Yoga in Asia



For centuries those who enjoyed the physical and mental benefits of yoga hot yoga lived mostly in Asia. Over the past 175 years, however, these disciplines have spread their marvelous gifts completely around the globe.

It may help to distinguish first between "yoga" and "hot yoga." The latter is a specific kind of yoga in which postures are practiced in a room heated to between 95 and 100 degrees. Hot yoga promotes profuse perspiration, which naturally rids the body of impurities. Hot yoga also raises the core body temperature, so it's not recommended for pregnant women. However, one of the specific benefits of hot yoga is vastly increased flexibility, since the body warmth relaxes the muscles and allows them to stretch more.

A currently popular form of hot yoga was invented by yoga master Bikram Choudhury. He has devised a series of 26 yoga poses, including two pranayama or breathing exercises, performed during a 90-minute class. He started the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills, CA, in 1946. Choudhury has zealously guarded his form of yoga against those who call the form of yoga "Bikram Yoga, " but are not certified by his college.

In recent years, the many physical benefits of yoga have been well documented. These include flexibility, strength, muscle tone, pain reduction or prevention, and improved breathing. The mental benefits of yoga include stress reduction, inner calm, and body awareness.

For instance, consider how Hot yoga improves flexibility. Yoga poses stretch a body in new ways that bring better range of motion to joints and muscles. This especially improves the flexibility in hips, shoulders, back and the crucial hamstring tendons along the back of the legs.

Many poses require the practitioner to hold the body in new ways that improve muscle strength. Some of these include the Tree Pose, in which the body is balanced on one leg, and the Downward Facing Dog, in which the arms support the body. Several poses require moving slowly into and out of the position, a method that builds muscle strength.

Strengthening the muscles also leads to better muscle tone. Yoga poses help to shape long, lean muscles, and practitioners often can be identified by their long, lean bodies.

People who spend a lot of time working on computers or driving vehicles can suffer from back pain. Practicing yoga often relieves this kind of discomfort, which results from spinal compression and muscle tightness from remaining too long in one position. The different postures involved also improve body alignment, another key factor in relieving and preventing other kinds of muscle and joint pain.

Yoga's emphasis on breathing is one of its most distinctive characteristics. In general most people don't give much thought to how they breathe. Often people take mostly shallow breaths, which deprives the body of life-giving oxygen and fails to exercise the lungs and diaphragm. Breathing exercises known as pranayama teach practitioners how to focus on their inhalation and exhalation, and how to use the lungs more efficiently.

All of these exercises that benefit the body also serve to clear and focus the mind. By concentrating on yoga's physical poses, practitioners relieve their physical stress, which in turn releases the stress-related body chemicals that can cloud the mind as well. The body awareness that results from regular yoga practice serves to strengthen the mind, producing a calm demeanor that helps practitioners endure life's ups and downs better.
Article Source: http://www.happy-living-articles.com

Pregnancy Yoga - Benefits of Pregnancy Yoga



There are a lot of people who are crazy about yoga. The reason why most people do yoga is that it makes them feel better and in shape. The different poses and postures make their body healthy. Yoga for most is the best way to relax and unwind. If you want to keep your body in shape, prepare for labor, and decrease stress, this might be the best exercise for you.

Did you know that yoga is good to fight certain illness that may come? There had been researches which proved that yoga helps you to control anxiety, reduces asthma, arthritis, blood pressure, back pain, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, epilepsy, diabetes, headaches, stress and many more. It has also been shown it can help make labor easier, and quicker.

If you do yoga, your self esteem will be higher. It is important to gain more confidence inside and out so that you can face people with no worries. You will also learn techniques to manage pain during labor which will help you feel more confident in your bodys ability to birth your baby.

Yoga is good for the body in increasing your muscle tone, strength, stamina and flexibility. All of these are important elements in giving birth. By doing pregnancy yoga you will find you are much better prepared to give birth and have what it takes to make it through what can be a long and sometimes difficult process.

If you need time to relax and forget your responsibilities, yoga will be good to improve your concentration and enhance your creativity. Yoga helps you to think more positively away from all anxieties. If you have a fresh mind, you can think of good things and apply it easily.

Your body needs to relax once in a while. Sometimes, being pregnant can leave us wasted and exhausted. During the difficult days, we may not find time to unwind because life goes on even when you are pregnant. Yoga can help you create a sense of calmness and well being.

Yoga exercise helps you improve a good circulation. Your organs and veins need to be exercised for it to function properly. This is particularly important when you are pregnant. It will help decrease the amount of swelling you experience in your lower extremities. Yoga can help stimulate your immune system and keep you away from diseases. If you have a good immune system, you can be sure that you are free from sickness.

Some people do yoga to be enlightened. They believe that yoga will help them bring up their spirit and keep them relieved. Yoga works differently for people be it spiritual, emotional, psychological, mental and physical. People think that yoga is only for spiritual people. That couldnt be farther from the truth. Finding time to practice pregnancy yoga will give you peace of mind and a sense of calm that will serve you well during labor and parenthood, your level of spirituality does not affect this.

Due to the pressure and demands of life, we become stressed out and we forget the essence of life. We tend to lose touch with the ones we used to spend time with, even ourselves. We find ourselves rushing most of the time with the deadlines and hassles we need to keep up with. This leaves us a small time to wander and have that physical awareness. These are the few things that yoga can provide. Once in a while, find time to dedicate a part of it to yourself to relax and unwind which only yoga can give. You will be glad you did when you can draw on all these benefits during labor, and when you are frustrated and exhausted dealing with a newborn.

There are a lot of people who are crazy about yoga. The intellect why most domicile do yoga is that it makes them feel better and in shape. The different poses and postures make their body healthy. Yoga for most is the best way to relax and unwind. If you want to keep your body in shape, prepare for labor, and decrease stress, this might be the best exercising for you.

Did you know that yoga is good to fight certain illness that may come? There had been researches which proven that yoga helps you to contain anxiety, reduces asthma, arthritis, blood pressure, back pain, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue, epilepsy, diabetes, headaches, stress and many more. It has also been shown it can help make labor easier, and quicker.

If you do yoga, your self esteem will be higher. It is significant to gain more trust inside and out so that you can face mass with no worries. You will also learn techniques to manage pain during labor which will help you feel more confident in your bodys ability to birth your baby.

Yoga is good for the body in increasing your muscle tone, strength, stamina and flexibility. All of these are important elements in handsome birth. By doing pregnancy yoga you will find you are much better inclined to give birth and have what it takes to make it through what can be a long and sometimes difficult process.

If you need time to relax and leave your responsibilities, yoga will be good to improve your concentration and enhance your creativity. Yoga helps you to think more positively away from all anxieties. If you have a fresh mind, you can think of good things and apply it easily.

Your body needs to relax once in a while. Sometimes, being pregnant can leave us pinched and exhausted. During the difficult days, we may not find time to disentangle because life goes on even when you are pregnant. Yoga can help you create a sense of calmness and well being.

Yoga exercise helps you improve a good circulation. Your organs and veins need to be exercised for it to function properly. This is peculiarly important when you are pregnant. It will help lessen the number of swelling you experience in your lower extremities. Yoga can help arouse your immune system and keep you away from diseases. If you have a good resistant system, you can be sure that you are free from sickness.

Some people do yoga to be enlightened. They consider that yoga will help them bring up their spirit and keep them relieved. Yoga works otherwise for inhabit be it spiritual, emotional, psychological, mental and physical. People think that yoga is only for religious people. That couldnt be farther from the truth. Finding time to practice pregnancy yoga will give you peace of mind and a sense of calm that will serve you well during labor and parenthood, your level of spirituality does not affect this.

Due to the pressure and demands of life, we get stressed out and we forget the effect of life. We tend to lose touch with the ones we used to spend time with, even ourselves. We find ourselves rushing most of the time with the deadlines and hassles we need to keep up with. This leaves us a small time to vagabond and have that physical awareness. These are the few things that yoga can provide. Once in a while, find time to dedicate a part of it to yourself to relax and unwind which only yoga can give. You will be glad you did when you can draw on all these benefits during labor, and when you are frustrated and exhausted dealing with a newborn.
Article Source: http://www.freeliveknowledge.com