Why Chair Yoga
...Isnt Yoga just for young hard bodies, like you would see on the cover of a magazine? Dont you have to turn your body into a pretzel, to practice Yoga? These are, a few of the many, questions I am asked about Yoga and Chair Yoga. Any idea that Yoga is only for the fit, and young, is a complete myth. Anyone can practice Yoga, at any age, but not all Yoga styles are the same.
Many of us struggle, most of our lives, to find the optimum exercise routine, in order to stay in shape. As time goes by, we look for low-impact fitness solutions, due to excessive wear in our joints. It cant be helped that, joints will wear, as our bodies take a lifetime of stress, tumbles, and injuries.
Low-impact exercise philosophy works like this: No pain No gain, slogans are definitely short-term thinking. When you consider longevity, you want to receive maximum benefits, of a health maintenance program, without abusing or unnecessarily wearing, any body parts out.
It is far better to intelligently exercise the body, than to work the body hard with risk of injury. To injure oneself, while exercising, is irony in its purest form. After all, isnt the purpose of exercise to improve or maintain your health?
Some of us can also blame genetics, for ailments, ...more
Starting a Yoga Practice
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Once you decide to develop your home practice you will need the following:
Yoga Mat - sticky yoga mats are best, you can also use a pilates mat if you prefer a thicker surface to stand on; some prefer to do yoga on a cotton blanket, it is entirely up to you. The important thing is that your feet do not slip all over your yoga surface.
Yoga Blocks - these foam blocks are used to modify poses, essentially bringing the floor closer to your hands to enable you to maintain proper alignment, which is much more important than how far you stretch. You may also sit on the edge of a block to properly align your pelvis during seated poses. Blocks are recommended for beginners, but intermediate and advanced practitioners also find them useful for very challenging poses and days when you aren't quite as flexible. We recommend that you start with two blocks. You can also use a stack of books about 3 inches high in lieu of blocks.
Yoga Strap - this is a thick cotton strap, similar to a Judo belt and is used to assist the yogi in challenging postures; most often used for hip opening poses and seated forward bends. Straps are also used for bound pos...more
Yoga For Stress Relief And Anxiety
...ga breathing is practiced on a regular basis.
Yoga breathing involves a range of deep, slow, rhythmic breaths. If you pay attention to your breath, when you are stressed, it will be irregular, shallow, nervous, and jagged. This happens involuntarily as a response to stress, but this rapid, shallow breathing actually amplifies stress levels.
The result is a vicious cycle that can climax into a panic attack for those with anxiety disorders. Practice controlled breathing, daily, as a stress management technique. ...more
Kids Yoga: A Solution to Global Obesity in Children
...oga teachers, and parents cannot afford to wait until the next study on childhood obesity is completed to take action. children are bigger than ever, due to inactivity and a high fat / carbohydrate diet. Large numbers of big children will become even bigger adults, who are at risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, various forms of cancer, and much more.
Therefore, educators, doctors, Yoga teachers, and parents must be proactive. Do not expect grant money, government assistance, or any help from big brother. Look at the reaction to global warming by the worlds governments and you see how long it takes to get a reaction.
For parents with school-aged children, there has never been a better time for them t...more
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