Tuesday 30 June 2009

Yoga For Recovery

Do you yoga? Do you yoga beyond the mat? Do you realize that yoga is a gateway to connect you with your heart's desire and life purpose?

Being in recovery from drugs, alcohol and eating disorders, I am very familiar with being disconnected from my body and rooted in shame and fear and all the feelings that made me feel powerless and out of control. I knew how to feel bad and yoga taught me how to feel better and to create radiance. Perhaps what the world needs now is a few more people walking around with open hearts.

Until we come inside and practice deep breathing, being in recovery can be a painful experience. If you are looking around for what might be wrong, it is not possible that you are breathing deep. Yoga helps you to reclaim your life by breathing through the anxiety, the fear of being out of control, and brings you back inside, where all is well and life is taking place one breath at a time.

Yoga is grounding. Yoga is rooted in compassion and fulfills a mission that feels larger than one's self-pity, story, or limitations. Yoga teaches you to breathe deeply through the pain, to process the emotions and to get you into action, to releace and let go and out of your own way. Yoga helps you to cultivate inner peace, to go within to harness the flow of radiant well-being, and to feel grounded in your body.

If you are struggling with an addiction, or in some phase of recovery, you may be familiar with the sensation of resistance or sabotaging. Do you think you were breathing when you chose to go against your body, or when you allow the thoughts to come in that tell you there is something wrong, do you think your heart is truly open and available then? Yoga clears those thoughts, the sacred practice of yoga asanas are a roadmap to clear away the cobwebs, to loosen the internal knots and to create space for positive development.

Friday 26 June 2009

Tips To Remember While Buying Yoga Mats

Yoga mats are the most essential piece of equipment in yoga. It defines your private space in the studio where you practice and above all, it provides a base to cushion your fall while doing yoga. It makes you feel comfortable and focused on your work. You will also be prevented from slipping and get a good grip. Your attention will be fully focused on holding the poses in the best possible way and will not be bothered about losing your grip or having a bad fall.

Size Of Yoga Mats

The size of the mat will vary depending on your own requirements. Children will require a relatively smaller mat. But the usual width of the mat is about 24 inches. Lengths will change starting from 60” to 75”, but the most popular ones are 68” and 72”. Smaller size mats are good if you have to travel a long distance carrying them with you. Otherwise, a bit lengthy mats are preferable while spreading out fully on it. It feels good to have your entire body on the mat and not a portion left out on the cold hard ground. A spacious mat will allow you to perform a variety of poses with ease.

The Quality Of Yoga Mats

It pays to have a good quality mat. The material of the yoga mats is very important. It also depends on the type of yoga that you do. Most of you will desire a mat which is both comfortable and durable. PVC and plastic materials are rather uncomfortable and should be purchased only when in dire need. They are also not eco-friendly. Technology has tried to bridge the gap between the environment and price of yoga mats by introducing the TPE (Thermal Plastic Elastomer) mats. They are a better option than the PVC ones. Latex is another material used for making the mats. Depending on the level of comfort, you can decide on the best mat to buy.

Price Of Yoga Mats

Most of us will like to purchase a good mat for a nominal price. But such a case is rare. Comfort comes for a high price. And you will always get mats for a cheaper price, which are anything but comfortable. Costly mats may be difficult to afford but they will be more durable and will give you a sense of stability while doing the yoga poses. Cheaper mats will wear out faster and you will have to pay more money in the long run. You might feel the pinch at first, but costlier mats are always a better option.

Yoga mats may be used while meditating or taking a sun bath also. You can even take good care of your mats by washing them with warm water or as per instructions given by the manufacturer. Drying them out in the sun after washing them is the common practice. You should remember to keep your mat clean so that you feel comfortable while doing yoga. Just take good care of your precious yoga mats and you will never feel tired of practicing yoga ever.

By: MarkSmith01

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Tuesday 23 June 2009

The Short Guide to Yoga Shorts

It's true you can wear just about anything when you do your yoga practice. But the right clothing can actually help your practice by providing comfort and freedom of motion. And it doesn't hurt to be a bit fashionable in, or on the way to, your favorite yoga class. In particular, yoga shorts are made especially for yoga. They are designed to allow greater movement without showing off a little too much, as many standard workout or running shorts can. They are an especially good choice if you practice Bikram or hot yoga, because the room is heated to such a high temperature and you'll be sweating a lot! Shorts in yoga class also offer the benefit of allowing your instructor a better view of your hip, knee and ankle alignment, which can be obstructed by longer, looser yoga pants.

Styles

Yoga shorts are rapidly replacing old-fashioned gym shorts in public yoga classes. These specially designed shorts come in a variety of lengths and fit, from clingy micro-shorts to looser fitting and longer styles. They are more stylish than gym shorts and are designed for good coverage of important body parts throughout the range of yoga poses - even during inversions. In a class most of us are anyway a little more discriminating about what we wear. Yoga shorts are often made of microfibers or a Lycra blend to provide a stretch fit. They should not be too tight, or so long that they grab at your thighs as your knees and hip. These purpose-made shorts come in a great variety of colors, material, sizes, and features from a number of designers and manufacturers to fit suit anyone's taste.

Comfort

All yoga clothing should be very durable, breathe well, wick moisture away and offer great comfort. It should permit great freedom of motion so as not to hinder your practice. Yoga shorts aim to give good coverage and be snug enough not to "flash." They may be made of cotton blends, with varying amounts of cotton and spandex or some other stretchy material. Some makers of yoga clothing, such as PrAna yoga clothing use organic cotton, hemp, and even bamboo fabric. These are typically looser-fitting, and thus tend to be longer to provide good coverage (though sometimes elastic will be used at the bottom of the legs. Many people find microfiber clothing to be exceptionally comfortable, both because of their texture and because of their exceptional ability to wick perspiration from the skin to the air. Ideally, your short will fit in a way that stay close to the skin while being loose (or stretchy) enough to allow full movement of the body. For example, the Momentum Yoga Short is a loose-fitting, 3/4-thigh length short is made from a 4-way stretch cotton-lycra. Pillar Men's Yoga Short features an inside bathing suit liner made of coolmax, which provides support and keeps you dry. Shatki Wear makes some shorts that tie on the sides.

Designs in yoga shorts have become so stylish and comfortable that you really shouldn't be without a couple of pair. They are becoming a standard part of any yoga wardrobe. And besides, before long, you're going to find yourself wearing them outside of class! To help you choose from the myriad possibilities, you can look for reviews of different makes and styles at one of the yoga review websites. In fact, you should take the time to include a review of your favorite yoga articles while you are there, and help out future yogis who are looking for some shopping help. There is enough selection these days, that there is surely a pair of yoga shorts for everyone... maybe two or three pairs. Try some out and have fun in class.

Friday 19 June 2009

How To Become The Best Yoga Teacher With Training

The final day of graduation, the transition from being a student to becoming a yoga teacher, can be compared to a butterfly getting out of a cocoon. For a new yoga instructor, it is the marked beginning of a long quest to learn more and more about body, thoughts, mind, and spirit. Though one must always remember that the yoga teacher training should never stop with graduation.

Being a yoga trainer is to take a journey where there is constant room for improvement, indeed it a never ending endeavor towards self-improvement and being in harmony and unison with one's inner self. Many people waste their lives in the race to chase. Yoga teacher training teaches an individual to enjoy each day, as a new verse of your most favorite song, and it is also expected that every person will pass on the same message to his students.

Students after graduation need to make a constant effort not to get caught in the pursuit of the excessive nature of worldly matters which is very much possible in today's hectic lifestyle. It is more than likely that many of the trainees join the class to beat the stress and pressures of daily life and hence they always look forward to a yoga teacher who can help them to be relieved from stress and anxiety, it is also a fact that a teacher who is stressed themselves will be of very little or no help to the trainees.

One habit which can take any person in yoga instructor training a long way is the a habit of penning down a journal, in which one can include writings on one's vision as a teacher and what one has been able to achieve till now. A good student should continue to study the discipline as much as possible till it becomes their life. In your private free time, one can concentrate on independent self study on topics related to this path of inner development.

Last but not the least, the most important duty of a good yoga teacher is to help each and every trainee of his or hers, to move a little closer to the realization of their own unique spiritual identity for which they have come into this world.

By: Sherry Holistan

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Tuesday 16 June 2009

Yoga Improves Your Overall Health

Yoga is an ancient spiritual tradition dating back 5000 years. But today, many people separate the spiritual yoga and the physical yoga, and focus primarily on the physical aspect: stretching and breathing as an exercise program. Yoga has many health benefits. It will improve your balance and posture. It will also improve your mood, memory, and your overall well-being. Specifically, yoga can improve your flexibility, build lean muscle, and reduce stress.

Flexibility-Stretching of your body will help your joints and muscles to become more flexible. Yoga especially helps your legs, back, shoulders, and hips become more flexible. Yoga is a serious of poses that stretch your muscles. As you do more yoga, you will feel yourself becoming more flexible. Not only will your muscles become more flexible, but your joints will be more flexible as well. Each time you practice the poses you will be able to reach a little farther. Yoga will loosen your tight muscles by releasing the lactic acid that builds up while weight training. Yoga is a total body stretch. It stretches not only the muscle, but the ligaments and tendons.

Building Lean Muscle-Yoga is a way of building muscle without the bulk. Yoga uses isometric resistance to help build lean muscle. Isometrics uses the body's own weight as resistance. This happens when the muscle does not change its length. For example, when you lift a dumbbell you are shortening the muscle, and when you lower the dumbbell you are lengthening the muscle. Isometrics does not move the added weight to make it stronger. This type of training is easier on the muscle.

In addition to yoga another good way to build lean muscle is by taking whey protein. Whey protein is dairy based, so it is easy for people to digest. It offers more pure protein than soy based proteins. There are many other benefits to taking whey protein. It also aids in the keeping your immune system healthy. But mainly, it helps build lean muscle and promotes the loss of fat giving you a lean physique. When purchasing Whey Protein be sure to buy Isolate Whey Protein solutions. They contain 90 % pure protein without the fats and carbohydrates of a Whey Protein Concentrate.

Reduce Stress-Studies have shown that participating in some kind of physical activity at least three times a week will reduce stress. Exercise releases endorphins, which naturally make you happy. Yoga helps you to relax by learning how to breathe deeply and through meditation. The concentrated stretching in Yoga releases the tension that is stored because of stress. One way to reduce stress is to breathe deeply. Yoga teaches this. The more oxygen you take in the less stressed you will be. Yoga also teaches you to meditate. Meditation also relieves stress. The mental benefits of yoga offset the stress in our life. Yoga is all about relaxation.

Yoga will increase your flexibility, build lean muscles, and reduce stress. This ancient tradition has many health benefits-inside and outside the body, emotional, disease prevention, and alleviation. There are many styles and forms of yoga. It can be an intense aerobic workout or a peaceful meditation. The stretching of the muscle to create lean muscle and taking whey protein as a nutritional supplement can have a positive effect overall on your bodies health.


Sunday 14 June 2009

Enjoying Healthy Relationships Through Yoga Meditation

We all know that the practice of yoga meditation can benefit us in, both the physical and the mental disciplines. And such practices have grown so vast that it has braved the test of time. A classic, so to speak.And healthy relationships through yoga meditation is achievable. And the practice of such does not only limit with meditations or flexibility, it also helps its practitioners in achieving a healthy relationship. As you practice yoga meditation, you learn how to respect your body. You learn the importance of being fit and enjoy its benefits. With this, one learns the importance of Respect, which is very vital in a healthy Relationship.

This word here is an important factor, an important key to the success of a relationship. With yoga meditation, one learns flexibility. First this term would only refer to the physical aspect. But later as the yoga meditation practitioner progresses, he slowly understands the meaning of his activity beyond its physical aspect alone. He learns that he can apply what he has learned not only in its exercise state but also in the life as well. Flexibility now becomes an applied character. So the practitioner now has a broader sense of understanding and is now capable of adjusting well, both in a crowd or in a relationship as well.

In here the yoga practitioner learns RESPECT! During the practice of yoga, one develops Mind Power! A key ingredient, to better equip a person in his/her journey through life. In here one learns how to cope, adjust and even know when to fight back in facing the challenges in life. In the relationships point of view, a yoga practitioner can apply the concept of Mind Power, by showing to his/her partner that he/she knows how to control his/her emotions, as well as the yoga practitioner knows when will be the proper time to react to a certain situation. In the practice of yoga meditation, one learns the concept of fulfillment or shared happiness as a goal, and this can be learned through shared love and thoughtfulness.

All these are basic elements needed in a relationship. These are basic elements but vitally important as well. Imagine a relationship without thoughtfulness and shared love, it's like a house built beside a riverbank. A relationship bound to be doomed. But a healthy relationship built on strong and sturdy grounds of shared love, thoughtfulness and respect is like a house built with strong foundations and elevated grounds. In here the yoga practitioner applies the concept of COMMITMENT! Balance is another factor taught in Yoga Meditation, which is very beneficial in a sound and healthy relationship. In here the practitioner knows how to weigh situations and decide wisely as well.

This concept lies in the aspect of "a balanced mind, leads to emotional and physical control as well." Your level of Awareness also enhances. A yoga practitioner here begins proper control of his well being and his partner. As a result your partner's level of Trust to you strengthens and thus you gain Respect and later Commitment begins. These three bonded together as one is a powerful foundation needed to build a strong and healthy relationship. These can all be learned in the practice of yoga.

The author of this article Rose Windale is a Health and Wellness Coach who has been successful with several natural health programs for many years. Rose decided to share her knowledge and tips through her website http://www.healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free newsletter and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

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Friday 12 June 2009

Pilates and Yoga Mat Bags - They Are Funky and Practical - Why You Need One!

Everyone wants to stay in shape, and Pilates is able to provide the perfect way to do just that. When we head out for a workout session, there are a number of things that we need to carry when we go. Water bottles, extra changes of clothes, and the essential Pilates or Yoga mat are just a few of those very necessary items. For the mat, a Pilates or Yoga mat tote bag is needed. Other items can easily be carried in an additional gym or tote bag, but nothing fits the mat like a bag that has been made for carrying it. The Pilates mat is what makes doing the Pilates exercises safely and effectively a possibility, as they provide a non slip, padded surface.

If you are new to Pilates exercises, then you might want to buy a Yoga mat bag first, because you will definitely need a mat for maximum safety during workouts. You can choose to buy one or several different Pilates mat bags. There is a Pilates Mat bag to suit every mood! There are several different styles to choose from that include various colors and patterns. You can buy a silk yoga mat bag with Asian printed patterns if you would like. They are not at all expensive, and they are extremely fashionable and come in many designer prints. If you prefer pink cotton or a mesh yoga mat bag, then your wish shall be granted. There are so many styles to choose from. Hugger Mugger make a great collection of Yoga and Pilates mat bags.

The Pilates mat bag comes with a shoulder strap that is meant to decrease the amount of pressure that is placed on the spine. Everything about Pilates focuses on the human body. The spine is a very fragile region of the body that needs to be taken care of and maintained over the years. Too much pressure in the incorrect areas can potentially result in extreme injury that requires physical therapy and other medical treatments. Injury prevention in exercise is one of its most important facets. Without the prevention of injury, harm becomes more probable. The Pilates or Yoga mat is the back brace to all of its movements and exercises.

Other features that you will be able to find in the Pilates Yoga mat bag include extra compartments to place your money, keys, or other small and valuable items in. The Pilates mat bag is great for those who love organization. They are also wonderful for those who want to keep up with the latest and most fashionable styles. You can even find these types of bags available in leather and suede. Unique colors like gold and silver are also available. Polka dots and flowers are also no stranger to the Pilates mat bag.

Make sure that the bag that you choose to buy contains all of the features that you are looking for. This type of bag goes a long way when it comes to saving money and making room. It gives you a place to put your mat, and it can be stored away in the bag as well. They are convenient, and nifty. Staying organized has never been so easy.

Lilly Smithe has been practicing pilates for many years and loves the exercise regime. She has developed a website for pilates product reviews PilatesReviewed.com, where you can also find a great collection of Pilates and Yoga Mat Bags.

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Tuesday 9 June 2009

Basic Yoga Poses For Triathletes, Cyclists and Runners

This article shows you 7 yoga asanas that efficiently help cyclists, triathletes and runners with stiff muscles.

If you are doing a lot of running or cycling, it is also common that you have stiff legs. This stiffness in the legs, ranging from the foot up to the gluteus maximus, can cause different problems as for instance the iliotibial band syndrome. Other problems that can arise from stiff leg muscles are back problems. Please check my blog for more posts about knee problems and their prevention.

These poses are particularly good for newcomers to yoga. They will help you getting more flexible leg muscles. Every asana is described with its English and Sanskrit name, so that you can find videos and pictures of the poses on the web or in a book. I mostly find the asanas on YouTube.

When your legs are more flexible, they can perform with less resistance. It will be possible to run or cycle more efficient. It will also help you to avoid overuse injuries as iliotibial band syndrome. I have noticed that when I started doing yoga or stretching, I didn't get any knee pain anymore.

It is normal for beginners to feel a light sensation of pain when trying to get into the different asanas. Don't give up! Through regular stretching you will gain flexibility and it will be much easier getting into the postures. In the end you will really enjoy them.

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): This is a very good stretch for your hips.

Standing forward bend (Uttanasana): This pose will flex your hamstrings, gluteus maximus, medius and minimus as well as your spinal muscles. People with back injury should approach this bend very cautiously. Gravity should do the work, don't push your body into the pose. It is recommended to bend you knees if your hamstrings are very stiff. That will increase the stretch.

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I): Warrior I is a very good posture to stretch you hip flexors, which is a weak point in many runners and cyclists. It increases flexibility in the hips, back and front groins.

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): This is another pose that will stretch your hip joints. It will also open the groins and stretch the inner thigh muscles.

Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana): Stretches the back side of the legs and opens the groin. It will also stretch the upper body. Is a very good follower to the Warrior II.

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): A follow up of the Warrior I posture. Above all the hips are getting worked on here.

Intense side stretch (Parsvottanasana): This pose work on your hamstrings and gluteus maximus. It gives you a more intense stretch for your hamstrings than you get in the standing forward bend.

Wide stance forward bend (Prasarita Padottanasana): For stretching your hamstrings and gluteus maximus, this is a very good asana. The difference to the standing forward bend is that in this pose you have your feet wider apart. It is also called wide-legged forward fold.

To get the most of the asanas described above, stay for five deep breaths in position. By doing the poses regularly you will open up your groin and increase the flexibility in your legs and hips. This will reduce the risk of getting problems with overuse injuries. I recommend doing these asanas at least three times a week and when you have done them for 2 months we can go to the next level.

I hope these Yoga asanas will help you enjoying your sport!

Gunnar

Gunnar is a two time triathlon finisher and has a blog about triathlon training and Yoga for athletes.

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Saturday 6 June 2009

Yoga And Natural Sleep

We know about the wonderful benefits of yoga—relaxation, better circulation, increased energy, and so on. We have heard of people getting up early to practice yoga; hopefully, they are also going to bed early so they’re not cutting their sleep short. That’s because sleep has its own benefits, which are different from the benefits of yoga. Enough sleep and good-quality sleep make possible things that yoga and meditation cannot accomplish, and vice versa.

Deep stages of yoga and meditation provide access to energy and consciousness that sleep alone cannot provide. Yoga can be relaxing, energizing, peaceful, and deeply fulfilling all at the same time. It is a unique daytime experience unlike any other.

Sleep never feels like that. Unless you’re into conscious dreaming and the like, sleep rarely gives you a ‘wow’ experience. First of all, when we fall asleep, we don’t really know its happening. When we wake up, it just feels ordinary, unlike the exhilaration one can feel during yoga or meditation. So, as we do with many of the good things in life, most of us take sleep for granted.

What’s different about sleep? During deeper stages of sleep we secrete growth hormones that promote cell healing. That doesn’t happen during meditation. The body produces a dazzling array of chemicals during sleep that researchers are only beginning to uncover. It seems that the more we learn, the more questions we have.

However, there is one more important similarity between yoga and sleep. In western culture, the practice of yoga has become solely a willful practice. You use your will to practice poses. Among advanced yogis, their practice is more about grace and experiencing the flow of chi or prana (energy) in the body. Falling asleep is similar in one aspect to an advanced yoga practice. You cannot will yourself to sleep. It’s impossible. If you have insomnia, you know what I mean; or you can ask one of your wakeful friends. In order to fall asleep, you have to relax. You have to let go of your conscious mind, or sleep cannot happen.

At Savvy Rest, we think sleep is one of the most beneficial and important daily activities. Our line of organic mattresses and natural mattresses are made from the most natural materials. After all, shouldn’t your sleep be just as relaxing and healthy as any other aspect of your life?

By: Michael Penny

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Friday 5 June 2009

Yoga Center India

Center Facilities
Benda Acupuncture and yoga center provides various types of facilities in center. Some of the specialized provided in the centre are given below.

Yoga
Yoga is a system of mental and physical exercises which were originally developed in India over thousands of years. Yoga comes in many forms specifically designed to suit different types of people. As a result, some forms of yoga have gained significant popularity outside India, particularly in the West during the past century.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture literally means “needle piercing” - the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (known as acupoints or acupuncture points) for therapeutic purposes. Acupuncture involves stimulating. Apart from the usual method of puncturing the skin with the fine needles, the practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points.

Panchkarma
The Panchkarma Therapy of Ayurveda comprise of advanced treatment for elimination of vitiated toxic materials from the body. To bring about equilibrium in the body Ayurveda prescribes Panchkarma – a curative line of treatment that works in the principles of purification procedure. Subtly harmonizing purification and environmental toxins from the body’s tissue in a gentle and effective way and eliminate them from the physiology.

Meditation
Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, thinking mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. Meditation is a method of bringing peace and harmony into the hectic and confused lives of people.It is a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth It is an effort to make life better by ensuring physical and mental well being. However, meditation bestows the best results when it is carried out voluntarily and is not a forced effort.

Pranayam
Pranayama is an aspect of Yoga that deals with regulated breathing. It is a method of controlling prana or life force through the control of the motion of inhalation, exhalation and the retention of vital energy. Pranayama has the capacity of freeing the mind from untruthfulness, ignorance and all other painful and unpleasant experiences of the body and mind. It can avert many diseases pertaining to stomach, lungs, heart and brain including Diabetes, Cholesterol, Constipation, Acidity, Respiratory troubles, Allergy, Migraine, High blood pressure etc.

Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is an established, recognised system of diagnosis and treatment that lays its main emphasis on the structural integrity of the body. It is distinctive in that it recognises that much of the pain and isability we suffer stem from abnormalities in the function of the body structure as well as damage caused to it by disease. Physiotherapy uses many of the diagnostic procedures used in conventional medical assessment and diagnosis.

Diet therapy
Dietary therapy involves instruction on how to adjust a diet to reduce the number of calories eaten. Reducing calories moderately is essential to achieve a slow but steady weight loss, which is also important for maintenance of weight loss. Strategies of dietary therapy include teaching about calorie content of different foods, food composition (fats,carbohydrates, and proteins), reading nutrition labels, types of foods to buy, and how to prepare foods. Some diets for weight loss include low-calorie, very-low calorie, and low-fat.

Gymnasium
Gymnasium terms signifying respectively system, physical exercises practised either for recreation or for the purpose of promoting,health and development body building where such exercises are carried on.

By: Dr. Hemant Benda

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Wednesday 3 June 2009

Doing Yoga Positions With the Help of a Yoga Mat

There are many yoga positions in the eight limbs of yoga. The most popular in these eight styles is the Hatha yoga. However, before you start with all the bending ensure that you are wearing the right clothes that will allow you to perform various positions. In addition, it is also advisable to use a yoga mat. This is to avoid accidents and to give you comfort while you are in a yoga pose.

Meditation is the main goal of Hatha yoga positions. To achieve this, you need to relax and free your mind. Now, you might wonder how anybody can be relaxed in such a position. This is because yoga poses allow you to focus your energy in certain chakra points. If you are still having a hard time relaxing in each posture or asana, you can use a yoga mat for added comfort.

Before we continue with the topic, let us take a pause for some reminders from experts in yoga. Professional yoga practitioners always tell us not to take each position as simply an exercise to build up or strengthen body muscles. Exercise is only part of the yoga, its main goal is to achieve overall well being. Prior to the positions that you are going to do, do it on yoga mat for safety reasons.

Now going back to the yoga practice, on your yoga mat, do a little of bending and stretching to warm up your body and loosen up some joints. If you are doing yoga in a class, the instructor, or the guru, already prepared the yoga poses that you are going to do. However, if you are going to do yoga in your home, one recommendable position for you is the savasana or corpse pose.

Savasana is the type of position that involves just lying down on the yoga mat. You can do it in between other yoga poses to relax your whole body and mind. You can also use it to cool down after the exercise. The reason why is it's recommended to people practicing yoga in their homes is because it is not complicated. It does not involve complex bending or twisting that without a proper guidance of a guru could cause some injuries.

Here are some of the commonly used yoga positions. The matsyana or the fish pose, which can relieve the body from tension. The dhanurasana, known as bow pose, which is a great stretching position. Setu bandhasana is for flexible persons and involves a lot of bending. Before trying out some of the yoga position, ensure that your yoga mat is clean from any liquids such as sweat. This is necessary in order for you to achieve the position you are aiming for.

After you are through with the yoga practice, always cool yourself down before beginning any other task. This is to put your muscles back in the relaxed state. As mentioned before, you can do the corpse pose on your yoga mat. This would return your heart rate at a normal level.

Over all, yoga poses are essential in the meditation process. If you are going to practice by yourself, always ensure your safety first. Do not do complex positions if you are not an expert or without the help of guru. Lastly, always use yoga mat to give you a grip of the supporting surface.

Robert has extensive knowledge on yoga mats, and also provides information on yoga dvds

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Probert