Is Your Yoga Practice Making Things Worse?

Many people have made the commendable decision to improve their physical, mental and maybe even spiritual wellbeing by beginning or improving their Yoga and/or other types of physical disciplines.

While the intention is great, sometimes too much enthusiasm and too little knowledge will actually move you further away from your goal(s). Of course, we all know the person who started out just like the rabbit did and ended up just like the rabbit did...on the side of the road watching the tortoise cross the finish line.

However, in this article I won't be referring to such obvious mistakes. Instead, I want to share with you some of the subtle, yet very significant traps it can be all too easy for us to fall into.

Let's start by taking a look at a group class. Group classes are a very convenient and affordable way to improve your practice. However, how can you be sure that what you are improving is what really needs improving?

For example, let's assume that someone has a hip or knee that is already too unstable. Let's also assume that this person is attending classes where they do a lot of seated hip opening asanas/poses. It can not be good for the integrity of those joints to add more flexibility and range of motion when they can not stabilize themselves now.

Now why did I specify seated poses? Because certain standing poses, when done correctly, may provide for some strengthening of those unstable joints. Thus these can be beneficial to some extent. But, seated poses will take the stress off of those joints and for all practical purposes, offer only more flexibility.

Now, let's take a look at why people may chose to attend the classes they do. Of course it may be simply various financial and/or logistical factors which lead to their choices. Or it may simply be that they like those classes more than others. However, herein lies the pitfall:

People tend to like what they are good at and avoid things they are not so good at.

So let's take a look at that person with unstable joints again. Their very instability may be making them more flexible and giving them more range of motion in the poses which stretch those areas. Although they may be "better" at doing those poses than at doing poses which stretch stronger, more stable areas, they are making the wrong choice here.

They are actually making their imbalances worse by making their unstable areas more unstable and not increasing the flexibility of their stronger areas and strengthening their weak ones.

So what is a person suppose to do? I'm glad you asked!

First, we must take a good look at ourselves and decide where are strengths and weakness lie. Then we must try to look at the underlying reasons for these strengths and weakness.

Secondly, we must determine our likes and dislikes and tie them into out strengths and weakness. Are they related? And if so, why and how?

If we can do these things, we can make more intelligent choices in our practice. We may find that we end up changing what we do, how much we do of it and/or how intensely we do it. We can tailor our practice to OUR needs and not the needs of someone else or a group of other people. Indeed, keeping OUR need foremost in our minds may result in our ignoring our likes and dislikes when choosing what, when, where and how we do our practice.

Our practice must always be our practice. A generic routine can not be specific to everyone unless everyone doing it had the same imbalances.

Therefore, when attending a group class, even with the best instructors, sometimes it maybe better not to do those poses which contribute to your imbalances or you can chose to modify certain poses or not hold them for as long.

Of course, the best thing would be to do something to correct your imbalances. That is better than just not making those imbalances worse.

Some kind of resistance training maybe in order. Whether you choose different asanas/poses, body weight exercises or assisted resistance training (read weight training), what matters is that you will be doing something to help correct your problem areas.

Of course the same holds true for just about anything. If an aspiring pianist was very good at reading and playing music and not very good at improvising, what are the odds he/she would be spending a lot of time playing jazz instead of classical music?

The same goes for weight training. If a person has a strong back and not much flexibility, he/she would probably hate doing squats and/or dead lifts. Instead, they would probably do lots of rows or pull downs.

However, this is exactly what they should not be doing because it doesn't address their lack of flexibility in their lumbar-pelvic region. They are strengthening their strong area and ignoring their weak/tight one(s). Instead, they should be doing some other type(s) of weight bearing exercises that will help correct their structural imbalances. They should seriously consider Yoga or Pilates to help remedy their particular situation.

Strength without Flexibility is as useless as Flexibility without Strength! (Remember, you heard that here!)

Working Smart is almost always better than just working hard. Of course, Working Smart and Hard is Best.

If you need help in determining what your imbalances are and what you should do to help correct them, kindly contact me. Together, we will find, address and solve the problem within your physical limits.

Gary Giamboi is a NASM certified Personal Trainer, an E-500RYT Yoga Alliance Instructor, a Level 4 Qigong Instructor from the National Qigong Association, holds the rank of Kyoshi (Teaching Master) in several Japanese Martial Arts from the Genbukan World Ninpo Federation and the Kokusai Jujutsu Renmei and a Master's License in Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Qigong.

He is available for Private Training and Consultations, as well as, seminars and the 200 hour Yoga Teachers Training courses.

He can be reached via his website, Genbukan.biz Genbukan.biz

Do it at Home Fitness Training

Too busy to go to the gym or cannot afford the expensive gym membership? Do not worry - fitness training at home works just as good as going to the gym. There are no excuses in eliminating exercise altogether! Whether there are any fitness equipments or not, one can still exercise at home.

Fitness Training At Home With Equipment

Step-Aerobic-Step is a great fitness training at home. It can be used for many different exercises. One can use it as a step for cardio activities, such as step aerobics, and as a weight bench. You can put the weight bench on a decline, incline, or flat bench If you get risers with it. A step or a set of steps cost $30 - $350 depending on the types and brands.

One can also purchase a barbell set to lift weights for workouts. There are many different types of barbell sets, such as a set that includes the bar and 300 pounds of weights. The weights can be distributed however you want or comfortable with. This depends on the desired results you are looking at. Barbells allow you to target any muscle groups. The 300-pound barbell set costs about $45. If you do not need that much weight, find a less expensive barbell.

Stability balls are another home fitness training equipment one can buy. It offers many options for your workout like the step mentioned above. One can challenge themselves by using stability balls as a weightlifting bench. One can also use them for pushups, abdominal workouts, lower-body exercises or back extensions. A stability ball improves balance and core strength. Use it while you are watching television or in front of the computer. Stability balls cost about $70.

No matter what fitness training you use at home, an exercise mat is always useful. Whether you are doing a step, stability ball or crunches, an exercise mat makes you more comfortable with the workouts. It can also be used for crunches, pushups, or yoga.

Fitness Training At Home Without Equipment

Most have the misconception that one cannot do exercise without any equipments, such as weights or balls. If you have any types of cable, you can use it to do yoga or even other cardio workouts!

Squats are great exercises for the legs. It builds leg muscles, tones the back and improves endurance. This is how you do squat exercises: Place your feet about shoulder width apart, while keeping your back straight. Squat down so that the top of the thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold onto the same position for a second or two. Slowly come up in a smooth manner exhaling as you rise.

Push-ups are an excellent exercise for building arm and chest muscles. Staircase can be used for cardiovascular or step up exercises. Sit-ups and crunches are great abdominal exercises. Look around the house and use what you have for a fitness training at home - they can be very useful!

Shirley has been writing articles professionally, both online and offline, since 4 years ago. This author is not only writing in the subject of health, but also in dieting, fat loss, fitness and many other more. Check out her latest website in Home Brewing Supplies [homebrewingsuppliestips.com/] which discuss and review about Beer Brewing Kits [homebrewingsuppliestips.com/beer-brewing-kits.html].

Flexibility Training Takes Just Minutes a Day

If you suffer with tight muscles (and you likely do), flexibility training can help. By incorporating some stretching exercises into your daily routine, you will look and feel better because being flexible is all about the way you move.

Reasons to Train

Flexibility can be described as the absolute range of limb movement around joints. The object of doing stretching exercises is to improve the range of motion (ROM) in the muscles that are directly involved. Because a longer muscle is a stronger muscle, stretch training will improve mobility. If a muscle is not stretched, it may adaptively shorten, giving you that "tight" feeling.

Stretching properly and regularly will help you feel better and improve your overall health. Also, as you improve your flexibility and range of motion, your body will be better able to prevent injuries to joints, muscles, and tendons during exercise and while doing every day activities.

Avoid Hurting Yourself With Bad Stretching

If you are doing a stretch correctly, you should feel mild discomfort but not pain. You don't want to go too far and overstretch because it causes an automatic reflex in the muscle, as it will try to recoil to protect itself from tearing.

You are likely familiar with many static stretch exercises, which we learned as kids during sports warm-ups. Unfortunately, this old school style of stretching often causes more strains than provide proper stretching. Examples of these include stiff-legged toe touches, a hurdler's stretch, and backbends, all of which can stretch ligaments and tendons (a bad thing) rather than the muscles you intended to target.

Proper Stretch Training

Here are a few examples of how flexibility training for just minutes a day will teach you to practice good stretching techniques:

The first thing to remember is that proper stretching should involve only one group of muscles at a time, i.e., one hamstring at a time rather than both legs at once. With passive stretches, hold the pose for about 30 seconds, but don't bounce. Relax and take slow deep breathes while stretching to release lactic acid from the muscles, and to avoid overstretching. As a general rule, trainers suggest you stretch your back first, then sides, then glutes and calves, and save the quads and hamstrings for last.

Working with inexpensive equipment such as an Exercise Ball can help target the back and abs in flexibility training. For an abdominal stretch, do this: start by sitting upright on a large exercise ball, then roll out far enough to place the ball in the middle of your back. Lean back and gently stretch. For the back, abs, and obliques: lie sideways on the ball and balance yourself by placing the top leg forward and the bottom leg behind you. With your bottom hand on the floor to keep the ball from rolling, reach over your head with your top hand and gently stretch.

The Energy Arts and Flexibility

As an alternative to the stretching exercises as mentioned above, there are other ways to achieve more mobility and suppleness in your body. For those who want something more advanced, the energy arts of Tai Chi and Yoga are excellent modalities for flexibility training and to enhance balance as well as the body's natural healing powers.

Yoga teaches you deep controlled breathing, moving meditation, and how to form "lines of energy" through points in your body. It quiets the mind as internal heat is generated to cleanse the body and be purged as sweat. Using your body as the source of weight resistance, yoga moves through a series of Asanas or poses. Yoga not only strengthens the body, these poses also help to elongate muscles by using proper stretch techniques.

Tai Chi is the most popular form of exercise in the world. It is an ancient Chinese form of martial arts, yet its modern form is gentle and non-combative. Tai Chi is a non-stop ballet of slow, graceful movements that includes shifting weight combined with deep, relaxed breaths. It is especially good for seniors to practice because it improves balance. In regards to flexibility training, the moving meditation of Tai Chi helps there as well, especially for those in pain. Arthritis sufferers gain better mobility as their muscles and joints are stretched and strengthened.

Start Stretching Today

Don't think that because you aren't involved in sports, or you don't lift weights or do aerobics, or do Tai Chi or Yoga, that you have no reason to try to get more flexible. Even the most dedicated couch potato with a sedentary lifestyle should stretch. Tight muscles caused by stress, bad posture, scoliosis (a curvature of the spine where muscles on one side of the back do more work than the other), and just general non-use of muscles are all reasons to do flexibility training on a regular basis. It's a long-term healthy habit that will have you feeling better and looking younger as you move with ease.

About the Author:

Kevin Urban is the editor of HomeGymAdviser.com, a consumer guide to homegymadviser.com home gym equipment - Visit the site for homegymadviser.com home gym ratiing, reviews and workout tips. Copyright 2009 HomeGymAdviser.com

It Takes Just Minutes A Week To Profoundly Reverse the Biomarkers of Aging

Wearing glasses, hearing aids and dying one's hair are effective methods of reversing the effects of aging, but the most effective thing we can do to reverse the aging process is to do regular strength training exercise. It is the most effective exercise in addressing the biomarkers that effect not only how young we look, but more importantly, how we young we feel. Our bodies undergo many changes that can be reversed by proper strength training:

1. Muscle mass decreases. As adults we lose about five pounds of lean muscle each decade. Stronger muscles are more toned, and this requires more calories. Stronger toned muscles present a younger look.

2. Base Metabolic Rate (metabolism) decreases. More muscle requires more calories. Those who are stronger can have the metabolism they had when they were twenty years younger.

3. Fat increases as a percentage of body weight. By increasing muscle mass, fat as a percentage is automatically less, and this extra muscle requires more fat burning calories. A stronger leaner person will be more active and the increased activity will further enhance one's health and burn additional calories.

4. Loss of strength, energy, and speed. Proper exercise will make you stronger, and day to day activities will be less strenuous and be less taxing energy-wise.

5. Loss of aerobic capacity. Choose a strength training program that involves circuit training to get the aerobic benefits. Non-stop circuit training method has a very significant cardiovascular effect and increases both aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

6. Body cells become resistant to insulin. Added muscles will lower your blood sugar level and lessen the need for insulin.

7. Bone mineral density decreases. Increase the demands on the muscular-skeletal system, and as self-protection, the body responds by maintaining stronger muscles and bones.

8. Loss of flexibility. More muscle contributes to flexibility. Muscles have the plasticity that tendons and ligaments do not.

9. Increased susceptibility to sickness and injury. A stronger body is less like to get injured and will have a stronger immune system. This might be the most important benefit. People wait until injuries occur and then exercise becomes problematic. To help avoid surgery the best thing you can do for your joints is to make the muscles supporting those joints stronger. Take the steps now to avoid herniated discs and hip and knee replacements.

10. Unsatisfactory cholesterol/HDL Ratio. Circuit strength training will improve your HDL or High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.

11. Blood Pressure increases. Elevated blood pressure or hypertension is known as "the silent killer" can be alleviated by strength training.

While other forms of exercise might improve a certain biomarker more effectively - running to improve aerobic capacity or yoga to improve flexibility - none address so many as effectively circuit weight training. You need not spend hours in the gym to make a profound difference. The body changes as a form of self-protection in response to increased demands of the body. Instead of trying to find out how much exercise you can handle but find out how little exercise is actually needed to produce a change.

Studies have shown that significant strength increases result from strength training as little as once a week. Not exercising can lead to injuries which will result in more inactivity. You have to something. Do just enough to cause a change then come back and do it again in a week. As you become stronger you will find you are willing to engage in more activities and this will further enhance your health. It all starts with strength. Just improve a little each week and over time you will be a changed person.

John Kelly owns Ultimate Fitness in New Orleans, LA and Kelly Personal Training in Austin, TX. He has been a personal trainer for 27 years and specializes in high-intensity circuit strength training designed for safety and maximum impact in minimum time. For more information go to either one of John's websites kellypersonaltraining.com Austin Personal Trainers or ultimate30.com New Orleans Personal Trainers or call John at 512-964-8787.

A Wellness Retreat Can Help Revive Your Creativity

You may be an excellent writer, but your writing skills could gradually die out if you work continuously under stress. Meeting deadlines, traveling in crowded cities and the constant stress of aiming for perfection both at the work place and in personal life could adversely affect your creativity. It is imperative for you to take some time off and spend a few days every year in a wellness retreat for writers.

Promotes Creativity

Writing is a creative art. Ideas could flow easily only if your body and mind are in perfect harmony with each other. Everyday stress makes this impossible. Your mind starts working in a conditioned manner and it becomes difficult for you to think out of the box. You can overcome this problem, if you spend some time alone with yourself. This helps you understand your innermost desires, goals, and helps rejuvenate your mind and body. Getting some time off is not as easy as it sounds. This is the reason, why many wellness retreats have come up and they allow you to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of cities.

A wellness retreat gives you an opportunity to live in the lap of nature for a few days or weeks. This refreshes your body and mind and gives you a new enthusiasm to excel in everything you do. Living close to nature inspires you and helps you to write better. It may even help you to quickly wind up a novel that you had started long back!

Special Programs by Experts

Most of the wellness retreats have experts to teach participants about different types of arts like pottery and painting. Learning different arts helps you to express your thoughts and feelings in a variety of ways. This helps your creativity soar, which eventually helps you write effectively. Also in this process, you develop various hobbies that help you reduce stress.

A wellness retreat for writers has special writing programs and workshops. At these creative writing workshops, expert writers share their experiences and secrets. They teach different forms of writing like how to write biographies, poems and how to write for print and online media. You not only get writing tips but also get an opportunity to network with writers from across the globe.

To help you maintain good physical and mental health, such spiritual retreat programs also have yoga classes. Trained and experienced yoga instructors teach you different forms of breathing and physical exercises. These exercises improve concentration and stamina and help you to think creatively and handle stress effectively. Once you are back from your yoga vacation, you could practice the exercises in your day to day life in order to benefit the most from them.

A wellness retreat vacation also gives you a chance to engage in some adventure activities like hiking and biking. If adventure is not your cup of tea, you could go for nature trails and have fun and learn more about nature.

If you are longing to go to a wellness retreat, you should research the various options available on the Internet before finalizing the one suitable for you. You should pay special attention to the location of the retreat, the type of programs they offer and the kind of food they serve. Once you select the best writing retreat, you should contact the concerned authorities for booking.

A summerwritingretreat.com wellness retreat for writers program could help you rejuvenate your body and mind and hone your writing skills. If you want to participate in such a program, please visit summerwritingretreat.com

Are You Afraid To Teach Yoga Classes?

I've always loved yoga and when my teacher told me his wife was doing a teacher training program ten years ago, I was very interested. I didn't want to teach, but just have the opportunity to go deeper into meditation and yoga for my own personal growth. The first question I asked her was if I could just take it for my own growth and not become a teacher. She told me that it was fine to do that, but to keep an open mind.

The training was excellent and I also connected to others interested in turning inside for peace and calmness, rather that focusing on external stimulants. There was never any pressure to have to teach classes and my idea was that I could show family members or friends if they showed an interest. Towards the end of the training we had to conduct a class. I was very nervous but received nice feedback later. We were each paired up with someone for leading the class so it was helpful in preparation.

A few months after class ended, my teacher was going to India for a month and asked me to substitute for her class. I was reluctant, but also curious. It turned out to be very fulfilling. A lot of my fears revolved around having to be very flexible. I found that people weren't interested in that part and it is not the essence of yoga. Other fears had to do with forgetting the sequence I was teaching.I brought some cards with me and it went very smoothly. I was very surprised to later be offered a class at the center and it has

been extremely fulfilling.

Do not let your fears get in your way. If you love yoga and have found benefits for your own life, you'll be able to communicate this to others. Think about how you feel after a class. I always feel lighter, less worried about things and find my busy mind has gotten more quiet. This is a wonderful thing that others will also appreciate discovering.

Remember that yoga is not a competition and it is about inner transformation. It isn't about special clothing or having the prettiest mat in class. It's about finding a place inside that deepens and is able to stay peaceful even when there are challenging external situations and circumstances. This is a gem that we don't learn in school and opens up the heart.

Learn more about becomeayogainstructor.org yoga teacher training and becomeayogainstructor.org/yoga-salaries.html yoga salaries.

How a Simple Leg Stretch Can Help Your Back Pain - Part 3

Posture, balance and body alignment through yoga. The yoga poses are meant to train the body to be healthy and supple. Consistent practice and application will result in improved posture, and an increased sense of balance, with head, shoulders and pelvis in proper alignment. Additionally, unlike many other forms of exercise, yoga helps stretch and strengthens both sides of the body equally.

Of utmost importance when using yoga to treat back pain is finding suitable instruction. First you need to find a school that teaches the right kind of yoga. Many yoga schools in the west teach a dynamic or flowing form of yoga known as Vinyasa.

The constant movement of this type of yoga means that you enter and exit poses very quickly which is not really suitable for the lower back pain sufferer. Ashtanga, Power yoga, Viniyoga and Bikram yoga are all types of flowing Vinyasa yoga and may not be suitable for the effective treatment of back pain.

Yoga practice provides time and mental space for you to develop intuition and understanding about your body. While in this deep stretch to the legs, hips and lower spinal muscles, notice where your body holds pain as well as excess tension, which can amplify pain and discomfort. As you remain in the pose, see if your body can let go of tension and holding.

Christensen says yoga also can be tremendously helpful to people with back pain, as long as they follow the yoga principles of stretching slowly and only as far as the body wants to go. And she says it may help people with arthritis as well. Though there are few studies linking yoga and arthritis, Christensen says many of her students with common age-related arthritis report feeling more flexible and in less pain after starting a yoga class.

Christensen warns, though, that people with bone-crippling rheumatoid arthritis should not attempt yoga exercise when their joints are swollen and painful.

Repetitive forward bending may also occur in exercise routines, including yoga. These routines can be particularly risky for people with tight hamstrings, the muscles extending from hip to knee on the back of the thigh that receive much of the stretch in forward bends. Being back pain free will come listen to your body.

The hamstrings attach to the sitting bones - the two large bones at the base of the buttocks (called the ischial tuberosities). In a sitting forward bend, the pull of tight hamstrings keeps the pelvis from rotating forward over the legs. In fact, tight hamstrings encourage the pelvis to rotate backward, in a position called "posterior tilt." If your pelvis is held in a posterior tilt and you reach toward your toes, all the forward movement occurs by hinging through the lower back.

Glen Wood - The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Shoulder and Neck Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE "Yoga and You" report at YogaTeachingwithGlen.com YogaTeachingwithGlen.com