The Purpose of Yoga – Releasing Anxiety

Posted by on Apr 27, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Yоgа is a grеаt relief from feelings оf anxiety, but anxiety iѕ раrt of lifе аnd some оf uѕ have mоrе аnxiеtу thаn others. No mаttеr hоw many years уоu рrасtiсе yоgа, уоu аrе still human. Yоu аrе bound to fееl fееlingѕ оf fruѕtrаtiоn, angst, irritation, and anxiety.

Most реорlе think that yоgа рrасtiсе will make thеѕе negative fееlingѕ diѕарреаr, but that iѕ nоt entirely truе. Sоmе реорlе think thаt yоgа will аid уоu to throw negative fееlingѕ into separate соmраrtmеntѕ, but that iѕ nоt rеаllу truе еithеr.

Sо, how dо lоng-tеrm yоgа рrасtitiоnеrѕ rеlеаѕе their anxiety? They seem ѕо саlm and соllесtеd аll the timе. What iѕ thе big ѕесrеt? Firѕtlу, lеt’ѕ соvеr some орtiоnѕ уоu ѕhоuld never рrасtiсе, аnd then lооk at Yogic ѕоlutiоnѕ fоr releasing anxiety.

 

Myth 1: Yоgiѕ Can Mаkе Anxiеtу Diѕарреаr

Nеvеr bеliеvе thаt аnxiеtу will mаgiсаllу disappear. Yоgа, аnd mеdiсаl рrеѕсriрtiоnѕ, cannot mаkе аnxiеtу gо аwау реrmаnеntlу. Fоr anxiety tо diѕарреаr, something hаѕ to сhаngе within уоu. Liѕt the саuѕеѕ оf your аnxiеtу аnd hоw уоu rеѕроnd tо them.

Thеn find ѕоlutiоnѕ for рurging thеm in a hеаlthу wау. Yoga does hеlр, but Yoga hаѕ itѕ limitаtiоnѕ, tоо.

Accept and idеntifу anxiety fоr what it iѕ. In life, уоu аlѕо hаvе tо have tо “соmе tо griрѕ” with hаtе, jеаlоuѕу, grееd, and аngеr. We ѕhоuld not еmbrасе nеgаtivе thоughtѕ оr fееlingѕ, but we should ԛuiсklу bе able tо idеntifу thеm and their рrivаtе аgеndаѕ.

Life iѕ a lоt easier whеn wе are hоnеѕt with оurѕеlvеѕ. After wе find thе truе nаturе of a рrоblеm, wе can thеn find realistic ѕоlutiоnѕ tо dеаl with оur negative fееlingѕ. If уоu wаkе uр fееling a little dоwn, dо nоt wаѕtе your time оn dеniаl, but dо find a ѕоlutiоn tо rid nеgаtivitу frоm within.

 

Mуth 2: Yogis Can “Bоttlе Uр” Thеir Emоtiоnѕ

Hоlding еmоtiоnѕ inѕidе will ѕtill cause damage to thе individuаl. Yоu саnnоt stop аn еаrthԛuаkе with a land fill. This iѕ not a реrmit tо go аrоund making rude gеѕturеѕ, “tеlling еvеrуоnе оff,” оr аn endorsement оf “rоаd rаgе,” but thеrе аrе hеаlthу wауѕ tо “lеt ѕtеаm оff.”

Thе ѕесrеt of соntrоlling emotion is reflection оf аngеr, but it will tаkе timе аnd conditioning before you аrе able tо do thiѕ. Yoga iѕ, in fact, аn archive оf ѕоlutiоnѕ fоr аnxiеtу, but you muѕt hаvе the will tо maintain a rеgulаr practice fоr соmрlеtе mental, еmоtiоnаl, physical, аnd ѕрirituаl hеаlth.

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Practical Yoga Clothes That Still Look Pretty

Posted by on Mar 17, 2020 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

For such a long time, the general theory when it came to exercise clothes was ‘practicality over prettiness’… ‘function over design’… but luckily those days are over! More and more designers and fashion labels are embracing the fitness lifestyle and creating pretty yoga clothes. Finally, after a bleak period of workout fashion when you could not find any stylish yoga clothes, the options are unending.

One of the huge factors that caused this boom was the funky yoga pants movement. They became popular and fashionable outside of the yoga class. One popular style is made from bright and vibrant patterns. Some others took on a more gimmicky look such as funky yoga pants designed to look like pepperoni pizza or pants made from a fabric of cats playing with balls of yarn. Whichever style you prefer, there is now an impressive variety of fun yoga pants to pick from. 

As the pants became more popular, the demand for more stylish yoga clothes skyrocketed. There were finally designers that were looking to create clothing that you could wear to and from yoga class that was not ugly and embarrassing to be seen in public wearing. 

This lead to an entire sub-industry that was created in the fashion world called athleisure. It took a long time, but finally, people caught on to the fact that there was a huge hole in the fashion industry for people that actually wanted pretty yet affordable yoga clothes. The boom of the athleisure industry has been the most exciting time for athletes that also like to look good. 

While this is an exciting time for yoga enthusiasts, it is also very important to remember that just because yoga pants are becoming more mainstream and can be worn in a lot more situations, it does not mean that they have to be worn in every situation. Considering how many options there are, it can be too easy to fall into the trap of over-wearing them. 

Many people have started using athleisure clothes in their everyday wardrobe. Many pieces are great as bases for an outfit with something worn over it or with it to make it look more exciting.

Simple yoga leggings can be transformed when they are combined with fancier tops. A semi-sheer top over a fashionable sports bra can take the look from something too casual to something very hip and modern. 

One other thing to be cautious about is to keep an eye out for clothes that are made with more of a fashion focus. Some of these clothes can start to lose their practicality and veer more towards the casual wear department. While there is nothing wrong with having a few of these to wear around the house, they will not offer the support that is expected during a yoga class. The last thing you need is an unsightly rip down the middle because they weren’t made to be stretched. 


The future of athleisure looks very bright and continues to grow. While there are many new trends out there, here are a few to keep an eye on:

  • Mesh cutouts

  • Shredded overlay

  • Bright and Vibrant patterns

  • Bold geometric cutouts

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Why doctors should start prescribing Downward Dog Pose

Posted by on Dec 8, 2019 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Doctors have found out that, apart from the normal medical prescriptions that they administer to their patients, there are other complementary practices that can go hand in hand with the medicines to give the patients faster relief from illnesses. 

Among these types of practices are Ti Chi, qigong, dietary supplements, and yoga. We are going to focus on yoga and how important it is to patients. Yoga has existed for a long time now; its origin is in India. However, it has become popular with the rest of the world as most people are now doing yoga in their backyards, schools and even in the gym. The practice of yoga has become very popular. In fact, if you have not heard of yoga then perhaps you should start doing some research.

We focus on one of the yoga poses called downward-facing dog and how important this pose is to both the doctor and the patients.

Downward-facing dog can help to cure ailments

This pose is very useful when it comes to relieving pain. When done correctly the downward facing dog stretches the muscles of the shoulder and the neck and brings about relaxation in the body. This, in turn, helps to relieve back and neck pains as well as anxiety.





It is a harmless form of therapy

When you perform yoga asana, you get to coordinate your body and mind in order to achieve great results. Yoga has no effects that can cause harm to your body. Instead, yoga uses the muscles of your body together with various breathing techniques and meditation to give your body the healing that it really deserves. Yoga is harmless if done correctly.

It is relatively cheap compared to conventional medicine

Since yoga is aimed at keeping the body in good health, it is very important to patients who may think that western medicine is too expensive for them. Yoga provides an alternative that is relatively cheap and affordable to most people. As you perform yoga poses such as the downward-facing dog, you get to strengthen your body, keep it flexible, calming your brain and helping to relieve stress and depression. This pose also offers good therapy for conditions like asthma, sinusitis, flat feet, high blood pressure, and sciatica. These conditions can be very expensive to treat in hospitals hence yoga offers an alternative to help manage these conditions.

Downward-facing dog helps to develop self-control

As you practice yoga, you master the art of self-control, which is achieved through meditation combined with deep breaths and the total concentration of the mind. Downward facing dog helps to calm your mind and give you a more relaxed state of mind and body. In this state, the body gets rid of anxiety and stress, giving you an opportunity to exercise self-control. When you have self-control, you are able to suppress negative feelings such as anger, hostility, feeling defensive, and judgmental.

It can help patients suffering from mental illness

Downward-facing dog together with meditation and concentration of the mind can be useful for people suffering from mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder. This disorder causes patients to experience mood swings, insomnia, amnesia and other symptoms that can affect their mental wellbeing. As you practice the downward pose, you are able to control your emotions and feel relaxed. This will help you to manage some symptoms associated with mental illnesses.

In conclusion, yoga is very important for the general healing of the body. Therefore, doctors should recommend it as complementary medicine to patients.


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Yin and Restorative Yoga

Posted by on Oct 3, 2019 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

While styles of yoga-like Hatha and Vinyasa have become somewhat ubiquitous in nearly every gym in America, there are other quieter forms that are found primarily in spaces committed to the practice of yoga. These forms, though not as well known, offer the body benefits that ought not to be missed.

Yin Yoga




Yin yoga has a long history of practice in the Chinese Taoist yoga tradition. While the full name for the form is Yin Yang yoga in most studios, the name is generally shortened to simply Yin. Yin in Chinese philosophy represents the feminine and passive energy.

This is a somewhat accurate description of the practice. Unlike Vinyasa and Hatha practices, most of the asanas are held in seated and supine positions. Because of the static nature of the asanas on the surface, Yin may seem like an easy practice. But the practitioner soon realizes that more movement does not mean higher intensity.

The goal of a Yin yoga class is to stretch the connective tissue. This is achieved by maintaining poses for 5-7 minutes. Because the asanas are held in a seemingly static position, it may seem as though the practitioner isn’t doing much. But the practitioner soon realizes that there is a difference between holding and releasing oneself fully. Yin yoga represents the latter.

And around a minute in the asana, most tend to realize that mental and emotional strength required release into discomfort instead of pushing past it., Yin yoga has an added bonus of helping the practitioner to strengthen their character by forcing them to face discomfort head-on. There is no space for denial in a Yin yoga class. You must face the pain by diving deeper into it.

Restorative Yoga




As the name suggests, Restorative Yoga is meant to bring balance back into the body. Much like Yin, the asanas are held for 5-10 minutes. However, in Restorative Yoga, props are used to support the body and poses are adapted to fit the body—not the other way around.

This style of yoga is truly the most tranquil and passive as it involves no active stretching. Instead, the goal is to relax and release into the poses. But, unlike Yin, the intensity of the release is buffered with a plethora of blankets and pillows. The goal of a yoga class is to bring balance back into the body not to try and force it into something that it doesn’t want to do.

That a Restorative Yoga practice challenges. For someone with a type-A personality or a restless mind, they may find the stillness unbearable at first. But the goal of any practice is to gradually improve. Many will find the benefits of having a quieter body and mind will serve as a perfect counterpart to the hectic.

So, the next time you are in the mood for yoga, take a break from the flowing asanas and try a quieter practice. You may find that you’ll have benefited much deeper than you’d imagine.

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Which Style Of Yoga Is For You?

Posted by on Aug 14, 2019 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Many factors impact which style of yoga is best for you. Some questions to ask yourself can include the following:

  • What is my dosha (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha)?
  • What style am I drawn to? 
  • What climate am I living in?
  • How is my body? Is it flexible, stiff, or strong? Is it in need of strengthening?
  • How is my energy level?
  • What time of day is it?

In general, the style of yoga that is best for you is the one that fosters balance and harmony within your body and mind. It means that no one style is going to be best for everyone, and no one style is best for anyone all the time. Let’s take a look at some of the popular styles of yoga.

  • Yin yoga is a style of yoga that is based on the notion of yin and yang, an ideology rooted in Daoism from ancient China and Taiwan. This notion asserts that the body has yin parts–parts that do not easily move (fascia, joints, and deep connective tissues), and yang parts– very mobile parts (muscles, blood, and mucus). Yin focuses on long holds and deep stretching. It is great for people with Vata doshas as they are naturally prone to Vata imbalances. Vata is represented by movement; therefore, a yin practice that focuses on the slower moving parts of the body can help bring harmony into a Vata individual. Yin yoga also helps individuals who are strong yet very stiff and inflexible. 

  • Hatha yoga is based on traditional yoga. It is all-encompassing and can take many forms. A specific example of this style is Sivananda yoga. It is a strengthening practice but is also very energetic. It focuses on strengthening the body, breathing properly (pranayama), and creating balance in each of the seven chakras. If you need more strengthening, you can hold poses longer and attempt more complicated variations. If you have low energy, elements like pranayama can be used to increase energy. Any dosha can benefit from a Hatha class, especially if they are aware of how their doshas can be balanced. For example, Vatas or Pittas may want to slow and cool themselves down with long and gentle holds paired with breathing. Kaphas may want to speed up their practice and invite quicker and hotter movements. 

  • Bikram yoga is a style of hot yoga. Often, individuals who are Pitta doshas or are inflexible are drawn to hot yoga styles because they match their constitution and allow for deeper stretching to occur easily. However, this can create a further imbalance in Pittas and even a risk of injury for those individuals whose bodies do not naturally stretch as far without heat added. Bikram could be great in the winters for a Kapha who is feeling stagnant and cold. Although Vatas are typically cold, they are also quick-moving, and so, the quick pace of this class could create a further imbalance. In Bikram classes, you will often see fewer people in cotton leggings and more athletic shorts for women, running shorts, and yoga shorts. It is a very hot practice!

These are just some styles of yoga. Hatha yoga can even be believed to include all of the yoga that we see in the western world. The most important things for you to consider when choosing your style of yoga is where you are at on that given day and what your natural state of balance is. Spending some time learning about Ayurveda and your specific dosha will help you to understand what your body needs to create harmony and how to know when you are not balanced. Then, you can create your own self-designed class to match your unique needs!

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Power Yoga

Posted by on Jun 4, 2019 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

When it comes to yoga many are astounded to know about the broad spectrum of existing types you can run into. The types of yoga include Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram, Ashtanga yoga, plus many more. Yet if you are living in the U.S. chances are that you have definitely heard about power yoga.

Power yoga is a relatively new kind of yoga. The practice was founded in 1990 by renowned yoga teacher Beryl Bender Birch, who is also the creator of and also an instructor at the popular Hard & Soft Yoga Institute located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Its roots lie in Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga; and basically, include the physically demanding practice of Ashtanga alongside the particular flow and arrangement of vinyasa yoga. Yet, the poses, as well as their sequence and order, are entirely up to the teacher who is leading the class. 

Standing poses are a priority in power yoga, as they favor getting your heart rate up and the focus of its practice is to provide a cardio workout. In fact, there is so much emphasis on the physical side of yoga (practically forgetting the philosophy of it), that many tend to refer to it as “gym yoga”. Yes, this deviation and spin-off of Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga have as main objective to make you sweat by triggering a lot of internal heat throughout your body and the reason behind this is that it was created to attract athletes of all ages, abilities, and sports to do yoga. Some studios also alter their power yoga workout room temperatures to make practitioners sweat more, and therefore lose more weight. 

Benefits surrounding power yoga have been highlighted by many. Advantages include weight loss, fitness, the release of toxins due to heavy sweating, an increase in flexibility and in general versatile and entertaining lessons that vary from session to session; though this latter one will highly depend on the teacher at hand.

The main criticism towards this new-age yoga, however, is the intention that lies behind it. You do not have to take a close look at yoga history in order to notice that the aim and drive behind ancient sages and gurus was entirely spiritual. The one aim of genuine yoga was and still is to achieve a state of oneness with the universal self and its practice is far away from being merely physical. The asanas, in fact, form just a piece of a complex and abundant system that happens to be part of a millenary tradition.   

Power yoga accentuated the physical plain of the practice so much that it left the rich reflective historical heritage behind. When first conceived, the intention behind this practice was athleticism, while its aim is good condition and strength. 

Nevertheless, this popular practice, as well as its suitability as a body, mind and spirit connection tool, must not be condemned. In the end, yoga is all about allowing different points of view and freedom of choosing paths and as far as we all know there are as many routes as there are people.

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Namaste in Yoga Practice

Posted by on Apr 9, 2019 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Definition

Namaste is a word from the Hindi language. It’s meaning is derived from ‘Nama’ – meaning to bow; ‘as’ – meaning I; and, ‘te’ means you. Thus, Namaste being ‘I bow to you.’

Meaning of Namaste in the Yoga Practice

Namaste is used to acknowledge and honor the soul that is within you and the person sitting next to you. The gesture of Namaste in Yoga identifies that each of us has a divine spark that is unique and that should equally be respected.

Saying Namaste is an expression that the soul respects and honors the other soul. It is a gesture to honor the light, love, truth, beauty, and peace within us. In a group yoga session, the Namaste gesture means that we are united and same. We act as a whole; we act as one.

Hand Gesture for performing the Namaste position

We join both palms together and place our hands at the center of our hearts – which signifies our soul. We close our eyes and bow our heads down with respect to the person in front of us. The reason for such gesture is because that the heart chakra is where all the divine flows through. It also increases this flow and in a similar way, vibrations of love and peace are passed on to the person we bow down to.

In the West, this gesture is always accompanied by saying the word Namaste. In India, however, this gesture itself is so commonly used, that it automatically signifies that the person is expressing his Namaste, saying the word is not required. It is always significant that the gesture is accompanied by saying the word to avoid any confusion and increase the gap of communication.

When performing the Namaste gesture to someone, it brings unity and connection through the flow of positive energy. Similarly, it releases grudges and any boundaries of ego. Focus on completely surrendering the mind and the heart as this results in a deep flow of gratitude where two souls unite and blossom.

When to include the Namaste gesture in your Yoga practice?

Namaste should be initiated at the beginning and at the end of the yoga class.

In the beginning, it is used to express gratitude to yourself and to others – gratitude that each of you is present on that day. It also initiates the flow of positive energy during the remainder of the practice.

Towards the end, it is again included to express honor and respect among each other’s souls. It acknowledges that with complete surrender, we are united and one. With this thought, the practice comes to an end filling our hearts and mind with joy, peace, and love for ourselves and for each other.

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