Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Today's World

Written centuries BC, Yoga Sutras by Patanjali is known as the greatest scriptural text from the yogic Indian philosophy. The characteristics of these "threads" are intensely brief, mentioning succinctly and often precisely, important points or techniques. Initially these wisdoms were oral, were made clear and construed by remarks from a teacher directing the student.

This meditative obedience of liberation is known as Raja - Royal yoga or the yoga of the eight limbs that are described below:

1. Restraint: nonviolence, not lying, not stealing, not lusting, and nonattachment

2. Observances: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study, and surrender to the Supreme God

3. Posture or physical exercises

4. Breath control

5. Sublimation or withdrawal from the senses

6. Attention

7. Concentration

8. Meditation

Yoga can explained as Union, yoga is also an effort to educate the yogi, the one who practices yoga and how to attain union with the Supreme consciousness we call god. Yoga trains us to overcome the thought that our 'self' identity is a false impression and our soul is the real us.

The aim of these sutras is not to show how to do the asanas correctly or the best way to sit for a meditation. It was presumed that the students would have already been taught by their teacher the essentials and the basics of the meditative techniques and asanas before practicing the principles.

These sutras are organized in four parts (padas).

1. Samadhi Pada I: Contemplation and Meditation

2. Sadhana Pada II: The Steps to Union

3. Vibhuti Pada III: Union Achieved and Its Results

4. Kaivalya Pada IV: Illumination and Freedom

The Yoga Sutra gives a most outstanding cohort for those who would use meditation (dhyana) and other additional yoga practices as a realistic spiritual passage to rouse and self liberate. Yoga Sutras can be utilized like any instructional book, or industry manual ensuring that the genuine educator within is to be woken up through their own practice. Some translators recommend reading a little then practicing it, the read more and practice further and that way the practice can be improved. So to train our beliefs we must experience yoga and the only way to reveal its true nature is to practice it. Our beliefs must match to "truth", not vice versa.

An open heart divulges Yoga Sutras as the experiential workbook, it is also misunderstood as viewpoint of a religious book that could be used to study and intellect or common mind. The complete universe as well as the true character of mind is the laboratory. Finding the knowledge and the instrument of knowledge is finding the field of knowing and experiencing that is freedom in this very life. Wisdom is trans-rational and trans-conceptual by character; it also is larger than any synthetic notion, technology, or created thought wave. To completely map the gyred spirals of the holographic universe a human intellect and its five senses are inadequate, but yet Patanjali everywhere authenticates that this Holographic Reality can be closely experienced should we let go of our prejudice and predetermined outlooks and false impressions.

According to Patanjali, insight as well as the intellect (buddhi) comes from a native source-less wisdom of the universal infinite mind and that is the ever available clear light inhabiting behind the awareness also called as the param purusha. It is always available but only if we choose to look for it. Patanjali says that when the common linear thinking ends and disbands, the meditation starts to bear its fruitful results; and conclusion of the meditation might as well be Samadhi (complete incorporation). Yoga practice here should be the verb, the performance and the process. An unconditioned natural true self should be the objectless goal. Therefore an ultimate liberty can be attained through the uncultivated samadhi. Only practice can help you succeed in yoga. Just by reading about it in a book and quoting from it or talking about it isn't going to help. Having said that this book still holds a significant value when it is used in combination with yoga practice.

Thus Patanjali reiterates the warning against the uselessness of advancing meditation via the intellect; instead advises that the fruits of yoga are to be experienced such as attaining trans-conceptual wisdom. Therefore liberation becomes reliant upon throwing away conception structures and belief systems. The initial indications of achievement in the experience of meditation are the releasing of such boundaries and immediately realizing them as obstructions. To understand the sutras in a deeper level one has to practice meditation, this will permit one to look at the sutras from their own perception and meditative experience. So to accumulate the real and permanent advantage one has to reflect on the sutras in a much deeper occurrence and living wisdom of the impartial heart. The aim is not to learn the Yoga Sutras as a conclusion in itself or as an outer entity that can be understood, but to utilize it as a combined effort to the practices, and that merged in an authentically poised manner induces wisdom and liberation which patents in our day by day lives.

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Teaching Yoga for Teen Stress Management - Family Bonds

Teens will respond to a Yoga class, with their peers, above all other age groups. Unless they have a nurturing personality, teens are not usually a good fit in a kids Yoga class. Sometimes, after-school activities, in high schools or junior high schools, will have Yoga as a choice. If there is no demand for teen Yoga classes in your area, adult classes will be the next best thing.

Over the years, it has been observed that concerned parents are puzzled by the sudden lack of communication with teens at home. This is usually a critical point in human life, as teens look over the horizon, toward adulthood. Suddenly, the "happy go lucky" attitude changes to a serious drone.

Many parents feel as if their teen has become a stranger. What can parents do to help their teens? One solution is to find joint activities, for parents and children, long before they become teens. This reinforces bonds during critical points in the lives of both parent and child.

Yoga is one such activity, but there are many more. Some families go hiking, skiing, biking, or participate in a variety of sports, together. There is no limit to the number of activities, but parents should make a concerted effort to resist the role of a demanding coach. Turning a fun activity, into a pressure situation, is one sure way to force someone to drop out of it.

This is why Yoga is such a nice fit for the parent / child relationship. If you throw competition out the window, Yoga is an individual learning process. The rewards of a family practice are good health and re-establishing family ties.

© 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 a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Focus on Fitness 5 - Assisted Stretching

Assisted Stretching - A New, and Old, Approach to Fitness

Recently I spent time with my older brother, Mark, an actor and long-time certified masseur in L.A. He brought me up to date on one of the latest trends in personal training -- Assisted Stretching. Both new to us and old, this fitness technique has been used in Thailand for hundreds of years. It is done with a partner, and incorporates important elements of both massage and traditional personal training. When done properly, it can reduce stress, realign the body, and make you pleasantly relaxed.

Mark has used the technique for several years. He has instructed me in over 50 Thai-based assisted stretches. After several sessions working on clients with him, and passing his proficiency tests, I have decided to offer assisted stretching as one of my personal training programs offered at the Pleasant View Health and Fitness Center.

Problems such as stress related muscle tightness in the lower back and neck, and even TMJ, can often be helped through assisted stretching. Between 45 minutes and an hour is needed to properly stretch the entire body. A partner or trainer is required, so that the muscles and tendons are always passively stretched and the body is allowed to realign itself, at the same time relaxing. Deep breathing is emphasized, and, just like a good massage, the participant afterwards feels pleasantly tranquil. The best part is that, over time, couples can learn how to do these stretches with each other at home. .

The four basic requirements of a good personal training program are: (1) fitness assessment, program design and implementation; (2) aerobic training; (3) strength training, and (4) flexibility. Flexibility, although very important, sometimes is not sufficiently worked on, other than doing a few basic calf and upper body stretches. Well, not any more. Your flexibility goals can now be fully achieved by including assisted stretching in your personal program.

Coach Aaron, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Belle Meade Fitness
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Yoga Workouts

Yoga is no longer just practiced by housewives looking for a way to get their bodies back into shape it is now a good way for kids to keep their bodies healthy and supple too. This is an alternative way of keeping them fit compared to the contact sports of boxing or martial arts.

It does not matter if your kids are already healthy and fit as they can still benefit from yoga training classes.

Yoga can be a good way for the youngsters to learn the breathing techniques as a way to help calm them down if they become mad for any reason. It is also beneficial to older kids as it can enable them to stay calm when practicing for their exams or keep their bodies in shape for any competitive sports that they may be involved in.

You can enlist your kids in yoga classes from a very early age in order to help them develop in a healthy manner. Yoga can be good for the mentally and spiritually too. It is advisable though to let your doctor give them a quick check before you decide to enroll them in these classes.

Yoga incorporates a lot of stretching and toning of the body so your kids will feel the benefits by feeling totally refreshed and relaxed.

Yoga workouts not only aid the body but it can also stimulate the mind too. This is like a total workout for your kids to make them look and feel more energized.

Yoga is a great training routine to give your kids the self esteem that they may otherwise lack in life. Yoga is also a great way of improving their body's flexibility and helping to strengthen the body's immune system.

By letting your kids practice yoga from a young age it can lead them on the right path to a healthy lifestyle.

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Yoga For Runners - How Yoga Can Optimize Your Running Performance

Yoga and running are most often thought of as two very different types of exercise, but the truth is that they are actually a very good match. The combination of running and yoga is a great way to increase your physical shape and your performance.If you combine your running routines with yoga exercises, you can improve your running performance and your well-being. Through yoga, you learn to control your breathing, which also optimizes your performance while running. Furthermore, yoga makes you more flexible and therefore more resistant to damages while running.

While running is a good cardio workout, then yoga is more directed at building strength and flexibility. However, you can easily get your pulse up during yoga by practicing some of the more dynamic yoga types, which will definitely allow you to work up a sweat. Many runners favour Astanga Yoga because of the dynamic movements that provide strength, flexibility and endurance.

During yoga practise there is a great focus on the breath and you will learn to control the breathing process. This will be of a great benefit while running, as control of the breath will help you improve your performance. What is helpful is that you increase your awareness on the breath, keeping a slow and steady pace. Yoga usually teaches you to breathe in through the nose while keeping your mouth closed. This allows you to deepen your breath all the way to the bottom of the lungs. This allows you to increase the transportation of oxygen to the muscles, where it becomes energy. Learning to breathe deeper also increases your lung capacity which will automatically increase your stamina.

Besides getting more flexible and acquiring a better breathing control, you will also train other muscles during yoga training, which will add to your running exercise. Runners often have a tendency to have tension in the shoulders and the neck, and these tensions will be loosened up during yoga practise. Besides tension relief, yoga also helps you prevent injuries and pain. Especially the knees, the hips and the back are sensitive areas where runners often experience problems. There are certain yoga positions that focusing directly on these sensitive areas, thus strengthening them and making them better shock absorbers. Furthermore, runners who also perform yoga, are more likely to experience less pain after running, which is also a great benefit.

Learn more about the positive effects of natural-holistic.com yoga and other related topics.

Yoga Instructor Training - Teaching Multiple Levels in the Same Class

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by students, with a variety of ailments, in the same class? Are you looking for student solutions to your class scheduling? Do you have time constraints? Let's look at a question and answer session.

Q: Each student is unique, but what do you do with students of different physical abilities, within the same class? How do you handle one or more students with a pre-existing injury?

Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by the variety of needs within a Yoga class. Really, I am in need of advice about too many special cases, within one yoga class. On top of this, there is an elite athlete in the corner who is bored all the time.

A: You are absolutely correct about each student being unique, but within a Yoga class each student deserves an equal amount of attention. As teachers, we know this is not always possible, but we should do our best to distribute our attention among our students, equally.

About the differences among Yoga students: If you consider mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health, no two students are alike. Asana is a superficial measurement of progress in Hatha Yoga practice. A teacher should also be looking for subtle progress in each student.

For example: Is a student able to fully grasp Pranayama techniques? Is a student present for practice? Has a student been able to successfully meditate? Is a student able to transcend his or her practice beyond the mat?

In other words: Would you be proud of a student's actions in real life. This is important because each of your students is a representative of your teaching. If we praise physical feats, we should also praise good character, and the many good qualities, which Yoga practice gives us.

If you look only at the physical plane of existence, and address each student as if he, or she, were in an exercise class, you can still make it interesting for all levels. The less flexible students will need help with modifications, or possibly, need to use props.

This does not mean that props are for the less flexible students, only, because physically-gifted students can benefit from optimum alignment. There is always a way to challenge a physically-gifted student without putting him, or her, at risk. In this case, it is also a matter of modification.

Lastly, only you know when you are overwhelmed by student needs or the number of students in your class. If you have more students than you can give proper attention to, in one class, it is time to group them according to their needs.

© 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 a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Yoga Fitness

Yoga asanas is the equivalent of Yoga postures in the English language. You can refer to them as postures because they are very well and systematically designed to suit every individual in their quest for a healthy life. I try not refer to Yoga postures as exercises because they are some differences amongst the two. Exercises are more vigorous, as it makes you tired, and more importantly it burns out your energy. Yoga on the other hand, seeks to conserve energy. Therefore the primary difference between the two would be:

Yoga conserves energy
Exercise dissipates energy

Most types of exercises, be it aerobics, cardio workouts or resistance training, requires your body to make fast forceful movements, through repeated actions. This type of exercise over a prolonged period of time can lead to muscle tension and fatigue. The practice of Yoga on the other hand, involves movements that promote stability and energy, to not only the physical body, but also the senses, the mind and the consciousness.

The purpose of a workout is to raise your heart rate into your "target zone" for cardiovascular benefits. On the other hand, after performing each Yoga posture you relax to normalize heart rate and respiration; before continuing to the next posture. The target of Yoga is to maintain flexibility of the spine. "You are as young as your spine is flexible".

In order for you to practice Yoga, you do not necessarily have to abandon all other forms of exercise. Although Yoga is a completely different practice, it can compliment all other forms of exercise and sports. Often the integration of Yogic static stretching with other types of exercises, greatly aids in the minimizing of any or all potential injuries and ailments that can occur from the practice of such exercises over a prolonged period. Yogic stretching can provide much of the needed relief to tight muscles and joints, and assist in flexibility. Through the practice of even the easy and gentle Sun Salutation sequence, a person can increase their blood circulation, release stress, strengthen and improve flexibility of the body, whilst reaping the cardio benefit. The practice of Yoga can immensely improve the performance of any other exercise.

As you can see, there are numerous benefits that you may gain through the practice of Yoga. Yoga has been proven to be helpful to pregnant women, athletes recovering from sports injuries, and by body builders seeking to improve muscle tone and flexibility resulting from muscle stiffness at the gym. Each Yoga asana that you perform is meant to touch, massage and coax a particular organ or system in the body to function efficiently.

Suleiha Suguna, Principal of Maya Yoga Samudraa, is the author of yogabookforanyone.com Yoga for Anyone. This book is a collection of some of the most beneficial yoga postures and it is arranged in a manner similar to that of her classes. Supported with hundreds of illustrations, Yoga for Anyone, will help anyone learn yoga the correct way. Suleiha Suguna comes from a lineage of yoga practitioners and has over 40 years experience in yoga. Check out her yogabookforanyone.com book today.

The Yoga Sutras - An Introduction

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras have been translated from the original Sanskrit Devanagari Script, to English, many times - and in many ways. The Yoga Sutras, themselves, are precisely organized in padas. The best cross-reference to the term "pada" is chapter. Below is a brief overview of the four chapters of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

Samadhi Pada: This introductory chapter contains 51 sutras, which focus on the definition, practice, problems, solutions for practicing Yoga, and reaching higher states of consciousness, which we often refer to as "meditative absorption."

Sadhana Pada: The second chapter contains 55 sutras, which concentrate on obtaining, and maintaining, mental focus. Sadhana Pada gives the reader details about how to cultivate states of attention (mindfulness), instead of living in a state of distraction. It seems that unfocused thought has been a timeless obstacle for humanity, and Patanjali explains why conscious attention is important, and what is involved in this practice.

Vibhuti Pada: The third chapter contains 55 sutras, and is a guide to the combined simultaneous practice of concentration (dharana), contemplation (dhyana), and communion (samadhi). This principle of "tying together" is a technique called "samyama," which is a technique for acquiring a more in-depth state of focus.

Kaivalya Pada: This final chapter contains 34 sutras, which reveal the primary objectives of Yoga. To master one's mind, develop a perception of pure clarity, and to be free from attachment, are the keys to spiritual freedom, outlined within the Kaivalya Pada.

If the reader's first language is English, he or she is totally dependent upon the translator. There are many books, which translate the original writings into English, but all are different interpretations. Therefore, it is suggested that the readers spend time cross-referencing between authors.

This experience, of looking at each sutra, from different angles, is well worth the time. Patanjali wanted readers to contemplate each sutra in the order he organized them. In many ways, the Yoga Sutras were built as a guide for contemplation, meditation, and samadhi. If the Yoga Sutras were not part of your happinesslifetime.com Yoga teacher training, they should be part of your continuing education.

? Copyright 2011 - Paul Jerard / Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

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.org Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. 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 yoga-teacher-training.org/

Yoga - Living Without Regret

If we wish to teach our students life's greatest lesson-that it is only love that really matters-we must start by learning to love the work of teaching. Perhaps the greatest service we can do for our students is to remind them in both obvious and subtle ways to find their true calling in life, and to provide them with tools to help them on their quest. As our students physically open their hearts while doing back bends and become more aware of their feelings from doing inversions, they cultivate the sensitivity to separate what is essential from what is merely urgent. It is only when we take care of what is essential that we can die without regret.

As yoga teachers, perhaps our central practice is to watch everything we teach-every method, every word, every action-and ask if the approach is merely a means to achieving a greater pose or a deeper breath, or is it essentially helping my student to love their life more? Are you merely teaching poses or are you teaching students to love more abundantly and die contented?"

As teachers, we must first love ourselves and our work. We can do no better than to follow this timeless advice of doing what you love, love what you are doing, and deliver more than you promise. The true passion for teaching lives only within teachers who love both their subject and the teaching. This is because they know they are living their dharma. When I feel my dharma, I have no choice but to be in love with my subject and my teaching. Then teaching is no longer a job, but a fulfilling way of self-expression that allows me to manifest the love I feel for who I am. It is a way of spreading the joy and peace of yoga and creating an inner balance that leads to bliss. When I feel this, I am living my dharma. I am fulfilled.

Mother Theresa said, "We can do no great things-only small things with great love." The most important thing we can do for our students is to feel a great love for our teaching and our practice. If you have lost your love of teaching, it is time to learn something new. Just as married couples need to take time out for themselves and go on "dates" to restore feelings of love and joy, we need to take time to renew and refresh the love of our craft. Just as our bodies need regular asana practice to be restored, so our teaching needs regular care in order to remain healthy and vibrant. Find a teacher, take a workshop, go on a retreat. Find a mentor who truly loves yoga so that you can absorb some of that love and inspiration. Going to workshops or retreats and studying with master teachers is not indulgent, but essential.

Another way to renew our love of teaching is to remind ourselves that we are participating in the cosmic drama. As we help others embody their dharma, we are assisting the spirits that guide their lives. As we love our students and enter into the mystery of their unfolding, our teaching is filled with unexpected magic.

The greatest service we can give our students is to love our own practice--our teaching, our students, and, above all, our own self. Then, as we breathe our last, we will smile knowing that we have lived, loved, and died without regret.

If we wish to teach our students life's greatest lesson-that it is only love that really matters-we must start by learning to love the work of teaching.

2008 Aadil Palkhivala

Aadil is the author of "Fire of Love", a book for Teachers of Yoga and Students of Life.

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Could a Blind Man Become a Yoga Teacher?

Recently, I ran into a case in which a Hatha Yoga teacher, who had been teaching for years, was being refused from a Hatha happinesslifetime.com Yoga teacher training course. Before anyone gets stirred up over this, and the Act on the Affairs of the Handicapped, in the United States, this story gets better.

His wife is also a Hatha Yoga teacher, and they teach Yoga classes as a team. Yet, he was still refused the opportunity for certification as a Hatha Yoga teacher. At this point, you might be thinking of the legality of refusing anyone an equal opportunity. I am not an attorney, but this sounds like a viable case to me.

Do you think that the Yoga organization, which refused this gentleman the right to participate in their happinesslifetime.com Yoga teacher training course, consulted their attorney before making such a decision? Honestly, I doubt it, and the idea of a Yoga organization showing discriminatory judgment goes against the purpose of Yoga.

Yoga means union or unity. Where is the "unity" in discrimination? Discrimination originates from a closed mind. Discrimination works closely with intolerance and can lead to unjustified acceptance of blatant lies, or worse.

It is the morality of this issue that should concern us all. It is hard to imagine being blind every day, with so many things that most of us take for granted.

If you want to take a short tour of what it feels like to be blind, close your eyes, and within minutes your other senses will improve. Did you ever notice your hearing improves, when you try to meditate? Try to move around without opening your eyes, but use caution.

When you shut off one of your senses, the rest of your senses will become sharper, as a result of your "handicap." A blind Yoga teacher will most likely have better cueing skills than most of us. With another Yoga teacher in the room, to assist, a student would get "the best of both worlds."

This is why we have laws that protect all of us from discrimination. Sometimes, we think that common sense should rule our society, but as you know, it does not always work that way. Everyone should make an honest effort to understand others.

We do not have to agree on every issue, but different viewpoints, that work together, make a healthier and creative world around us. If a blind man has a desire to become a certified Yoga teacher, who has the moral right to refuse him?

© Copyright 2006 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. riyoga.com riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

How to Not Hate Yoga X From the P90X Workout Program

Even though Yoga has a lot of benefits for health conscious individuals such as improved flexibility and strength, reduces stress and increases blood flow and massages the central nervous system, the Yoga X tends to be one of the least favorite workouts in the P90X series. Many of the men that use P90X feel that Yoga will not help with fat loss, is a feminine workout or is just plain boring.

The first thing to overcome your hate for Yoga X is to understand that this workout was designed to improve flexibility, utilize your own body weight for many of the exercises so essentially you are performing strength training and it will stretch out the muscles to help reduce soreness from previous weight training workouts throughout the week. Tony is strong and flexible and a large chunk of the reason why he is is because he does Yoga.

So just how can you get over the hump of hating the Yoga X workout and actually enjoy it? The workout is just over 1 hour and 30 minutes. The first 40 minutes will require the bulk of your energy and you will quickly realize this as you begin to sweat like crazy. So my suggestion is that if you absolutely loath Yoga, then just make a commitment to do at least the first 40 minutes of the workout at first. You will still get a great calorie burn and as soon as the 40 minutes pass you may actually find yourself ready to challenge yourself with the part 2 of the Yoga X DVD which is a series of balance poses and holds.

If you find yourself getting frustrated with Yoga because you are having difficulty holding the poses or are lacking flexibility then it is recommended that you purchase a yoga block. Yoga blocks can help support and stabilize some of the holds especially when you find it difficult to touch the ground with one of your hands. They also are great for after you have improved and need a further stretch here or there.

I had never done Yoga prior to the P90X program and even though I really hated the Yoga X workout, I now find that the days I do the yoga workout I have the most energy and my body feels loose and relaxed. I now look forward to my after workout euphoria I receive from the DVD workout.

I hope these tips help you and that you can overcome your hatred of the workout too.

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The Benefits of Yoga For Martial Artists

When you consider yoga, at first you might think that it is the polar opposite of the martial arts. With all the peaceful breathing and slow movement into calming stretches. The postures and meditative quality of yoga is peaceful and relaxing but when you examine further the benefits that yoga imparts on it's practitioners you quickly come to realize those benefits are perfect for martial artists of many styles.

Those benefits include increased flexibility, improved focus, the ability to stay calm and breath control, all very important and extremely beneficial to martial artists.

Let's take a look at those benefits one by one.

Increased flexibility seems like a no brainer but what many people don't realize is that with increased flexibility there are no only performance benefits but also a reduced chance of injury. By developing and remaining flexible you greatly reduce the chance of pulled muscles, sprains, injuries to ligaments, joints and tendons. Not to mention that light stretching also helps with recovery from training stress.

Next is improved focus, by quietly focusing on stretching and proper postural alignment you increase both your level of concentration as well as your awareness of proper posture. Both crucial components to performing at a higher level in the martial arts.

Then comes the ability to remain calm. In the martial arts, and especially in competition, the ability to remain calm will have a dramatic impact on your ability to perform when things aren't going your way. You'll need to keep your wits about you and the benefit of controlling your stress level and remaining calm will definitely come in handy.

Lastly is breath control. This is probably one of the best benefits that you can gain that will dramatically improve your endurance and ability to maximize your use of oxygen so that you don't gas out by holding your breath. Something that commonly occurs when you are stressed and lose focus during practice but even more so during competition. The importance of maintaining breath control and being aware of your breath so you don't inadvertently hold your breath which tires you out a lot faster.

Naturally there are some martial arts like Brazilian jiujitsu and Judo whose practitioners will gain the most out of practicing Yoga as well. The postural training and breath control will lend itself very well to these arts. But there are many other styles that will still benefit greatly as well. Even combat sports like MMA and Muay Thai stand to gain from this practice.

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Yoga Instruction - How to Find the Right Yoga Teacher for You

In order to find a quality yoga instructor, you need to know what to look for. Since there is no universal certification program for yoga teachers, not all of them are created equal as you can see by the following example.

I had been practicing yoga in my home for a while when I decided to take some classes at a local center. I had been using a variety of yoga videos and DVDs that were taught by senior instructors with impeccable form, so I expected the same quality of yoga instruction when I arrived at this class. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case.

The teacher who taught the class was sloppy in her style as she moved through the poses and it seemed more as if she were doing her own practice, rather than leading the class. She never came around and adjusted the alignment of any of the students, which really annoyed me because that was the main reason I decided to attend the class. Additionally, she was facing one way and the students were facing the opposite way, so it was very difficult to see what she was doing. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed.

I am optimistic by nature so the next morning, I took another class at the same center, but this time there was a different teacher leading the practice. Her style was more of what I was looking for. Her execution of the positions was excellent. She showed the students how to do the pose and then she got up and checked the alignment of the students and made necessary adjustments. She brought attention to those students who did a pose particularly well, and she encouraged others to go a little deeper. I was very happy with the teacher, and even though the class did not fit my schedule particularly well, I attended it on a regular basis.

Although my initial endeavor into the world of taking yoga classes was somewhat hit or miss, by asking certain questions and checking some details, you have a better chance of finding the right yoga instructor for you.

Here are some things to consider.

Decide what your goals are for your yoga practice.

Do you want to practice yoga to relieve stress, heal from an injury, or gain strength and flexibility? If a center offers yoga that is very fast paced and very physically challenging, it probably won't be the right match for you if you want to learn how to relax.

What style of yoga interests you? Make sure that the center offers that particular style.

Are you interested in a certain level of yoga instruction? If you are a beginner, you probably don't want to take a class that lumps all levels together. You also don't want a class that is too advanced where you have a greater chance of feeling discouraged because you can't keep up with the other students, or worse, you could get injured. You want a class where the instructor takes ample time to explain the postures and also helps students achieve the correct alignment.

Ask about the teacher's level experience

Find out how many years the teacher has been practicing yoga and how long he has been teaching. With my experience with the two yoga teachers, I found out that the one that didn't impress me had just become a teacher, while the one I liked had been teaching for quite some time.

Ask about how many hours of training he has received. Although there is no universal yoga teacher certification, many quality studios require that their instructors complete a minimum number of training hours before they are allowed to teach. If the instructor has 200 or more hours of training, there is a good chance that he has solid skills to work with.

Does the instructor know the benefits and contraindications of each pose? Can he offer modifications for students who have physical limitations? You want a teacher who can provide information about how each pose relates to your unique physical condition.

Also, find out if the teacher has specific training in basic anatomy. I cannot emphasize this point strongly enough. When I was in my early twenties, I took a gymnastics class which was taught by an instructor who had no training in anatomy. Each week he stretched my body in a position that caused me a great deal of pain. If he knew about body mechanics and physiology he never would never used that stretch, because it is almost guaranteed to cause injury. The end result for me was years of pain and permanent injury. If the teacher is not trained in anatomy run, don't walk, out of the class.

What is the teacher's personal style?

In order for you to get the most out of yoga, you have to feel comfortable with the teacher. Is the teacher friendly, encouraging, and supportive? Does she treat students and others with respect?

Yoga is intensely personal so it is critical that you like and trust the teacher. She will be touching your body to adjust your alignment, so you need to feel totally safe with her. A good instructor will make the class a secure and peaceful experience for students.

How clean is the studio?

As you look around, do you notice dust or dirt? Is there a musty or sweaty odor? A yoga class encourages you to practice barefoot and breathe deeply. It is very difficult to get the most from your yoga instruction if you are worried about contracting a disease from an unclean studio.

How does the teacher handle your personal beliefs?

A good yoga teacher does not impose her personal beliefs on students. Yoga is not a religion. You should be able to practice any religion, or none at all, and still feel comfortable in the class. You also should not be required to eat or act a certain way to be considered acceptable to the teacher.

Yoga promotes freedom, so you should not be held bondage to someone else's beliefs. You should be free to live whichever way is right for you.

Quality yoga instruction can be very important for you in your yoga journey. By keeping these ideas in mind when you search for a yoga teacher, you are very likely to find the one that is just right for you.

Della Menechella is a Licensed Minister and Spiritual Mentor who teaches individuals how to use spiritual principles to achieve greater joy, love, peace, harmony, health, prosperity and success in their lives. Her website practical-spiritual-healing-guide.com Practical Spiritual Healing Guide is filled with practical spiritual ideas to enrich every area of your life. Visit the site and get your free booklet, How To Get What You Want.

The Sports Bra - Essential Information

While working out and during exercises, you need to protect your most valuable femininity assets, your breasts. The most practical way of doing this is by use of a sports bra. These bras are specifically designed to give you additional support during physical exercise. They are sturdier than normal bras; they minimize the movement of the breast, maximize comfort and prevent damage to ligaments by preventing excessive movement.

The larger the breasts, the bigger the benefits the user will get from the wearing these bras.

During physical exercises, if breasts are not restricted they move around freely with the movements of the body. A lot of women find this movement to be uncomfortable, sometimes painful, embarrassing and inhibits their ability to perform their training program effectively; this has been shown to increase with ladies with larger breasts. It has also been noted that damage to the ligaments may occur, in the chest area during high impact exercise, such as jogging. Also standard bras straps are anchored directly to the band and are designed for women in normal standing positions; during certain exercises this can put a big strain on the shoulder muscles and in certain circumstances cause injury to them.

The Sports bra was originally the invention of Lisa Lindahl in 1977, after her sister Victoria constantly complained of issues she had during her exercise programs. So Lisa cut up a two jockstraps and sewed them together to make two cups and some large banded straps. This was such a success that Lisa marketed this as the JogBra. In 1990 Playtex then purchased the rights to this bra from Lisa and the rest is history as the sports bra is now made by many manufacturers and available across the globe.

There are Four different levels of control afforded by sports bras:

Light Control:

Activities such as Yoga, gardening and walking, only require a light control bra.

Moderate Control:

Activities such as hiking, power walking require a moderate control bra

Form Control:

Activities such as jogging, soccer or tennis require a firm control bra

Maximum Control:

Activities such as boxing, horse riding and very high intensity workouts will require a maximum control bra.

The Sports bra comes in all these levels of control, so when choosing a sports bra make sure you choose one with the correct support that you will need for your chosen activity.

For further information on all types of bras, please take time to visit Best 4 Breasts, best4breast.com/bras.php Breast Enhancement Bra guide.

R.foley is a consultant with over ten years experience. He has set up best4breast.com best4breast.com to help and offer advice on all matters relating to Breast Enhancement. Please take time to visit his website to explore different options available to you.

Some Great Benefits Of Yoga Exercise For Pregnant Women

These routines, by means of a series of soft stretches, help tone the reproductive organs, pelvis and the rest of your entire body to guarantee an uncomplicated labor. It also provides backbone flexibility. Yoga breathing exercises and the act of managing your power provide your infant with necessary oxygen plus the energy coming from that oxygen. If you are an intense breather you'll be healthier and completely ready for giving birth. Mastery of yoga breathing techniques can certainly help greatly reduce the possibility of postpartum depression and help lessen the tension of labor.

However, prior to starting a new physical fitness plan you should seek advice from your physician. Your doctor will give you physical exercises as well as food intake tips that coordinate your fitness and way of living while entering into yoga. If while pregnant, you are not comfortable lying on your back you need to refrain from virtually any pose that includes lying down on your back. Although professionals are torn with this subject there's some precautions that lying down on your back could possibly reduce circulation of blood to your womb and cause you to become dizzy or light-headed. On top of that, you should refrain from lying directly on your tummy right after your fourth month, or maybe sooner when it gets uneasy. Use a chair or even the wall to keep your equilibrium. While your system is changing your center of gravity might be a bit skewed and falling over could injure yourself as well as your baby. Bend from your hips, not your back.

To further improve inhaling and exhaling maintaining distance between your breastbone and your pubic bone will help. If you bend forward while sitting down you can use towel wrapped around your feet while keeping both ends to help avoid squeezing your stomach. While bending from your hips, lift your chest muscles - this will likewise help. Keep your hips erect when you stretch your chest as well as upper thighs. Be extra careful with rotating poses. Attempt to twist more from your shoulders than the belly. Just be sure you don't do too much any stretch, taking special attention with your mid-section. Make sure you focus on your system's cues. Quit if anything is uncomfortable.

Pre-natal yoga exercises could be very good for you while pregnant if you understand what you're doing, and how to avoid personal injury. By adapting the poses to suit, you can continue to take pleasure from the physical, psychological as well as spiritual benefits yoga has to offer. Start and finish exercise with a couple of minutes of reflection. And this is what the exercise is all about in the first place. When these recommendations are followed, yoga during maternity could be a most successful and satisfying experience. Listen to your body and do not force anything. It's simply a clear case of being conscious of your personal limits and knowing which suits you best among the pre-natal yoga exercises.

Yogafit has a lot of very informative advice in all aspects of yogafit.com yoga poses, training, and everything else. She also has a number of yogafit.com yoga conference meetups several times a year and is known yoga guru and mogul around the world.

Core Training Workouts - The Basics

Core training workouts involve your midsection, as well as your middle and lower back and they are best exercises to build not only our abdominal muscles but also the many muscles in your torso. To be able to build stronger core muscles, your workouts should target all the muscle groups that run in your torso, your spine and your pelvis.

Core training workouts indeed improve the muscles in your midsection that serve as your stabilizers for the rest of your body. Being the 'core,' they should also be given attention in your quest to stay fit and in your happinesslifetime.com weight loss programs.

Benefits of Core Training

Engaging into core training workouts will give you lots of benefits. Among these benefits include improvement of your balance and control, increasing the efficiency of your movements, reduces your risk of pain and injury on your lower back, which is usually caused by bad posture, sedentary lifestyle or being overweight.

Core training also helps improve your body flexibility and coordination and strengthen your abdominal muscles and making it leaner. Core training workouts also allow your body to be fit for your everyday activities. A strong core also helps you achieve greater athletic performance by increasing your efficiency of movement, improving balance, stability, as well as control of your body.

Core training workouts and exercises

Among the core exercises that you can do to build stability of your core muscles are squat, overhead press, V-sit, sprinting, push-ups, dead lifts, plank exercise, side lunges, back extensions hip lift, Russian twists, leg raises, lat pull downs and abdominal bracing. There are also equipment that will help you in strengthening your core muscles. Among them are kettlebells, stability balls, dumbbells and medicine balls. Even yoga is a great core training exercise.

Pilates is also a great exercise that helps strengthen the abdominal muscles and helps in mobilizing your extremities as well.

Getting Started

In core training workouts and in any other forms of exercises, it is important to keep in mind to warm up always. Warm up exercises serve as your protection from injuries during the workout and prepare your muscles before going to work.

It is important too that in doing strength training, you have to do the workouts regularly to be able to get good results. Not doing the exercises regularly may not give you any benefit from your training.

When you eventually get to do your workouts, you then have to increase your loads, add more distance, or lengthen your exercise time to get good benefits out of your exercises. It is very important however to consult your physician before engaging into any exercise especially if you have medical conditions.

To be able to determine which of the core exercises is suitable for you, it is also advisable to work with your fitness trainer so that you will not also be wasting your time in workouts that are not fit for you.

Indeed, exercising can be a great way to keep your body fit and healthy but if you want to have an effective exercise for your entire body, you must not focus only on doing one training, but also make sure you are doing other exercises along like cardio or some resistance training.

Carolyn Anderson is an exercise buff and an advocate of healthy living. To learn more about exercises effective for strengthening your core muscles, check out dp-db.com/combat-core-advanced-torso-training Advanced Torso Training. Also check out dp-db.com/muscle-explosion Muscle Explosion, a full workout and nutrition regime to help you build massive muscles.

How To Become A Certified Yoga Instructor At Any Age

Today, it is possible for anyone to become a yoga instructor, at any age. All you need is to have the determination and interest to become a yoga instructor. There are so many books on yoga, courses that you can follow at a yoga training school or at home through CDs and many websites and e-books that can help you become a yoga instructor.

Though there are many sources for you to become a yoga instructor, it is better to always choose an accredited course or follow a book or e-book written by someone who is a master in yoga. If you have the time, you can join your local yoga training school, and attend classes and become a yoga instructor.

Whatever you are taught in the class, it is up to you to be disciplined to practice diligently at home. In yoga, as in other disciplines, practice makes perfect. Regardless of how old you are, without mastering the techniques and moves, it is impossible for you to teach others. Because yoga is not a strenuous form of exercise, you can learn yoga at any age. If you prefer to become a yoga instructor from home, you can search online to find the right online yoga instructor for yourself.

It is best to choose the online course that provides a minimum of 200 hours of yoga classes as this is a criterion that has to be met for one to become a certified yoga instructor. Regardless of your age, you can start your own yoga classes, once you find a suitable place to begin the lessons.

yogainstructorscoursecertification.com Yoga Instructors Course Certification Are you wanting to become certified as a yoga instructor? Not all yoga instructor certification courses are the same. I spent hours researching the range of yoga instructor certification courses available and have announced my number one choice at my yoga training website. Yoga Master With 5000 Hours Of Training Under His Belt Teaches Future Yoga Instructors How They Can Earn $150.00 Per Hour As A Professional Yoga Instructor And Be Certified Within Just 3 Months In His World Class Yoga Teacher Training Course Online. Start your certification today at yogainstructorscoursecertification.com yogainstructorscoursecertification.com

5 Master Athlete Myths Debunked

Master Athletes have unique needs. As we age, we must be smarter in our choices. If we do so, we can continue to compete and thrive. We also must stay updated on the latest training information. In this article I break down five master athletes training myths.

1. Weight training is for younger athletes

If you compete in anything, weight training will probably improve your game. Even as a runner, weight training improves running economy and can increase power production. Body weight exercises and activities like yoga have a place in the Master Athletes program, but weight training maintains lean muscle mass and fights fat gain. A leaner body usually performs better.

2. Physiological changes cause us to "stiffen up" after a certain age.

Most experts agree less activity is the main factor in reduced mobility with aging. When you were a kid, you were in constant motion. You ran, climbed trees, and rode your bike. Now you may drive to work, sit at a desk all day, and then drive home before your workout. Increased activity can increase your mobility. Increase your activity, and your mobility should increase.

3. Weight-training will put excessive muscle on women and slow them down

Few women can build big muscles. Testosterone is the primary muscle-building component in the human body, and women just do not have much. If you see a huge bodybuilder, she is probably taking muscle-building supplements. For female athletes, weight training can reduce the risk of injury, improve performance, and help prevent body fat gain.

4. Stretching should be done before a workout

Most stationary stretching should be done after a workout. Since the body is not warmed up before your workout, pre-workout stretching may risk injury. Moving stretching, also called dynamic stretching, is preferable to traditional stretching before a workout. Find an exercise professional to teach you dynamic stretching.

5. You should not eat right after you workout

After a workout, your body's blood sugar is depleted. Eat within one half-hour to fuel your next workout. If you wait longer, your body will have difficulty replenishing blood sugar. Eat something with a 2/1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. One cheap and easy solution is a glass of chocolate milk immediately after your exercise session. Your body will perform better during your next workout if you adequately fuel post-workout.

Jeff Blair is a performance coach (M.S., C.S.C.S., J.D.) located in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in master athletes since he is one himself! Email Jeff at

Yoga Teacher Certification or Registration - Part 2

What about established Yoga teachers who don't have a diploma? Yoga teaching credentials are a relatively new concept. Many "seasoned" Yoga teachers have suddenly found themselves in need of credentials.

Most of the certified Yoga teachers are from Hatha Yoga, one of Hatha Yoga's many sub-styles, or Kundalini Yoga. This may be due to the physical aspect of these Yoga styles. Yoga teachers, who are without credentials, should contact a certifying body to inquire about recognition or credit for past experience.

What is the "right'' Yoga credential to have? There really is no right or wrong Yoga credential. A Yoga teacher should have a minimum of 200 hours of study. The Yoga teacher course selected should cover all the facets of Yoga, but when considering liability, anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, safety, modifications, props, and contraindications are of prime importance.

When I hire a Yoga teacher; safety, communication, and knowledge override any credentials. The teaching performance within a Yoga class is more important than any other factor. This is why some Yoga studios do an evaluation of a new Yoga teacher on a trial basis.

When should I become a Registered Yoga teacher? The fact is you don't have to join a Yoga teacher's association or become a registered Yoga teacher, to teach Yoga in any country. In Great Britain, you have a choice to register with the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) or The Independent Yoga Network. Until recently, I thought BWY was the sole regulator of Yoga within the UK. Apparently this is a myth.

Some studios may require you to be a registered Yoga teacher, but most will not. In North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and most of Europe, Yoga teachers are not required to be registered. However, certification may be required.

Who regulates Yoga?

There is no government backed regulator of Yoga. If you are in doubt, contact a local Yoga teachers association to be assured of local laws and regulations.

It is a wise practice to network with local Yoga teachers and Yoga teacher associations. This will keep you informed and educated about the changes within Yoga. You will also learn about workshops, seminars, retreats, and Yoga camps that are coming to your area.

Lastly, Yoga teachers should stay on top of information concerning sports medicine, anatomy, kinesiology, physiology, safety, modifications, and contraindications. The safety of every Yoga student is the single most important factor involved in teaching Yoga.

© Copyright 2006 by 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

How To Improve The Capabilities of Your Brain

You may have come across a few people who are very sharp and at the same time, you may have also come across some dull people. If you want to improve your mental sharpness, it is definitely possible but for achieving it, you should do a few simple things. The problem is due to aging also, you lose your sharpness. Alzheimer's disease is due to aging and people who are affected by it lose their memory. It is better you take these steps not only to prevent this disease but to improve your brain power also.

Physical exercises are very important to keep your brains sharp. You should do a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily. Cardiovascular exercises are very good for improving your blood circulation. Such a good blood circulation is said to prevent dementia. Since exercises are a good antidote for diabetes and depression, the problems caused to the brain due to these diseases are also prevented.

Experts advise that you should be more sociable and mingle with people better for improving your brain power. All of us come across people wherever we go. If you are sociable and use every opportunity to mingle, discuss and move with people, you can prevent your brain from losing its sharpness. This is perhaps possible due to the fact that you will be using all your intellectual skills and attention while conversing with people. In fact, if you involve yourself in any kind of social activity, it will improve your mental sharpness. This includes conversing with people over phone also.

Making small changes in your daily routine will also help in improving your mental capabilities. For example, taking a new route for your walking or learning a new language or attempting a mathematical problem, completing a crossword puzzle, attempting Sudoku and playing timed games will help you in pushing barriers of your intellectual capabilities. Timed games challenge your brain and when the brain works harder, this gives a great boost to its capacity. You can also read and write a lot and these are also capable of keeping your brain active. In other words, the more active your brain is, the sharper it becomes.

You should also make a few changes in your eating habits. You should switch to more of fiber diets, especially to more of fresh fruits and vegetables. These fiber foods remove the toxins and free radicals from your system and hence, you can prevent dementia. Your foods must contain more of vitamins and minerals and these fiber foods supply them in abundant quantities. Especially, vitamin B is needed for the sharpness of the brain. Junk foods and processed foods supply a lot of free radicals to your system and hence, they should be shunned to the extent possible.

You should learn to manage your stress levels. A highly stressed life will blunt the brain's fitness. You can learn yoga, meditation or breathing exercises to live a stress-free life. You should also have a good night's sleep for having a sharp brain. 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day is highly necessary to have a fit and sharp brain.

Raman Kuppuswamy has been writing highly informative and interesting articles on various topics for the last several years. You may kindly visit hubpages.com/profile/dreamdamodar hubpages.com/profile/dreamdamodar to read his articles on various other important topics.

Off-Ice Training For the New Skater

A lot of skating may build and tone your muscles, however it will be a slow and difficult process if you don't do off ice training. Ballet, Pilates, Yoga and strength training are crucial when it comes to off ice training, this is what truly makes a difference in figure skating. Just like figure skating, you'd be amazed to find out how much muscle is involved when it comes to Ballet, Pilates and Yoga.

This is a standard workout if you are new to figure skating and would like to improve. You will definitely see a big difference if it is practiced:

1. Jump rope for thirty second intervals, with a fifteen-second rest in between them three times.

2. A special kind of jump rope where instead of just jumping rope, you kick your knee up every time, In other words, it would be a jump with your left knee up, then jump with your right knee up, jump with your left knee up, (get the picture?) and so on. Try to do this as many times as you can. The more you do the better. It takes a lot of practice!

3. Put your body in a bridge position, with your arms straight, and hold it for thirty seconds. Rest and then do it again, at least three times.

4. Lay flat on your stomach with your arms out in front of you as if you are Superman. Lift up your hands and feet as high as you can and get them as far away from your body as possible. Hold this for ten seconds, then go down for ten seconds. Do at least ten reps. While you are doing them, your stomach should be touching the ground.

5. Squats. Stand straight with your feet under your hips, try standing in front of a mirror in order to make sure you keep proper posture. Put your arms to the side, and when you go down put them in front of you. Don't go down too low, go just pass a right (90 degrees) angle and make sure you don't stick your butt out, just sit with your body straight up. Sit and stand back up ten times. Do as many reps as you can or least three times. As you built strength, you can add additional reps. As they become easier, start adding weights.

6. Stretches. Make sure you stretch before and after any workout.

This routine will help your skating immensely.

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Dog Training - How to Teach Your ADD Dog to Relax

Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself "That person needs to learn to relax!"? Do you have certain routines in your life that relax you? Yoga? Exercise?

Many dogs also need to learn to relax. Unfortunately, they aren't self analytical enough to tell themselves "I really need to learn to relax". It is therefore our responsibility to teach them.

But how exactly do we teach a dog to relax?

The first thing is to start immediately!! It's much easier to teach a puppy to relax than an adult dog set in her ways. But if you have an older dog, you can still teach her how to relax by instilling several new structures to her life.

Relaxation is a mental state. The brain emits tiny electrochemical impulses of various frequencies. When in a relaxed state these frequencies are much lower than when the brain is in an alert/aroused state.

Some dogs have been living the majority of their waking lives in an alert/aroused mental state. Their brains are seemingly stuck emitting these higher frequencies and it becomes very difficult for them to slow their brains down. It feeds upon itself and becomes a frantic, ADD type of energy that can be very difficult to live with as owners. And not that fun for the dog.

We need to change this balance and actively give them relaxation time. Here are some of the structures we will be using to teach your dog to relax:

Physical Exercise: Certainly a very important part of teaching your dog to relax is tiring them out. The brain needs to practice being relaxed, and by tiring a dog out you can begin changing the brain pattern so that it is more often in that relaxed state of mind. The type of physical exercise they get can make a difference, though. A game of fetch, for example can wind up putting your dog in a more aroused state of mind by the end of it. This really depends on the dog and it is our job to figure out what kind of exercise works best.

My favorite kind of exercises for dogs are swimming, jogging, and running alongside a bike. There is something about the steady, consistent motion of these activities that turns them into jobs for dogs, making them a combination of physical and mental exercise.

There is something to the old adage, " A tired dog is a good dog". But your dog needs more than just physical exercise.

Mental exercise: Interactive food toys/puzzle toys/chew toys. You should have multiple varieties of these toys for your dog. These are like crossword puzzles for dogs. Watch a dog working on a food toy or a bone... they are almost Zen-like in their focus. If you can get your dog to work on a chew toy/interactive toy for 1 hour per day, that's a solid hour of putting your dog in a relaxed brain state. My favorite food toys are Kongs stuffed with kibble, big treats that are hard to remove, and a smear of unsweetened Peanut Butter or yogurt. You can then freeze the Kong to make them more challenging. I also like the Tug-a-Jug and Twist and Treat toys by Premier.

Training is also a great way to give your dog mental exercise. A few 5 minute sessions a day can go a long way in teaching your dog how to relax. The Settle behavior in particular is useful in teaching a dog to relax. By being able to put your dog in his most relaxed physical state... lying down on a comfy bed, it stands to reason that the mind will often follow.

Confinement: Your dog needs a place to relax. His own room. Cozy, with lots of soft bedding and nice toys. His job, when in this room, is to relax. I highly recommend using a crate for this. Feed him in the crate. Give his chew toys in the crate. Make the crate the magic place where good things always happen. Imagine being in a dimly lit room, soft music playing, big luxurious bed, glass of wine... how relaxing does that sound? That's how your dog's crate should feel to the dog.

While it seems nicer to give your dog free access to the home and the yard, in reality it can be damaging. The dog doesn't know his role in the house, and is constantly searching for one. "Maybe I should bark at everyone walking down the street"(high frequency brain pattern), "I'll stare out the window at squirrels" (high frequency brain pattern), "I'll tear up the sofa" (high frequency brain pattern).

Your Personal Interactions: If you greet your dog in an excited, frantic manner, you will often get an excited, frantic response. Our dogs feed off of our energy. By maintaining a calm, balanced energy around our dogs we can begin to change his brainwaves.

Reward your dog for being relaxed. If your dog is constantly panting/pacing frantically, calmly reward him with a delicious treat the instant he stops for even a split second. Just a click or a calm yes. Praise and petting will usually elicit more excitement. We need to be neutral in rewarding calmness. When your dog is frantically jumping at the door to be let out, do you open the door? Then you are rewarding franticness! And if you reward franticness, you will keep seeing franticness! Instead, reward your dog by opening the door for showing calm behaviors. With some repetition and consistency, you will see your dog offering calm behaviors more and more often when she wants something.

Jobs: I've referred to giving the dog a job a number of times in this text. When a dog has a job to do, his mind becomes focused on one thing rather than frantically scattered all over the map. Chew toys, jogging, training exercises, Settle... these are all different kinds of jobs. These jobs give the dog a purpose... a place to focus their mental energy. A place to practice emitting those lower frequency electrochemical impulses.

Teaching your dog to relax can sometimes happen quickly with consistency in applying the rules. Or it may take time. Putting in the effort now however, will mean a happier life for you, and for your dog in the long run.

The Body, Mind and Spirit of Yoga

For many years, I have been a yogi from afar. I have studied it, subscribed to yoga magazines, went to classes sporadically and even prescribed it to patients. It has been the past year that has gotten me to really live yoga.

Most people think of yoga as a form of exercise. It is that but so much more. Yoga is a way of life. The exact origination is unclear but the earliest evidence points to the East, around 3000 BC, in India. At first, it appears that yoga was a more outwardly focused mental and spiritual practice which looked outside the self and at understanding the world. It later changed to more of a focus on the self and self enlightenment through the transcendence of the ego. Later, the postures and stances that we have come to identify as 'yoga' were added as a vital part of a practice. Today, it is most commonly found that a yoga practice encompasses three components:

-breathing

-meditation

-postures

I like to draw the analogy between these three components and the three distinct parts of us: body, mind and spirit.

- Body- of course, this would be the postures. Like the body, or vehicle through which we are experiencing life, the postures are the only way a lot of people experience yoga. Although life changing for most, this is a very limited experience. It would be like training for a marathon without doing much stretching. Having trained for a marathon like this in the past, I found the experience was wonderful but again, very limited. I see us as spiritual beings having a physical experience but to only experience the physical part of something like yoga so limits us and the experience.

- Mind- I would analogize this part to the breathing part of yoga. Most people I have spoken with experience an ongoing mental dialogue, most of the time. Although necessary at times, it can often be confusing and limiting. When focused on optimal breathing- expand belly on inhalation, press belly button toward back on exhalation while inhaling to a count of 4 and exhaling to a count of 4- it is difficult to do much of anything else (especially think) at the same time. Try it. You may not be able to do it at first but you will be able to - with practice. AND You can always return to it to quiet your mind, if you find yourself all stressed out.

- Spirit- this I would link with the mediation component of yoga. People have many excuses for not attempting to meditate - it is too hard, takes up too much time, it is too religious or we just don't know how to do it. Meditation, to me, is a focused awareness of nothing. This state can only be reached with a quiet mind- which the breathing helps us to attain. I like small, practical, attainable steps as measures of progress. Try focusing on nothing for 2 minutes a day, around the same time every day. If you can do it consistently for 5 days, add 1 minute. Keep adding 1 minute for every consistent 5 days and you will be meditating for 20 minutes before you know it!

Two wonderful things about yoga are that your yoga practice is perfect wherever it is today and the process is often more important than the final goal because that is where you are today. With the ultimate goal of a yoga practice to become aware of nothing we, in the 21st century, have quite a job ahead of us if we decide to seriously practice and live a yogic life.