Yoga Articles

Fitness » Yoga | By Jon Le Tocq @ Wednesday, 19th November 2008

There\'s no doubting that those who practice yoga and pilates often have very impressive abilities to bend themselves into positions which are enough to make the rest of us wince at the thought. Is this really a good thing though? How much do these abilities transfer to daily life and exercise? Is there a more effective way to achieve the [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Wednesday, 19th November 2008

Yoga is said to cure almost every ailment known to humankind, but how do we define anger? Some of us feel anger the minute we wake up, while others never seem to let anything bother them. Anger is hard to place on the emotional spectrum, as it arises from a combination of thoughts, emotions, feelings, and circumstances. Anger can cause wars, [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Wednesday, 19th November 2008

Although the general public might see many different styles of Yoga, in a variety of locations, Yoga is often categorized as a form of physical fitness. Some might go a bit further by classifying Yoga as a form of wellness or a mind and body exercise. If you speak to the average participant, most of them would consider the chance of [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Wednesday, 19th November 2008

Yoga is often thought of as a method for preventing injury. How could injuries occur during Yoga classes? How are the postures and pranayama presented during a class? Are postures thoroughly explained or strung together in a sequence and presented \"on the fly.\" If the time is taken to know each student\'s condition of health, there is, at least, one student [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Wednesday, 19th November 2008

How much attention, to proper alignment, do you see in Yoga classes? How fast is the pace of the class? Are students being asked about pre-existing injuries before participating in a Yoga session? Proper alignment, while practicing, is so important because of the benefits over time. At the same time, poor alignment can cause injuries. Yoga should be taught by a [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Wednesday, 19th November 2008

Have you ever felt like you were visiting \"Bizarro World\" or some sort of parallel universe? On a rare occasion, you may get a chance to hear a unique opinion about Yoga. Listening is always a chance to learn something new. Some of my best memories are of listening to people talk about the benefits of Yoga; but recently, I had [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008

When teaching Yoga to new students, there are a variety of challenges for both teachers and students. Yoga can be a learning curve for a new student. At the same time, the methodology of teaching can be a challenge for a Yoga instructor. Below is a question and answer session, in relation to silent observation and student abilities, in a [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Tuesday, 18th November 2008

For decades, the public has been aware that Yoga brings about a tranquil state of mind. Yoga principles can be applied toward every aspect of improving daily life. Yoga is much more than pictures of people performing postures - it is a complete lifestyle. If we look at the first limb of the Eight Limbed Path, described by Maharishi Patanjali, we [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Carol Bell @ Monday, 27th October 2008

If you would like to get rid of pain, we give you a few pointers on how to go about it by using yoga and meditation techniques. The great thing is that they are not terribly difficult to do nor are they tough to pick up or to follow on a regular basis. It may be an ancient practice but [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Patrick Omari @ Monday, 20th October 2008

Walk through or browse online the DVD section of entertainment retailers and you cannot help but become engulfed by a seemingly ever-growing selection of celebrity-fitness \'gurus\' flogging their soul with a Pilates programme that promises you a better body. If you, perhaps not literally, cut away all the celebrities endorsing the discipline is one with a pretty serious medical grounding. With [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Anmol Mehta @ Monday, 20th October 2008

Core abdominal training and power is perhaps the most important aspect of physical fitness, and yoga is an excellent science to help target and develop this region. According to yoga, the abdominal area is governed by the Solar Plexus Chakra, called the Manipura Chakra in Sanskrit, and this chakra is responsible for not just providing the body with the [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Monday, 20th October 2008

Beyond philosophy, meditation, asana, and Pranayama, there is still much more for an intern to learn about teaching Yoga. These subjects get some attention, during a 200-hour Yoga certification course, but once an intern has successfully graduated, a peripheral subject becomes a part of daily independent research or continuing education. Teaching methodology is learned by instructing classes. Interns should have a [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Monday, 20th October 2008

Yogic philosophy is so vast that it could easily dominate a 200-hour Yoga teacher training. After spending a three day weekend, lecturing about how to apply Yama and Niyama in every facet of life, I realized that this workshop could have been expanded to two weekends. However, the philosophy component is not what most Yoga teacher interns want to learn. Most [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Monday, 20th October 2008

All of the subjects mentioned below will require much additional research on your part, but let\'s briefly go over a question and answer session about students who need special care in your classes. Q: Over the weekend, I met up with a student that is in her early twenties (about 23-24, maybe) and she is interested in Yoga. She is in [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Monday, 20th October 2008

Many Yoga practitioners are familiar with the value of a silent retreat to an Ashram or another sacred place. An extended silence turns the mind inward, which makes us more mindful during Yoga and meditation practice. Silent Yoga retreats give us \"breathing room\" and allow our minds a chance to wind down. This is all well and good, but what if [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Paul M. Jerard Jr. @ Saturday, 18th October 2008

To a beginner, meditation might be the most difficult concept to comprehend. Most students, of Yoga, become proficient at asana and pranayama with practice, but struggle with the ability to meditate. Yoga teachers often mention the importance of practicing meditation at home, but students often \"put it off.\" The deeper issues of meditation are - training the mind, relaxing the mind, [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Anmol Mehta @ Sunday, 28th September 2008

It is not surprising to those of us who are long time yoga practitioners that the popularity of this profound spiritual science is now exploding on a world wide scale. Unfortunately though some of the authenticity and truths about yoga are being lost and some myths are creeping in with regard to what yoga is and how it is [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Kristi Ambrose @ Tuesday, 16th September 2008

I really love the variety and styles of yoga pants that are available today. If you are searching around online for different clothing items to wear during your Yoga work outs, you are in luck! There are several different sizes, colors, types, and fabrics that are used in producing these items. I really love the look and feel of the [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Anmol Mehta @ Tuesday, 9th September 2008

It never ceases to amaze me how many time I have seen seasoned yogis injure themselves when practicing yoga. This is independent of the type of yoga they practice and independent of how fit they are as well. So, it scares me to think that if this is the state of expert yogis what might be the state [more...]

Fitness » Yoga | By Kristi Ambrose @ Thursday, 4th September 2008

Yoga was first started as a spiritual practice in Hinduism almost 5000 years ago, but now in the more modern age a part of Yoga known as Asana has grown purely as a form of exercise. Asana is simply a way of keeping fit and healthy. According to a survey by the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine yoga [more...]