Learning the Proper Yoga Breathing Styles
I really wasn’t too sure what to think when I found out that I had to learn the proper Yoga breathing styles in my early Yoga classes. I have been an athlete for most of my life and while there were times a coach might ask me to breathe a little bit, I had never experienced the idea of a “proper” breathing style. Shrugging my doubts away, I was there to learn Yoga in its fullest and I sat down on my little purple mat all ready to go.
Tai Chi – The Peace Loving Martial Art
Hard to believe that those slow motion, graceful and balletic movements that one sees every day in parks around the world, as Tai Chi devotees prepare themselves for the day, when speeded up, are one of the most effective self defence disciplines the world has ever seen.
With its distinctive grace and flowing movements, Tai Chi Chuan is a popular form of anger management and relaxation as it provides an effective antidote to the stresses of a competitive society.
Popular Yoga Poses
The most popular Yoga poses are the basic heart and soul of Yoga practice. Yoga poses are also called asanas, and are not initially difficult to learn. Some of the poses are as simple as standing while others require you to develop some good balance and lifting skills. When you lift your own body, you can hold your balance for much longer periods of time.
Pilates – The Core (and core values)
The Pilates exercise regime is based on what is called ‘core’ strength. This relates to the main muscles that sit within the abdominal wall and support and surround our backbone/spine.
By strengthening these pivotal muscle groups we stabilise our whole body, specifically when it comes to posture.
Find Yoga Classes In Your Area
Most of you can find Yoga classes in your area. Of course, you might not be able to find the Yoga style that you want to learn, but you can almost always get into a traditional Yoga class.
While I used to believe that meditation was the key to getting myself centered when I was off course, I have discovered that Yoga gives me a much more powerful centering as well as a better body shape than traditional meditation.
What are Yoga Retreats?
Yoga retreats are cropping up everywhere. So what the heck are they exactly? Good question! I had always pictured them as mysterious and exotic locations filled with disciples of Yoga Masters following their ‘gurus’ through beautiful gardens and scenic spots soaking up Yoga exercises all day.
Granted, my view was a tad slanted and even a little bit Hollywood affected. Sometimes you develop a silly image of something and so need a little education to replace it with a more appropriate and realistic image.
How To Offset My Carbon Footprint
Whatever your stance on the global warming issue, i.e man-made or a natural cyclical part of the earth’s evolution, it remains a fact that reducing your Carbon Footprint is a ‘Good Thing’!
Even if you take it down to the basics of showing respect for the planet you live on and the environment of which provides you with air to breathe and food to eat.
Is Yoga For Children Too?
I know plenty of Yoga enthusiasts who live Yoga as a lifestyle and not just an exercise. This means that many of them practice Yoga with their children, which makes me wonder. Is Yoga for children too? Do they get anything out of it? Or does it just appease a parent to involve their children in Yoga?
Finding The Right Yoga Mat
Is there a trick to finding the right Yoga mat? Who knew? Finding the right Yoga mat can be vital to having a good Yoga experience. I thought that any Yoga mat would do until I tried to practice with a cheap one!
What Is Vinyasa Yoga?
While I knew that there were different forms of Yoga, I had never heard of Vinyasa Yoga until recently. As far as I was concerned, Yoga was Yoga and it all had the same basic outcome. Well, apparently I was wrong as there are all different forms of Yoga dedicated to cultivating different areas of the activity. Vinyasa Yoga, for instance, is considered to be a much faster paced and a more strenuous form of Yoga. It is like a step up from beginners’ Yoga.
