The CULTure of Yoga

Like so many facets of our society, yoga seems to have gone from something that only tree-hugging hippies did to a mainstream answer to all of life's problems. Where yoga studios used to be one per city, now they line the streets in every shape and size from industrial buildings to apartment flats. We've seen this in other current issues such as alternative energy sources, local and organic food, and fuel efficient cars. Although we don't like to admit it, those hippies were onto something.

Now, obviously yoga didn't get its roots from North American hippies, but that is what we associate it with. Yoga can be traced back to ancient Indian texts, the Vedas, written in Sanskrit to describe both the technique and literature of yoga. Patanjali, the Indian sage, has been referenced in many texts as describing yogic philosophy some 2000 years ago in his work, The Yoga Sutras (Carrico, 1997; Farhi, 2000).

Whenever I do something new, I always try to look at its roots to figure out why something was developed in the first place. Whether its weight lifting, music, or yoga, I try to look back at some of the true pioneers to understand what it was that made them create this new form or genre. All yoga texts will define it differently, but essentially to me yoga is a practice merging the physical asanas, or postures, with the mindfulness, awareness, and internalization of meditation. In fact, I see yoga as one form of meditation. Now, everyone has their motivations and reasons for practicing, or more appropriately now, doing yoga, but from what I have read and heard, the asanas are just a small part of yoga. As Donna Farhi writes, "Form is what the Western mind could understand, and so it was the forms of the yoga that were emphasized. In an effort to popularize yoga the more essential spiritual message of the practice has been pared away and oftentimes completely eliminated".

Thus, the issue I have with yoga is not the traditional practice and philosophy, but its cultish popularity and one-stop-shop from everything from back pain to depression. Yoga, as we know it today, is a fad. The question is, is this a bad thing? Well, it depends on how you look at it. It is hard to argue with something that has taken a sedentary and terrifyingly overweight society and got them moving. After all, just the act of getting people to make less of an ass groove in the sofa deserves credit. However, when you start something new you have to ask yourself, "why am I doing this". And, it seems to me that more of us are taking up yoga for the wrong reasons.

I'll admit that I didn't exactly start doing yoga for the reasons I do it today: To quiet my mind, release stress, and become spiritual. I started because I was stiff. Now, as a strength coach, I do apply a lot of mobility work that mirrors yoga and was probably borrowed from yoga. But still, I thought that something that I could attend regularly and didn't have to think about too much would help me maintain some joint mobility.

The concerns that I have with the resurgence of yoga is that with popularity has come a combination of poorly applied information and the mentality that yoga is for everyone... all the time. In fact, from talking to physiotherapists and chiropractors, the people they see most often in their clinics are not the beginner yogi, but the person who goes to yoga everyday and is labelled "good" at yoga. You know the one - they can wrap both legs around their head while arching their back into a shape resembling an archery bow. These "uber-mobile" yoginis (mainly female) are being told that they should push further and further into the "ideal" yoga asana. The problem is they have no stability and far too often over-stretch. So, although they appear to be in great physical shape, they are actually putting themselves at risk of injury. The body needs a combination of mobility and stability and it is entirely dependent upon body type, musculo-skeletal restrictions, tissue tolerances and the specific activities that you do on a daily basis as to how much mobility/stability is needed. Each muscle has an ideal force vs. length curve; basically meaning that each muscle has an ideal length that it can function optimally at. If we continue to overstretch and "lengthen" the body without developing the strength and stability needed withstand the forces of both life and sport, injury is most definitely lurking in the yoga studio background.

As you've heard me say before, it depends on the practitioner. Like any practice, I've seen yoga teachers who know the body inside and out, realizing everyone has limits and not trying to force them beyond these limits. Unfortunately, I've also seen many yoga instructors who are in my mind, under-qualified and do not have enough knowledge of the human body to be prescribing certain postures to everyone. So, if you are someone who resembles the description that I gave above, understand that you need to balance a lot of the mobility work that you are doing in yoga class with strength and stability in order to have a strong, healthy body. Yoga is a great practice when applied properly. Understand its limitations and see it as one piece of your very important health puzzle.

References

Carrico, M. (1997). Yoga Journal's Basics: The essential beginners guide to yoga for a lifetime of health and fitness. Holt Paperbacks.

Farhi, D. (2000). Yoga mind, body, and spirit: A return to wholeness. Owl Books.

Paul Hemsworth is a strength and conditioning coach in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (NSCA) and an exercise physiologist (CSEP) with a degree in Human Kinetics from UBC. He owns Hemsworth Strength and Wellness which is operated out of Trainer's Edge Gym in Thunder Bay. His website is hemsworthstrength.com hemsworthstrength.com and his blog is hemsworthstrength.blogspot.com hemsworthstrength.blogspot.com.

TaiChi For Well Being and Exercise

Taichi, a mental way to fitness.

Good health possibly, but better than a work out?

The first thing that many people say to me when they find out I practice Taichi is, 'Isn't that some sort of slow oriental dance?' To demonstrate their knowledge and often in an attempt at fun they go on to say. 'Oh yes that's what loads of old Chinese people do early in the mornings in parks isn't it?' This is often accompanied by some slow motion ballet gestures. I have been studying Taichi for close to ten years and well yes perhaps some of these popular beliefs are true. But that's like saying premier league football is a game played by lads who don't need the exercise watched by a whole load of blokes who really could use a ninety minute kick about.

So how come I think Taichi is not a soft option? It is well known that the armed forces have used the stress position to interrogate prisoners the idea is to inflict pain without leaving any damage or visible marks. In Taichi training the some of the same principles are applied. Standing post means assuming something like a stress position; knees bent, back straight, not straight casual but vertical bolt upright. Position of the arms and hand varies according to the teaching and the style of Taichi. But the basic idea is to have the arms away from the body. Muscles like always in this soft internal martial art have to be relaxed. That's the first paradox, one of many in Taichi training.

Relaxed is an idea that has not done well in translation between the east and west cultures. In the west we have relaxed as an idea of kicking back on the sofa or with a few mates sharing a beer in the Dog n Duck. The phrase in Chinese that is used in Taichi is 'song' more a state of mental concentration and an absence of muscle tension. So there you are standing post and your teacher, if they are worth their salt will be telling you to relax 'be song'. After 10 minutes of standing in a stress position it is easier said than done. Your legs are beginning to beg you to 'stand up straight' and the muscles in your thighs have become fatigued. They feel like some one has slipped a jack hammer into your quads. If you give in at this point don't worry, it happens to the best of us. But you will feel like a total prat because the sixty year old woman, who is standing post next to you, is smiling appearing to be enjoying this torture. Guys have come into the class who claim to have done lots of sports some kick boxing but they have crumbled when we have started the session by standing still. The trick if you can call it that is two fold. Firstly it's all in the mind, Taichi or to give it a better translation Taichiquan (supreme ultimate fist) requires the mind and spirit to be trained. So being able to control your body and the posture using your will power is incredibly important; pain in the muscles can be overcome.

Secondly your legs are actually in no real danger it's just like the last set of reps in the gym, so paint a smile on your face and enjoy the burn. If your posture is correct you have nothing to worry about. Oh I forgot to mention that in Taichi terms you need to achieve 20 minutes a day for one hundred days. If you miss a day then just like in snakes and ladders you go back to the start. Day one, again. One famous martial arts teacher Master Yun Yin Sen, starts his day, everyday, without fail, with forty five minutes standing. Before the rest of his training begins. When I had the privilege of getting hands on with him I was able to swing my whole body weight off one of his arms. I am a little chubbier than I should be and weigh around thirteen and a half stone, eighty five kilos and am six feet tall. Master Yun Yin Sen, is about five foot five and without any body fat weighing closer to sixty kilos. It is difficult for many Westerners to gauge of the age of people from the Far East. I later found out, after having swung on his arm that master Sen is in fact sixty five. I had spent a Sunday morning abusing a pensioner. Or to be more accurate he had been abusing me, not my proudest moment, being pushed around by a senior citizen.

If you have had a stressful day at work complete with the mind numbing commute to get there and back, followed by a gym session or a competitive game of squash then gone on to meet some mates for a beer or two is a full on and complete day. Mates, earning money and staying in trim. What more can you do? How can Taichi fit in? Anyway what's the point of it, if I want a martial art I'll do something like karate, big punching and powerful kicks and if I want to live forever I'll take up yoga and swap lager for lentils! Well maybe, Taichi might just help you balance the needs of both. Like a good mate once you you've taken to each other it will be around forever. When the training at the gym makes your knees swell and the mixture of stresses at work and commuting make your doctor start talking about blood pressure then it's your mates that you can turn too. Taichi will help you get the balance back.

How do you make a start? The single most important thing is to find a good teacher. Far more important than the style you choose or the amount of time you are able to put in. The problem is it's very difficult to tell when you don't know much about Taichi who is a good teacher and who is a pretender. In my experience good teachers will let you know in two ways. One, they will let you get hands on with them. You can feel Taichi and when you have got hands on with a Taichi master you will definitely know. The fist time Master Lui Ji Shun demonstrated energy release to me I became aware that I was flying backwards without having felt him using any force to push me away, my feet cycling Scoobie doo style, as I flew back. Secondly they like you to ask questions, for them they can tell how well you are progressing by the questions you ask. Good teachers are really keen for you to progress. All they will ask of you is to be a good student.

When should you start? The best time to have started your training is twenty years ago. The second best time to start training is now.

Why do Taichi? It's good for the soul, and not quite as hard as golf.

Discover Three Great Indoor Exercise Activities

To keep the body fit and healthy it is essential that a specific fitness regime is followed. Regular exercising schedule and healthy diet can keep your body well maintained. Human body needs to be toned up to stay healthy as well as slowing process of aging. Exercising is proven to be beneficial for the body in many ways such as it reduces stress, defends the body from many harmful diseases that may be hazardous in future, improves self controlling power physically and spiritually. Even if a person is suffering from some illness, exercise of some or the other kind may help him to overcome the ill-effects.

If you have a busy schedule and do not have time to move out for gym, it is recommended that you follow some physical exercising activities at home. If you are sure to make a healthy living at home you can start a schedule that can be done with your family. Exercising with the family will double your benefits, it is needless to say that your family will appreciate your initiative.

Aerobic exercises: aerobic exercises are popular way of activities when it comes to indoor workouts. You can follow any local TV channel in the early hours of morning; many channels guide you to follow a perfect way. And most important thing is that you do not need to invest a huge amount for this, only good pair of shoes and comfortable costume is sufficient. These practices are sure to improve your body metabolism and melt some extra body fats. You can make this process more enjoyable with some musical audio or video CDs. But before starting for Aerobic exercises it is advisable that you get yourself checked for physical fitness. Follow a professional advice for benefiting yourself rather than being stressed.
Yoga: yoga is a perfect and excellent method to balance your physical health with your mind. You can do some simple yoga exercises such as Kapaalbhati, Anulome-vilome etc. This are simply harmless exercises but proven to benefit for weight reduction, metabolism without any stress.
Calisthenics: These exercises are well known and popular to tone up the body. It is very inexpensive method to follow a fitness schedule that can be done started with smaller time and gradually increased time limit. They are called as time honored exercises as they benefit for the time you do them. These include abdominal crunches, push-ups, and many other steps.
Before starting these it is recommended that you take a professional advice and a little training so that you do not go wrong with the way to do them. It is strictly recommended that you do some warming up and cool down exercises before and after the activities. Some exercises must be done only after taking medical check-up so that you do not get harmed; some are not advisable for heart patients and arthritis patients. With very little efforts you can make out a proper exercising regime. This little time that you invest from your busy schedule will keep you fit and healthy for rest of your life.

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Achieve Healthy Body and Mind With Personal Training

A healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Because of this common and popular perception, we prefer to keep ourselves slender and fit. Along with young people, even middle aged people also go to fitness centres so that they can return to their earlier appearances. Fitness Gold Coast provides a variety of exercising equipments and also helps in enhancing your power.

Fight the pressure with physical drills

In our hectic daily schedule, it becomes important to work out on a regular basis. Stressful work demands put a lot of pressure on people. And this often leads to various diseases and many types of body problems. There are various signs such as grey hairs, premature aging, acute attacks of migraines and even headaches that signify some malfunction in the body. These are few of the most common signs of pressure.

When you opt for personal training in Gold Coast, it helps your body work against the work pressure. There are training equipments along with holistic living and yoga sessions. This will surely help those who want to work out according to their body's requirements. There are sessions of aerobics held for people suffering from weight related issues.

There are different types of dances that are helpful in losing weight. These dances will also help you improve your dancing skills. When you opt for these rejuvenating work outs, it definitely renews your power. And it is a noted fact that a healthy body and mind is really helpful when you want to be successful in your work.

A toned body is able to build confidence in oneself. This will make your life more happening and interesting. You will get back your confidence. These fitness centres are the perfect places to shed down those extra kilos.

There are many online centres that help you achieve your target of losing weight. Many of them also offer low calorie and healthy formulas for attaining the right kind of body and mental state.

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Cross-Training Workouts for Females

Do you like to mix things up a bit when it comes to your training workout every day? How about a jog or play volleyball a couple of times a week? Or maybe even perhaps you're a yoga or tai chi enthusiast? If you're focusing on just one activity, chances are you're not in the great shape you think you are. In fact, you could possibly be setting yourself up for injuries, overuse syndromes, or worse still, boredom and becoming an exercise dropout. Cross-training for a female is a great workout to stay fully engaged in increasing your fitness level.

Mixing it up with different activities adds variety to your workouts and tends to keep you more engaged over time. It increases your fun and motivation and prevents injury by distributing the stress of exercise among various joints and muscles. You'll also achieve greater all-round conditioning.

Cross-training generally combines aerobic (cardiovascular), strength, and flexibility exercises, either on different days or on the same day. By changing up your workout schedule, like the following example is the good old gym routine: cycle on a stationary bicycle for 30 minutes, lift weights for 45 minutes, and stretch for 10 to 15 minutes. However, many different combination's will provide the same benefit. Here are some suggestions on how to get started ladies:

Choose activities that work in concert with one another. For example, combine yoga and kickboxing. Yoga is a mind-body exercise that focuses inward, while kickboxing is a let-all-your-aggressions-out workout. Yoga builds strength and flexibility, while kickboxing develops aerobic and muscular endurance.

Like with any new routine you need to look at starting out slowly. One of the biggest mistakes people make is doing too much too soon; Runners may have the cardiovascular fitness for a 45-minute workout, but their thigh muscles aren't in shape for a 45-minute bike ride. It takes time to work yourself into a new workout routine. Different activities use muscles in different ways, so start at a lower intensity for less time.

Substitute new activities rather than adding them when you're starting out. Instead of a 50-minute aerobic session every day looking at combining two different activities like 30 minutes of aerobic exercise with 20 minutes of strength training.

Vary the intensity of your workout. For instance, you might run or do high-step aerobics one day and walk or swim the next. This technique allows you to rest any injured muscles or joints. Also, your body never really just "use" to your workouts and therefore you are consistently moving forward with your fitness level.

Alternate between indoor and outdoor activities. Walking outdoors opens the door to wonderful sights, sounds, and smells, but you can also walk on a treadmill at home while watching TV. Variety may be just the boredom buster you need to stay motivated.

Fitness-Secrets-Center.com focuses on providing our visitors a wealth of information concerning little known fitness secrets that are available at our site. Our goal is to provide our visitors the opportunity to be better informed of what options are available to them as they look to a better life for themselves and their families.

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Equestrian Rider Fitness

Staying fit is essential for any horse rider but especially for the discipline of dressage.

Now matter how much care, time and training you spend on your horse, if you neglect yourself then your neglecting half of your team.

Being fit means you will have more stamina. Regular horse duties are good for overall fitness but a specialized program is needed to obtain that extra edge.

The ability to be flexible and have muscle strength will increase your odds of avoiding injuries and will make learning dressage a more enjoyable experience.

Yoga is an excellent exercise to use for flexibility. It can be used in the morning as a quick warm up prior to riding and/or in the evening as a cool down. A daily routine of yoga will relax the mind and calm the spirit.

In conjunction with yoga, pilates cannot be overlooked. Pilates will give you the boost you are looking for because it combines strength training, balance and stamina into one discipline.

Starting on any pilates program is a good first step, however, you will want to do the exercises that will benefit you as a rider. Using specially created riding exercise programs will help you achieve your goals, because the creators already know the direction you are aiming for.

You may also want to consider a mild weight bearing routine along with your yoga and pilates. Use yoga as a warm-up and cool down and alternate the days you perform pilates and strenght training for optimum results. Feeding your body the appropriate fuel is important as well, so be sure to eat balanced meals with plenty of protein at regular intervals.

Remember the perfect combination for dressage fitness is strength, balance and flexibility.

To learn more dressage tips, visit [dressageriders.info]. Where you'll find this and much more, including dressage wear.

Yoga For the Overall Fitness and Health

Yoga is probably not strange to your ear. It is an ancient practice which is still popular until today. It's getting more popular since Madonna told in public that she practiced it and that's why she got her awesome shape with no cellulite. Today, more and more people practice yoga because there are also more and more celebrities reveal that they practice yoga to maintain their health and shape.

Well, yoga is of course not only a matter of a practice for body builder. It is a good exercise that will help you in maintaining your overall health. It's not only your physical health, but also your mind and spirit. There are so many types of yoga, including hatha, vinyasa, kundalini, bikram, ashtanga, iyengar, anusara, jivamukti, and sivananda. The basic principle of all those yoga types is almost the same. But each of them has its own emphasis in training our body. For example, hatha yoga is suitable for the beginner because it has slower movement, while bikram or also known as hot yoga is aimed to cleanse sweat and relaxation. You can read the yoga manual or guidebook to read more about each yoga and type and its benefits. By knowing them, you can discover the one that is most suitable to your health condition.

In general, yoga benefits our body in so many ways. It is able to promote your flexibility. Your body will become stronger too right after you practice yoga on regular basis. It will be easier for you to do your daily activities because you have more energy and flexibility in moving your body. Not only that, yoga also helps to relax your mind. You will find it easier to focus on everything you do because yoga practices focus techniques. It also gives you a favor in maintaining your inner peace because yoga also trains you to control your thought. The most important thing is yoga can help you to reduce stress. Practicing yoga strengthens your sense of self so you can keep calm all the day long no matter happens in your way. Yoga helps you to gain more capability in controlling every single facet of your life. Because of its ability to promote the inner strength, yoga is also helpful in promoting fitness and beauty. Maintaining the inner peace is actually the main goal of yoga. When you inner peace is well-maintained, physical and mental health is not something hard to gain.

By Hendra Saputra

For More Information About Health and Fitness, Go To fitnesstraine-r.com Http://fitnesstraine-r.com And Find a Specific Information About Fitness, Health, Exercise, Sport, and Equipment. Helpful Tips, Tricks, and Suggestion About All Of It.

Hendra Saputra Is Article Writer For Health And Fitness Information.

Yoga - What Are the Benefits?

Yoga is extremely popular for a reason. It is a great form of exercise that is highly accessible. The best part is that it is good for you as well. There are four key areas of benefit from yoga and they are:

Stability and balance
Flexibility
Strength
Wellbeing and Stress Management

Stability and Balance

Most yoga classes will involve some form of balance and stability work. Whether it is holding a simple pose through to more advanced moves, yoga will help to develop these skills. Whilst most of us take stability and balance for granted, both skills will deteriorate as you get older. Take a minute to see how you are faring. Stand on one foot and see how long you can hold it for. You will probably notice that it is a lot harder than when you were younger to maintain your balance. Whilst most of us take both for granted, stability and balance are really important for healthy living. As we age we need these skills to help prevent falls or minor injuries. It is for this and many other reasons that balancing exercises, such as those included in yoga, are great for both your short and long term health to help you have a longer, more active life.

Flexibility

Touch your toes! Have you ever noticed that a young child can turn themselves upside down and inside out at the blink of an eye, whilst some of us are struggling with simply touching our toes? Flexibility is an important part of your physical health and is improved through the stretching aspect of yoga. Stretching can have similar benefits to massage as it helps to release built up toxins that are sitting in your muscles and improves recovery. Flexibility also helps with maintaining joint mobility over time so you can bend and stretch for years to come. It is great for those of us with aching backs, shoulders and necks that are generally the result of too much sitting and not enough moving!

Strength

Yoga will help you to develop your strength as you carry your body's weight through various poses and routines. The benefit of strength training is not to become like the incredible hulk, but rather to help maintain bone density and muscle strength. These are both important to help prevent the long term risk of injury and bone deterioration. There are lots of areas of strength that are important throughout your body and a good yoga session will generally help improve many of them. This is a great alternative for those of us that lack the interest for pumping iron at the gym.

Wellbeing and Stress Management

And finally, any discussion about the benefits of yoga would be incomplete without mentioning the wellbeing and stress management benefits. This is probably a whole other article in and of itself. Yoga helps to centre the mind, and create a more relaxed and meditative state. It is a way of releasing tension from throughout your body and letting go of your negative energy. To really enjoy yoga you have to learn to quiet your mind, so you can focus on your breath rather than the actual work that your body is doing at the time. This is a really valuable skill that can be applied in lots of different situations that may otherwise be stressful or create anxiety.

In summary, yoga has benefits for both your mind and body. It will help you with your wellbeing and over time can provide a strong base for a positive and healthy lifestyle.

find4me has been created to make it simpler and easier to manage your health and wellbeing. We provide practical information about what health and wellbeing services are available and finding those that are right for you. To read more articles like this one or suggest a topic of interest, just visit my find4me.com.au/find4me-Blog.aspx blog

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Yoga in Practice - Three Steps to Train the Self-Critical Mind

Yoga practice reveals many hidden truths and the ability to train one's mind for balanced thinking about self-image. For example: Who is your worst critic? If you are like most of us, you can find that critic just by looking at yourself.

We often hold ourselves back with an internal chatter of self-criticism. Many of us question ourselves over every decision, we insult ourselves internally, and we lose sight of true happiness. As long as we are here, we should do our best to be happy on this journey we call "life."

How can Yoga change the life of a self-critic? Yoga offers each of us a time-tested process for self-analysis. Here is a step-by-step process for any one of us to purge our personal "demons" and return to rational thinking.

1. Do something physical by practicing Yoga asanas (postures) or go for a walk. You have many choices such as: Basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, or anything that will get you away from the desk, out of a chair, and off the couch. Continue to enjoy your activity and put your worries aside.

2. Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle length ways. On top of the left hand column put a minus symbol (-). On top of the right hand column put a plus symbol (+). On the left side of your sheet, you can indulge in writing all of your flaws.

On the right hand side, write everything positive about your life. This should include all of your achievements. This includes good relationships with friends, family, and associates. The right side should also indicate your intelligence, activities, and accomplishments.

After all, you know how to read, write, and learn. In order to perform this exercise, you already must have a reasonable level of intelligence and the desire to improve yourself. Do not forget to include hidden talents, your job, school, and the fact that you have a roof over your head. Feel free to use the back side of your sheet, too.

3. Have you noticed that the right side of your sheet has much more information, than the left? Again, compare the two sides. Notice that each flaw on the left side can be changed one step at a time and it's all "small stuff." Nothing is impossible, and I have yet to meet a person who cannot change in small steps.

Let's be honest, we all make mistakes. Who cares? Is somebody keeping score? God knew we would make mistakes since the moment we were born. Pick up the pieces. Change what you can, and work on the rest as you go forward.

Have you ever met someone who you thought was perfect? How long did it take for you to realize that he or she is only human? What can we learn from this? We should not judge anyone, not even ourselves, because it is an exercise in futility.

We should do our personal best at showing kindness, being happy, forgiving, and praising our loved ones. Yoga gives you all the tools to improve your life; just keep practicing.

© Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. aurawellnesscenter.com aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

What is Hatha Yoga?

Hatha Yoga was introduced by Yogi Swatmarama in the fifteenth century in India and is derived from the Sanskrit words Ha for sun and Tha for moon. It is known to act as a liaison between the opposite negative and positive parts of a yogi's system. It reached its present day fame because of the various types of Hatha being practiced in the West today, including Ashtanga, Iyengar and Bikram. It is a physical practice that trains the body to eventually attain high levels of spirituality. Hatha is mostly famous for the various postures that are incorporated into the session along with the traditional breathing techniques. These postures allow the body to be toner, more flexible and possess more strength.

The main focus of Hatha is to accomplish equilibrium between the mind and the body. Due to this reason, yoga sessions are designed to integrate a number of asanas and pranayamas to accomplish a tough workout for both as well as tap into your hidden physical and mental capability. A Hatha session leads the practitioner through a series of postures, holding them for different periods of time and ensuring that all muscles of the body are warmed up and then exercised during each class. This provides a total body workout better than any aerobics or Pilates class can deliver, as most of the postures are very strenuous and demanding in nature, pushing the body to reach its utmost potential.

The other important part of a Hatha session are the breathing techniques incorporated into it. Yogis have to be very conscious of maintaining proper breathing along with achieving the postures. Certain classes break up periodically to let the yogis focus on their pranayamas. It is considered to be a fundamental part of Hatha as it enables the practitioner to accomplish control of the body and center the focus on the inner self. Proper breathing ensures a smooth transition to the meditation part of Hatha Yoga, which although is not mandatory, but many people opt to benefit from it as well.

Meditation during yoga induces a sense of peace and tranquility and assists in reaching the sub and super conscious levels, where all negative emotions are embedded. Upon reaching them, it is easy to program all the negativity and channel it into positive thoughts. In the Western world though the primary focus is not on the meditative part of Hatha, instead lies within the breathing and exercise aspects. That is the reason that the various forms of Hatha that have emerged direct the yogi through a tough routine.

The most intensive form of Hatha is probably Bikram Yoga, as in addition to leading the yogi trough demanding exercises, the yoga session is held in a very hot room with temperatures greater than 104 degree Fahrenheit. The high heat induces removal of toxins and calories get burned in excess. Ashtanga, which is another popular form of Hatha, leads its yogi through a flowing pattern of postures that utilize all body parts and promotes improved organ functionality along with creating a well toned and flexible body. Hatha provides agility, suppleness and energy to the entire body and replenishes all vital organs.

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Training Options for a Natural Healing Career

When looking to gain an education in natural healing students who choose to train for a career can do so through a variety of educational programs. Natural healing schools teach students various holistic therapies based on their desired career, through certificate and degree programs. Students can receive the educational training they need to enter into a successful career in a number of areas. Training is available to students at the certificate, associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral level in this exciting field.

Training for a natural healing career can be done in a number of areas by enrolling in an accredited school or college. Students can choose to pursue an education and career in areas like:
Ayurveda
Yoga
Aromatherapy
Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture
Chiropractic
Hypnotherapy
...and much more. By gaining an education in any of these specialized areas of study students will have the training they need to pursue their desired career and enter into the workforce.

Depending on the specific area of training students can obtain a variety of certificates and degrees in natural healing. Students have the option to earn:
Certificates - Certificate programs typically range from several months to two years depending on the career area.
Associate Degree - Obtaining an associate level degree will require students to complete two years of accredited training in order to pursue their desired career.
Bachelor Degree - Schools and colleges offer bachelor degrees which require four years of study to obtain.
Master Degree - Students who wish to earn a master level degree can do so by completing an additional two years of study.
Doctoral Degree - Studies at the doctoral or PhD level can require an additional four years of training to complete.
By gaining an accredited education at any of these level students can gain the skills and knowledge they need to start a successful career in natural healing.

Coursework will vary by level of education and the students desired area of study. Accredited training programs allow students to learn the subjects that related to their desired career. Possible coursework can include subjects like reflexology training, herbal remedies, and more. Students can also study massage therapy, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, iridology, and many other related areas of study. By gaining an accredited education in these areas students will be prepared to seek out the employment they desire. Careers can be found in health care facilities, holistic practices, and much more.

By gaining an accredited education in natural healing students will have the training they need to enter into the workforce prepared for a number of exciting careers. Agencies like the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine ( acaom.org acaom.org/ ) can provide schools and colleges with the full accreditation they need. Students can ensure that the best quality education will be received by enrolling in a fully accredited educational training program. By researching available natural healing schools and requesting more information students can start receiving the training they need to pursue the career of their dreams.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised on HolisticJunction.com.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by HolisticJunction.com.

David H. Woods is a staff writer for HolisticJunction.com. Locate and request information from holisticjunction.com/categories/HAD/natural-healing-schools.html Accredited Natural Healing Schools, as well as other Colleges and Universities offering Training in Natural Healing at HolisticJunction.com HolisticJunction.com, your positive pathway to discovery!

P90X Tips - What Muscle Groups Do They Target?

Many people have asked me about P90X and what muscle groups they target. It would be easier to ask me what muscle groups they don't target. lol Each day in the P90X course is focused on building different muscle groups.

Here is a list of the targeted muscle groups. Chest and back, shoulders and arms, yoga x, plyometrics, legs and back, kenpo x, chest, shoulders and triceps, back and biceps, core synergistics, ab ripper x, cardio x and x stretch. This fitness program takes between 50-60 minutes each day and believe me this takes desire and dedication. It's not for lazy people but the results can be amazing if you stick with the training.

There are a few additional things needed for p90x and they are resistance bands or dumbbells and a pull-up bar/place to perform pull-ups. For even better workout results supplements are also available. The supplements can give you that needed boost when it's time to take it to the next level, while also making sure that the body is burning fat before lean muscle. The exercises used in p90x are strenuous but the program also shows you how you can modify your workouts if your body will not allow you to perform some of the exercises.

P90x is an all-in-one program and each day shows you a new style of exercise. One day you'll find yourself doing weight lifting and the next you will find yourself punching and kicking to kenpo karate and even some yoga. This is great if you are the type of person who gets bored doing the same routine each day. By using so many different types of workouts your body doesn't get accustomed to moves either and this is called muscle confusion so you are always slimming down and gaining muscle.

To see more iwantagreatbody.com/px90 P90X Tips and find out what you need to know before you buy the P90X Workout visit iwantagreatbody.com iwantagreatbody.com Today!