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Pregnancy is an all together different physiological as well as psychological experience for women and for particularly those who happen to be on the family way for the first time. If you are pregnant, you are very likely to suffer from occasional depression. You will be in a state of subtle excitement almost all the time. It is really difficult for you to keep yourself normal physically as well as mentally. That’s when Prenatal Yoga comes handy to you.

It adds to your physical as well psychological strength for a rather comfortable delivery. In addition to that if you keep practicing yoga through out your pregnancy period, post delivery you are very likely to resume your normal activities at the earliest.

Prenatal Yoga is particularly helpful in later stage of pregnancy. I would suggest all pregnant women to do yoga exercises that would be of immense help in excess inflammation and pain in leg. This particular genre of yoga is aimed at strengthening legs, back muscles, limbs and pelvis. Once these body parts get strengthened the level of pain that you experience while giving birth would be far less than the pain you would have experienced without yoga.

But you must ensure that you learn prenatal yoga asanas from an experienced Yogi. If you have geared up to practice yoga for the first time, you shouldn’t do exercises without acquainting yourself with all pros and cons of Yoga.

For pregnant women, basic yoga poses are suggested. Once they learn basic poses they are made to practice certain other asanas. Preferred yoga asanas for women on family way are as follows:

Shavasana This Yoga posture is also known as corpse pose. In this posture you are simply made to lie as if you are dead. You are suggested to lie in a very motionless state. But you should continue breathing normally.

Padmasana This posture requires you to sit while keeping your back completely erected in the sitting duration. You are also made to put your right leg on the left thigh and vice versa. Putting legs on opposite thighs help strengthen your hips.

Sukhasana The asana demands you to keep a crouching posture while sitting. This asana is of great assistance in preventing pregnancy related disorders.

Vajrasana This asana makes you fold your knees so that hips could be easily postured on your heels. This is also a sitting asana. You are also required to position your hands on knees. Your back should remain erect.

These are a few yoga postures that happen to be of great help for pregnant women. Breathing exercises of yoga may prove helpful in pregnancy. So, do yoga for a safer child birth.

Power yoga is basically known as the “yoga with brawn”. This is the American version of ashtanga yoga, a kind of discipline that combines stretching, strength training, and meditative breathing.

A lot of poses look like basic callisthenics (push–ups, handstands, toe touches, and side bends). But the key to power yoga’s sweat-inducing, muscle-building power is the pace. As a replacement for pausing between poses as you would in traditional yoga, each move flows into the next, making it a powerful aerobic workout.

Power yoga is an energetic exercise that challenges you physically and mentally in order to help you connect to your inner power. The power yoga poses are performed at a fast pace unlike regular. One big benefit is that it can help you increase your physical endurance and ability to focus on a task for a long time without even breaking your concentration. In power yoga there is still the need to execute the basic yoga postures. Power yoga poses offer a vigorous workout which can be done even by beginners.

Power yoga aficionados have their sessions in a heated room. These sessions are composed of accurate cardiovascular exercises. It is designed to build strength and flexibility. Power yoga has also the ability to increase your stamina, tone your body, and remove toxins through sweating.

Since power yoga sessions are rigorous and painstakingly thorough, they should only be done by people who are physically fit and who are not suffering from chronic ailments. One element of power yoga that distinguishes it from other forms of the practice is a breathing technique known as ujjayi.

This deliberate “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” breathing is an integral part of the poses. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, adding a meditative component to the workout and leaving you with a transforming sense of calm that lingers long after you’ve rolled up your exercise mat.

Power yoga still focus on the main goal of classical yoga, which is to unite the body, the mind, and the spirit. Yoga is practiced to help you get connected to your inner core of power.

Power is also classified into several levels. The first is the physical power which is developed through the poses which develop the body’s strength and improve one’s health. The key to the second level is the mental power of drawing your mind from scattered thoughts and concentrating on your practice. And the last one is spiritual power - the power behind your physical and mental powers. Through these powers, yoga can connect your body, mind, and spirit to the deepest level.

There are some basic precautions for the power yoga beginner. Tell your instructor if you’re a first-timer and never stretch to the point that you feel the pain. Since power yoga involves a lot of twisting and weight-bearing moves, you should be especially cautious if you have a history of neck, shoulder, or knee injuries.

Power yoga is a big help in training for athletes and also aids in injury prevention and rehabilitation. Learning power yoga benefits people who want to improve their skills and performance - especially in sports like cycling, golf, football, and swimming. Many health clubs today promote the use of power yoga as a powerful body and mind exercise regimen.

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Usually the program of yoga is conducted in a classroom or on the land surfaces. But a new concept of yoga has been in practice today named as aqua yoga. As you have probably heard of the novel games such as water aerobics, the gyms initiate the aqua yoga today.

Practicing yoga in the water can derive a number of benefits. It acts as a safeguard against any injuries that will most likely occur on the land. When you are practicing it on the land, your body at times gets bounced on the ground and it may lead to injuries. The movements of your hands and legs become smoother and therefore your body will not experience the strain. Water is often considered as a symbol of mental relief and it soothes your soul because it arouses your hidden motives and brings a sense of enthusiasm within you.

There are a few asanas which need to be practiced in the water such as the eagle standing pose, tree pose or the dancer pose. You can develop poise to these asanas quickly as compared to land because the cripples that are created in the water force your body to maintain the necessary poise.

Therefore to experience this real sweetness and a sense of pleasure while performing the workouts, water produces a real cooling effect to the body.

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Ashtanga Yoga is the type of yoga which was created and established by a master named K. Pattabhi Jois. Due to its theory containing eight different limbs, or components, it is also known as “Eight-Limb Yoga”. It doesn’t imply that the practitioner has a double set of limbs, but master Pattabhi Jois showed that the optimum path of purification is made up of the eight spiritual practices.

The basic idea is that these limbs only can be kept in balance by the appropriate application of the Ashtanga Yoga method.

The first four limbs that symbolize Ashtanga Yoga, and are considered externally correctable are (original names within double quotes):

- Moral codes or “yama”
- Self-purification or “niyama”
- Posture or “asana”
- Breath control or “pranayama”

Then there is the other set of limbs which are the internal practices:

- Sense control or “pratyahara”
- Meditation or “dhyana”
- Concentration or “dharana”
- Contemplation or “samadhi”

K. Pattabhi Jois declared that practicing these Eight Limbs as well as its sub-limbs of the external practices which contain the niyama and yama is impossible. In doing so, the body should be strong so that it can technically perform the methods well enough. If the body is weak, and the sense organs are not functioning well, practicing will never be productive at all.

This is a primary philosophy that K. Pattabhi Jois has applied, it is of prime importance for the Asthanga practitioner to learn and understand this way of thinking. This will make you confident in that the body will significantly improve and become stronger and healthier.

Vinsaya and Tristhana are performed in Ashtanga Yoga.

The Vinsaya is a style that makes Ashtanga and its fundamental principles different from the others. Vinsaya basically means the movement and breathing which is used effectively together in order to cleanse the body. Each movement done is accompanied by only one breath. Sweat is the most important product of Vinsaya. When you produce sweat, it only indicates that you are successfully applying the method. When you perform the Asanas, or postures, the body produces heat which causes your blood to “boil” and excrete the toxins outside of your body. The contaminations are found in your sweat. So the more sweat you produce, the more toxins are released. This is the natural way for the body to get rid of unwanted substances.

The poses are used to fully develop the physical strength and health of the body. It is the sequence of practices that make this possible. There are three postures used in Ashtaga Yoga.

The three are grouped on different levels:

- The first is the Primary Series which aims on aligning the body and also detoxifying it.

- The second is the Intermediate Series opening and cleansing the energy channels which comes to the process of purifying the Nervous System.

- The last series would be the Advanced Series from A to D. In this set, the grace and strength are assessed.

The Tristhana is another yoga principle which symbolizes the close union of the three places of action and attention. First is the posture, second is the breathing technique ad last is the Dristhi of the Looking Place. All these three should work altogether to perform a function.

The breathing is always controlled and synchronized with the movements, in such a way that each movement is accompanied by breath. Ujjayi Breathing is the Yoga Breathing Technique used in the implementation of Ashtanga Yoga. Applying this ancient technique is something that you should work on gradually in your daily practise. What you need to master is holding your pose longer at the same time hold your breath. This is an amazing breathing exercise that will intensify your internal fire and will toughen the Nervous System.

Both Ashtanga and Tristhana deal with the series of Dristhi. The Dristhi is defined as the point on which you acquire your focus or concentration while doing the Asana. This allows your mind to be purified and stabilized clearly.

Clearing your mind (that is sometimes compared to an over active monkey) and cleansing it is the ultimate goal in the Eight-Limb Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga.

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Scoliosis is a condition in which a person has side-to-side spinal curves in addition to the normal curves through which the lower portion of the human back curves inwards. The most effective remedy for such a condition is Scoliosis exercises. Although many exercises help in reducing the Scoliosis-related problems, yoga is considered the best Scoliosis exercise. Yoga postures are helpful since they enable us to stretch our body.

The most effective yoga exercises for the treatment of scoliosis-related problems include the Crocodile twist, the Supine knee chest twist, the passive back arch and the one leg up-one leg out posture. These exercises are very helpful in raising one’s lowered shoulder and reducing the back pain.

The Passive back arch scoliosis exercises has been found to be helpful in not only reducing scoliosis-related pain, but also the problems related to condition called pectus excavatum (sunken chest). Pectus excavatum is generally caused due to tight muscles across one’s chest and back and soft bones in the rib cage and spine.

The One leg up and one leg out scoliosis exercise have been found to be very effective in reducing muscular tension in legs. The Seated twist is a good remedy for the treatment of thoracic twist. This exercise also helps to rectify the alignment of the body and is simple to perform.

The Joint freeing series of scoliosis exercises are particularly helpful for people suffering from scoliosis with tight shoulder muscles. The Head to Knee pose helps in maintaining the alignment of the body and straightening of the spine. The spinal and the abdominal twists result in the stretching of muscles in the shoulder.

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Energizing Yoga, the oldest system of personal development needs no introduction nowadays and is becoming popular all over the world because of its tremendous physical and medical benefits. People are practicing yoga exercises in millions all over the world, thanks to the media which is highlighting the benefits of yoga for general public.

However, like every other science, yoga is also a precise science. The question is: ‘Are all yoga exercises safe to be practiced by all people with various health conditions?’ “This is the question which requires deeper digging into the subject of yoga itself, otherwise the consequences of doing yoga practice could be more dangerous than beneficial” said Subodh Gupta, the Yoga expert from India.

”While some of the yoga exercises can be taught easily without much complication and have various benefits, others can be very dangerous for people who are having problem of Hernia. For example, the yoga exercises like Sun Salutation, Cobra pose, Locust pose, Bow pose, Standing Forward Bend and Kapalabhati few to name are strictly not recommended if somebody is diagnosed with hernia as these exercises may make the hernia problem worse” said Subodh Gupta, the Yoga expert based in London.

Considering the fact that over half a million hernia operations were performed in the United States last year and more than 2 percent of British people are affected by hernia, the question to ask is if all yoga practitioners are aware of their health condition and precautions before beginning the Yoga exercise. Madonna, the famous singer who practices Ashtanga yoga regularly recently had an operation for hernia ( Ashtanga yoga exercise series is a system developed by Mysore based famous Indian Yoga guru Shri K Pattabhi Jois ). In fact, the famous Ashtanga yoga series which involves jumping can be very dangerous for people who are having problem of Hernia” according to Subodh Gupta. Hernia develops when the outer layers of the abdominal wall weakens, bulge or actually rip. Among many reasons for hernia the most common is straining due to: jumping, defecation, coughing, lifting heavy objects, etc.

‘Are precautions for various yoga exercises safely delivered by yoga Gurus?’ ‘Are yoga practitioners listening precautions before starting their yoga practice?’ “Well, this is a serious point to consider by all who are teaching yoga and also for people who are practicing yoga. The practitioners need to understand that their ignorance and lack of yoga knowledge may lead them straight into an operation room”.

A noble effort has been done by some of the renowned yoga gurus from India and the teachers from the West to spread the awareness of yoga but unless Yoga exercises are done with precautions, more and more people will get injured without realizing.

Issued in public interest by Subodh Gupta, Yoga Expert from India, for all those who are learning yoga without taking precautions.

Mr Subodh Gupta,is consultant with The Times of India group.He has been Interviewed by various TV channel channels in India and London. Mr Gupta has organized more than 500 workshops on Yoga and Stress Management.

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It was said that the Dalai Lama meditates four hours a day. When one of his close associates were asked how he spend so much time meditating with his busy schedule he said that the Dalai Lama “meditated for other people, rather then himself.” He also said that the meditation “allowed him to do the work.” The way he was affected by his spiritual path gave him the patience and energy to work with others. The ripples that he sent out while working with others were more positive because of this, so his meditation and self care actually created a win, win situation for everyone involved.

As we speak of Karmic Yoga many people think of it as doing only the outer work Mistakenly they think that the outer work is enough. They think that concentrating on working on the outside will make the work that needs to be done on the inside happen automatically. To the contrary, the truth is that a unhealthy and unhealed inside will taint and dampen one’s abilities and effectiveness on the outside. But if one uses their energy on the inside, instead of on the outside, doing the inner work and cultivating character, clarity, and joy while doing the outer-work, eventually the outer work will take care of itself.

The outer work will flourish because of what is happening on the inside. One’s performance will be the fruit of a healthy, loving individual and will come from a core of being, rather than an act of performing. One of the main tasks of all yoga, especially Karmic, is to free oneself from attachment not only to things, but to Maya, or the way that we have been taught to believe things are. The world of Maya is the world of illusion. It was a world put together piece by piece to help us understand our world. Maya gives us the illusion that we can predict what is going to happen in our lives. It gives us the illusion that we can control nature and control other people. It takes away our fear and gives us comfort, but Maya, in fact, is an illusion. It is a tool created in order to comfort us, as well as being a poor substitution for faith. If we work on the inside through meditation, contemplation, and prayer, we break free from the illusion and enter into reality. We reconnect with and become one with the divine presence in the world—the creative power that we call god. We then use Maya as it was meant, as a tool, or a doorway to enter and exit as is necessary, to get things done in the physical world. This can only be done by being engaged in the inner work. The inner work is difficult. It means going inside and challenging all of our ideas about the world. It means letting go of our false identity and claiming our true one. This work is difficult when we have conditioned for so many years and when every book, movie, television show, newspaper, and even friends and relatives keep feeding us an identity that really isn’t ours. Letting go is like a death—the death before resurrection. As you do the great work of Karmic Yoga, working to make the world a better place, remember that the inner work is always necessary. It is something that you must do to remain healthy, strong, and to stay in touch with reality. Not only the reality of the world, but the reality of your greater self. When this is done your work will come from the heart and you will fill the world with the joy of your spirit.

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Almost everyone has experienced the fact that when one starts concentrating his mind on any immediate object or an idea, the mind starts wandering. It is very difficult to keep the mind busy with a single thought. The ancient sages too encountered the same problems. Arjuna, in Gita had mentioned that controlling the mind is the impossible thing on the earth. Hence, he was advised by Krishna that though mind control is difficult, it can be made silent and steady by regular practice of vairagya and abhyasa. However, he has warned that yoga is very difficult for people whose minds are not steady and controlled. Pantanjali, in Yoga Sutra has emphasized these two qualities to achieve mind control. Hence these are the very qualities that make the essence of yoga.

Mind is like a disturbed pond with many impurities. First you need to stop the inflow of fresh impurities and then remove the existing impurities to clean the mind. Abhyasa is the one of the practices for purifying the mind. Dhyana is one of the sub practices of abhyasa. This is a stage that the person reaches after practicing concentration for some time. At the start of dhyana, the mind is steadier and only a single thought about the object arises in the mind. Now it is safe to say that the state of dhyana is reached. Here the mind becomes very stable like the flame of a lamp in the calm atmosphere and its contact with the object of experience becomes intense and complete.

There are two varieties of dhyana called sagunadhyana or nirgunadhyana. In the first dhyana, the stillness of mind is associated with an object of experience which can be experienced through the sense organs. The second one is completely mental. It implies complete absorption of mind into itself. Here mind is not associated with any external object. It becomes completely still in this state. This mind is supposed to remain still, silent and sensitive such that it can understand any past, present and future event that might have happened anywhere in the universe.

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When you think of Yoga, what is the picture you see within your “mind’s eye?” Many people still think of Hatha Yoga, and its many sub-styles, as the only Yoga around. This is due to the fact that outside India, Hatha Yoga (Union by Physical Mastery), is most commonly seen.

Therefore, this is understandable - except there are many forms of Yoga, and many are much less physical forms that are sometimes misunderstood. Yoga does not have to be practiced in an Ashram or on a Yoga mat. To be beneficial, Yoga can be practiced anywhere, at any time, in any shape or form.

Just by giving people help, without asking for anything in return, you are practicing Karma Yoga. By praying, you are practicing a form of Bhakti Yoga. Also, by seeking and finding the pure, but unobvious truth, you may be practicing Jnana Yoga, (Union by Knowledge).

Yoga literally means “Unity” or “Union,” but each Yoga style has within itself a unique way to achieve the union of mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is non-confronting, non-conflicting, and can be integrated with many physical disciplines and religious practices. Any style of Yoga will integrate with other forms of Yoga and healing methods.

Yoga teachers “spread the word,” but they must teach the more popular physical aspects of Yoga, if they want to keep their students. This is why many people get an incomplete picture of a complete health maintenance system for the three aspects of mind, body, and spirit. All three aspects of health are of equal importance, but the physical aspect is more easily realized.

Whether you are a beginner, long-time Yoga practitioner, or a Yoga teacher, your knowledge will make a difference for the best. Just by showing loving kindness and mindfulness to your friends, co-workers, and family, you will alter this world.

Therefore, the proliferation of Yoga is a miracle and a gift to mankind. By helping others, you will feel gratification that is helpful to your own mental, physical, and spiritual health. In turn, you, and your actions, will evolve with loving kindness as your guide.

This is the fundamental key to good health and well being: Give to others and you will feel much better about yourself. There is a teacher within all of us, even if you only share the gift of Yoga with one friend.
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Medical conditions can be vastly improved through the benefit of yoga. Yoga can lessen the negative effects of such conditions as lung disease, Parkinson’s, insomnia, high blood pressure multiple sclerosis, and even joint pain. The benefit of yoga is being recognized today as a viable alternative not only by the yoga community, but by many medical doctors.

Stress is the leading cause in many illnesses today. An astonishing factor in today’s world is noted by the Surgeon General who estimates that “80 percent of the people who die of non traumatic causes actually die of stress diseases”. In this fast paced world, it is little wonder that people are turning to alternative solutions.

The use of the benefit of yoga is just one such solution. Since stress is developed in the mind, it is only natural that conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, several auto-immune diseases, some types of diabetes mellitius, some cardio-vascular diseases, and irritable bowel syndrome would be at the forefront of human conditions and the quality of life today.

Outside stress is reflected in the reaction of our nervous system. The input stimuli, known as “Fight or flight” affects both our metabolism and well being. When faced with danger, whether real or imagined, the mind prepares the body for execution of one of these two conditions. Manifestation is in the form of increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and the shutting down of unnecessary bodily functions, such as digestion. All systems are focused on one of two things - either “flight” or “fight.” Breathing becomes shallow, muscles tense in anticipation of action, and blood flow to vital organs is decreased. The digestive and elimination process shuts down. This can be a good thing - our body is prepared to defend itself.

However, problems arise when this condition is long term. The “flight or fight” scenario is only meant to be a very short term event. One can see that long term exposure to this situation will have very adverse effects on the body. Yoga can change that.

In nature, the countermeasure for “fight or flight” is known as the “relaxation response” or parasympathetic nervous system. The main nerves of the parasympathetic system are the tenth cranial nerves, or the vagus nerves. They originate in the medulla oblongata. Parasympathetic stimulation causes a slowing down of the heartbeat, lowering of blood pressure, increased blood flow to the skin and viscera, and peristalsis of the GI tract - the exact opposite of “fight or Flight” symptoms. Yoga induces this response by teaching the pupil to breathe deeply and relax muscles. The benefit of yoga is clear. The body recovers faster, and the harmful effects of stress are reduced.

Yoga subscribes to the theory that by using breathing and relaxation techniques, the harmful effects of stress on the body can be eliminated, or at the very least greatly reduced. Through meditation and calming of the spirit, yoga teaches us to face the situation of “fight or flight” from a threat to a challenge. One is able through practice to focus on finding a solution, rather than creating an immediate response to the stimuli. One learns to be proactive, and take care of the stressors in their lives.

The benefit of yoga is undeniable. By utilizing the techniques of this ancient practice, anyone can achieve the balance and harmony so needed in their lives. Remember, however, that just one thing is not the solution to all of life’s problems. By combining yoga with the miracles of modern medicine and traditional healing remedies, the average person in today’s world will enjoy a longer, happier life.

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