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.

Even more ways to add exercise to your life can be found at [StripYourFat.info] It covers exercising as well as a new look at diet as a lifestyle with incredible results.

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.

yoga-traveler.com Yoga Travel Blog

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

Kundalini Energy and Panic Attacks

A disorder called Panic attacks will affect approximately 1.7% adults which relates to about 3 million people in the United States today, (medicinenet com). Unfortunately, the onset of panic attacks is most prevalent in teenagers 15 to 19 years old.

Panic attacks are a type of anxiety disorder that is sudden and unexpected and can be disabling. It is also often unprovoked, however, it is believed that panic attacks are brought on by a major life stress but can be inherited in some instances. It is not known exactly what triggers a panic attack.

During the 1970's, those experiencing panic attacks and sought treatment for some of the symptoms as in feeling a possible heart attack, extreme sense of fear, an overwhelming feeling of losing their mind, difficulty breathing, nausea and dizziness were often misdiagnosed in those days.

Physicians thought more along the lines of mental illness instead of an anxiety disorder. Sometimes episodes of panic attacks would be frequent and other times not quite so often. This reinforced the idea that it was all in their imagination for physicians. This in turn often made the patient reluctant to seek help and suffered quietly.

Recent advances have helped the situation. Treatments include psychotherapy and medications or both. Some of the well known medications are Klonopin, Paxil and Xanax.

It is important to work with your physician for these treatments. However, a new form of treatment is emerging.

This treatment is called Kundalini Awakening. This treatment also helps depression.

This is basically a rich source of psychic energy in the unconscious. Being described as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine, Classical Literature called it Hatha Yoga Kundalini.

It is important to note that this is how yogins explain Kundalini, it's network of channels and chakras, or micro motions in the brain. And, a latent form of spiritual energy, or Kundalini energy, lies at the base of the spine.

This energy is released by realization or spiritual advancement. Meditation, religion or spiritual practices releases this energy.

The very symptoms of a panic attack are the symptoms of Kundalini Awakening. Historically, the terrifying rush of feelings people experience, have tried to be stopped, either by the person themselves, or physicians with medications.

Through the concept of Kundalini Awakening, these so-called panic attacks are actually manifestations of the micro-vibrations that are being stimulated. Instead of fighting these symptoms, it's important to give in to them and let them flow. In this way, recovery is then possible as there will be no fear of the symptoms.

Meditation is a way of releasing those fears. Understanding that internal energy is causing the heart palpitations and other symptoms, the patient will not fear they are dying or freaking out.

As the Kundalini Awakening is happening or just after an awakening, the person will feel a sense of wonder, strong feelings of peace, emotional joy or reverence, a strong feeling of love or contentment and a heightened sense of consciousness. Some have even reported seeing a white light.

Basically it is considered that all Yoga is Kundalini Yoga, but specific terms like Kundalini Yoga will be used by some individuals. No matter, because it the end you are still awakening the kundalini with yoga.

There are 6 stages in Kundalini Awakening. 1, Prana-flows in Ida; 2, Prana-made to flow in Ida; 3, Prana-made to flow in Sushumna; 4, Kundalini energy is awakened; 5, Kundalini-leads upwards and finally Kundalini-rises to Sahasrara.

This gives the reader a basic understanding of Kundalini Awakening. It is essential to investigate other resources and instructors in the knowledge, training and and process of Kundalini Awakening in order to understand the spontaneous awakening that often happens when alone, so you can take control or be prepared of the so-called Panic attack.

By working through personal issues and adjusting their way of thought has controlled panic attacks better than traditional medicine.

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Tips On Getting The Most Out Of Corpse Pose In Yoga

Shavasana, or corpse pose, is usually done at the end of most yoga sessions. It is a deceptively simple posture, as there is no twisting, or stretching or anything that is usually associated with the asanas. However, corpse pose is an important part of the restorative yoga postures. And it is considered one of the most difficult postures to do correctly.

Shavasana is more about being than doing, and as such it touches on the fundamentals of what yoga is trying to achieve. The sequence of asanas beforehand has helped train the body and mind for this period of relaxation, and in the corpse pose we integrate the experience we have just had with yoga into our conscious and subconscious mind.

There are many restorative postures, or variations in yoga, but shavasana allows the most relaxation. Its benefits include:

* increase our energy levels

* great for stress

* good for normalizing blood pressure after exercise

* good for stress symptoms in breast cancer and prostate cancer sufferers

* good for people who don't get enough sleep, or who suffer insomnia

Corpse pose should be done lying flat, but still providing some support to the lumbar and cervical areas of the spine. Some people use a narrow, flat pillow for their head, whereas others just lie on the yoga mat without any props - do what feels most comfortable for you.

If the floor slopes, you should lie with your head in the downward sloping area, to facilitate blood supply to the brain. Your feet should be spread a little apart, with the arms and thighs slightly spread out, in an open and relaxed manner. Your palms and forearms should face up.

Try and start shavasana with your body mildly stretched out, so you feel elongated. This is recommended because the muscles of the torso, arms, and legs lengthen when they relax. The aim of shavasana is not to move until you are ready to get up. This helps quieten the motor neurons of the brain, and induces a feeling of greater relaxation, or 'letting go'. If you are positioned well, with enough space to allow your torso to relax and lengthen, you won't need to move until you finish.

You can either breathe through the abdomen or through the diaphragm. It is recommended that you practice abdominal breathing unless you are either an intermediate or advanced student of yoga. Breathing through the abdomen is the most relaxing, and diaphragmatic breathing is more of an energizing technique. It uses the chest and abdomen without interrupting the relaxation of the rest of the body. If you tend to breathe through your chest habitually, you should avoid this type of breathing, as you will tend to have a restricted type of thoracic breathing that is counterproductive to the aims of yoga generally, and corpse pose particularly.

Breathing through the abdomen during shavasana should not be forced. It should be relaxed and natural. But start 'where you are', and let your breathing settle as the experience of the posture deepens. The rate of breathing will slow down the more you become relaxed.

Try not to fall asleep during corpse pose. When we sleep, the motor neurons in the nervous system become more active, and the idea with the relaxation postures is to quieten them.

Start practicing shavasana for 3 to 5 minutes, then build up to 15 as your personal limits allow.

Come out of the corpse pose slowly, wiggling your toes and fingers, bringing the arms overhead to stretch them, and stretching down to your toes. Then roll over to one side, and slowly sit up when you're ready. If you have low blood pressure, you may need to turn onto the left side first before sitting up to avoid dizziness or fainting.

References: H.D.Coulter, Anatomy Of Hatha Yoga

yogatohealth.com/Restorative_Yoga_Poses_-_The_Art_of_Active_Relaxation.html Corpse pose is one of the restorative yoga poses. Learn more about them here. Rebecca runs this yoga site with information on yogatohealth.com asanas and more.

Five Reasons to Become a Yoga Teacher

Some Yoga teacher training interns have no intention of teaching, while others cannot wait to get their business cards printed. Some want to give, and others want to open a business as an independent contractor or own a Yoga studio.

There are as many reasons to become a Yoga teacher, as there are to attend a class. Below are five of the most common reasons why students decide to become a Yoga instructor.

Yoga Teacher Training as a Life Quest: Some interns are looking for a challenge. The type of challenge could be physical, mental, or emotional. A competent Hatha Yoga instructor should learn mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional self-discipline from his or her foundational training.

Giving back to the Community: Social workers, counselors, nurses, physical therapists, chiropractors, and school teachers commonly study Yoga to give their students, clients, and patients the gift of Yogic knowledge for self-maintenance.

The above-mentioned professions attract "givers." These are people, who help or guide others, to self-manage their lives. Yoga, in all of its forms, will guide a practitioner to a life with less suffering. As simple as it sounds, less pain and suffering is a blessing.

Self-Mastery: Some teachers make the claim that Yoga is not a self-improvement system. Yoga is an art, science, practice, lifestyle; and every modern self-improvement system has borrowed Yogic techniques. If Yoga is not a self-improvement system, it is the mother of all self-improvement systems.

Healthy Lifestyle: Yoga gives us a realistic view of holistic health. It is really hard for us to be perfect. Diet and exercise can challenge us every day, if we set unrealistic goals. Have you ever met a person who was irritable because of a demanding diet? Hatha Yoga offers a path of moderation for exercise and diet.

Teaching Yoga as a Craft: Some graduates cannot wait to work for themselves. Maybe they had employers, who did not appreciate their talent, experience, or intelligence. Some Yoga instructors teach two classes per week, while others teach more than one class per day.

Conclusion:

Yoga gives us a better quality life, and we decide to share this knowledge with others.

Whether a teacher identifies with one of the above-mentioned categories, or not, is unimportant. If a Yoga teacher's heart is in the right place, that is all a student could ask. Safe Yoga classes, led by one who demonstrates loving kindness, patience, compassion, and tolerance, is the ultimate objective of the teacher trainer.

? 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/

Consider Yoga As Part of Your Core Exercise Routine For Sculpted Abs and a Flatter Stomach

There are several, traditional core exercises that have proven results, when it comes to sculpted abs and a flatter stomach. These include ab crunches, leg lifts, squats and lunges. There are other ways to strengthen your core muscles, and Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga is a great alternative for those that are tired of crunches or Pilates. Even though Pilates focuses on the core muscle group from the pelvic muscles to the abdominals and the diaphragm, this kind of yoga is a great alternative for strengthening the core muscle group without a boring and strenuous exercise routine.

There are many different types of yoga, but Vinyasa is a general term that relates to breath-synchronized movement through a series of yoga poses. Sun Salutations are a part of warm up and stretches muscles prior to a more intense workout. Ashtanga and Power Yoga include a series of poses that are more physically demanding and faster paced. It includes a flow of poses that are usually done in a particular order, with constant movement from one pose to the next pose, exercising and stretching a different set of core muscles.

When it comes to sculpting the abs and getting a flatter belly, a good overall body workout is helpful, including cardio routines or strength training. Any exercises that build muscles can cause you to burn more calories and have additional muscle strength. When it comes to the best core exercises, it is a matter of focused stretching and contracting of the muscles, along with deep breathing exercises, that yields some of the easiest and best results and this is what makes Vinyasa or Ashtanga such great choices.

Consider some of the Vinyasa yoga poses that require balance, focus, concentration and proper form. They push muscles to a working position without straining. These yoga poses are even more effective when you add deep breathing to the count of 10, for each pose that you assume during your yoga workout.

When you consider some of the best yoga poses for core muscle conditioning, there are a few to master. There are so many yoga poses that learning the sequence can be a fun and interesting way to do add variety to your core workout routine.

Sun Salutation warm-up, stretching yoga poses are done in the following sequence:

Tadasana, Urdhva Hastasana, Uttanasana, reposition for the Uttansana again and then move into the Downward facing dog, Plank position, drop to your Knees, Chest and Chin, Cobra, Downward facing dog, Uttanasana, Urdhva Hastasana, and finally Tadasana. The sequence is repeated on the other side. These beginner yoga poses are easily found in a number of places on the Internet and many people may already know them from yoga classes.

Following the Sun Salutations, the following effective core poses are part of a fun and effective core training workout:

Cat-Cow Stretch, then Hands and Knee Balance, followed by Downward Facing Dog, Plank Pose, Side Plank Pose, High Lunge, Half Moon Pose, Awkward Chair Pose, Eagle Pose, and finally, the Boat Pose. Try taking deep a breath and holding it for 10 counts between poses.

Who says that core exercises can't be fun and interesting? Consider mastering these yoga poses for core strengthening and more sculpted abs and a flatter stomach.

Dominique Rogers is a fitness enthusiast and author. For more information on superbabs.com/exercise-tips-for-the-best-core-workout core exercises, visit her at SuperbAbs.com SuperbAbs.com

Sleeping Positions With Yoga Movements For a Snore-Less Sleep

When you next go on a long bus or train or plane trip, take a look around your fellow passengers and you'd be amazed at all the positions they sleep in. From which you could predict that they'll wake up groaning at their aching bodies from the contortions they went the night through!

Are you aware that you can still revise the way you sleep so you could really get a good night's rest? Snoring and breathing through the mouth are usually the outcomes of a congested nose. Yoga has postures that concentrate on putting the body systems aligned and in synch, thus enabling you to find a new sleeping position from which you could get that restful slumber the whole night.

Take note of these three positions to avoid, before considering those that Yoga can help you with:

Flat Back Sleep: A stiff corpse-like position where the limbs are kept straight usually has you waking up in the mornings with pain in the lower back. This is because, for several hours you "locked" your knees and hips, thus the leg weights pulled the bones and muscles of the lower back out of their proper placement. The vertebra and lower back discs are thus burdened unnecessarily, resulting in that wake-up pain.

Belly Sleep: Sleeping face down on the mattress with your face turned to one side for breathing twists the neck. This will also put a lot of weight on the fragile nerves from the skull to the upper spine. Those who sleep in this position awake amid a puddle of spit and convulsive neck muscles.

Side Sleep: Among these three, this position is the "safest", as far as back muscles and bones are concerned. Still, it's not safe from pain. The weight of your body converges on the shoulders to the neck and result in extreme pain and muscle spasms in the upper back, shoulders and neck.

Here are alternative ways of sleeping that, in union with yoga practice before bedtime, would send you to soundless slumber. In the meantime, the following positions, in conjunction with pre-bedtime Yoga, can grant you deep sleep with no more snoring:

You can revise the Side Sleep position with simple items and thus, guarantee ideal total body symmetry and avoid compression on the neck. Put a rolled-up beach towel or cylindrical pillow a foot long and 8-9 inches round facing your pillow. You will get additional support for the cervical bones not to bend over the side and control your neck all night long. Another sample is sleeping between two pillows acting as a "hug pillow." This position gives your shoulder joints room and keeps the arm bone weight from gripping the brachial nerves under the collar bones.

A lightweight blanket or towel firmly in place between your knees the whole night, despite tossing and turning all night would maintain the space between the hips. So you get to prevent the lower back or hip bones from mis-aligning. You also get to avoid bruising between your knees. Don't be fazed by additional articles crowding you in bed and adjust to the hug pillow or knee blanket. The sound sleep you'll be experiencing from then on will be all worth it.

Lindaa Adams really loves all things that have to do with health.

One of the very best yoga and fitness blogs Lindaa has found is yogawithkatrina.com/yoga-kamloops Kamloops Yoga Teachers, which is a special combination of yoga and health.

You can watch a Free Video of the hubpages.com/hub/Balancing-Fitness-and-Yoga-with-my-New-Kamloops-Boot-Camp Kamloops Yoga Boot Camp for a incredible work out whenever.

Yoga For Beginners - Improve Your Mind, Body and Spirit

Yoga for beginners is for everyone all ages, shapes and sizes. You first start out in Yoga as a novice and progress upwards until you are a master in the art.

In my opinion I call it an art as Yoga for beginners is about a combination of exercise combined with meditation and therefore it is much more than just running on a treadmill or lifting some weights. In fact the exercises associated with Yoga are not in the modern sense traditional, you don't need to go down the gym but I would advise those of you newbies to go to a qualified instructor to start with. Exercises involve postures and balance plus controlled breathing as opposed to strength and speed or aerobic type training in other disciplines.

It is important for me to point out the fact that there are many different types of Yoga out there. They all have the same aim in mind and that is to improve mind, body and spirit. Some emphasize more or less on different on the main areas such as meditation, nutrition or exercise. The most common form in the Western world is Hatha Yoga. This has come about due to the fact it is the most applicable to our western culture and westerners associate more readily with the methods involved.

I would suggest before beginning Yoga you briefly investigate the different varieties and pick the one that most matches in with your lifestyle.

If you don't have a local class you can go to then Yoga for beginners can be learned through instructional DVDs, books and multimedia as well as online. So it is easy to start. You don't really need any equipment. Although a good yoga mat or yoga blanket is recommended. When you are ready to begin find a quiet spot in your house and follow the exercise plan you have decided upon. Can't be easier than that!

Some people prefer relaxing music when practicing their yoga meditation and exercises. Normally yoga is done without shoes or socks on but there are special socks you can buy that don't slip if you prefer. All forms of Yoga give benefits to health. They combine the elements of exercise through postures, controlled breathing exercises and meditation as previously mentioned but you need to be clear what Yoga is ultimately about. Regular practice is great for strengthening mind and body.

Beginners of Yoga, will find almost immediate benefit when starting and this can very often be seen within the first two weeks or even less. Most people are surprised by the quick results they achieve within such a short time.

Yoga for beginners is like everything else that involves movement of the body. You should always start with a gentle warm up. Stretching gently is also important. Find a place where you won't be disturbed. The length of time required varies and can depend greatly upon the level you are on. I personally use on average around 1/2 hour a day. When you do it is up to you. For me the best time is first thing in the morning but this is not always possible in the week so after work is my usual time.

To get the most out of Yoga it should become part of your lifestyle. Many beginners in Yoga find it helps them to unwind and relax. They find it invigorating and calming. It also improves their body's suppleness and muscular tonality.

There is yoga for kids, yoga for pregnant women so it really is practically for everyone. If your aims are to lower your stress and have more energy, improve your body strength and much more then I would urge you to contemplate Yoga for beginners is where you should kick off.

If you would like more free information on beginners Yoga go to yogaforbeginnersonline.com Yoga for Beginners and subscribe to my newsletter.

You, Yoga and Meditation

If one unites these three exceptional forces together, it becomes more powerful than any known power to mankind, to achieve a state of purity of the soul and a stillness of the mind is the holy grail of all mystics. It is nirvana to the initiated. The major question is, can ordinary people attain this state?

The answer is yes but, it is not necessary for one to achieve this state of mind, every yoga practitioner sets out their own personal goals.

Whether it is to become healthier, fitter, or more self confident, or maybe just to keep an interest in exercising after reaching a certain age where it is not possible to continue with previous more robust training.

Because yoga is so versatile in all it's movements, not even the elderly or infirm are precluded from taking part in some form or other of yoga practice. It is advisable though to seek professional medical knowledge about certain sickness or infirmity one might have before taking up the practice of yoga.

Yoga and meditation go hand in hand. It is all part of the one rope with many strings, and only when all the strings are joined together, does the rope become stronger and unbreakable, only then does one become whole and the mind and body are united as one.

For meditation to be really effective, one must practice the method diligently and daily. It is only through training the mind to accept closure on all things that are depressive and negative, to how one should be in the quest to reach a better level of health, fitness and more understanding in the motivation of ones life.

In today's modern world it is so easy to lose touch with ourselves.

We become consumed with other peoples targets and goals, that our own life becomes owned by outsiders, who only want to use us and then discard us when we no longer fill their needs.

Each and every one of us are put on this world for a particular purpose, and that purpose is to be the very best WE can be.

That does not include being slaves to other people, we should never be slaves to anyone, not even ourselves.

The most effective way to avoid all these pitfalls of negativity and depression is to start focusing on the person who really matters and that is ourselves.

We can begin our new focusing right now by starting a yoga and meditation program with only one aim in mind, finding our inner peace, where our whole attitude changes to one not of negativity, but to one of self confidence, and motivation to becoming a whole self fulfilled person.

Once we begin to feel this change so also will one feel the power of life and the force of achievement. Remember we are the rope that has many strands and though, right now they are disjointed, we and only we have the power to unite them all, this is and always will be our challenge, our destiny.

As a black belt third degree master of Kenpo Karate, I would like to say that Yoga has been my inspiration and guide through all my active sports life. novouniversal.com/index.php?c=5&n=1000&i=1591790905&x=The_Essential_Qigong_Training_Course_100_Days_to_Increase_Energy_Physical_Health_and_Spiritual_Well_Being Yoga Spirit Health I am now getting on in years, but I would not go one day without practicing my yoga combined with my karate katas. It is never too late to change your way of life. Do it now. Find your real self.

Mind-Body Training

One of the biggest hurdles to effective training is our own mind. Too often we get so caught up in the hectic thoughts in our head that we get distracted from what is really important. Understanding the connection between the body and the mind is a big step in overcoming this and allows us to fully focus on better training habits.

The more we train, the stronger our bodies get. But training the mind is a concept that we usually don't often consider. The benefits of a trained mind, however, can be very helpful in our physical training practice.

The business of daily life can be extremely distracting and often make it quite difficult to realistically remain centered. Ideally we hope that the benefits from the training we do can see us through times when we are unable to train.

Unfortunately, the motivation to train can be severely drained by the problems of the world and the stress they bring. This stress can do a lot of damage to us before we even notice it, such as creating hurdles that hinder the motivation to train. The effect of stress on the mind is something that we may not be fully aware of.

Most of the time we don't even realize the effect stress has on the mind because we are so distracted by the stress to begin with. It scatters our attention and gets us worrying about irrelevant things. We end up with so much to deal with it seems as if there is no time to train.

At the same time stress creates tension in the body. This can another host of difficulties since the proper flow of circulation and energy becomes restricted. Internal blockages manifest as aches and pains in the body. As we lose the precision control over our muscle systems during workouts we can become prone to accidents or injury. When this happens our training suffers, leading to further problems.

The difficulties in the world today are very distracting. It almost seems as if the rules have changed and we are struggling to determine if there are, in fact, any rules at all. One thing we need to be able to count on is our own body and mind. We need to be able to focus on our training.

In order to focus on what we are doing we need to become one with the action we are performing. In Japan there is a word shoshin which means "beginner's mind." This concept is one of imagining you are starting your training over from the beginning.

As a beginner, the first time you do something you have to concentrate on it in order to do it correctly. You must pay full attention to the practice or it can quickly become ineffective or even dangerous. The action of paying attention to what you are doing brings your mind into alignment with your body. Once you become comfortable and adept at that practice it is much easier for your mind to disengage from the action and become distracted by other thoughts.

The idea of shoshin is to retain the mindfulness of the beginner even as the practice becomes routine. In this manner you are able to keep your mind focused.

In addition to the beginner mind, we also want to cultivate something the Japanese call mushin which means "no mind." This concept is one of being fully conscious yet not attached to the any specific thought. It leaves the distractions behind and allows us to see things as they truly are.

From mushin we are able to deal with everything in its proper time and place. If we are able to cultivate mushin then whatever we are doing becomes the most important thing and we are fully and completely engaged in it. From a training point of view this is the method for gaining the maximum benefit from the time we spend working out.

The most helpful practice to cultivate both shoshin and mushin is meditation. Many people hesitate at this suggestion, because meditation can conjure up all sorts of strange behavior. Fortunately the meditation practice I am talking about is simply taking a few minutes a day to sit in silence and allow the mind to settle down. This practice is not about stopping thoughts. Instead, it is simply putting some space between the thoughts and allowing them to calm. It is not always easy, but this type of training is vital because when the mind is distracted, there is no connection to the body.

When there is no connection, the mind tends to become overly attached to the body causing reactions to become hesitant and unbalanced.

In just the same fashion as our physical workouts, the more we train our mind the sharper it becomes. Like sharpening the blade of a sword, the more we practice, the clearer our mind becomes, allowing us to focus more completely on our physical training.

Training the mind in this way can be quite a challenge. There are many distractions and until meditation becomes an integral part of what we do it is easy to let it slide. While we may understand the concept of meditation intellectually, putting aside time to practice is often difficult. Nevertheless, the clarity of thought that meditation provides is something vital to our training that we should not be without. It brings us fully into the present moment.

The practice of meditation needs to be something we realize is an important aspect to our training as a whole even when we feel that it is not doing anything for us.

If sitting meditation is simply not possible there are certain physical arts that can assist in reaching the meditative state through a form of moving meditation. Tai Chi, Qigong and Zen Yoga all incorporate meditation into their practice and can be of great benefit.

When we exist fully in the present moment we are embodying our trained selves. Like moving in stereo, the body and mind become a single flowing entity. By following the same rhythm, each compliments the other. We are able to react without thought or hesitation. Our reactions are perfectly appropriate depending on the situation, neither too strong nor too weak. This is the true meaning of body and mind connection.

The study of shoshin and mushin will enable you to spend less time on your thinking so that you will be able to train more. This is invaluable to anyone who truly wants that subtle edge to excel at their physical workouts.

Aaron Hoopes is the founder of Zen Yoga - Website: artofzenyoga.com artofzenyoga.com

Aaron writes the Wandering Sage Wisdom Blog
wanderingsagewisdom.blogspot.com wanderingsagewisdom.blogspot.com

Books by Aaron Hoopes
-Perfecting Ourselves: Coordinating Body, Mind and Spirit
-Breathe Smart: The Secret to Happiness, Health and Long Life
-Zen Yoga: A Path to Enlightenment through Breathing, Movement and Meditation
-Catch the Cat - ebook for children
-Update:Japan - travel guide

DVD by Aaron Hoopes
-The Zen Yoga Daily Warm-Up DVD

CD by Aaron Hoopes
-Inner Sunrise Guided Meditation CD

My Yoga Demon - A Yogi Laughs at Himself!

"A master asked his disciple, 'What is the sound of one hand clapping? Speak! Speak!' "

The Blue Cliff Record

[Often, a riddle is assigned to a meditation (zazen style) student. These koan, so called, are highly respected and profoundly meaningless - explaining why zenists, yogis, and the like are neurotic, crowding L.A.'s shopping malls, eating lots of ice cream.]

"Help in three-ten! Help in three-ten!"

I do not hear - I listen. I awaken; so does the universe, because no such thing as the sound of only one hand clapping exists; all things arise in mutual relationship. Living in a world of quiet harmony and peaceful equanimity, I often find myself in the living room of my apartment overlooking Laurel Canyon shortly after the Los Angeles sun rises through a haze of smog and fumes. I sit in a half-lotus position on a blue mat, dressed loosely in yoga whites. This morning kicks-off with ten repetitions of Pranayama breathing. Inhaling beautiful, golden-white energy deep into my lungs slowly, slowly, ... I hold and release. The movement is precise; my chin drops into a center cleft between the clavicle bones while mastoid muscles on both sides of my neck melt into the upper trapezoids, and I have mastered expanding the floating ribs without raising or tightening my shoulders. Upon its release, I hold my breath, bottoming out before inhaling again.

A few feet away sits a plastic bottle of mineral water. The clear liquid is purity inspected, fortified using thirty-six essential minerals and vitamins and contains "green tea;" that's New Age yoga-speak for caffeine - enough G-force raging through the circulatory system keeps one buzzing and meditating for seven days and nights, eyeballs plastered against the wall, hair follicles standing on end - but not mine. After thirty years of koan, meditation, and green tea, well, green tea is murder on hair. I might drink coffee or soda pop or eat a sugar donut, however, I am a knowledgeable shaman, a disciplined yogi if you like - the vehicle is pure and I don't wish to risk feeding baser instincts. The mineral water is called Yo-Go! It awakens this shaman, ears popping, and focuses the senses on such koan as One Hand Clapping, and I also find it useful for cleaning tough lime deposits off shower walls.

"Help, somebody! Help in three-ten!"

After holding each inhalation and exhalation for an extended length of time and polishing off a bottle of Yo-Go!, I channel my spirit guides. Our business together is esoteric, very spiritual. My special field of Eastern practice is subtle energy healing and we are in the process of saving the world. I am in the process of knocking back my second bottle of Yo-Go! and my consciousness is expanding nicely. It is divine in the midst of the mundane. I now contain enough New Age rocket fuel coursing through my vascular system to blast-off for yet unexplored dimensions. I feel the urge to leap up and rip - gracefully - into my first of a series of eighteen asanas (yoga postures).

Momentarily I rise from the mat, yawn, and step to my window overlooking a private courtyard of lush, overgrown banana palms, and next to those a row of potted plants burgeoning under the shade of the palms' rubbery leaves. The sun begins its daily arc from east to west. All is right with the world and I smile to myself ... "Help in-" and slam the window.

This happens: only a muffled noise, a desperate plea in the distance of an otherwise beautiful universe. Taking it to the blue mat, I assume a Mountain posture, standing feet together, buttocks tightly protecting the sacral nerve center, hands at my sides, shoulders back and relaxed with my stomach just a touch forward. This places the center of gravity over my hips. I am organic - growing out of God's aspect called the earth, a piece of the planet. I am a mountain. The Sanskrit word for mountain is tada. I repeat the word, tada, several times. However, bursting full of Yo-Go!, purity inspected, and fortified using thirty-six essential minerals and vitamins, and containing green tea, the word escapes more like a preparatory drum roll - tuh duh! - and I feel my feet will fly into a crotch grabbing, Michael Jackson dance.

Immediately I jump to the Extended Triangle posture: feet spread, arms outstretched like airplane wings and I am now bending to my right until the hand on the end of my straight right arm rests behind my heel. My left arm is reaching above my head and I stare at it. I must meet the position, that is, maintain the position until yoga and I are one. 'Yoga' means 'to unite'. Nothing exists - no thing exists. The universe is empty of 'selfness' - 'thingness'. In a void of dynamic change filled only with relationship, momentary position is everything - I do not look - I see the Great Void, through which Brahman creates itself as numerous aspects of mundane fingers pointing to the divine. Existence is transcendently integrated because each aspect transcends itself to become the whole, and the whole's virtue to become itself is present in each aspect. In the end, the mundane and the divine are one.

"Help in three-ten!"

Her voice is weakening. She's old, tired, and spends days pasted in a chair watching television. She's nursing a bad hip and is tied to the whisky bottle. That's why she periodically falls out of the chair. A gentleman friend of hers visits every day. He delivers the good-juice and is no great shakes. He drives a lemon yellow Buick with a tennis ball stuck on his radio antenna - a real sport. Last week he collapsed in a drunken stupor downstairs by the mailboxes until the paramedics arrived.

"Can you breathe?"

"Urp."

"Breathe for me, old timer, or their gonna throw yuh's in a box and nail it shut."

He sputtered and spit-up. "No hospital, please."

"Yuh want I should let you die here? You'd like that."

"No hospital, no-"

He's a distinguished appearing gentleman retaining most of his hair and a silver mustache. She can still snatch an older Adonis because she used to be a knockout - the Coca-Cola Girl of 1945.

Time was she'd invited my wife up to her place for tea. The old lady brimmed full of life before Cutty Sark became an appendage. That afternoon she sat Ann on the sofa balancing tea and pound cake. Her ancient eyes lit up and she driveled incessantly, as if she hadn't a visitor in eons. Above the sofa hung a glass shrine containing Coca-Cola memorabilia: bottles, painted serving trays, calendars, all with her pictures on them - her supplication to the gleaming, toothy American dream. "Oh my, yes, I was very popular, what with the U.S.O. dances and armed services tours. You know," she spoke with a glint in her eye and a hushed tone, "they used to pin my pictures up on the barracks. I gave that Betty Grable gal a run for her money! You're cute too, dear."

Afterwards, Ann ran off at the mouth, breathless. "Youngbear! She's famous!"

"That's nice." Yogic training dictates that I practice non-attachment and deep compassion simultaneously - very profound. "I'm going to the mall and score a double-scoop of Rocky Road in a cone."

"No. really! She's got a giant poster of herself drinking Coke out of a glass bottle with some army Major So n' So from the forties. A glass bottle, no cans, and she's wearing a jacket with padded shoulders and a hat with a feather in it and everything!"

A week later, Ann managed a chance meeting with the Coca-Cola lady downstairs at the mailboxes. The old girl stood weaving, buttressing the wall with her nose, disoriented, whiskey aromatic at eleven o'clock in the morning, and she saw Ann. "Well, now, if it isn't little Mrs. Yogi Bear." Ann felt betrayed; her illusory faith in the material world shattered.

***

Lunging my left leg forward, I stop when the knee aligns above the left foot and my thigh is right-angled. This throws the balance forward and must be counteracted by keeping the right leg stretched straight behind my right hip. My arms are both thrown into the air and my upper torso is twisted completely in line with my left leg. Very good - this is called The Warrior posture. My eyes are fixed forward while I wait patiently, uniting with yoga, becoming one with *extreme pain in the quadriceps (thighs) and deltoids (shoulders). I wonder why it is called The Warrior posture; with my arms extended above my head, my torso completely open to any and all attacks, I would name it The Certain Death posture.

Yoga is more than an exercise; it is a state of flexible energy existence. Our bodies are mindful energy. They function as separate units from the mindful energy outside of them due to a boundary of tension. Practicing asanas unites inner and outer energy by forcing us to use our energy to meet outside energy by breaking down the separating wall of tension. That tension is memory, it is history. As long as we remain human we will keep and maintain our bodies, however, the more flexible our energy boundaries become, the less tension we sustain between our selves and the rest of the universe; we feel united. Each of us carries a limited history of movement. Yoga interrupts that familiar history expanding the energy movement territory. Some yogis are able to extend their energy at will meeting with outside energy and actually "reading the energy map" of other people. At the moment, I am not reading energy. I am fighting intense pain in my left knee as the tendons stretch beyond human endurance. No more Yo-Go! and this session is turning rugged.

"Help in three-ten!"

Being an enlightened shaman means coming to a meaningful understanding of generosity's virtue. I must save my yogic bliss for a later time. The Coca-Cola lady needs help up from the floor. I shake off The Warrior position and hobble across my room. Down the corridor, between my apartment and the elevator landing, Neanderthal man struggles through a series of evolutionary anthropological postures to stand once again upright. I opt for the stairwell to the third floor, knowing that Adonis rode the elevator earlier. He left while he could still walk and now the elevator reeks of urine, Aqua Velva, and Ripple. It's their plot to die together, a grotesque Romeo and Juliet - double cirrhoses of the livers. It will be a conclusion with no respect, no love - prolonged suicide.

I approach the screen door to three-ten peering into tomb-like darkness. The death chair, a mummy blanket strewn across it, sits empty. Her television blares afternoon soap opera. Pictures hang crooked and walls are stained nicotine yellow. Liquor bottles grow scattered in groups, half empty or full, depending on your point of view, and sticky. Trash overflows. The stench of rotting flesh wafts a perfume of finality. Gawd, she's dead. Then I see her behind shadows, sprawled on the carpet: a sack of bones showing blue veins; a piece of meat holding two cavernous eyes; a tubercular vision by Edvard Munch.

It wasn't so horrible that she called Ann, "Mrs. Yogi Bear." It's sad, her life a tragedy. And those eyes wide open and staring at me, frozen. The Coca-Cola lady raped by Western culture and cast out as corporate refuse because her teeth no longer twinkled. I feel no attachment, yet, strangely, I feel compassion. Above the chair hangs an old tin-serving tray with her likeness illustrated on it. She's smiling and young and the bottle of cola in her beautiful, perfect, feminine hand is only a dime. She lays, head propped against the chair where she's fallen, flesh loose and gray, and those eyes. "Don't just stand there. Help me!"

All compassion takes a hike. An experienced yogi knows when to change game plans, to go with the flow as it were.

"I need my chair! I need a drink! You gonna help me, or what?"

"No. I was just checking."

"Creep! Yoga creep!"

"Fine. Have a nice day. Someone will be along and pick you up."

***

Occasionally a fresh point of view is called for. At times like these, the yoga practitioner must clear his mind like a painter distances himself from his canvas. I stand back by my window and breathe. Just breathing. That's all there is. In and out and in... A tree outside my window! A sturdy oak blowing in the wind, it's leaves gently rocking back and forth. This will be fine for five minutes, and if a bird lands in it, maybe seven or eight.

"Help in three-ten!"

I am on the mat sitting in The Hero posture. Both of my legs are bent at their knees, calves straight behind me, and I am sitting on my heels. Again, my arms are overhead, this time palms up and fingers interlocking. My knees and the tops of my feet are being crushed into bone meal and colors float in front of my eyes.

I can't help her, cannot heal her. I am a powerful healer but not a panacea for the world's problems. She's too old. What if I picked her up the wrong way? I might break a bone, smash her vertebrae. My knees and feet have had it.

Back at the window, across the street, city workers shatter asphalt with jackhammers. That's interesting. If it's an election year, perhaps they'll paint lines. I wonder why they wear blue jeans two sizes too large. Do they know they're showing every time they bend over?

Okay, fine! I'm a neurotic, non-compassionate, lousy yogi! Is that what this is all about? I spy on traffic below. It's mid-day and cars are inching along. This is Southern California. Half the cars are Mercedes convertibles, the other half Hondas. I move slowly to the telephone and dial 911 emergency. "There's an invalid upstairs who needs help getting back into her chair."

"What's the apartment number, sir?"

"Help in three-ten!"

"Got it, sir."

***

No more yoga now. An old lady's life is at stake. I've got to supervise the paramedics, make certain they find the right apartment. What if she dies? Poor thing. I jog down to the mailboxes and wait. They pull up, a deafening siren and flashing lights. Two men wearing starched white shirts jump out, and carrying oxygen they race past me up the stairs.

See, I'm compassionate. I called them. Now, how about it? A little peace in my life? I wait the long wait until her screen door clacks shut and the starched shirts ride down in the elevator. Leaping stairs two at a time, I press my nose against the Coca-Cola lady's screen. She's pasted in the chair watching television, and then she notices me. "I'm glad you're alright. I was worried about you and being compassionate-"

"I don't recall saying, 'Hey, Yogi Bear, call the paramedics!' " A vein pulses out of her forehead. "Idiot! Do you know what this is going to cost me!"

***

The Head on Knee posture requires absolute concentration. While sitting straight up on the mat, the left knee is bent bringing the left foot into the groin. The right leg is straight and flat resting calf and hamstring muscles on the floor. Stretching arms overhead, one bends over the right leg - keeping the left foot tucked into the groin - bringing the head down to the right knee and grabbing the bottom of the right foot with both hands. One slip of focus and a week in hospital traction is the only way the head can be separated from the knee; yoga is called the 'gentle' art.

Back at my window, the blood flow normalizes and my morning workout, which has taken all day, is over. I watch the cars, wondering how many people suffering aches and pains and injuries live unaware of that which the east has bestowed upon us: Yo-Go! and yoga for a pain-free, stress-free existence. Ann's key turns in the lock. When she pops open the door, I notice a bit of commotion outside. "What's the hap's Ann?"

"The Coca-Cola lady just passed away."

"These inexplicable happenings, these things we dare not fathom," I said. "May peace and harmony be her reward. I'm going out for a quick pint of Rocky Road ice cream."

END

*Note: Clearly, true hatha yoga practice is accomplished without pain. It is not a battle. It takes place in that silence between the notes of music and never over-stretches a tendon. Yoga grows slowly, using patience and awareness of one's body. If, dear reader, you find yourself being injured in yoga class, politely seek a different instructor. Y.B.

Youngbear Roth's in-depth resume' may be viewed iayt.org/site_Vx2/profile/detail.aspx?AutoID=&UStatus=&ProfileNumber=&LS=&AM=&Ds=&CI=&AT=&Return=../../site_Vx2/about/advisory.htm&id=18835 with a mouse click here. 818-985-3976 or

Things to Do in the Summer (For Kids)

As the summer holidays approach the major thing that's on the mind of a child is, "What's next? What will I do this summer?" This thought has to be catered to, by considering that each child is unique and a different individual than the other one. So the most important thing to know is what interests a particular child. It could be art, games, traveling etc.

This is important, as in a school, all children learn the same curriculum as the other, but what distinguishes them is the different level of interests they have and whether or not these have been encouraged in their growing years. Considering this, the summer vacation is the best time to hone their skills, which in the future will help them stand out as different and versatile individuals. There are numerous activities from which one can pick and choose depending upon their age and interests some of them are as follows:

Gardening: This is seen to make children realize the importance of trees and other flora, giving them a personal introduction to the beauty in nature, while making them appreciate the environment.

Camping: Hike to some place with your kid and camp their, along with this you can teach them how to click photographs or ask them to voice record every sound around the camp side. This is good training for your child's observation and travel skills.

Crafts: A child could make a craft each day which could help them to explore their creative sight. Craft and art books and guides are available at most stationary stores and on the internet.

Summer Sports: You should introduce this concept where a child is required to explore a new sport and then learn it. This idea of summer games for kids is inexhaustible and continuously enjoyable.

Treasure Hunt: Design a treasure hunt for your kids with the help of a string of interesting clues, one leading to the other, a prize at the end.

Zoo visit: If your kids haven't visited a zoo take them to one in your city. It again expands their horizon by allowing them to observe other species in nature.

Scrapbook: Ask them to make a scrap book of every thing they do this summer. This not only hones your child's creative skills but also evolves their thought processes and finally becomes a lover memoir of his/her young days.

Reading books: This is a great habit but parents face a problem with young children here. The problem is that children are bored with reading in school. To initiate them into this habit, ask them to compare a book and the movie adapted from it. This makes reading a fun activity.

Perspective drawing: Ask your kids to draw their own home. This again does good to their thought processes.

Learn a foreign language: This would provide them an insight on a different culture apart from their own and also equip them better for their future in the world.

Go to a concert or a cricket match: This would make them enjoy their holidays to the hilt and also understand concepts like team spirit, determination, hard work, etc.

Visit a national park: This will make them realize how different animals survive in a jungle. It is great insight into life not only for kids but for all.

Make their own band: If the kids are interested in music encourage them to make their own. They could build their own band and 'jam'. This is great fun and more productive than being pinned to the television all summer.

It is exposures such as these, along with an education that finally make children well rounded individuals.

So if you are looking out for some interesting summeractivitiesforkids.net summer activities for kids or want your child to join some yoga classes do visit these links. You can also check out for some cool meanings in the kidsdictionary.net kids dictionary

The Health Benefits of Yoga - Part 1

I started writing this article to sum up the health benefits of yoga, but soon realized that the list of benefits would be a million miles long. I wouldn't be able to do the subject justice in a short article that sums up the general benefits of yoga. In fact, the minute I started researching the topic and saw the massive amount of positive effects on your body and mind that yoga can make, it made me want to run out to class right away even just to have that moment of elation just as I leave the yoga studio with my body exhausted and my mind at ease.

Lets start with the most obvious. Flexibility. Of course this is going to improve with the practice of yoga. Your tight muscles will hold you back at first and even protest most of the way through your first few classes, but soon you'll start to feel them give in and work with you. You'll be able to feel your deep breathing allow your muscles to relax further and further into the stretch. Over time you won't believe what your muscles are capable of and you'll be craving getting deeper into each pose than in your previous practice.

Your strength will also be challenged in the practice of yoga. You won't turn into the muscle man you see pumping iron in front of the mirror, but we've all seen what yoga has done for Madonna's arms. If us common folk can see a quarter of that definition we'd probably all be satisfied. Many yoga poses require that you support your own weight during or through one pose to the next. At first even downward facing dog will make your shoulders burn. Unlike traditional weight training, yoga uses your own body as resistance and your muscles begin to learn how to precisely control your movements. Your muscles become long, lean and toned - and who doesn't want that, right?!

Another physical benefit you'll achieve in yoga is that you'll begin to really breathe.

When the Breath wanders, the mind is unsteady, but when the Breath is still, so is the mind still." - Hatha Yoga Pradipika

It's not often that we think of our breathing in everyday life. In yoga class, you're trained to breath fully, deeply and consciously. The idea is that yoga breathing exercises gets more oxygen to your blood and to your brain. You'll use more of your lungs than you do normally and feel the difference between normal breath and fully yoga breathing exercises.

Check out this balanceyogasite.com Balance Yoga Guide and the myhomegymfitnessequipment.com Home Fitness guide for more information.

12 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing a Yoga Teacher Training Course

So, you've made the decision to become a yoga teacher. Perhaps you've been a yoga student for years, and have decided to take the next step. Maybe you just want to take your practice a bit deeper, and think that teacher training will help your self-development. You might have been made redundant and want to change career. Whatever your reason, there's not been a better time to train as a yoga teacher.

Teaching yoga is a growing industry, as there's a stressed out nation out there and more people than ever are turning to yoga to help them cope. Yoga teachers around the country have reported higher numbers in their classes this year than in previous years. I've found that corporate Dru yoga and well being classes are in great demand, as when stress levels rise, so do back problems and absenteeism. Companies are looking for experienced, grounded yoga teachers to work on the factory floor and in the office.

It's estimated by the British Wheel of Yoga that half a million people regularly practise yoga in the UK, and the number of yoga teachers is growing by 10% per year. But we're all different. Some of us like a more physical, dynamic style, like Sun Power, Power Yoga, Teach Yoga or Chi Kri schools, others prefer something more gentle, which suits all fitness levels, like Anusara, Dru Yoga or FRYOG. Some want a deep philosophy intensive in an ashram environment, as experienced in the Sivananda training, or the spiritual focus offered by Kundalini. Others want to fit their yoga training around families and jobs, and chose schools like triyoga, British Wheel, or Appleyoga. Some want to study close to home, others want to retreat to a beautiful environment like Snowdonia or the North of Scotland and make a holiday out of their training. So what's out there, and how should we choose?

After talking to people from many UK yoga schools, I've shortlisted 12 questions which should help you find the perfect training course for you. After all, the schools are all quite different, and are suited to different sorts of people. It's not a case of one being better than another, just finding the one which reflects your needs and aspirations best.

The top twelve questions:

What makes your course different from all the others?
Where is your course held in the UK?
Is it accredited with Yoga Alliance or a similar body?
How many years has your school been established?
How many students do you have currently training, and how many active graduates do you have?
Is your school worldwide? If so, in which countries is your course also available?
How qualified are your tutors? Do you have specialists in other relevant fields (eg osteopathy, medicine, sports science) on your teaching team?
How big are your classes, and what's the ratio of students to tutors?
What's the structure of your course? (Weekends/intensive/5 day modules etc) How long does it last?
How much does it cost? Are there any flexible payment plans? If so, what?
What support do you offer for your yoga teachers once they've finished the course?
Do you offer postgraduate trainings eg pregnancy yoga?

So, when you're ready to choose your yoga school, arm yourself with these questions and make note of the replies. Becoming a yoga teacher is a once in a lifetime activity, which will make a difference to potentially thousands of people, so take your time in choosing the right yoga school for you!

Jane Clapham is a yoga teacher trainer, and teaches yoga, meditation and sound courses in the Dru Yoga centre in Snowdonia. She also leads meditation retreats and holidays in the celtic mountains of Wales and worldwide. Contact her at