1. You’re worried about the state of the world. You can make an impact simply by setting an intention, taking care of yourself, and emitting a positive energy into the universe.

2. Two words: Yoga Butt. You can be of “those people” who look fabulous spandex. And even if you’re not, a regular yoga practice will bring out all of your most beautiful features—inside and out.

3. You noticed your shoulders creeping up toward your ears . . . again. Yoga helps manage physical, mental, and emotional signs of stress with yoga mat.

4. Your yoga mat really brings out the color in your eyes.

5. If someone gives you one more thing to do you feel like your head might explode. Yoga lets you slow down, take deep breaths, and encourages you to do one thing at a time.

6. It will make you more popular. Trust me. People will like being around you more when you’re calm, balanced, serene, and uplifted from your postyoga buzz.

7. A Monday yoga class will set the tone for a great week! It takes just an hour to align your body, mind, breath, and spirit.

8. If you ever want to touch your foot to the top of your head, you better start practicing now.

9. You ate pizza and popcorn for dinner last night. The increased awareness yoga class brings will spill over into other areas of your life—just like the soda you spilled onto your keyboard while you were checking your email.

10. A yoga studio is the perfect place to pick up girls. (If picking up girls isn’t your thing, it’s also a really great opportunity to make new friends.)

Although yoga includes physical exercise, it is also a lifestyle practice for which exercise is just one component. Training your mind, body, and breath, as well as connecting with your spirituality, are the main goals of the yoga lifestyle.

It seems like a hot new trend, but yoga actually began more than 3,000 years ago in India. The word yoga is Sanskrit (one of the ancient languages of the East). It means to “yoke,” or unite, the mind, body, and spirit.

What Is Yoga?Yoga is a scientific system of physical and mental practices that originated in India more than three thousand years ago. Its purpose is to help each one of us achieve our highest potential and to experience enduring health and happiness. With Yoga, we can extend our healthy, productive years far beyond the accepted norm and, at the same time, improve the quality of our lives.

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I’m certainly not Superwoman; I do get my aches and pains, low days and stressed-out moments, despite having found Iyengar yoga and practicing it diligently.

But along with the better health, I’ve found an outlet for my energy, something I really believe in, greater self-acceptance, and a passion that began by stretching my hamstrings-but eventually stretched open my mind and heart in ways that I never thought possible.Like many people, I went to yoga in search of something quite simple-at the onset, a better body and relief from stress. What I found was much, much more than just a workout.

When I started practicing, trying different styles of yoga, in 2001, I was 20 lbs heavier, had bad dysmenorrhea, suffered regularly from migraines and was on my second round of prescribed anti-depressants.

Since then, I have gained a better, stronger body, barely notice my period, get migraines very rarely, and most importantly, have kicked the depression altogether with yoga mats. When I was diagnosed with adult-onset asthma a couple of years ago, I turned to more specific poses to open my lungs instead of relying on steroids.

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The pose is restorative to the central nervous system, helps circulation and can help prevent varicose veins, too, adds Bogard, whose studio is located at 271 N. Madison Ave., Greenwood. She teaches hatha, athletic vinyasa and restorative yoga with yoga mat.

Runners and anyone with tight hamstrings and calves will find this yoga pose beneficial in stretching tight muscles and relieving leg tension, says Renee Bogard, yoga instructor and owner of Altered Body Mind Yoga Studio (www.alteredbodymindyoga.com, 317-885-6510). It’s good for people who are on their feet all day, too.

Her studio offers group, private and corporate classes, seasonal yoga retreats, classes for kids and prenatal yoga and also provides instruction in vegetarian raw foods and juicing/sprouting.

Bogard demonstrates the pose.

Repetitions: Hold Pose 1 for 10 to 15 minutes. Pose 2 can be held for that length of time.

Tips: Keep your back flat on the floor and shoulders relaxed.

Step 1: Lie on your back, so your legs are straight up and against the wall, with your feet flexed and your bottom touching the wall. Arms should be slightly bent and on the floor to your sides.

Step 2: For an optional variation, let your feet drop open in a wide “V” position, keeping your feet flexed.

Step 3: Bring your legs together and walk your feet halfway down the wall, rest momentarily, turn to your side and rest in the fetal position before getting up.

Do you the new of the yoga one? This gives you a chance to learn proper technique without developing bad habits.here’s a way to modify the classic chair pose. Practice half-chair for a while before progressing to the more challenging full chair position.

Step 1 As you feel more competent and become comfortable doing the half chair, continue to squat deeper toward the floor. Straighten your arms overhead, pointing your fingertips toward the ceiling. Remember to relax your shoulders down. Sit as low as you can with your knees together and your heels on the floor. Hold for three to six full breaths.
Step 2 Stand with your feet together and with your hands by your sides. As you inhale, sweep your arms up and bend your knees. Sit back on your heels with your hips moving behind your heels. Grasp your forearms above your head. Drop your shoulders down and away from your ears and look forward. Make sure you keep your heels on the floor with your knees together and your abdominals pulled in. Take three to six slow full breaths. Come out of the pose by straightening your legs and lowering your arms.

One way to gauge your body’s readiness is to pay attention to your breath, says Jackie Chiodo, of Joyful Yoga in Bonita Springs and Fort Myers.

“I look to the breath as a reflection of what might be happening in the body and mind,” Chiodo says. “If the breath is irregular, the mind might be wandering, or you might be pushing too hard. As long as the breath is evenly regulated, then we know that we’re getting the most out of our practice with a yoga mat .”

Deep, mindful breathing in yoga is called “pranayama,” and it’s important to keep your breath regular and strong, even when you’re doing more challenging poses, Chiodo says. Sometimes students twist themselves into crazy contortions, and they forget to breath.

Breath and strength. Focus and flexibility. These are the qualities you need to develop, local yoga teachers say. But, above all, you need to be persistent and patient.

“To really take yoga to the next level you need to develop your own practice,” advises Monique Danielle, who has been practicing yoga for 12 years. “Learn how to follow a practice that comes from within.”

But make sure your body is ready, cautions Jamie Shane, owner of Bija Yoga in Naples. Don’t rush into intermediate and advanced poses.

“If you look at the most fundamental level of our existence, … we come in on our first breath and we leave with our last breath,” she says. “The idea with yoga practice is to enhance the life energy …and we do that by controlling that breath, by really creating a foundation with our breath.”

And even if you feel you might be a beginner forever, just keep showing up to your yoga mat, says Missy Balsam, who teaches private yoga classes in Naples.

Someday, your body will surprise you.

king dancer pose

Sanskrit name: natarajasana

“This graceful and elegant balancing pose builds strength, stamina and concentration,” says Missy Balsam. “I love doing dancer pose because it is an exploration of both stillness and motion at once, and it challenges me to find my inner peace and calm amidst the constant flow and change of life.”

Jackie Chiodo, 32

– Teaches vinyasa flow with meditation, breathing and a focus on alignment

– Has practiced for 13 years, a teacher for 7

– Joyful Yoga, 24821 U.S. 41 S., Bernwood Center, Bonita Springs, 947-9845, joyfulyoga.com

“I put an emphasis, with my students, (on making) sure their breathing is really strong and powerful before they start doing complicated poses. Sometimes you’ll see people getting into these really tricked-out poses, but they’re not breathing.”

Judy Da Costa, 56

– Teaches a mixture of ashtanga and hatha yoga

– Has practiced for about 35 years, a teacher for about 25

– Exercise Energize, offers private yoga classes, 272-8951

“I was a professional ice skater, and in those days, … they didn’t stretch us out and when we would have to splits and double axels, I was very, very tight. So, from there, I started doing yoga and I just grew into it.”

Monique Danielle, 40

– Teaches a mixture of styles

– Has practiced for 12 years, a teacher for 2

– Offers private classes and free outdoor yoga in North Naples, 963-7313, freshairyoga.net

“I like to practice yoga outside, usually after an intense run because it feels good. I like to get my blood pumping and to sweat. Usually, I pray. I’m a practicing Christian, so I pray and then I practice outside. It helps me feel connected.”

Jamie Shane, 34

– Teaches a mixture of styles

– Has practiced for 10 years, a teacher for 5

– Bija Yoga, 1250 U.S. 41 N., Naples, 34102, 200-0680, bijayoga971.com

“Take your time with yoga. The mind often says, ‘I want to do this and I’ve been doing yoga for so long so I want to be intermediate.’ Well, the fact is, maybe you’re not. …You have to work with it. Let it evolve organically.”

crane pose

Sanskrit name: bakasana

“The crane is a symbol for longevity and wisdom,” Christina Carlin says. “This … pose helps me to counteract the strains and stresses from my work as a massage therapist. It helps me to keep my wrists and back strong and healthy and my mind focused.”

half-moon pose

Sanskrit name: ardha chandrasana

“I love the challenge this pose offers physically and mentally,” Jackie Chiodo says. “It helps me find my center and is a great practice for the tough times that come up in life.”

half-wheel pose

“This pose offers increased balance, strength and flexibility,” says Judy Da Costa. “Your upper body is balancing on one hand, whilst in a raised supine position. … The flexibility portion is through the whole body, but is focused on the back and spine.”

camel pose

Sanskrit name: ustrasana

“Camel pose stretches and lengthens the entire frontal plane of the body, strengthens the back and improve posture,” Monique Danielles says. “I have a relatively severe curvature of the spine (scoliosis). Before yoga I was in constant pain and could not sleep at night. By performing camel, and other back strengthening yoga postures, I’ve been able to control my scoliosis and am now able to sleep pain-free.”

shoulder stand

Sanskrit name: sarvangasana

“Shoulder stand drains stale blood from the legs and the lower lobes of the lungs. This blood is then sent back into the heart for re-oxygenation and re-circulation,” Jamie Shane says. “This is my favorite posture in the whole yoga lexicon. Once mastered, it is actually very comfortable, and I try to practice it at least five minutes every day for its great health benefits.”

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Missy Balsam, 35

– Teaches modified power yoga based on the style of Barron Baptiste

– Has practiced yoga for eight years, a teacher for one year

– Offers private and group classes in Naples, 986-0309

“The most important thing is to just keep showing up to your yoga mat. When it feels difficult and challenging, that’s precisely when you need to persevere. … Your limitations are often self-imposed, in your mind. When you persevere, that’s when you break barriers. If you don’t show up, you won’t.”

Christina Carlin, 41

– Teaches hatha yoga, also an Ayurvedic practitioner and massage therapist

– Has practiced yoga for 28 years, a teacher for 20

– Ayurveda Massage & Yoga Institute, 501 Goodlette-Frank Road N., Naples, 450-6903

“It’s important to be aware of your present limits and slowly move forward. Start practicing more advanced poses, but be patient. Don’t compete with yourself, but remind yourself that yoga is a spiritual practice.”

How to remove Stress?Yoga For Stress is good?Stress is a nonspecific, conventional basic response pattern of the body to demanding situations. The primary function of stress is to prepare the body for physical activity such as resistance or flight (called as Eu-stress). If, however, the subject lacks the means of restoring either to fight or flight i.e., of relieving the stress reaction, stress gives rise to distress which manifests in the form of psychosomatic symptoms or disorders.
Eu-stress and Distress?

A man who is trying to live a successful life as per expectations and norms of the society today is continually challenged with rapidly accumulating stresses. In his attempt to reach the expected standards of living, he cares not for his own worries, anxieties and difficulties.

Today’s man can think and act much faster than what he did half a century back. This speed has not limited itself only to the level where he can be most efficient in his mental and physical capabilities but has moved further to ungovernable levels. This activity in the mind is so much and so fast that the system cannot cope up with it any longer. This speed has also made man emotionally hypersensitive.

Small things can upset a person psychologically and emotionally to such a great extent that it can lead to disasters. The increasing number of divorces is an example of this highly sensitized and greatly excitable state of human personality today.There are two kinds of stresses that are distinguished by Selye and Levi. Eustress is Synonymous with healthy essential stress produced for example by joy, and kind of positive impulse, sensible recreational activities, sports practiced as a hobby, etc.

Distress is synonymous with Destructive stress that has to be controlled e.g., continuous mental or physical strain of any kind, anger, frustration, state of tension seemingly without hope. However, even high and prolonged Eustress can turn dangerous in cases as in IHD due to strong excitations associated with Eustress too.

A common man in this modern society tries to cope with stress often by resorting to smoking, drinking, sex or drugs. Amongst men with great ambitions, the ‘A’ type personalities in whom the problem of stress are more prevalent, these methods are on the increase. But they are no solution to the problem. They make matters worse.

Stress according to yoga is imbalance. Imbalance is misery. At the mental and physical levels, it is excessive speed and thus a demanding situation causes pain and leads to ailments and diseases. Imbalances at emotional level manifest as upsurges which are caused by strong likes and dislikes.

The great sage Patanjali uses the term Klesa which apply describes stress.

In our original state we are totally stress-free. We are blissful. That state devoid of any tension and pressures, (even) thinking or feeling is the source of all bliss, knowledge, creativity and freedom. We may call it perfection, Patanjali calls it Swaroopa, Self. The process for achieving this target is to learn the three cardinal principles of yoga, “Relax the body, slow down the breath, calm the mind” .

Prasarita Padottanasana
Prasarita means expanded, spread, extended. Pada means afoot. The pose is one where the expanded legs are stretched intensely.
Technique
1.Exhale, bend the elbows and rest the crown of the head on the floor, keeping the weight of the body on the legs. Do not throw the body weight on the head. Both feet, both palms and the head should be in a straight line.
2.Stay in the pose for half a minute, breathing deeply and evenly.
3.Inhale, raise the head from the floor and straighten the arms at the elbows. keep the head well up by making the back concave.
4.Exhale and stand as in position 1.
5.Jump back to Tadasana.

6.Stand in Tadasana.
7.Inhale, place the hands on the waist and spread the legs apart 4.5 to 5 feet.
8.Tighten the legs by drawing up the knee-caps. Exhale, and place the palms on the floor in line with the shoulders between the feet.
9.Inhale and raise the head up, keeping the back concave.

Quick Yoga Training definitely had potential since it could allow me to do yoga with a yoga props anywhere I wanted. Considering how much time I spend on the city bus and in the office, it seemed like a good idea. There is really only one snag with this game: it’s the absolute worst way to try and learn yoga, and it nearly killed me. In addition to the fact that there are features listed on the box that aren’t even in the title, this exercise software is deceiving even by the name. It’s not quick, and it definitely doesn’t train you to do yoga with yoga mat.

At first glance, Quick Yoga Training seems pretty cool. There are over 180 poses, all motion captured by a Yoga instructor, and players can watch and follow along with them. Players can even turn the camera any which way to view the pose from any angle. The entire package is really tight, and it does some neat presentation things, like show your burned calories in the form of food. (It’s a lot of freaking work to burn off a couple strawberries!)

As soon as I tried to use the program it became instantly clear that there was a huge problem. Unlike a yoga class or any yoga training DVD, or even the other yoga game on the DS, Let’s Yoga!, here nobody is telling me what to do. There are instructions on the screen as each lesson plays out, but the problem with that setup became apparent on my very first exercise.

See this? I followed the on-screen instructions all the way to the part where it told me to put my face against my knee. Now what? By the time I looked up (defeating the purpose!) the message to “hold for five breaths” was gone. So I put my face back down, but then had to look up and find out what to do after holding the pose. It’s annoying and really destroys the whole point of doing yoga with yoga mat.

I was willing to keep trying though, since at least it doesn’t seem that hard, and I had the game set on beginner’s techniques. So my next pose comes up and…

Okay, come on! First off, I’m amazed I even got into this position, but why was this in my beginner’s lesson? Now, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize the problem with trying to watch my DS. I can’t even figure out where to put it to make the program functional in this pose, aside from rubberbanding the thing to my face. This is just dangerous.

I don’t know if the developers noticed when they were making this game, but the DS has a really small screen. Considering how often I found myself bending over, lying on my back, or bending my legs in ways they ought never bend, there really isn’t any good place to put my DS. The idea of having a totally silent yoga instruction is ludicrous to begin with, but if it were on a TV I’d at least be able to see it more clearly.

Because of the lack of vocal cues or help, I’d have to memorize these poses and routines. There is a Simple Yoga with yoga mat option that goes through each pose step by step so that players can learn the moves better. But that’s 180 moves, which will take a long time. Even just learning a few of them well enough to be able to perform without instruction would take a while. This software is barely more interactive than buying a yoga book and just practicing with that.

People take up yoga for a surprisingly wide range of reasons: to gain flexibility, to tone-up or lose weight, to improve their ability to relax or to prepare their body for a physical event such as childbirth. Regular practice of yoga will improve your general fitness and body shape, make you stronger, calmer and more able to cope with yoga mat and strains of life. Types of yoga Hatha (or physical) yoga is broken down into eight stages or limbs.

To many people, the word yoga conjures up the image of a long-haired, bearded Indian man sitting in the lotus position and chanting. It has been increasingly in the public eye, mainly due to celebrities such as Madonna, Geri Halliwell and Gwyneth Paltrow singing its praises.

Reported improvements such as toned upper arms, trim stomach and firm thighs and bums have encouraged them to take up yoga classes, but for the uninitiated and uninformed, what is it all about? Yoga originated in India around 6000 years ago. The practice sometimes seems to have an air of mystery about it, which perhaps prevents many people from trying a class. It can be seen as new-age, ‘alternative’ or a bit of a fad in the exercise world. In reality it is a holistic practise that benefits body, mind and spirit.

Traditionally these are followed progressively to reach Samadhi, the last stage, where the spirit is liberated and becomes ‘at one’ with the universe. Yoga practised in the west mainly encapsulates stages three and four. Stage three (Asana) is the practise of the postures or poses and stage four (Pranayama) is rhythmic control of the breath.

There are many styles of Hatha yoga currently being taught, all of which have slightly different emphases.

• Astanga yoga is the form of yoga currently enjoying the most attention. Also known as power yoga, the moves or transitions between asanas are performed at a higher speed than usual, thus providing an aerobic workout, missing in the alternative yoga forms.
• Iyengar yoga, based on the teachings of BKS Iyengar from Pune, India, concentrates on the postural alignment of the body and limbs. The practice makes use of ropes, blocks and belts to aid in the attainment of the asanas.
• Sivananda yoga focuses on the flow of energy in the spine. This style is built around a specific sequence of twelve postures or poses.

What to look for in a yoga class

Yoga includes elements such as stretching, balancing and posturing - the combination of which can seem like a contortionist act to the newcomer. However, a good yoga teacher will tailor the postures to suit the different abilities within a yoga class. Some classes will focus heavily on meditation and visualisation, but for others, meditation simply refers to the period of cool-down or relaxation at the end of the session. Controlled breathing is a hugely important part of the practice.

There are numerous teachers in the larger cities and a few are listed below. Try out one or two sessions before committing yourself to a lengthy course, as your relationship with your yoga teacher is one of the most important factors in your enjoyment and buying yoga progs.

Yoga is suitable for both men and women and can be enjoyed by the full range of fitness abilities. Even if you have trouble touching your toes, yoga can still be open to you. Classes can be found by looking in the telephone book or by recommendation from friends or work colleagues.