Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Lower Body Yoga Positions

Just as a tree needs to set down deep roots so it will not fall over as it grows, you need to find a comfortable position for the lower half of your body that you can sustain for 5,10,15 minutes or even longer. The great meditators have come up with traditional postures. Although they may appear different from the outside, these postures have one thing in common: the pelvis tilts slightly forward, accentuating the natural curvature of the lower back.

The following poses are arranged more or less in order, from the easiest to the most difficult to do. The lotus, though difficult, has some definite advantages and you can work up to it by stretching your hips using the yoga exercises. You should not worry about which looks the coolest; just experiment until you find the one that works best for you:

Easy position: Not recommended for extended periods of sitting because it is not very stable and does not support a straight spine. Sit on your cushion with your legs crossed in front of you. Your knees do not have to touch the floor, but do keep your back as straight as you can. You can stabilize the position by placing cushions under your knees; gradually decrease the height of the cushions as your hips become more flexible which will naturally occur over time. When your knees touch the ground, you may be ready for Burmese or lotus position.

Burmese position: This pose involves placing both calves and feet on the floor one in front of the other. Though less stable than the lotus series, it is much easier to negotiate, especially for beginners. With all the cross-legged poses, first bend your leg at the knee, in line with your thigh, before rotating your thigh to the side. Otherwise, you risk injuring your knee, which is built to flex in only one direction, unlike the ball-and-socket joint of the hip, which can rotate through a full range of motion.

Quarter lotus: Exactly like half lotus except that your foot rests on the calf of your opposite leg, rather than on the thigh.

Half lotus: Easier to execute than the famous full lotus and nearly as stable. With your buttocks on a cushion, place one foot on the opposite thigh and the other foot on the floor beneath the opposite thigh. Make sure that both knees touch the floor and your spine does not tilt to one side. To distribute the pressure on your back and legs, remember to alternate legs from sitting to sitting, if you can. In other words, left leg on the thigh, right on the floor, then left on the floor and right on the thigh.

Full lotus: With your buttocks on a cushion, cross your left foot over your right thigh and your right foot over your left thigh. It is best to alternate legs in order to distribute the pressure evenly. Full lotus is the most stable of all the poses, though it should not be attempted unless you happen to be particularly flexible.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Yoga - a cure for Stress?

Yoga is a 3,000-year-old, Hindu discipline of mind and body became known originally in the Western society with the hippie generation of the Sixties and early Seventies. Its image as a mystic practice is disappearing as fast.

As an effective method of stress management, yoga is spreading into the business world, the helping professions, nursing and old age homes, and is used in the treatment of alcoholics, hyperactive children and youngsters with learning disabilities. Yoga centers are getting stiff competition from adult education classes of community colleges, boards of education and parks and recreation departments.

The meaning of yoga is union of the body, mind and spirit with truth. There are many kinds of yoga to study, and there can be endless years of practice for the willing student.

Hatha Yoga is among the most popular forms in the west. It emphasizes the practice of postures, which stretch and strengthen the body, help develop a sense of balance and flexibility, as well as body awareness and mental concentration. All forms of yoga incorporate the practice of proper breathing techniques for relaxation, to rest the mind from its constant chatter, to experience an internal calm, and to energize and purify the body.

A lot of people are exercising for the psychological benefits and trying many of the Eastern activities, like yoga and tai chi. Yoga seems to have a calming effect on people.

Yoga techniques work on children as well as adults. When your children are quarreling, ask them to stop what they're doing, raise their arms over their heads, lean forward and breathe deeply to help diffuse their anger. It definitely helps them to calm down!