Review: Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff
June 23, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Beginner Yoga Poses, Exercise & Fitness
Anyone who is a regular yoga practitioner or a yoga instructor wants to know which muscles are being stretched and exercised in which yoga poses. Yoga Anatomy (Amazon affiliate link) 
We all know that proper breathing is one of the main premises of yoga. Yoga Anatomy
After these beginning chapters about the essential aspects of yoga, the book goes into describing and illustrating the various muscles involved in different yoga poses. The book is divided into various sections based on the different types of yoga poses. You can just pick one of the poses, look at the pictures, and get a lot of information. You will be able to find out which muscles are involved in that pose, the various joint actions involved, which body parts are being lengthened by it, what obstacles you may encounter, and suggestions on where your breath should be focusing.
- What makes this book really unique are the wonderful illustrations and pictures. They very clearly show what exactly the muscles and the bones are doing in different yoga poses.
- For some poses, the organs and joints are also illustrated. And the pictures for some yoga asanas have been taken from very interesting angles.
- So, along with the usual side views and front and back views, you also get a bottom and top view.
- This provides the yoga enthusiast a very interesting view of some of the yoga poses which are missing in other yoga books. You can actually view the movement of some of the muscles which otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
And if you have always wondered about how to correctly pronounce those difficult Sanskrit names, this book will help. It gives the English names of the poses along with the Sanskrit names and also tells you how to correctly pronounce it.
In summary, if you want to know which muscles, bones, organs, and joints are involved in a yoga pose and why you may be having difficulties in performing it, Yoga Anatomy
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Review: Yoga.about.com – The Perfect Website for Yoga Beginners
June 17, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Beginner Yoga Poses
If you are looking for a website which provides all that you ever wanted to know about yoga, then you should definitely checkout yoga.about.com. The website is perfect for yoga beginners who have always wanted to take the plunge, but just didn’t know how to. Ann Pizer is the yoga.about.com guide. She is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and she wants to make it easy for a yoga beginner to understand the essentials of different yoga poses and motivate them to make it a regular part of their daily schedule.
Ann Pizer Yoga Instructor
- For the yoga beginner, yoga.about.com offers a seven-week crash course. The course aims at helping a beginner pick the right yoga style, lose weight in a healthy way, learn about proper yoga etiquette, and how to avoid injury during yoga practice. The course teaches the principles and origins of yoga and also teaches the yoga beginner some easy to practice yoga poses or asanas.
Yoga.about.com offers comprehensive information about yoga basics and different yoga styles. The website offers quizzes, tools, and information to help you choose the right yoga style based on your individual needs and flexibility.
- If you are interested in learning yogic breathing and meditation, yoga.about.com provides detailed information about the basics and the philosophy behind them. There are articles which provide comprehensive information on the therapeutic benefits of different yoga poses. Whether you are looking for weight loss or for improving your sex life, yoga can help and the website tells you exactly how it can help.
- If you are pregnant, there is a special section on the website for you. There is a four-week course which provides you information about how you can modify yoga poses as your pregnancy progresses.
And the website is not only for yoga beginners. If you are interested in some advanced forms of yoga, there is a lot of information present on this website that you can use.
And if you are not sure how to design your yoga workout session, yoga.about.com can help you. It provides basic sequences which are suitable for the yoga beginner, for someone who is ready for advanced yoga poses, or for someone who is looking to design a yoga workout for a specific problem.
Yoga.about.com also offers information about different yoga equipment and supplies that can make your yoga and meditation session comfortable. You can find links and reviews of yoga pants, yoga mats, and yoga towels etc. available in different shops and stores. The information and the reviews definitely provide the yoga beginner a chance to browse over the different yoga supplies in an easy way and select the right equipment.
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The Different Types of Yoga Styles
May 11, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Beginner Yoga Poses, Exercise & Fitness
If you are planning on including yoga in your daily exercise routine, you need to know that there are actually different types of yoga styles that are being taught and practiced during this modern day and age. Although the yoga poses or asanas are similar in most of these yoga styles, the way they are practiced might vary. Here is a brief description of the various types of yoga styles that are quite popular these days.
Hatha Yoga
This type of yoga style is a combination of the positive current (“ha” or the sun) and the negative current (“tha” or the moon). Hatha yoga includes physical yoga asanas, breathing exercises, meditation, mudras, and purification procedures. It is gentle and slow-paced and a good yoga style to choose for a beginner.
Vinyasa Yoga
This yoga style is more vigorous than Hatha yoga. It involves a series of yoga poses called Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations. Each movement in this series is matched to the breath and each pose is balanced with a counter pose. This type of yoga works wonderfully well for warming up and is an ideal preparation for more intense stretching.
Ashtanga Yoga
Popularly known as power yoga, this type of yoga style is fast-paced and intense. It is a physically demanding type of yoga with a focus on building strength and stamina. The yoga poses are more difficult and the individual has to quickly move from one pose to the other in a constant flow. It is not ideal for yoga beginners. However, those who are looking at building their athletic abilities, Ashtanga yoga poses are quite suitable.
Iyengar Yoga
The Iyengar yoga style focuses on body alignment and inner awareness. It emphasizes holding yoga poses for long periods of time and meditating in these postures. This type of yoga also encourages the use of props. It is ideal for beginners and for those who have never exercised.
Kundalini Yoga
This type of yoga style combines breath control, chanting, meditation, hand and finger gestures, and guided relaxation. Kundalini refers to the vital energy which lies at the base of the spine and this yoga style is aimed at freeing this energy for the purification of the mind, body, and emotions.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is performed in a room with a temperature as high as 95-100 Fahrenheit. This loosens the tight muscles and leads to extreme sweating. This sweating is believed to be cleansing for the body. This yoga style is very intense and demanding and is only ideal for extremely fit individuals.
Besides these most popular types of yoga, there are a few other yoga styles which are practiced throughout the world. These include, but are not limited to:
Kripalu (spontaneous and meditation-oriented),
Sivananda (based on the 5 principles of proper exercise, breathing, relaxation, diet, and thinking),
Raja Yoga (attaining liberation through meditation),
Bhakti Yoga (devotional yoga), and
Mantra Yoga (liberation through repetition of sounds)
Choosing the right type of yoga style will depend on your specific needs and your own fitness ability. Whereas Hatha, Vinyasa, and Iyengar yoga styles can be safely practiced by anyone and are ideal for beginners, Bikram Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga are usually practiced by individuals who are yoga veterans. However, whatever the yoga style, you can expect to gain maximum benefits of yoga by a regular practice. Click Here to take survey
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The Wonderful Benefits of Yoga
May 11, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Beginner Yoga Poses, Exercise & Fitness
Irrespective of religion, country, sex, and age, anyone and everyone can enjoy the benefits of yoga. Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means “union” and originated in ancient India. According to ancient Sanskrit texts, there are actually 8 limbs of yoga which relate to the different aspects of an individual’s life and are essential for leading a healthy and fulfilling life.
Its focus on the overall development of an individual is the reason why it has become so popular throughout the world. There are probably hundreds of benefits of yoga which are know to us at present and many might still be revealed in the future. But here are a few of the benefits that you can expect with a regular practice of yoga.
Benefits of Yoga for Your Body
Most people usually take to yoga for its numerous physiological benefits.
- Yoga poses or asanas are designed to stretch and strengthen your muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons.
- Combined with the right breathing practice, they work to make you supple, flexible, and fit. Regular practice of yoga helps build immunity, improve the quality of your sleep, helps you lose or gain weight, and improves eye-hand coordination and dexterity skills. And that’s not all.
- Yoga stabilizes the different functions of you body. So, you can expect yoga to normalize your hormonal imbalances, your gastrointestinal and excretory functions, improve your respiratory and cardiovascular functions, and also stabilize your nervous system.
Benefits of Yoga for Your Beauty
A beautiful and ageless skin is one of the benefits of yoga which attracts people. The regular practice of the many inverted yoga poses reduces the wrinkles on the face. Better circulation to the face, calmness of the body and mind, and better sleep provides a natural glow to the complexion of an individual which can never be achieved with the various products available in the market. Yoga also does wonders for your hair. It increases the blood supply to your scalp and thus delays the graying of hair and helps you get thicker, shiny, and beautiful hair. And of course, the improved posture which results from the regular practice of yoga also adds to your beauty.
Benefits of Yoga for Your Mind
Although there are many physical benefits of yoga, it is considered to be one practice which provides more psychological benefits than any other form of exercising.
- The different yoga poses, breathing exercises, and regular meditative practices which are important parts of a regular yoga session improve concentration and memory, makes learning and retention easier, reduces depression and anxiety, improves mood, reduces tension, and promotes mind-body harmony.
Other Benefits of Yoga
Yoga also provides other benefits for an individual.
- The person becomes more self-aware. A positive self-esteem and a clarity of mind helps you deal with people and situations in a more effective and positive way. Calmness of mind and respect for yourself and others helps in better relationships. In this way, yoga provides benefits in each and every aspect of your life.
A yoga session involves many yoga poses and for a yoga beginner some of them may be instantly relaxing whereas some may take a few days to get used to. But there is one thing for sure. The above-mentioned benefits of yoga are not the only ones. Only when you practice yoga regularly will you be able to actually realize and experience the many wonderful benefits of yoga. Click Here to take survey
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