Yoga Exercise - How I Changed From Feeling So Tired to Feeling Good

It's past my bedtime I'm feeling so tired; and I've decided to use some yoga exercises and techniques to change to a feeling good state so I can complete this article. I also want to finish the writing in the shortest time ever. My strategy is:

1. Energize with stronger breathing

2. Posture - sit well to increase alertness

3. Self Talk - remind myself that it is possible

4. Accept Imperfections - go easy on me

Breathing - I chose a technique called Kapalabhati which means shining skull. It's a powerful exhalation and a passive inhalation, that kind of sounds like a choo-choo train. This technique can be practiced for 5 minutes. I practice for just 10 seconds with a steady gentle rhythm. It is enough. I feel more alive instantly. This is a cleansing breath and good to do if you feel you are getting a cold. I've practiced another round of ten powerful exhalations and will probably do another before the article is finished.

Posture - I've planted both feet on the ground, and am sitting up tall. I feel strong. My body feels solid. There's a bit of discomfort at my left shoulder blade, so I twist a bit to see if it would make a difference. The discomfort is planning on staying. Perhaps a soak in the tub will help. I catch myself crossing ankles and uncross them. When both feet are firmly on the ground, there's an increase of mental and physical stability and determination.

Self Talk - With the intention set to encourage myself, the mind got the message and is cooperating. Focus is here and I'm moving through the article with great ease. I appreciate that the mind is staying on track at this time. The technique of setting the intention is a powerful one. I was quite clear and determined that it is possible to write quickly, and somehow must have believed that my goal could be achieved even more than I realized. I've been wanting to increase my efficiency for a few days now.

Accept Imperfections - There's an energy sapper - always wanting perfection. Precious time and energy spent making sure every 'i' has a dot and every 't' crossed. I did it again. Went back to the top and made an improvement, only one, then I caught myself. Deep breaths. It takes time to change habits. I accept this imperfection - that I want the article to be clearer and clearer. Of course, it can always be better. I love and accept myself as I am, and am learning to let go of the desire to be perfect.

There, it's done. I am still alert. My feet are crossed. I uncross them. My posture is upright. My mind is still. Time for bed. The discomfort in my shoulder blade is practically gone.

May you learn ways to move from a feeling so tired state to a feeling good state, whether through yoga exercises or some other form of self care.

And now, I'd like to invite you to claim your free download of guided relaxation and information on other healing strategies when you visit yogatogo.com yogatogo.com and please sign up for our newsletter if you'd like more tips for your healing journey.
From Heather Greaves - the Self Care Expert and Body Therapies Yoga Training

Relaxing Into Your Workout: Yoga for Weight Loss

Once again, you see that there is a specific diet that is known to solve all your problems. Of course, it comes from a new state, has a new name, and works by eliminating all of those things you don't need to stay healthy. You've heard it before, and you know that you will hear it again.

If you are not interested in knowing about the latest fad diet, why not turn to a program that has been used for centuries? Yoga for weight loss is a method that has been used to repair your body into a natural state and help to develop every area of your body. If you want to find a relaxing way to loose weight, as well as help with the overall health of your body, than understanding how Yoga works is a great place to begin.

When looking at Yoga as an exercise, one will be able to see that it is built for an overall increase in better body functioning. This doesn't stop with weight loss. It also includes strength training, flexibility, balance and help with internal health. Whether you are beginning new workout routines, or are a triathlon, Yoga is a recommended form of exercise to continue to push your body to new levels of balance and health.

Several of the exercises that are used for Yoga are designed to increase blood flow. As this circulation begins to change, it also begins to affect internal organs. There are a variety of inversion moves that are used in Yoga that specifically target on increasing circulation and working with internal organs. These all cause the digestive system to relax and shift. Many who use Yoga will refer to this as a massaging of the organs. Your body will begin to respond by detoxifying, or getting rid of the extra things that are in this part of your body. Over time, you will begin to feel the difference in your energy level, and notice the difference from the size of your clothing.

Not only will the blood flow begin to change to help with a cleansing of your internal organs, but there will also be a shift in cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat that is used for energy and is necessary for functioning. If there is too much stored in your system, it can cause weight gain. Yoga poses will allow the blood and oxygen to move around the areas in the internal system that has extra cholesterol. Over time, it will remove the extra cholesterol that you don't need; part of the detoxification process. If you have high cholesterol and practice Yoga daily, you will begin to see the improvements.

Moving beyond these direct affects for the body and weight loss in Yoga, are the other parts of the practice that can help to change the functioning of your body. Often times, weight gain is related to stressful factors in daily functioning and emotional overhauls that occur. Yoga begins with the breath first, and most of the poses are to be done at a slow pace. While you are twisting, you will also learn to relax. Combined with the physical effects of the movements, the mental charge behind this can help to support weight loss.

If you want to find the perfect exercise routine and not become involved in another diet fad, Yoga is a perfect solution. Among all of the other benefits that come with doing Yoga is the ability for it to pose your body into the shape that you want. No matter what your size, Yoga for weight loss can become a perfect fit.

Julie Health writes about anti-aging anti-aging-products.biz health reviews of products at anti-aging-products.biz anti-aging-products.biz If you're interested, you can also learn more anti-aging-products.biz/category/anti-aging-exercise anti-aging exercises to look young.

How To Get Super Healthy - Go Holistic - Five Areas To Look At

Ok, so what does it mean to be super healthy? Is it to get muscular, or fit, or just to get your abs out? A lot of this type of physical-only goal is pushed by the media these days, but are the models in the photos really super-healthy? Well, maybe, and maybe not. A lot of how good the body looks can be down to genetics, and underneath the rippling abs, a whole host of problems might be brewing. To get super-healthy, you have to look at several areas, and not all just to do with the body.

Surely you can't be super-healthy without being happy and well adjusted too? Emotional states have a huge impact on our physical wellbeing, and taking it a step further, paying attention to your spiritual side will make a great deal of difference too.

All these areas are interconnected, and to ignore one of them on your quest to be super healthy might be setting you up for failure. Too much emphasis is placed these days on just the physical side of health that the quest for the perfect body can actually unbalance more than it balances.

So let's have a look at the top five areas to pay attention to...?

1. Diet

Naturally, you need to eat the right foods, but what are these 'right foods'? Everyone seems to disagree! Well, what you need to do is to find out which foods are the right ones for you, and sometimes even these foods can change from season to season, or depending on whether you need to correct an imbalance, for example. "Oh, no!" I hear you say in despair, "Now it's even harder!"

Well, not really. You need to develop your intuition about what's right for you, and there are a few places you can start. Firstly, you can find out your Ayurvedic body type, and once you know that you will have thousands of years of wisdom behind you in the simple Ayurvedic systems of how to classify foods etc, and picking the right ones for your body type becomes far easier.

Another area worth looking at is blood type diets. There are many sources of knowledge on this subject, and it can give vital clues about which foods might be causing sensitivities that are keeping you from your optimal health.

Thirdly, especially if you are looking to correct an imbalance, a good theory to keep in mind is making sure you are alkalising the body by eating enough fresh raw foods. Again, there are many sources of wisdom out there for this.

Finally, don't forget to sleep enough, and to hydrate the body! Drink loads, and not just juices and energy drinks, which can contain all sorts of sugars and chemicals. All you need is fresh water!

2. Exercise

Naturally, we all need to exercise, but which exercise and how much? Again, Ayurveda can help here by advising the right kind/amount of exercise for each body type.

Generally though, you should combine some sort of gentle cardio routine (even walking is fine) with some sprints, as the human body was designed to move, not sit in front of the TV. Sprints raise the heart rate, and, combined with walking, mimic how the human body used to be used for hunting and tracking prey. It's what we were designed for.

You should also do some resistance training, either with body weight exercises at home or free weights at the gym. Don't be afraid to lift heavy with abbreviated routines like a powerlifter - they work better than all the fancy machines and pink dumbbells designed to raise gym membership, not fitness.

Finally, stretching is a very important component of exercise. Adding some basic yoga into your daily practice can work miracles, as can the amazingly gentle but effective Hanna Somatic Movement exercises. Correct stretching goes far beyond just making the body more supple; it balances so many subtle energies, which, if out of balance, can lead to all sorts of imbalances and disease.

3. Emotional Health

To be truly healthy, you need to be emotionally healthy. This is often made or broken at home in our relationships with our loved ones. It's far too complicated a subject to go into here, but there are a couple of points to watch out for...

Usually the stresses you have about others are far more likely to be down to your own attitudes and the whole process of blaming others for your misfortune. Rather than being a sign of weakness, or embarrassing, it's actually really liberating to be able to admit you're wrong! It means you can fix all your own problems without having to wait for others to do it for you (which they probably never will).

Then it will be easier to go onto another important point - take some time to appreciate what you have every day rather than complaining about what's wrong with your life. You might well be amazed at just how lucky you already are!

Finally, and really importantly - have a sense of humour. It's a hilarious world if looked at with the right attitude, and that attitude alone can go a long way towards banishing stress. Not everything is deadly serious!

4. Sexual Health.

Now, this is a delicate area that some might be surprised I'm even mentioning, but at the risk of being called a wacko, sexual health is a huge component of our general health. You only have to look at how sex sells everything these days to know just how important it is to us.

However, oddly, it's an area that we don't often want to discuss, but that doesn't make it any less true that a balanced sexuality is very important.

So what is a balanced sexuality? Well, being at ease with your own body and your sexual preferences is of course a start, but there are so many other powerful uses for your sexual energy.

In the Tantric and Taoist texts, sexual energy can be harnessed and used for all manner of health reasons and spiritual growth. Both schools teach the importance of women as perhaps the most powerful sexual beings, and discourage the view that males are the instigators and 'aggressors' sexually. The teachings show not how to 'conquer' a mate, but how to merge with him/her and incorporate this in your spiritual practice too.

A well-publicised aspect of this is the retention of semen by males, and not ejaculating every time they have sex. Well, this would be unthinkable to most males these days, but it is a very powerful technique. Bear with me...

Have you noticed how desire and energy goes down drastically after an orgasm? This gives rise to the old scenario of the man rolling over and going to sleep as soon as he's finished. Well, if you hold onto that powerful semen for a few lovemaking sessions, you will be surprised not only at your own increase in energy levels, but at the subtle feelings of love and affection it maintains for your partner, even long after you have left the bedroom.

Call me nuts, but if men ejaculated less often you might just find that they are not only healthier, but that they love and appreciate their partners more! And of course, having more energy in the bedroom can only please your partner, which of course means more great sex, which everyone wants. So everyone's a winner!

5. Spirituality

Again, far too big a subject to go into in detail about here, so I will only briefly touch on it, even though it's my favourite component of health to concentrate on, and definitely the most powerful. It's also the most frequently ignored, which is a shame as it is the king of techniques for good health, even making all the others more powerful.

Far be it from me to tell you what you should be doing spiritually, but do take time to find what's right for you, and what appeals. It's not about religion, or even organised spiritual or meditation movements (in fact I advise against them) - just find your own connection with the universe, which can be as simple as taking a walk on your own and sitting in front of a beautiful sunset, or just sitting quietly and seeing what comes up.

Learning to meditate is very useful of course, as is reading inspirational books. If I had to recommend one author, I'd say look into the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, who has a way of getting close to the truth with very simple words, and whose advice and techniques are not designed for any particular race or religion - a true independent sage!

Good luck!

Philip Escott, author of 'Pure Activity: Eat Better - Exercise Better - Feel Better', in partnership with Hanna Somatics Educator Brian Ingle N.D, D.O., invites you to visit the following link for FREE videos and newsletter and to find out more about how the combination of Ayurvedic diet and exercise and Somatic Movement Education can supercharge your health and fitness...
holistic.pureactivity.com holistic.pureactivity.com/

Teaching Yoga - A Conflict With Superiority

Generally speaking, Yoga teachers are some of the most giving people I have ever met. In local communities, every Yoga instructor can attest to how many times they are asked to give away their services for a community-related cause.

A local hospital, school, nursing home, or homeless shelter may desperately need our teaching services, but the funds may not be available, even in good economic times. Yet, the requests never seem to end; and there are times when it is not humanly possible to fulfill every request.

Selfless service is part of our education in happinesslifetime.com Yoga teacher training courses. It may even be part of a Yoga teacher's inner being. Working for the benefit of others is called: "Seva;" and as teachers, we have become familiar with the action of it. Seva is not merely a word, but a Yogic principle that each of us has experienced by applying it toward life.

In life, many people are taught to strive to be noble in actions and to maintain high standards of character and ethics. Granted, there are some people who strive to be superior to others. Yet, the ultimate Yogic superiority is to constantly improve one's character from within.

Therefore, character development is a core principle within all forms of Yoga. If we put others down because of their physical condition, diet, or behavior, what message are we giving others about Yogic principles? The best way to help others is to lead by example. If we represent ourselves as superior to others, then the public perception of Yoga becomes no different than that of a competitive sport.

The best way to make the public aware of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits of Yoga practice is to have a flyer or pamphlet prepared, which demonstrates actual cases where people's lives were improved. Explain the technique and benefits of Yoga in simple terms.

The point is that some of the complicated explanations about every Yoga technique are completely confusing to people who have never been a part of a formal session. Beside the fact that most teachers need prepared literature, about the benefits of our practice, we should also have a short statement ready for people who are not familiar with Yoga.

One good example would be a family physician, who contacts you about Yoga for his or her patients. How would you explain what Yoga is and what the benefits are in three sentences? It might seem that you need more than a few sentences to describe Yoga and how people can benefit from the practice; however, in the real world, time is short. You may never get a second chance to explain what you do.

? Copyright 2010 - 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.org/index.html 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/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Getting Back to Working Out - Start Out Slowly

If you haven't been exercising for awhile and you've decided to get back at it, the best thing you can do is start slowly. Don't start with going to the gym every day and doing aerobics or weight lifting because you won't last long. You will probably get overwhelmed and give up.

If you have been sitting too much on the couch watching TV or at your computer then your muscles may have been losing some of their strength. So before you get started on an intense exercise regime, you need to rebuild your muscles.

Start by walking for thirty days, every day for 30 minutes. You can do the full 30 minutes all at once or break it up into 10 minute increments. If you don't have a gym membership or a treadmill at home you can simply walk around your neighborhood. This is a great way to get some fresh air and get out into your community. You never know what interesting sights you might see or a neighbor you might meet along the way.

If you don't want to do your walking outside you might want to consider a rebounder (min-trampoline). Spending just 10 minutes a day on a rebounder can help you feel less tense, sleep better and is a great low impact aerobic exercise. Rebounding has many benefits including helping to detoxify the body, stimulate the metabolism, increases muscle tone and normalizes blood pressure.

If you follow this plan for the full thirty days you will be able to see a difference. You might find that you have more energy or that you are sleeping better at night. This is a great place to start and once you have some of your muscle strength back you can start adding strength building exercises.

You will not want to start going full tilt at strength training after the thirty days is over either. Just add strength training to your exercise plan every other day for the next thirty days.

You might want to try Pilates to work out your core muscles or get down on your yoga mat and do some crunches to work on your abs or work on your legs with some squats or lunges. Then, over the next thirty days you will want to start weight lifting for your arms, shoulders and chest.

After this you are ready for heavy duty aerobics, kick boxing or another vigorous form of exercise that you like. You will be more successful with this program because you have set yourself up to win.

Now, go put on those walking shoes!

Weight loss and keeping the weight off is possible if you have the right tools and more importantly the right frame of mind. It's not just about eating and exercise. For more information and weight loss and exercise check out myweightlossjourney.more-health-today.com My Weight Loss Journey.

Stretching - The Benefits

The body is designed to be flexible. It is designed to allow you to be able to bend down and pick something up, reach behind you to zip, button and tie clothing and allows you to reach up to grab something above your head.

These types of activities are done every day and you do not even think of what goes into these simple activities. There is nothing special about them they are simple daily movements. However, if you find you have difficulties with any of these activities you may already be in need of a stretching program.

Stretching - What Is It?

Stretching is simply the basic extension of any muscle or all muscles within the body. Any activity that involves stretching will involve the extension of your limbs.

How It Is Done

Stretching is one of the easiest activities to do. You can do activities involving stretching at any age and can do it through normal daily activities or through a special exercise program.

The extent the body stretching varies. For example, an older person is generally not as flexible as a younger person is because as you age muscles tend to tighten. This minimizes the range of motion that the joints have and can prevent you from doing the types of activities you want to do. This is why it is important, as you get older to add a stretching routine to your daily exercise routine.

Stretches are simple enough that they can be done every day, included in any lifestyle, and can easily become a part of daily activities. It does not require a lot of time.

When training, stretching is especially important. It is an integral part of any type of training. They help to prepare your muscles for the heavier activity of standard exercise and it is important that they be done first.

The majority of athletes are required to stretch before playing and often employ one of the easiest stretching techniques. This technique involves sitting on the ground, legs spread and reaching for your toes.

Ideally, stretching should be done for no more than 10 minutes. This gives you enough time to warm up the muscles and get them flexible without tiring the body out.

It is not advisable to go beyond 10 minutes, exercising using a stretching program for 30 minutes can tire muscles. Most stretching exercises are designed to assist individuals in preparing their bodies before more strenuous workouts or activities. It is important to balance warming the muscles up and making them more flexible with exercising them to the point of weariness.

The Benefits

1. Range of Movement Increases: The consistent application of stretching to the muscles allows the overall length of the tendons and muscles to increase. An increased range of motion can help to ensure that injury does not occur when you exercise or participate in strenuous activities.

2. Increase in the Skills You Can Perform: When your body can do more things, you are able to do more. As you increase your range of motion the number of and intensity of activities you can do increase. Stretching allows you to have a lifestyle filled with more activity.

3. Prevention of Injury: Stretching helps to prevent injuries to muscles, tendons and joints. Well-stretched tendons and muscles help decrease the soreness that is often felt after a workout and can help speed recovery when muscles and tendons are damaged. When stretched the muscles of the body are also able to handle heavier demands with less chance of becoming injured in the process.

4. Reduction of Muscle Tension: Muscle tension causes numerous problems, when you stretch you are less likely to have muscle pain. It is also less likely that the muscles will tighten and contract because they are being regularly worked.

5. Energy Enhancement: One of the benefits to exercise is an increase in the overall energy you have. Most people tend to increase their level of activity when they have more energy.

6. The Healthy Benefit of Cholesterol Reduction: Prolonged stretching exercises, like those done in yoga, have been shown to help reduce cholesterol within the body. This is done in conjunction with a healthy diet and helps to reduce the hardening of arteries, which can help, reduce your chance of heart related diseases.

Not much is required to make use of the benefits that stretching provides. It is an easy activity that can be done just about anywhere in a short amount of time. It helps to provide numerous benefits and helps you to complete routine daily activities with ease.

To learn more about health and fitness see foreverhealthywealthywise.com foreverhealthywealthywise.com
healthyandhappy.co.uk healthyandhappy.co.uk

$1000 Gift - Paying it Forward Again and Again - Celebrating the Abundant Nature of the Universe!

Last year, I received a satchel full of money on the front steps at my home. When that money arrived, I actually was out of town but my son called me and said "There was a lot of money left at the front door with a note." When, I returned home I was touched by the note, which read, "Thank you for all you do for the world." I immediately placed all of this money into my sacred fund, which is used for those in need or service projects. I continue to replenish this fund with gifts from my sacred work - when it brings gifts of monetary value the money immediately goes into a fund. This has enabled me to grow the initial gift from the universe of $1000, since then, I have attracted and given back at least two to three times this. The abundance just keeps going out to the world and keeps coming back to me. Which, I keep the abundance flowing and continue to pay it forward again and again. The actual amount is irrelevant to me - it is more important for me to keep the cycle going.

Initially, I quickly distributed some of the funds to a local charity, passing it on to kids selling candy, I put $200 dollars under a sleeping homeless person's head, I bought a friend a necklace that she could not afford and gifted it to her anonymously, paid for a group of ten do-gooders dinner, paid for a friends plan ticket to Los Angeles and gifted for some friends to enjoy some activities while we were on vacation. Then, a few weeks ago, my friend's boyfriend had an invitation to have dinner with an accomplished photographer and new he would need at least 100 dollars to dine with him. He did not want to spend the money but I knew it was important for him to go out with this photographer to connect and receive information and ideas from him. So, I gifted him the money asking him to pay it forward. The lesson for him was really about learning to receive because he did not want a hand out. After giving to him, I decided to pay attention and acknowledge what was sent back to me. I really wanted to recognize the abundance as it appeared in all shapes and sizes.

The next day, I was heading to Italy and upon my arrival, I had to jump on a train to Rome, I had this yoga bag filled with 3 mats and my flute, a hand carved Native American flute, I use it to bring people out of meditation. It has a very special place in my heart and was made with a lot of love. I had secured it to my luggage and left it parked by other bags on the train. Now, everyone has warned me of the thieves on the trains but I really do not like to feed into that negative energy. I always trust that which I am supposed to have with me will stay with me. After a wonderful talk with a young girl from China, we arrived in Rome, as I was leaving I noticed my bag had been moved and the yoga bag was no longer attached to the bag. My friends were relying on those mats for the next week during our yoga retreat. I knew I could do without and I realized that the universe had given me my wish, I had wished my load was going to be lighter while I traveled through Italy. I was actually already feeling too weighted down by that extra bag. I also knew that my flute which had to be the draw not three used yoga mats would soon find it self in someone's hands who would make beautiful melodies with it. As for person that took the bag must have needed some money and hopefully they would make the money they needed by selling my stuff or better yet start practicing yoga. Right there I noticed I had received the first gift of a lighter load which would help me shortly after departing the train.

As soon as I exited the hustling terminal, I was greeted by a bright eyed cab driver. The cab driver told me that I would not be able to walk to the hostel where I was going to meet my friend. Acknowledging that the streets filled with Italian chaos, I decided to trust and jumped into the taxi. I was very grateful as I quickly remembered how busy the streets of Rome are. Second gift - received a ride from a kind Italian man, he saved me a lot of potential frustration. Next, upon arrival to the hostel, Krista informed me that we were being moved across town back where I had come from to another hostel. I was really thankful I had one less thing to carry since we had to climb many flights of stairs. At the second hostel, they told us they were full. We were waiting with another gentleman who was experiencing the same situation as we were.

He was given the last room but we decided to wait in hopes that something would turn up. After waiting for about 15 minutes the gentleman said, "We are going to move you across the street. I will help you with your bag." Third and fourth gift, a room across the street and a man willing to lug my big bag for me. I was feeling very abundant and we were graciously put into a room with three other people. We quickly deposited our goods and headed out for dinner. Krista and I found this amazing Italian cafe and indulged in our first Italian meal together in Rome with a charming waiter at our service. He was so sweet to drive Krista and I back to our hostel that night. Fifth gift, free cab ride!

Finally, I must acknowledge the gifts kept coming during my entire trip in Italy, down to the universe creating enough space and time for me to leave my hotel in Rome at 8.20 am to make a flight at 9.40 am at an airport that is a 40-50 minute drive outside the city. I even had to check my heavy bag and go through customs. They also should have charged me for my heavy bag but since I was late she said there was no time for me to pay. Sixth and Seventh gift - made my flight and saved 50 Euro. All of these gifts do not have a specific value but if I put a value on any of them they would far exceed the 100 dollars I had given away. These gifts did not appear in an obvious manner; however, I recognized them every step of the way. When I returned from Italy, I received more money which has been added to my secret fund and I am ready to continue paying it forward. The saga continues as free economy continues to flourish in my little abode near the shore of Long Beach.

May you all continue to recognize how abundant the universe is and continue to PAY IT FORWARD!