Why Bikram Yoga Is So Hot
Posted on December 1, 2008
Many people have exclaimed how yoga has changed their outlook on life. The quotes by Madonna alone could fill a book! But within the many types of yoga, Bikram yoga stands out as being a particularly “hot,” body-bending experience!
Bikram yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury and is commonly also known as “hot yoga.” It’s easy to understand why – it’s supposed to be practiced in a 105 degree room with 50 percent humidity! In actual practice, many classes lower this a few degrees and most don’t have the humidity controls to assure the proper level. However, even with these variations, the intent of Bikram yoga can be achieved. The dual purposes are an increase in bodily strength and flexibility, and a move towards closer union of the physical and spiritual selves.
Go Deep In Backbends – Yoga Flexibility & Streching
Posted on November 28, 2008
GO DEEP: BACKBENDS (2 Poses, 10 Minutes)
#3 of 7 – The Secrets of Nutrition & Flexibility
Most yoga students HATE backbends, but desperately want to learn them. The truth is that most yoga teachers also HATE backbends, so often they don’t teach them very well or very often.
My backbends used to be really pathetic—I mean REALLY pathetic.
I went to class every day, asked my teachers for tips, but not much was happening. In full wheel pose (urdhva danurasana), I could only get my head about an inch off the ground, and even that nearly killed me!
Sound familiar?
WHY ARE BACKBENDS SO HARD?
Backbends shouldn’t really be called “backbends”, but instead “full body bends” because they involved so much more than just your back.
Yoga Visualization For Empowerment – Mental Imagery And Think Tanks
Posted on November 26, 2008
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.
The Many Benefits Of Meditation
Posted on November 18, 2008
Meditation is a wonderful healing practice
Meditation is a very valuable art form. Its healing powers are vast and long-lasting. When you engage in meditation, you can give yourself a wonderful lift by relaxing the mind and body at the same time. Enlightenment can be yours if you master meditation techniques.
The origins of meditation
You might be asking yourself, where did mediation originate? While many people think of the Buddhist faith when they think of meditation, they might be a little off. Meditation has always enjoyed a central place within Buddhism, but it really originated with the Hindus. It has since been adopted by many cultures and adapted to fit the needs of almost any individual.
Using meditation in your life
Yoga Primer 101
Posted on November 16, 2008
Recently, I joined the gym (make that re-joined the gym!). Part of the sign up procedure (a.k.a. marketing funnel) is to offer a free session with a personal trainer. Always eager to improve my knowledge of resistance training, I signed up for a session. I was surprised to learn that my daily yoga practice will shorten my recovery time when training. In fact, my trainer mentioned that he himself (a champion Extreme Fighter) would be adding yoga to his training routine.
Yoga supports a holistic approach to medicine, and thereby fitness. Yoga is one of the few practices that looks at the big picture of your overall health and allows you to take care of your entire mental and physical wellbeing. Yoga practioners not only experience improvement in flexibility, strength and in some cases, cardio vascular conditioning, but also relieves stress and gain improvements in their mental health and emotional well-being.
