Mood swings, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and bloating are common yet uncomfortable symptoms women must tend to. Luckily, there are treatments such as medicines and heating pads that help with these issues, but this week is still difficult to endure.

 The female menstrual cycle is an occurrence of the female anatomy that no man could ever fully understand. The first period a young woman experiences signifies her body’s physical maturity so she can begin to reproduce, and the last period a woman has means she may  no longer bear children. Each individual woman feels a certain way before, during, and after this week due to the hormonal changes in her body.

A simple tea can be concocted by any woman to lessen the effects of PMS. One cup of water and a teaspoon of basil and ground cinnamon mixed in and boiled for 20 minutes or so is all that PMS Tea consists of. This tea should be consumed at specific times: upon waking, noon, 4PM, and 8PM for maximum effectiveness. If your symptoms seem to subside, drinking this tea twice daily is enough. Natural cures are the best option to treat menstrual pains and symptoms because man-made drugs can cause side effects that would only add to those already present.

There are specific types of foods (no, I don’t mean chocolate, ladies!) that a woman can eat to keep her body in balance before and after she menstruates. Foods that are high in fiber should be consumed before the period begins so the body can continue to cleanse its system. A teaspoon of sesame seed oil should be taken daily before, during and after the period so the body feels strong during this time of blood loss. During the days of menstruation, it is advised that women eat lightly so food can enter and exit the body with ease. The week after the period, women should eat as they did before this time - a diet high in fibrous foods.

The benefits of yoga are plentiful. Yoga can help make the body more fit and toned, can promote relaxation, and can even help prevent and control many health and emotional problems that can occur with age. Yoga breathing increases the body’s circulation, can help prevent respiratory ailments, and cleanse the air passages.Yoga is often ideal for seniors as it is a form of exercise that can be adapted to an individual’s needs and abilities. There are several more gentle forms of yoga which can rejuvenate the whole body.

It’s important for seniors, or anyone just beginning yoga, to listen to their body and pay attention to their limits. If you feel pain at any time you should lessen the pose or come out of it altogether. Some good yoga poses for seniors include the easy pose (Sukhasana), cat pose (Bidalasana), dog pose (Adho Mukha Shvanasana), double leg raises, half spinal twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana), locust pose (Salabhasana), wind relieving pose (Pavanamuktasana) and the corpse pose (Savasana). As for breathing techniques, Kapalabhati is often a good one for seniors.

Yoga is an excellent way to keep the mind and body healthy and strong at any age.  There are some yoga poses, or asanas, which can target specific problems like those relating to blood pressure and the nervous system as well as heart ailments. Yoga also promotes a positive approach to life.

Here are some overall guidelines to consider when designing a yoga class for active seniors:

*Incorporate pranayama, gentle asanas and meditation in every class.
*Teach proper spinal alignment for every pose.
*Avoid poses that require forward spinal flexion, twists and lateral flexion (for any client with diagnosed or suspected osteoporosis).
*Advise students to move gently through and within poses.
*Incorporate spinal stabilization exercises in every class.
*Include yoga mudras to develop fine motor conditioning in the hands.
*Feature poses that are comfortable and steady.
*Encourage participants to rest whenever needed.
*Urge students to use a chair or wall during balance exercises to reduce the risk of falls.

The following chart provides two different sample vinyasas, or yoga pose sequences. Each vinyasa can be used as part of a yoga class or expanded into a full class by simply repeating the poses two to four times, as desired. Vinyasa #1 is designed for active seniors who do not suffer from osteoporosis. Because this sequence includes forward-bending poses, it is contraindicated for osteoporosis clients. Vinyasa #2 is a better choice for these clients.

You are likely seeing a larger number of seniors walking through your yoga studio doors. Are you prepared to serve them? What are some of the benefits and contraindications of yoga for seniors? Are there appropriate yoga breathing techniques and pose sequences for older adults? And what can we do to appropriately adapt our yoga classes to accommodate them?

Yoga games, breath meditations, and deep relaxations are wonderful self-help therapies for hyperactivity, and have helped with ADD/ADHD, Autism, and children’s health and well-being.Children’s yoga is a natural and healthy way to exercise, relax, focus, and strengthen their mind/body/spirit connection.

Role models range from parents and teachers to doctors and sports coaches. Another great source of positive guidance that parents should take into consideration is that of a yoga instructor. Combine ancient effective poses with the counsel of a benevolent, neutral party and your child instantly has a mentor that he or she can relate to. 

 Self-confidence is an essential life skill for children to develop, and parents can be a main source of this. A low self image can lead to many emotional issues in adulthood, including depression and anxiety. This can be avoided with the guidance of some very caring role models, and the positive interactions that these relationships impose.

In the first set of yoga lessons, your child will learn self-acceptance and patience in order to practice and grow at yoga. He or she will try hard at things, only to impress his/herself. It is also understood (and discussed) that people are good at different skills. Certain children find it easy to meditate and relax their mind and body, while others may excel at holding difficult poses. Yoga instructors understand that balance and acceptance are necessary to people of all ages, and consciously praise all of their students equally. This unifies the students and class as a whole.  

Yoga seems to contradict the nature of a child, but when performed in a group atmosphere and seen as a beneficial life tool, children excel in yoga. Look at the idea of math, for example. Many children find this area of study difficult, with many asking “When will I use these techniques in my life?” Children and adolescents find it tedious and frustrating to learn things they feel add no value to their life (math is a fundamental tool for learning and expanding the mind, but most young people fail to see its relevance in their future), but yoga will never feel that way. Immediately your child will understand its benefits and will remain eager to continually learn from this practice. There is no competition in yoga, so children are not competing with one another which can also subconsciously harm the ego.

There are numerous benefits to enrolling your child into a yoga class for kids, and even more specifically a Hatha Yoga class. Hatha Yoga specializes in four areas which are breathing, relaxation, meditation, and posture. Each individual topic is easily understood, but that does not mean there is no challenge involved.

The basic goal of yoga is to unite the body, mind and spirit. A remarkable learning material that includes yoga positions for beginners , meditation and relaxation techniques and helps you experience the wonderful benefits.

Yoga may be described as a set of physical practices designed to promote control of the mind and body and to attain spiritual and physical well-being. The practice of yoga can help to increase self awareness, promote a sense of peace, and increase the body’s strength, endurance and flexibility.

However, there are different styles, or schools, of yoga and each will go about achieving this goal in their own way. The practice of yoga is typically comprised of three basic elements which are as follows:

• Asanas. Asanas, or postures, are gentle stretching movements which help to balance the mind and body while rejuvenating the brain, spine, glands and internal organs. Postures are intended to increase the blood and prana supply to targeted organs or glands.
• Pranayama. Pranayama refers to breathing. Yoga involves specially developed breathing techniques which produce a large store of energy in the area of the solar plexus. The energy creates vitality in the body and helps to combat illness or disease. Yoga breathing also improves brain function, helps to eliminate toxins in the body, and promotes relaxation. By combining asanas and pranayama, the result is a state of high vitality and rejuvenation. Yoga breathing is performed through the nose, both on inhalation and exhalation.
• Meditation. Meditation, or concentration, can help to increase the benefits of the postures by concentrating the healing action where it is needed. Meditation may involve affirmations or visualization.

Many yoga schools offer beginner classes and a good yoga teacher will help to correct your body alignment while performing postures and also suggest modifications to suit any physical restrictions that you may have. It’s important that you pay attention to your body rather than trying to stretch farther that or even keep up with others in the class. If at any time you feel pain, lessen the pose or come out of it altogether.

The many styles of yoga may include differences in how the asanas are performed or which element they focus on. However, it’s important that you keep your level of fitness and health in mind and choose classes which are appropriate and not overly strenuous. Some styles of yoga, such as viniyoga, sivananda, and ananda, are generally more gentle and may be a good place for beginners to start. Other styles of yoga like ashtanga, bikram and power yoga tend to be more vigorous and may not be best for the beginner.

For the beginner, discovering yoga can be an exciting time. When getting started, it’s best to try several different classes. Because there are many different schools of yoga, you may want to try several out in order to determine which you like best.

 Yoga dance can strengthen and tone the body, increase flexibility, reduce stress, and increase energy levels.

A Yoga dance class typically begins with a warm-up which then flows into a combination of classic yoga poses mixed with dance moves, followed by meditation and relaxation techniques. Yoga dance can be very creative, playful, fun and lively while at the same time promoting a sense of calm and well-being.

Yoga dance is a style of yoga which, as the name implies, combines yoga with dance. During a yoga dance class, individuals typically dance in and out of classic yoga poses. Some styles of yoga dance incorporate a variety of moves from martial arts, belly dance, African dance and modern dance. The result is a flowing movement which allows for greater freedom of expression while still providing a full body workout.

Based on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, we offer Prenatal Yoga, Postnatal Yoga, Mommy and Me, Infant Massage, Baby Sign Language and Music for Babies. We also offer Moms-to-Be and New Moms Support Groups as well as a variety of events and workshops including Childbirth Education, Infant CPR and Safety, Partner Yoga & Massage, Caring for Newborn and Breastfeeding.Prenatal Yoga, or yoga for pregnant women, has been gaining in popularity.

Yoga provides an ideal way for women to stay in shape during pregnancy, helping them to stay limber, tone muscles, and improve balance and circulation. In addition, yoga can help to prepare women for labor and birth by teaching deep breathing and relaxation. Some poses, such as the Warrior poses, can also help to ease backaches and sciatica. Women have also experienced reduced swelling, back and leg pain, and insomnia through prenatal yoga.

The Prenatal Yoga Center is the first yoga center in New York City to focus on moms and moms-to-be. Over the past 6 years, over 4500 women have come through our door to take classes and workshops.  A few yoga poses which are ideal during pregnancy include the Cobbler’s or Tailor’s pose (baddha konasana), the Pelvic Tilt or Cat-Cow pose, the Squatting pose, the Side-lying position, the Warrior I and Warrior II poses and the Tree pose.

Prenatal Yoga follows many of the basics of other styles of yoga but with some modifications to account for pregnancy. General yoga exercises are often recommended for the first two months, but changes to routine should be made after that. Poses are often held for shorter periods of time and may be assumed more slowly and with greater care.

With women who are further along with their pregnancies, standing poses may be performed using a chair or wall for support, and poses which require one to lie flat on the back or those which stretch the abdominal wall may be avoided altogether. In addition, hot yoga, or yoga performed in a heated room, is not recommended for pregnant women.

What is Power Yoga?Power Yoga is a Western interpretation of Ashtanga Yoga that has been gaining in popularity. Like Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga has a quick, flowing style which emphasizes flexibility and self-discipline, though Power Yoga does not necessarily adhere to the exact sequence of poses associated with Ashtanga Yoga.Power yoga is a general term used in the West to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to vinyasa-style yoga. Most power yoga is closely modeled on the Ashtanga style of practice. The term “power yoga” came into common usage in the mid 1990s, when several yoga teachers were looking for a way to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to western students. Unlike Ashtanga, power yoga does not follow a set series of poses.

 Therefore, any Power Yoga class can vary widely from the next. What they have in common is an emphasis on strength and flexibility. The advent of power yoga heralded yoga’s current popularity, as people began to see yoga as a way to work out. Power yoga brought yoga into the gyms of America.

While Power Yoga still has the same focus to unite the body, mind and spirit as with other styles of yoga, it also provides a rigorous full-body workout as the name suggests. Traditional yoga practices are used with an emphasis on proper form, synchronized breathing, and the improvement of endurance of and flexibility. However, poses are often held for longer than the required five breaths. In addition, Power Yoga is often performed in a heated room. This aids in flexibility and produces sweat which cleanses the body by removing bodily toxins.

There are many benefits to Power Yoga including improved strength, stamina and flexibility and a strengthened ability to focus. It is also a great way to release tension and anxiety and learn proper posture. Power Yoga can also tone the body and help training athletes to improve their performance in their sport.

Two American yoga teachers are most often credited with the near simultaneous invention of power yoga: Beryl Bender Birch, based in New York, and Bryan Kest, based in Los Angeles. Not coincidentally, both these teachers had studied with Ashtanga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Using the term power yoga differentiated the intense, flowing style of yoga they were teaching from the gentle stretching and meditation that many Americans associated with yoga. Another name often associated with power yoga is Baron Baptiste. Baptiste has his own method, which is only taught by teachers he certifies.

Due to the nature of this class it is recommended that beginners do start at a beginners level class

Here is a picture of me in Mayurasana. This was taken in California just after my return from India. Hence why the ribs are showing so much. It was lots of fun but tough to keep the weight on due to almost a complete vegetarian diet.

Is Power Yoga for You?

Power Yoga classes can vary widely from teacher to teacher. However, power yoga will most likely appeal to people who are already quite fit, enjoy exercising, and want a minimal amount of chanting and meditation with their yoga.

Naked yoga is the practice of yoga without clothes.As with other forms of yoga, Nude Yoga is meant to unite the body, mind and soul. The practice is gaining popularity, notably in western societies that have more familiarity with social nudity. While many practice naked yoga at home, there are a growing number of group classes including Children. The goal of Nude Yoga is to allow the individual to feel free in his or her body and to practice poses and exercises without the restriction of clothing.

In the West since the 1960s, naked yoga practice has been incorporated in progressive settings for well-being, such as at the Esalen Institute in California, as depicted in the 1968 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. Other films with notable segments include The Harrad Experiment and Naked Yoga, (1974).

One Taste Urban Retreat Center[2][3] made Naked Yoga world famous after it was reported in the San Francisco Chronicle. Teacher Meredith Medland incorporated high level hands on healing/energetic surgery, intuitive body work, vipasanna practice and sensuality to create as she describes it, “a sacred space where groups of people experienced highly transformational experiencing while tapping into their multi-dimensional energies”. She is currently living in Santa Barbara, CA teaching “Sexy and Spirited” at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club.

In New York City in 1998, an American going by the name Jayadev started a group called “Midnight Yoga for Men” where participants practiced “naked before the infinite” in the style of the sadhus. This spawned a plethora of imitators. Many of these male-only naked yoga groups have been associated with the gay community[1], though often not intentionally.

Naked yoga  has been practiced with increasing frequency in the West since the 1960’s. Traditional yoga positions for flexibility and alignment are typically performed. Teaching in the Grimbergendubbel Yoga school, Annalise Haigh has been a driving force in the popularization of Naked Yoga in Australia.

Nidra Yoga, rendered in English as “yogic sleep” or “sleep of the yogis”. In some Himalayan lineages, Yoga Nidra as Yoga of Clear Light, is a sublime sadhana and transmission modality in its own right. However, general traditions of Yoga Nidra have related a version of the practice that has become synonymous with yogic relaxation and guided visualisation techniques.There are numerous traditions of Yoga Nidra sadhana that have been transmitted though parampara within the Indian religions. These aspects may include disciplines and traditions of dream, sleep and yoga. Fundamentally, Yoga Nidra is engaged to prepare and refine a sadhaka spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically prior to seeking sublime levels and aspects of consciousness and awareness through meditation, trance and other sadhana not constituted by sleeping and dreamwork.

The true Nidra Yoga is a state of consciousness in which the yogi is in direct communion with the Divine energy, that may be understood as Dharma, pervading the whole phenomenal Universe and beyond.[citation needed] In the Vaishnava sampradayas this deified “energy” is Vishnu, the sleeping lord. This energy is beyond space and time, allowing the yogi to potentially access by grace, past, present, future and beyond.[citation needed] A tantrika engaged in this sadhana may also become aware of their past or future lives (refer bhumi).

Nidra Yoga induces, in order, a physical, emotional and mental relaxation. It is a very relaxing state that is often used by Yogis to purify the Samskaras and establish harmony and well-being throughout the entire system. It can also be beneficial in mentally and physically preparing an individual before seeking deeper levels of consciousness and awareness through meditation.

Adherents of the Yoga Nidra as guided visualisation technique, hold that half an hour of Yoga Nidra may yield the benefit of up to three hours of standard sleep, although the regular engagement of this sadhana as a sleep substitute is contraindicated as the bodymind still requires sufficient rest through standard sleep. This tradition of Yoga Nidra should not be conflated with techniques of autosuggestion and autogenous training, etcetera, though there is a palpable commonality in process if not in application.

Nidra Yoga, also known as Yogic Sleep or Sleep of the Yogis, is a term which refers to a state of deep conscious sleep. While meditation is performed in a waking state, with Yoga Nidra the individual leaves the waking state, moves past the dreaming state and enters a deep sleep while remaining conscious or awake. The individual will appear to be asleep to the outside world though they are fully awake and aware on an internal level.

Through Nidra Yoga, as other sadhana, the practitioner may work through karma and samskara, cleansing the store consciousness. In some traditions, Yoga Nidra is employed to purify the unconscious mind through use of certain vows and commitments, samaya, known as shankalpas. Experienced tantrikas employ Yoga Nidra for astral travels and thoughtform projecting and in its advanced and refined practice, it may lead to samadhi and satchitananda.

Laya Yoga Is also called Kundalini Yoga, which is reached through deep meditation (dhyana).The raising of Kundalini energy to unite her with the supreme consciousness is the main objective.

Laya Yoga is a variant of Kundalini Yoga and is sometimes referred to as the yoga of absorption or yoga of dissolution because the term laya’ means absorption or dissolution. Like Kundalini yoga, Laya yoga involves the awakening of the Kundalini energy located at the back of the spine.

Transcendental runs and water relaxation are also practiced. With the ascent of the Kundalini power, various psycho-energetic centers, or chakras, are gradually dissolved, leading to the dissolution of difficulties and negatives and liberation from obstacles and problems.

Laya yoga involves intensive prayer, singing of mantras, meditation, meditation positions and revering as a means to stimulate the Kundalini power. Meditation poses like sitting, standing, lying and walking are practiced, along with focusing, visualization, and rhythm of breathing.

Laya Yoga is a shaivic system of practicing Yoga based on focusing the mind in specific ways on the chakras, and inducing Kundalini energy to arise.This also causes the seeds of habitual inclinations (i.e. samskaras) to be dissolved and turned into primal energy. Laya Yoga is usually called the yoga of absorption, or absorbing the lower nature by the higher spiritual forces.

Laya means “dissolution” and refers to the melting of all the impressions which have accumulated throughout one’s lifetime/s, thereby liberating one’s mind from all obstacles and limitations and freeing one from the holds of karma.