Yoga for Women

If a woman wants to live a healthy life devoid of any stress, she should start her day with some gentle yoga practise.

First of all, when you roll out of your bed, sit on a yoga mat on the floor and hug your knees to your chest. Then raise your legs in the air and stay this way until your head clears. Then stand up and drop your forehead as near to your shins as possible until you feel ready to tackle the day ahead.

Waking up doesn't have to consist of pouring coffee down your throat to shock yourself into life.
Many women start working against themselves as soon as they wake up - caffeine, cigarettes, intensive exercises or no exercise at all. There are a lot of faddish like get fit programs around today have a very violent approach - e.g. do 50 leg raises or pound your body jogging on the pavement or jump around to a rhythm not of your own making.

Your approach to fitness and well-being and to life in general should be a more gentle one - working with concentration and determination at your own pace without competing with anyone else. Don't be ruthless with yourself and you won't be ruthless with other people.

Your routine should ideally center on 28 postures drawn from the 5,000-year-old technique whose name comes from the Sanskrit for sun, moon and join together. The exercises should range from deep breathing to pretzel-like stretches.

Yoga provides many benefits and is a great start to your day because:

- It helps you maintain flexibility, build strength and muscle definition and even
- It is strenuous, but not painful, and it gives every inch of your body a terrific workout.
- It is very helpful in strengthening a body that has been plagued by injury.

Try to spend 30 to 90 minutes on your yoga routine, before you have breakfast, five or six days a week.

Avoid the temptation to only go with your strong points - like weight-lifting if you've got great muscles. It's the thing that you find the hardest that you need to work on the most.

Don't space out during your yoga practise. Use that time to have a private conversation with yourself: 'How is my balance and coordination today?' , 'How do I feel physically and mentally?', 'Is there something I should pay special attention to?'

A Ten Minute Yoga Routine

Whether you are a stay at homeMom with a new baby or working too many hours at the office, you can do Yoga any time in almost any place! You can do yoga stretches and postures in bed or even while driving to work.

Hundreds of Yoga practitioners use their lunch hour to squeeze in a little exercise Yoga style!

I occasionally use my lunch hour for Yoga, said John Ray White, 35, who works at the Arkansas attorney general's office. Downward facing dog and sun salutation are two of the postures she practices every day.

Practicing yoga in the middle of day some people think is the break that they need to face the afternoon, said Ray.

Here are a few poses you can do to get started.

Kick Back Log-on Pose

Interlace your fingers behind your head. Relax your elbows and shoulders. Smile, breathe and stretch your elbows back. Let the tightness release slowly.

E-mail Meditation

While reading your e-mail, remember to breathe slowly and focus your attention on your breath. Make the out-breath two times longer than the in-breath. This will immediately calm you.

Photocopier Stretch

Place your hands on the edge of the copier. Stand back with feet apart. Drop your head and chest. Breathe and relax your shoulders.

Close-the-deal Warrior Pose

Raise your arms to the side with fingers pointed. Take a big step to the side, with your right foot out and knee bent, your left foot planted, left leg straight. Keep the upper body straight and strong, shoulders relaxed. Relax into the stretch -- don't hold your breath. Return to a standing position, switch sides and repeat.