What is Yoga and How Will it Help You?
Yoga stems from the ancient Vedic traditions of India, and is strongly tied to the Hindu religion. Most who practice this technique in the modern Western world don't consider themselves Hindu, and it is not considered at all necessary to be Hindu in order to practice even advanced methods of yoga.
In the West, yoga is commonly thought of as a purely physical exercise. To many yogis in the East, however, it may be considered an incomplete form when the meditative aspect is left out.
There are several different types of yoga, but all maintain the same goal in mind: to create and maintain a healthier body and mind. Stretching is a major part of most yoga styles, but strength and stamina are also areas that are addressed, particularly in more advanced practices. Many people who study advanced methods rely entirely on yoga for their strength and endurance exercises.
A typical yoga session will last from 30 minutes to a full hour or more. It will begin with some light stretching and gradually move toward more advanced poses. You don't have to be the most limber person to practice yoga, as you will develop flexibility the more you practice.
Some people are just born more flexible and can easily perform many of the advanced poses of yoga. But there's no need to worry if you're not as limber. As long as your tendons and tissues are working and being stretched, your yoga exercise will be equally beneficial.
There are many positive health benefits associated with the practice of yoga. It can improve cardiovascular health, improve flexibility and balance, strengthen muscles and help you lose weight.
There are many psychological benefits as well. Practitioners report a massive reduction in stress, and those who suffer from depression and anxiety show huge improvements. Practicing yoga will increase your memory, attention span, and concentration. Your senses will be sharper and your ability to learn will greatly increase.
Yoga can be used in many different ways, and people have different intentions and goals in their practice of yoga. As you practice and become more experienced with yoga, you'll find that the benefits will complement one another, helping you become a whole and all-around healthy person, inside and out.
Here's my favorite link:
Learn Yoga From the Comfort of Your Own Home!
What Type of Yoga Are You Interested In?
The Anatomy of Yoga
Yoga Anatomy
"Yoga Anatomy is a book that gives the reader a look inside the human body as it is put in various yoga positions.
Chapter 1 covers the dynamics of breathing and actually covers some breathing physiology as well. Chapter 2 talks about the spine and gives some pretty detailed spinal information. Chapter 3 is short and covers the asanas.
The rest of the book, Chapters 4 through 9, make up the "meat" of the book and contains most of the anatomy information most readers probably bought the book for- what muscles are used in what poses. The way the book gives you the information is quite handy- it has a section on standing poses, sitting poses, kneeling poses, on-your-stomach poses, on-your-back poses, and arm supported poses. Sooo, all you have to do is pick a position/pose, and there you'll find pictures of what muscles are involved (and let me say, they show you some great angles of the poses to make sure the reader can see ALL the muscles that are involved)."
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/25/2009) 
Choosing the Right Yoga Style for You
So which type of yoga is right for you? It depends entirely on you and your personal preferences. There isn't a superior style of yoga. Each style will vary greatly, some being more intense while others more gentle and slow moving. In the end, each style of yoga is aiming for the same purpose-- physical health, mental health, inner peace, and a greater knowledge of the world within.When just starting out with yoga, it's in your best interest to educate yourself and explore all the different types of yoga. Take different classes, practice with videos with different yoga styles and read about them. This will give you an idea of what each style encompasses and what feels best for you. It's important to keep in mind that yoga is a life long journey-- you are not locked down to just one type or style for the rest of your life. People often blend or switch styles when it feels right for them.
Some styles of yoga, like Ashtanga for example are extremely rigorous, and would not normally be recommended to the beginner. While the popular Hatha yoga, which tends to be a little more gentle and slow moving may be a good place to start.
Let's go through some of the more popular styles of yoga to give you an idea of where to start:
Hatha Yoga
This ancient form of yoga was solidified in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika written by Svami Svatmarama in the 15th centery. This style of yoga is probably the most popular in the west and is often recommended to beginners. Hatha yoga is a gentler style of yoga, with a focus on slow movements and steady deep breathing. Just because Hatha yoga is recommended for beginners does not mean that it is not challenging at it's deeper levels. Thousands practice only Hatha yoga their entire life.
Iyengar Yoga
Iyenger yoga has it's foundations in Hatha yoga. The founder of this modern style of yoga is the famed and respected yogi B.K.S. Iyengar. He studied along with Sri K. Pattabi Jois under the late yogi master Sri Tirumala Krishnamacharya. Iyengar yoga focuses on the correct alignment of the pose. To attain this, Iyengar classes use specially-designed props such as belts, foam blocks, padded bolsters and and chairs. Iyengar yoga is often recommended to beginners and seniors as the use of props can help perform a pose correctly and avoid injury.
Kundalini Yoga
In this type of yoga, energy is visualised as a coiled snake at the base of the spine waiting to be awakened. In class this is achieved through a series of poses, chanting mantras, and meditation. One of the core concepts in Kundalini yoga is the kriya. Kriyas are groups of poses that each focus on a specific part of the body. Typically there will be one or two kriyas per class finished with a meditation and a chanted mantra.
Ashtanga Yoga
You expect to sweat when you practice Ashtanga! This rigid and intense form of yoga was popularized by Sri K. Pattabi Jois who studied with B.K.S. Iyengar under Sri Tirumala Krishnamacharya. Legend has it, that this method was kept secret, and was passed on to Jois from Krishnamacharya when he felt Jois was ready to show it to the world. If you have an ambitious type-A personality, Ashtanga may be for you.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga has taken the world by storm in the last few years. This new, maybe trendy style of yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury. This intense workout consists of 26 different postures all performed in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The idea is that practicing in a room that hot will loosen the muscles and ligaments to make them more flexible allowing deeper holds of the poses. Also, you sweat and sweat all the impurities from your body. Bikram yoga may not be best for the beginner unless you are in great shape to begin with.
Krisnamacharya--The Master Yogi
Krisnamacharya Yoga Film 1938 (silent)
This is a film made by McPetruk in 1938 showing the Great yoga teacher demonstrating asana and pranyama. He was the teacher of BKS Iyengar and Sri K. Pattahbi Jois, founder the Astanga style of yoga.
Runtime: 272
897742 views
470 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Great Stuff on Amazon
![AM/PM Yoga for Beginners [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B0520SDWL._SL75_.jpg)
AM/PM Yoga for Beginners [VHS]
"I purchased the am/pm yoga for beginners duo because my gym only offers yoga three days a week. I desperately needed something for the off days, and treadmills and steppers were no the answer i was looking for. I have always been an "atheletic marshmallow", however at the same time always a super flexible person. Yoga proved to be the happy medium in my life. It provides me with some type of exercise and at the same time allows me to relax. Rodney Yee has the most soothing voice."
Amazon Price: (as of 12/25/2009)
The Incredible Health Benifits of Yoga
Yoga has been practiced in the East for more than 5,000 years. The physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga have been well known to it's practitioners for just as long. Since the early 70's, yoga's popularity has steadily increased in the West as more and more people are beginning to understand the undeniable health benefits of the practice.Yoga health benefits: Reducing stress and calming the mind.
Regular practice of yoga has been proven to reduce the effects of stress and mental fatigue. Stress contributes to a range of chronic diseases, and can lead to a general weakening of the immune system. Although there is still contention in the scientific community as to what role the practice of yoga plays in preventing particular diseases, it's generally agreed upon that stress, anxiety, and depression are among the many health benefits of practicing yoga.
Yoga health benefits: Flexibility.
In yoga, there are a number of stretching poses or positions called asanas. Each asana has it's own purpose and works different areas of the body. When holding these poses the tendons, ligaments, muscles and the fascia sheath that surrounds the muscles are all being slowly stretched and loosened. This stretching causes an increase of blood flow and circulation, and will help release lactic acid build up in the muscles.
Yoga health benefits: Strength and posture.
Each type or style of yoga will work the muscles of the body in more or less the same way, with the focus on building core body strength. Ashtanga yoga, and off-springs of Ashtanga like power yoga, will strengthen and tone muscles much like a traditional work out. No matter what type of yoga you practice you can expect to see more strength and tone throughout your entire body.
Yoga health benefits: Massaging the internal organs.
One of the greatest and maybe less well known or talked about health benefits of yoga is the gentle massaging and stimulation of the internal organs of the body. In fact, many of the internal organs that are massaged by performing yoga asanas would never have touched otherwise throughout one's lifetime. For example, the thyroid gland (the gland that controls you metabolism) would never be touched by playing basketball or any other sport. But when performing certain poses. In certain poses like Candle Pose, the thyroid is gently squeezed and stimulated keeping it toned and functioning.
Everything You Need to Start Doing Yoga
Valeo Yoga Kit
"For just over 20 bucks you get everything you need for yoga. I was afraid this cheaper kit (compared to other brands) would arrive and be all, well, cheap and crappy, but I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this package. The mat is nice, sufficiently thick and sticky; the strap seems sturdy, and the blocks are nice and soft but firm. The material that the carrying bag is made out of does seem a bit thin, but still very useable, and hey all this for barely over 20 bucks, the bag is really just an extra in my eyes. If you are looking for an inexpensive but very functional kit to begin yoga, this kit is it. "
Amazon Price: $21.39 (as of 12/25/2009)
Explore related pages
Most Common Poses in the Yoga Practice- Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj which means "union". It originated in Indi...
Yoga Pilates and The Busy Woman Yoga- The term "yoga" comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "union." Yoga combines physic...
Yoga pants- Yoga pant are specifically designed with your comfort in mind. You need to feel...
Types of Yoga in Vogue- Yoga as has been described in What is Yoga is more or less a mental process*. Me...
YOGA 4 YOU- The great thing about Yoga is, you can start at any age and fitness level. Even...
Wonders of Pranayam- Yoga is something not new, but its essence somehow got lost in the mists of time...
