Don't Let Perimenopausal Fatigue Keep You Down

Stretching Away Those Pre Menopause Symptoms

In today's day and age of connectivity and constant stress, many women are looking for a simple way to get menopausal relief and attune themselves more acutely with their bodies. A growing trend, especially for menopausal women, is to find this lost connection with the self by engaging in Yoga. While many women have heard of Yoga, very few know what it is, or more importantly, what it can do for women during their age of menopause.

What is Yoga?

Put simply, Yoga is a way of life. While there are some that believe Yoga is a religion, they are incorrect in that assumption. There are eight "limbs," or steps to Yoga, but in Western Culture the two that draw the most attention are body postures, or Asanas and breathing exercises, or Pranayama. The following is a list of the remaining eight limbs.

1. Universal Morality - Yama

2. Personal Observances - Niyama

3. Control of the Senses - Pratyahara

4. Concentrating and Cultivating Awareness - Dharana

5. Devotion and Meditation - Dhyana

6. Union or Harmony - Samadhi

What Can Yoga Do?

The goal of Yoga is to provide practitioners a path to unity and self-awareness. However, Yoga also provides many people, again especially perimenopausal women, with the ability to reconnect with their bodies and provide physical activity that many have lost since their earlier years. In addition, women experiencing pre menopause symptoms will find that by slowing down and taking the time to "listen" to their bodies, they can develop a greater appreciation for the changes that are taking place within. In turn, this appreciation can help foster a more successful transition. Furthermore, the obvious benefits, increased limberness, and decreased mood swings for example, can translate into more fulfilling physical experiences in one's life.

How Does One Get Started?

There are a number of ways for anyone interested to start experiencing the benefits of Yoga. The following highlights two key ways:

1. Enroll in a Class - There any many Yoga studios across the country as well as countless classes offered at local gyms. Often times throughout the year gyms and studios will offer promotional deals that will provide a free session, allowing those that are unsure the ability to try a class before committing financially. By enrolling in a class you can feed off the energy in the room and meet new people. When enrolling in a class, be sure the instructor has at least 200 hours of training.

2. Buy a Book or DVD - Purchasing an at home Yoga aid is a great way for beginners to get comfortable with the art. Allowing the interested party the ability to find their center at home and away from the stress of a public class can help build confidence and often times will lead to enrollment in a local group.

The benefits of Yoga for perimenopausal women are numerous. Key among the benefits is the menopausal relief you will appreciate in today's fast-paced world. By practicing Yoga, women will find menopausal support despite the frustrating growing pains associated with their path to becoming a new woman.

360menopause.com 360menopause.com

Menopausal Support and Relief is something every woman needs; if not for herself, for her friends or daughters. Get the inside scoop and answers to your questions. If you would like more information on Menopause and Lack of Sleep go to 360menopause.com/blog 360menopause.com/blog

Bikram Yoga - The Hottest New Thing

Bikram yoga was founded in the early 1970s by Indian yoga guru Bikram Choudhury. Bikram began his yoga journey at the age of 4 and at 12 became the youngest ever national yoga champion for 3 years in a row. At 17 he was involved in a weight lifting accident that left him with a severe injury that doctors said would result in him not being able to walk again. Bikram, with the guidance of his teacher and renowned yoga master Bishnu Ghosh, used yoga to heal his body and within 6 months he recovered. Bikram went on to create the 26 yoga poses for healing body and mind.

The set of 26 postures and 2 set breathing exercises are performed in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius with humidity of 40%. The series of yoga moves is completed over a set 90 minute workout and the postures have a set sequence. It works to encompass all parts of the body from skin and bones to internal organs by moving fresh oxygenated blood around the body. One of the ideas behind Bikram yoga is that the heat of the room aids in increasing circulation to all body organs and therefore maintaining good inner health as they all work together. The heart rate becomes elevated and works the cardiovascular system. The heat also assists in gaining the flexibility needed for the body poses and in removing toxins from the body.

Breathing methods are an important part of Bikram yoga. The 80-20 method requires a full breath prior to the posture and then 20 percent let out continuously through the nose with a closed mouth. In the exhalation breathing method a full breath is taken and then completely exhaled once you are in and completing time in the posture. The breathing methods require some strengthening of your lung capacity over time.

The emotional aspect of Bikram yoga is also an important part of its philosophy and is developed through an awareness of our inner selves and how outside events impact on us. Self control, focus, motivation and concentration help to achieve this.

Bikram trains all of his yoga instructors in his method and it is a very intensive training of 500 hours at his yoga college. There are many Bikram yoga studios worldwide and the instructors must be trained specifically to work in this specialised form of yoga.

Christine Margaret has an interest in yoga. Please visit yoga-at.com yoga-at.com for more information and products.

Tips on Improving Corporate Health & Fitness

Employers can and should encourage healthy lifestyles from their employees. It not only improves their productivity which is good for the company, it DIRECTLY saves health care costs!

An amazing study just came out of Duke University. The study looked at workers' compensation data for 11,728 Duke University employees who received health-risk appraisals over a seven-year period.

What were the results for obese employees (compared to those who are not obese) as published in the Journal of Internal Medicine?

* Obese employees filed twice the number of workers' compensation claims

* Obese employees' medical costs from those claims were seven times higher

* Obese employees stayed out of work 13 times longer after a work-related injury or illness

* Obese employees medical claims cost per 100 employees per year was 51,019 USD compared to $7,503 USD for non-obese workers

* Obese employees lost 183 days of work per 100 employees as compared to 14 days for non-obese workers (that's 13 times more!)

Yeah but those guys were OBESE. Well it doesn't look good for the overweight/mildly obese either...

* Overweight employees took four times the number of days off after being injured or getting sick at work.

* Mildly obese employees took five times as many days off after being injured or getting sick at work.

And what are employers doing? The study reveals that...

"As many as 40 percent of employers are giving workers products, cash or health insurance discounts to lose weight," said Laura Linnan, the study's principal investigator and a professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health.

Employers are getting scared off as well. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, assistant professor of medicine and health economist at Stanford University co-authored a 2005 study that showed employers compensate for anticipated higher medical costs of obese workers by paying them less than slimmer employees and passing them over for promotions.

What are we gathering from this?

Being fat is bad for employees (that's most of us) because it costs us in terms of career advancement and money, and its bad for employers because its affecting their profit margins when they pay for all these health costs.

Simple problem yes, simple to fix, not quite. We need to approach this troubling issue with a corporate fitness solution. 3 things that employers must do...

1. Adopt a fitness culture starting from the CEO knowing that it is best for the company

"We all know obesity is bad for the individual, but it isn't solely a personal medical problem -- it spills over into the workplace and has concrete economic costs," Dr. Truls Ostbye -author and professor of community and family medicine.

Well, if its not a personal or private medical problem then it becomes a community problem. That means the problem is larger, but the solution is also more permanent. Community solutions just work better. They work for gang violence and for addiction to vices. From my experiences as a fitness professional, community solutions work for health goals as well. Kickboxing, pilates, yoga, aerobics and other fitness classes or group activities have a higher penetration rate (about 12-15% in most health clubs) than personal training (2-3%). I believe that people stay on longer in group classes as well.

A community solution to corporate fitness has to be built into the company culture. Usually this is dictated by a CEO or a board of directors. If they are reading this article they are probably aware of the health challenges facing companies in this day and age. They are also probably aware that companies which have an adaptive culture that is able to handle changing circumstances tend to do really really well. 2-3 times as well profit-wise according to some studies. In addition, setting a fitness culture shows concern for employees (and allows them to be more productive) and in the long run costs less than paying for medical bills. As a minor side note, your employees will look healthy too and that in itself has its own host of benefits.

Once the CEO has decided that a fitness culture is needed and is in fact the course that the company needs to take, he can implement it in the same way he makes most culture changes.

* Align your company culture with your strategic goals (being fit saves money, makes your employees more productive and more attractive to customers, and increases profit)

* Develop a specific action plan that can leverage the good things in your current culture and correct the unaligned areas. (free employee breakfasts on Fridays may be good, but making it doughnuts and pancakes is BAD)

* Brainstorm improvements in your formal policies and daily practices. (allocate some work time to fitness and health education and activities, ensure managers lead by example, bringing healthy food into the cafeteria, allow 15 min breaks during work for healthy snacks)

* Develop models of the desired actions and behaviors. (how many hours a week minimum that an employee must exercise, social support and encouragement to make healthy eating not just acceptable but preferable, all management staff must enthusiastically take part)

* Communicate the new corporate fitness culture to all employees (tell everybody about it)

* Over-communicate the new corporate fitness culture and its actions to everyone. (tell everybody about it again and again, with checks to ensure that the new culture is followed)

Remember, often people don't do what you EXPECT. They do what you INSPECT.

2. Look for a professional you can trust

A respected fitness professional is a real asset to a corporation. Think about it. Companies get accounting firms to do their accounts and taxes, they get law firms to do their legal documents, and they get business consultants to check their business processes. So is it a big stretch to think that they should get a fitness professional to take care of company health and fitness?

Not at all. The best fitness pros will know how to approach corporate fitness. They will be able to advise on the set up of health facilities, run fitness classes, be good public speakers on more general topics like nutrition, and be able to give individual training programs for more difficult cases of extreme obesity or employees with past injuries and medical conditions.

3. Only accept success

No CEO would accept sub-standard work by an employee, neither would they accept failure on important projects, they wouldn't accept a lack of integrity with regard to finance either. Shouldn't this be the case with the company fitness program?

Like I mentioned in point 1, this new program has to be enforced. It's a kind of "tough love" that needs to happen. Hey Mr. CEO...take attendance at fitness classes, walk around the cafeteria at lunch to see what people are eating, do your managers speak as positively and motivationally about the fitness program as they do about meeting project deadlines?

There are only good things that can come out of a corporation that has a fitness focus. Corporate fitness has come a long way. I do know of companies that have gyms and health facilities for their staff.

But as usual we need to look for the person before we provide the place and the program. In this case there are 2 people. The fearless CEO with a vision and the fitness professional who can deliver the results.

Coach Jonathan Wong, is a sought after Singapore personal trainer and performance expert who has helped hundreds of clients in Singapore achieve their fitness, fat loss and sports performance goals. He is also a fitness author and a member of Singapore Men's Health Advisory Panel. Visit his website for a free 1500 page e-book, blog, newsletter and constant updates. coachjon.com coachjon.com

Remote Influencing Review - An Overview

An overview- remote influencing is something that you were looking for a long time. It becomes important to know everything about influencing people and yourself. Do you know anything about it? If no, don't worry, just relax. You are at the right place to know all about it in an organized way. It is very important to know about these ways in an authentic and genuine way. It is nothing but increasing your confidence and thriving for the best.

Remote influencing helps in influencing and securing their dream and future. It is very important to secure and plan your future correctly. To make it in your way, you need to focus a lot on yourself. A career is such a thing which has to be snatched. Nothing comes on a silver platter. Especially for common people, luck does not come easily. Rich people can pay and get their way of their own. But you need to influence yourself to get your way. Focus comes in hand in hand with confidence. It is fast and easy. You can practice yoga and meditation.

It helps in development of focus and confidence as well as calmness within. It will help in relaxing as well. Another thing which you can do is to take up remote influencing course. There are many courses available. You can seek help online. You will get to know the complete remote influencing training system. This will help in getting a total idea on these courses. You will be provided with many video and audio representations to help in better understanding. Virtual trainers will be available to assist 24x7 online. Various motivational books will be provided as well. Not only motivational but influencing books are also provided.

With the help of all these guidelines which will help you in discovering and experiencing peace. This will also help in increasing intuition. You would also get many solutions for your life. It will also easily make your dreams all come true. Do not exaggerate and dream big. Take smaller steps and try to fulfill as needed. Start looking for various answers. Discover that what will affect you soon? How can you change your life to make it better? After one or two years later, where do you see yourself? How can you change your present situation?

After reading and completion of your remote influencing course, what have you learnt? And how will you implement them in your life? Will all together you can help in development of your better tomorrow? These all questions will be answered. This helps in all round development. Increasing psychic ability and getting control over your past fears is another great advantage. Thus, this is a quite remote influencing review as an overview.

It will Explain How You Have Within Yourself the Infinite Power to Co-Create Your Life: Here and Now! Visit my blog to get one session free learntoseefuture.com Remote Influencing Review

The Truth About Options for Yoga Teachers, Part 4

Yoga Hybrids: It could be argued that Pilates is a Yoga hybrid. I don't want to start a big debate over the Pilates Method. The founder, Joseph Pilates, was truly an innovator and way ahead of his time; he also practiced Yoga and martial arts. Therefore, the roots of the Pilates Method are still clear to see.

Many of the Yoga hybrids are combinations of Yoga with dance, martial arts, and Pilates. If you were to pursue these a bit further you could "re-invent the wheel" or become certified to teach Kripalu DansKinetics, The Method, Yoga Fusion, Yogilates, or Nia.

All of these Yoga hybrids are very active and trendy at this time. Some of them may well pass the test of time, such as the Pilates Method. Only time will tell if a health maintenance system will span generations. If you are looking for an extra niche to add to your Yoga teaching skills, any one of these methods will compliment a Yoga class schedule.

Chair Yoga: There are some Yoga teachers who should not consider this field. If a Yoga instructor does not believe in modifications, props, and tailoring a Yoga class toward the students, he or she should stay away from this rewarding field.

There is a tremendously large demand for Yoga teachers, who are patient, compassionate, creative, and want to help others. This is a Yoga teaching position which demands that you learn about ailments, anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and physiology, on a steady basis. Continuing education is a very important part of a Chair Yoga teacher's job.

As the Baby Boom generation ages, this "spells out" job security for Yoga instructors who wish to specialize in Chair Yoga. There is no better time than right now to get started, and Chair Yoga will continue to be in need for decades to come. Unfortunately, I do not have enough time for the demand for all of the Chair Yoga classes in my little corner of Rhode Island.

In the past, I have trained Yoga teachers to specialize in this field. The demand to fill the local needs of nursing homes, seniors centers, gated communities, assisted living, adult day care, and physical rehabilitation centers, is far greater than the number of teachers. This is just the "tip of the iceberg," and my mornings are full with teaching Chair Yoga sessions in the Greater Providence area.

Lastly, the current Chair Yoga teaching opportunities are many, and this particular field is still in its infancy. You will never find a more appreciative group of students, than you will find by teaching a Chair Yoga class.

© Copyright 2006 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Yoga For Men

Improve Your Game with Yoga for Men

Contrary to what many men believe, yoga isn't just for women. Yoga for men is not only practiced by those who are interested in relaxation techniques and body flexibility, but it can provide many benefits to those who are looking for an athletic advantage. Men tend to have tight muscles, particularly in the hamstrings, hips, and the shoulders, that can limit their athleticism and lead to injuries in these areas. Any time you over-train in one area or perform the same movement repeatedly, stress can lead to muscle or joint injuries.

Specifically designed programs incorporating Yoga for men offer a full-body workout to improve both flexibility and strength. Not only will the yoga poses help you reduce the likelihood of injury but you will also enhance your athletic ability. You will need to use the poses that will focus on the areas where men tend to be the stiffest in order to get the greatest benefit. While there are a number of different styles of yoga, programs that are specifically designed by a professional to provide beneficial yoga for men will focus on the trouble spots that are common among the majority of them.

Get Major League Results in a Short Time

You can see that yoga for men has all the benefits needed by any type of athlete. In addition to improving strength and flexibility of the muscles and joints you use most in your sport, there are additional health benefits that will come with practicing each of the poses. Taking just one class a week or performing a few poses before your workout can provide you with many of the associated benefits.

You can go online and search for the poses that are commonly used to benefit men and find some of the top names associated with the yoga discipline to get all the information you need to get you started. There are numerous online videos that will demonstrate the proper way to do yoga for men so you get step-by-step instructions without having to leave home!

To consider how yoga for men might be the answer you are looking for, think of a baseball pitcher. He is using an area of his body that is considered a trouble spot for men in general. When he pitches, he is repeatedly relying on his shoulder muscles to get the ball to its goal destination. Not only does he rely on strength in his shoulders, but also flexibility to provide him with the range of motion he needs to be successful. Since yoga will improve the flexibility of muscles, tendons, and ligaments and will also improve joint lubrication, it can improve every aspect of the body's ability to perform the repeated action needed to pitch without the high risk of injury.

If you are more interested in the aesthetics of rock hard abs than improving your sports techniques, yoga for men can help you with that as well. Many types of yoga focus on the core muscles which include the abdominals. There are also programs that are designed specifically to create a six pack for men by incorporating the most effective poses. But it is recommended that you start with the aplusyoga.com/general/yoga-for-beginners yoga for beginners.

Yoga is a versatile workout system that can give you the great results that you want while also providing you with the improved concentration, relaxation, and stamina to improve every aspect of your life!

Please click here for related topic: aplusyoga.com/general/yoga-for-back-pain Yoga for Back Pain.

Yoga During Pregnancy - The Best Form of Exercise

Pregnancy is a great time in a woman's life but is also the period when her body experiences a lot of changes. Not all of these changes are welcome because the woman also puts on a lot of weight during this time. Yoga is a great way to exercise during pregnancy because it offers many benefits to the expectant mother. As a result, increasing numbers of women are taking to this ancient Indian exercise form.

There are many reasons why Yoga is gaining in popularity, especially with pregnant women. This exercise form involves a lot of bending and stretching exercises that help pregnant women stay limber. There are specific positions, known as Asanas, which are especially beneficial to pregnant women because they help the thighs and hips to get stretched. One such position is the Butterfly. This position helps to loosen up the muscles of the hips, inner thighs and groin if done regularly. There are also squats in Yoga that tone the muscles of the thigh, buttocks and pelvis. A woman who includes these positions in her regular workout will almost certainly have an easy childbirth.

Another Yoga position that pregnant women should include in their workout is the Cat position. This position focuses on the muscles of the neck, shoulders and spine and it therefore helps pregnant women carry themselves better. Women who exercise in this way tend to have better posture and therefore do not suffer from backaches. Most women who do not have strong back muscles complain of back pain during the third trimester when the baby begins to get very large and heavy. It is common for women with weak muscles to adopt a swaybacked posture in order to compensate for the weight of the baby.

Apart from toning and strengthening the muscles, Yoga also helps to calm a woman down if she is taking on too much stress during the pregnancy. Many women find the demands of pregnancy to be too much to handle and they do not take good care of themselves as a result. This particular style of exercise involves a lot of regulated breathing and meditation. This helps to relax a woman considerably. It is believed that the baby also remains calm and happy along with the mother. A mother who has too much stress in her life exposes her unborn child to these negative feelings as well.

If you are planning to start Yoga then you should only do so under the advice of a qualified medical practitioner. There may be some exercises that are quite difficult for you to do especially if you have never attempted it before. You should also make sure that you get training from a proper teacher. There are many people who claim to be experts in this particular style of exercise but are not necessarily so. If you select your teacher well and do all the exercises properly your pregnancy will be a breeze. You will also recover your pre pregnancy figure very fast.

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Bishnu Gosh - The Source of Bikram Yoga

One of the most popular kinds of yoga is called the "Bikram Yoga" or "hot yoga". This hot yoga technique was the brainstorm of Bikram Choudhury; with a direct lineage from his own Yoga master Bishnu Gosh, leading to the name Bikram Yoga. Bikram who had been a student at the Gosh College of Physical Education in Calcutta, from the young age of 5 and who had won several yoga competitions in his childhood, later suffered from an accident which shattered his knee resulting in him not being able to walk.

At that time, Bishnu Gosh, the founder of the Gosh Institute, took Bikram under his care and Bikram recovered completely from his injury after being treated for 6 months of yoga therapy for his knee. The technique that Gosh used to heal Bikram was mostly successful because Bikram had to sit in a room heated up to 105F with a humidity level of 40% while performing a series of knee exercises. The high heat helped to heal the injury along with strengthening the muscles.

Once he completely recovered from his injury, Bikram started opening schools, primarily in India and later all around the world, to implement the yoga style that had been used to heal him. He worked with doctors worldwide to demonstrate the benefits of hot yoga for various health issues, particularly pain management.

Bikram Choudhury holds the US copyrights to the Bikram Yoga technique and has over 500 studios throughout the world teaching people a better lifestyle with the help of hot yoga. In order to teach hot yoga, instructors need to enroll in a 2 month training program and then receive certification before they are allowed to instruct others.

How it works:

The Bikram Yoga usually consists of a 90 minute session in a very hot room. During this session, people are instructed to go through a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. The high temperature induces prolific sweating, which facilitates the body to get rid of all toxins. Heat also keeps the body warm, making it more flexible and in turn allowing added stretching exercises to be easily achieved and preventing injury at the same time.

The postures are listed below:

1.Standing Deep Breathing

2.Half Moon Pose with Hands To Feet Pose

3.Awkward Pose

4.Eagle Pose

5.Standing Head To Knee Pose

6.Standing Bow Pulling Pose

7.Balancing Stick Pose

8.Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose

9.Triangle Pose

10.Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee Pose

11.Tree Pose

12.Toe Stand Pose

13.Dead Body Pose

14.Wind Removing Pose

15.Sit Up

16.Cobra Pose

17.Locust Pose

18.Full Locust Pose

19.Bow Pose

20.Fixed Firm Pose

21.Half Tortoise Pose

22.Camel Pose

23.Rabbit Pose

24.Head To Knee Pose with Stretching Pose

25.Spine Twisting Pose

26.Blowing in Firm

Bikram Yoga and its uses:

Bikram yoga promotes the concepts of wellness and rejuvenation. It was specifically intended to thoroughly stimulate every muscle, joint and organ of the body. This stimulation results in restoring health to the body as a whole.

A large number of yoga followers have conquered weight loss, normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels, increased flexibility, toned bodies and no body pains after just a few months of starting hot yoga. These improved conditions lead people to have a happier and healthier outlook on life.

Bikram Choudhury currently resides in Beverly Hills California at the Bikram's Yoga College of India in Los Angeles. For Bikram, this yoga regime provided an improved way of life. He is still very involved in promoting this technique for various health conditions. He works closely with a number of doctors to implement yoga as a wellness therapy.

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"Powerful Yoga for Real People"

Weight Loss With Meditation and Yoga

The human body is more than simple physics and chemistry. At a more subtle level your mind regulates body's chemistry (metabolism) and physics (energy balance). It is more complicated than calories in, calories out scenario. Sure, it is important for weight loss to eat less (calories) and burn more (calories) by exercising.

It is not enough though. Scientific studies showed without a doubt that chronic stress turns on a chemical messenger called neuropeptide Y, which is found in body fat. This hormone increases appetite, especially for carbohydrate-rich foods. It also causes your body to convert these calories into belly fat. A double impact that will add pounds to your weight in a very short period of time.

We knew that as a matter of fact. Whenever we are tensed, we tend to swallow absentmindedly our food without deriving much satisfaction or pleasure. So we eat more.

And like this is not bad enough, the chronic stress is also one of the main triggers for metabolic syndrome (glucose intolerance) that can lead to diabetes with all the associated conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and inflammation.

What to do?. Well, meditation and yoga are perfect remedies for stress.

Among other benefits, meditation calms your mind and raises your threshold to stress. Again it works under the same pattern, mind over body. When meditating your body releases the good mood neurotransmitter Serotonin. In time your body becomes "addicted" to good mood hence a higher tolerance for stress. Specific to meditation is also the increased awareness that will wipe out the unconscious food stuffing beyond your body needs. You will eat calmer and slower and allow your body send the message "enough" to your mind.

Now, combine these benefits with hatha-yoga (the physical part of yoga) and you get an unstoppable trend toward a slimmer and younger body. From hatha-yoga sun salutations works perfectly as a low impact workout, midway between resistance training (e.g. weight lifting) and cardiovascular (e.g. jogging). In fitness terminology they call this new, in vogue type of exercise Interval Training. Sun salutation goes beyond that. It has it all, including the stretching and the mind focus. And you know what? It was around for so long that it may have some extra value.

For the more advanced yoga practitioners, specific yogic postures (e.g. shoulder stand), activates and regulates the internal secretions of the thyroid gland -the master gland, that affects the fat metabolism.

This is it!. Meditation and yoga works synergistically toward a better mind and body. If only you had the will power to initiate this process. Do you?

For an integral approach to a healthy mind and body that combines simple and efficient techniques filtered by thousands of years of human wisdom with modern technology based on the latest research in neuroscience, nutrition and fitness, please follow the links: better-mind.com/how-to-meditate How to meditate and better-mind.com/sunsalutation Sun salutation

Memory Improvement Exercise

There are some top tips for improving your memory all of which are covered in the articles we have on this site. In this article we will focus on exercise as a specific way to boost your brainpower and super charge your memory.

Your brain, of course, is part of your body so anything you do to help tone and improve your body will benefit your brain enormously. The main ways for us to help our bodies is in being aware of what we eat and giving ourselves enough exercise. Being overweight puts a strain on our brains and memories as well as our hearts. The reason that that happens is because we are more inclined to develop high blood pressure and may become diabetic - these factors lead to poorer memory as well as faster aging. Not good news! If you want to slow down that aging process losing weight is the very best way.

Whether you are overweight or not doing gentle and regular exercise is a sure-fire winner for boosting your brain and improving your memory. In fact exercise is wonderful for draining away the toxins we accumulate from living stressful lives. Not only that but the exercise also improves blood flow to the brain, waking up some sleepy neurons and getting things going again. So think back to times in your life when you were more energetic and remember what parts of your exercise routine you enjoyed most then. Did you like doing things as part of a class - for example, yoga, aerobics, spinning or did you much prefer a sport or routine that you could do on your own, such as swimming, gym workout, walking. Another alternative would be if you used to enjoy team sports such as netball, football, or pairs workouts like squash, tennis or badminton. Whatever it was about those things that you enjoyed take that as your starting point for your new exercise routine. You will never stick to it if you don't at least like it - even better if you love it and have fun doing it.

Once you have begun that exercise on a daily basis you will notice changes very quickly - certainly within two to three weeks. Your brain will be sprouting new connections and generally being livelier when it has to problem-solve or decision make. You will probably also notice yourself becoming better coordinated. This is also something that is controlled by the brain and the exercise you are doing now will have been making sure that the two side of the brain 'speak' more fluently and frequently with one another and that helps our balance. Many of us spend a lot of time with one hemisphere dominating the other and what we need is balance.

No article on brain and memory improvement would be complete without mention of another kind of exercise - mental gymnastics! These actually encourage new growth in your brains which means that new cells are connecting to areas where they have never been before. These new networks allow you to enlarge and dramatically improve your memory capacity. Pick up that crossword or anagram in the newspaper and have a go at it everyday. You will be doing your brain and memory a HUGE favour.

Jenny Rachel Wilson is a psychologist specialising in brain enhancement at memoryimprovementnow.com memoryimprovementnow.com She invites you to find out just how easy it is to build your brain power and to do memory improvement exercise. Get her free mini-course by signing up at memoryimprovementnow.com memoryimprovementnow.com You'll be amazed.

Balance Your Energy With Yoga

From energy drinks to energy bars, energy is something sought by people each day. Everything is made up of energy. Energy is pulsation - a pulsation that moves in a wave-like rhythm flowing up and flowing down. We may think we need to grab for energy outside of us in order to have more energy inside to function. What we really need is to learn how to balance the energy that is pulsing within us. While it may seem easy and convenient to purchase an energy product on the way to work, consuming it as you sit in traffic, quick energy fixes only lead to crashes later on. Instead, balance your

energy with yoga a natural way to keep you invigorated throughout your day.

Practicing yoga is a great way to energize your day. Yoga helps release tension and clear blockages, allowing energy to flow freely, creating an overall sense of vitality and well-being. Yoga poses don't create energy, they release energy and they also keep us from expending energy in activities that don't do anything for us. Often we have so much tension stored in our bodies that we are forced to use our energy for support. If we can release that tension, we will be free to use this energy for whatever we really want to do.

Yoga helps you Manage Stress

Stress is a natural part of life's pulsation. Stress can be motivating or disabling. Poor stress management drains energy out of the body, leaving you tired and unmotivated. Yoga helps you manage the accumulation of stress by helping you consciously release it. The mindfulness aspect of yoga trains the mind to focus on body sensations, to bring the body-mind back into synch. Naturally stress begins to rapidly diminish. Restoration and rejuvenation arise from the body's ability to self-regulate as the mind-body duality diminishes.

Yoga Tones Muscles

Life is movement and movement is life - how we move can bring balance or imbalance to our muscle tone. The practice of connecting to your breath stimulates the body's natural intelligence to move into alignment when performing yoga poses. Therefore, the integration in the body develops balanced muscle tone and increased energy.A person's energy level is dictated by their metabolic rate, the rate at which their body is able to convert substances into energy. The expedience of this rate is based on

a person's metabolism, a process that is contingent on their muscle mass; a person with more muscle tone will have a vastly higher metabolism than someone who has a small amount of muscle mass. In other words, a person with good muscle tone will have much more energy that someone whose muscular tone is minimal.

Yoga Stimulates Blood Flow

Yoga stimulates a person's body into an open highway, unclogging avenues through which blood, oxygen, and nutrients - all elements of energy - can travel. The way yoga does this is by cultivating balanced action when performing yoga poses... Balanced action is when we engage enough muscular energy to create stability and strength in a pose balanced with organic energy, extension through the bones, to create freedom in the joints. The breath always leads the way- it is what fuels the vehicle of the body into contraction and expansion of the body's natural pulsation.

Balanced action helps your body to become flexible. Because a person may have a restriction that they are unaware of, gaining flexibility helps energy get to its destination with ease. Breathing, along these lines, helps oxygenate the blood, helping drive the life force of energy to muscles, organs, and any part of the body that is need of some reserves.

Yoga is Vitality

Yoga provides a direct route for tapping into your true self: a self that, by nature, is fluid

and vital, not rigid and dull. All yoga postures are expressions of your true self. When

the postures are practiced with mindfulness and meaning they naturally shift you out of

a habitual negative rut or help you celebrate the joy that you brought to the mat. Yoga

brings self awareness to our habitual patterns that either support the expression of

one's true heart or not. From this place of clarity we can then make life-affirming

choices.

People can find energy in many things - protein shakes, energy powders, even energy pills - but yoga remains one of the most natural and effective ways to balance the energy in your body, giving you the ability to make the most of each and every day.

About us: TWISTED is a medical yoga studio at the Center for Osteopathic Medicine in

Boulder, Colorado. Twisted integrates osteopathic medicine, Hatha yoga and mindfulness

practices to teach optimal balance between physical, mental, and emotional health. It

aims to educate and help people to live a healthy life from the inside out. Rehabilitation programs offer a comprehensive treatment regime for the whole being, empowering each person one breath at a time to stimulate the body's natural healing potential.

Jennifer Jordan is senior editor of yogatwisted.com yogatwisted.com Specializing in articles that not only teach yoga techniques, but also teach techniques on fulfillment and enrichment, she aims to educate students proudly enrolled in the school of life.

Corporate Training - Keeping Employees Fit and Productive

The workplace can be stressful, and too many times employees turn to unhealthy ways to unwind, such as overeating, drinking, or smoking cigarettes. A corporate training program can keep workers motivated, healthy, and fit while boosting productivity levels and overall job satisfaction and at the same time giving a healthy way for employees to unwind. What better way to unite an office team than to offer health benefits that go beyond visits to the doctor? For overworked office members everywhere in the DC area, there are methods of fitness and personal training that can be a great option to decrease stress in the workplace.

A corporate training program is an idea that has long been used in companies abroad. Particularly in Eastern cultures, where it is not unheard of to spend extremely long workdays in the office. A perfect and natural way to bring employees together by motivation and keeping them on the task at hand is by implementing a corporate training program at work. Studies show that taking simply twenty minutes out of the day for physical fitness can boost endorphin levels and a person's ability to concentrate which will bring greater satisfaction and stronger work out of the employee. Taking time to focus on physical health goes hand in hand with mental abilities as well.

To implement this type of corporate training, it is helpful to hire an on-site personal trainer to help out employees. If the company is a smaller one, than this might not be necessary, and a group gym membership could be used instead. Group classes offered a few times a week at the workplace are another good option that can be included in this type of package. From yoga to aerobics, group classes will not only unify the work force but also give a tangible method to relax and reduce stress. Engaging in training programs together will strengthen work teams on the job, and cause more successful interactions between coworkers.

Aside from the benefits that an employer will see in his or her own employees, corporate training methods give workers an outlet for exercise that they may not be able to fit into their busy days otherwise. Prolonged computer use can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, back pains, eyestrain, and headaches. There are specific exercises that personal trainers will know about to alleviate these health conditions, and get the workforce back on track for a more comfortable day at the office. Fitness is just as important as relaxation, and with this type of program, both can go hand in hand.

Michael Crane writes about a variety of topics including personal training and fitness consulting. You can visit Michael by going to his website: fresh-start-fitness.com fresh-start-fitness.com. Michael and his team offer the highest quality in home personal training service in the MD, DC, VA area on any budget. At Fresh Start Fitness, your first session is FREE! No commitment.

Constant Yoga Practice Equals Supple Healthy Body

As a whole, asanas mean the different positions because these have been methodically created to work for each one seeking a life full of health. Some yoga mentors prefer not applying the word "exercises" to those upon the belief that exercises strain the body, expending energy and causing fatigue, while yoga, developed to maintain energy.

Common types of exercises like cardio workouts or aerobics or resistance training demand such recurring actions from your body that are fast and forceful. Exercises of these types could, in time, bring about muscle strain and fatigue.

While constant Yoga practice, in contrast, has to do with actions that encourage stability and energy for the physical body, and the senses, the mind and the consciousness, as well.

Workouts have been designed to fulfill the objective of increasing your heart rate up to a target zone in order to gain cardiovascular benefits. While Yoga, again in contrast, makes you relaxed and causes your heart rate and breathing to normalize after each posture, before you go on to the succeeding posture. Yoga is aimed at maintaining and prolonging the elasticity of the spinal column. Elasticity and agility of the spine usually denotes youth and good health.

Getting into a regular Yoga practice doesn't mean you have to give up your other exercises. Yoga may be a totally different kind of exercise, but you can make it complementary to other types of exercise or even to sports activities. Combining Yoga stationary stretching with other types of exercise has been established to provide great assistance in lowering your chances of potential damage or injury from doing those exercises for a long period. The stretching in Yoga postures can provide a lot of comfort to relax constricted muscles and joints and also aid in limbering up the muscles and joints. Constantly practicing sequences like the easy and languid Sun Salutation can speed up the smooth flow of blood all around your body.

You can manage your stress, you get power and elasticity and cardiovascular gains for your body too.

Repeated performance of Yoga can ease the performance of other exercise forms.

So you see, there are so very many benefits to your body from constant performance of yoga. Several investigations establish the value and help of Yoga for pregnant women, for athletes trying to get well from game injuries and body builders seeking relief and flexibility for muscles made rigid by gym workouts. Each yoga asana that you do is expected to touch, motivate and enhance certain body organs or systems to function efficiently and successfully.

Linda Adams enjoys all things that have to do with health.

One of the top health blogs Linda has found is yogawithkatrina.com/yoga-kamloops/fitness-boot-camp Fitness Yoga Kamloops Boot Camp, which is a exceptional mix of yoga and exercise.

You can watch a Free Video of the youtube.com/watch?v=pp7TWtuL_XU Kamloops Yoga Fitness Boot Camp for a powerful work out every time.

Pilates Workout: Combining Pilates and Cardio

With hundreds of fitness and workout programs today, choosing one that will give you the specific outcome you want can sometimes get tricky. For example, you're considering signing up for a Chicago pilates workout class to improve flexibility and correct your posture, but at the same time you also want a fitness program that will help you effectively shed a couple of pounds. Luckily, there are now multiple variations of pilates fitness programs being taught at gyms and studios which combine the traditional practice and techniques of pilates with other fitness programs.

Pilates is a fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates, and over the years has gained worldwide popularity and evolved into various styles and forms. The system not only brings about changes in the way your body looks, but also in how it functions on daily basis. By promoting proper posture, flexibility, injury prevention, increased range of motion, and strength, the practice of Pilates is able to address the different needs of athletes, dancers, supermodels, and even the elderly.

This fitness system is especially popular among women because it allows them to develop and strengthen muscles without "bulking up." It is also widely used to help alleviate back, knee, and neck pain and restore the normal functioning of the body after suffering injury. Regardless of your age and background, there is a pilates program that is suitable for your current physical condition and will help you get the results you want. There are a lot of trainers who offer private sessions and can customize an effective program while keeping in mind any physical limitations you may have as a result of injury or trauma, aging, and medical conditions.

Cardio-based Pilates Workout

There are different types of cardio-based pilates workout programs, depending on the equipment used and the program's goals. If you're an athlete looking to improve your flexibility and strengthen your core, you may want to try pilates programs that include resistance techniques and exercises. Programs that use springs and other resistance equipment are effective in helping you increase muscle mass and develop core muscles. A lot of Chicago pilates workout studios now offer cardio-based classes that make use of chairs, springs, and other equipment to intensify your workout and maximize weight loss.

Cardio-based workout classes are usually offered either in groups or private sessions. If you have certain medical conditions that may affect the way you carry out exercises, we suggest you take the safe route and opt for a private session with a certified Pilates instructor.

If you're looking for a Chicago pilates workout program that will give you all the benefits of pilates and lose weight simultaneously, you should definitely check out the cardio-based pilates classes that use the HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training format. These are the types of classes that will provide cardiovascular training and increase your metabolism to help you lose weight. In addition to weight loss, this type of workout is also proven to improve athletic performance and strengthen your muscles.

This article was written by Kristina Lo and it was prepared for UrbanCore ( UrbanCoreChicago.com UrbanCoreChicago.com ). UrbanCore is located at 3864 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago, Illinois. Look for Angela Carini and Christine Hall at 773.857.1592. Drop by their studio today or visit their website to sign up for classes and find out more about the UrbanCoreChicago.com Chicago pilates workout classes they offer.

How to Put Together a Weekly Workout Plan

I've told you about a bunch of types of workouts, but if you tried to do them all in one week you would put yourself in the hospital. One the most common questions I get is how do you put together a weekly plan. I usually set things up in 4 week blocks but for illustration purposes we'll just put a single week plan together.

While this will show how I put a training week together, you have to bear in mind that we cycle the loads and intensity over the course of the training season. Some blocks will have low volume (less time) and more intensity while in other periods this will be reversed. It all depends on what the goal of the block of training is. The week I'm going to show you will be aimed at increasing threshold power, anaerobic capacity and over all body conditioning. When I'm creating a monthly plan the load will increase a little each week for three weeks and the fourth week will ease off allowing the body to recover. This can vary per athlete but the 3 week build, 1 week recovery is a good place to start. An example would be 60 minutes week 1, 65 minutes week 2 and 70 minutes week 3.

Warm-up 15-20 minutes before each workout. Stretch or do Yoga after each workout.

Monday

Rest

Tuesday

60 Minute Aerobic Ride - steady pace, breathing is elevated but you should be able to talk. (75-80% of your threshold power)

Wednesday

30 Velmax Intervals - 30 seconds Hard ( 135% threshold power) / 30 seconds Easy

Cool down 10 minutes then

Cross Training Workout

3 rounds with as little rest as possible

15 Pushups

25 Bodyweight Squats

15 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (20 lb dumbbells)

Thursday

60 Minute Aerobic Ride - steady pace, breathing is elevated but you should be able to talk. (75-80% of your threshold power)

Friday

Cross Training Workout

3 Rounds with as little rest as possible

20 Dumbbell Swings

20 Walking lunges (20 steps per leg)

20 Russian Twists

Saturday

90 Minute Aerobic Ride - steady pace, breathing is elevated but you should be able to talk. (75-80% of your threshold power)

Sunday

30 Velmax Intervals - 30 seconds Hard ( 135% threshold power) / 30 seconds Easy

Cool down 10 minutes then

Cross Training Workout

3 rounds with as little rest as possible

20 Thrusters

20 Pull ups or body rows

20 Burpees

Do a quick Google search if you don't know how to do the exercises.

This plan takes about 6 hours per week not counting warm-up and cooldown. If you need to miss a workout on this plan, cut out one of the aerobic rides rather than the Velmax or cross training workouts.

The cross training workouts take 5-15 minutes depending on how little rest you can get away with.

The layout is pretty simple with a couple of hard bike workouts that will increase power and sustainable speed. Between the hard workouts are more moderate aerobic rides that are longer. The aerobic rides provide a cardiovascular load and improve your bodies ability to access fat as a fuel source but only take 8-12 hour to recover from. The Saturday workout is stretched out a little.

And it's all topped off with three cross training workouts to build muscular endurance and balance out the body. As a bonus, workouts like these that have a lot of muscles involved with a lot of lactic acid and oxygen debt, trigger an increase in your bodies production of growth hormone and testosterone. After the age of 30, these hormones decrease so spiking them up with exercise will help with fat burning, energy and recovery.

My name is Winston Endall. I'm a bike shop owner and cycling coach. Over the last 12 years I've worked developing my Speed Factory Training System to allow real people like you to maximize their fitness. My system lets people with jobs and families build a high level of cycling performance with the minimum time spent each week. Speed Factory combines bike workouts, cross training and flexibility work to make you a stronger overall athlete in as little as 4 hours per week. For more information go to my site cyclecambridge.com cyclecambridge.com

Need Power? Try Core Power Yoga

Core power yoga is an energetic yoga exercise that is both physically and mentally

challenging and helps to connect to our inner powers without stopping and

accompanied by a heated, climate controlled Vinyasa. It heals, detoxifies and

stimulates the body and mind through balance and intention.

Power yoga is a dynamic and challenging program that combines strength, sweat

and spirituality. It recognizes power in different levels; first is the physical power

which develops the body's strength and improve health; second is the mental power

or the will to concentrate on the practice; and last the spiritual power which is the

power behind the physical and mental power.

Core power yoga is the Western version of the Indian Ashtanga Yoga. The term was

was given by Beryl Bender Birch, an Ashtanga Yoga teacher. It has been brought to

the west by followers of Sri K. Pattabhi, a renowned Sanskrit scholar who inspired

Western Yogis with his Ashtanga Yoga Style and philosophies.

There are three programs in power yoga. 'Core Power' is designed to strengthen

abdominals and back and includes both abs-focused Vinyasa power yoga poses and

variations of muscle-toning moves. 'Unlocking Athletic Power' will develop flexible

strength with an emphasis on abs, back, hips and pelvis. 'Soul of Strength' on the

other hand is a fast-moving power yoga program with a distinct 'mid-body'

emphasis and some very challenging moves.

Yoga sessions are done in a heated room and made up of different cardiovascular

exercises intended to develop strength and flexibility, increase stamina, improves

the ability to focus, release tensions and remove toxins through sweating.

Core power yoga practice also requires the execution of yoga poses. Poses are done

in a fast pace, some poses are even held longer than the required five breaths. This

practice can increase physical endurance and ability to focus on any task for a long

time without breaking the concentration.

What is the difference between core power yoga and other exercises?

Core power yoga is a vinyasa style that has a unique program offering and focuses

on core strength, balance and flow to build a solid practice based on strength and

spirit. It offers diverse classes like Hot Yoga, Yoga Sculpt, Boot camps, Teacher

Trainings and Mat Pilates. Moreover, it provides better instructors that are

personally involved in student's progress, strong and forceful leaders who pays

more attention to the students needs. Also the teachers of this exercise work with

the students to personalize their programs and creating a sense of belonging and

community. And lastly, it provides quality facilities equipped with a unique top tier

amenities and a balance aura.

This exercise also offers great health benefits; it lengthens and stretches the

muscles and at the same time also builds stamina, strength and lean muscle and

mass. It also increases body heat that kills some bacteria and creates a finely tuned state of consciousness of the workings of the body. The focus of core power yoga is

on the coordination of the breath movement, connecting the body, mind and spirit

to the warmest level.

Core power yoga is best to those who want to improve their performance in their

chosen sports like cycling, football, swimming, skiing, running, martial arts and

various other team sports. Some training grounds in sports practice this exercise in

transition for aerobics.

Core power yoga can and does reshape your body and mind!

© Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.

Melvin has dozens more related articles and tips on doing yoga at his site: doing yoga [doing-yoga.com], check them out today!

What? Me a Leader?

Leadership. The word itself automatically conjures up images of heroic figures, strong and powerful, and most of us do not see ourselves fitting the bill. What does it really mean to be a leader?

Have you ever helped someone else to feel better about themselves or a situation they are facing? You are a leader. Have you ever stepped up and taken on a role as fundraiser, campaign organizer, or donated money to a cause you believe in? You are a leader. Have you ever just simply been there for a friend when they are in need? You are a leader.

The whole idea of leadership is one that has been blown up to such proportions that we do not see the simple acts of leadership that we perform in our own lives. If you have ever taken action to improve the life of one other human being, animal, the environment, etc.- you are a leader.

The key word is action. Leaders don't sit back and wait for others to do something, they get involved. They may not even want to, but they simply cannot sit back and do nothing when something needs to be done. There are two kinds of leadership- leadership of self, and leadership of others. The second does not usually happen until the first one does. If you cannot lead yourself, you cannot lead others. What does it mean to lead oneself? Simply to not be at the whim of your emotions, your fears, or the whims of others. To have a degree of self -control, to be able to do what is necessary even when you don't feel like it. This is not always easy. A daily self- discipline like meditation, martial arts, tai-chi, or yoga help to gain self-control and balance.

The most challenging aspect to gain mastery over for anyone, even leaders, is fear. Any activity which makes one confront his or her fear is useful, and can be the difference between being able to act despite fear, and get results, or to be stopped from acting by fear, and live in frustration and unfulfillment. There are many ways to face fear, skydiving, swimming with sharks, climbing mountains- but all of these are extreme and can actually put your life at risk. This path is not for everyone, and in fact is only for a few "live on the edge" extreme adventurers. So what can the rest of us do to learn to face and tame our fear?

There have been exercises developed for just this purpose in the personal growth and development field- chief among them being the firewalk. As a firewalk instructor I have seen dozens and dozens of people have tremendous breakthroughs in learning to face and overcome their fears- and step into leadership in ways that they previously could not have imagined they could do.

The world needs leaders more than ever, and if you are hearing the call, I encourage you to heed it, and believe that as long as you inspire others in any way to be more, do more, or achieve more, yes- you are a leader.

Vincent J Kellsey is a speaker, author, trainer and seminar leader.

He is the Chief Experience Officer for Quantum Success Group, and the creator of the programs QGS Firewalk Experience, The Great Adventure:Your Quest for Money, Mission and Meaning, and Golden Dragon: Transformational Leadership Training.

You can find out more about him and his programs at QuantumSuccessGroup.com, and he can be contacted directly at