is. The entire industry as a whole rank in billions of dollars ever year. They  alone tell you that there is a very huge need to learn and teach yoga. The question to ask yourself is will you be apart of this exciting yoga that is taking the entire world by storm.

Lastly what will help to play a major role in whether your yoga workout is fun or not is the yoga teacher that's giving the instructions. If your instructor is showing excitement and lots of enthusiasm then everyone will catch on to it. If the instructor is strict and serious all the time then the fun might get sucked out of it. So if you want to have fun and have a chance to see some funny yoga activity make sure your yoga teachers provide this kind of class. Hope you enjoyed this post I was kind of all over the place but hopefully you got something valuable from reading it.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

The uniqueness of bikram yoga

  Have you ever wondered what makes Bikram yoga different from other kinds of yoga? Well there are some unique aspects of bikram yoga that separate it from the other kinds of yoga. Of course there must be some difference because if there wasn't it would be name or grouped along with another forms of yoga. You may want to start bikram yoga and need to know what you will be getting yourself into. Get ready to find  out the uniqueness of practicing bikram yoga.  

The main points that will stand out when it comes to bikram yoga is the hot environment that it is being practiced in. It is known to be the hottest yoga that you can take. Some people even raise some concern with the safety of taking yoga in such a hot and heated space. Although some say that the hotter temperature will enhance the experience. There is a debate that is still going to this date with alot of opinions on both sides of the field.

The founder of the bikram yoga practice has licensed the study giving 26 different positions. In order for it to be called bikram yoga it must typically be done in an environment that is around 103 degrees or a few degrees. Bikram yoga gives you a calmness of the mind with the amount of focus needed to execute a pose. This yoga form will bring together aspects such as spiritual, mental, and physical attributes for the help of your overall being. It shows you how to listen to and control your body which is important due to the hot environment.

To name a few great qualities that is associated with bikram yoga. Some might think the fact that it's so hot when taking this form of yoga is a draw back.  Although people might raise those concerns the heat is known to enhance the positivity of yoga. The hotter temperature gives your muscles more flexibility and strength. Bikram yoga helps to build up your mindset so you will have the right focus when doing yoga.

When deciding what kind of yoga you want to do you should take them all into consideration. Find the best one that will suite your yoga needs. After evaluating the different forms of yoga pick one then bingo you are ready to master yoga.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Yoga poses for tune and builidng muscle

  Yoga is not only used for reliving stress inside of your muscles. You can also use yoga for toning and building muscles. There are different poses and stretches that you can do that will allow you to build muscles. You may only want to add a little muscle to a specific part of your body without buffing up to much. Get ready to build some muscle in this post you will discover some good yoga poses you can do to built muscle.


A good pose to get you started is the tree pose. An example of how this post look is shown is the picture above. By the look of the picture this pose doesn't seem so hard to do and it is really that easy to do. Although it will require you to keep your balance while you are in this pose. You will be putting all of your weight on one side of your body. Also as you can see in the picture she is also holding up her legs a certain way which causes more control of your body.

To get in this pose you first must clear your mind because it will take focus on your part to remain in balance. Secondly when you are preparing to get in this move you must take a deep breathe and relax. Being up tense and stressed will make it that much harder for you to do this pose correctly. Start off with your base and that is the foot that will keep your balance as you are doing this pose. Make sure the front and back parts of your foot are placed firmly on the ground. A cool little tip would be to spread your toes as well to give yourself a little bit more stability.

Then take your other foot, lift it so it's either above or below you knee. This is just a simple matter of how flexible you are. Wherever you decide to place your foot be sure that it's touching your thigh or if your doing it under your knee your calf muscle. As you get into this move have your back and butt straightly pointed at the ground. At first you may lose your balance while trying this but stay focused and you will get there.

Now there are different positions that you can put your arms in. You can put your arm in the prayer pose like the woman in the picture or you could extend them over your head for a further stretch. The muscles that you can build while being in this move is in your legs, thighs and arms. You build muscles in your legs by putting your weight on each one as you are balancing. That will automatically build and tone the muscles in your thighs as well. You will also built muscles in your arms by lifting them above your head as you remain in the pose.



The next pose you can do that will help you build muscle is the plow pose. Now this pose looks a little more difficult than the other one, but it also provides a more deeper stretch which builds even more muscles for you. Yes this do require a lot more bending then others normally would. To get into this move you lay flat on your back. Make sure the surface you are laying on is not bumpy so you won't be uncomfortable while you are doing this move.

Okay lift your legs up if you need some leverage use your hands to push your legs over your head. If possible try to touch your toes to the mat over your head like it shows in the picture. You can also use your hands for balance if you can not touch your toes to the mat above your hand. When you are completely in this move you will notice that your knee or lower thigh area is perpendicular to your face. Be careful as you get into this move because you don't want to hurt yourself while doing it.



Then the next and last move that you can do is called crow pose. As you can see in the small picture above, this will build muscles inside of your arms. To get into this move you first need to make the surface you are doing yoga on is really smooth and safe. You should be really careful as you go into this move. To get into this move you should first get on your knees. Next place both of your hands on the ground with your palms pressing against the mat.

Now you are ready to start the pose. Lean forward and press off your back feet to give you the push to put yourself in position. This is kind of like the basics before you get into a complete hand stand. Don't get discourage if at first you can't get into this position it takes time and practice before you master it. Remember to keep you knees on the outside of your elbows to help with your balancing. Have your fingers spread to give you a even better base. Continue to lean until you arms are holding you up and your face is perpendicular to the floor.

Wondering what yoga poses that will help you build muscles? well you have three great ones in this article.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Great yoga stretches that relives muscle stress

   Have you just started taking yoga and is wondering what stretches you can do that will best help you to relieve your muscle stress? Well that is one of the main reasons people decide to take yoga to feel better. It is well known that taking yoga is a very important weapon most use to fight the stresses of life. Hmm well what are the best stretches someone can do when they feel there muscles starting to tense up? Keep reading this article and you will find good information on just that.

Yoga stretches while laying in bed
What if you could practice yoga while laying in the bed in the morning or nighttime. Well yes it's true you can do yoga from one of the most comfortable spots inside your house your bed. The effects of these stretches will have the same effect on your body as if you were standing up doing them. Even better these stretches don't require that much sweating and some don't require that much movement so you don't have to bother your partner. Here are three great yoga stretches you can do while laying in your bed.

The knee to chess back stretch, this stretch is very simple the only thing you will be doing is grabbing your knee with both hands locked then pulling your knee towards your chess. Switch up and practice bring each knee to your chess and hold for a couple seconds, that will be your reps right there. This stretch helps to relieve muscles inside of your back, thighs, and legs. Make sure when you first start  doing this stretch you take it slow at first because you don't want to end up pulling a muscle. Also the more you pull your knees to your chess on this stretch the less tense your muscles will be.

The next stretch that you can do in bed is called the one leg bend stretch. Now with this stretch it will be a good idea to be in bed by yourself so you wouldn't end up kicking one of your love ones by accident. To do this stretch you will grab the top of your foot with your hand then pull it back and of course your knee will bend as you pull your foot.  This may be hard to interpret just by reading the words inside of this article so here is a picture that may help you some.
Hopefully this will give you a better idea of how to execute the stretch. So those are two great yoga bed stretches that you can do that will help to relieve those tense muscles you may have. Now how about trying some yoga moves that will require you standing up. You will most likely be able to practice more yoga moves standing up then you would laying in your bed. Here are so common stretches that you can do while standing up.

Yoga stretches you can do while standing

    For starts here is the side stretch standing pose, you can do this pose while standing in one spot without moving. This pose or stretch is about reliving the tightness in muscles and organs around your side area. By this I mean muscles and organs such as your spine, kidney, stomach, and ribs. You get into this move by raising one of your hands straight in the air. As your hand is raised make sure your body remains straight.

Then bend to the side that you don't have your hand up. If your left hand was raised then you would bend to your right. If your right hand was raised you would bend towards your left. Go into the pose and remain in it for a couple of seconds then switch and stretch your other side. This stretch is so good because it does so much for the body and don't cause that much strain as you  get into the stretch. As you start your yoga session doing the side standing stretch should be one of your top yoga positions.



Another basic yoga stretch you can do while standing is the warrior II pose. Now this pose is based around a classical form of yoga. You might have seen this pose while watching a karate based movie. To do this move you lift both of your arms with you pointed in front of you and the other one pointed behind you. Remember to keep the base of your shoulders straight so your shoulders and arms are equally lined up. Then after that you would bend the knee that correlates with your arm that is pointed forward.

As you bend one leg forward you then would stretch the other leg backwards, this will stretch out your thighs and groin. Get into this move slowly because it may be hard to keep your balance as you get into this move. Same as always stay in this position for a few seconds then switch and work your other side of the body. More importantly remember as you engage in these stretches you must practice good breathing techniques. Having the right breathing is one of the basic foundations of doing yoga.

So those are some great stretches that you can do to reduce stress in your muscles.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

What is bikram yoga?

   In this post you will find out what Bikram yoga is and why it's such a great way to practice yoga. First of all Bikram yoga is a form of yoga known as hot yoga because it is done in a hot environment. The reason that it is done in such a hot environment is because it's helps the body to sweat, stretch, and help relieves tension inside of the muscles. People don't realize it but sweat is very important when working out because it cleanses the body and opens up pores. The warm environment also gives the body and muscles relaxation and the ability to be more flexible allowing you to try more yoga poses a lot faster then other forms of yoga.

Some may ask the question why try bikram yoga instead of doing a regular yoga class? Being honest that choice always come down to which one you are the most comfortable with. Although you should at least test the waters to see if it's for you or not. I can tell some of the differences between the bikram and how it is unique from all the other forms of yoga. First of all it is the hottest yoga that you probably will practice yoga in.

Yet again it will bring up the point that you will sweat the most when doing this kind of yoga and if you are in a class you will be around a lot of other sweating people as well. Another difference is with the heat it involves a deeper impact on your breathing. Being in a more humid environment will take a lot more work from your lungs then it would otherwise. Your breathing will naturally adjust as you stay in the room and then the impact on your muscles will start to appear. You will also learn the proper breathing techniques for each pose that you are in. Breathing inside of a hot environment will help the oxygen to better circulate throughout the body.

Breathing is very important in bikram yoga at the start of bikram yoga you will be doing breathing exercises and you will end the yoga session with breathing exercises. It focuses on breathing but the main goal of it is for the participates general health. The founder Bikram Choudhury founded the form of yoga after he was badly injured. He said doing bikram yoga has restored his entire overall health in fact it had improve it from what it once was. He still teaches yoga in the United States to this very day.

Doing bikram yoga brings strength and health to all of the joints, muscles, and organs inside of the human body. If you are looking for a workout plan to use as you lose weight this should be on the top of your lists to try. The poses that you will be using while doing bikram yoga are not that different from other forms of yoga. So if you are thinking about transitioning from another form a yoga it shouldn't be that hard for you to catch on. Although the hotter room in which you will be doing the yoga in will require some more time for you to adjust.

The main effect breathing has while doing yoga is the circulating of blood throughout your body. The faster your blood pumps throughout your body the more energy that gives your organs and muscles to become stronger due to the continue blood in take. While being in a pose you stop the circulation or flow of your blood then as you rest you allow your blood to circulate through your body. These methods are called squeeze and soak. As you release the blood to circulate your body you give a boost and accelerate your joint, muscles, and organs.

I hope that I gave you some basic information about what bikram yoga is. I know the temperature might not be your idea when taking yoga but just give yourself a chance before you reject it. Bikram yoga effects the mind also and it teaches control, dedication, and openness. So now that you know a little bit about Bikram yoga go out there and try it. have a good day!!!








Saturday, January 5, 2013

What bikram yoga can do for you

Have you ever heard of the unique practice that is called Bikram yoga. Well if you haven't this is why I wrote this article to give you priceless information on this form of yoga that is largely known throughout the yoga world. Bikram yoga can also be linked to and known as hot yoga based on the same environment in which it's done in, but there is a difference between the two. It is also known as a mental, physical, and spiritual healing that can prevent you from most deadly diseases. Lets get into this great practice of yoga that is called Bikram.

Bikram yoga had started in by a yoga master named Bikram Choudhury. He started the yoga practice in India where he won a good number of yoga competitions at a very young age. Then he went on to become the founder of bikram yoga after his practice has grown through his teachings. Bikram yoga focuses on the general health of the participants and it's been labeled as a health restorer. Bikram Choudhery has claimed it was the reason he was able to walk again after a devastating injury he had while lifting weights.

Bikram yoga is done in a heated room, the heat inside of the room impacts the body in a number of ways.  The reason for doing yoga in a hot room is that it reduces stress and it increases flexibility and encourages deeper stretching. It is also important to help stretch out your lungs for better breathing. Not only does it help to expand your lungs it also helps to circulate oxygen throughout your body. Those are just some aspects of how doing bikram yoga provides great benefits for the body.

There 26 bikram postures that you can choose from while doing yoga. Some of the different bikram yoga postures that you can learn and master are bollowing in firm pose, half tortoise pose, cobra pose, and the sit up. These poses doesn't require to much bending of the body so they will be great to try if you are a beginner to Bikram yoga. As you progress you can try two other bikram poses the rabbit pose and the sitting twisting spine pose which involves more bending and twisting of the body. About the time you begin to do the more advance poses you will hopefully begin to see all of the positive effects of trying bikram yoga.

Bikram yoga is a great yoga to start with. Although it might be better to join a class that provides this kind of yoga due to the heat temperature that is required to do so. If you could manage to keep your house or find a place outside where it is heated to bikram standards then proceed there. Remember the main goal of taking bikram yoga and that is to improve and strengthen your physical, mental, and spiritual capabilities. Get heated and ready to enjoy learning some bikram yoga!!!

Have you ever wondered what is yoga?

  Okay this should of been the first post instead of the third one in the bunch. Before starting yoga you must know what exactly is yoga in the first place. Well yoga typically means a lot of different things to different people so I will try to give you a definition that fits into most peoples understanding to what yoga is. So I will start by saying yoga is the study and discipline of movements that infuse the mind, body and spirit of the individual partaking in it. The background of yoga reaches all the way back to ancient India cultures. It was a practice that influenced the culture of healthy living and pure lifestyles. As time grew it went on and continued to expand by influencing a wealth of other cultures and nations. Then it became known in the western world and truly became a  global practice. Now it is one of the most admired activities that people like to do as a workout during their spare time.

However their are some aspects of yoga that I'm sure will interest you and here are some of them. These aspects are what form the study and practice that is yoga. You must practice techniques such as postures, forms, stretches and many of the other benefits. How they will effect your mental, spiritual, and physical abilities. So I will discuss these in a little more detail so if you are a beginner to yoga you will get a better understanding of the stuff you will be doing.  Let's dive a little deeper to find out how to do and what yoga is?

I will start off with the postures that are involved when doing yoga. Yes there are a huge number of different yoga postures that you can implement. The interesting thing about it is that you can learn a posture that will effect one part of your body and another posture that will effect another part of your body. So you can control what areas of your body you would like to tone and strengthen your body with the postures you choose to do. Here are some yoga postures and the areas of the body they effect.

Start off with some very basic yoga postures. This first pose or posture is about reducing the amount of stress and tense muscles you might have in your back that could cause or trigger back pain. So the upward facing dog pose is a basic pose you should try.It is called that because it resemble what puppies and dogs do sometimes when they stretch. This pose requires some bending in your back as effects your lower back and your front by stretching your abdomen. You get into this pose by pressing the palms of your hands to the floor. Do the same with the top of your feet as it shows in the picture. Remember to keep your arms straight as you raise your chess up and have your knees touching the ground as you raise up as well. After you get that straight to should find yourself in the upward facing dog pose.



This next pose is to help you to tone up your arms. The readers who love to show off their arms during the spring and summer seasons should try this to have better looking healthier arms. This next pose is called the four-limbed staff, it reminds me of another workout exercise. Looking at the picture it looks very similar to being in the push up positions. Instead of going up and down you stand holding your body up in that position for a time period. You would be using your weight and gravity to build muscle tone in your arms. Stay in this pose for a certain time then stop after that get back into that position until you complete your reps. Very easy and simple pose that even a beginner could catch on to very quickly.

This pose reminds of the stretches athletes do right before they are about to participate in a big sporting event. This pose helps you to work on your legs, by stretching them you teach the muscles in your legs to expand and not be so tense. It will help to reduce common problems in the legs such as soreness, cramps, and pulled muscles. By the way this pose is mainly known as the Lunge Pose. You get in this pose by bending one knee and stretching your other leg behind with the top of your foot slightly bending as shown in the picture. Keep your arms pointed straight down then lounge from your midsection up forward. Remember to keep your head up while you end the postures this stretches your chess and arm muscles. This move helps your chess, arms, legs, thighs, and groin.  Try out these postures and I bet they will make you feel better.



Now it is time to learn some basic yoga stretches that you can start as a beginner of yoga. The first yoga stretch I got for you is called the shoulder stretch and it does exactly what it says stretches your shoulder. There are plenty of shoulder stretches you can do but the one shown in the picture is very basic so you should start off with that one first. You can do it by forming your hands behind your back then lifting them up as well as bending your midsection as shown in the picture.



The next yoga stretch you can start is the yoga chair stretch. Of course in order to do this stretch a chair will need to be involved.So you will be sitting in a chair as you do this kind of yoga. The yoga chair stretch that I'm going to tell you about is called the spinal twist.When sitting down in a chair for a long time lots of tension you start to build in your back. The name of it might sound a little intimidating but it's actually relaxing once you get the hang of it.

You get into this stretch by sitting in a chair. Then take your left hand and place it on the outside of your right knee. Then take your right hand and place it on the left bag leg of the chair. Then start to slightly twist your body towards the left and there you have it you will be doing the spinal twist yoga stretch.

Now I will give you two very basic yoga forms that you can do as you start off with yoga. These two forms are called the bikram and the hatha. Now bikram is a form of yoga that is normally done from within a warm environment, not to hot or cold just the right temperature. It focuses on strengthening joints and muscles in all areas of the body. It also works on breathing and is known for helping participants avoid serious diseases. Now the hatha is a form of yoga that most beginners start with because it's easy and nice flowing form of yoga. It's about doing yoga at a very slow and gentle pace so you should be able to catch on to it. I will discuss this form a little bit more in depth at future posts.

I hope after you read this article you know a little bit more about what yoga is. Continue to read this blog because I plan on dropping more great information about yoga in the future.  Thank you!!!!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Teach your kids some yoga maybe they will like it

If you would like to keep your kids active and help them to avoid the obesity crisis sweeping through America why not show them a cool activity like yoga. Doing yoga together will provide you and your kids some peaceful quality time with one another as you learn yoga if done correctly. You may think there is no way that your kid may enjoy yoga but just introduce them to it and see where it goes from there. It could become a new hobby for them as well if they begin to show some interest in it, so you may turn your pride and joy into one of your little yoga buddies. Having more then one kid in the same age around them  will normally be lots of fighting between them. By showing them yoga you give them a hobby they can do that has them working together while doing a healthy activity instead of fighting with one another.

Let me give you some good examples to why you should introduce your kids to yoga. Most kids like to move around and learn new things that's why they ask so many questions about the everything that is around them. Learning yoga give them the ability to move and learn new positions and techniques they might like doing. Sure yoga doesn't require as much movement as tag or hide and go seek but being able to bend and flex your muscles from within a small area involves a lot of movement as well. If you still feel that your kid wouldn't find yoga as interesting then engage their interest by adding a fun element into it. Rather you take your kid or kids to an instructor or teach them yourself make sure it is something fun and unique about it that will make it appealing to the child.

Here is some cool ideas that you can use to spring up some interest in your child about yoga. The fun thing about doing yoga is that you can be very creative as you learn and instruct it. That give you a unlimited amount of opportunities to bring a unique approach to yoga. Even while stretching and the beginning exercises you can start off with fun exercises such as jumping jacks to get some enthusiasm running. Make sure to keep the environment fun and warm to make the kid wanting to come back and learn some more. If you are an instructor running a class you can place kiddy pictures on the wall and do your yoga to some kids tunes. It's about building a environment that is child friendly and that will help the chances of them liking yoga.

This is for the parents that decide to take their children to yoga classes where they will be around other children around their ages. Here they will be able to learn yoga as well as socialize and make new friends with the other kids inside the class. Plus it can be good as a activity for the kids to do after school. Your child may be even more interested in yoga if they had a friends that is doing it with them. If you don't have time to bring your child to a yoga class you can still teach your child through fun interactive games such as yoga for the Nintendo Wii. Doing this allows the whole family to get in the action.

Just give it a try with your kids they will hopefully like it but if the decide that yoga is just not for them then at least you tried.

Start this year off by learning some yoga

  Want to start off the new year by doing something relaxing fun but still exciting and adventurous? Well if you are looking for something like that then yoga might be the solution to your search. Yoga also provides you with exercise and is a good way to relax your muscles, or clear your mind from a stressful situation you might of been in. It even can become a form of zen and feel refreshing knowing that you can calm your life down for some time everyday as you practice your yoga. So the real question should be why shouldn't you start off the year by learning yoga.

I'm going to go even more into detail when talking about all of the great effects that taking yoga will have on your body. The effects that taking yoga to the mind are enormous. We as humans want to feel good all of the time but it never really works out that way exactly. In order to find some happiness in our lives will develop a hobby that we are extremely interested in. This is were yoga can come in and provide some happiness for you to enjoy. Yoga is mostly done from within a relaxing environment they allows you to focus on learning the moves and techniques. If you have a lot of problems going on inside of your life yoga will give you a form of relaxation and hopefully give you the right mind state to solve those problems effectively. Want to free your mind up taking yoga doesn't seem like a bad idea at all.

Just as yoga has great effects on your mind it also has enormous effects on your body probably even more then that of your mind. First let me start off with the great effects of taking yoga will have on your upper body. Yoga helps with your upper body strength because while practicing yoga techniques you may be asked to get into positions that will result in strength building in your upper body. Don't worry the exercises are simple and won't cause you to end up in uncomfortable positions.
Doing yoga will shape your upper body resulting in better shape and tone. Not only the position but the exercises will make your upper body more flexible allowing you to not have tense muscles in your shoulders and upper back are after a long day of work.

Yoga will help out with your lower body strength to. Most of the exercises you do to your upper body will have some impact on your lower body. As you get into these positions you will be working your legs, thighs, and abdomen. That is why it is highly important that you do some anytime you are about to do yoga. This will stop you from accidentally pulling a muscles or injuring your self. Some good stretches that you might want to use are hand to toe touches and leg lifts are good ideas to.

Overall yoga is just a fun activity to do. If you decide to join a class it will give you lots of opportunities to meet new people who can help you learn yoga. If you decide to do it by yourself it will be a exciting hobby that allows you to relieve yourself of stress and worries of life. The more techniques that you learn the more fun you will have at the end of the day. Start off the year right by learning YOGA!!!!!