What is Bikram yoga? It is a relatively new form of yoga and it is not included in the six traditional forms of yoga, but it is becoming so popular it deserves a very special mention.
Bikram yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury. It takes place in a room that is at 105F with a humidity of about 40%. There are 26 postures and two types of breathing exercises.
Bikram yoga is more about detoxifying the body rather than reaching some sort of spiritual enlightenment. By forcing the body to sweat profusely, toxins are eliminated through the skin.
Additionally, the extra warmth makes the body more flexible, which helps prevent injury, relieves stress, and helps aid in deeper stretching.
Some people oppose Bikram yoga because it defeats the very principles of yoga. It has been heavily commercialized, and its creators protect it by copyright.
Hopefully this helps to answer the question "What is Bikram yoga?"
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Types of Yoga Meditation
Yoga and meditation go hand in hand, but what are the different types of yoga meditation?
One of the most popular is hatha yoga. It is a form of meditation which you will perform with the help of breathing. It will help you not only in relaxing the body but also your mind and breathe. If you will perform hatha yoga regularly once in a day then you feel yourself more relaxed for more than four or five hours because it also give you peace of mind and soul.
If we compare asanas (yoga positions) with other forms of meditation then it seems completely different. Yoga is a type of exercise which is performs with fast movement under a certain amount of strain. It helps you in speeding up your breath which increases the blood circulation in your body and throws away your energies because of body exertion. After accelerating your breath it will build up your muscular parts which shows that energy movies from your muscles after the activation of your nerves of body and glands.
If you body cleansing with the help of yoga then you should do neti. It is type of yoga known as neti nasal cleansing. Neti nasal cleansing is a very simple technique which is a remedy for many diseases. It is a very powerful procedure through which you can get rid of asthma and chronic sinusitis. You can also avoid different types of allergies with the help of neti. If you have fever and have problem in your respiratory system then Neti nasal cleansing is the best solution of your disease.
If you don't like smoking and wants to get rid of this habit and do neti. It is excellent solution for quitting smoking. In this process your tendency of breathing through mouth reduces and your nose is re-sensitized. Neti helps you in teaching you mind and you can quit your old and worst habit. Yoga meditation is very good way of achieving good physical and mental health.
One of the most popular is hatha yoga. It is a form of meditation which you will perform with the help of breathing. It will help you not only in relaxing the body but also your mind and breathe. If you will perform hatha yoga regularly once in a day then you feel yourself more relaxed for more than four or five hours because it also give you peace of mind and soul.
If we compare asanas (yoga positions) with other forms of meditation then it seems completely different. Yoga is a type of exercise which is performs with fast movement under a certain amount of strain. It helps you in speeding up your breath which increases the blood circulation in your body and throws away your energies because of body exertion. After accelerating your breath it will build up your muscular parts which shows that energy movies from your muscles after the activation of your nerves of body and glands.
If you body cleansing with the help of yoga then you should do neti. It is type of yoga known as neti nasal cleansing. Neti nasal cleansing is a very simple technique which is a remedy for many diseases. It is a very powerful procedure through which you can get rid of asthma and chronic sinusitis. You can also avoid different types of allergies with the help of neti. If you have fever and have problem in your respiratory system then Neti nasal cleansing is the best solution of your disease.
If you don't like smoking and wants to get rid of this habit and do neti. It is excellent solution for quitting smoking. In this process your tendency of breathing through mouth reduces and your nose is re-sensitized. Neti helps you in teaching you mind and you can quit your old and worst habit. Yoga meditation is very good way of achieving good physical and mental health.
Monday, November 08, 2010
12 Step Sun Salutation
One of the all-around yoga exercises is the 12-step Sun Salutation. Do it a few times when you get up in the morning to help relieve stiffness and invigorate the body. Multiple repetitions at night will help you to relax; insomniacs often find that six to 12 rounds help them fall asleep.
1. Stand with your feet slightly apart, palms together, thumbs against your chest.
2. Inhale deeply while slowly raising your hands over your head, and bend back as far as possible, while tightening your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.
3. Slowly exhale and bend forward, keeping your knees straight, until your fingers touch the floor outside your feet. (If you can't touch the floor, go as close as you can.) Bring your head in toward your knees.
4. Slowly inhale, bend your knees, and if your fingertips aren't outside your feet on the floor, place them there. Slide your right foot back as far as you can go, with the right knee an inch or so off the floor, (a lunge position). Now look up as high as possible, arching your back.
5. Before exhaling again, slide your left foot back until it is beside the right one, and with your weight supported on your palms and toes, straighten both legs so that your body forms a flat plane. Make sure your stomach is pulled in.
6. Slowly exhale, bend both knees to the floor, bend with your hips in the air, lower your chest and forehead to the floor.
7. Now inhale slowly and look up, bending your head back, then raising it, followed by your upper chest, then lower chest. Your lower body - from the navel down - should be on the floor, and your elbows should be slightly bent. Hold for three to five seconds.
8. Exhale slowly and raise your hips until your feet and palms are flat on the floor and your arms and legs are straight in an inverted V position.
9. Inhale slowly and bring your right foot forward as in position 4. The foot should be flat on the floor between your fingertips. The left leg should be almost straight behind you, with its knee slightly off the floor. Raise your head, look up, and arch your back.
10. Slowly exhale and bring your left foot forward next to your right one. Straighten your legs and stand, trying to keep your fingertips on the floor, and try to touch your head to your knees as in position 3.
11. Slowly inhale, raise your arms up and stretch back as in position 2. Don't forget to tighten your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.
12. Slowly exhale, lowering your arms to your sides. Relax. Repeat the series.
Practise this 12 step sun salutation as often as possible and you will reap the benefits.
1. Stand with your feet slightly apart, palms together, thumbs against your chest.
2. Inhale deeply while slowly raising your hands over your head, and bend back as far as possible, while tightening your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.
3. Slowly exhale and bend forward, keeping your knees straight, until your fingers touch the floor outside your feet. (If you can't touch the floor, go as close as you can.) Bring your head in toward your knees.
4. Slowly inhale, bend your knees, and if your fingertips aren't outside your feet on the floor, place them there. Slide your right foot back as far as you can go, with the right knee an inch or so off the floor, (a lunge position). Now look up as high as possible, arching your back.
5. Before exhaling again, slide your left foot back until it is beside the right one, and with your weight supported on your palms and toes, straighten both legs so that your body forms a flat plane. Make sure your stomach is pulled in.
6. Slowly exhale, bend both knees to the floor, bend with your hips in the air, lower your chest and forehead to the floor.
7. Now inhale slowly and look up, bending your head back, then raising it, followed by your upper chest, then lower chest. Your lower body - from the navel down - should be on the floor, and your elbows should be slightly bent. Hold for three to five seconds.
8. Exhale slowly and raise your hips until your feet and palms are flat on the floor and your arms and legs are straight in an inverted V position.
9. Inhale slowly and bring your right foot forward as in position 4. The foot should be flat on the floor between your fingertips. The left leg should be almost straight behind you, with its knee slightly off the floor. Raise your head, look up, and arch your back.
10. Slowly exhale and bring your left foot forward next to your right one. Straighten your legs and stand, trying to keep your fingertips on the floor, and try to touch your head to your knees as in position 3.
11. Slowly inhale, raise your arms up and stretch back as in position 2. Don't forget to tighten your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.
12. Slowly exhale, lowering your arms to your sides. Relax. Repeat the series.
Practise this 12 step sun salutation as often as possible and you will reap the benefits.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Yoga for Insomnia
Do you have insomnia? Read on to find out more about Yoga for Insomnia.
Sleep is essential and a good night's sleep can help you feel good, look good and think clearly.
But sleep does not always come easily. If you sometimes have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you are not the only one. A 1991 Gallup study found that more than a third of all Americans suffer from either occasional or chronic insomnia.
More recent studies have shown that nearly a quarter of the population regularly cannot go to, or stay asleep at night, and every year doctors write out more than 14 million prescriptions for sleeping tablets.
The causes of sleeplessness are many and varied. 'It can be due to a medical condition, such as chronic pain from rheumatism or arthritis,' says Professor Jim Horne, who runs the Sleep
Research Laboratory at Loughborough University. 'Or it can be chemical, as a result of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol. Chronic or long-term insomnia is often associated with depression or anxiety, and environmental factors certainly contribute.'
Immediate relief is available, in the form of hypnotic agents, for persons who have difficulty in falling or remaining asleep or who cannot obtain restful, restorative slumber. However, long-term improvement usually involves behavioral therapy. These therapeutic approaches must be integrated if the patient's short- and long-term needs are to be addressed.
Yoga can help you if you are an insomniac. The benefits of yoga include less stress, a greater sense of well being, more oxygen in the blood stream and so the list goes on. The breathing techniques and relaxation techniques that you use in yoga can help you to fall asleep more quickly and certain yoga poses also help insomnia as they increase the blood circulation to the sleep center in the brain.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
My Experience with Bikram Yoga
Everyone has heard of yoga and knows of it as a series of postures to stretch and rejuvenate your body. What is Bikram yoga and what differentiates it from other forms of yoga?
Bikram yoga is a specific style of yoga founded by Bikram Choudhury. Bikram yoga is often referred to as hot yoga as it is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees with a humidity of 50%.
The origin of this type of yoga is spiritually derived from Hinduism and regionally from Yoga College of India. Bikram yoga consists of 26 asanas or postures and two breathing exercises.
The word asana translates to the word "seat" which refers to the spirit in relation to the divine. Asanas are intended to lead back to sitting in meditation. The practice of asanas improve flexibility and tendon strength.
Asanas are meant to be done in conjunction with pranayama or breathing work. Breathing should be through the nose and natural. To receive maximum benefit from practicing asanas, all tension and tightness in the body should consciously be let go.
A glass of water before practicing asanas enhances the experience and asanas should not be done on a full stomach. The practice of Bikram yoga is meant not only to improve muscle strength and flexibility, but also to establish a balance of our physical beings in relation to the divine.
Yoga is a path to attain a balance of the body, mind and spirit. Yoga can, if done correctly, be a means to control the ongoing complaint in all of our lives, stress. Optimum health is the ultimate goal for everyone of us. Health does not just refer to our physical beings but also to our mental attitudes and spiritual growth.
Bikram yoga addresses all of these factors of our well being. When I visited my daughter in California, she signed me up for my first experience with hot yoga. Being in my fifties, I was a little concerned about the prospect of being a complete amateur at any kind of yoga and the possibility of being the oldest participant in the class.
Well, I wasn't the oldest in the class and the instructor was patient with his teaching. I was happily surprised at my ability to do so many of the postures. My self realization during the hot yoga class was my need to "stress" or hurry up at all times.
I needed to remind myself to relax, breathe slowly and through my nose. The heated room was something I thought I would not be able to tolerate. It did add to the yoga session and is probably one of the reasons I did not have aching muscles or pulled tendons the next day.
During some of the postures, I was keenly aware of my need to improve my balance and my sense of my physical position in space. For ongoing achievement of balance, I have been practicing the art of yoga via an instructional DVD in my home.
Particularly useful to me, in addition to the improvement of balance is the yoga reminds me to slow down and relax the tension in my body. The concept of the heated room in Bikram yoga is to diminish the risk of injuries and to allow you to go deeper into each posture.
The perspiration experienced during hot yoga enhances the release of toxins. The postures consist of warm up poses that can be done prior to a yoga class. There are standing poses and seated poses. The twist yoga poses have the purpose of strengthening your back, toning the abdomen and helping with digestion.
Inverted poses help you with your circulation. There's supine and backbend poses and finally the finishing poses to end your yoga session with relaxation.
Bikram yoga is designed to assist you to lose weight, tone muscles and increase blood circulation. Since this form of yoga helps lower stress levels, it can improve mental clarity and focus. This, in turn, enhances our overall levels of performance both on the job and in our personal life pursuits.
------------------------
Danna Schneider is the cofounder of http://www.dietingmagazine.com , where you can find information on weightloss products, fitness equipment and diet reviews, and dieting tips for losing weight. She also founded http://www.fitnessnewsmagazine.com , a site dedicated to the latest offerings and breakthroughs in weight loss and fitness, updated constantly with news and tips on fitness equipment, accessories, and the hottes fitness trends.
Bikram yoga is a specific style of yoga founded by Bikram Choudhury. Bikram yoga is often referred to as hot yoga as it is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees with a humidity of 50%.
The origin of this type of yoga is spiritually derived from Hinduism and regionally from Yoga College of India. Bikram yoga consists of 26 asanas or postures and two breathing exercises.
The word asana translates to the word "seat" which refers to the spirit in relation to the divine. Asanas are intended to lead back to sitting in meditation. The practice of asanas improve flexibility and tendon strength.
Asanas are meant to be done in conjunction with pranayama or breathing work. Breathing should be through the nose and natural. To receive maximum benefit from practicing asanas, all tension and tightness in the body should consciously be let go.
A glass of water before practicing asanas enhances the experience and asanas should not be done on a full stomach. The practice of Bikram yoga is meant not only to improve muscle strength and flexibility, but also to establish a balance of our physical beings in relation to the divine.
Yoga is a path to attain a balance of the body, mind and spirit. Yoga can, if done correctly, be a means to control the ongoing complaint in all of our lives, stress. Optimum health is the ultimate goal for everyone of us. Health does not just refer to our physical beings but also to our mental attitudes and spiritual growth.
Bikram yoga addresses all of these factors of our well being. When I visited my daughter in California, she signed me up for my first experience with hot yoga. Being in my fifties, I was a little concerned about the prospect of being a complete amateur at any kind of yoga and the possibility of being the oldest participant in the class.
Well, I wasn't the oldest in the class and the instructor was patient with his teaching. I was happily surprised at my ability to do so many of the postures. My self realization during the hot yoga class was my need to "stress" or hurry up at all times.
I needed to remind myself to relax, breathe slowly and through my nose. The heated room was something I thought I would not be able to tolerate. It did add to the yoga session and is probably one of the reasons I did not have aching muscles or pulled tendons the next day.
During some of the postures, I was keenly aware of my need to improve my balance and my sense of my physical position in space. For ongoing achievement of balance, I have been practicing the art of yoga via an instructional DVD in my home.
Particularly useful to me, in addition to the improvement of balance is the yoga reminds me to slow down and relax the tension in my body. The concept of the heated room in Bikram yoga is to diminish the risk of injuries and to allow you to go deeper into each posture.
The perspiration experienced during hot yoga enhances the release of toxins. The postures consist of warm up poses that can be done prior to a yoga class. There are standing poses and seated poses. The twist yoga poses have the purpose of strengthening your back, toning the abdomen and helping with digestion.
Inverted poses help you with your circulation. There's supine and backbend poses and finally the finishing poses to end your yoga session with relaxation.
Bikram yoga is designed to assist you to lose weight, tone muscles and increase blood circulation. Since this form of yoga helps lower stress levels, it can improve mental clarity and focus. This, in turn, enhances our overall levels of performance both on the job and in our personal life pursuits.
------------------------
Danna Schneider is the cofounder of http://www.dietingmagazine.com , where you can find information on weightloss products, fitness equipment and diet reviews, and dieting tips for losing weight. She also founded http://www.fitnessnewsmagazine.com , a site dedicated to the latest offerings and breakthroughs in weight loss and fitness, updated constantly with news and tips on fitness equipment, accessories, and the hottes fitness trends.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Bikram Yoga (aka Hot Yoga)
My Experience with Bikram Yoga
Everyone has heard of yoga and knows of it as a series of postures to stretch and rejuvenate your body. What is Bikram yoga and what differentiates it from other forms of yoga?
Bikram yoga is a specific style of yoga founded by Bikram Choudhury. Bikram yoga is often referred to as hot yoga as it is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees with a humidity of 50%.
The origin of this type of yoga is spiritually derived from Hinduism and regionally from Yoga College of India. Bikram yoga consists of 26 asanas or postures and two breathing exercises.
The word asana translates to the word "seat" which refers to the spirit in relation to the divine. Asanas are intended to lead back to sitting in meditation. The practice of asanas improve flexibility and tendon strength.
Asanas are meant to be done in conjunction with pranayama or breathing work. Breathing should be through the nose and natural. To receive maximum benefit from practicing asanas, all tension and tightness in the body should consciously be let go.
A glass of water before practicing asanas enhances the experience and asanas should not be done on a full stomach. The practice of Bikram yoga is meant not only to improve muscle strength and flexibility, but also to establish a balance of our physical beings in relation to the divine.
Yoga is a path to attain a balance of the body, mind and spirit. Yoga can, if done correctly, be a means to control the ongoing complaint in all of our lives, stress. Optimum health is the ultimate goal for everyone of us. Health does not just refer to our physical beings but also to our mental attitudes and spiritual growth.
Bikram yoga addresses all of these factors of our well being. When I visited my daughter in California, she signed me up for my first experience with hot yoga. Being in my fifties, I was a little concerned about the prospect of being a complete amateur at any kind of yoga and the possibility of being the oldest participant in the class.
Well, I wasn't the oldest in the class and the instructor was patient with his teaching. I was happily surprised at my ability to do so many of the postures. My self realization during the hot yoga class was my need to "stress" or hurry up at all times.
I needed to remind myself to relax, breathe slowly and through my nose. The heated room was something I thought I would not be able to tolerate. It did add to the yoga session and is probably one of the reasons I did not have aching muscles or pulled tendons the next day.
During some of the postures, I was keenly aware of my need to improve my balance and my sense of my physical position in space. For ongoing achievement of balance, I have been practicing the art of yoga via an instructional DVD in my home.
Particularly useful to me, in addition to the improvement of balance is the yoga reminds me to slow down and relax the tension in my body. The concept of the heated room in Bikram yoga is to diminish the risk of injuries and to allow you to go deeper into each posture.
The perspiration experienced during hot yoga enhances the release of toxins. The postures consist of warm up poses that can be done prior to a yoga class. There are standing poses and seated poses. The twist yoga poses have the purpose of strengthening your back, toning the abdomen and helping with digestion.
Inverted poses help you with your circulation. There's supine and backbend poses and finally the finishing poses to end your yoga session with relaxation.
Bikram yoga is designed to assist you to lose weight, tone muscles and increase blood circulation. Since this form of yoga helps lower stress levels, it can improve mental clarity and focus. This, in turn, enhances our overall levels of performance both on the job and in our personal life pursuits.
------------------------
Danna Schneider is the cofounder of http://www.dietingmagazine.com/ , where you can find information on weightloss products, fitness equipment and diet reviews, and dieting tips for losing weight. She also founded http://www.fitnessnewsmagazine.com/ , a site dedicated to the latest offerings and breakthroughs in weight loss and fitness, updated constantly with news and tips on fitness equipment, accessories, and the hottes fitness trends.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
What is Christian Yoga?
What is Christian Yoga? Here is a great article by Tracy Renning that explains exactly what Christian Yoga is.
Christian Yoga
Although developed entirely in the ancient Hindu tradition, Yoga has become universally accepted and adopted by many different spiritual paths and cultures. One of these is western Christianity.
For many Christians, however, Yoga is viewed as a spiritual practice quite difficult to accept within the Christian belief system. They are concerned that since Yoga comes from the Hindu religion, its purpose is for the practitioner to become nearer to God. The question for those who have doubts about accepting it; is whether or not the practitioner may be led to a different God. Because of that concern, many Christians miss out on the wonderful benefits available to them through Yoga.
Though some practitioners of Yoga feel it has no place in Christianity; there are a number of Yoga instructors who practice and teach the art. Usually, they are women and they actually using the church building as a classroom. Several well known Christian denominations embrace the practice.
They view the study of yoga as a healthy way to attain peace of mind, and therefore, a way of opening the path between the church member and God. For these Christians, there seems to be no contradiction stopping them from enjoying the benefits of Yoga. In addition, they want to enjoy all the physical pluses that come with practicing Yoga.
It should also be noted that not all people practice Yoga as a means of spiritual enlightenment; just doing the stretches and positions that make up Yoga can benefit the body without necessarily embracing the practice as a means to religious growth. There are many classes held all over the world that, in fact, focus on the physical aspects of Yoga without attention to the spiritual concerns.
Several forms of Christian Yoga are taught in a variety of classes in the United States. Many are taught by formal Yoga instructors, others are led by students themselves; and when held inside a church, whether intentional or not, the class encompasses the broader spectrum of spirituality.
Yoga dates back to Upanishad's period, and the word Yoga, itself is originated from Hindu culture. According to the religious practice of Hinduism, one can achieve freedom from limiting constraints of the flesh and the pitfalls of thought, as well as the delusions of the senses by going through the various levels of discipline available in Yoga. Based on this thinking, the art has been practiced by people throughout the ages.
In fact, some of the early Christians themselves practiced Yoga in spite of, or at the expense of considerable harassment. Even in today's society, some Christians are told by their religious leaders that they must not embrace Yoga because it would lead them away from their own religion and to the belief of another god.
Other Christians are certain that the actual description of Yoga can actually be found in the New Testament account of the life of Jesus Christ. They maintain that just as He led people on a simple path that brings ultimate transformation to one's life; Yoga is a step by step process of that same path which leads to a new life within.
Fortunately, for today's generation of Christians, the love and spirit that touched the early Christian Yoga practitioners is becoming an inherent part of the Yoga practiced now. For those people, this is an exciting time because the wonderful possibilities of Yoga, which have been hidden for all these centuries, are about to unfold.
That thought goes hand in hand with the promise left by Jesus when He said that "this heaven that is new awareness of your life is not far away; if you know the way to find it, then it is already yours."
What an incredible concept!
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