Yoga in Practice - Enjoy Your Life Right Now

The motto of every Yoga session is "live in the moment." Many of us try to live for now, but we wait in anticipation for better weather to come, a bill to be paid off, or our soul mate to arrive. We might put tasks off and create a new method for wasting time. Let us look at taking our Yoga practice off the mat, and bring it into practical use for daily life and solve two common problems.

Anticipation: This is a wonderful human quality, based upon planning for the future. Yet, life should be enjoyed right now. It is good to have plans for the future, but never forget to enjoy this day. While looking at a long-term goal, it is easy to forget those who love us. Enjoy your friends and family each day - as if it was your last day on earth.

Even during happinesslifetime.com Yoga teacher training sessions, some interns become so fixated on completion of their work, that they realize later how much happiness they have missed. It is great to be focused, but we must allow ourselves to experience inner peace when an opportunity arises. A strong work ethic is a wonderful quality, but humans are not designed to be one dimensional.

How do you balance work and play? This is an age old question, but the keyword is "balance." We need to be moderate in every aspect of life. Work too hard and you run yourself down. Play too much and the world passes you by. The answer is: Live a moderate lifestyle and you will receive the best of both worlds.

Procrastination: This quality is often associated with laziness. We may see it in work most often. It is a method for getting rid of friends and making the world a smaller place for ourselves. Who wants to defend a co-worker, who puts off completing assignments? Who wants the added burden of extra work to make up for someone who never finishes his or her work?

On a personal note: How often do you hear someone say, "I'll practice Yoga after I lose 50 pounds?" In other words: This person will never practice any form of Yoga, but you can clearly see that Yoga practice would help the quality of his or her life. You may maintain a relationship with this person for life, but it is hard to watch someone put everything off, including the time each of us should invest in maintaining the quality of our health.

If we want to enjoy our life, we have a choice. Some of us enjoy life to our last day, while others look back, too far forward, at the stars, or sleep through it as if life was a boring movie. If we practice any form of Yoga long enough, we begin to realize the value of each precious moment.

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

Why Yoga? - Here's 7 of My Best Reasons

Don't know if yoga is right for you? Want to know what all the fuss is about? Think yoga is just a load of stretching?

Then, think again.

Yoga can be a physically challenging non-impact form of exercise that contains a cardio workout, core strength work, as well as targeting specific areas to sculpt the body and achieve dramatic results.

Yoga is a complete form of exercise, working the body inside & out. It provides a work out for your internal organs, stimulating your digestion & immune system, offering health benefits unlike any other exercise program.

A lot of importance is placed on the use of the breath & breathing techniques in yoga. These provide the body with renewed energy, de-toxing the body, increasing stamina, enabling you to achieve more than you possibly thought.

Working the mind, body & the breath simultaneously boosts focus, energy levels & mood.

Some of the benefits students can expect are increased flexibility, muscle tone, weight loss, improved posture & general well-being.

Here are my 7 top reasons to practice yoga.

1. Posture - Our sedentary lifestyles contribute greatly to muscle weaknesses or imbalances in the body, creating poor posture. Abnormal flattening or curving in the spine commonly develops into common issues such as kyphosis & lordosis, and pain syndromes such as headaches, joint injury, muscle strain and disc problems. Re-learning optimal alignment in the body can relieve many pain syndromes, improve mood, relieve pressure on internal organs & body function. The asanas (poses) within a structured yoga practice work together

2. Weight management - Not only is the physical exercise itself a benefit to weight loss by burning calories, but the psychological benefits of the practice of yoga can reduce stress & lower cortisol levels; major factors in weight retention. The "mindfulness" that yoga promotes teaches us to control our mind, rather than the mind controlling us, helping us to deal with food cravings or emotional eating habit, such self-awareness also makes us more conscious of our bodies, and about what we put in it, how it feels after eating bad foods, and what the body needs nutritionally. Correcting postural issues through yoga can also affect where the body retains weight. As the posture is corrected it enables us to lose stubborn fat in key areas. Furthermore, asanas (poses) such as sarvangasana/ the shoulderstand can stimulate the thyroid gland. A sluggish, or underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) is a major cause of weight gain.

3. Breath - Yoga teaches the individual to breathe more fully. Most people tend to breathe paradoxically or poorly. Clavicular breathing (the shoulders & collarbone are raised, and the stomach contracts on the inhalation) is shallow, and creates tension in the shoulder, neck and upper chest. The deeper breathing techniques in yoga promote relaxation, core engagement, increases lung capacity, triggers the body's relaxation responses & can help lower blood pressure.

The deeper breathing techniques used in yoga also promote good posture. It is difficult to breathe fully when slumped over. However, when the shoulder blades are pulled back, and the spine erect, there is lightness in the abdominal area and we can breathe more deeply. Learning to breathe correctly can banish problems such as insomnia & depression.

4. Flexibility - Yoga helps increase flexibility and mobility, strengthening the body in a wide range of motion, stretching ligaments & lubricating joints. The sun salutes move the spine in various directions and promotes flexibility. As a muscle group tightens, this can pull the body out of alignment, creating weakness in opposing muscles, leaving us prone to injury & pain issues. Opening out the body allows the blood to flow freely, aiding the body self-reparation mechanisms, and encouraging blood flow to the body's vital organs, and moving oxygenated blood to the body's cells more efficiently.

5. Muscular & strength training - Yoga uses the whole body, activating all the key muscle groups. Yoga stimulates the muscles, strengthening and then stretching. Because yoga helps the blood & oxygen flow into the muscles, it flushes out the excess lactic acid which causes muscle soreness & stiffness. Holding poses increases the muscular endurance. Many of the movements & poses in yoga offer total body conditioning, and encourage the body to work effectively in different angles. Poses such as plank are taking the full body weight on just the hands & toes, and some of the key balances, such as crow/bakasana are performed on the hands alone.

6. Stress Relief - Yoga can reduce both the psychological & physiological effects of stress. By encouraging relaxation, yoga reduces raised cortisol (stress hormone) levels, lowers blood pressure & heart rate. It can also bolster the immune system which is negatively affected by stress, aid digestion, better sleep, reduce anxiety, depression, alleviate fatigue and insomnia, promoting a sense of general well-being & inner peace.

7. Cardiovascular conditioning - The sun salutes are the warm-up at the beginning of a yoga practice, they alone can be a cardio-vascular work out. Further benefits of yoga are its ability to lower blood pressure & resting heart rate, increased endurance & improve the uptake of oxygen during any form of exercise.

There are so many positive effects on both mind & body health with yoga, but these are some of the key benefits for me. Yoga is a total workout, promoting general health throughout the whole of the body. So maybe it's time to rethink that yoga is not for you. Call your local yoga teacher now & book your first class.

Julie Winterton is a Level 2 Health Coach, Yoga Siromani & Kinetic Chain Assessment Specialist at the Dax Moy Personal Training Studios, Islington, London

[daxmoy-pts.co.uk]

Total Fitness is Easier Then You Think

While total fitness may sound like a huge commitment require hours and hours of exercise time, it's really not. What it is really about is balance. Not the balance beam kind of balance, but more the balanced nutrition kind of balance. It means doing a variety of different exercise that have different goals in mind. Instead of just focusing on muscle mass, or cardio, or flexibility, total fitness means devoting a little time to each of these categories. While chances are that a single focused workout will have components of all these categories, the single focused work out really only focuses heavily on one thing. Total fitness workouts however are great for preparing you physically and mentally for participating in a wider range of sports and physical activities.

Total Fitness Road Map

It's not complicated to modify your current workout to transform it into a total fitness workout. All you need to do, is find a little balance. The easiest way to do this, is to focus on one component of your total fitness workout each time you exercise. If you exercise say three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), as many do, you could do a strength workout on Monday, a cardio workout on Wednesday, and a flexibility workout on Friday. Of course if you workout more than 3 days a week, then you can just alternate each day with a different type of workout. Alternating workout types, allows muscles you use for one type of workout to recover while you work a new group of muscles with a different workout type.

A Little Heavy Breathing

When many people think of cardio workouts, they often thing of aerobics classes. While that is certainly a great workout, there are plenty of others as well. Many sports such as swimming, soccer, basketball, and squash are great forcardio. As well they can make exercising fun, and provide social interaction particularly with sports that are team based. If you prefer the structured class approach, there are a great variety of classes available these days, such as spinning and step exercise programs. Check with your local fitness club, to see what they offer.

Mountains Of Muscle

Whether you goal is to look like a champion body builder, or simply get stronger, your going to be lifting weights of some kind. Good fitness clubs should have a variety of lifting andresistance machines to build muscle mass and make you stronger. Often, they will have an introductory session for members who are unfamiliar with the machines. Doing weight training the right way, is safer for you, and will get you good results faster. So, if your not sure about how it works, be sure to ask.

Stretching Things Out

This is the one are that is often neglected by many. As you get older, this is probably one of the most important things you can do though. Good flexibility gives you the ability to do a wider variety of other physical activities, as well it helps reduce injuries when participating in sports. Yoga and Pilates are two excellent ways to achieve this component of your total fitness workout.

Achieving total fitness, is not really that hard, and like anything else, it gets easier with practice. The nice thing about each of these components, is that they compliment each other. The more flexible you get, the easier it gets to become stronger. The stronger you get, the easier it is to run that extra mile. Time to get started.

Check out this squidoo.com/strengthtraininganatomy cheap strength training system and a few other fitnessbyliz.com fitness tips.

ASANAS - The Principles and Practice

The third stage of our conscious growth as an individual beyond physical and emotional awareness and control, is that of adopting a mental attitude to life that will steer us through the adventures and trials ahead. We choose to assume an attitude or philosophy that influences our whole being. It is not imposed from without but directed from within by inner intuition of our soul.

The attitude we take will determine our life course and test our wisdom in all manner of circumstances. A positive attitude gives us power to react in good and bad fortune and to choose to be cheerful in spite of all circumstances. A negative attitude can obstruct our enjoyment of life and snuff out the spirit of others around us.

The system of Asanas was developed through understanding that the attitude of the body affects the mind just as a mental attitude is reflected in the physical stance or position taken. "Body language" is a modern term for a new awareness of an ancient understanding.

To enable flexibility in assuming any attitude desired, the yogic system developed a complete repertoire of 84 positions of the body to be used in assisting co-operation of mind and body towards the one goal. Some of these body positions make us aware of all the evolved musculature that results in human form, from postures such as the "fish" to the other stages of the amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Others are designed to represent special qualities of human nature and even supreme spiritual ones, as represented by the gods.

The basic benefit of the system of 84 positions is to encourage perfect physiological function and health considered complete in order to maintain perfect physiological function and health care. Then the corresponding mental qualities are studied to help us adjust psychological states. For example, to begin with the simplest, the good standing posture or correct upright stance known as Tadasana. Assuming the posture makes it easier to feel mentally free of problems, naturally proud and self confident.

Other Asanas, once they are physically mastered, allow us to integrate the related mental characteristics.

Many of the Asanas taught in training programmes and classwork offer benefits to physical and mental health enough to satisfy students' needs. There are fewer who wish to learn the full range of Asanas as this demands quiet persistence in training over many years.

It should be borne in mind when practising Asanas that each position is designed for a specific purpose upon which to focus one's thought. Should the Asanas become a mere performance of physical skills, the spirit of these wonderful Yogic teachings is lost.

Sally Janssen is a writer, and Yoga teacher well known both in Australia and abroad for her skill in demonstration of the Hatha Yoga practices and her wisdom in applying the principles of Raja Yoga -the study of the mind and consciousness. More details at essence-of-yoga.net essence-of-yoga.net
Her book "Mental Fitness: A Complete Self-help Guide" explains the principles of mental fitness that can be applied by us all. The teachings may be found here: mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog.

How Should Meditation Be Covered During a Yoga Teacher Certification Course?

To a beginner, meditation might be the most difficult concept to comprehend. Most students, of Yoga, become proficient at asana and pranayama with practice, but struggle with the ability to meditate. Yoga teachers often mention the importance of practicing meditation at home, but students often "put it off."

The deeper issues of meditation are - training the mind, relaxing the mind, focusing the mind, and learning to be at peace with oneself. The first struggle with meditation is usually based on judgment of oneself.

The last four limbs (Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi) of the Eight Limbed Path all have something to do with meditation. Pratyahara is the the ability to withdraw senses and focus. Dharana is one pointed focus on an object. Dhyana is meditation without an object. Samadhi is complete emersion in a blissful state of meditation.

Although each of the above-mentioned limbs of Yoga deserves more than a simplistic explanation - suffice to say, each of them relates to meditation. Without meditation, Yoga is just an exercise class. This is why Maharishi Patanjali points us toward the Eight Limbed Path.

If you do not train your mind, you will never achieve self-mastery. Consider the most elite golfer. This person has complete mental focus on a physical task. The ability to make a crucial putt is, at least, half mental. Some professional golfers would tell you that golf is purely a mind and body game.

Now, I do not think Maharishi Patanjali was concerned with improving your "handicap," but he knew meditation was the gateway to success, bliss, and enlightenment. The mind has the power to be your worst enemy or your best friend. A trained mind is your personal pass to a life of happiness.

With all this said, meditation cannot be forced. It requires daily practice; and then one day, it just happens. For those who struggle with meditation, I recommend private lessons with a competent Yoga teacher, Guru, or Swami. Daily practice is required to get the most out of your meditation sessions.

Yoga teacher graduates should know, at least, four methods of meditation. Some typical examples would be: Breath Awareness, Visualization without a Physical Object, Mantra, and Focusing on an Object. Some of your students will be able to grasp one of these concepts, but may struggle with the other three.

This is fine, as long as they learn one method. Every method, of meditation, leads toward Samadhi. Most people do not realize that each gateway of meditation has the same end.

© 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

Possibilities for Naturopathic Career Training

There are many different opportunities for students who have made the decision to obtain a higher education from a naturopathic school or college. Once the decision has been made to enter this field, students can choose the career training path that meets their needs. Opportunities exist in different specialized areas in order for students to obtain the education that will help them enter a successful career. Students can learn more about the possibilities for naturopathic career training by contacting various programs that offer training in this field and requesting additional information.

Enrollment options will vary based on whether the student has completed undergraduate training. In order to obtain a naturopathic education, students need to hold an undergraduate degree, as training in this field is only available at the doctorates degree level. After gaining an undergraduate education in a similar area, students will be ready to choose the specialized area of study that they wish to gain an education and career in. Opportunities can include areas like:
Integrative Health and Wellness
Massage Therapy
Chiropractics
Orthomolecular Medicine
Herbology
Acupuncture

...and a variety of other specific areas. After deciding on the specific area, students will be able to learn more about the career options available to them.

There are a number of career possibilities for those who have chosen to gain a higher education in naturopathics. Students will have the opportunity to select from a variety of professions such as:
Massage Therapist
Naturopathic Doctor
Hydrotherapist
Counselors
Nutritionist
Pharmacologist

to name a few. The type of careers available will be based on the specific area of interest each individual has chosen. Coursework and training will be provided to students based on the training path that they have chosen to follow.

Accredited schools and colleges offer the chance for students to obtain the skills that they will need for the workplace by providing coursework that pertains to their desired career. Studies will cover a variety of topics depending on the path that is chosen. Students can look forward to training in alternative medicine, anatomy, stress, nutrition, meditation, and bodywork. Enrolling in an accredited educational facility will help students to obtain the training and knowledge theta they will require for successful professional careers. Students can look forward to having the chance to learn hydrotherapy, acupressure, aromatherapy, reflexology, yoga, and much more by following their dreams.

Accredited naturopathic colleges and training programs supply students with the educational training and career preparation that they need and deserve. There a numerous agencies like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges ( accsc.org accsc.org/ ) that provide full accreditation to naturopathic schools and colleges. Students can learn more about the learning process and what it takes to obtain a higher education in this field by completing research and obtaining more information. By enrolling in a program students will be provided with the skills and knowledge that they will require to become the successful professional they dream of being.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised on HolisticJunction.com.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by HolisticJunction.com.

David H. Woods is a staff writer for HolisticJunction.com. Locate and request information from holisticjunction.com/categories/HAD/naturopathic-medicine-schools.html Naturopathic Schools, as well as other Colleges and Universities offering Naturopathic Training Programs at HolisticJunction.com HolisticJunction.com, your positive pathway to discovery!

Can I Fit A Fitness Program For Women Into My Schedule?

You know you need to exercise, you know you need to make time in your hectic schedule for you but, there just isn't any time for you and every time you try to carve out a little extra time for yourself something always seems to pop up and eliminate that extra few minutes you found. Lets face it, that time is not going to happen. Stop dreaming, It just make time go that much faster.

There is good news and bad news. You can do something about the exercise part but the "me' part." That's just never going to happen. Multi-tasking and time carving can get you into shape and keep you there with very little extra effort. Of course, it takes a little forethought to create workable exercises, but once you find alternatives to traditional exercise, you'll find hundreds of ways to do "no exercise" exercises.

Before you begin, you need to identify the various types of training your body requires for good health. To be fit you need cardio, strength and flexibility training. Flexibility training is necessary to prevent injury. Aerobic or cardiovascular training pushes your endurance and keeps you heart healthy. Finally, one area often overlooked by many women is strength training. This is weight lifting and spot exercise. Using weights for strength training helps prevent osteoporosis.

First, set up a schedule. Cardio training is something you will want to make an every day event. On the off days, you can work on your strength. Flexibility training should be part of every woman's daily life. It's nothing more than stretching and if the cat can do it in the morning, so can you. You could be doing it right now without being aware. If you've ever stretched your arms in the air after a long period of work and felt your muscles stretch, you've worked on your flexibility.

Quick Cardio Training:

Burst training is one of the newest and best forms of cardiovascular training. While you can ride a bike for a half hour every day to achieve results, you'll see it just as quickly in a few minutes every other day with burst training.

Burst training requires you move at your top exertion level for 30 to 60 seconds, then slow pace your movements for 30 to 60 seconds. You follow this pattern for four to 10 sets. If you're cooking supper, run in place at top speed, lifting your knees high for 30 seconds. Then walk at a slow pace for 30 seconds. During the slow-paced time, you can stir the food or the other tasks for supper. If your out of shape then start with doing 4 sets at 30 seconds fast and then 4 at a much slower pace. Work your way up to more seconds and more repetitions but never go beyond one minute at top speed per set, don't do more than 10 sets and only do this every other day. Your body needs recovery time.

Flexibility Training

While yoga is great for this type of training, attending a class several nights a week might not be possible. Flexibility training doesn't require a formal class, it simply requires that you stretch and warm up all muscles. If you're sitting in a private office, stand up occasionally and touch your toes. Before you do any burst training or strength training, stretch all the muscles you're going to use to warm them up.

Strength Training.

Strength training requires you put a little more stress on the body than normal. Most strength training in gyms requires you use weights. You can improvise at home or on the go. Make a few changes in how you do things. Carry those heavy bags of groceries instead of asking for help. For those that have a chair at work with strong arms, put your hands on the arms of the chair and lift yourself out of the seat. To make it more difficult, try to put your legs straight out in front of you, as Olympians do on the pommel horse.

It doesn't take much every day, just a schedule and some ideas, to get your body into shape and keep it there. If you can find time to go to yoga or a gym, that's great, but don't let lack of time, stop you from exercising. You can squeeze it in with a little creativity and forethought.

Don't let a fitness program dictate your life. At the authors web site lifetime-slim.com lifetime-slim.com there are various article on diet and weight loss as well as starting a lifetime-slim.com/Fitness-Program-For-Women.html fitness program for women.