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Make Your Downward Dog A Good Dog
Downward-facing dog is a restorative yoga pose that is done often throughout the course of many yoga classes. This yoga pose looks simple, but there are many elements you can focus on as you hold the pose.
Some tips for a good down dog include the following:
-Keep your hands shoulder-width apart and spread your fingers while pressing the palms into the floor.
-Tuck your tailbone. Many people make the mistake of arching the low back in this pose in an attempt to stretch the hamstrings. Instead, concentrate on lifting the sit bones towards the ceiling.
-Walk your dog. Slowly alternate bending and straightening each knee to stretch your calves and hamstrings.
-Keep the outside edges of your feet parallel to each other and keep your feet about hip width apart.
-Slowly raise your toes off the floor and lower them; this motion helps to release the hamstrings and bring your heels closer to the floor.
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Be Aware Of The Breath
Attention to the breath is an important element of any hatha yoga discipline.
In yoga for beginners, you learn to use the breath dictate the length of time it takes to move into a posture. The benefits of regulated breathing in hatha yoga disciplines include facilitation of healing, preparation of the mind for meditation, and invigoration of the body during asanas.
Yogic breathing means inhaling and exhaling deeply through the nose. Breathing through the mouth is rare in yoga practices, although there are exceptions. If you are a beginning yoga practitioner and you have a hard time breathing only through your nose, don’t worry about it; you will develop the skill as you continue to practice yoga. Meanwhile, don’t hold your breath because you don’t want to breathe through your mouth. Holding your breath limits how deeply you can work in a pose.
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Beginners
When you're starting out, the important thing to focus on during your yoga practice is the balance between body and mind. You want to perform poses to the best of your ability, without stress or strain, and to remember to breathe. Your flexibility and the duration you can hold positions will increase over time.
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Hatha Yoga: Let’s Get Physical
The term “hatha yoga” is an umbrella term. Specifically, hatha yoga is the branch of yoga that includes the physical elements, namely the asanas, or poses, and breathing (pranayama). It includes all types of physical yoga disciplines with which you may be familiar, including Ashtanga yoga, Bikram yoga, Iyengar yoga, Kundalini yoga, and Svaroopa yoga.
In addition, lesser known styles including Kripalu, Ananda, and Ansura yoga fall under the hatha heading because they involve physical activity, although these three have a stronger meditative element and less of a “workout/fitness yoga” orientation.
Yoga is a centuries-old philosophy with a goal of spiritual enlightenment based on the integration of the mind and body through eight branches. Hatha is the physical element and is one of the eight branches of yoga. Simplified definitions of the other seven branches are as follows:
-Bhakti yoga: Achieving enlightenment based on devotion to a supreme being.
-Guru yoga: Achieving enlightenment through devotion to a yoga teacher.
-Jnana yoga: Achieving enlightenment through the idea that your current perception of distinct experiences will ultimately blend into one consciousness.
-Karma yoga: Achieving enlightenment by acting unselfishly and with integrity.
-Mantra yoga: Achieving enlightenment by using sound to harmonize the body and mind
-Raja yoga: Achieving enlightenment based on asanas, breathing, concentration, and moral discipline (this branch consists of eight limbs and incorporates ashtanga yoga).
-Tantra yoga: Achieving enlightenment through activation of the body’s spiritual energy (this branch incorporates kundalini yoga).
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Improvement Time
Beginners often wonder how long it will take before postures get easier. While there's no simple answer to that question, you will notice that if you practice consistently (on a daily or weekly schedule) rather than intermittently postures gradually become less difficult. If you find you hurt after practice, try doing shorter, more frequent sessions to improve your flexibility.
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Yoga for Weight Loss
One of the five principles of yoga is diet. Think of your body as an instrument through which you can play the music of the universe. Like any instrument, you want to keep it well cared-for. By eating healthy -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains and limited (or no) meat products -- you will develop a stronger leaner body, especially as you practice your yoga technique. Yoga also has many physical benefits, including a leaner body, a straighter posture and more defined muscle tone. With all this in mind, it's easy to see why so many choose to use yoga for weight loss and generally better living.
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Insomnia
Sometimes it´s hard to turn off the day and relax enough to fall asleep. We all have those nights.
If you can´t sleep, try using calming poses to help you relax - forward bends, gentle twists, and simple inversions are good choices. Remember to breathe slowly and fully. This will also help you relax.
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Feel More Flow With Yoga Equipment
You don’t need a lot of fancy yoga equipment other than your yoga mat and enough space on either side of you. But there are two key pieces of yoga equipment that can make your practice better and more fun—a yoga block and a yoga strap.
Yoga block: A yoga block is a yoga accessory that comes in handy to help you achieve the correct alignment in yoga poses. If you have used a block in your yoga classes and found it helpful, you may want to invest in one or two for your practice at home. Try Gaiam’s foam or cork yoga blocks. Both types of blocks are lightweight and provide solid support for your yoga practice.
Yoga strap: A yoga strap can be useful if you have tight hips and hamstrings. One pose in which a strap is especially helpful is the reclining big toe pose (supta padangusthasana). Here’s how to do it: Lie on your back and extend one leg up towards the ceiling. If you can’t reach your big toe while keeping your leg straight and your back flat on the floor, simply wrap the strap around the ball of the foot on the extended leg and hold the two ends. Or you can form a loop to place around the extended foot if you prefer to hold the strap in one hand. If you're looking for a strap, check out Gaiam’s organic cotton yoga strap with a double loop buckle for easy adjustments.
If you're new to yoga and want to practice at home, consider a complete yoga set. These sets vary, but they often include a mat and mat bag, as well as a DVD.
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Eight Limbs
Traditional yoga has eight steps, or limbs, for guidance in living a meaningful and purposeful life. They are: Yama, moral disciplines; Niyama, self disciplines; Asana, postures; Pranayama, breath control; Pratyahara, sensory withdrawal; Dharana, concentration; Dhyana, meditation; Samadhi, transcendence.
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The Best Time To Take Yoga Class
When is the best time to take a yoga class? There are benefits to morning, day, and night time classes. Early morning yoga -- often held around sunrise -- is a great way to open your channels and start the day. During an afternoon slump, a yoga class is a perfect pick-me-up, and certainly better for you than a candy bar! However, you should be aware that after a yoga class the body and mind might not be in the best state to attend an important meeting or meet a deadline. Be sure to allow time after class until you know how you will adapt to yoga. Evening or night time classes are ideal to put you into a state of relaxation that will allow you to have a deep and restful sleep.
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Benefits
Headstand, and other inverted poses, increase circulation, stimulate the brain, enhance glandular system functioning, and relieve pressure on the abdominal organs.
Remember that pregnant or menstruating women should NOT do inverted poses.
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Differences: Yoga vs. Pilates
There are both differences and similarities between Yoga and Pilates. The biggest difference is that Pilates uses a line of equipment that does not exist in yoga. But the theory of mind-body connection exists in both Yoga and Pilates. They also share a fluidity of movement.
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Bikram Yoga: Why the Heat?
Why is it so hot in a Bikram yoga studio? The heat actually works to loosen your muscles. This in turn allows you to move more fluidly into a deeper yoga pose. Also, the heat challenges you to move past your comfort level into a focused mental state. Finally, the heat also helps you sweat, which facilitates the removal of toxins in your body.
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Footwear
You should NOT wear shoes when doing yoga.
Having bare feet when you practice will help you to have proper balance and stability. However, since maintaining a comfortable temperature is also important, you can wear socks if the floor surface is cold.
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"Easy Does It Yoga"
The American Yoga Association's “Easy Does It Yoga” program is designed for the elderly or anyone with physical limitations. Developed in the 1960s the program student's manual “provides a comprehensive routine of exercise, breathing, and meditation, many of which are designed for chair or bed.”
Information about the program can be found at http://www.americanyogaassociation.org/EasyDoesIt.html
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Hatha Yoga: Pranayamas
Pranayamas, or breathing exercises, are extremely important to practicing Hatha yoga properly. Once the breath is controlled, the mind is controlled, according to the yogis. Our energy (Prana) is altered though the exercises, which often involve deep inhalations (usually through the nose), exhalations (through the mouth), and even holding the breath for a few counts. These practices prepare the way for Samadhi (enlightenment). Pranayama practice is also a vital part of Kundalini yoga.
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