The Yoga rules

By Paul Jerard

When training to become a Yoga teacher, many people struggle with public speaking. Even if we are able to get the right words out, we may be looking for the right volume, tone, or voice inflection, at the right time.

What can you do if your voice makes you sound like a drill sergeant barking out commands in a Yoga class? Your voice may be naturally assertive, which is great in life, but difficult for projecting a serene mood in a Yoga class.

You may want to practice with an audio recorder to change the tone. Perhaps you are uncomfortable, when you initially teach, and it changes your tone, or causes you to speak faster. Slowing your speech down will require practice. You may also want to try meditation before teaching your classes.

What can you do if your voice is too soft to carry itself across the room? In this case, you will have to raise the volume of your voice, without over compensating. For many people, it is not easy to find a balance, in their voice, without some form of voice coaching from their teacher trainer.

Usually, the speaker's state of mind has an influence on his or her speech. Here are some examples of mental preparation for speaking in front of a Yoga class or to a larger audience. Once you look at these points, you will feel more comfortable talking at the front of your Yoga class.

Mentally connect with your class by looking each student in the eyes. Observe all of them as individuals and scan the room. Start to become conscious of each student as a separate individual. Address their needs and problems, with each individual in mind.

Talk to your students as if they were guests in your living room. You want to establish trust and a rapport in your classes as soon as possible. Make them aware that class time is their time.

If you practice speaking at home, look at yourself in the mirror. What is your facial expression? Do you move your body as you speak? Did you realize your hands are public speaking props?

You should have a natural smile when you speak to your students. Your hands and your head should move naturally; especially, when you are making a point. It is not an accident, when a Yoga teacher captures the attention of a class or a large crowd.

Some Yoga teachers will go through the motions, while others learn to master their communication skills. The most positive part of your character must be present in every Yoga class you teach. Once this is achieved, you will capture the attention of each student.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

By Anmol Mehta

Most of us live very busy and hectic lives. If you are married, have children, have a job, you are going to be busy and even if you don't have all these commitments, you are probably busy nonetheless. Throw in other activities you may be participating in, such as higher education, a fitness routine, other hobbies & interests, sports, blogging etc., and 24 hours starts to seem like awfully little time per day. Unfortunately, what seems to often get sacrificed in keeping up with the rat race is the one thing that should not, your daily spiritual practice. So in this article I will give some handy tips on how you can get more Yoga and Meditation practice into your busy lives by doing some clever multitasking.

Of the many yoga pranayama breathing exercises there are, I think the following 2 stand apart: Breath of Fire Yoga Pranayama & Kapalbhati Yoga Pranayama. These 2 pranayamas have an encyclopedic list of benefits and what's best about them is that they are both simple to do and easy to incorporate into your daily life... specially when you are driving!

Yes that's right... driving. Obviously DO NOT do these breathing exercises if it at all affects your driving, but, generally speaking since driving is mostly automatic for most of us, it provides the perfect opportunity for getting in some additional spiritual work.

A car really is pretty conducive for such pranayama practice. You are already sitting up, so just straighten your spine (use a lumbar cushion if you need to), you have music available so put on some inspirational tunes, you have a clock to time yourself and you even have a fan to stay cool. What more can you ask for?

If you have family in the car with you, great, you can all practice together, why not. Both Breath of Fire pranayama and Kapalbhati pranayama are breathing exercises that activate energy pathways within you and increase your energy, so there is no risk of them making you sleepy or drowsy. Really, no significant modification is needed to practice either pranayama while driving so take advantage of this time and give it a try.

To practice Breath of Fire, begin to breathe rapidly through the nose putting equal emphasis on the inhalation and the exhalation. Allow the stomach and diaphragm to stay relaxed and simply pulse to the rhythm of the breath. It is important in breath of fire to not force the air in very deep, but instead keep it at the tip of nose and just breathe rapidly.

To practice Kapalbhati pranayama, again keep everything relaxed and simply expel the air forcefully through your nose, then allow the inhalation to take place as a simple passive recoil. As you exhale forcefully, pull your abdominal muscles in towards your spine, and as you inhale just allow them to re-expand naturally.

If there are other pranayama exercises you are doing, they too might be suitable to do while driving. So be creative and see if driving is conducive to incorporating them. So as you are getting to your physical destination continue to make progress towards your spiritual destination as well.

Anmol Mehta is a Yoga Teacher & Zen Expert. See Free Yoga Exercise Videos and explore Free Kundalini Yoga Poses & Exercises on his extensive Meditation and Yoga site, Kundalini Yoga.

This article is available for reprint on your website and/or newsletter, provided it is not changed and you include the author's signature.

By James Chen

Has chronic back pain taken control of your life? It can, and for those who suffer, it is both mental and physical misery. As one who has had to deal with lower back pain for a number of years, I promise you it is true. A back injury while I was still a teenager changed all of the muscular skeletal relationships in my back and hips. As a result, when I get out of shape and put on a few unwanted pounds, the muscles from my neck to my knees let me know it.

Several years past I jogged outdoors, on my gym's track and on my treadmill. For those who can do it, I submit that TV shows on tape and a treadmill session go together like vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce! Zap out the commercials and what's left provides a forty-eight minute warm up, workout, and cool down. Perfect! When joint issues slowed me to walking on the treadmill, this was still a great session but finally the joints won. Not only walking but also other milder forms of exercise like my beloved golf went by the wayside and exercise was limited to resistance bands. This was a problem until I turned to the Yoga. In the practice of this 5000-year-old art, I found not only an exercise program but a stress management program as well.

For so many people today, muscle pain in the neck, shoulders and back is directly linked to the role those muscles play in carrying the weight of our emotions and stress. When your back pain is not due to injury or illness, but is a result of the link between our emotional and physical selves, Yoga is a perfect practice to turn to for relief. At the heart of the art of Yoga, are the poses and positions that can reset the body with improved balance, flexibility, and posture. Moreover, there are poses that help relax and calm the mind as well as the body. The principles and practice of Yoga enhance our awareness of our body messages and provides us the tools and the means to respond to what our pain is telling us.

When tense back muscles act out like an angry child, misery is our company. These tense muscles need to relax and the regular practice of Yoga delivers the combinations of stretching, flexibility, and strengthening that can renew the muscles and relieve your back pain. A report in the December 2005 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine indicated that Yoga might be a more effective exercise prescription for the relief of lower back pain than traditional strength, resistance and aerobic exercise programs.

If back pain and joint issues have derailed your past fitness routines, learn about Yoga. The Gentle Yoga and Chair Yoga sessions are perfect for beginners and for those who need to ease back into a fitness regime. Both your back and your mind will thank you.

James Chen is a long-time Yoga practitioner.

His new website Yoga Revealed is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about this ancient healing practice.

By Sheryl Walters

It is very rare that we are able to see the world upside down, and regularly viewing the world from this angle can bring a variety of amazing benefits to our life.

Headstand and Yoga for Skin Care

Turning ourselves upside down is not only an amazing practice for health...but for beauty. A headstand can reduce facial wrinkles, and if practiced regularly, is a natural 'face-lift'. This is because it reverses the effects of gravity and allows the skin to rest in the other direction.

Furthermore, yoga for skin care increases the circulation to the face, which brings much needed nutrients and oxygen to rejuvenate and remove wrinkle causing toxins. The result is smoother, clearer, brighter & glowing skin.

Thicker Hair, Fewer Grays

Headstand can actually convert gray hair back to its natural color! It will certainly delay the onset of gray hair. This is due to the increase in blood supply and nutrients to the hair follicles in the scalp.

Balding can also be prevented or slowed, and thicker, healthier hair is produced.

Balanced Hormones and Endocrine System

Headstand stimulates and provides refreshed blood to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. The health and strength of these glands are absolutely vital to our wellbeing, as they are the master glands and regulate the functioning of all the other glands in the body including the sexual hormones (better sex!), the thyroid, pineal, and the adrenals.

The powerful stress releasing effects of the headstand (you can't really be depressed if you're standing on your head!) further rebalance the adrenal glands so physical and emotional health is improved.

Better Circulation

Besides the positive effects of yoga for skin care, the improved circulation of headstands exercise the heart and encourage venous return. Because the heart constantly has to pump blood upward to the brain, the headstand gives the heart a rest and reduces heart strain.

Increased Brain Function

Headstand soaks the brain cells with fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients. This increases your thinking power, clarity, memory, concentration, and the sensory faculties. Brain tissues do not degeneration with regular practice.

Balanced Nervous System

Research has shown that an ischemic stroke never results for those who consistently do headstand! (If nothing else, that will get me on my head)

It can also prevent the occurrence of atherosclerotic, Parkinson's disease, and other diseases of the nervous system. Senile changes in brain are prevented. It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and depression. It is a centering, calming and soothing pose.

A Healthy Lymphatic System

Headstand encourages the drainage of lymphatic fluid so the whole body is regularly detoxified.

Strong Immune System

Recently, I blogged about how much healthier I have been since regularly practicing yoga. Headstands are one of the postures proven to strengthen your immune system.

Respiratory System

Headstands in yoga encourage deep breathing and create healthier lung issue.

Digestive System

Standing on our heads tones and cleans digestive organs. It cleanses congested blood and toxins from them. Fresh warm blood invigorates the cells and can help people overcome problems of the liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines and reproductive system.

Musculo skeletal system

Headstand strengthens the spine, neck, shoulders and arms. The muscular system of the abdomen and legs are toned.

DefyAgeNaturally.com

Sheryl Walters is an experienced holistic health expert.

Her blog combines the world's most up to date scientific research on how to stay young naturally in both mind and body with a heartfelt, personal touch. When we have the right information and take some dedicated action, we can be in charge of our health and our aging process.

By Robin Brain

This means relying on the Divine Will, by ascribing the effects of whatever one does to Divine Providence. This attitude, if properly and faithfully developed, relieves an individual of tension, because of the habit to accept everything as the will of God. It is a good means for those who have faith in the existence of a Supreme Being as a Creator and Governor of the whole universe. They can relinquish the burden of fear and worry by developing a reliance on God's will.

It may be said that the list of the positive and negative aspects of viragya as considered above, is not exhaustive, and we can add many more qualities to the list. But that is not very important, as all such qualities, in fact. exhibit one and the same basic fact namely, peace of mind.

We shall now consider the third behavioral aspect, which, although inseparable from vairagya as such deserves a few words. This is the aspect called pratyahara. It indicates a withdrawal of the senses and mind from the objects of enjoyment. The five cognitive senses,' namely, the organs of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste, grasp specific stimuli alone. For example, the organ of sight grasps light rays, the organ of hearing grasps sound waves, and so on. Pratyahara means a withdrawal of the sense organs from their respective areas. This does not, of course, mean that a student of yoga actually stops seeing, or hearing, or touching objects of experience. That is not the idea implied in pratyahara. It really means a detachment of the mind. i.e. a complete cessation of the urge for enjoyment, which is exactly the meaning of viragya.

Such viragya has been described in the Gita as a powerful and pointed instrument useful in cutting the tree of samsara It is said further that "wise men whose minds have become pure by washing away all the impurities accruing from attachment, infatuation, cravings, etc., and who have become free of all opposites like pleasure and pain, can reach the highest place of God, from where there is never any return." Vairagya is thus the beginning of yoga. It is indispensable for those whose interest in yoga is deep is profound. Everyone who aspires for making progress on the spmtua pat must, therefore, see carefully how far he has acquired this quality of detachment and peace, because as long as this quality has not developed in one's mind, whatever he does in the field of yoga has really no meaning at all.The great Shankaracharya has rightly declared (Viveka Chudamani, ) that "even though one is well-versed in all the branches of knowledge, he does not become fit for liberation unless he is a man of vairagya." Vairagya is thus the most essential mark of a yogi.

Read more on Yoga for weight loss. Check out for folding treadmills and arthritis treatment.

By Prahalad Singh

Benefits Forcibly gets rid of stale air and toxins in the bottom of the lungs

Focus Keep your chest as low to the ground as you can for as long as you can before arching your body. Hiss as loudly as you can for maximum benefit. Once in the extended forward position with your arms locked, keep lengthening and stretching through your abdominal muscles as you hiss.

Sit on your heels on the floor. Lean forward and stretch your arms out in front of you, palms flat on the floor. Inhale.

Exhaling strongly through your mouth (making a hissing sound), slide your chin and chest forward along the floor. Keep your hips low.

Push up with your arms, and support your body on locked elbows; drop your head backward, arch your back, and stretch through your abdomen. Continue hissing until you empty your lungs completely.

When you run out of breath, inhale while you sit back on your heels, arms extended in front of you, palms flat on the floor.

Repeat Hissing Cobra 6 more times, hissing as you slide forward and inhaling as you sit back on your heels. Do not take any extra breaths in between.

Sit back on your heels with your arms outstretched and your head on the floor. Rest, and notice how clean your lungs feel.

Star Stretch- Improves Circulation to the Abdominal Area

The act of consciously tensing and releasing your muscles makes you more aware of the difference between the two and of how good relaxation can feel.

Benefits Improves circulation to the abdominal area

Releases tension across the abdomen, chest, and back to make breathing easier and deeper

Focus Focus on extending and tensing every muscle, even those of your face. As you tense your muscles, visualize your body as being as taut as a guitar string. As you release the tension, visualize yourself as being as soft as a rag doll.

Lie on the floor on your back with your arms and legs spread wide, palms facing up your body should resemble the shape of a starfish.

Inhale deeply, then exhale. Hold your breath for 7 counts as you stretch and lengthen through your arms, pressing the backs of your hands into the floor. Leave your legs soft.

Release and relax.

Inhale, then exhale. Hold your breath for a count of 7 as you stretch and lengthen through your legs while pointing your toes to the floor. Leave your upper body soft. Press your lower back to the floor, and tighten your abdominal muscles and buttocks.

Release and relax.

Inhale, then exhale. Hold your breath for 7 counts as you stretch through your right arm and left leg diagonally through your body, pointing your toes and fingers.

Release and relax.

Inhale, then exhale. Hold your breath for 7 counts as you stretch through your left arm and right leg diagonally through your body, pointing your toes and fingers. Exhale and relax.

Inhale, then exhale. Hold your breath for 7 counts, as you stretch through your arms and legs. Flatten the backs of your hands and your back to the floor, and tighten every muscle in your body, including those of your face.

Relax by practicing 3 Full Yoga Breaths.

For more info about free yoga exercises and vitamin uses have a look at authors site. Also get information about bodybuilding routines

By Ian James Bennett

Doing yoga regularly will make you feel better about your body as it will tone muscles, reduce stress, makes you stronger and more flexible and will improve your physical and mental well being. Yoga exercises have been around for years but does it help you to lose weight?

Yoga will make you stronger but it will not raise your heart rate enough for it to reduce weight dramatically. There are many different yoga types with some more beneficial to weight loss than others. Iyengar yoga is where you hold a particular pose for several minutes helping flexibility but it will not help to much in the process of losing weight. In order to lose weight you need to raise your heart rate and burn calories while eating healthy. A lot of people include yoga in their workouts as it does help to improve your overall health. In order to lose weight using yoga you will need to do a vigorous 90 minute workout at least 3 -4 times a week.

The type of yoga that will help you to shed some pounds is called vinyasa-style yoga. This is based on a series of poses called sun salutations. Vinyasa uses a few yoga styles which will make you sweat and get your heart pumping. For the purpose of weight loss you could try these yoga types:

Ashtanga

This is good for weight loss as it is a very vigorous yoga type. Most people who practice ashtanga are very dedicated and people who want to take ths up are recommended to sign up for a series of lessons. Once you have learned all the positions it can be practiced at home but it will have to be done regularly for you to see the benefits from it.

Power Yoga

This is probably the most popular type of yoga for weight loss as it involves a vigorous cardiovascular workout.

Hot Yoga

What this does is uses vinyasa yoga in a hot room. This will make you sweat helping to lose weight and make you more healthy.

If you are new to yoga it is best to start off with a beginners class and work your way up to the harder stuff. If you cannot go to yoga classes there are plenty of good yoga videos about where you can copy the poses shown from your own home.

Ian Bennett operates http://www.megaweightlossplan.com, a blog about weight loss. He loves giving away stuff and right now when you sign up you will get a great Newsletter. and its all FREE!

Check it out at: http://www.megaweightlossplan.com

By Prahalad Singh

Hip Rotation

Benefits

Nourishes and opens up the hips fully

Tones the muscles of the waist

Focus

Keep your legs strong, so that you feel steady to rotate your hips as widely as you can without upsetting your balance.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhaling, circle your arms overhead, and bring your palms together. Interlock your fingers, with index fingers pointing up.

Look up at your hands. With your pointed fingers, "draw" a small, imaginary circle on the ceiling in a clockwise direction. Move your hips at the same time, also in a clockwise direction.

Make a slightly larger circle, with your arm and hip movements still coordinated.

Make progressively larger circles until you have completed 7 circles. With each rotation, stretch and lengthen through your arms and fingers as you bend forward, sideways, and backward. Bend fully in each direction until you feel your waist and back muscles begin to work. On the last rotation, your interlocked fingers should come low to the floor as you bend forward.

Pause and rest.

Start "drawing" large circles, close to the ground, in a counterclockwise direction. Make progressively smaller circles as you come back to the starting position, with your arms directly above your head.

Repeat the sequence in reverse, starting with small counterclockwise circles that get progressively larger, then making large clockwise circles that get progressively smaller.

Drop your arms to your sides, shrug your shoulders, and relax.

Liver-Stimulating Exercise

Benefit Increases the circulation and flow of prana to the liver to improve its function

Focus Firmly massage your abdomen.

Stage 1 Stand with your feet hip-width part. Place the palm of your right hand on your right upper abdomen, at the base of your rib cage.

Stage 2 Press your palm across the middle of your abdomen along your lower rib bones.

Push your palm up to your breastbone, to the left about 6 inches, down your lower rib bones, and back across to the right lower rib bones. (This pushing from right to left and back again constitutes one repetition.)

Repeat this movement firmly 36 times.

Kidneys This simple Chinese exercise should be done in the morning.

Benefits Stimulates the adrenal glands and the kidneys by increasing circulation and the flow of prana

Improves eyesight

Keeps the skin smooth

Strengthens libido

Focs Imagine the heat and energy flowing from your hands into your kidneys to promote healing.

Kidney Massage Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and lean forward a little. Rub the palms of your hands vigorously together to bring warmth into your hands and fingers, then place your hands over the small of your back.

Massage the small of your back by rubbing up and down, then in a circular motion around your lower back for 1 minute.

Pummel Kidneys Clench your fists, and pummel the small of your back for approximately 1 minute.

Repeat this alternating massaging and pummeling action for 1 minute at a time until you have completed 5 minutes, total, of both movements.

Do you wish to know more about yoga and exercise or bodybuilding tips? Then have a look at authors site on which you will also find vitamins for health

By Cathy Seiler

Yoga is a wonderful practice that can deliver many benefits. Yoga is widely practiced all over the world and as of today is a very popular method for getting great exercise.

Yoga not only exercises your body, but you mind and soul as well. Yoga physical exercises go hand in hand with yoga meditations. This was started out in India so long ago you might not even believe it. They have found artifacts that depict people in Yoga positions that date back to 3000BC.

The most common practiced form of Yoga is western countries is Hatha Yoga. Which is the form of Yoga based mostly on exercises and positions. The popularity of this has boomed due to the enormous benefits that those who practice it receive.

Students practicing Hatha Yoga see improved strength, lowered stress, lower body fat, and all the other benefits of getting regular exercise.

Getting into the basics...

If you have decided to give Yoga a try, then welcome and good for you. There are several places in just about every city to find a good Yoga practitioner. Take your time and find one that you like and feel comfortable with. Before you start here are some basic tips.

Make sure to wear loose and comfortable clothing. You will be moving you body a lot and this is essential.

Just like any other exercise activity, I would suggest doing it on an empty stomach.

Pay close attention to any position or exercise that is painful. Yoga is not supposed to be painful, so if something gives you the sensation of pain then you need to ease into that position and avoid injury.

Try to have a clear mind. The sensations of a good Yoga exercises should leave your mind relieved of stress when by the time you are finished. Focus on your body and your breathing during the exercises. This will help you reach that point.

Take your time when finding a Yoga studio or other place that offers Yoga. A good studio is well ventilated and lit. Most importantly is that you like your instructor. So dive into it. One thing about Yoga that is so great is that I can promise you once you start, you will see nothing but good things from practicing it.

Want to learn more about yoga and how to choose a quality yoga kit? Please visit yoga mat kit for more info.

By Duane Flowers

Reiki and Yoga are both first and foremost paths to Enlightenment. Although many people who are currently practicing them seem unaware of this and are thus deriving only a fraction of the benefit that they might were they to follow the paths these modalities were originally designed for. In this article I would like to discuss exactly what enlightenment is, and how Reiki and Yoga can assist practitioners in experiencing it.

What is Reiki?

Reiki is a spiritual discipline that was developed in Japan by Mikao Usui at the end of the 19th Century. While on a quest for spiritual enlightenment, Usui discovered he had the ability to channel energies that were able to dissolve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual blocks in the energy systems of others. This energy channel could be opened in other people, just by attuning their energy systems to it through a series of energetic manipulations. Physical healing is derived by dissolving energy blocks which are preventing the body from healing itself and since they are the easiest to perform, many Reiki practitioners ignore the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects... which is unfortunate as they are where most people are currently in need of assistance.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a spiritual system that was developed in India approximately 5,000 years ago. It consists of eight branches, namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi the following of which begins with simple rules to living ones life, physical poses, breathing exercises, and the development of the ability for the level of deep concentration/meditation necessary for spiritual enlightenment. The physical poses (asanas) are the easiest to understand and master, however, they are just one part of this system, and while development of this aspect alone can yield tremendous physical results, the development of the other branches are basically being ignored, which again, is a shame, since this is where most people are in need of assistance.

What is Enlightenment?

Spiritual Enlightenment is the realization that you are part of a bigger whole... that you are connected to the universe, and to everything in it, just as a leaf is part of a tree. It is so simple, yet so difficult, because just as we begin to realize this or catch a glimpse of it (sattori in Japanese), something blocks it from remaining obvious and we are again shrouded in darkness and apprehension. The Buddha referred to enlightenment as the end of suffering because it is this sense of dis-connectedness that is the root of all suffering. Volumes have been written on this mysterious realization which do it much more justice than I can in such a short space... I would highly recommend the works of Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj, J. Krishnamurti and more recently Eckhart Tolle for a more complete understanding.

What is the Connection?

More detail on the history of Reiki can be found here and more detail on Yoga can be found here, but in a nutshell, Reiki and Yoga are both spiritual disciplines either of which will yield the sought after results, yet as such they require dedication and perseverance to master and reap the rewards. Disciplines such as these may seem daunting, but only if results are demanded immediately. If approached with patience and determination the end of the road is reached soon enough, at which point one finds they have a decision to make... and a new journey to embark upon. The good news is that every day more and more people are reaching this realization (as opposed to 100 years ago when very few found success and even fewer were able to guide others in its mastery) and assistance can be found everywhere. When you do find the key (which may very well be unique for you) you will wonder how it was ever possible that you never noticed it before... it was there all along, you just never seemed to connect the dots. Reiki and Yoga are both specifically designed to help you find that key... are you looking for it?

Duane Flowers, PhD, is a Reiki Master who has been living in Japan and studying Reiki for over 12 years. He has studied and worked with some of the top Reiki and Yoga teachers and experts in the world and continues to devote time every day to furthering the understanding and practice of Reiki healing. Duane's new Reiki blog is located at http://reiki.whatitallbelike.com where all comments and questions about Reiki are truly welcome.

By Roberts Bairds

Benefits

Improves fexibility of the wrists and shoulders stretches hamstrings, gives the heart a rest

Focus

Keep both legs straight, and press your palms together firmly.

Stand with your feet 4-6 feet apart, toes turned out slightly.

Raise your arms to shoulder height, then bend them and take them behind your back. Bring your fingertips together, palms resting on your lower back.

Rotate your wrists so that your palms face out (backs of your hands against your back), fingertips still together. Lean forward, and drop your head down so that it is lower than your heart.

Press your fingers up along your spine, toward your shoulder blades. At the same time, ease your palms toward each other, fingers pointing toward your head. The pull of gravity will help you bring your palms closer and higher between your shoulder blades. Pull your shoulders back, and bring your palms together firmly.

Turn your left foot in slightly. Inhaling, bring your upper body over your right leg. Exhaling, lower your head toward your knee.

Inhaling and exhaling through your nose deeply and slowly, hold the pose for 3 Full Yoga Breaths . On each exhalation, lengthen your body down along your thigh.

Inhaling, slowly bring your upper body back to the center.

Turn your left foot out and your right foot in slightly. Inhaling, bring your upper body over your left leg. Exhaling, lower your head over your left knee. Hold the pose for 3 Full Yoga Breaths. Focus on lengthening your upper body with each exhalation.

Inhaling, bring your body back to the center, and slowly return to an upright position. Breathe normally.

Very gently, release your hands and flick your wrists strongly (as if you have something sticky on your fingers) to release any stiffness in your WrIsts.

Stomach Bandha

Benefits

Improves function of the pancreas, which produces insulin, to maintain steady energy levels throughout the day and moderate unhealthy sugar cravings

Focus

Pull your abdominal muscles back up and under tightly.

Stand with your legs 4-6 feet apart. Bend your knees and squat; place your hands on your knees, fingertips facing in.

Inhale, then exhale forcefully through an open mouth.

Holding your breath, close your mouth, and tuck your chin into your chest.

Suck your abdominal muscles back, up, and under your rib cage. Continue to hold your breath for a count of 7.

Release your abdominal muscles.

Inhaling, straighten your legs and come up. Exhaling, bend forward and hang loosely.

Repeat the sequence 3 more times. Practice to gradually increase to 7 repetitions.

If you are not used to holding your breath, this exercise may make you cough or feel a little dizzy at first. If it does, exhale and release your head down between your legs, then try again.

Warm-Up

The following warm-up stretches lubricate stiff joints, increase circulation, and improve your flexibility. They will make your practice of the routines more comfortable and help you avoid injury. Use your visualization skills with each stretch to improve their benefits.

Visualize yourself moving intuitively into and out of the stretch according to your body's needs. Be aware that rushing too quickly into an exercise program is a sure-fire route to lower-back pain, so be patient with yourself However, carrying a little extra weight is not a limitation, often a person with a large build can be both stronger and more flexible than a person who has been working out. For example, repetitive choreographed routines can lead to the overuse of muscle groups and joints as well as shortening and tightening of the muscles, leading to inflexibility and muscle fatigue.

Read more about yoga exercise, creatine, and also about bodybuilding tips.

By Victor Epand

Yoga is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. It has been defined as referring to "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experience and profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence." Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of several Indian religions.

Ascetic practices (tapas) are referenced in the Brahmanas early (900 BCE and 500 BCE) commentaries on the Vedas. In the Upanishads, an early reference to meditation is made in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, one of the earliest Upanishads (approx. 900 BCE). The main textual sources for the evolving concept of Yoga are the middle Upanishads (ca. 400 BCE), the Mahabharata (5th c. BCE) including the Bhagavad Gita (ca. 200 BCE), and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (200 BCE-300 CE).

Yoga is a 5000 year old science whose teachings were first imparted not in a classroom or Gurukul, but on the battlefield. In the epic Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is first said to have imparted the teachings of Yoga to his despondent student Arjuna. Around 1500 years later, another sage, Patanjali, went on to enunciate, for the benefit of humankind and eternity, the way to reach the 'summom bonum' of life through a series of 195 aphorisms (sutras) in his epic treatise The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Bhakti yoga is the foremost of all. It denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God, called bhakti. Traditionally there are nine forms of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha (the others being Karma, Raja and Jnana Yoga), and especially so within the current age of Kali yuga (according to the Hindu cycle of time). In scriptures such as the Bhagavata Purana, bhakti is described as a perfectional stage in itself, which surpasses even moksha as a level of spiritual realisation.

Regarding physical yoga practices as done today, people are reporting frequently their wonderful experiences, their transformation of being, and their experience of being taken beyond the here and now. In one wonderful session of Yoga, people get to practice a number of things -- some Yoga poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation and chanting. In Yoga you get to learn basic terms like Mudras, Bandhas and Chakras. Best of all, Yoga is fun and relaxing while, at the same time, being delectably challenging to beginners. The intermediate and advanced students, who insist on continuing their practices, get more and more of the taste of this great 5000+ year old way of life. Yoga is beneficial for the body, mind and spirit.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

1. Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
2. Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
3. Bestows greater powers of concentration and self control
4. Inculcates impulse Control
5. Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
6. Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
7. Boosts functioning of the immune system
8. Enhances posture and muscle tone
9. Improves blood circulation
10. Results in healthy, glowing skin
11. Cleanses and improves overall organ functioning
12. Bestows peace of mind and a more positive outlook to life
13. Infuses a sense of balance and internal harmony

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By Paul Jerard

When the ancient Yogis gathered to share information about this science of life we know as Yoga, the idea of harnessing thoughts must have been of paramount importance. Most of the world sees Yoga as a physical activity.

Yet, so much effort and progress has been made over the past 5,000 years in focusing the power of the mind through Yogic principles. To achieve self-mastery is to fully concentrate in the present, and focus on your primary objective.

Wishful thinking, visualization, affirmations, positive thought, mantra, japa, and prayer, are very powerful methods. Each one of these methods, can carry any one us, toward our objective. They are more powerful, when practiced in combination with each other.

However, many people do not take action. Some people take action without practicing any of the above-mentioned methods. If you practice visualization, affirmations, positive thought, mantra, japa, prayer, and take action, you have a better chance of reaching your objective.

What holds us back from taking action? The truth is - there are too many thoughts going on in our heads. It has been speculated that the average person has 5,000 to 65,000 thoughts per day. The exact number is not really worth debating. Suffice to say: we have many thousands of thoughts per day.

No wonder we have difficulty taking action. That much thought is a serious distraction. In Yoga, the mind is compared to a monkey, but now we realize that we are dealing with a troop of monkeys. It takes a lot of practice to tame the mind.

Anyone who is successful in a leadership role is living proof that you can put aside distractions and accomplish goals through intense focus. How can we get rid of confusion and distractions? Confusion stems from living life without a plan. A written plan of the day, week, month, and year, is your template toward progress. Some will say - time spent planning is a waste of time.

If you are going to construct a house, you will need a plan, and you will most likely have to hire professionals to help you. The same principle applies in our daily lives. Now, let's say we have a young student, who is restless and easily distracted.

One suggestion would be for him or her to do Surya Namaskars (Sun Salutations) in the morning, eat a Sattvic diet, and meditate before bedtime. In the morning, the mind is restless because the body craves physical activity.

Surya Namaskars, for at least 20 minutes, will enable the body to exercise first, and to relax later. This will bring about mental focus. For children: Running, swimming, soccer, biking, or any aerobic sport, which uses energy, will enable the body to relax and the mind to focus.

Is this a complete cure for concentration? Not entirely, but it is one major leap forward. If people practiced the above-mentioned Yogic principles, they would easily be in the top ten percentile of achievement within their current field.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA - http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com - He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

By Ashish Bhattacharya

India has a long history of medical remedies practiced by holy men and local medicine men since ancient times. Some of these remedies date back to the Vedas or 600 BC. Among these medical wonders the two most prominent are Ayurveda and Yoga.

Ayurveda

Literally meaning the science of life, Ayurveda has evolved from understanding the laws of nature, the psyche, the conscious and the unconscious levels.

Ayurveda places equal emphasis on the mind and body, it aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This balance is believed to lead to contentment and health, and to help prevent illness. The chief aim of Ayurvedic practices is to cleanse the body of substances that can cause disease, helping reestablish harmony and balance.

Constitution or Prakriti

Ayurveda has some basic beliefs about the body's constitution. Constitution refers to a person's general health. The constitution is called the prakriti which is a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics and the way the body functions. It is influenced by such factors as digestion and how the body deals with waste products.

Three qualities called doshas form important characteristics of the constitution or prakriti and control the activities of the body.

The doshas are called: vata, pitta, and kapha.

Each dosha is made up of one or two of the five basic elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.

Ayurveda believes that an imbalance in the dosha produces symptoms and disease. Imbalances may be a result of an unhealthy lifestyle or diet; too much or too little mental and physical exertion; or not being properly protected from the weather, chemicals, or germs.

Ayurvedic treatments

Ayurvedic treatments are of many types

Panchakarma is for cleansing; it focuses on the digestive tract and the respiratory system. Cleansing may be done through enemas, fasting, or special diets or medicated oils through a nasal spray or inhaler.

Meditation is a conscious mental process using certain techniques like focusing attention or maintaining a specific posture to relax the body and mind, and lying in the sun. The patient may be advised to seek nurturing and peacefulness through yoga, meditation, exercise, or other techniques.

Herbal Medicines patients may have to take herbs to improve digestion, reduce fever, and treat diarrhea. Very small amounts of metal and mineral preparations also may be given, such as gold or iron.

Special Diets are an important part of treatment and patients may be asked to abstain or increase particular foods.

Massages may be used to reduce pain, lessen fatigue, or improve circulation. Ayurveda proposes that there are 107 "vital points" in the body where life energy is stored, and that these points may be massaged to improve health.

Ashish Bhattacharya is an exponent of oriental and alternative medicine and working in a mauritius spa resort, and provides detailed information on Ayurveda spa mauritius.

By Paul Jerard

Yoga instructors are a rare commodity, in high demand. The popularity of yoga has gained momentum, especially with people seeking low-impact fitness routines. A certified yoga instructor can use this time as a career springboard.

What kind of money can you make as a yoga instructor? It all depends on a few factors, with the most important one being experience. Yoga isn't a discipline that can be taught without extensive knowledge and training. The extreme nature of many positions, and stretches, could cause serious injury in the hands of a lesser teacher. A yoga master can charge much more for his/her safe instruction than a novice instructor.

Even though you may focus on one or two styles, a highly skilled yoga instructor has the combined knowledge of many styles of yoga. A rudimentary knowledge of yogic philosophy also helps. As a yoga instructor, you'll deal with many different personalities, so it's important to have patience and compassion.

Many certified yoga instructors choose to teach part time, while keeping a day job. This gives them the flexibility they need, at the same time that they are bringing in extra income. It also keeps them in great shape as they are teaching.

You can choose whether you want to teach a class or prefer providing private instruction. The rates you charge will vary, depending on the situation and your students needs. Private instruction can run anywhere from $30 an hour to $150 an hour. The highest rates are usually from teaching clients in their home or office.

Private clientele can range from office working professionals to professional athletes, and everything in between. Private clients are looking for quality yoga instruction and are willing to pay for it. Teaching classes to groups, costs a bit less per student, and is usually priced around $15-$20 each for a drop-in rate.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA - http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com - He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

By June Guarin

Ever wonder what benefits we get from doing yoga? It keeps us toned, fit and young! Years ago, I never do much stretching except after working out from the gym. When I injured my lower back from trying to do squats with weights on my shoulder, I knew something went wrong and I started getting throbbing pain at the back of my head. When my sitting posture is not straight, there is always throbbing pain in the back of my head. It is very uncomfortable when sitting because you keep changing your postures.

I couldn't even sleep at night because I need to lie down straight. That is hard. It took me two weeks before I go see a my doctor.

My doctor doesn't want me to go to Chiropractor as it may cause more injury when twisting my neck because I have HBP (High Blood Pressure). So he gave me instead a stretching exercises to do at home. I followed his advise and I thought of something more effective.

Well, I thought about Yoga. I bought this $9.99 video Yoga for beginners in K-Mart. Guess what.... It worked! Start doing this at home if you are shy doing it in real class.

After a week I started doing Yoga, I noticed that the pain is becoming less and less. And now it's been over couple of years, I am pain free!. I am sure it strengthen and straighten up my spine and I feel healthy. I am now an avid fan of Yoga.

Author: June. I have tried and used different kinds of skin care treatment especially acne and sharing my experience with others. Not only this but I practice healthy lifestyles. You can view more of my stories and articles in http://www.FacialBeautySecrets.com

By Paul Jerard

There is no shortage of teaching opportunities in yoga. This is where being a yoga instructor can be lucrative and fun. By getting in with a great health spa, or opening their own studio, a highly skilled instructor can sculpt their own program. Yoga has so many aspects, and applications, that the range of classes is only limited by imagination.

Besides yoga for physical fitness, you can also teach spiritual yoga classes, emphasizing the connection between the body's well-being and the soul's health. Perhaps you'd like to offer prenatal yoga for expecting mothers? Maybe yoga for seniors, couples, or kids, is more your style? By designing and offering your own programs, you can interject your personality into yoga instruction.

Depending on your location and marketing skills, you can make a great living as a full-time yoga instructor. If you're in a location where a large number of people are looking for a yoga instructor, then the sky's the limit. If this isn't the case, you need to develop some marketing skills. In order to get students, you must be able to make yoga instruction appealing. You have to let them know that you can make them healthier with your teaching. It's going to take a bit more work, but if you're dedicated to improving the health of your community, then you'll succeed.

Yoga is one of the greatest examples, of an ancient discipline, remaining relevant in the modern age. Whether you're looking to focus on the spiritual or physical aspects of the art, being a yoga instructor can be a profitable career path. If this is the path you want your life to take, then get off your yoga mat and take the necessary steps to start teaching!

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA - http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com - He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

By Doug Bremner

Americans are increasingly looking for alternatives to prescription medications to promote health and prevent disease. I previously wrote about the effects of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on promoting mental health and reducing anxiety. What about other alternative approaches? Yoga is a discipline derived from India combining mental and physical exercises that is increasingly catching on in the U.S. Not really knowing how to describe it I looked up the handy online dictionary for a definition of the word.

Yoga (noun); the word yoga derives from the Sanskrit, literally, yoking, from yunakti ("he yokes").

1. a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation

2: a system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being

Assuming that people were practicing yoga to promote their physical and/or mental health as well as sense of well being, I followed my tradition of relentless questioning, and asked, is there any evidence that this stuff actually works?

Studies comparing yoga to exercise such as swimming show that yoga reduces anger, depression, and fatigue to an equal degree as swimming (and better than doing nothing) and in some cases yoga is better than swimming. Controlled studies have shown that yoga is equally efficacious as exercise and better than doing nothing for reducing fatigue and promoting energy in patients with multiple sclerosis. Yoga has proven beneficial in promoting health in patients with asthma, diabetes, breast cancer and epilepsy.

Yoga has also been shown to be useful in the treatment of major depression, with one study showing a response rate of 67% in patients in yoga compared to 73% for patients treated for a month with an antidepressant drug. Other studies showed yoga to be effective for reducing anxiety, although studies in this area were not well controlled.

There is increasing evidence that interventions promoting mind-body relationships are a good alternative to prescription medications. So limber up and get those moves going!

J. Douglas Bremner, MD, is a researcher and physician and author of 'Before You Take That Pill: Why the Drug Industry May be Bad for Your Health: Risks and Side Effects You Won't Find on the Label of Commonly Prescribed Drugs, Vitamins and Supplements.' http://www.beforeyoutakethatpill.com

By Paul Jerard

When you consider all of the aspects to learn during a Yoga teacher training course - the case could easily be made that becoming a masterful orator is secondary. After all, there are so many subjects to cover, when considering postures (asanas), yogic breathing techniques (pranayama), meditation, stage-by-stage relaxation, chakras, bandhas, philosophy, anatomy, and so much more. How could anyone think that communication is so important?

Once you graduate, and face your students from the front of the Yoga class, communication, in its many forms, becomes very important. Students learn in different ways and at different paces. Some students will favor learning by sight, sound, or touch. No two students are exactly alike.

Your demonstration, cueing, and assisting skills, will be challenged to their very limits, when facing a group of individuals who want to learn every detail about Yoga. So, now you see that communication is very important, but where do you start? How do you reach a group of students, and make each one of them feel as if you are addressing them personally?

It should always be remembered that each Yoga teacher began as a student. The same can be said for public speaking - a good orator has taken the time to study the craft and refine the skill. It is also worthy of note to understand that throughout history, great orators have been very educated people.

Public speaking and communication require the complete unity of mind, body, and spirit. Eloquence requires practice, refinement, and the joining of all natural resources from within. The same can be said for public speaking skills.

To communicate effectively with a group, class, or a room full of people, is one of the highest forms of demonstration in our quest for self-mastery. It is one thing to amaze a crowd with Yogic feats of physical prowess. People gladly pay to watch elite athletes on display in stadiums and coliseums.

It should be noted that people will also pay to listen to an eloquent public speaker. Each person, who envisions teaching a Yoga class, primarily as a demonstration of his or her physical feats, is missing the opportunity to help students become the best they can be.

Teaching your students to attain self-mastery can only be achieved through effective communication skills. Class time is specifically reserved for student needs. A Yoga instructor should always be a shining example of how to put one's ego aside.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA - http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com - He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

By Paul Jerard

Ashtanga yoga can also be an athletic style of yoga. It is based on a demanding series of pose changes, sometimes connected by jumps. Designed for flexible, and usually young, bodies, Ashtanga has gained popularity in the Western world because of its intensity. Some popular students of this style are Madonna and Sting. An advantage of this style is that it can be self-led. Usually the yoga instructor will teach students a series of poses and lead them in the routine. After mastering the poses and changes, the students can go through the routine at their own pace. Since this is done in the company of the yoga instructor, and other students, progress can be monitored and mistakes corrected.

For a completely different experience, there is Bikram yoga. Also known as Hot yoga, Bikram is a modern style, focusing on a set series of poses performed in a heated room. The creator of the style, Bikram Choudhury, designated twenty-six poses that constitute the Bikram style. The temperature of the room is ideally set to 105 degrees. By keeping the room at a high temperature, the muscles of the body are more flexible. This is a controversial style because of an intellectual property lawsuit by Choudhury. Only those yoga instructors, certified in his method, are permitted to teach Bikram yoga.

On the other end of the timeline is Kundalini yoga. An ancient form, that is relatively new to the West, Kundalini focuses on the spiritual aspects of yoga. The yoga instructor leads students through a series of poses, making sure that movement is linked with breath. The idea behind this discipline is to cause dormant energy in the lower body to become free and move upwards. For students seeking an athletic workout, Kundalini is not the place to look; but it is still an important style for a yoga instructor to understand.

From the purely physical yoga, to the more spiritual forms, a yoga instructor must be well versed. If you want to be a great yoga instructor, you should understand the basics of each major style, even while you focus on your favorite style. In this way, you'll be ready to answer any student's question and guide them to the right style.

ฉ Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html