Friday, August 29, 2008
Chair Yoga Vinyasa Flow
...oking for a little stimulation in the form of Vinyasa Yoga.
Your Chair Yoga students can hold a posture for one complete breath. That is one full inhale and one full exhale, while holding a posture. This will be much less vigorous, but your Chair Yoga students will love it. This is not a race and is also mildly aerobic. The benefits are mentally uplifting, as well.
For a fit crowd, an inhale on one posture, and an exhale on the following posture will be fine, but the breath should still be complete. The Chair Yoga teacher is not a drill sergeant, so the pace of any Chair Yoga Vinyasa flow should be slow, thorough, and controlled. Chair Yoga Vinyasa Flow is not a race. The absolute and top priority is to keep Yoga practice safe. Fun is one thing, but safety overrides fun every time.
Copyright 2006 Paul Jerard / Aura Publicationsmore
Benefit of Yoga - The Christian Viewpoint
...The benefit of yoga is twofold - increased health and unification of the spirit with the body. It is accomplished through the use of many different aspects, but mainly through the combination of Asanas, or postures, and breathing/meditation practices.
This raises many question in the Christian community. In my research for this article, I was very surprised at the viewpoint of the Christian apologists, and their take on yoga and its practice. I have hesitated on writing this article because of that viewpoint. However, I feel that this question and the stance of the Christian community warrants reflection on the subject.
Yoga has a history dating back over five thousand years, to the beginning of the civilization of man. Little is really known about Yoga. it is believed to have originated in Mehrgarh, a neolithic settlement in what is now Afghanistan. Scholars believe it has grown out of Stone Age Shamanism. In this early period of civilization's beginnings, Yoga was a community resource, because of its attempts to determine cosmic order through inner vision, and apply it to daily living. In later years, yoga evolved into an inner dialogue through which the Yogis sought to develop their own salvation and enlightenment.
Archaeological evidence of the exi...more
Coping Strategies - Yoga For Menopause Relief
...Yoga is not a 'remedy' for menopause - not least because menopause represents a stage of life, rather than an illness. A woman's experience during menopause is completely individual, and yoga is not specific like the drugs of modern medicine. There is no one set series of postures that thus make up a 'remedy' for the symptoms of perimenopause.
Yoga is, instead, an adaptive discipline that can support the body through the myriad of biological changes it is making. Importantly, it can also support our minds and emotions, and allow us to come to a perspective on the inner processes that are happening. Many perimenopausal women have found both the physical and less tangible benefits of yoga helpful at this time.
If you haven't done any yoga before, it would be best to go to a class to learn. No DVD or book can quite replace watching a teacher demonstrate a posture, taking you through the different breathing practices, and offering insi...more
How to Use Yoga DVDs and Videos to Round Out Your Practice
...Modify postures
Lately, I have been dealing with an injured foot that occurred while I was running. As a result, I cant put any pressure on the front of my foot. That means I have to modify a number of poses such as Plank Pose -- I need to put my knees down so I dont bear my entire body weight on my forefoot. Sometimes it takes a lot of extra movements to get into a posture because of this injury. I would find it very uncomfortable to have to do all of these modifications in a regular class with other people around. By using one of my yoga DVDs, I can easily modify the posture to meet my physical needs and I can do it in the privacy of my own home.
Now you can see why I think yoga DVDs and videos are so great. They are easy, convenient, and they can add breadth to your practice. Try some and see for yourself. You might grow to love them too.<...more
