If you have been practicing at home with DVDs or audio practices, you may be considering putting together your own practice. Creating your own sequences, set to the music you choose, is a great way to tailor your practice to your current needs and fitness level. Creating your own sequences often makes people nervous, but once you understand some basic principles, you can create your own practice to suit your changing needs. There is no single way to sequence the asanas, which you probably know from taking classes with different teachers and using a variety of yoga DVDs. Just as … Continue reading →

Of all the benefits of yoga, one that seems to be the most attractive is the calm awareness and inner peace, maybe because life often feels anything but calm and peaceful. However, for many of us, the inner peace part isn’t always so easy to find. How do we take that feeling of calm away from the mat when we leave class? There is a difference between practicing yoga and living a yoga lifestyle. When you are living your yoga, there is more to it than the asanas you perform on the mat. Working to make changes to a healthier … Continue reading →

If you practice yoga, you may wonder or have people tell you that yoga isn’t enough to strengthen your muscles. Yoga has many physical, emotional and spiritual benefits and it will also help make your muscles stronger. When you work out at the gym, the resistance of the weights works to increase the strength of the muscles. During yoga, your body provides the resistance and also helps to strengthen the muscles. There is evidence to support the idea that the regular practice of yoga works to strengthen the muscles. A University of California study followed the progress of college students … Continue reading →

Creating a space for your home practice is essential to gaining the full emotional and spiritual benefits of the practice. Providing a quiet place to fully relax and focus on your practice is a distinct benefit of practicing at a yoga studio for many people. Another benefit of creating a yoga room or dedicating a portion of a room to yoga is that you will be more likely to make time for your practice. If you are trying to commit to a regular practice, having a space set aside will help you stay motivated. When you practice yoga at home, … Continue reading →

Yoga offers a variety of benefits and continues to grow in popularity, as more people discover the many benefits. Previously practiced in studios and gyms, yoga is now found in many places, including schools, university campuses and even in the work place. Yoga has been practiced at work for centuries in India and countries in the East, such as Tibet and China with success. A growing number of US companies are embracing yoga and incorporating it into their company wellness programs. There are good reasons for this trend. Yoga offers unique benefits in work environments, which are often rife with … Continue reading →

The beautiful summer weather provides the perfect opportunity to practice yoga outdoors. There are several benefits to practicing yoga on a beach, in the woods, or even in your backyard. Practicing outside helps you experience a connection to the natural world and has a calming affect. This is why many yoga DVDs are filmed in a scenic outdoor setting. Practicing outside is also great for pranayama breathing. When you are taking deep breaths outside, you are taking in fresh air and not recycled air conditioned, stuffy air. This is good for bringing plenty of oxygen to the body and increases … Continue reading →

Jivamukti yoga is a relatively new style of yoga that was developed in a New York yoga studio in the 1980s. This type of yoga is more than a great workout; there is an emphasis on brining the philosophy of yoga off the mat and into daily life. The word jivamukti means liberation from separation. The practice is challenging, both physically and mentally. The goal is to integrate the spiritual and philosophical aspects of yoga into modern life. The practice is said to impact all areas of life, touching the body, mind and spirit, as students embrace and begin to … Continue reading →

Svaroopa yoga is derived from the Sanskrit term for knowing yourself at the deepest level or the bliss of being. Svaroopa yoga is a form of yoga that is designed to creating healing, transformation and illumination. This type of yoga is different from other forms of yoga that focus on only the physical aspects of the asanas. Svaroopa yoga combines the physical practice with a deeper understanding of the essential nature of the individual. Students are exploring the physical poses and the deeper essence of being. The poses in Svaroopa yoga are fairly basic and the pace is slow. The … Continue reading →

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a text that is over two and a half centuries old that was written by the Indian Sage Patanjali. The text outlined the eight limbed path to enlightenment, with the third limb being the physical practice of yoga asanas. The eight limbs as outlined in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are Yama (universal morality with others) Niyama (universal morality towards self), Asanas (physical yoga poses), Pranayama (control of prana through breath), Pratyahara (control of senses), Dharana (concentration and stillness), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (enlightenment). Although the eight limbs are described separately, there is no … Continue reading →

Viniyoga is a gentle form of yoga that was developed by Sri T. Krishnamacharya. In Sanskrit, viniyoga means separation or adaptation. This is a gentle form of hatha yoga that is designed to help the individual develop a system of practice that is tailored to the needs and current level of that student. What really makes viniyoga different from other forms of hatha yoga and other types of yoga is the focus on the needs of the individual. This form of yoga focuses on bringing out the best in the individual. The goals vary for each person and the yoga … Continue reading →