Yoga for Spine | Exercises for the Spine Stretching

Exercises for the spine are as important as exercises for the arms, legs or abdomen. People usually focus on building their biceps, abs and leg muscles, often neglecting their spinal chord in the process. However, the spinal chord is one of the most important structures of the body, and needs to be exercised daily, in order to obtain a healthy and fit body. Why are exercises for the spine or spinal chord exercises so important? It is precisely because the spinal chord contains the nervous tissues that extend from the brain and run down to the terminal filament. The spinal chord plays an important role in making sure that a person’s central nervous system that comprises of the brain and nervous tissue function efficiently.

Spine Stretching Exercises

The posture of a person is also largely dependent on his spine. A person who droops while walking will most often display a weak spinal chord, while a person with a strong spinal chord will always walk erect. The spinal chord helps in transmitting neural signals between the brain and the rest of the body. Therefore, there is no doubt that the spinal chord plays an important part in ensuring that the body functions smoothly. There are many exercises that may prove beneficial to your spine; however, none can match the benefits of yoga. Yoga includes mind and body co-ordination and since the spinal chord epitomizes this, yoga exercises for the spine prove most effective.

Generally yoga is a discipline that would need to be practiced in a particular flow. There are various poses and yoga postures starting with simple breathing and meditation poses that lead to complex yoga postures that stretch and stimulate various organs of the body. Two yoga postures that are particularly relevant for stretching the spine are: dhanurasana or bow pose and setu bandha sarvangasana or bridge pose. Both these poses include stretching the spinal chord to the fullest, thus increasing its flexibility and strength. Consider including them in any yoga routine aimed at developing the spinal column, but as with any yoga pose do not practice them in isolation.

Dhanurasana or Bow pose

In order to practice this posture, you will need to lie down flat on your yoga mat, on your stomach. Your hands in the relaxed state should run parallel to your body. In a single inhalation, lift your torso and legs simultaneously, with your palms reaching for your ankles. Hold on for a count of five and exhale while returning to the relaxed state. The first few days won’t be easy, as your hands may not be able to reach your ankles. But don’t give up just yet, as the spine benefits from every effort made, while practicing this pose. Once you have mastered this pose you can increase the difficulty level by trying to hold on to opposite ankles.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge pose

This is a slightly complicated pose, and should be done under the supervision of an experienced yoga instructor. Lie on your back with your arms parallel to your body, with an inhale lift your hips, by raising your thighs and resting your feet parallel to each other and on the ground. Your back, hips and thighs should be in the air, while the rest of the body remains supported by the head, neck, ankle ward stretched hands and the feet that are on the ground.

These poses when done with an entire yoga routine will not only help straighten your spinal chord, but will also make it firm and strong.

Yoga for Gastritis | Remedy for Gastritis Relief

What is Gastritis?

In order to treat gastritis it is very important to understand this condition, its causes and effects. Gastritis is not a disease in itself, but a term used to describe various other stomach ailments. All stomach conditions related to gastritis are caused due to a damage or inflammation of the stomach lining. Gastritis can be classified into two categories: sudden or acute gastritis and gradual or chronic gastritis. Both conditions are extremely painful and need immediate medical assistance.

What Causes Gastritis?

Gastritis is caused when the lining of the stomach gets inflamed due to over consumption of alcohol, excessive smoking, weight loss surgery that involves restructuring of the stomach intestines and most importantly due to over use of pain relievers or pain killers. All of the above factors affect the stomach lining thus leading to an excess of acid production in the stomach. The increased amounts of acid in the stomach cause stomach ulcers, which leads to the severe pain that an individual suffering from gastritis experiences. In some cases, autoimmune gastritis occurs when the disease fighting cells of the body attack the lining of the stomach.

Cure for Gastritis

Gastritis is a painful condition, and needs a medical examination in order to ascertain the accurate cause of the ailment. The doctor may conduct any of the following tests in order to pinpoint the exact cause of this condition:

• Blood Test
• Breath Test
• Stool Test or
• Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Since gastritis involves the production of acid and the inflammation of the stomach lining, it needs to be treated with the use of antacids and other conventional medications. The doctor will recommend the same to you. Apart from that lifestyle changes like non consumption of alcohol, red meats, spicy and oily foods will speed up your healing process and help you avoid a re-occurrence of gastritis.

Yoga for Relieving the Symptoms of Gastritis

Practicing yoga as an alternate form of exercise will not only help you speed up your recovery from this condition, but will increase the over all quality of your life. There are no particular yoga exercises that can help cure gastritis. However, yoga can definitely help you stay away from this condition in the future.

The following yoga for gastritis will prove very beneficial in speeding up your recovery process as long as they are done along with other yoga exercises as recommended by a professional yoga instructor:

• Pranayama
• Bhadrasana or yoga hero pose
• Nauli Asana or the abdominal posture
• Cobra pose or Bhujangasana
• Seated spinal twist pose also known as Matsyendrasana

Yoga for Computer Users and Related Health Issues

The relevance of yoga, if anything, has been growing, despite the fact that this is a discipline with roots in ancient times. The modern urban lifestyle, with sedentary jobs, sees most of us slouched over computers most of the day and reclining in front of the idiot box most of the other time. A sedentary lifestyle is bad enough for your body and mind, but spending most of that time in front of a computer makes it a lot worse.

Almost all physiotherapists and health care experts are of the view that spending anything over a few hours at a computer a day can wreak havoc on your body. Of course it doesn’t really take a health expert to figure that out. We’ve all suffered the consequences of our lifestyle and what’s more worrying is that the long term consequences that many of us are not familiar with could be much worse. The reason spending most of the day working on a computer is so bad is because of the combination of work pressure and stress, along with the physical requirements and repetitive stress injury from computer usage.

Computer Related Health Issues

While the most common problem that we are all too familiar with classifies as ‘mouse injuries’, which are relatively mild wrist problems, prolonged usage can also cause aches and strains in the neck, back, shoulders, and elbows, as well as headaches, tension, and eye problems. All of these factors add up to take a toll not just on our personal lives but also on productivity, which today seems to be the only driving force in most people’s lives.

Yoga comes in particularly handy for anyone working indoors. Yoga for computer users is extremely simple and does not require any special knowledge or training. More importantly it does not take up much time and does not require any specialized equipment or resources. In fact you don’t even need a special place; simply switch of your monitor and practice some simple seated yoga poses to stretch and flex the arms, shoulders, and spinal column. The stretches and twists are great for relieving stress and tension in the upper body, and just ten to fifteen minutes of the activity can leave you feeling fresh and energized.

If you can also take up a weekend yoga routine or class it will help you tremendously as many of the yoga poses and sequences, though simple, can not be self taught and the guidance of an expert would be necessary. It would be well worth the effort as it does not take much time or money, and the health benefits you stand to gain can make a huge difference to the quality of your life.

Yoga for runners | Exercises for runners, Runners yoga

Runners are essentially athletes and like any and all other athletes also require range of training to stay physically and mentally fit, so as to maximize their potential whilst engaging in their athletics – in this case running. Bounding through a park or on a track, with your heart racing can help to De-stress and tone your muscles, but it is limited in its scope. There are many among us who dedicate a lot of time to running, but are barely able to bend down to touch our feet or tie our shoe laces. This is not to suggest that running is deficient, but it needs to be supported with other activities.

Workouts for Runners

Running offers us a great and inexpensive workout for the lungs and heart, and it can be an exhilarating and enjoyable experience. Unfortunately the range of motions that it puts your body through are rather limited and depending on factors as varied as your build, weight, gait, and heredity it can lead to tight or overworked muscles, particularly in the lower back, the calves, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Rectifying problems of alignment and cultivating a more varied range of motion can strengthen your body and help prevent injuries, while enabling you to run a lot more efficiently. This applies to any other athletics as well, and most athletes are aware of this, devoting their time to strengthening workouts, stretching, and mental preparation. Yoga for runners offers all of these benefits and more as a comprehensive package.

Stretching Exercises for Runners

Yoga, as you may be aware, is most often associated with stretching and flexibility, but it addresses a lot more than these basic requirements and strengthens you physically and mentally, better readying you for any athletic event, whether competitive or friendly. Yoga uses a distinctive combination of physical postures that stretch and strengthen, along with breath exercises to transform your body into a harmoniously functioning machine.

Attentive breathing is essential for athletics, and breathing for runners is equally important, as it improves concentration, calms the mind, and also creates a flow or rhythm for the practice. As yoga poses for runners improve your balance and synchronization, it also enhances and optimizes the utilization of appropriate muscle groups for posture. Before you take a up a yoga session for runners however make sure that you gather info on the different disciplines of yoga to help you decide which one suits you best. With a long history spanning millennia, yoga not only has a great tradition, but it also has varied schools of thought, suited to different personality traits and desires or different physical capabilities.

Yoga for Athletes | Fitness for Athletes | Yoga Poses

Exercises for Athletes

Yoga has long been practiced for the varied health benefits that it offers, and in recent decades it became particularly popular in the west for the physical benefits and also as a means to greater spiritualism. Many of these typical notions of yoga are however stereotypical or lopsided and in reality yoga is a wholesome physical discipline that promotes flexibility, endurance, and overall strength. All of these goals or areas of focus are shared with or are important to athletics as well. Yoga also works on your mental or emotional health, improving focus, concentration, and direction. This aspect is again invaluable to any athlete.

Yoga Conditioning for Athletes

It would therefore be only natural for many athletes to take up the practice of yoga as a means to enhance their physical and mental health, thus improving their athletics performance. Almost all athletes engaged in professional or semi professional athletic events do practice some other for of exercise or working out, so as to stay fit, maintain a competitive edge, strengthen and stretch the muscles and thereby minimize the risk of injury.

Athletes seem to be drawn towards yoga classes for athletes because of the physical intensity and mental stimulation that yoga practice offers. Yoga’s combination of physical exercises, with meditation makes it a perfect blend of mind and body fitness, also creating a similar balance in your life. Breathing exercises form an important aspect of yoga and the physical poses that we are familiar with are meant to be practiced in perfect synchronization with breathing exercises. Synchronizing your body movements with your breath is also vital to any athlete.

Moreover all of the yoga practices help to give you a greater sense of awareness, and consequentially understanding, and control over your physical and mental abilities. This is a tremendous asset for any sportsperson and athletes who do practice yoga are quite vociferous about the influence of yoga on their performance.

Keep in mind that any class or routine of yoga poses for athletes should commence with a slow and steady warm up with poses like the Sun Salutation poses. These poses prepare your body, especially muscles prone to pulls and spasms, like the hamstrings and hips. Poses like the Crane Pose, Chair Pose, and Handstand can all be included. There are a variety of poses and sequences of poses that can be formulated and every individual can choose one based on personal preferences and goals. So while runners may focus on stretches and poses for the legs, and balance, a pole vaulter may also focus on poses to strengthen the shoulders and arms.

Yoga Exercise to Get in Shape | Way to Get in Shape

How to get back in Shape?

Yoga can be as much fun as it is beneficial and if you are wondering how to get back in shape, it definitely has something for you. Yogic exercises are composed of a series of poses that are restorative and challenging. However, those who created the poses kept in mind that it’s a healing and restorative technique; therefore, no matter how hard a pose looks, it never causes you any discomfort or pain. If it does, it means that either you are not performing it right or that you have some debilitating condition that is preventing you from getting the benefit that you should.

It is good and important to have fun when you do these yoga poses. Most of these poses have been designed to give you mental peace and therefore, if any pose causes stress, it is best to not do it. These poses, in the course of your practice, will make you more relaxed, stronger, more focused and more balanced. They will also help you get in shape for summer so that you can sport your beachwear without feeling embarrassed. Since the word yoga means union, the poses aim to bring your physical, mental, and spiritual being all together to create a beautiful yet delicate balance. However, yoga is not magic and so you will have to practice it for a while for visible benefits.

Workouts to get in Shape

Try the poses that you are comfortable with and do it at your own pace; however, if you are serious about getting in shape it is best that you keep on doing it. Following are some simple exercises to get in shape.

‘Uttanasana’ or the Standing Forward Stretch

This particular pose is a stretching pose and aims to release the pressure off the back muscles. In this you simply have to bend forward while keeping your knees bent. Keep your chest close to your thighs. Try not to tuck in your elbows. Hold them and try to relax them. While doing this pose, it is important to keep your head very relaxed. Hold this pose for about thirty seconds to a minute before moving to the next one.

Standing Side Stretch

Bring both your arms over your head by stretching them. With your right hand, grab your left wrist. Lean over to the right and exhale while doing it and pull your arm while doing it. Next, inhale a deep breath and lean towards the other side while exhaling. Continue while taking deep breaths.

‘Prasarita Padottanasana’ or Standing Forward Wide Angle Pose

Bend forward to touch the floor from a standing position. You might not be able to without bending your knees so if that is the case, bend your knees slightly so that you can touch the floor. Now in the bent position, slowly try to separate your feet till they are about three to four feet apart. Try to keep your legs as straight as you possibly can.

Yoga Exercise for Fat Legs | How to Lose Fat Legs?

Yoga, in addition to helping you bring balance and harmony into your life, is also an excellent way to tone your body. Many of the postures in yoga help burn calories and give you the body that you always dreamt of having but could never achieve.

How to get rid of Leg Fat?

If you are wondering how to lose fat legs, help is closer than you know. There are different exercises in yoga that target different parts of your body. Yoga can, in fact, help you shed weight from any particular part of your body that you desire. However, once you decide to use yoga as an exercise, you have to continue practicing it sincerely otherwise the effects will be lost and the desired results will not be achieved.

Tighten Legs

While some poses can help you shed fat and tighten your legs, they also improve blood circulation so that the muscles in your legs are strengthened and your legs remain fat-free. This optimal circulation ensures that an overall balance of energies in your body is maintained. These exercises are also good for those who are suffering from diseases that affect the legs.

Generally the exact yogic exercises that you do depend on you age and the presence of any conditions that might make it difficult to practice the poses. Over a period of time, not only will you shed off excess fat from your legs but you will also be able to tone the muscles in that area.

To start off, begin with some simple breathing exercises. Your routine should have a mix of poses, Pranayama or breathing exercises, and cleansing techniques. Usually, all exercises in Yoga start off with the Surya Namaskara or the sun salutation. Following are some of the fat legs exercise in yoga:

Warm up breathing exercises

• ‘Kapalabhatti’ or the Cleansing Breath
• ‘Anuloma-Viloma’ or Alternate Nostril Breathing

Standing poses

• ‘Padahastasana’ or Forehead to knee pose
• ‘Padangusthasana’ or Toe to hand pose
• ‘Ardha Chakrasana’ or Half Moon pose

Sitting poses

• ‘Paschimottanasana’ or Forehead to both knees pose
• ‘Ushtrasana’ or Camel pose
• ‘Janu Sirshasana’ or Forehead to single knee pose
• ‘Simhasana’ or Lion pose

Supine

• Single Leg and Double Leg Raises

Balancing

• ‘Vrikshasana’ or Tree pose
• ‘Garudasana’ or Eagle pose
• ‘Kakasana’ or Crow pose

Yogic Diet

With these yoga poses, it is also important that you follow a yoga diet otherwise you will have just wasted your time with the poses. Yogic diets are primarily vegetarian and therefore if you are a non vegetarian, you will probably have to abstain from eating a lot of your favorite foods. The diet should be light and should contain a lot of milk products.

Yoga for Body Toning | Body Toning Workouts

Body Toning Exercise

Yoga has been used to redistribute body weight and tone the body for quite some time. Almost all exercises of Yoga help in stretching and toning the body. Many yogic techniques are used to firm various parts of the body and increase stamina.

Best Toning Exercise

The Yoga poses not only tone the muscles, but also help massage them and lubricate the joints. These poses, which were created thousands of years ago, help in bringing health and mental peace to life. They were designed to bring a harmonious balance between the body, mind, and the soul. Not only do these poses firm and tone the muscles but also help in replenishing energy in the nerves and endocrine glands. In fact yoga is the most potent self-care method.

When the poses are done in the right manner, their effect increases manifold and therefore it is important to learn the correct way of performing these techniques with the help of a qualified instructor. Each yoga pose works on a particular target area and a set of muscles, ligaments and joints. The muscles get strengthened, toned as well as relaxed.

Yoga Body Toning

The yoga poses or the body toning exercises are divided into two parts. There are the simple poses for the beginners and the more difficult and complex ones that are advanced and are for those who have mastered the simple ones. No matter which ones you do, it is best to start off with light warm up exercises and deep breathing. Eye rolls, neck rolls, and shoulder lifts are good warm up exercises.

To start with, you can practice the Cat Position (Bidalasana). This will help you warm up for the more rigorous poses that will follow. The Mountain Pose or the Tadasana, helps to strengthen the leg muscles and the spine. The Hero (Virasana) and the Warrior (Virbhadrasana) poses should be next. These two strengthen as well as relax the muscles of the body. A seated forward bend pose stretches the muscles in the shoulder and the back. It also works the hamstrings and makes them more flexible.

The Lotus Pose (Padmasana) is also a famous sitting pose that helps relax muscles. The Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukh Svanasana) and the half spinal twist stretch the arms, waist, back, spinal column, legs, shoulder, and other peripheral muscles. This is one of the complete body toning workouts of yoga.

There are also many yoga postures that are used to improve motor skills. However, those require a lot of co-ordination and balance. Since these are advanced poses, they are usually practiced by those who have mastered the simple poses.

Yoga to Improve Blood Circulation | Poor Circulation

Improving Blood Circulation

Stress and strain have become a part of our everyday life. However, things don’t have to be like that. When too many things are going on all around you and it seems to take a toll on your health, it is best to seek a balance between the mental, spiritual, and physical. A tall order, you might think, but nothing a little yoga won’t help you achieve and if you are wondering how to improve blood circulation, the answer again is yoga.

Blood Circulation Problems

Sometimes, we do not know it, but it’s the simple everyday things that can accrue and cause stress. This stress gives our heart and blood vessels a hard time and we face blood circulation problems. The heart rate surges, our blood pressure starts hitting the roof, and the blood flow to the heart becomes sluggish and slow.

Blood is the carrier of oxygen and nutrition. When its circulation takes a hit, we feel lethargic, begin to feel fatigued, and may develop several complications. Therefore, no matter how stressed and strained we feel, it is important to keep the blood circulation in order. There are thankfully, many yoga exercises that not only help you relieve stress and find inner peace but also help in improving blood circulation, bringing your blood pressure to normal levels and keeping you healthy and fit.

How to Improve Blood Circulation?

Yoga has many poses and postures that require deep breathing, meditation, relaxing the muscles, and concentrating. These techniques reduce the level of cortisol in the blood, regulate hormones, and therefore, decrease the level of stress. The flow of blood can also be regulated using these techniques. As a result, there is better waste disposal, increased immunity, regular cleansing of the vital organs, and improved efficiency of the body.

The poses in yoga are categorized according to the way they are performed. The following are the poses that are good for blood circulation:
Standing poses, in which the lateral wall of heart is allowed to stretch so that it gets toned. There is therefore a healthy flow of blood to the walls.

• It is good to invert the body using inverted poses so that the blood flow can reach all parts of the body. In these particular positions, the lymphatic system present in the lower portion of our body gets a chance to rest from pumping blood all the time. Also, the circulation flow changes, therefore sending more blood to the brain, allowing it to hasten the regeneration of the body and brain tissues.
• There are several horizontal poses in Yoga that help relax the body and reduce blood pressure. The lungs get completely rejuvenated because they get a complete rest.
• The bending poses of yoga not only help tone up the muscles but also help increase the blood supply to the myocardium.

Yoga for Cardiovascular Problems and Stress

Cardiovascular Problems

Though we boast of technological advancements and great feats in the field of medical sciences and surgery, cardiovascular problems are mounting and continue to haunt us. Our increasingly stressful and inactive lifestyles have led to heart diseases becoming the number one health issue plaguing the world. A psychosomatic disease, heart problems almost always start with the lifestyle and state of mind.

Though we celebrate our modern lives in many ways, we do not realize the threat it poses to our survival. Healthy living, of course, is a top priority for all of us and therefore it is best to resort to yoga and correct the damage done to the cardio vascular system of our body before it becomes irreparable. The benefits of cardiovascular exercise will go a long way.

Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise

An ancient system of self development, Yoga is a powerful technique that provides a holistic approach to help combine the physical, mental, and spiritual forces of the being for a well developed and healthy body. When the sage Patanjali laid down the ‘sutras’ of yoga, they became guidelines on how to make the human body stress and disease free.

Today, most people do not pay much attention to their body unless it becomes diseased and starts to crave attention. We fail to recognize our sickness and think of remedying it only when serious symptoms start to ravage our body. A better way to do things, therefore, is to address problems before they become aggravated and move beyond our control. There have been many studies to prove that the mind has a vital role to play in maintaining good health. If we nourish the body but fail to nourish our mind, our health begins to deteriorate and we find ourselves unable to figure out what has happened to us.

Cardiovascular Yoga

There are many poses in Yoga that can improve the health of the heart by improving blood circulation. They also help in the removal of toxic waste from the body and regulate the hormones to keep us healthy. Pranayama, an important part of Yoga, if practiced regularly under the guidance of a trained practitioner, can help control breathing and is an effective cardiovascular yoga exercise. Breathing, in turn, can help regulate the flow of blood and relax a perturbed mind.

When done on a daily basis, meditation before sleeping is a great way to calm the senses and relax the mind. With the mind relaxed, the brain is more responsive and the body is at harmony with the surroundings. Though this mental and emotional balance is a little difficult to achieve, with practice, one can perfect it.

Yoga at Work - Some Relaxing Yoga at Workplace

Work takes over a major part of adult life: hours are spent sitting in a cubicle bent over paperwork, slaving away in front of a computer and other machines, or in conference rooms mulling over strategy. These can make for quite a stressful day, putting a strain on your neck, back and legs. These can lead to cramping, tension headaches, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels. If left unchecked, these could lead to life threatening conditions like heart disease.

Yoga Exercise at Workplace

In such stressful conditions, a few minutes of yoga at work can help you regain your balance and focus. Spending just a few minutes at your desk stretching and breathing deeply will help you overcome the tensions and aches that gather along your shoulders, neck and back. It also keeps your muscles from cramping as well as improves concentration and productivity levels.

If you feel the day weighing in on you, just borrow a few minutes from your lunch break or pause between work and try some relaxing yoga at work. Many companies offer yoga at the workplace, with training sessions held before or after working hours. However, if you don’t have access to this facility, you can practice the following yoga postures to stretch and rejuvenate the body:

Exercising during work is easy. To begin with, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Inhale, hold the breath and then exhale slowly. This in itself will help you feel relaxed and calm. Yoga at the work place increases the flow of oxygen and results in an energy boost. Try deep breathing before a big presentation or when you feel overwhelmed and you’ll feel calmer within minutes.

Exercise at workplace can consist of simple stretches in the form of twists. Twists are great for relieving tension in the neck, shoulders and the back. Sit on your chair with your back upright and your feet flat on the ground. In the seated position, twist from side to side, moving slowly, allowing all the muscles in your upper body to stretch fully and releasing tension.

Exercising while at work will help to increase blood circulation and prevent lethargy. The neck holds most of your day’s tension, distributing the pain through your shoulders and upper back. A few simple neck exercises can help you get rid of the pain and recharge. Stretch your neck up and down in slow, precise movements. Inhale deeply as you tuck your chin down towards your chest, and exhale as you lift your head towards the ceiling. Another way to release stress is to roll your neck, first clockwise and then anti-clockwise.

Similarly, you can ease off shoulder and wrist tension with a few stretches and pulls. Shoulder rolls, arm stretches and elbow pulls help melt the tension from your shoulders and upper back, while wrist rolls help you beat off carpal tunnel syndrome. Yoga body bends, on the other hand, help rush blood flow to the head and stretch all the body muscles. This eases cramps, muscle strains and increases energy.

Sitting in front of a computer all day can leave your eyes tired and dry. You need to try a few simple eye exercises to help maintain your eyes. At intervals, move your eyes away from the computer and blink purposefully for a few seconds. Another useful exercise is to rub your palms together so that they are warm. Then place your warm palms over your eyes for a few seconds. This will ease the strain on your eyes and help them to relax.

Yoga for Cancer - An Alternative Therapy for Cancer

Cancer is a complex, aggressive illness. The treatment involved is invasive and painful. The cancerous cells attack and weaken the immune system, leaving the patient weak and susceptible, systematically wreaking the patient’s life, both physically and emotionally.

Yoga for Cancer Patients

Patients can benefit by taking up yoga for cancer. Yoga is a holistic healing tradition that that aims at creating a balance between the body, mind and spirit. For individual’s battling or recovering from cancer, yoga helps strengthen the immune system and restores the body’s balance that was compromised by the illness, allowing the patient to cope and attempt recovery.

While this is not an alternative cure for cancer, it is an alternative therapy for cancer. Yoga incorporates a series of gentle exercises, breathing techniques and meditative practices that increase energy through the body. It allows patients to experience a sense of well being and strength. Internally, it rehabilitates the body’s systems by boosting circulation, respiration, digestion and soothing the nervous system. Yoga also helps the patient find the emotional strength to battle the illness.

Yoga provides the body with all the tools it needs to cope with and fight cancer.

Breathing: Yoga promotes deep breathing. Human emotions are affected by breathing patterns. Anxiety and stress result in shallow and erratic breathing, which in turn interferes with the body’s flow of oxygen. Using the same logic, by controlling breathing, you can boost the energy levels and induce a sense of calm. By following yoga’s deep breathing techniques, you can now consciously calm the nervous system and beat off depression and anxiety.

Meditation: This is a therapeutic practice that teaches you to sort through the chaos and calm and centre the mind. Meditation helps to develop awareness, focus and clarity. It gives you the strength to accept the reality of your condition and deal with it. Through the practice you can see past the illness and embrace the treatment program with a positive spirit. Your mind now learns to relax, recuperate and heal.

Yoga Posture: A gentle workout gives your body the exercise it needs. It also enhances body functions by flushing out harmful toxins, strengthening the joints, muscle groups, and ligaments. It improves the body’s flexibility, stamina and strength. The yoga postures crank up the body’s energy levels and induce a sense of well being in the practitioner.

In addition, yoga practice can be modified depending on the type of cancer and the part of the body most affected. For example a patient afflicted with breast cancer will benefit from the practice of upward salute, eagle pose and cow face yoga poses for cancer as they target and rehabilitate the very areas of the body affected by breast cancer cells.

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Some References: Pectin-Plus - a Natural Cancer Treatment, Detoxifier and Cholesterol Reducer.

Cleaning Your Colon | Yoga for Colon Cleansing

Colon Cleansing and Yoga

The colon is a part of the digestive system and is generally referred to as the large intestine. Its function is to separate water and salts from waste materials before they are expelled from the body. Over time, residual waste and toxic materials tends to accumulate in the colon causing it to bloat. This disrupts colon function. As a result instead of getting expelled, the toxins get circulated back into the body, leading to problems like irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux and constipation.

In order to avoid such a situation, the colon requires period cleansing. The process of cleaning your colon helps detoxifies the body and restores regular bowel movement. There are a number of colon cleansing remedies to choose from. The natural cleaning techniques include fasting, consuming juices and herbs, and by practicing yoga colon cleansing.

Yoga for Colon Cleansing

Yoga allows for a special colon cleansing alternative procedure called Shankhaprakshalana, or varisara dhauti; this is the process of cleansing the intestinal tract using salty water to wash away the accumulated impurities and toxins. This practice helps repair damage and restores healthy colon function. Periodic practice of shankhaprakshalana is known to prevent conditions like diabetes, hypertension, cardiac arrest and kidney failure.

An individual starts the practice with two glasses of salty water, followed by six postures, practiced six times each, and repeated in two rounds. The six yoga postures include the Mountain Pose, Side Bending Stretch, Waist Rotating Pose, Twisting Cobra Pose, Abdominal Stretch Pose, and Kakhpadasana.

After you complete the first round, drink two glass of water and repeat the cycle of six postures for a second time. Now, if you need to use the washroom, be sure to do so, before continuing the practice from where you stopped.

You need to take some precautions after the practice. Be sure to assume the corpse pose for at least a minimum of 45 minutes after your undertake shankhaprakshalana. However be sure not to fall asleep during this time. Falling asleep could lead to headaches and colds.

Shankhaprakshalana is an important health function as it cleanses the colon effectively. A clean colon, in turn, helps the body maintain energy levels and healthy organ function. A healthy colon also boosts the body's immunity.

Don't practice shankhaprakshalana without the help of a trained yoga professional. If you suffer from any medical conditions, it is best to consult your doctor. Shankhaprakshalana shouldn’t be performed more than once in six months for best results.

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Some References:
Cleansing Diet - Cleansing diets to detox your body, improve complexion and lose weight.

Colon Cleansing Alternative to Enemas and Laxatives - This free gradual colon cleansing recipe helps constipation and avoids the dangers of enemas and laxatives.

Yoga for Lower Abdomen | Exercise for the Lower Abs

Exercises for Lower Abdomen

Who doesn’t want washboard abs? However not many of us can survive the three hundred sit ups and crunches routine! But a flat stomach doesn’t have to be a dream, or a trip to the surgeon. For people looking for accessible exercises for the lower abs, why not try yoga? This traditional fitness regime incorporates postures and breathing exercises that tone, shape and strengthen the abdominal muscles. Regular yoga for lower abdomen will also increase your flexibility, balance and awareness.

Exercise for the lower abs isn’t important just for aesthetic value, but is also necessary to maintain good health. Exercise for the lower abdomen is particularly important to ease the burden on the lower back:

• As the abdominal muscles are strengthened, they can be engaged in strenuous everyday activities, reducing the stress and the rate of wear and tear experienced by the lower back on a daily basis.
• By developing abdominal muscles not only do you develop the core muscles in your body, but it also boosts energy levels.
• Gentle yoga postures develop the abdominal muscles as well as the digestive organs. This enhances the digestive system of the body, improving the body’s digestion, nutritional distribution and waste elimination processes.

Yoga for Lower Abs

So, go ahead, grab your yoga mat and give yoga for lower abdomen a shot with the following postures:

Mountain Pose – This is a simple posture that strengthens and stretches all the major muscle groups in the body, especially the abdominal muscles. Stand with your feet apart. Hold your hands to your side arms at your side. Keep your back straight and raise your arms above your head. Now, slowly arch backwards. Keep your head still and push it as far back as you can. Push your abdomen out and hold pose for a few seconds before returning to original pose. Repeat at least five times.

Triangle Pose – For the triangle pose, stand with your feet. Tilt your left foot to a 90 degrees angle. Keep the right foot pointed ahead. Stretch your arms out and bend towards the right side. Place your right hand on your right shin. Raise your left arm upwards. Hold this pose for a few seconds before returning to the original pose. Repeat on the other side.

Tree Pose – Another helpful pose is the Tree Pose. Stand upright with your feet placed slightly apart, with your hands at your side. Lift your left foot and place it on your inner right thigh. Steady your position as you stretch your arms over the head in a prayer position. Hold the pose for a few counts before returning to the original position. Repeat posture five times.

Be sure not to over exert your body in the hopes of flat abs. Pushing the body beyond its limit can cause serious injuries.

Prevent Sore Muscles and Muscle Cramps with Yoga

Sore Muscles and Muscle Cramps

Muscle soreness and cramps are usually a result of strenuous or new activity. Either you’ve pushed the body to the limit during a workout, or you’ve indulged in a new routine, one that your body isn’t accustomed to yet.

While sore muscles result from microscopic muscle damage, cramps refer to the involuntary contractions of muscles. Both soreness and cramping can be incredibly uncomfortable and could hinder your normal schedules and hinder activity.

How to Prevent Sore Muscles and Cramps?

If you want to prevent muscle cramps and cure sore muscles, give yoga a shot. Yoga is a fitness regime that works on the body and mind. It ensures complete fitness without the customary aches and pains. It can be used as a complete fitness routine or as one to complement your regular training. Practicing yoga helps to deal with stiffness and soreness of the muscles post a gym workout. Practicing yoga will also allow you to get the most out of your gym workout without the risk of injury.

Yoga incorporates the practice of deep breathing in conjunction with gentle exercises. This transports fresh blood and nutrients to the muscles in the body. This makes the muscles stronger. With regular yoga the muscles in the body aren’t as susceptible to injury as they used to be.

Yoga also helps flush out the lactic acid build up from the muscles after an intense workout. This waste material causes soreness after exercise. By flushing out the acid and supplying the muscles with fresh blood, yoga ensures that you are pain free.

Intense exercise forces your muscles to tighten. This in turns makes you susceptible to cramps and other muscle injuries. By complementing your workout with yoga practice, you ensure the muscles retain flexibility and range of motion. This stops them from tightening up, and leaves you injury free.

In addition, there are several yoga postures your can practice to prevent sore muscles and cramps.

• Cobra Posture – This pose is excellent for curing muscle soreness in the lower back and spinal areas. Spread a yoga mat or a thick blanket on the floor and lie down on your stomach. Place your hands on the floor, below your shoulders, assuming the push-up position. Make sure your feet are stretched out on the floor, without a bend. Gently push off the floor using your arms to propel you. Keep your forearms on the floor at all times, as you lift your head and chest. Don’t arch your back too much. Hold thisposition for a few counts before returning to original position. Repeat posture five times.

• Standing Abdominal Stretch – Assume a standing position with feet placed wide apart. Rest your hands at the back of the hips. Ensure the back is straight and the shoulders are relaxed. Lean back and lift your chest upwards, so that your muscles are well stretched. Hold position for a few counts before returning to original position. Repeat this pose five times.

• Cow-face Pose – Sit in the lotus position with your right leg place over the left. Bend the left knee close to your body. Bend your right knee and pull it as close to the left side of your hip as you possibly can. Lift your right hand above and over your head and place it on the upper back. Crook the left hand at the elbow and place it on the lower back. Clasp your hands and hold the position for a few counts. Repeat this posture five times.

These are some of the basic Yoga poses, which you can practice on a daily basis. These positions and exercises will help prevent muscle soreness and will invigorate you.

Be sure to warm up before you practice yoga for sore muscles and cramps. Also be regular with your practice for best results.

Yoga for Teenagers | Exercise for Teenagers

Yoga is the traditional art of body and mind fitness. It aims to restore the balance between one’s body, mind and spirit through a series of gentle exercises, breathing techniques and meditation.

Teenagers Fitness

Yoga is beneficial for everyone, but it is especially so for teenagers; given that these can be difficult years, both emotionally and physically, yoga can help teens find inner peace, confidence as well as ensure physical fitness.

Improves Fitness – Yoga for teens helps in leading healthy and happy lives. As little as fifteen minutes of yoga practice can help boost health: teen yoga improves lung capacity and as a result blood circulation; it strengthens immunity; improves body posture; optimizes body functions; and boosts energy flow in the body. In addition, the stretches and bends involved in the practice ensure a well toned, fit body.

Improves Focus – Yoga for teenagers comes with another big advantage: it helps them develop focus, concentration and improve memory. Any teenage will agree that with increasing academic curriculum and growing completion, any advantage he or she might be able to leverage would be helpful, and if it come in the same shape of a few well executed yoga poses for teens, all the better.

Instills Confidence – The teenage years can be the most difficult years, both physically and emotionally. Yoga helps teens accept this difficult phase. Regular practice of yoga helps instill a positive self image. It teaches the teen to be comfortable, confident and positive.

Controls Stress – We live in stressful time and teenagers too have to bare their fair share of stress. With increasing academic and social pressures teenagers are falling prey to anxiety disorders and breakdowns. Through the regular practice of yoga exercises for teenagers, they can learn to cope with the demands and situations that life presents. Yoga instills an inner sense of calm, allowing teens to make clear and precise decisions.

Teenagers Yoga

Yoga can make the teenage years seem wonderful again. Here are a few yoga exercise tips for teens that can make all the difference:

Mountain Pose – the mountain pose is a classic yoga stretch. It channels the flow of energy through the entire body and works the muscles to fitness as well. This pose is a simple one: simply stand straight and hold your hands above your head. Join your hands and hold the pose for a few seconds. Repeat.

Tree Pose – another basic pose in the yoga arsenal is the tree pose. This posture is known to improve balance and strength. It is also beneficial in developing concentration. Stand upright with hands joined above the head. Keeping your frame upright, place your right foot on the inner left thigh. Maintain balance as you hold the pose.

Sun Salutations – one of the most effective yoga routines is the sun salutations. This is a sequence of 12 basic yoga postures performed in sets. Depending on time and stamina, practicing cycles of sun salutations gives the body and mind a complete work out.

Yoga for Childhood Obesity | Prevent Child Obesity

What is Childhood Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a modern epidemic with the number of obese children rising at an alarming rate. Childhood obesity is a medical condition in which the child is excessively overweight, so much so that it negatively affects the child’s wellbeing and development. This excessive weight is determined by calculating the child’s body mass index. When a child’s weight is much above the accepted weight limit for his or her age and height, the child is considered to be obese.

What are the Causes of Childhood Obesity?

Prevalent child obesity is a byproduct of our modern lifestyles. The two most telling reasons for this rise in obesity are poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity.

Most children do not practice healthy eating habits. Many children skip breakfast, the most important meal of the day, and eat out at least once during the day. Furthermore the day is punctuated with several unhealthy snacks like chips and aerated soft drinks. This results in an imbalanced diet, affecting the child adversely.

Bad food habits coupled with little or no physical activity is a fatal combination. Today children do not engage in adequate physical activity; the play grounds have been replaced by virtual gaming. Add television and the internet to this list and the grounds for activity are almost non-existent. These kids eat, but don’t burn off the calorie. As a result the excess energy is stored away as fat, which over time leads to obesity.

Childhood Obesity Effects

The most dangerous aspect of childhood obesity is that it leaves the child vulnerable to illnesses that once only the aged suffered from. This includes conditions like type 2 diabetes and several heart conditions. In addition obese children are also susceptible to sleep apnea, depression, low self esteem, rage, and anxiety disorders.

Childhood obesity introduces a train of unhealthy and disruptive designs to the child’s life. If these are ignored, they tend to become a part of the growing personality, creating a dysfunctional adult. This includes social ineptitude and awkwardness, anxiety and depression.

Can Yoga help Childhood Obesity?

For children battling obesity, Yoga can prove very beneficial. This holistic tradition has been practiced around the world for thousands of years with promising results. The beauty of Yoga is that it treats both the body and the mind; your physical progress is matched by a strong mental make-up enabling you to be more successful.

Yoga involves a series of gentle postures, breathing exercises and meditation techniques. Together these can treat obesity, correct imbalances in the body and create a healthy resolve to fight off the condition. Unlike other methods yoga doesn’t have any unpleasant side effects, neither is it strenuous. Most child obesity exercises leave the child frustrated. Child Yoga leaves the child refreshed and positive.

Yoga exercises involve a lot of stretching and bending, pushing all the muscles in the body into action. In addition kids also learn to breathe properly, utilizing complete lung capacity, improve posture and build self confidence. The meditative aspects of yoga helps children cope with stress and anxiety. It also boosts will power and concentration. It enables the child to control binge eating in the face of anxiety or boredom.

Yoga for Senior Citizens | Exercise for Older People

Exercise for Senior Citizens

As we enter the autumn of our lives, we have a lot time to unwind and reflect on the days gone by and lives we’ve led. Unfortunately, this is also a time to contend with the body’s wear and tear process and deal with conditions like arthritis, high blood pressure and diabetes. At such a time what we really need is a fitness regime that will ensure we’re still young at heart. You may want to give yoga a shot.

Yoga for Older People

Yoga is the perfect fitness solution for older people. This therapeutic fitness program has been practiced around the world for centuries with the best of results. Yoga incorporates a series of gentle exercises, breathing patterns and meditative practice that will leave you looking as young as you feel!

Yoga is a very flexible fitness regime. It can be adapted to best suit your needs. For a fitness conscious 25 year old, yoga can be the fast paced athletic work out he or she needs, and at the same time as an exercise for older people, yoga can be a gentle, rejuvenating program. If certain postures prove to be challenging, they can easily be altered to suit your condition and comfort level without compromising on the end result. In addition yoga doesn’t just treat your body; it also strengthens you mentally and emotionally.

Yoga for senior citizens ensures that the body is fit and functioning in balance. Yoga involves a series of stretches and bends that put your muscles to work, making them strong and active again. Along with maintaining fitness, even the most basic exercises for senior citizens resets imbalances like high blood pressure. Yoga boosts blood circulation, immunity, respiratory systems and the nervous system. It also strengthens the heart and improves stamina. Furthermore yoga is especially beneficial in counter chronic pain brought on by conditions like arthritis.

Yoga puts a lot of emphasis on breathing techniques. Most of us only utilize a fraction of our lung capacities. Yoga helps you re-learn how to breathe fully. The increased content of oxygen and nutrients flowing into the body make an immediate impact, boosting overall functioning of the body and mind.

Yoga’s meditative practices also prove to be a very useful exercise for senior citizens. Meditation teaches you how to calm and centre the mind. It is an effective technique to beat stress, anxiety and depression that one may fall prey to at this age. Instead meditation instills confidence and positivity. It enables you to take on life with a new vigor.

One of the basic requirements of yoga is that you respect your body, appreciate it and understand its limitations. Don’t push yourself into postures your body isn’t ready for. By doing so you’ll simply injure yourself. If you feel any pain or discomfort, be sure to bring it to the trainer’s attention; the posture will then be altered to suit your condition. Also be sure to join a certified yoga for senior citizens class. It is very important to have a licensed trainer; one who can ensure that you get the most out of your routine.

Warm up Yoga | Warm up exercises before Yoga

Yoga is one of the most full-filling forms of fitness. It helps you keep both your body and mind fit through a series of postures, breathing techniques and meditation. Yoga can be practiced by everyone, irrespective of age and physical condition. In fact this practice is so flexible that it can be adapted to suit your state. However as with any other form of exercise yoga too comes with a set of preconditions: compulsory warm up yoga exercises.

Many yoga practitioners choose to ignore yoga warm up exercises, diving straight into the many postures. This can be a dangerous move, one that could result in a lasting injury.

Why is Warm up Yoga Important?

It is important to warm up before beginning a yoga routine. A warm up allows the body to prepare itself for the coming exercises; it gets the blood moving; it allows the muscles to warm up and shed some of their stiffness; it helps to loosen the joints; and makes the body more flexible. All of these help you gain the most out of your routine. Through warm up yoga you reduce the chances of injury (like pulling a muscle or cramping) that may arise from stiff muscles or joints.

How to Warm up before Exercising?

There are several yoga warm up exercises that can precede your routine. Some people prefer to do cycles of sun salutations as warm up yoga, other prefer a series of yoga warm up poses.

Sun Salutations – The sun salutations are a series of twelve basic yoga poses that are performed in a cyclical flow. You can perform as many cycles as you want depending on your stamina and time on hand. The sun salutations ensure that the muscles and stretched, the joints are loosened and the blood is pumping before your routine. If the sun salutations aren’t to your liking, you can opt for the following yoga warm up exercises:

Eye Exercises – Once you join a yoga class your trainer will help you with a set of warm up yoga exercises. Amongst these will several eye exercises. Like the rest of your body, your eye muscles also need to warm up. The idea here is to move your eyes, following a routine, in every direction without moving your head. This allows the eye muscles to be warmed. It also strengthens them and improves eye sight.

Neck Exercises – Most of our stress and tension is held along the neck. This causes stiffness, poor posture and give rise t o stress and anxiety related headaches. Without yoga warm up exercises, this stress will get aggravated and turn into a serious injury. This set of warm up exercises involves moving your head up and down and sideways in a disciplined routine. These simple exercises reduce tension, improve circulation and tone muscles in this region.

Shoulder Exercises – Like the neck, the shoulders too hold a lot of stiffness and stress. It is essential to warm up these muscles before undertaking intense exercise. This is where shoulder lifts and stretches come in. These gentle movements get the blood moving and the stiffness out of the shoulders and back. These movements also improve body posture.

Arm Exercises – Similarly warm up arm exercises also get the blood moving. Through a series of arm lifts, rolls and elbow touches, you can work away all the stiffness settled and tension settled along the arms, ribs and back.

Sarvangasana: Shoulder Stand Yoga | Shoulder Stretch

Yoga is the ancient Indian tradition of body and mind fitness. Its aim is to harmonize the body, mind and spirit through a series of postures, breathing techniques and meditation. These postures are movements and stretches that when combined with breathing exercises prove very beneficial for the body. Yoga incorporates several postures, each addressing and benefiting one or more body functions. One such useful posture is the sarvangasana posture.

Sarvangasana - Shoulder Stretches

Sarvangasana yoga is often referred to as the queen of postures. The word ‘sarvangasana’ comes from Sanskrit and translates as ‘full body posture’, indicating its positive effect on the entire body. Sarvangasana is an inverted yoga posture. It includes several variations like salamba sarvangasana and setu banda sarvangasana; salamba sarvangasana is also known as the supported shoulder stand while the setu banda sarvangasana is commonly referred to as the bridge pose.

Shoulderstand Yoga

The biggest impact of sarvangasana is the reversing effect of gravity the body experiences when undertaking this pose. Sarvangasana tunes the body and improves functioning all in one go. The following is a list of sarvangasana benefits:

Improves Overall Health – Sarvangasana targets the entire body. Every muscle in the body is forced into action. This in turn stimulates corresponding organs and glands in the body. It also boosts blood circulation and energy flow as well as strengths the nervous system. Additionally, your muscles get toned, leaving you looking leaner and feeling lighter.

Boosts Circulation – Sarvangasana improves blood circulation along the body; this in turn boosts some body functions and at the same time relieves pressure experienced in other parts of the body. When assuming this posture, blood flow is directed from the lower region of the body towards the heart, boosting heart function. It also makes the heart’s job of pumping blood towards the brain much easier. On the other hand this pose is also beneficial for easing conditions like varicose veins.

Aids Respiratory Functions – Like the heart, the lungs too benefits greatly from this pose as it ensures oxygen supply to both the lower and upper regions of the lung. It is also very helpful in easing respiratory disorders like bronchitis, asthma, nasal congestions and throat infections.

Improves Digestive Functions – Sarvangasana is excellent for those suffering from digestive disorders. It is especially effective in improving the body’s metabolism as it promotes thyroid function. The thyroid is situated in the neck. When one undertakes it posture, a fresh flow of blood and nutrients is directed to the thyroid gland, stimulating the gland. This posture is also helps resolve common problems like constipation and boosts digestion.

Boosts Sexual Function – This posture also boosts sexual function. As you assume the posture, fresh blood and nutrients are supplied to the reproductive organs. This is also a recommended posture for women trying to conceive. It also allows for blood purification and therefore is a useful posture for women post childhood and those suffering from painful menstruation.

Types of Yoga - Standing Postures & Seated Yoga Poses

Yoga has been proved to be one of the most successful alternative healing techniques. Not only has yoga the potential to cure both physical and mental illnesses, the technique also allows people to lead a good and healthy life.

Different Types of Yoga

Each of yoga’s poses help you become more aware of your body, understand the body’s needs, and increase self awareness. Other than a heightened increase in self awareness, yoga also helps an individual delve more deeply into the surroundings and understand the immediate environment with a more enlightened temperament.

It is recommended that if you have just begun to practice yoga, you should start with first experimenting with simpler the poses and that you are comfortable with. If you feel even the slightest of discomfort, you must discontinue.

Yoga has many poses. Some of them are practiced while sitting and others are practiced while standing. Many of the poses concentrate on regulating breathing, improving self consciousness, and increasing concentration. Whatever pose you are practicing, in yoga, you are never supposed to hold, force, or strain your breath.

Seated Poses

Most of the breathing yoga poses are practiced while seated. The seated poses are utilized to practice breathing exercises, relaxing techniques, and simple meditation. If you use yoga in your fitness regimen, the seated poses may help you warm up for your exercises. These poses are also aimed at improving your posture. The Sukhasana or the easy pose, Upavista Konasana or the spread leg forward fold, the Vajrasana or the lightening pose, Paschimothanasana or the seated forward bend, the Malasana or garland pose, and the Paripurna Navasana or the full boat pose are all examples of the seated poses of yoga.

Standing Yoga Poses - Postures

The standing poses strengthen the legs and the lower part of the body. These poses are important in improving the sense of balance and are often used as a starting point to warm up for the other poses. The standing postures are said to provide knowledge of alignment of the body with nature and god.

It is also said that all of the standing poses originated from the Tadasana or the mountain pose. The standing poses are important in a yoga routine and are generally performed in a fixed sequence. They invigorate the entire body and provide immense strength and flexibility. The Trikonasana or Triangle Pose, Parivrtta Trikonasana or Revolved Triangle Pose, and the series of Virabhadrasana or Warrior Poses are the different standing poses that are usually practiced.

Rejuvenate Body with Yoga Twists | Twist Exercises

Yoga is an ancient healing technique that is practiced to rejuvenate and heal the body. This technique that was invented in India about five thousand years ago is still being practiced all over the world and many people experience the benefits of yoga even today. Yoga not only improves health but also promotes wellness and overall well being.

Yoga Twists

The twisting asanas or poses of yoga, act to improve the emotional health and well being of those who practice them. The twisting action has a constricting effect on the lungs, where the lower lungs are rendered unusable, thereby forcing the upper and middle lungs to get activated.

During a twist, the practitioner is instructed on the ability to maintain rhythmic breathing. This knowledge of controlling the breathing in rhythmic motions and utilizing the lungs completely can aid in overcoming a stressful situation. Usually, during stress, our body feels knotted up because of a lack of breath. In fact if you know how to utilize the twists properly, you can use the breathing techniques regularly to calm the body during a stressful event.

Yoga Twist Poses

It is said that many of the yoga poses were created by the Indian gods and then passed on to great sages. Even today, to commemorate the great work of these sages, many of the poses of yoga are named after them. Marichyasana and Bharadvajasana are such poses.

Philosophically, it was believed that the physical action associated with the twisting poses give a balanced view of all sides of a situation. It gives a clear sighted view of life and imparts wisdom.

The Ardha Matseyendrasana or half spinal twist, allows the spine to feel lifted. Though the interlocking of the arms and the legs is very intense in this pose, the limbs begin to be supported by the body instead of the other way round. There is a feeling of rejuvenation and deep calm. Spinal pains and injuries can be cured and the body de-stressed by this pose. A sense of balance is also felt by the body.

The main aim of a twisting pose is to give a deep massage to the internal organs of the body, thereby squeezing out toxins and stimulating digestion. When the pose is released, the organs get fresh circulation and the blood flow of the body is improved, with more blood flowing into the pelvic region.

Different yoga twist poses have different specific effects on the body. For example, in the Ardha Matsyendrasana, the secretion of adrenaline and bile is regulated. Many ailments like bronchitis, diabetes, hay fever, and sinusitis can be cured through this pose. For women, premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps, and urinary tract infections can also be cured by these poses. This particular pose is useful in giving a deep cleaning massage to the digestive tract namely: the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and the gall bladder. The pose can also help massage the kidneys.

Yoga for Disabled - An Exercise for The Disabled

Yoga has proved to be beneficial to all that have practiced it. Today, it is yoga that is considered as the best alternative therapy for many illnesses. However, the main purpose of yoga is to improve the quality of life of the people who practice it by improving both physical and mental health.

Exercise for Disabled

Yoga, in fact, has been proven especially helpful to the handicapped or differently abled people as they are popularly called. Yoga has never recognized any barriers of age, sex, religion, or creed. Yoga can quite simply be performed by anyonethose who suffer from chronic illnesses, those who are missing limbs, and those who have just had a surgery.

There have been an increasing number of polio affected individuals who have signed up for yoga and relate heartwarming stories of overcoming their handicaps. Accident victims too claim that yoga has helped improve their lives in many ways. Even those who are mentally challenged, enjoy the benefits of yoga.

Exercise for Handicapped

The postures of yoga for the differently abled have been carefully selected from meticulously designed yoga poses. These poses come from the different schools of yoga like Kundalini yoga, Hatha yoga, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, mantra yoga, and Jnana yoga.

Although the disabled might not be able to practice all of the yoga poses, there are many postures that are especially beneficial to them. Pranayama, a yoga technique that helps control breathing and regulates it into rhythms, is actually very beneficial for the disabled. This technique particularly improves the stamina, balance and strength, along with increasing flexibility and inducing better sleep.

Most of these postures can be modified for the disabled by an aptly trained instructor. In fact, if the instructor is good enough, they can teach their students to perform various poses without moving at all. There are instances of severely disabled persons who practice their yoga routine from their beds or wheelchairs.

Some of the poses that can be easily practiced by the disabled are:

• Snake pose or Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana): This pose is performed by lying face down on the floor. The hands are placed palm down on either side of the torso. Applying pressure on the hands, the upper body is raised. As the body is raised, deep inhalation is required.

• Half Tortoise Pose: One of the easiest poses, this pose is especially recommended for beginners. This is a seated pose in which you sit on the balls of your heels. Slowly, the arms are extended and you are required to bend forward until your forehead touches the floor.

Yoga for Impotence | Remedy, Cure for Impotence

Male Impotency

With our changing lifestyles come many health problems. Impotence or sterility in men is also on the rise owing to many lifestyle factors. Impotence is a disorder where a man’s penis is unable become erect during sexual intercourse. A person who is impotent, may also be unable to sustain an erection for the desired period of time. A change in food habits and the highly adulterated food that is available in today, pollution, depression and other neurotic problems, stress and sedentary occupations are all underlying causes for impotence.

Although impotence does not have any serious physical consequences, a person may become mentally distressed because of this condition. Ineffective sexual functioning can be detrimental to a person’s self esteem. If the person is not involved in a sexual relationship, impotence can greatly reduce the chances of him being in a sexually intimate relationship. However, if the man is already in an intimate relationship with a woman, the relationship may undergo severe stress.

Curing for Impotence

There are a lot of treatment options available for impotence. Unfortunately, not all of them guarantee hundred percent results. Also, because of the seriousness of the problem, many people market and sell spurious products that claim to cure impotence and infertility to earn a quick buck. It is always better to avoid counterfeit drugs or spurious aphrodisiacs that make tall claims of curing this condition completely.

Remedy for Impotence

For many years, Yoga has been considered a natural practice to remedy many ailments. In the long list of its many benefits, impotence also figures. Yoga is an ancient healing technique that uses postures and concentration to cure many acute and chronic diseases. It started in India about five thousand years ago. Since then, this healing technique has only been gaining in popularity. Yoga can not only help you overcome this disorder, but also help you master your emotions, promote self esteem, and enjoy overall health and well being.

Some of the poses and postures of yoga that are especially beneficial for impotence are the Bhujanga Asana (Snake Pose), Pawana Mukta Asana (Wind Relieving Pose) and the Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations). All three poses increase the blood flow to the genital area. In men, this increased blood flow removes and remedies the biological or chemical imbalances that might be causing impotence. These three poses are beneficial for women too. The increased blood flow helps keep the genital and the reproductive organs healthy and makes child birth easy.

If you are feeling stressed out because of your condition, yoga also offers meditative and stress relieving techniques that can help you remove any negativity and deal with all the negative emotions that are associated with impotence.

Yoga for Parkinsons | Cure for Parkinsons Disease

Yoga is an ancient Indian healing technique that utilizes poses and postures to heal many diseases. Today, yoga is not only practiced by those who want to heal their physical diseases, but also those who are suffering from neurological ailments. Recent research has shown that Yoga is a powerful complementary therapy for neurological diseases.

Treatment for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder. Earlier known as shaking palsy, this disease remains a mystery to medical science even after years of research. The underlying causes of this disease have not been found although untiring efforts have been made in that direction. Fortunately, today the disease can be treated enough to increase the quality of life of the patients substantially. However, this doesn’t undermine the fact that even today, many suffer from this disorder and the number keeps escalating. A lot of times, the people suffering from the disease are not able to identify their ailment and therefore, are unable to get medical aid at the right time.

Parkinson’s may cause a loss of feeling in facial muscles. A lot of the Parkinson’s cases are caused by wrong prescriptions or the use of very potent drugs. Those, whose ailment is caused by drugs, are usually undergoing treatment for psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia. Manganese poisoning has also been seen as a cause for Parkinson’s.

Exercise for Parkinson's Disease

Over the years, Yoga has proved to be very beneficial in managing the disease. However, until today, Yoga is only considered an alternative therapy and not a cure for Parkinson’s. Techniques like Pranayama, which are used to control the breath, can help reduce the panic that can be caused by symptoms of Parkinson’s. There is a lot of stress laid on improving the alertness of the mind. There are also many back strengthening and posture correcting exercises that can benefit those suffering from Parkinson’s. The poses that have a lot of shoulder movements are especially beneficial.

Along with meditative and breathing exercises, there is one form of Yoga that has proved to be most beneficial. Ashtanga yoga, a school of yoga that literally translates to ‘eight limbs’, is one of the most beneficial techniques for those suffering with Parkinson’s. Ashtanga yoga helps in improving blood circulation, increasing flexibility, and improving the alertness of mind
Though Parkinson does not always weaken the muscles of the body, people suffering from Parkinson’s are advised to practice yoga daily. If a person with Parkinson’s avoids movement, it is likely that the muscles will get weak due to the lack of exercise. Though Yoga should be practiced daily, it should be done in moderation so that there is no fatigue or injury.