Confirming The Grand Claims About Yoga

By Sheryl Walters

Everyone seems to be raving about yoga. From celebrities such as sting, to office workers, councilors, and housewives, yoga is one of the most popular forms of exercise as well as way to relax and de-stress.

So why are so many people claiming that yoga has helped them chill out like no other form of exercise? For thousands of years, people have used yoga as a path towards ultimate health and wellbeing.

A recent scientific study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine has validated the benefits that people have been talking about for years.

Nineteen individuals were assigned to either an hour yoga session of postures and conscious breathing, or a 1 hour reading session. It was important to the creators of the study to compare two activities that have been known to be calming and pleasurable in order to ascertain the true power of yoga. Most people have used reading at some point in their lives as a way of relaxing.

The level of GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) was tested before and after the session. All subjects were then assessed for brain levels of GABA both before and after the session. GABA is a brain chemical that has a generally calming, anti-anxiety effect within the brain.

Individuals who completed the yoga session had a 27 percent increase in GABA levels on average. However, those who read saw no change in the levels of this brain chemical.

This scientific study reinforces what Yogis, celebrities and your average Joe have been raving about all these years.

http://www.defyagenaturally.com

Combining the world's most up to date scientific research on how to stay young naturally in both mind and body with a heartfelt, personal touch. When we have the right information and take some dedicated action, we can be in charge of our health and our aging process.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheryl_Walters

Yoga For Better Sleep

By Nancy Wile

The ability of yoga to reduce muscle tension, slow your heart rate and calm a racing mind provides the perfect recipe for a good night's sleep. There is growing evidence that small behavioral changes in the evening can make a big difference in getting a restful sleep. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that participants who made modifications, like learning relaxation techniques, improved their sleep more than those who took drugs.

Certain yoga exercises will help your body and your mind relax more and prepare for sleep. Here are a few postures and exercises that are particularly helpful:

1) Supported Standing Forward Bend

This gentle yoga posture helps relieve tension in your neck and shoulders while quieting your nervous system.

Steps:

• Fold a blanket and place it on a chair

• Stand facing the chair (about 1 to 2 feet away) with your feet parallel and a little wider than hip width apart

• Fold forward from your hips (keeping your back flat - reaching forward with your chest)

• Place your forehead on the blankets

• Place your hands towards the back of the chair with your forearms resting on the chair (you can also hold onto opposite elbows with your forearms touching the top of your head)

• Let your arms, shoulders, head and face relax completely

• Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose for 12-15 breaths

• Slowly come back up, using your hands to help push you back up

2) Legs Up the Wall

This gentle yoga postures triggers the relaxation response, slowing the heart, breath and brain waves.

Steps:

• Place a mat or blanket flush against a wall

• Sit with your right side next to the wall (legs out in front of you)

• Lean onto your elbows

• Swing your legs up the wall as your head moves away from the wall

• Place your hands at your sides and close your eyes

• Move your head from side to side 4-5 times

• Relax your belly and breathe deeply into your belly - breathing through your nose

• Stay in this position for 2-3 minutes

• Bring your knees to your chest and roll onto your side

• When you are ready, come back to sitting

3) Child's Pose

Child's pose relaxes the back and neck, while gently stretching your spine. It also provides a gentle massage to abdominal organs leading to greater relaxation.

Steps:

• Kneel down and sit back towards your heels as much as you can

• Fold forward from the hips, bringing your upper body to your thighs and your forehead to the floor

• Place your arms on the floor next to your legs with your palms up

• Breathe into your belly, allowing it to expand into your thighs as you inhale and relax as you exhale

• Remain in this position for 8-10 breaths

• Raise your upper body and return to kneeling position

4) Diaphragmatic Breathing

Traditional yogic breathing provides a natural stress release and helps the heartbeat to slow down as the diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve.
Steps:

• You can start sitting or lying on your back. Since you are trying to sleep, start on your back.

• Place your hands on your belly

• Begin breathing slowly and deeply through your nose

• Breathe into the lower part of your lungs first, allowing your belly to rise on inhale, fall back on exhale

• Allow your belly to naturally rise and fall with breath (no pushing)

• Focus completely on your breath, letting go of other thoughts or distractions.

• Complete 10-12 breaths, then let your breath become natural again

5) Manage your stress

Pay attention to your stress level. Excessive stress can lead to tight and knotted muscles, as well as a racing mind. Taking a yoga class is a great way to not only relieve stress, but to also learn how to manage your stress levels throughout the day. Yoga teaches you how to find peace in every day life, as well as during more stressful times.

To learn tips and yoga exercises for better sleep, visit: http://www.yogatg.com/ys-stress-headache-1.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Wile

More About Yoga Therapy for Increasing Self-Worth

By Paul M. Jerard Jr.

Among the many purposes of mantra, japa, affirmations, or prayer, is to keep the mind under control. When left unattended, the mind can travel to many random thoughts, at the same time. It is guaranteed that an unattended mind cannot be fixed upon positive thoughts all the time. For some of us, the mind is programmed to default to negative thoughts automatically.

This can be a result of past experience, conditioning, heredity, or, possibly, this is an organic problem. In the case of an organic problem, professional help should be sought. Yoga therapy, or Yoga sessions, will still help, but a competent psychiatrist is still needed.

If the source of low self-esteem is in your past, you may be able to address it through self-analysis, meditation, or mindfulness. If it is too much to handle alone, a trusted friend, mentor, Guru, or counselor, may help you bury the past.
Meditation sessions should be spent pondering a positive solution. Meditation time should never be spent on negative thoughts, or rehashing past mistakes. We cannot change the past, and we must realize what parts of our lives can realistically be controlled. There are situations in life, which are far beyond our control, and we have to come to a realization about the limits of our control.

We are responsible for our actions. Therefore, forgiving oneself for past mistakes is a difficult task for most of us. Yet, if we do not forgive ourselves, we prevent our own happiness. Self-worth and happiness must start from within.

We must accept the past, our friends, and our family, as they are. This is the practice of Santosha: To be content with life as it is. We cannot change the past, and we will only frustrate ourselves if we try to change people, but we can change our own thinking process for the best.

Look at mistakes only for their educational value. All of us make mistakes, because we are human, but with every mistake, there is also a hidden opportunity. This is what separates successful people from those who spend their lives dwelling on the past.

How many times have we heard a Yoga teacher say "Be present for practice." or "Live in the moment?" Many Yoga students practice Asana, but how many are really present for their practice? As we roll the Yoga mat up, and go about our lives, we should be present for life. This is a state of "mindfulness" or non-judgmental awareness. If you really want to raise your self-worth, stop judging yourself.

Copyright 2007 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Article Source: http://www.article.e-booksdownload.com

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. He is an author of many books on the subject of Yoga and has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. www.yoga-teacher-training.org

Yoga Therapy - Benefits of Yoga Therapy For Health

By Richard Bean

The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. The aging process, which is largely an artificial condition, caused mainly by autointoxication or self-poisoning, can be slowed down by practicing yoga. By keeping the body clean, flexible and well lubricated, we can significantly reduce the catabolic process of cell deterioration. To get the maximum benefits of yoga one has to combine the practices of yogasanas, pranayama and meditation.

Yoga can help slow down the aging process. Wonder what the secret to looking young is as you look at famous celebrities like Goldie Hawn, Madonna and Sting, it isn’t plastic surgery it is yoga. The aging process is a brought on by autointoxication of our minds and bodies. Get started with yoga to help keep your body clean and improve your flexibility which will keep your joints lubricated and this will slow the catabolic process which is the deterioration of the cells. While yoga will not reverse the aging process it will slow it down.

Practicing yoga on a regular basis can help alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, and digestive disorders, arthritis, chronic fatigue, asthma and heart conditions to name a few. This has been scientifically proven with laboratory tests showing that yogis (people that practice yoga) have an increased ability to consciously control their body’s involuntary functions such as their body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. Yoga is very helpful in alleviating pain, especially for people suffering with Sciatica, but it is helpful to know the cause of the problem. Very often the cause of Sciatica is a herniated disc, but this is just one of many conditions, which can cause Sciatica. Spinal stenosis, piriformis syndrome, nerve root compression, tumors, and bone spurs can also be another cause.

The physiological benefits of yoga include:

* pulse rate

* respiratory and blood pressure dysfunctions

* it can contribute to stabilizing the nervous system

* normalizing gastrointestinal functions and endocrine (hormonal) function

* increasing the joint's range of motion

Regular practice of yoga for about 20 minutes a day can yield long lasting benefits. Beauty fitness is possible with yoga - a flexible and agile body. You can rid yourself of abdominal fat and obesity. Eating disorders can also be tackled with suitable Yoga practices. Yoga is not a religion but a simple yet powerful practice that has answers to many modern-days ills. Our section on Yoga will capture some of the essential features of this ancient system. The articles will carry informative capsules on the benefits of yoga and some of the better-known asanas. We will also understand the various yogic systems such as hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga and kundalini yoga.“Yoga therapy” utilizes yoga techniques and adapts them to specific musculoskeletal injuries. This way, an individual program is created to maximally benefit each patient’s rehab goal.

Yoga provides physical benefits as well - stretching and strengthening the major muscle groups as well as the deeper postural muscles. Flexibility, joint and spinal mobility, proper functioning of internal organs and overall health can all be improved with continued practice. Yoga is an ideal alternative pain management strategy because this mobility helps to alleviate the tension that can cause chronic pain. Trauma treatment centers often find yoga to be very beneficial because of its benefits in chronic pain, as this pain is sometimes caused by trauma. This practice of yoga is one of the most effective alternative pain management strategies available.

About the author: Read out Yoga. Also check out for punk hairstyles and pregnancy tips

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com