Saturday, October 27, 2012

Yoga exercises for fitness


     Basic Yoga Session - Yoga Exercise and Pose



Set your gym equipment aside. Yoga Exercise will only require you 30 minutes each day, a Yoga Mat or blanket, and a small exercise space.  

 You might be surprised to learn that your body can actually do things you did not think possible. Take the wide range of Yoga Poses that can help an individual attain a high level of self-awareness, balance, and strength. The seven primary types of movements that your body can make through Yoga exercise are flexion, extension, hyperextension, abduction, adduction, rotation, and circumduction. You can do a combination of these movements to have a stronger, more flexible, and balanced body. 

Yoga is one good way of relaxation. It can ease the tension building in your muscles and joints without experiencing fatigue and overexertion. The Yoga exercise is also believed to make a practitioner look younger. The basic yoga moves involved in the poses and exercises will provide inner peace and radiant health. 

These are some of the things to keep in mind before indulging into Yoga Exercise: 

Know your body limits.
If you want to enjoy the activity, don't push too hard. This could also avoid hurting yourself in the process.
It is advisable to start with a teacher so you will be guided on the yoga basic positions. If that is not possible, good books or videos on Yoga Exercise can help you get started.
Consult a health professional before starting to do the exercises, especially if you have certain medical conditions.
The Asanas or the Yoga Poses usually start in breathing slowly and deeply, concentrating your mind, and making yourself centered. Remember that your body movements and breathing must be coordinated until such time that they are one and the same. Your breathing will also be your guide on when to start or stop the Yoga Exercise. Coming into a pose, holding it, and coming out of it must be continuously done with gracefulness.



The Sequence of Yoga Asanas

  Yoga Exercise - Corpse Pose (Savasana)
The Corpse Yoga Pose is considered as a classic relaxation Yoga Pose and is practiced before or in between Asanas as well as a Final Relaxation. While it looks deceptively simple, it is actually difficult to perform. Learn more on how to do it with the help of this article. 

  Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
This is one of the classic Meditative Poses and is usually performed after doing the Corpse Pose. The Easy Pose helps in straightening the spine, slowing down metabolism, promoting inner tranquility, and keeping your mind still. 

  Neck Exercises
Many people hold tension in their necks and shoulders, leading to stiffness, bad posture, and tension headaches. Yoga practice can ease tension, increase flexibility, and tone the muscles. Learn some Neck Exercises in this section. 
                                         

      20 Minute Weight Loss & Fatburning Yoga Workout!                                  

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  Shoulder Lifts
Many people hold tension in their necks and shoulders, leading to stiffness, bad posture, and tension headaches. Yoga practice can ease tension, increase flexibility, and tone the muscles. This section covers the steps on how to practice Shoulder Lifts. 

  Eye Training
Like any other muscles, the eye muscles also need exercise to be healthy and strong. By moving the eyes in every direction, without turning your head at all, these Five Yoga Eye Exercises will strengthen the eye muscles, help prevent eyestrain, and improve eyesight. 

  Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)
The Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar is a Yoga Pose which limbers up the whole body in preparation for the Yoga Asanas. It is a graceful sequence of twelve Yoga positions performed as one continuous exercise. Learn how to practice Sun Salutation in this section. 

  Double Leg Raises
A Double Leg Raise is similar to a Single Leg Raise, only this time, you will raise both legs. In doing this Yoga Pose, make sure that the full length of your back is resting on the floor and your shoulders and neck are relaxed. This section covers the steps and guidelines on how to do this pose properly. 
Headstand (Sirshasana)
Headstand is one of the basic postures in the world of Yoga and is considered as the king of Asanas because of its numerous effects on the entire body. Many Yogis believe that practicing the Headstand can help in treating illnesses. 

  Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana)
In the Shoulder Stand, your body is resting on your shoulders. This Yoga Pose improves circulation, strengthens the abdominal area, and stimulates the thyroid gland. In this section, learn how the Shoulder Stand is performed. 

  Plough Pose (Halasana)
The Plough Pose stretches your spine, thus, improving spinal flexibility. It benefits the thyroid gland and abdomen, eases tension in the shoulders and back, and reduces stress. Learn how to practice the Plough Pose in this section. 

  Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
This Yoga Pose strengthens the spine and helps in building core and lower body strength. In this section, know how to perform the Bridge Pose. Keep in mind, though, that this pose should not be done by people who are suffering from serious back or knee injury. 

  Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
The Bow Pose resembles an archer's bow. It strengthens the muscles in the back area, improves posture, and helps in dealing with several gastrointestinal problems. Take note that this Yoga Pose is not for people who are suffering from serious neck or back injury. 

  Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
If the Cobra Pose works mainly on the upper back, the Locust Pose targets the lower part. This posture also strengthens the abdominal area, arms, and legs. Another thing that makes it different from many poses is that it entails rapid movement. Check out how it is done in this section. 

  Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Doing the Fish Pose relieves stiffness of the neck and shoulder muscles and improves flexibility of your spine. It is the counter-pose of the Shoulderstand. Hold the Fish Pose for at least half the amount of time you spent in the Shoulderstand in order to balance the stretch. 



Thursday, October 25, 2012

Meditation gives a peaceful life .


Dealing with stress? Here are some ways to make you feel better!


Stress affects everyone, nearly all of the time. Some of the stress is good stress, like forcing yourself to work harder to study for a test you need to pass. Some stress, however, can control our lives. Do you worry consistently, perhaps about things that you have no control over? Do you find yourself snapping at friends and family? Here are some reminders of what you can do to make yourself feel better, giving yourself time to recover from the stress that can take over our lives.

First off, it's important to take time for yourself. Sometimes we get so caught up trying to take care of other people, we lose part of ourselves, forgetting that it's ourselves that we need to take care of more than anything. Realizing that taking care of yourself is a good idea is the very first step towards a stress-reduced life!

Tell yourself that you are going to do something nice for yourself at least once a day.

Here is a list of nice things that you can do:


* Tell yourself something nice. Examples of this include things like "I'm doing a good job taking care of my family," or "I handled that situation well," etc. It's good to let yourself know that you are a great person and that you are handling your life very well.

* Put something inspirational on your mirror. Whenever you look into your mirror you will be able to read it and feel inspired. Perhaps this thing could be just a quote, or maybe a poem, or a list of things that remind you what make you truly happy.

* When you wake up in the morning, shower, put on your make up, get dressed, make your bed, and be sure to put your shoes on! This may sound silly, but often just lounging around the house in pajamas can make a person feel tired and not inspired to do much of anything. Just taking the time to get dressed and take care of yourself in the morning helps you feel more confident and ready to begin your day with flare!

* If you want to relax at night, try taking a nice warm bubble bath. Burning candles and your favorite relaxing music add a nice touch!

* Every once in awhile, treat yourself to your favorite meal. Cook it yourself, or take yourself out to dinner and enjoy!

* Relax and watch a movie that YOU want to watch. Oftentimes, I find myself only watching things that everyone else in my family watches, neglecting my own desires. For a change, it's good to just kick back and enjoy a good movie that I want to see, whether or not someone else watches it with me!

* Read a book. Taking time to read something that enjoys you, even if it's not reading that is educational, is a fantastic way to relax. Find a comfortable quiet place in your home, or even go to the park or library, curl up, and read!

* Keep a journal. This can either be a paper journal or an online one. Write down your feelings, and go back and read it a little bit later. Sometimes it isn't until we put our worries in to written word that we understand that we are overreacting or that we are too upset about things that really don't need worrying over!

* Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Feeling healthy is a great start to feeling less stressed!

* Drink a lot of water! It's suggested that we drink around eight glasses of water a day. Carry a water bottle with you, or go out and choose a stylish water bottle for yourself, and make sure to actually drink the water! It'll be an adjustment at first, but once you get started, you'll remember to always drink your water, and you will notice how much better you feel!

* Exercise! Even if it's just for a small walk a day. You don't need to go to the gym and work out to feel better, walking is free, and it's fun! Take a friend, walk around your neighborhood, and enjoy. Just two walks a day for twenty minutes each will prevent you from gaining twenty pounds in a year! Just something to think about! It also reduces stress. Going for a short walk after work is a great way to get the stress of work out of your system, and get you ready to calm down for your evening at home with your family.

* Just say no to caffeine! Drinking caffeine can cause your nerves to feel just a bit more frayed. If you must drink caffeine, then drink it only until noon, and for the rest of the day, drink decaffeinated drinks only. You'll notice that you'll sleep better, and feel a little bit less angst during the day. Drinking water and exercising will give you more energy to replace the lack of caffeine!

* Limit your sugar. When we are stressed, it's tempting to go for the chocolates or the ice cream in the freezer, but it's only going to make you feel worse in the long run. Sugar causes you to feel "high" for a short period of time, but after the sugar high passes, you are going to crash and feel even worse than before. Not to mention that the chocolate cake that goes straight to your hips will make you even more stressed about yourself. If you feel that you absolutely must have sugar, have one scoop of ice cream, not three, or just one cookie instead of half the pack. Gorging yourself is going to make you feel sick, not to mention make you feel worse about yourself as well. Showing yourself that you have the willpower to only stick to one treat (or even better, none at all) will give you more confidence, and you'll feel better physically, as well!

* Get rid of your clutter. Clutter around the house can make everyone feel more stressed out. When it's difficult to find things you are looking for, or the kitchen is such a mess that you don't even want to cook, it's time to take action! Even if you only clean up clutter for fifteen minutes a day, that's fifteen minutes towards your ultimate goal, a clutter free home! Search the internet for Flylady and Freecycle, two wonderful things that can help you get your home in order!

* Do you like to shop? Go shopping, then! If you can't afford to buy much, just walk around the mall and look at things. Not only are you getting your exercise in, but you are having fun doing it! There's no harm in a little bit of window shopping.

* Put together a garden! Grow whatever interests you! Flowers, vegetables, herbs, etc. Gardening isn't just something that produces flowers or food for you to eat, it's a great activity that keeps you interested and keeps you moving! Taking time out of your day to garden is very calming and enjoyable, and you get rewards for doing it! If you live in an apartment, do some research on things that will grow well in containers, and put together a container garden for yourself! Plenty of herbs and flowers especially do well in containers.

* Find yourself a hobby! Maybe you like collecting things but never got to doing it, or maybe you enjoy painting, or building furniture. Whatever it is that you always wish you could have the time to do, take the time and do it! You will feel more fulfilled as you work on your new hobby, and certainly more relaxed, as well.

* Take a class. Perhaps you can take a class on dancing, if that's something that interests you. You can get your exercise in and learn something new all at once! There are classes available on nearly anything you'd ever want to know about, including free classes online at various websites. All you have to do is look for them! Your local community college and parks and recreation center should also provide different options for you.

These are just a few sample ideas of things to try when you are feeling stressed out and overworked. You can take time for yourself, because you deserve it! Its okay to say no to extra work if you are feeling like you can't handle things. Its okay to put yourself first every once in awhile, because you are important! Making time for yourself and spoiling yourself, even if it is only a little bit, will make you feel so much better! Getting rid of the bad stress will help make room for you to do things more productively and more positively, which not only helps you, but everyone around you, as well! Remembering that you aren't the only one who benefits from stress relief may be the reminder you need to keep on trying!


About The Author

Louise Hathway is a successful freelance writer providing valuable stress relief tips and advice on stress management techniques,relaxation techniques and meditation for daily life. Obtain a Free 5 Part Report "101 tips to De-stress your Life!"