Yoga For Beginners - Five Things You Need to Know Before You Start Your First Yoga Class

By Ntathu Allen

People have many reasons for thinking about starting yoga. Maybe like me, you were advised by your midwife to take-up yoga as a form of relaxation during pregnancy.

Perhaps you are overweight, have a stress-related medical condition and been advised by your doctor to "exercise and relax more." Or you may have seen an article in your favourite magazine featuring Madonna practicing yoga.

Maybe you are a parent and have to juggle the demands of parenting with a hectic work schedule. This can be exhausting and leave you with little time to care for yourself, relax and, recharge your batteries.

Yoga is the ideal form of exercise to help you relax, strengthen and nurture your body and calm your mind. To the novice student, it can be quite bewildering to know where to begin when want to start practicing yoga.

Types of Yoga
There are various styles and different approaches to yoga. In essence, postures (known as asanas) breathing exercises, relaxation and in some cases meditation and chanting form the basis of all yoga styles.

However, different schools of yoga place difference emphasis on these aspects. Some yoga teachers, may focus more on breathing techniques (known as pranayama ), whilst another may pay more attention on the alignment of the body in the poses.

Yoga classes can be taught in rooms which are heated more than 100F (Bikram Yoga, as developed by Bikram Choudury) or more traditionally, classes can take place in your local leisure centre or yoga studio. You can even have private 1-2-1 yoga lessons in the comfort and convenience of your home.

Given the array of styles and classes, how do you choose which style/class is "right for you?" How do you know what qualities to look for, what questions to ask when enquiring about a particular class?

So before you pick up the phone, or click on a prospective teacher's website email address for further information, make sure you have this list to hand as a guide to help you chose your style of yoga.

Five Things You Need To Know Before You Start Your First Yoga Class.

One: It is always best to learn yoga from a qualified yoga teacher. Ask your prospective teacher where they trained, how long their course lasted and what subject areas where covered. Also, find out how long your prospective teacher has been practicing yoga and who inspires her to continue with her practice.

Two: Enquire whether your prospective yoga teacher or yoga studio runs classes specifically for beginners'. A beginners' class will be tailored to ensure you learn the foundations of yoga in a safe manner.

Three: Check out the average number of people who attend the class. As a beginner, look for a class that isn't too crowded - between seven to fifteen students - this allows the teacher to get to know you, observe your practice and make appropriate adjustments to your technique.

Four: The class needs to be at a time and venue which is convenient for you. Maybe you prefer to take a class on the way to or from work, or a class which is near your home. Anything too far, difficult to reach or held at an inconvenient time for you, makes it harder for you to start and integrate the class into your daily routine.

Five: Talk with your prospective yoga teacher. This gives you the opportunity to see how comfortable you feel working with the teacher. By talking, you will also find out more about their particular style of teaching, experience and to share any health related matters you may have.

It may take you time and energy to find a class or yoga teacher suited to your individual needs. Preserve. Once you start, you will feel lighter, calmer and glad you took the time to find a class and teacher suited to you.

Courtesy: ezinearticles.com

Single Greatest Way to Increase Flexibility & Decrease Body Pains

By Dan Boyle

I wanted to comment further about Yoga because I have been doing it for almost a week... twice a day and already feel a lot better about my progress. Although I still feel stiff and wake up stiff, I instantly get a loose feeling when I start a 15 minute workout.

I feel like I don't have to worry about the majority of the women because they are probably already into yoga or would really like to be. The majority of the guys on the other hand probably think this is a waste of time and to feminine for them...

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The benefits of yoga are 3 fold -

1. Flexibility
This is obvious isn't it. But this has to be talked about again... I know a little redundant. Flexibility will really benefit your body and weight training.

Let's just put it this way. When I wake up in the morning and start my yoga routine, I bend over for the first time to touch my toes and the stiffness is incredible. I cannot wait for the morning when I bend down and with the ease of rubber band just flop right down.

That image and feeling that I dream of in my mind keeps me going big time. I am also really excited to see if this might be the missing step in my person weight training.

The greatest thing about flexibility and yoga is it is by far the greatest range of motion increaser out there. Whatever you may read, muscle down get longer... then just get back to moving the way they were meant to move.

We are all dysfunctional and yoga will cure this!

2. Breathing
I would easily consider this to be one of the most under appreciated techniques in fitness. Breathing can make the difference between getting that one extra rep or saving your head from blood pressure headaches.

Yoga is really cool in that sense because it teaches your to concentrate and control your breathing. It will actually a lot harder to do at first. Concentrating on breathing out and breathing in on direction is hard... especially when you are tired and start to break faster.

However in both yoga and weight training, breathing makes your body feel less restricted. It helps to relax your muscles and make them easier to move.

Learn to breathe and don't underestimate the importance of it.

3. Mental Power
The ability to concentrate and keep your mind focused is huge. Focus will improve your performance not only in yoga but in weight training. Yoga is so great because if forces you to focus.

I can't even imagine how I would let me mind wander during the routine. I am so present trying to make the different positions effective that I am always there. That is a good habit to form.

In the gym focusing on your exercise can make the difference between getting results and just going through the motions. Concentrating on the movements will actually help your muscle perform them better.

The power of the mind!

So don't let the zen like image of yoga scare you away, or make you feel like you are going to be laughed at... once you practice it and improve you will become a preacher of yoga! The benefits are great for your weight training and just the range of motion increases are going to be out of this world.

Dan Boyle is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. He specializes in weight training, however realizes that Yoga and flexibility play a major role in creating the body you want.

Courtesy: ezinearticles.com

The Seven Chakras of Human Body

The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and signifies one of seven basic energy centers in the body. Each of these centers correlates to major nerve ganglia branching forth from the spinal column. In addition the chakras also correlate to levels of consciousness, archetypal elements, developmental stages of life, colors, sounds, body functions, and much, much more. Below is a brief description of each chakra.

Chakra Seven: Crown Thought, Universal identity, oriented to self-knowledge This is the crown chakra that relates to consciousness as pure awareness. It is our connection to the greater world beyond, to a timeless, spaceless place of all-knowing. When developed, this chakra brings us knowledge, wisdom, understanding, spiritual connection, and bliss. Chakra Six: Third Eye Light, Archetypal identity, oriented to self-reflection This chakra is known as the brow chakra or third eye center. It is related to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively. As such it opens our psychic faculties and our understanding of archetypal levels. When healthy it allows us to see clearly, in effect, letting us "see the big picture."

Chakra Five: Throat Sound, Creative identity, oriented to self-expression This is the chakra located in the throat and is thus related to communication and creativity. Here we experience the world symbolically through vibration, such as the vibration of sound representing language.

Chakra Four: Heart Air, Social identity, oriented to self-acceptance This chakra is called the heart chakra and is the middle chakra in a system of seven. It is related to love and is the integrator of opposites in the psyche: mind and body, male and female, persona and shadow, ego and unity. A healthy fourth chakra allows us to love deeply, feel compassion, have a deep sense of peace and centeredness.

Chakra Three: Solar Plexus Fire, Ego identity, oriented to self-definition This chakra is known as the power chakra, located in the solar plexus. It rules our personal power, will, and autonomy, as well as our metabolism. When healthy, this chakra brings us energy, effectiveness, spontaneity, and non-dominating power.

Chakra Two: Spleen/Sacral Water, Emotional identity, oriented to self-gratification The second chakra, located in the abdomen, lower back, and sexual organs, is related to the element water, and to emotions and sexuality. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. Ideally this chakra brings us fluidity and grace, depth of feeling, sexual fulfillment, and the ability to accept change.

Chakra One: Root Earth, Physical identity, oriented to self-preservation Located at the base of the spine, this chakra forms our foundation. It represents the element earth, and is therefore related to our survival instincts, and to our sense of grounding and connection to our bodies and the physical plane. Ideally this chakra brings us health, prosperity, security, and dynamic presence.

Chakras 9 x 12" hand colored print on 1800's paper ma-011 Available at MeditationArt.com

About the Author
Anodea Judith is considered one of the country's foremost experts on the combination of chakras and therapeutic issues and on the interpretation of the Chakra System for the Western lifestyle. She is best known for the chakra classic, Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System, (Llewellyn, 1987), an illustrated 540 page manual that has come to be considered the definitive work on the subject. Her most recent written book is the ground-breaking: Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self, released by Celestial Arts in February 1997.

Courtesy: rapunzelgifts.com