Pilates Fitness Equipment - 3 Important Pilates Aids

Many people consider pilates fitness equipment to be redundant and not 100% in accordance with the principles of pilates. The truth is that the form of exercise is evolving and what it lacked in certain areas and workouts we can no append and make better. In my humble opinion, using props and specialized equipment can and will make it better.

Although there are an endless amount of new props and "machines" coming out all the time, there are 3 main pieces of pilates fitness equipment you may want to consider.

1. Matts And Balance Balls

Pilates, very much like yoga, started out as a form of exercise that requires little or no machines or equipment. In its most basic form, a mat is probably all that's required. This special mat will just give you a soft cushion and since many postures buts your knees and elbows on the ground, a hard surface can be painful to train on. Balance balls is a new addition and is a great way to enhance some of the postures and make them more challenging.

2. Pilates Reformer

Pilates reformers address one of the biggest problems there was with this form of exercise and that is the fact that there was no resistance training. Reformers changed all that in its kind of a mix between a rowing machine and platform home gym. It consists of a sliding platform with a foot rest and a pulley system that's connected to different resistance levels. this allows you to practice many of the postures with the addition of resistance training.

3. Pilates Trapeze Table

Often called a "Cadillac" this simple pilates aid is also designed to add a level of resistance to your workout. Unlike a reformer, this is a static piece of equipment and looks a bit like a cage with handles and bars that are connected to resistance springs. It also allows you to target specific muscles groups by using resistance in some of the most popular postures and exercises.

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The Right Fitness Training Equipment Gets You Fitter!

It is important to know the various types and the functionalities of the equipment available in the market, for those who wish to use fitness training equipment.

Choosing the Proper Equipment

The general belief is that Fitness training equipment is for gym only but there are various types of equipment available for home as well. A garage or spare bedroom can be completely modified as a home gym as simple things like set of weights are available. One needs to decide what equipment they are looking at initially and if choosing a total workout, all in one gym sets are available. With the same set of machinery, we can tone the muscles into variety of exercises.

Sports equipment like punching bags, basketballs and footballs are available for those looking at more athletic oriented fitness equipment. Such equipment is meant for the beginner and of less intense.

Aerobic exercises like jogging, running, Pilates, yoga and step aerobics can be performed with fitness training equipment for those looking at real light workouts which can be used at home, gym or any other place when time permits for exercise. Most Women prefer such equipment geared towards such exercises.

If unsure, it is better to visit a gym and try out to find which type of equipment we need. When proper equipment is discovered, little research is advisable to find the home version of the same equipment. This would save the membership price of gym, gives the equipment we need and allows working out in privacy at home.

To have a proper body shape, fitness training equipment is very vital apart from healthy exercise and eating habits whose benefits lasts for life time which include prevention of injuries and diseases. If one has his own fitness training equipment, there is no excuse of slacking off from daily exercising. To keep you on track and stay healthy, fitness training equipment at home is the best way.

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Beginner's Yoga

Yoga is a unique way of purifying the soul and the body through the aid of certain body postures and health care rules. Yoga is beneficial for all ages and no matter the condition of your health and age yoga would always be effective for you to provide you with a better quality of human life. With the growing awareness of yoga as the way of dismantling all maladies of physical and mental senses, a considerable number of training institutes have cropped up across the world. You may even learn the technique of mind and body purification on the internet as well. For information on beginner's yoga you would get ample information in the internet.

You may take the help of the following guidelines while you are about to take up beginner's Yoga.

Beginner's Yoga Information

o You must begin your first stage of yoga session by knowing the various requirements of the Yoga. You have to know the basic accessories and clothing for performing the yoga. Even you should be aware of the rules of trying out the basic postures of yoga.

o The postures that you are supposed to learn in the beginner's Yoga include the various poses performed during the opening of the yoga session, the basic standing poses, salutations, shoulder and hip exercises, the backward and the forward bending, postures of inversions, twists and the ones usually done in the finishing poses.

o Learn the relaxed poses of yoga as well. You will get to know about the relaxed postures that you should be doing when you are relaxing or resting midst of the yoga session. You may try out the relaxed postures like the corpse pose.

o As a beginner you would find it to be difficult to manage a certain amount of time for performing yoga as you are not in the habit of doing so. But you must learn how to manage time from your busy schedule to carry out yoga on a regular basis as it helps you to get relief from your stressful life effectively.

o To learn to carry out perfect yoga postures you must be aware of the interconnection between exercise, breath and meditation. The more you know about the three basic components of yoga the more would be yoga beneficial for you.

There are five basic principles of yoga; the technique of proper relaxation, performing exercises, right ways of breathing, maintaining of proper diet, positive thinking and meditation.

Isha is an yoga enthusiast. She has taken part in various programs of yoga throughout the world. You may search for a good healthaidindia.com Indian health aid guide to learn about healthaidindia.com/yoga-exercise/beginners-yoga.html beginner's yoga.

Once Again About Self-Improvement

The aspiration to self-improvement is as old as mankind. People are different, each person is unique. A lot of people have the desire to change themselves and "it is never too late to start" is an axiom of self-improvement. To love yourself - it means to be challenging yourself.

Everybody already has all of the good advice. All the rules of wisdom and self-improvement have been made long before our era and since the times of Mark Avrelija nothing essential has been added to those rules. The frustrating circumstances that until now these recipes have helped only a few people have many reasons; here are some of them:

When people can help themselves, they usually do not want to. Many unconsciously aspire to suffering. Many aspire to remain like helpless children;

When people really wish to help themselves and listen to someone's advice, they generally don't know how to correctly implement that advice into practice, because to get advice to work, you need ten more tips on to how to put it in practice.

The most basic problem that some people have is that their conscious forces, which could push their unconscious forces in the chosen direction, are poorly developed. Our nature doesn't completely trust our mind yet. Therefore it is very easy to make any reasonable decision concerning yourself and it is very difficult to execute it. The full union between the consciousness and sub consciousness does not happen often. But the favorite style of action for the sub consciousness is to pretend that it does not exist and to leave the consciousness to operate entire. When the consciousness finds out a dirty trick, the scandal within yourself begins...

There are e-books that give you some recipes for happiness and tell about how you can help your sub consciousness. These recipes, basically falling under the concept "autohypnosis", are accessible to everyone who will wish to learn them and, mainly, will have patience to seize them.

We are talking about the elementary techniques of control yourself and the most basic levers of management of yourself.

Human wisdom, including the ways to improve yourself, does not have the borders of science, art, ceremonies, and an ordinary life. The actor's method is to get into the image, the rules of spells, autohypnosis, medical and the ordinary - it is necessary to be blind to not see, that in essence is this. Sometimes, to see the wide truth, it is necessary to exert some effort. Between modern auto-training and the ancient yoga both the old and new ways of spiritually-corporal perfection there are more concurrences much than differences. Panaceas, certainly, do not exist and possibly the scientific understanding of people is just beginning. But this is good beginning.

To learn how to improve your self-possession and really help yourself to find what you are looking for in yourself visit I Can. Therefore, I Will! [welcome-to-self-improvement.com/%20ican.html%20] site.

Willie Krut is the core provider of a selection of self help products that truly help people to improve their life, health and career. Subscribe to the free Willie's Newsletter, visit the [welcome-to-self-improvement.com] site.

Christian Yoga?

There is an interesting article in the September 5th issue of Time magazine. This particular article covers a spectrum of opinions about mixing Christianity with Yoga. Even, if you don't agree with a single opinion, it's a good read, as long as you remain objective.

Over the course of time, I have been lucky enough to teach, or practice, with someone from every known religious denomination; so the statement by a Professor Tiwari at the Hindu University of America, where he states that, "Yoga is Hinduism," is surprising, coming from a scholar. Possibly, this statement was taken out of context, but fundamentalism exists, to a degree, in every form of religion.

If some Christians want to practice Yoga to make a closer connection to God, who are any of us to criticize it? Isn't one of Yoga's purposes, the union of self with a Supreme Being? So what is the big deal?

Truthfully, many fundamentalists are all about division - keeping the masses divided, at war with each other, and preferably, in a "holy war." They fear the unity of mankind, letting go of power, and world peace. They don't want to loosen their grip on their followers, so they squeeze a little more.

So if a Christian group wants to practice "Son Salutations", or "PraiseMoves," give them a break. Yoga is practiced in sectarian atmospheres by a variety of different religions. Nobody has a monopoly on Yoga. Yoga is a complete health maintenance system for mind, body, and spirit.

There is a type of Yoga for everyone, and some people want a little more spiritual flavor than others. Since Yoga has been around for at least 5,000 years, there is a very big variety to choose from.

As for skeptics who "point the finger" at each other - "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone..." It might be best if we all practice a little more mindfulness, and loving kindness, before we decide to criticize things we don't understand.

Yoga is "out of the bag." It is no longer practiced by a particular group. Therefore, Yoga is a public treasure, and not a genie that we will confine to a bottle. No matter how many people try to patent, or copyright, Yoga, it will be practiced within every corner of the earth.

So, please read the article in Time magazine and enjoy it, but take the time to remain objective. Recognize motives and words for their hidden agenda. Most of all, remain in good relations with your fellow man.

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

Be Fit With Regular Yoga and Physical Activities

Everyone wants to be fit physically, mentally, and spiritually. But today's modern life and busy lives and hectic timetable, how can we discover ways to be fit? It is very tough to manage our time with our daily activities, which is necessary to keep ourselves to be mentally, spiritually and physically fit? But we all are very much familiar that being holistically fit is the only answer to stay and keep ourselves active. But the thing is that how do we achieve that?

If you really want to achieve and remain healthy life physically, mentally and spiritually in tune, you can get enrolled in a happinesslifetime.com yoga teacher training class. Yoga is an exercise which deals with the physical as well as with the mental. It is basically linked with meditative practices on Buddhism and Hinduism. The yoga which we teach is in fact known as yoga postures or yoga positions which also known as asana. Asana is basically body position which means sitting down. It is generally the starting position when beginning the meditation and is planned to enhance the body's energy and most specially flexibility, restore and uphold the person's well-being, and develops the ability to stay on a sitting place where as meditating for a long duration.

There are a few traditional practices when doing asanas and these are as follows:

? You don't eat prior to performing asana. You must have an empty stomach.

? The body must be fully relaxed. One must never use force or pressure. One must make sure which the body is stable and must not tremble.

? While performing the any yoga you should not make sudden movements so doing sir asana in head is lowered slowly. Raised heels must be lowered slowly too.

? It is also essential that while performing yoga exercises person should control his breathing. Every yoga poses have their own breathing patterns and this must be pursued properly therefore as to attain the desired result.

? There are various asana's that aim specific problems like stress and headaches. If are experiencing stress then go for Corpse Pose or Child Pose is performed. For decreasing reducing headaches, Sukhasana or Savasana are to be performed.

? As our body need to fit physically for physical part. Do exercises, do sports. If you are into sports, try to perform it weekly. It is a good exercise to discharge all the stress and anxiety of the week. This will to keep your body in shape by focusing all your energy in your work out. Dancing is one most favorable and good form of keeping a body healthy. It tones your leg muscles.

I am anjani kumar having MCA degree and more three years of experience of writing on different topic.
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Everyone Should Try Yoga and All Yoga Practitioners Should Try Other Forms of Exercise

Yoga as a fitness practice is more popular than ever. I myself am a big fan of yoga and combine several elements of it in my own training. I even plan to became a certified instructor in the near future. However, I can't seat back and hear several yoga practitioners say that "yoga is a complete form of training and that it is all you need". Well, let me give you a little information about the things that yoga does not do for you:

1. No power development: power requires speed of motion to be developed, yoga is based on slow, controlled actions that promote static flexibility, balance and isometric strength. Ashtanga yoga (power yoga) therefore does not develop power it develops isometric strength and static flexibility. Power is lost at higher rates than strength as we age so it is wise to add some power development to ensure greater fitness.

2. Limited strength development: it comes a point where the body needs external loads higher than body weight to develop strength. Particularly the development of maximal strength is not developed through yoga.

3. Dynamic flexibility or mobility: while yoga increases the range of motion on each joint (ROM), the lack of movement in different directions does not provide for an effective development of dynamic flexibility.

4.No acceleration-deceleration training: for those who are looking to become more athletic, there is a need to learn to quickly change directions. Yoga does not provide for this necessary athletic component. Even is the goal is general fitness, everyone can benefit from acceleration-deceleration training to avoid injuries from simple daily activities such as jumping over a puddle of mud.

5. Limited cardiovascular training: yoga practitioners have a low VO2 max compared to swimmers, runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes. In order to create a dramatic increase in mithocondrial count and capillary density we must tax the cardiovascular system at intensities and durations higher than traditional yoga practices.

In conclusion, I would encourage everyone who does not practice yoga to give it a try, especially if you are in need for flexibility or balance training. It is also a great way to center your body and mind. I will also recommend that yoga practitioners expand their training to include resistance and endurance training. The body needs different stimulus to be a properly trained and develop as a fine tuned machine that will ensure fewer injuries and a true development of holistic fitness.

Turn on, tune in and work out!
Luis Bracamonte

Exercise For Weight Loss - 3 Varieties to Burn Up Calories

If you want to lose weight, you must reduce the calories that you take in & /or burn up more calories than you usually do.  It is difficult to reduce your net calories without adding exercise to your routine.  Not only will exercise cause you to shape up & trim down, but many people experience an endorphin rush during & after intense physical activity.  This causes feelings of euphoria and can make your mood & outlook improve as well as improving your chances of success at whatever you do.

Your choices for exercise fall into 3 main categories: increasing activity in daily tasks, formal aerobic workouts and weight training.

1. Make a decision to include more activity into the tasks you perform in your daily life.  This concept of doing enough extra physical activity to burn 150 calories a day, every day is much easier for many people to see fitting in their hectic schedules rather than huge chunks of time needed to go to the gym.  Another perk is the fact that most all of these energy burners are free.  When you drive to a store, park further away from the door; when you ride the bus or subway, get off one stop earlier; climb the stairs as opposed to taking the elevator; do isometric exercises at your desk or pace while on the phone. You can find numerous ways to increase your energy expenditure if you will just use your imagination.

2. Formal workouts are what most people think of when 'exercise to lose weight' is brought up.  Some people enjoy a more structured workout 3 - 4 times a week.  Aerobic activity such as kick boxing & calisthenics is usually the bulk of the exercise routine with stress placed on increasing your heart rate for 20 - 40 minutes to be effective. Yoga, Pilates and Ballet are additional effective exercise techniques.

3. Everyone should use weights for strength training twice a week.  These 20 minute sessions will ensure your bones and muscles will be strong, in addition to decreasing your chance of backache.  It is recommended to have a regimen of 1 set (8-10 repetitions) of 8 -10 weight lifting exercises which condition the various major muscle groups.  You can use the weight training machines at a gym (be sure to get instruction on proper form from the trainer) or use dumb-bells and resistance bands at home.

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Karen Estes has been a Registered Nurse for 26 years and is growing her online presence with article marketing.

Yoga Teacher Distance Education and Contact Hours

Becoming a certified Yoga teacher has never been easy. Due to the quality of online courses, and the evolution of distance education technology, the common hurdles of distance, travel, time, and expense have been removed from the process. Below is the dialogue of a recent interview about Yoga distance education and contact hours.

Q: Do you think that the teacher's abilities and training have an effect on outcome?

A: Over the long term, the process of becoming a great Yoga teacher is a life-long journey. The teacher with the desire to keep learning will become the best he or she can be. This factor cannot be measured in the initial 200-hour training, whether it is by correspondence or at an on-site training.

Q: Do you believe there are some topics that cannot be taught using distance education technology?

A: No, each topic, although some are complicated, can be taught using distance education technology. Probably, the most complex subject to learn, in a Hatha Yoga training, is when and how to assist.

Yet, there are two very strong texts which cover the principles of assisting, and can be found in any book store. One of them has a DVD enclosed within the text. At the same time, new DVDs and books are being created on a daily basis.

If a student still had difficulty understanding the principles of assisting, adjusting, modifications, and alignment, he or she, should seek out a teacher as a mentor. Just because we have the internet is not a reason to abandon the traditional teacher / student relationship.

Q: How do students, taking correspondence courses, only, compare in testing results to residential students?

A: There seems to be very little difference. We have guest teachers, who graduated from our correspondence course, and their teaching performances are equal to our graduates who attended our on-site Yoga teacher training courses.

Q: Do you use internet, teleconference, or computer technology for any of your courses?

A: Yes, but most of our conferencing is private, one-to-one, question and answer sessions. When an intern is having difficulty grasping a concept, we communicate over the phone or by Email.

Q: Under what conditions can distance education be considered contact?

A: At this time, it is up to the world's Yoga registries to sort this out. When Yoga interns are being monitored by video technology, the teacher trainer can easily see strengths and weaknesses. The video feedback process is very important. Video Technology is definitely a form of contact. Just like anything else, mistakes we learn from teach us lessons we will never forget.

© 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

Lose Weight with Yoga

Yoga might not be the first thing anyone thinks of when they think of an exercise to help them lose weight. Think again - though the results may not be as fast as with other types of exercise, the long term benefits of yoga (in terms of weight loss and overall health) are great.

Yoga is a system of exercise that is thousands of years old. Conceived in India, it is now practiced world wide. The type of yoga that is most often practiced in the west is known as 'hatha' yoga - however, this is by no means the only type of yoga. Others include kundalini, which involves breathe work and is quite a bit different from other types of yoga.

Some athletes are rather disparaging of yoga, wondering how something so gentle can cause you to lose weight or significantly increase your fitness level. The fact is, however, that it can, and at the same time, it can increase your concentration, clarity, and sense of well being. There is really no reason not to take up yoga, if you are at all attracted to the idea.

Choose a beginner's yoga class at first, and go slow - it can be harder than you think. Hatha yoga involves putting yourself into a variety of different positions, some more challenging than others. The goal is not to do them quickly, or to work up a sweat; the goal is to take those few positions and to perfect them - do them as precisely as you possibly can. That way, your body is being trained in a precise skill and discipline, and the position itself can have various benefits for your health and your mind, as well. The different positions have their own benefits. For losing weight, positions that bring the chin down to stimulate the thyroid gland are helpful - such as the classic shoulder stand, for instance. However, yoga in general is helpful for weight loss because it makes you more conscious of your body, of how you hold yourself and how you stand, while it also tones your muscles and makes your body more flexible, easier to move. Even before you start losing weight, yoga can make you look as if you're thinner and more attractive by getting you to stand up straighter. Some people even claim that yoga has made them taller - one woman claims to have grown a full three inches! Of course, she didn't really, but once she started to stand up straighter, people responded to her as if she were really taller.

Karen Zebroff, who used to have a TV yoga exercise program, is credited with having brought yoga to the North American public in the 1970s. Yoga literally changed every aspect of her life. She lost weight - about twenty pounds - and the weight she continued to carry was distributed better on her body. As a result of this, the depression she had been experiencing lifted, and she felt better about herself.

Interestingly, though yoga is a great weight loss measure, it's also used to treat girls with eating disorders such as anorexia. There are several reasons why that approach is effective. First, anorexic girls feel anxious if they can't exercise, as many of them used over-exercising as a means of weight control. Once they are in treatment, of course, they can't be allowed to jog or do other exercise that might prevent them from making progress with weight gain. Gentle yoga is different, though. Practiced in a low-impact setting, it can provide some exercise without making an already emaciated girl thinner. Yoga also eases the anxiety of these girls, and it makes them more conscious of their bodies.

In fact, it does the same thing for people with the opposite type of eating disorder - binge eating or compulsive overeating. As a matter of fact, that condition and anorexia are not as different as you might assume. Yes, one causes overweight and the other can bring on starvation, but both stem from a fundamental discomfort with the body and underlying emotional issues. Yoga can help with all of these issues, and if you are looking to lose weight, it can be a great choice for you.

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Pilates - Is it a Type of Yoga?

Pilates has surged into the mainstream during the last couple of decades. In the US alone it is estimated there are more than 11 million regular practitioners. Pilates is a system designed to improve core strength and balance through exercises that harmonize mind and body. It is centered on a method called Contrology, wherein the mind is focused and then directed to control the muscles.

Sounds like yoga? It does. In fact, there are practitioners in different parts of the globe who say when you do Pilates it does not only look like you're doing yoga; that it actually feels like doing yoga.

That brings us to the question: Is Pilates a type of yoga? Well, let's take a closer look.

Origins

"Pilates" is derived from the name of its German founder, Joseph Pilates, who developed the physical fitness system during World War I. The system was initially used to rehabilitate veterans returning from the war. By 1925, apparently disillusioned with the political situation in Germany, Pilates migrated to America. He met his wife, Clara, and together they opened a studio in New York City. They personally trained students until the 1960s.

In comparison, yoga is much, much older. Yoga is so old nobody knows who invented it or when. It is however widely accepted that yoga originated in India. This is mainly because the earliest known references to yoga can be found in Hindu texts dating back to 900 BC. More recently, 6,000-year old seals from an ancient Indian civilization that depict positions resembling yoga postures have been discovered.

Principles

Clearly, there is a huge amount of disparity in maturity. So how can the two be even considered to be the same? This should not be surprising. Before he founded the system, Joseph Pilates was a boxer, a circus performer, and a self-defense instructor. He was into body-building and gymnastics. Most importantly, he was into yoga.

He blended all these disciplines and knowledge to conceive Contrology, which eventually developed into the system we now call Pilates. Many of the breathing exercises, centering techniques, and controlled movements in Pilates are yoga-inspired. Joseph Pilates knew how these methods can positively affect blood circulation, detoxification, and metabolism because he understood yoga.

Which is Better?

It is really difficult to say which is better because it is difficult to compare, in the first place. Yoga traces its roots from religion and is essentially spiritual. Pilates was originally intended for rehabilitation and, though it involves concentration skills as well, is mainly focused on the physical.

If Pilates works for you, keep doing it. But if it's too mild or too intense for you, then try something else. It all depends on whether you're making progress towards the attainment of your goals in a manner and at a pace you choose.

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Make Language Learning Easier With Secrets From the Soviet Space Program

Western science barely permits the notion of a universal energy 'force' but for many thousands of years Eastern philosophies have been pervaded by a vital sea of energy. The ancient Chinese called it 'chi' or 'life-force'. The vedic scripture of India referred to 'prana' or 'the breath of life'.

Eastern and Ayurvedic medicine were founded on the basis understanding and regulating the flow of this energy around the human body to cure illness. Yogis and mystics mediated and performed acts of physical endurance to cultivate this energy and direct it to enhance longevity and concentration. This vital life force is said to be behind the development of mental capacities and extra sensory perception.

Whether you see this energy as metaphor or as material fact in the 1960's the discovery of 'another' force became the number one goal of Soviet scientific research. Unlocking the key to the vast reserves of human potential would give them the military upper hand. "The discovery of the energy associated with psychic events will be as important if not more important than the discovery of nuclear energy," said Dr. L.L. Vasiliev, founder of Soviet parasychology.

Using Kirlian photographic techniques that were to become popular with new-agers in California, the Soviets discovered they could observe energy coursing along the pathways described by Chinese acupuncture and yogic scripture. This energy among other things responded to music, relaxation and the regulation of breathing. These findings were supported by discoveries in the west of electro-magnetic fields that bound living things within a web of energy.

It appears that there is an constant exchange of energy within us and with our environment that has largely gone unrecognised in the west. With careful training, cosmonauts and athletes were able to draw on this energy to perform seemingly superhuman feats, most notably in the 1976 Montreal Olympics where the Russians won fourty-seven gold medals and the the tiny nation of East Germany won fourty.

Similar techniques have been applied to language learning, enabling students to learn languages in weeks, not years. The techniques involve acheiving a state of relaxed concentration through creative visualisation and breathing in combination with Baroque music. Learning sessions are structured to deliver material in strict intervals which fit breathing patterns timed to music. Before you next sit down to learn a language it might be worthwhile investigating the science of superlearning.

Brett Fyfield is an expert on language acquisition and publishes a blog for Japanese language and culture lovers at blog.rainbowhill.com.au Rainbowhill Language Lab. He is currently working on an blog.rainbowhill.com.au/p/learn-to-read-manga.html e-book about manga, and growing his newsletter subscriber base. Most afternoons you will find him sitting in a rocking chair in his garden tapping away on an old notebook computer.

Yoga Travel Destination - Kriaplu - Berkshires, MA

Yoga travel has recently had the pleasure of visiting the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Heath, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. Well known for the diversity of its programs, Kripalu is the nation's largest yoga and holistic retreat center. Over 600 different kinds of retreats, workshops, and yoga programs are available at this expansive haven for yoga travel.

Kripalu and the neighboring town of Lenox offer a quiet and relaxing getaway from the metropolitan cities of the Northeast. The facility itself overlooks the beautiful Lake Mahkeenac which can be enjoyed for kayaking in the summer and ice fishing in the winter. The center is surrounded by lush forest, providing a lovely reacquantance with nature through amazing hikes, sledding, or a quick walk for crisp mountain air.

Lenox, MA is a charming boutique town with interesting shopping and plenty of good eateries. We recommend Bistro Zinc and its amazing crab cakes. For those who might want a getaway from the getaway, the Normal Rockwell Museum, Tanglewood Music Center (acclaimed summer home of the Boston symphony orchestra), and a few family ski resorts are a quick drive away. While the surrounding areas of Kripalu are lovely in themselves, the real treat lies within the Kripalu building. Really there isn't much reason to ever leave. We only left twice in our 30 day stay.

When staying at the Kripalu center, you have access to at least 3 yoga classes per day (ranging from gentle to vigorous intensity) as well as numerous specialized programs that occur throughout the year. Check the schedule to coordinate your trip with the course you are interested in. The programs include offerings of yoga for specialized goals such as re-centering, Ayurvedic certification, meditation, pranayama, and yoga dance. Kripalu also offers an amazing one month happinesslifetime.com yoga teacher training intensive. To add, many yoga-celebs often come by Kripalu as teachers, such as Rodney Yee, Shiva Rea, Robert Thurman, and Krishna Das.

Across the board, reviews always give their highest regards to the quality of Kripalu's yoga classes. Kripalu Yoga emphasizes the flow of prana, practicing compassionate self-acceptance, developing witness consciousness (observing the activity of the mind without judgment), and bringing the lessons learned on the mat into daily life. In a Kripalu class, each student learns to find their own level of practice on a given day by looking inward. Postures include some typical Hatha yoga poses with an emphasis on alignment. Many classes are based on Kripalu Hatha style, however Vinyasa flow classes are also available.

Yoga Travel Tip: Be sure to ask the concierge if there are any gentle student-assisted classes available during your stay (usually on Thursdays). In these classes, about 12 happinesslifetime.com yoga teacher training students come in and offer feel good hands-on assistance to the class. You'll leave feeling like you just had an hour massage.

Kripalu's senior teachers have been practicing yoga since the 1970's when the group was an ashram. The wisdom of their guru, Swami Kripalu, has been preserved as can be seen in the quality of the classes at the center.

The Kripalu center's healing arts boasts a variety of encompassing modalities for health and relaxation. Considered to be somewhat pricey yet well worth the money, the healing arts offerings include traditional massage, acupressure, shiatsu, Thai massage, energy work, facials, and Ayurvedic therapies.

The Kripalu building itself is a renovated Jesuit church. Many have said that it could use a bit of polishing to bring it into the new era of spa style decor. Amenities at the Kripalu center include a sauna, whirlpool and fitness center. The buffet style cafeteria is renown for its healthful yet extremely tasty offerings. Using mostly locally grown products and organics, the chefs have come up with amazing ways to make delicious yet guiltless meals. Be sure not to miss the squash lasagna. For those with a macrobiotic palette, there is a "basic bar" in the back which includes items like tofu, tempeh, quinoa, and other simple foods.

The sleeping accommodations at Kripalu are simple and minimalistic. Options vary from single bedrooms to dormitory style bunks. Many people complain about the lack of luxury at Kripalu considering the price. We felt like the simplicity offered by the accommodations reminded us of how little it takes to achieve happiness. One reviewer suggested, "if what you're looking for is a five star experience... go to a five star spa."

Prices can be somewhat expensive. For R&R retreats, nightly rates start at $181 for a weekend dorm style room and $249 for a single. This includes three daily meals and access to as many, or as little, of the yoga classes you would like to attend.

Our final say about Kripalu, and the main reason that we recommend this yoga travel retreat, is the atmosphere of the facility. Kripalu style yoga is very compassionate and honors the true authenticity found within each person. Not after long will you experience this shedding of the ego and join in on the genuine happiness carried through the halls. Leave your cell phone in the car, don't even think about checking your email, and immerse into this loving experience.

Matt C. Elmore is a Certified Yoga Instructor, Internet Marketer, and Electrical Engineer. His passions include health, love, the pursuit of happiness, yoga, dance, and travel.

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yoga-traveler.com/yoga-travel/yoga-travel-destination-kriaplu Yoga Travel Destination: Kriaplu

How to Recover Quickly From Endurance Exercise

To get the most out of every workout and get your best results, it is imperative not only to work hard, but to recover. Many triathletes are Type A, overachievers. They have the "work hard" principle down, but often overlook the basic training principle of recovery in their training programs. As a result, many are overtrained from an accumulation of workout and life stresses paired with insufficient recovery. This can further lead to overuse or burnout, which can be detrimental to health. Simply, recovery can be described as the adaptations to workloads after training or competition. For a healthy, functioning athlete, recovery is a positive response to training stimuli leading to adaptation to those stressors.

To reach your full potential as an athlete, you need to be able to train hard, but also be able to train smart, which can be a delicate balance. Hard work alone will not produce the desired results. The benefits of recovery will increase an athlete's ability to tolerate more work as well as their capacity to work more efficiently. This, in effect, promotes better adaptation to training. Therefore, recovery can be the athlete's "secret weapon". If an athlete can train harder and longer and adapt to the workloads, he or she will become faster.

Recovery is more than merely taking a day off from training or sleeping, although it may involve these. It entails giving the body everything it requires to adapt to the preceding workouts. The following are some methods to incorporate into your training schedule to help with your recovery.

Passive rest

Sleep is the most important form of passive rest. Teaching athletes the importance of getting to bed on time can be a big obstacle. A full night's sleep of eight to nine hours each night provides for adaptation time to the physical and emotional stressors they experience during the day. Most importantly, our circadian rhythm indicates that physical repair mostly takes place between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. From 2:00 a.m. until we awaken, more psychogenic (mental) repair takes place. So, if you get to bed after 10:00 p.m., you are missing out on your physical repair cycle. Likewise, a disrupted sleep cycle can result in adrenal fatigue, which can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, viral infections, bacterial and fungal infections, and headaches. Avoiding any stimulants, including caffeine, bright lights, TV, or computer use a few hours before bed can help with this disrupted sleep. Likewise, short afternoon naps can also increase recovery.

Active rest

Active rest is much undervalued by athletes, as a light workout can sometimes support recovery more than a day completely off. Active recovery sessions need to increase circulation and activate certain endocrine responses, but easy enough to avoid more recovery. Work intensities should be very light. Active rest days should be done alone and on easy terrain to prevent any competition between training partners or extra effort required on tough terrain. Cross training activities can be included as a form of active recovery. Aquajogging is an excellent alternative to running for active recovery. Stretching or yoga can be useful methods of active recovery as they center on musculoskeletal recovery. Active recovery may also focus on psychological recovery with the use of visualization, breathing exercises, or meditation. Lastly, at least one day every 7-10 days should be a non-training day to allow time for physical and psychological recovery.

Nutrition

Nutrition plays an integral role in training and recovery. Proper nutrition and hydration replacement requires thought and planning. A body weight loss of 2% during exercise due to fluid loss causes physiological changes including a reduction in aerobic output. Monitoring urine output and sweat rates by weighing pre and post training can help in minimizing fluid loss. Athletes should drink 16 fluid oz. of water for every pound lost during a workout.

Sufficient amounts of glycogen in the muscles and liver are needed to support the energy requirements of an athlete. It will also further recovery for the next training session. A meal within a 20 minute window after each workout should be consumed to ensure optimal glycogen replacement and to help rebuild damaged tissues. This meal should include both protein and carbohydrate in a 1:4 ratio. The 20 minute time period after a workout should be employed in order to replenish muscle fuel stores at a faster rate than by delaying carbohydrate replacements. Including protein in this meal and throughout the day helps to facilitate training adaptation and recovery. The amino acids supplied by protein aids the muscles and connective tissues to rebuild from workouts.

Massage

Sports massage can accelerate and facilitate recovery. It has two major physiological benefits-increasing blood flow, which, in turn, increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tired muscles and aids in the removal of metabolic by-products such as lactic acid; and flexibility due to the warming and stretching of soft tissues. Massage offers psychological benefits as well. These include feeling more relaxed and less fatigued. There are several self-massage techniques which can be learned and included to enhance recovery. For instance, muscles can be massaged by using a tennis ball, foam roller, or other specific massage tools.

Hydrotherapies/ice baths

Water therapies are much underused and underrated recovery protocols. Showers, spas, baths, and saunas are ideal locations in which to stretch and perform self-massage. One method that can be employed while showering is to alternate hot and cold water every 30 seconds to one minute a few times through. Doing this will increase blood flow and speed the removal of lactic acid. It can also be performed by alternating between a warm spa and a cold shower. This method of lactate removal is similar to the recovery of lactic acid through light aerobic activities.

Although it can be unpleasant at first, using an ice bath or going into a cold lake or ocean after a hard workout can be an effective recovery modality. Getting into an ice bath for five to 10 minutes causes your blood vessels to tighten and drains the blood out of your legs. This helps in the treatment of subacute injuries, inflammation, muscular strains, or muscular soreness. Ice baths are great for repairing microscopic damage that may not be apparent and numbing the pain that is noticeable. Thus, an ice bath is a great preventative regimen as all muscles and connective tissues from hips to toes will gain the equal benefits. To best gain these results, the temperature should range from 54-60º F.

Psychological/stress recovery

Everyone has certain life stressors that can take a toll on them. By recognizing and taking the steps to minimize these stressors, better recovery can occur. All athletes can profit from utilizing psychological exercises to control emotions and mood states, reduce stress, and improve motivation. Part of recovery is being able to see the connection between physical and mental conditions as psychological stress has very real physiological manifestations and may inhibit recovery. For instance, this connection can be observed when muscle relaxation is linked with lowered heart rate and blood pressure and improved mood states. An athlete can employ a number of stress reducers and relaxation methods such as meditation, progression muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, tai chi, music, and other techniques. These methods can help lower blood pressure and heart rate, slow down breathing rates, relax muscles, and have a calming effect.

Compression Socks

Compression Socks (or tights) increase blood flow, stimulate circulation and reduces muscle fatigue. They permit blood to circulate more efficiently without hindering return through the heart and lungs. With a quicker distribution of oxygenated blood to the legs and feet, there is decreased muscle fatigue. Many athletes are using these after hard workouts and races. Just slip them on and wear at anytime, including sleeping in them.

Using Recovery Techniques in Training

Just like any other training, recovery should be part of a well-designed workout plan. In addition, an athlete needs to self-monitor themselves by keeping a workout log and being in tune with their bodies. At certain training phases, recovery will be more of a necessity as training loads or intensities increase. Likewise, after a race season, it is a good idea to recover from everything a season can entail-travel, racing, waking up early, and etc.

Using recovery methods as a part of your training will put you on the road for your best results and help you enjoy your sport longer.

Personal trainer & professional triathlete Jolene Wilkinson is a Certified Chek Exercise Coach, holds a BS in psychology and physical education, and an MS in exercise science. She is a triathlon World Champion, competes for the Air Force, & is Utah's top female triathlete. For more information, you can visit pacificfit.net pacificfit.net.