Archive for category Yoga
Yoga Guidelines
Posted by in Yoga on June 29, 2011
Yoga Guidelines and Conclusion
There are certain things that you must take care of when you want to start practicing yoga. Some of these basic guidelines would benefit beginners, in particular, although anyone can sometimes use a refresher!
• Yoga is best practiced in the morning. This is because the mind is at its calmest and in the most composed frame, still fresh and rested. And the body movements too can be done with ease and proper energy. In order for you to start practicing yoga, you must have the desire and self-confidence to do so.
• The place where you intend to carry out your yoga practice should be taken into consideration too. It would be best to choose a place that is peaceful, serene, has proper ventilation, dust free, moisture free and where one cannot be distracted easily.
• Before you starts practicing yoga, you must clear your bowels and bladder if necessary; as well as clearing your nostrils and throat of all mucus, and it would be good to drink a glass of lukewarm water. This may sound strange, but as you stars to practice yoga, you will realize the importance of such minor things. After doing all this, you should wait for a few minutes in order to fully relax once again and then you can begin practicing yoga.
• As you would do with any other form of exercise, you should begin with easy asanas or poses and only advance to tougher ones when you have mastered them, and feel ready to move on. You should be logical and systematic, and bear in mind that you should start with light movements and if at any time you start to feel tired or weary, you should stop your yoga practice until you feel vital and energized once again. Yoga should energize and revitalize you, not cause you to feel any kind of tiredness or depression.
• You must take breaks in between if you find a certain step is especially tiring for you. If you intend to practice yoga, you should follow a balanced diet and it is ideal for you to eat after an interval of at least four hours following your session of yoga. The quantity of food should satisfy your appetite and you should totally avoid over eating or starving yourself. At the same time, you should completely avoid eating stale or old food as well, as it may well not be that healthy to do so.
• The clothing that you wear while practicing yoga is very important and you must make sure that it is loose and comfortable. Form- fitting cotton or Lycra pants and shirts are the best choice.
• While you are performing your yoga, your breathing should be long and deep. You must remember to keep your mouth closed and inhale and exhale only through your nose, and you should also have a yoga mat that is made of comfortable materials, especially if you practice on an otherwise hard floor.
Do all of this, and your yoga practice will be enjoyable and bestow the maximum benefits on you. And, as we have already established, no matter how cynical you might be about the benefits of yoga, the undeniable truth is that no matter how old or young you are, or what shape you might be in, yoga is good for you!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurenzio_Metzler
Yoga for Pregnancy and Childbirth
Posted by in Yoga on June 29, 2011
Prenatal Yoga can be a relaxing, wonderful time of special closeness between mother and child. More than that, devoting the time to practice during the nine months of gestation, and afterwards, can have great benefits for both the mother and child.
A controlled study by the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA – Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation),in 2005, of 335 women, between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, was conducted in Bangalore, India. The women in the test group, and control group, were matched for age, body weight, and general fetal status. The group, assigned to Yoga, practiced complete physical postures, breathing, and meditation – one hour daily, from the date of entry into the study, until delivery. The control group walked 30 minutes, twice a day, during the study period.
At the end of the study, it was noted that the babies in the Yoga group had a significantly higher birth weight. Pre-term labor was significantly lower, and complications, such as isolated intrauterine growth retardation, and pregnancy-induced hypertension, were also significantly lower in the Yoga group.
Another randomized study in 2008, using the data from 74 Thai women, showed that those who practiced Yoga, six times during pregnancy, experienced higher levels of maternal comfort during labor, and at two hours post-labor, and experienced less perceived labor pain than the control group. The Yoga group was found to have a shorter duration of the first stage of labor, as well as the total time of labor.
Subjectively, many women find that Yoga helps increase stamina, flexibility, and overall comfort, during and after, their pregnancy. Backache, sciatica, swelling, wrist pain, hip discomfort, and even nausea, can be relieved by Yoga. Breathing and focus during Yoga can assist during childbirth, and regular practice helps tone abdominal muscles to speed delivery.
However, some people believe that because Yoga is a low impact exercise, there is no risk during pregnancy. As I have written in the past: an experienced and trained instructor, within a specialized class for pregnant students, must supervise Prenatal Yoga sessions. Some asanas are contraindicated at each stage of pregnancy. As more and more OB/GYNs and midwives encourage women to reap the benefits of Yoga, during pregnancy, it is our responsibility as instructors to be sure that students practice safely. We must help ensure good outcomes for all. If a Yoga teacher does not have prenatal specialist training, he or she should refer pregnant students to a certified prenatal Yoga teacher specialist.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Jerard