All posts by blogger

Yoga Central – Cat Cow Pose

By blogger on

This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as cat cow pose and is the combination of two poses. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose.

How to Carry Out the Pose

We have put together instructions on how to carry out the pose correctly however there are also a number of modifications that can be done to make the pose easier as well as deeper. These modifications will be found lower in the article.

1. Begin the pose by coming to your hands and knees. It is important that you make sure your knees are directly underneath your hips and are hip width apart. Your hands should also be directly under your shoulders and your wrists firm. Make sure your head is in a neutral position and that you are looking at the floor.

2. As you exhale round your spine towards the ceiling making sure that your hands and knees remain in their starting position. You should also lower your head towards the floor but not press your chin against your chest.

3. Now release the pose and go back through the starting position and arch your back. As in the previous step you should keep your hands and knees in their starting positions. The head should be lifted towards the ceiling but it important to keep your neck soft and not compress it and lift it too far.

4. You should then release this pose and go back to step 2. Continue through steps 2 and 3 for 4 or 5 times in order to get the maximum benefit.

5. On completion of the pose push back into child pose with your bottom on your feet and rest your head on the floor or on your hands whichever is most comfortable.

Tips and Precautions

This is a relatively easy pose to perform but there are a number of things you may want to do if you are new to it and lack flexibility. For example you may find it difficult to round your back for the cat part of the pose. If this is the case then you should get someone to place their hand above and between the shoulder blades in order to activate that area. For the cow part of the pose you can protect your neck by broadening the shoulder blades and drawing your shoulders down away from your ears.

If you suffer from a neck injury then it is a good idea to keep your neck in a neutral position for both sections of this pose combination. This will enable you to keep your neck safe but still get the desired benefits.

Benefits and Focus

Although this is the combination of both the cat pose and cow pose the benefits are the same for both of them which is part of the reason why they go so well together. Practising this pose on a regular basis will help to stretch out the back torso and the neck. It will also provide a gentle massage to both the spine and the abdominal organs. The main anatomical focus of this pose combination is on the uterus and therapeutically it will be very helpful for people suffering from stress. In addition, although it is not its main focus it may also be helpful for people who suffer from anxiety and depression as well as other similar conditions.

The Different Types Of Yoga Mats

By blogger on

If you are new to yoga, you might be wondering if you should get a yoga mat. The reality is that in several circumstances, you do not have to have a mat. For example, if you do yoga at home, you can do it on the carpet or if you are at a gymnasium, you can borrow one.

However, if you are serious about yoga or are stuck in a situation where you have to practice in places with a hard floor, a yoga mat becomes a must have. Some yoga mats are really plain whilst others have fascinating patterns and textures to help with friction when trying more challenging poses. Because yoga is about connecting your mind and body, plenty of yoga mats are built to fit your personality and help you achieve these challenging poses.

You may find dearer mats that may offer more support or a special design, but for most of us the average mat will do. Because there are a wide variety of yoga types available, you may wonder about the different ways of which to pick the best mat, particularly if you are new to yoga. The kind of yoga mat you should buy relies on many factors, the most significant being the kind of yoga you practice and your ability level.

If you do more active and challenging poses or need more support, a thicker mat is the best option for you. You may also wish to consider a textured mat if you want help in maintaining poses.

Thinner mats are great if you want a mat that is convenient for you to carry around and to do more relaxing poses. If you prefer a mat that is small enough but will support your poses, sticky mats are just the thing for you. These yoga mats are thinly made and also come in a selection of colours.

It is light enough for you to carry around, and a lot of these mats have guides to indicate where to set your feet and hand. If you are an amateur, such guidance on a mat is an ideal concept till you get used to the basic hand and foot placements. These yoga mats are just perfect in mastering those poses and are very useful in stopping you from slipping off and sliding.

If you are practicing Ashtanga Yoga or Bikram Yoga, cotton mats are ideal for you. Cotton mats are made for soaking up your sweat. These cotton mats will help you to remain in position and not slip off. If your mat is not absorbent, then it is reasonably perilous because wet surfaces can be really greasy. The damp mat is good for gripping so that your feet and hands stay just where you place them.

There are different types of yoga mats for everyone, and the trick to this is to select the mat that will aid you in practicing the kind of yoga that you want, while ensuring that you remain in position and cushioning the impact of the hard floor beneath.

Yoga Mats – A Few Quick Ideas

By blogger on

You’ll find different things it’s important to give some thought to in selecting the best yoga mat for you personally. The first and primary factor that you should remember while picking out a mat is precisely what method of yoga exercises you perform. Now, you can get various yoga mats built to be utilized for the various yoga types. If you’re performing a yoga style that requires hopping from one type to another, such as Ashtanga yoga, you’ll need a mat that is really thick and can provide you a good cushion. If, perhaps while engaging in yoga, you perspire a great deal, you should have a mat which has the capability to absorb it and the smartest choice will probably be cotton yoga mat. Other considerations to make in choosing a yoga mat are more of your individual preferences.

When planning on your most suitable mat, first of all think about the functional aspects, are you needing a yoga travel mat, to be quite easily carried wheresoever you might be, if that’s the case you will not want an extra thick mat. Secondly, just what form of yoga might you engage in, a high energy sweaty form could lead to insufficient grip on some mats, and if you posses deep environmental views you will require to take into account additional specifications once again. Long lasting, reliable for your form of yoga, comfortable, in addition to eco friendly, would be a great place to start out. You may additionally wish to add reasonably priced, mobile or portable, and quickly washable to your menu of must have mat specifications.

If you like the look of a patterned yoga mat there distinctive designs like tree of life, lotus, dragonfly, damask, wisdom, or simple peace on earth, prints. To really make it a whole lot more personal, some stores provide features such as placing a picture chosen by you on the designs of the mat. To hunt for such yoga mats it is possible to use the internet. With these mats, you can do yoga with your own sense of fashion. In fact, if you’re just not quite sure how to get started on looking for or getting more information on the various types of yoga mats and what might work best for you, just simply browse over to a fantastic yoga place to get going such as Gaiam.com. They’ve got all the different sorts of yoga mats and all the yoga gear, props, and videos that will enable you to get started or maybe go further with your yoga routines.

The density you will require is dependent upon a couple of points. A fuller mat will be more desirable for someone who has sensitive joints or if you have got arthritis or other joint issues. Thicker mats are designed for more exhaustive practices without moving around. Consider a thin mat if your primary yoga practice will not be too rigorous. If you intend to carry your mat about a great deal or travel with it, a slimmer, lighter mat is much easier to control. Also, thin mats provide a stronger connection to the ground and this can be well suited for balance.

Cotton yoga mats are great for those kinds of yoga that normally cause you to perspire considerably including Astanga or Bikram. Because they absorb sweat, they help prevent you from slipping and sliding throughout these hotter practices. They perform the best when they are sprinkled with a small amount of water. The moist mat will provide you with lots of traction which means that your hands and feet remain in the spot where you place them. Many of them contain lines in the designs, which can help with your body positioning. Organic cotton mats also offer shock absorption. They can substitute for blankets by helping to reinforce your body during certain postures. Many people use cotton mats in place of sticky mats throughout their routines.

One kind of yoga mat is referred to as the Ashtanga Yoga Mat. This kind of yoga mat is directly designed to satisfy what’s needed when it comes to Ashtanga yoga and even Bikram yoga. The mat contains cotton that is snugly woven to give traction and maximum absorption of sweat. This helps prevent the accumulation of moisture and perspiration. This yoga mat is also padded sufficiently to supply comfort for extended intervals of sitting and floor exercises as well as completely reliable for standing poses.

Discover Bikram Yoga

By blogger on

Bikram Yoga is a specific form of yoga that was developed by the yoga master, Bikram Choudhury. It consists of a series of 26 poses that include two breathing exercises, which are done twice within a 90-minute class. Bikram yoga is practiced in a heated room that is set to 105 degrees while maintaining a humidity level of 40 percent. It is considered a form of hot yoga, which is always done in a room that is heated to 95 to 100 degrees.

By performing the 26 postures included in the program, every area of the body benefits. This includes muscles, ligaments, veins and all the internal organs as these postures help to provide maximum function while maintaining optimum health. As the postures are being performed, they work together as well as separately to benefit every part of the body while benefiting each other at the same time. Hot yoga helps to heat the body up, which softens it, making the body more flexible. When it becomes this flexible, it can be reshaped according to the individual’s desire. Yoga also works to cleanse the body of toxins and waste from organs and glands. While practicing yoga the body is naturally cleansed through the respiratory and circulatory systems. It also nourishes every cell of the body, offering maximum function and health. By using the Bikram yoga techniques, additional benefits of yoga are obtained as the body is cleansed in a deeper fashion by releasing toxins and waste through the skin. With the addition of the breathing exercises that are implemented in the Bikram yoga practice, the lungs receive more oxygen, which improves circulation and cardiovascular health.

Bikram Choudhury created this specific yoga practice as a way to help individuals find and maintain general wellness. By implementing the use of heated facilities, injuries are prevented, stretches are deeper and tension and stress are reduced. All systems in the body become stimulated, which can restore health to organs, joints and muscles. Moreover, by applying the breathing techniques, the lungs become more capable of increasing oxygen intake, which provides improved blood circulation and oxygen to every cell in the body. Another important factor in Bikram yoga is the specific postures that are done to temporarily cut off blood supply. This makes the heart pump faster to provide fresh blood to the body. When the posture has been completed, this fresh blood rejuvenates arteries that have been blocked of blood supply. This action releases toxins, bacteria and infections from the body.

Bikram yoga should only be practiced under the supervision of a Bikram yoga teacher who is certified in this form of yoga and in a studio that is built to provide the proper heat that is required for safely maximizing the required postures.

Yoga Strategies To Help Cram For Exams

By blogger on

A feeling of anxiousness or anxiety prior to taking an examination is normal. In fact, some experts believe it is healthy as it serves as an effective stimuli that prompts one to come up with a preparation strategy for an upcoming examination.

But some people are not good with handling their nervousness and anxiety such that it affects their performance in the exam. This is most especially true for those who are cramming for their exam. This makes them repulsive to any preparation method as they are unable to clear their mind.

Allow Body Movement

When an individual feels tensed about the idea of taking an examination that s/he isn’t fully prepared for, the tension is manifested throughout the entire body. Although you have short preparations to ensure that you perform well on your exam, that feeling of nervous tension often reacts on you mentally making you incapable of thinking logically.

Hence, a trick of releasing body tension and nervousness would be really helpful in remaining calm prior to taking your exam. Allowing as much body movement as possible is really helpful. You can do simple exercises such as walking, jogging, or stretching. This will effectively calm your nerves and release any tension that is building up. Doing these body movement enhancement exercises are also quite helpful in waking up your nerves and senses.

Reducing Anxiety and Stress

Stress and anxiety are two of the worst mental and physical health enemies. When people suffer from stress or anxiety, you lose synchronization and focus. This is a deadly combination when you are about to take an examination. The negative emotions or thoughts that you might be having could prevent you from thinking clearly. As a result, you have difficulty remembering all that you have reviewed for the exam and put you at risk for low performance.

Performing Rhythmic Breathing

Rhythmic breathing has been known to offer a wide range of benefits as a yoga practice. Among the physiological effects are increased oxygen supply and re-establishment of the body’s natural rhythm.

Mentally though, rhythmic breathing offers benefits that would help those who are cramming for their exam. It helps bring about calmness of the mind, increase your level of self-confidence, and improve concentration ability. These are all mental abilities that would help improve your performance in an examination. Thus, retention of important information that you need to be able to respond to the exam questionnaires is a very useful benefit of practicing this particular yoga breathing technique.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing in yoga has been known to effectively combat stress. As you know, preparing for an exam is such a stressful situation to be in. The level of stress also adds up when the actual time of the examination is drawing near and you have not done enough preparation to be confident on your exam performance.

Deep breathing comprises of full and cleansing breaths. This relaxation technique is very simple to perform and yet its effects on the body are very powerful. Here are the steps you can follow:

Find a comfortable sitting position. Make sure that your back is straight while you place on hand on your chest and the other resting on your stomach.
Use your nose for breathing in. Do this fully such that you can see your hand resting on your stomach rise. There should also be movement on your chest.
Use your mouth for exhalation. Do this in a sudden and forceful manner to empty out your lungs.
Repeat the same process all over again.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Here is another well known strategy used for stress relief due to its effectiveness. It involves two process that follows a systematic approach. The first step is involved with tensing specific muscle groups, while the second part helps in releasing that tension to provide relaxation. This is also a very good relaxation technique to use if you are suffering from muscular tension in specific areas of the body. It takes only a few minutes and would be very effective to perform a few minutes before starting your examination.

You must begin by trying to relax and make your entire body comfortable. You can start with slow and deep breathing to provide relaxation. Once you are ready, you can focus your attention on your right foot. Try to tense your muscles on your right foot by squeezing it and holding this position for at least 10 seconds. After that, relax your right foot and bask in the feeling of relaxing your foot.

Use the same method on your left foot this time. The same sequence of creating and releasing tension should be done. Follow this pattern by slowly working your way upwards in your body.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation must not be confused with meditation. The former is more effective if you want to use this method for stress relief or reducing anxiety caused by cramming for an exam. The idea of mindfulness is basically enabling you to get rid of any negative form of thought and becoming more engaged with the present moment. This quality allows you to focus on the task at hand, which in this case is the exam, and increase ability to concentrate.

Although deeper than regular meditation, it does not equal zoning out though. There is still that certain level of awareness of your physical environment but attaining a more specific focus. This will be able you to be more guided in your mental activities.

Guided Visualization

Lack of focus and unorganized thoughts are very characteristic among individuals who are anxious or cramming for an exam. This is crucial as you could basically forget all the information you have patiently reviewed on previously.

To follow this relaxation technique, you must imagine a serene and tranquil scene. Your goal must be to find peace and release any form of tension, whether mental or physical. It could be somewhere tropical or your favorite place as a child, but it has to have a calming effect on you. Do this with your eyes closed and allow yourself to drift away into the scene. Take note of all sensory impulses too for a more effective stress relief.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is one particular yoga style that you can practice to provide more physical and mental harmony that would help your exam preparation. It comprises of a series of slow and flowing movements. Some of the benefits of practicing Tai Chi includes relaxation of mind and body, revitalized energy, and increased concentration ability.

Tai Chi is a low impact yoga style that you can perform, which suits even those with minimum fitness level or any age level. Plus, the above mentioned benefits will truly help you cope with the tension of an upcoming examination.