Yoga Exercises and Ayurveda - Adjusting Your Pace of Yoga Exercises and Yoga Breathing For Balance

When you know your Ayurvedic constitution you can make important choices regarding your speed and style of practice of yoga exercises and yoga breathing. While Yoga Exercises means a lot more than physical movement, this focus is on the physical aspect of yoga. The principles given here can be applied both while in the yoga pose, and in day to day living to achieve comfort in the body and a quiet mind.

Let's take 3 key qualities of your body mind according to Ayurveda: strength of body, temperature of body, and stability of mind, and apply these to a yoga pose, the basic standing pose, Tadasana.

Strong Body

If you have thin bones, your constitution might be weaker than someone with a stocky build. You may both look the same holding the pose, yet you'll begin to feel tired sooner. What's happening on the inside is totally different. Focus on your connection with the ground and peacefully refocus whenever the mind wanders.

Those with a stronger body can focus on yoga breathing. Yoga breathing is breathing appropriately, filling the lungs from top to bottom, or bottom to top in restful breathing. Ideally everyone would be practicing yoga breathing while holding the pose; it's the focus of attention that is different.

Stability of Mind

If the mind is dull and lethargic, large upward movement of the arms will stimulate the body mind. While standing in Tadasana, raise arms overhead. You may even create a flow of movement, raising the arms on the inhalation and lowering them on the exhalation.

If on the other hand the mind is very active, pick a spot and focus the eyes on that spot to experience some stability. You may also focus the mind on the connection of the feet with the ground. Another choice is to silently repeat a word like "strength" or "peace" on the exhalation. Choose a word that has the greatest impact for you.

Temperature of Body

Always feeling cold? Build heat with stronger breathing during the yoga pose, especially in the cold seasons. Breathe into chest first, then abdomen second. Pay attention that your breathing is smooth and consistent. Use strong breathing to create heat in the body.

If on the other hand your body temperature tends to be hot, avoid over-heating by breathing bottom up, abdomen first chest second. Or you may breathe top down smoothly, quietly and gently. Relax your effort a bit to experience more coolness and less fire.

Learn more about your body according to Ayurveda and do have a safe practice.

And now, I'd like to invite you to claim your free download of guided relaxation, and information on other healing strategies when you visit http://www.yogatogo.com/ and please sign up for our newsletter for more tips for your healing journey.

From Heather Greaves - The Self Care Expert and Body Therapies Yoga Training.

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Yoga Leg Exercises for Stronger More Stable Steps

A sign of aging is decreased strength in the legs. We can moderate the aging process. Have you stopped sitting on the floor because you fear not being able to get back up again? How about challenging yourself to increase strength in the legs with gentle leg exercises, and watch the progress step by step.

Assessment

How are you presently getting up from the floor?
No use of hands, very steady and with no significant sway in the trunk. Very independentNo use of hands, with unsteadiness and some swayUsing one hand on thighUsing both hands on thighsWith one hand on floorWith both hands on floorWith the help of a chair or tableWith someone standing by just in case, perhaps giving cuesWith little assistance as you make most effort (75% to 99%)More assistance required as you make less than 75% of physical effortYoga Leg WorkoutTo strengthen the front of the thighs, quadriceps; To increase balance; To increase flexibility of the ankles

Feet - Standing well in Tadasana, breathe deeply in to the chest and abdomen. Begin the exhale by gently drawing the lower abdomen in. Continue for 6 breaths minimum releasing any unnecessary tension. Then shift your weight slowly from side to side, while breathing deep into the abdomen. Shift forward and backwards with the breath as well. Practice with the feet hip width apart and narrow your stance as you increase strength.

Toes - Massage your toes to help them lengthen on the ground when you stand. Practice lifting and spreading them apart while standing. Then try to lift just the big toes; then just the little toes. Feel the muscles in the lower legs workout.

Ankles - While sitting on the floor with arms supporting your body in Dandasana, knees can be bent, point toes forward as you inhale; exhale and flex foot back towards your body. You can curl the toes as you inhale and point, and spread them on the exhale. Continue for 6 breaths. Then rotate the ankles. This can also be done lying with knees bent and one leg in the air. Hold a belt around the ball of the foot.

The Warrior poses modified, Chair and a Balance pose against the wall strengthen thighs. While lying on the floor practice pelvic tilts for flexibility in the spine. Yoga exercises will lengthen and strengthen your stride. Always end your session with relaxation.

Moderate the aging process by keeping the spine flexible, the legs strong and the heart happy.

And now, I'd like to invite you to claim your free download of guided relaxation when you visit http://www.yogatogo.com/.

Heather Greaves helps those interested in natural healing learn more therapeutic yoga even though their yoga teacher is a book. "To learn more about something, teach it." Since 2005 this Yoga Therapist and owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training has been training teachers in a certified yoga teacher training program.

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Beginner Yoga: How to Include Peace of Mind Exercises Within Your Yoga Practice

Yoga practice can bring peace of mind. By the end of the yoga class we usually forget the burning desire or important concern that occupied our mind. Peace pervades both mind and body. Here are a few yoga exercises that help you gain peace of mind.

1. Begin with Centering

What is centering? It's a method which helps to turn the mind inward and works to quiet our busy mind. In kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, a specific mantra is chanted at the beginning of every class and personal practice. In some hatha yoga classes the mantra 'Om' is chanted. This opening activity takes only a few minutes and makes a huge positive impact on our state of consciousness and thus prepares us for our yoga practice.

The use of a mantra has a direct effect on the mind, and beginning your personal practice with a chant draws a subtle starting line that adds something special to your experience. How would you describe that inward journey - sacred, soulful or something else? I am always fascinated by the various ways we describe our experience of the same exercise.

2. Chanting during Practice

In our personal practice we can decide to chant 'Om' aloud at the beginning of the asana portion of our practice. If you start with the Sun or Moon salutation you can chant either when you are moving into the pose, or slow the practice down by chanting one 'Om' as you hold the pose. You may want to explore to find out when it is most natural for you to chant. Do you increase or decrease the chant volume as you practice? Does it feel natural to stop chanting aloud after a while?

3. Hand Mudra

A common hand mudra is holding the hands in prayer position. This mudra, called Namaste mudra, can be held when standing at rest in Tadasana. You can hold the hands at the chest and let the thumbs touch the sternum. Notice how each finger rests against its pair and whether one hand presses more into the other. Can you distribute the pressure evenly between both hands? Are you using excess effort?

Feel your feet to the earth, hands at the heart, and head to the sky. Next sense your whole body as a single unit, then bring the breath into your awareness. This rest between poses can become a standard within your personal practice; an exercise to draw the mind inward.

As a beginner yoga student you can design your personal practice to include the elements that are most effective to quiet the mind. As you experiment with these techniques, may you discover again and again the power of designing your own practice and the ability to quiet your mind.

Heather Greaves is an avid yoga student and the owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training. She organizes yoga and meditation retreats and workshops in Ontario and Barbados, and has been helping yoga enthusiasts learn to teach therapeutic yoga in a certified program. For more yoga tips or to sign up for our monthly newsletter visit http://www.yogatogo.com/

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Yoga Exercises For The Eyes

TV, computer screens, driving, cell phones...what do all of these have in common? They are stressful on the eyes.

Eye strain can lead to headaches and feeling tired - even if you've had enough sleep. So if your eyes are feeling strained, take about 10 minutes to do the following yoga eye exercises:

1. First, rub your hands together vigorously to create a warmth in the palms.

2. Place your warm palms gently over your eyes and hold them there for a few moments. Take a few long, deep breaths.

3. Look straight ahead. Now do the following sequence: look up, look to the upper right, look to the right, look to the lower right, look down, look to the lower left, look left, look to the upper left, look up. Repeat this sequence 2X

4. Now reverse the sequence: look up, look to the upper left, look left, look to the lower left, look down, look to the lower right, look right, look to the upper right, look up. Repeat this sequence 2X.

5. Now do one slow circle with your eyes clockwise. Look all the way up, to the right, down, and to the left. Keep the eye movements fluid. Make two complete circles.

6. Now reverse the sequence, going counter clockwise. Look all the way up, to the left, down and to the right. Keep the eye movements fluid. make two complete circles.

7. Look straight ahead. Now blink your eyes rapidly for a few moments.

8. Look straight ahead. Begin long, deep breathing. Imagine the air coming in through your eyes as you breathe in. Imagine the air coming out through your eyes as you breathe out. Breath with your eyes. Repeat these long deep breaths, breathing through your eyes, 5X.

9. Focus on an object in front of you. Now, make that object as clear as possible. Really focus. Concentrate.

10. Now relax the focus on the object. Let the object fade into the distance. Let the object appear blurry- as if you are staring off into space. Relax the eyes.

11. Now repeat the previous two exercise with the object in front of you. First bring the object into crystal clear focus. Next, allow the object to fade into the distance and become blurry. Do this sequence 5X.

12. Rub your palms together once again. Create heat in the palms. Place your palms over your eyes gently. Relax.

Claire Austen blogs about yoga for beginners. For free yoga videos and information on yoga for beginners, visit http://www.eyogaforbeginners.com/

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Benefits of Yoga Breathing Exercises Are For Everybody

Yoga breathing exercises, also known as pranayama, are the basics for an effective meditation and relaxation session. In this modern era, the stressful life and raging competition is providing a very productive ground for the evolution and spread of yoga. Medical practitioners always doubted the efficiency of yoga, but currently it is prescribed even by doctors for stress relief, health ailments and also to compliment few other fitness programs.

The primary objective of yoga breathing exercises is to eradicate the toxins or the undesirable elements from the body such as carbon dioxide. At the same time, it helps you intake the pure oxygen. There is almost unlimited amount of oxygen surrounding us but we are not aware of how to get its full benefits as we never use full lung capacity.

Normally, breathing is an unconscious mechanism but with the help of pranayama, one can consciously govern his/her breathing process. Relaxation and meditation are dependent on breathing, and a fulfilling, successful meditation session depends on proper and correct breathing exercises.

When a person performs pranayama, his/her brain receives oxygen which helps in relaxing the nervous system, and thus inducing relaxation and reducing stress. Symptoms of nervousness and anxiety may radically decrease, and you may attain more emotional balance. Breathing exercises are capable of calming the mind and enhancing self-control. They also help in attaining more mental and physical balance.

Yoga breathing exercises also help in releasing either chronic or acute tension that may have gathered as a result of strenuous routine. This just not only aid you in avoiding pain and aches in the body, but also provides a gentle massage to internal organs such as lungs and heart.

Of all different yoga breathing techniques (Pranayama), three of them are crucial when it comes to achieving yoga meditation and relaxation. They are Ujjayi, Dirgha and Nadi Shodhana.

Ujjayi technique is an innovative breathing exercise that can be performed whenever you want to improve your attention and focus. At the same time, it can also be done before you begin with your meditation session. This technique has many advantages and the most important one is that it accelerates the mental process and improves concentration. To perform Ujjayi pranayama, sit comfortably with erect spine and start with slow and long breaths through the nose. Then, contract your throat muscles in order to produce a gentle hissing sound. Try to extend both inhalation and exhalation, but without making too much effort from the body.

Dirgha is considered to be one of the most complex breathing exercises. This technique focuses on all 3 chambers of lungs. Dirgha pranayama helps in improving the lung capacity and oxygenating the blood. To perform this technique, lie comfortably and begin with similar slow and long breaths. Here the most crucial thing is to focus on your belly; fill it with fresh air. While exhaling, slowly release the air from your belly. At the same time, expand your chest to allow the oxygen to get inside.

Nadi Shodhana can be performed whenever you want to calm down, as this technique helps in reducing stress and anxiety. To perform Nadi Shodhana, press the left nostril gently and inhale through the right nostril. Then, press the right one and exhale through left nostril. While performing this exercise, it is important that you maintain a slow breathing.

Apart from above mentioned yoga breathing exercises, there are numerous of them. Select and perform the one that suites you.

You can find much more information on the health benefits of yoga by simply visiting http://www.famousbymorning.com/yoga-benefits.htm

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