Rapid Fat Loss - Success Principles

You want rapid fat loss! Follow these three principles of success to achieve your rapid fat loss: reduce your stress, watch your diet, and incorporate interval training into your exercise program.

Stress has been associated with belly fat. In a stressful situation, the body will produce Cortisol, which is a hormone that accumulates in the system and causes storage of fat in the belly area. Not only is the belly fat ugly, but it increases your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease.

Relaxation and stress reduction activities like yoga, meditation, deep breathing and tai chi have shown to be effective at reducing stress and allow you to better manage it.

Watching your diet will help you monitor your calories and not over eat. Avoiding fast fatty foods, sodas and other processed foods. These foods are high in calories and if we eat too much of them, we will not be able to burn all the calories and they end up being stored as fat on our bodies.

Eating several small meals per day, will allow us to not overeat, maintain our energy throughout the day and help monitor our calories. It will allow our body to burn more fat and give us a flat stomach.

Interval training is a great way to increase our metabolism and make our body burn excess body fat. The short intense intervals allow our body to use more energy to help bring oxygen to the muscles. In doing so, the body must breakdown fat to fuel the increased muscle activity.

The intense interval training is so demanding on the muscles, the muscles end up burning more fat to repair, replenish and remove waste products from the muscles. This increased activity continues for several hours after the exercise session.

Rapid fat loss success is dependent upon reducing your stress, watching your diet and incorporating interval training into your exercise program. These factors will allow your body to kick-start its metabolism and make your body into a fat burning machine.

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Five Reasons for Yoga Instructors to Teach Chair Yoga

1) Your students truly benefit from it.

Your students will likely be either seniors or those with physical limitations. Especially in the case of someone that has not been exercising at all because of their condition, you will often see rapid improvements. Prospective students sometimes report feeling better after a single class.

Liz knew that she was on to something from that very first demonstration to the senior's group at our church. After the demo, one of the women rushed up to Liz and put her hands in Liz' hands. "Do you feel that?" she said, "my hands haven't felt warm in years!"

While we don't promise miracles (and neither should you!) we've seen chair yoga lower students' blood pressure, cause them to stop needing anti-anxiety medicine, allow them to sleep better, regain height, relieve the symptoms of chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and much more. Students' health care professionals will sometimes notice the difference chair yoga is making and ask what they are doing differently. Of course, the patient is always told to keep it up!

2) Your work will be truly appreciated and you'll hear about it, too.

You will often enjoy having people tell you about all the wonderful things that chair yoga has done to make them more comfortable, healthier, and happier.

Those of us that are younger and don't have a debilitating condition tend to take some things for granted. Chair yoga might help a person raise their arm above their heads to reach something, or turn their head back to check traffic, when they had lost the ability to do so. I think I'd be appreciative, too!

3) Millions of prospective students and growing daily.

I just saw a statistic that blew my mind - one baby boomer turns 50 every 8 seconds!

So much has been said about the value of marketing into the coming boom in baby boomer seniors that I shouldn't have to convince you. Besides, we can all see it happening right before our very eyes.

As a yoga instructor, adding chair yoga to your list of teaching skills is a good way to take advantage of this social phenomenon.

Baby boomers aren't much interested in retiring to sit back in a rocking chair and wait while their bodies deteriorate from disuse. So no matter what age or stage they are in, they will be seeking ways to keep themselves fit.

Baby boomers are more likely to consider alternate approaches to staying healthy than previous generations, so they will be much more likely to be receptive to the notion of practicing yoga. In fact, many will have some sort of prior experience with yoga, as we have seen.

The oldest of the boomers are just now turning 60, so it is a great time to get serious about teaching chair yoga!

4) There is an abundance of ready-made classes to find.

Most yoga classes come about in an organic fashion, adding one or two students at a time. But by teaching chair yoga, you can find yourself starting whole new classes with several customers all at once.

This is because you are often taking the yoga class to the people where they are already congregating. One of the biggest markets for chair yoga is seniors, and seniors are easy to find already in a group together.

Just where to go will vary depending on where you live, but here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about this:

o Retirement villages, retirement centers, assisted living centers, nursing homes

o Adult day care

o Seniors' groups at places of worship

o Community centers/Parks and recreation programs

o Fraternal organizations

o Libraries

o YMCA/YWCA

People suffering from particular ailments such as multiple sclerosis or arthritis tend to get together to help each other cope with the disease. All you have to do is find the organizations in your neighborhood that are addressing this need and approach them with the idea of helping the group practice chair yoga. Yoga has been shown to effectively ease the symptoms of many types of ailments, and yet few have anyplace to go where there is a yoga program appropriate for them.

With some brainstorming you can probably come up with a pretty good list appropriate for the circumstances in your community.

The beauty of approaching these groups is that you almost always are proposing to teach yoga to people that never imagined they'd be in a yoga class. That means you aren't competing with all the yoga teachers trying to capture classes out of the existing pool of practicing yogis and yoginis.

Just how you go about approaching these types of organizations is something that we go into detail about in our Yoga In Chairs teacher training intensives and the materials for the at-home training program.

5) Enjoy having loyal students.

There are many reasons why chair yoga students will be more loyal to you than students in your more traditional classes.

It is likely that they were introduced to yoga by you or by the leadership of the group they are in. Since they never had a notion to seek out yoga before, they will be much less inclined to look for alternative teachers in your area. Plus, as has already been noted, they probably don't have many other chair yoga programs to turn to, even if they wanted to have choices.

If you take the class to the students it is of course easy for them to participate every time you are there.

Most of your chair yoga customers will be mature people who know the value of being considered reliable. This means that when they make a commitment to participate in a program, they likely will follow through.

In fact, Liz' students typically call or email her if they are not able to come to class for some reason. She, in turn, contacts them if she notices they were absent from class, especially if it is longer than a few weeks. By simply staying in touch in an unobtrusive way she retains more students.

If you are a yoga instructor and you aren't already teaching chair yoga, you are encouraged to do so. Not only will you have more classes to teach, but also you will be making a REAL difference in the world.

Mark Franklin enjoys telling people about Liz Franklin's Yoga In Chairs? because he knows it is helping people live healthier, happier, and longer lives. If you are a yoga teacher and you want to find out how you can build your practice while doing some REAL good in the world teaching chair yoga, visit yogainchairs.com/teacher.asp yogainchairs.com/teacher.asp

Group Personal Training for Weight Loss - Cheap and Effective

All of us know that losing a few kilos to get back in shape is not an easy thing. In spite of all the diets, you still find out that you need to lose a little more weight to be able to wear your favorite pair of jeans. Exercise is a great way by which you can achieve the desired results but gyms and training centers have become so expensive that it has become difficult for the common man to afford. Do not despair; the best route to effective and cheap weight loss is group personal training.

Get together four or five of your friends and hire a personal trainer to help you lose weight. Personal training is much more effective to shed kilos than a large gym or aerobics class where you can get lost among the masses and not receive adequate attention. But in a small group, the trainer will be able to focus on each one of you and teach exercises specifically for your need. It is also much more cost effective as the total expense of hiring a trainer will be divided among the five of you.

A small group of close knit friends can also make the sessions interesting and exciting. You will no longer drag yourself to every exercise class but instead will be looking forward to this private time with your buddies to sweat out all the excess fat. Training in small groups can be fun with a lot of variety and interaction because you know all the people present and each one is interested in the welfare of the other.

While exercising in a large group, the trainer will always be a stranger who stands at the front of the class showing various steps and movements. But in a group personal training, the trainer becomes a close friend and will be able to understand your body type and exercise needs to lose the extra flab. He or she will be able to give you more attention depending on the problem area in your body and teach exercises for the same.

Another big advantage of group training is that it can motivate you to achieve your weight loss goals. It is much more fun and interesting to do exercises, aerobics or yoga with your family, friends or your loved one. There is never a dull moment and the frolic and laughter will also help you loosen up mentally and beat stress and tension. And with many of your friends training along with you, the chances of overindulging in excess food also goes away as everyone becomes conscious of their weight.

The growing trend of group personal training is because people have begun to realize the multiple benefits it can offer when it comes to losing weight effectively. Better focus and attention from the trainer, high motivation from friends and family and cost effectiveness are all reasons why more and more people are opting for this route to fitness and health. Now that you understood the benefits of group training, gather a few of your close buddies and get back in shape.

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Yoga - The Way to Serenity

Whenever you hear the word 'yoga' the association of relaxation pops into the mind. Yoga was originated way back in the era of the Indus Valley Civilization. The word yoga comes from the dictionary of Sanskrit and implies unity. Yoga gained its importance as it concentrated not only on the physical fitness of the body but its sciences also dealt with the most important organ of the body - the mind.

Yoga's power of harmonizing the body, mind and the spirit is extremely beneficial for the well-being of an individual. Yoga is therapeutic and helps the mind to handle panic and stress attacks with a flawless ease. Yoga improves the flexibility of the body and exercises all the joints and muscles which are usually ignored or looked over in other training programs. The various exercises patterns helps to enhance the body posture and also aid in increasing the resilience of the body.

Those who have complains of insomnia can benefit from yoga as it increases the duration of deep sleep. It also strengthens the immunity of the body and in some cases also warns the yogi of the forthcoming infection or disease so that preventive measures can be taken. Yoga has a positive psychological effect on the mind. It helps to increase the level of concentration and helps in coming terms with social conflicts. It helps in achieving self-actualization and satisfaction.

Yoga is centered on meditation, which means that a person can reach a level of calm and detachment where it is possible to disregard and ignore the surrounding negative happenings. The breathing exercises while meditating helps to increase the lung capacity of the body thus improving the performance level and preventing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Yoga is one of the best ways to lose weight effectively as it concentrates on the all of the body's muscles. Yoga improves the blood flow and flushes out waste and toxins from the body. It increases the life span of a person by providing greater elasticity to the spine and strengthening the muscles, thus preventing them from rapid wear and tear. Yoga also helps to prevent arthritis and osteoporosis by keeping the bones in great shape.

Yoga is also said to be a natural healer. It has the ability to ease multiple disorders such as asthma, constipation, backache, migraines and indigestion. It also regulates the blood pressure and body temperature of the body. It also improves the vision and cures sinus to a certain level.

Yoga adds years to your life and takes age from your face. The positive outlook and attitude helps to bear an evergreen appearance throughout your life. It boosts the confidence level and tends to increase vitality. The zest to lead a better and quality life increases and the yogi experiences a positive change in his profile. It also makes the person more fearless and empowers him to overcome the daily obstacles effortlessly. Yoga should be practiced under the tutorage of a teacher or a video before attempting to do it alone as subtle mistakes can cause various disorders.

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Lovely Places to Learn to Teach Yoga

What a contrast! A peaceful, spiritual activity such as Yoga performed, even taught on a loud, buzzing and energetic party island that is Ibiza. Well, firstly, it's absolutely true and secondly it is not as ridiculous as it may seem. If you have ever heard of Koh Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand, you will know that it is famous for its wild full-moon parties, rife with hard and soft drugs, and strong local whisky mixed with Red Bull. Well, in fact, this madness only happens every two to four weeks (they also have new-moon parties, which are not as big) and only happens on a small peninsular at the South West tip of the island. For the rest of the month, Koh Pha Ngan's party beaches are quite peaceful, and the rest of the place is serene and unaffected all year round. It's an ideal place to take the family, have a romantic break, or lose yourself in your own company on a deserted beach. However, I digress. This is about Ibiza and learning Yoga there.

Ibiza is about twice the size of Koh Pha Ngan in Thailand and, as everyone should know, is located in the West of the Mediterranean Sea. Yes, it has a reputation as a hub for party goers aged between 17 and about 30, but there is a lot more to it than that. Its size, and party revellers' apparent inability to travel far from wherever they finish drinking or dancing and to wherever they fall in an unconscious heap allow Ibiza to offer so much more than what most of us are aware of. Now, some may question the likeliness of a person who is keen on Yoga going to such a place as Ibiza, but there are plenty of reasons, opportunities and evidence. Yoga is a wonderful way to wind down and clear one's mind (and possibly one's) body of the nasty things that a night out can inflict. However, there are valid professional reasons to go there and perform Yoga, too. For example, someone who has already completed level one as a Yoga instructor, say in Nepal or other parts of Asia may be looking for somewhere nearer to home or a different climate to do the 300 hour course for level two.

yogi-nomad.org/yoga_ttc_teacher_training.html Learn to Teach Yoga in Ibiza (Yoga TTC), and you will become certified and proficient within just a few weeks. The best training centres will accommodate you within their complex and keep class sizes down to a maximum of twenty students to ensure the personal touch.

It really is a wonderful island, there are always good deals for flights to get there, and the quieter parts of the island are as idyllic as you can ask for anywhere with an airport. Now, Yoga enthusiasts can learn to improve their skills, become a level one teacher, or make the step from level one to level two all in Ibiza, Spain.

Poom Morgan. My passions include travelling, yoga, reading and languages.

yogi-nomad.org Yoga teacher training with Yogi Nomad.

Tapering For a Triathlon

You may have been training for weeks or months already, but now it is 2 weeks before your race and it's time to think about resting. Many triathletes find this more difficult than swimming 5,000 yards, biking the hills, or running a half marathon!

Here are some things to keep in mind if you are beginning your taper or rest period before your race.

1. Do longer warmups and warmdowns. You can keep your distance up, but start to add more to the beginning and end portion of your workout. This 'active rest' will assure that you are well rested for your race but not out of shape.

2. Avoid big meals and sugar. Tapering is an adjustment for your body, and your immune system may not be as strong during this time. Big meals and carbohydrates like sugar will wear your immune system and leave you susceptible to colds and flus. Keep in mind that as your workout intensity decreases, you must decrease calorie intake accordingly.

3. Get as much sleep as you can before midnight. Ideally, get to bed by 10:30. The sleep you get before midnight is the most crucial to your recovery. You will feel more rested if you can do this for at least 2 weeks before your event.

4. Lay off the strength training. This is more of an individual call (some people feel better if they are doing some strength work all the way up until the event, others will be too broken down unless they take a good 2 weeks off), but at the minimum, you should go lighter in the weeks leading up to your event.

5. Avoid caffeine. It may be tough if you are a coffee addict, but 2 weeks of not having that morning cup will give you more natural energy for your race. Take it from 6-time Ironman champion Mark Allen- he practiced this for every race and it worked pretty well for him!

6. Increase your meditation or yoga. Less time working out means more time to prepare mentally! If you don't do yoga already, don't start now. However, find some quiet time during the day to get away from work and working out to clear your mind. Think about how easy that swim will be since you are well-prepared with Tri Swim Coach!

7. You will have more energy during your rest or taper period. Don't be tempted to use it! Save it for your event and you will be glad you did.

Have a great race!

Kevin operates the website TriSwimCoach.com TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled ?The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming? which is sold on his website in downloadable form at triswimcoach.com triswimcoach.com.

Yoga Visualization for Empowerment - Mental Imagery and Think Tanks

Does the concept of Yogic visualization, seem like wishful thinking? Do you think mental imagery is much like a "pipe dream?" Does Yogic visualization seem more philosophical and less practical?

Philosophers tend to be under appreciated in their own time. Socrates, Patanjali, and Plato, were recognized by their contemporaries, but, in each case, their works have become more admired as time goes on, because they were so far ahead of their time.

Albert Einstein will be remembered as a theoretical physicist, but his mental imagery has become our reality. Ideas, which he had on the "drawing board," have come true. This has also happened in the case of great inventors.

How does mental imagery become reality? Thoughts are energy, which start in your brain and affect your surroundings. This is not magic, but man has created his own reality. Technology, Yoga, architecture, transportation, and medicine, are just a few of the many realities mankind has built upon over centuries with collective thoughts.

This is why a "think tank," composed of compatible people, is such a powerful group; especially if they have leadership. With an organized group, it is easier to form a detailed vision or plan. For a think tank to be successful there must be a state of harmony within the group.

With that said, a harmonious group, which works together, and attains its objectives, has a "blue print" to a successful outcome, even if a few hurdles are on the path. They do not focus on failure or what could go wrong. Instead they focus on problem solving skills. Throughout history, this has been the formula for success in peace talks and the constant advancement of technology.

Therefore, groups of "like minded" Yogis have continued to produce a constructive science of life for generations to come.

© Copyright 2007 - 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. riyoga.com riyoga.com

He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html