Yoga as obesity cure

Posted on October 21st, 2008
by Robert Anderson

Yogic method, of correcting obesity involves in taking a balanced and proper diet and practicing a few selected postures. It has been observed that an obese person loses an average 2 to 3 kg of weight per month by adopting above methods to fight obesity. Yogic method to reduce weight, though time consuming, is preferable and desirable due to the following reasons:

O It reduces weight in a lasting and permanent way without causing any side effect to health, beauty and physical or mental condition. O It doesn’t cost to correct obesity. There is no disturbance to your normal life or a possibility of regaining the same weight even if yoga practice is discontinued.

O Keep practicing yoga for 10 to 15 minutes daily although the weight has been reduced to normal level. O Continue yoga practice on selective basis. Initially, start with some of the selected easy-to-do postures for a week or so, then proceed gradually but regularly, go on adding postures without any strain and exhaustion. Start with simple warming up exercises before yoga practice. Rest for five minutes in Shavasana (in Sanskrit, shav means corpse) in the end of yoga session, which keeps mind and body relaxed. To practice Shavasana, lie on the back with arms at the sides, legs stretched out slightly apart.

Then close your eyes, take a deep breath and try to relax your mind. This may take a few minutes to get adjusted to in the beginning. The most important thing to do is to pay attention to your breathing- which should be regular and deep. Prana is derived from Sanskrit and means energy. This energy will allow you to maintain control of your breathing even when you are in the sub conscious. It is this energy which is the key to life.

Breathing and the impact on the abs (to get a flat stomach) are the overlooked facts about yoga. Yes, yoga can make you get 6 pack abs. Yoga set challenges and develops the abdominal muscles. The asanas related to breathing and abdominal muscles bring pressure to the abdominal muscles from multiple angles and directions, which helps target the entire abdominal region. Thus, not only are the upper and lower abdominals get toned but the chest muscles also get strengthened.

Other methods of breathing include using the chest muscles. This involves placing the hands on either side of the upper chest. One can then start to inhale slowly and feel the ribs expand. This process should be repeated several times. When breathing activity is performed well, it improves blood circulation and oxygenation of the tissues. One can also place the hands as far high as the clavicles or collar bones. Then one can breathe and feel the front of the chest expand. This method also involves the use of stomach muscles. With each deep breath, the abdomen is pushed in and then one slowly exhales. This form of deep breathing can help revitalize the body over time.

What is Meditation? The posture develops physical and mental stability, calms the nerves, relieves stiffness of the joints, supplies blood to abdominal region and the entire body is kept in complete equilibrium. Padmasana is a meditation posture. To practice this posture, begin by placing the right foot on the left thigh and then left foot on the right thigh. The hands are kept open resting on the knees. Keep the head and spinal column straight.

Yoga Guidelines * Enjoy yoga- People who enjoy their practice get the best gains. * Practice at least 15 to 20 minutes of yoga on a daily basis to stay improving and increase your level of understandings. * Find a yoga class close to your home or work.- Many yoga students take two or three classes a week, so it helps to find a class that is conveniently located. * Wear loose clothes.

Yoga is best performed on an empty stomach. Eating prior to a Yoga class will make you nauseated and bloated. When starting Yoga classes, one should start slow and the progressively increase the time duration. Even though a Yogi can eat any foods, for the best results it is recommended that one eat more greens than meat.

Useful tips for practicing Yoga O Warming up exercise is essential before yoga practice for slimming, shaping figure and obtaining perfect results. O Brisk walk in the fresh morning air is very beneficial and gives exercise to the whole body, especially useful for hips and thighs. O Always cool down after a yoga session. You begin to feel more poised, loose limbed, coordinated, stretched and toned, feel as if you are gliding rather than walking. O If you are overweight about 20 kg or above your standard weight) do not run. Remember, weight-bearing exercises strain your joints even more. O Pre-exercise meal should be light.

One must try cool down at the end just as you warmed up in the beginning of a yoga session. Too much and too fast yogic practice does not provide instant results. Be slow but steady. Remember, with proper care and monitoring of your entire yoga workout, you would be soon in the best shape of your life.

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What is Power Yoga

Posted on October 21st, 2008
by Andy Felix

Power yoga is a high-heat, high-energy workout produced by a combination of dynamic breathing and strong flowing movements. Yoga helps the flow of energy into the body, releases tension from joints, builds muscle strength, and even cleans the body of toxins.

Like all exercises you should never overdo the yoga positions. Overdoing these exercises will put needless strain on your muscles and joints. Because of this danger you should only practice yoga under the supervision of a qualified yoga instructor. Teenage girls should make sure to follow the guidance of an instructor as their bodies go through changes which affect how they should use yoga.

Usually women face the problem of obesity after delivering their first child. Being overweight is disastrous for women in more ways than one. In addition to the physical dangers of being overweight, the mental anguish of being overweight also play a big role in a woman’s life. One easy - tear free - way to reduce weight is to practice yoga regularly. When you exercise you should make sure to burn as many calories as you consume to maintain your figure.

This exercise is the more recommended to both stimulate and strengthen muscles across the whole body while maintaining control of your weight. Surya Namaskar Asana involves various forward and backward bending movements.

The regular practice of Surya Namaskar asana helps to stretch and strengthen all major muscles of the body, improve blood circulation to the organs, replenishing them with fresh oxygen and nutrients, strengthen the upper and lower body and abdominal muscles, thereby making it a complete fitness routine. How to slim your back - Yog Mudra and Paschimottan Asana are recommended postures to strengthen back muscles and also to remove extra fat from thighs and hips.

Yog Mudra is also known as ‘the symbol of yoga.’ To perform this position, sit the padmasana position keeping your spinal column upright. While sitting upright, place your hands behind your back and grab the wrist of one hand with the other. Inhale. Lean forward gently and slowly, without straining the spinal column, until your forehead touches the ground while exhaling. Hold this position as long as you are comfortable without breathing.

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Weight loss program based on yoga

Posted on October 20th, 2008
by Kelly Anderson

Obesity has become a worldwide health hazard and majority of people, male and female, of every age carry extra weight on their bodies, which not only develop physical disorders but also mental ailments, especially in women. Yoga has come to the rescue for obese persons.

Some exercises that are highly beneficial for reduction of fat from stomach are covered in yoga. Remember, you should not attempt any of these on your own unless you have been shown and guided by a certified yoga master or guru.

The original seating postures of yoga were developed by Patanjali nearly 3 centuries ago. Power yoga or Ashtanga yoga essentially means limbs of pathways to enlightenment

[You can also lie down on your stomach. Catch your ankles by bending your knees and then push outwards (up) to make your body look like a bow.]

As with all other exercises, yoga too needs to be practiced on a daily basis regularly, preferably outdoors, at the crack of the dawn.

What are Characteristics in obese persons? O Usually addicted to overeating. O Habit of frequent eating. O Eat faster without chewing the food. O Retire soon after taking meal. O Not doing physical labor or exercise. O Daily intake of highly rich, high calorie foods. Drinking lots of water with meals.

How to take care to avoid obesity O Take 10 to 12 glasses of fresh water in 24 hours. O Never eat more than 85% of your capacity at any time. Drink water after an hour of eating meal.

One popular weight loss supplement available in the market today take the form of tea or laxatives . Stores all over sell slimming tea, dieter’s tea and others but all of them are actually the same.Adverse effects of misusing laxatives in the form of slimming tea generally occur when taken in more than or longer than recommended, yet they are not seen as the most effective weight loss solutions.

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Some Yoga Asanas

Posted on October 19th, 2008
by Kelly Felix

The classic feature of Yoga are the Mudras which are sacred ritual gestures or hand positions. Our hands are like a keyboard connected to our internal computer. Each part of our hands is connected to an area of the brain and each part sends clear messages to that brain center.

Therapeutic advantages of this asana include the following O Dissolves fat deposits from back, hips and thighs. O Remedy for constipation and digestive system. O Tones up the abdominal muscles/organs and exercises the lungs. O Leaves curative effect for asthma patients. O Enhances sexual potentiality.

About Paschimottan Asana - Place the feet together and raise the arms above the head. At the same time one should take a deep breath. In this posture, one should attempt to hold the right big toe with the thumb and index finger of the left hand. This position should be held for approximately 5-7 seconds.

In cases where obesity is a result of glandular or endocrine disorders which involve glands like the pituitary, thyroid or adrenal glands, these yoga asanas are said to repair the malfunction that occurs.

There are people who have a low serotonin level that find that eating sweets, especially high GI refined carbohydrates like cakes, doughnuts and pies, triggers intense cravings for more sweets. Conditions like Stress and stress related conditions including depression, aggression, violence, suicidal tendencies, anxiety, panic attacks, mania and even schizophrenia and especially Obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Time has shown that there truly are no easy solutions to losing weight. And over -the-counter weight-loss pills could cause more harm than good. But one thing is certain that eating good calories and healthy fats along with vegetable and fruit, along with yogasana, one can greatly increase his chances of losing weight.

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Use Yoga to Manage Stress

Posted on October 17th, 2008
by Luanne Stevens

Yoga is an effective way to deal with yourself and a means of stress management. It is not just about feeling terrific and uniting your body with your mind and soul.

If used properly, yoga can be a good way to reduce and control stress. Many of the yoga teachers think that besides giving peace and relaxation, yoga is about the capacity to be in control and to unite with your inner being.

Asana is one of eight types of yoga where mental and spiritual health is more important than the physical. Relaxation through medition is the key to most any type of yoga, even though yoga itself includes a wide range of purely physical disciplines to purely spiritual.

If you’re planning to practice yoga as a form of stress management, it shouldn’t be as confusing as it seems because you don’t need to learn all the concepts and philosophies behind it. This ancient tradition that requires deep meditation has been proven as an effective way to relax, what you need to learn are the basic information you will need for you to apply the concept in your everyday life.

Starting out with yoga

There are many different reasons people use yoga. Probably because using yoga they can explore all the possibilites of health and relaxation. Using deep meditation, it can be used not just for spiritual discipline, but can be used to manage stress.

If you are going to be using yoga to control your stress, you will need to understand first what your main objectives are - what you want to achieve. This will help you find the right program.

The first thing that you have to bear in mind before you totally indulge in practicing yoga is setting and determining your goals. You can do this by knowing first what are the possible health and fitness benefits you can get from yoga. Most yoga practitioners agree that the major potential benefit of yoga is to relieve stress.

Apart from this, it can also increase of strength and flexibility, creation of balance as well as the improvement of breathing and overall posture. On the spiritual aspect, yoga can serve as an exercise that can help you soothe your nerves, calm your mind while increasing your focal and concentration skills.

It is important to have a physical examination before starting yoga. Talk to your doctor about the plusses and minuses of yoga. You will need to know what your physical limits are that you won’t have and complications, since yoga involves physical endurance.

Before choosing a yoga teacher, know his qualifications. You will also need to know what your physical and mental limits are. Before you use yoga to manage stress, you will need to know what clothing to wear and what time is best. Find out what the basic poses are before advancing.

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Lululemon Clothing Yoga

Posted on September 25th, 2008
by Thulas Sukati

The Sanskrit word Yoga which means union stands for harmony or balance between the body, spirit and mind - in that, it means a lot more than just meditation. There’s probably no older system for man’s personal development than this ancient practice. This age old science and philosophy treats the person by looking at him as a whole so there is the physical, the mental and the spiritual that comes up for making better and strengthening.

Any man that practices Yoga is known as a Yogi, and any woman that practices Yoga is known as a Yogini. In Indian philosophy, there are six orthodox systems and this system is one of them, being a practice that ensures health for the body and the mind. This is not just a case is of sitting in a lotus position and chanting in unity but is a huge subject and if you understand it can become a research for your entire life.

Back problems and others arising from bad posture can be cured by yoga and it also reduces stress. The main reason this complementary therapy is used with cancer patients is the feeling of wellness it bestows. According to many who know, the best time to practice it is during the morning right before your breakfast.

This ancient holistic system has many styles to it and some are given below: Raja Yoga: The chief component of this style is meditation. Kundalini Yoga: The main component here comprises of the kriyas which are special set of exercises that promise instant results and these are very safe and non-stressful to practice. This is the foundation for all modern posture based types of yoga Sahaja Yoga is another very unique meditation method that is based on the actual experience of self realization which can occur within each and every human being. Moksha hot yoga is an exclusive method which has the combination of healing yoga and the basics of conventional yoga and this is practiced in an especially heated room.

It is very popular and it is good for health. The reason for the popularity of yoga is that it is not something that is not performed on you but it is something that you perform. You build flexibility and endurance and it is gentle on the body. Associated Press and Fit Yoga claim the discipline is increasing in popularity among soldiers for improving stamina, mental focus and flexibility. This is not just a physical exercise but also a discipline where inner harmony and a sense of well being is the aim.

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Yoga - A General Overview

Posted on September 18th, 2008
by Gary Pearson

It is not possible to make a list of all types of Yoga as it has been around for hundreds of years. If you are looking for a particular the kind of Yoga which will suit you, listed below is a summary of some different varieties of yoga which will interest you.

Yogic disciplines generally focus maximum on postures and breathing. But some others focus on other things and use postures and breathing in a suitable way to have maximum impact. One good example is Vinyasa which allows breathing exercises while shifting from one posture to another. Though this form of yoga is quick, focused and not for beginners. It includes styles such as Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Kali Ray TriYoga, White Lotus and Jivamukti.

Another style of yoga known as Iyenger style is generally slower and emphasizes on each breath and every change in posture in great detail. Focusing on each and every detail carefully enables the practitioner to achieve maximum relaxation and attainment of the body, soul and mind. For beginners the use of props can be made while for those who are disabled can make use of different poses which suit them.

Yoga initially began as a form of religious exercise which had its motive on complete relaxation and peace and even today there are some forms of yoga can be found which can be used to achieve this same motive and attain spirituality. Different religions have different forms of yoga. Non-Denominational forms can be found in exploring certain forms such as Integral, Ananda, Kundalini, ISHTA, Kripalu, Anusara, Sivananda Yoga and Tibetan.

Should you come across a form of yoga described as ‘hatha,’ this is a combination of any of the above types of yoga and more. Focused on promoting a balance between meditative and strength poses, this is a common form of yoga in the West and may be a good place for beginners to start.

There is no need to stop looking from here as there are many more forms of Yoga and you don’t have to stick to the first one you find. You will find Yoga classes in your neighborhood and you can try out the styles before deciding on what is best for you.

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Ending Your Headache using Acupuncture

Posted on September 17th, 2008
by V.K. Rajagopalan

There are a great deal of things that we have to consider regularly which impacts our health. One very general thing that is felt by people in standard are Cephalalgia, or headaches. As a matter of fact, numerous people have Headaches so frequently that they simply learn to live with them and deal with the pain as best they can. Still others have Head Aches, such as migraines, which are almost intolerable to ignore and become a life altering because of their intensity. As a result of these Head Aches, several people have turned to acupuncture in order to find some succor from their distress.

There are in truth two different types of individuals who go to an acupuncturist in order to look for relief from their Head Aches. There are those who are currently experiencing a Cephalalgia, or headache and those that are trying to get some kind of preventative care in order to arrest the next Cephalalgia, or headache from occurring or to lessen its intensity. These are two very different situations and are treated differently from the acupuncturist’s standpoint. Depending on your situation when you enter their office will make a difference in how your treatment is taken care of.

The reason why this is the case is because acupuncture is a way of moving energy throughout your body and it also can increase blood flow to certain areas. The way of treating an existing Head Ache differs somewhat from the treatment that will assist in blocking future Cephalalgia, or headaches. Your doctor will be able to make that determination and to adjust the treatment accordingly.

Several people try acupuncture treatments to stop their Cephalalgia, or headaches but they are nervous whenever they enter into the office. Perhaps they have never experienced acupuncture before and are wondering how it is going to feel or if it is dangerous. The fact is, acupuncture is one of the least risky medical treatments that exists. Although it is possible for problems to take place, it is very infrequent and if the doctor is renowned and employs sterile means when inserting the needles there is little need for worry. The needles themselves seldom hurt whenever they enter into the skin and often make the individual feel either relaxed or even rejuvenated.

So, if you are going through Head Aches, the medieval Chinese art of acupuncture may be able to assist you in dealing with them. By bringing your body back into balance, you may be able to overcome your Headaches once and for all.

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