The fall and winter seasons bring with them great beauty, a chance for introspection and an opportunity to slow down. The fall and winter are also a time when many of us catch colds and seasonal flues. If you find that you get frequent colds during this time of year, you may want to consider incorporating Yoga asanas that are inversions into your practice in order to enhance the functioning of your immune system. Our immune systems are detrimentally affected by a poor diet, lack of restorative sleep, high stress and toxins in the environment. Prescription and non-prescription drugs and an unhealthy level of alcohol consumption can also negatively affect the immune system.

White blood cells that circulate throughout our bodies via the lymphatic system are our bodies’ primary defense against disease and infection. The movement of vital fluids throughout the body by way of the lymphatic system is greatly increased with physical exercise. Inversions dramatically help to circulate white blood cells throughout the entire body. Additionally, any Yoga pose that places your head below your heart will help to circulate fresh blood and nutrients throughout the brain, lifting mental fogginess and improving memory.

A very accessible Yoga asana that is quite effective for boosting the functioning of the immune system is Wide-Legged Forward Fold. Other inversions such as Headstand, Handstand, Upward Facing Bow and Plow Pose will also help to boost your immune system. Even a restorative pose such as Child’s Pose places the head below the heart and helps to increase the functioning of the lymphatic system and therefore the functioning of the immune system.

Wide-Legged Forward Fold

To practice Wide-Legged Forward Fold, stand at the front of your Yoga mat in Samasthiti or Equal Standing. Place your feet approximately three to four feet apart in a wide stance and parallel to the ends of your Yoga mat. With your next inhale; raise your arms to shoulder height with your palms facing down. Your wrists should be directly over your ankles. With your next exhale, bend forward as far as your level of flexibility allows. If you have the flexibility, grasp your big toes, feet, ankles or shins with your hands. Hold this asana for three to five full breaths. To come out of the pose, place your hands on your hips and with your next inhale rise back up to a standing position bringing your feet back into Samasthiti at the front of your mat.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

A Moon Salutation, or Chandra Namaskar, is the counterpart to the Sun Salutation. While the Sun Salutation pays respect to the masculine side of our nature, the Moon Salutation does the opposite by honoring our feminine side. Moon Salutations are less stimulating than the Sun Salutation, providing a more calming effect than the energy generated by a Sun Salutation. We often use the Sun Salutation to generate heat within the body, and get our engines revved up for the day. A Moon Salutation, then, is often used to cool down the body and mind at the end of a long day. Moon Salutations work to open the path to enlightenment by unveiling our inherent wisdom, creativity, balance and intelligence.

Much like the Sun Salutations, there is more than one version of the Moon Salutations. Moon Salutations may be practiced at any time of the day or night. They are particularly powerful, however, when performed outdoors, under a full moon. Since the pose is meant to celebrate the moon and all of its power, performing it by moonlight will allow you to absorb the moon’s energy to enhance healing, intuition, and empowerment.

Begin a Moon Salutation in Mountain Pose. Check for proper alignment; toes, shoulders and hips facing forward, tailbone lengthened, belly pulled in and the roof of your mouth lifted toward the sky. Inhale as you bring both arms up toward the sky in a Standing Back Bend. Open your heart to the moon. Exhale as your reach both arms out and down into a Standing Forward Bend. Release the weight of your arms and head while you gently engage the kneecaps, but do not lock the knees.

Inhale as you lift the torso up and step the right foot back into a lunge. Exhale and plant your right knee on the mat. Inhale, then carefully reach your arms up and back, pressing your shoulder blades down your back, away from the ears in Crescent pose. Exhale as you bring the hands down beside feet, then step the left foot back and lift your hips up into Downward Facing Dog. Inhale and lift your right leg up behind you, squeezing your thighs to keep your hips squared to the front, into One Legged Downward Facing Dog.

Exhale, stepping your right leg forward between your hands, into a deep lunge on the opposite side. Inhale, drawing your hands up and back into another Crescent pose. Exhale, stepping your left foot forward next to the right, into another Forward Bend. Inhale as you slowly come to a standing position again, reaching your arms up and behind in another Standing Back Bend. To complete the pose, exhale into Mountain Pose; hands in Prayer Position above the heart.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

While still in bed, she does her vinyasa, a series of seven or eight postures that gets her blood flowing. She puts her arms above her head for a stretch and a yawn, pulls her knees to her chest, “walks” the ceiling with her feet and stretches her shoulders and hands.

“By the time you’re through — it takes about eight minutes — you’re ready to walk, instead of slopping around,” Bates said. “You can walk to the kitchen, to the bathroom, whatever your procedure is and not sort of drag yourself and say, ‘I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do that.’ You’re ready to go.”

Yoga has been a way of life for Bates, 91, for more than half her life: She began practicing and teaching hatha yoga in about 1960. In a fitting tribute to her decades of helping others learn her passion, she recently won the distinction of the Guinness World Record holder of oldest yoga instructor. Guinness says she is the oldest yoga instructor to complete the complex verification process.

It’s an honor, the humble yogi feels, that isn’t hers alone.

“I don’t have this reward by myself,” she said. “I share it with all the students I’ve taught through the years.”

Bates credits yoga with keeping her flexible, fit and healthy.

“I think yoga is the best exercise there is,” says Bates, who has always been active and still swims laps.

“I’ve never had anything I had to go to the doctor for, except checkups,” says Bates, who tips the scale at 105 pounds and is about 5 foot, 2 inches tall. “That should say something.”

Yoga involves the whole body — muscles, ligaments, organs, she says, and gives you energy without exhausting your body.

“You’re not just standing on a treadmill and going, going, going and you get off and can hardly walk,” she says. “Yoga itself means yoke, that’s to join. We join our mind, our body and our spirit in everything we do.

“Yoga gives you flexibility like you’ve never had before, and it makes you healthy because you’re working on the whole body, inside and out,” she said.

Bates, who has instructed children and adults, now leads a weekly one-hour class nine months a year at the Mainlands Retirement Community Center in Pinellas Park, Fla., where she lives. Most students are in their 60s and 70s, though she has two fellow nonagenarians and several students in their 80s.

She leads her students through 10 to 12 poses and ends with relaxation. “We go over our whole body and tense each part, then we relax,” she said.

Bernie, as her students call her, provides handouts so they can practice at home. And when they can finally do something they once couldn’t, like touch their toes, “it makes me feel like it’s worthwhile,” she says.

Some students have been with her for the 15 years she’s taught at Mainlands, and they all adapt to the class as they grow on in years. Some participate while sitting on chairs.

“It’s for everybody,” she says enthusiastically about yoga. “There’s thousands of postures. You can pick and choose. You do what you can.

“It’s non-competitive, which is the best thing about it,” she said.

Bates is a widow of eight years and a mother of three, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of three. Yoga has enhanced her full life.

“It just encouraged me to keep going and it made my life better,” Bates said. “You’re active, so you don’t gain 100 pounds.”

She lives alone and tends to her flower garden, does the housework and likes to rearrange her furniture, so she’s always moving it around.

“If I didn’t keep myself in shape, I wouldn’t be able to do it at 91,” she says.

Her decades of physical activity have only added to her strong Methodist faith. “Anything you do for your body that’s good is going to enhance improvement in your religion too,” she said. “You get more faith that way.”

With students seeking her guidance each week, the world’s oldest yoga teacher is going to keep on teaching.

“Why should I quit? she asks. “As long as I can do it and be a help to someone else, I’ll just stay as long as I can. I get a joy out of seeing someone learning.”

Mandy Ingber is a fitness and wellness advisor, who first gained popularity with her sold-out yoga and spinning classes in Los Angeles. For over 15 years, she motivated people with her light-hearted approach and unique teaching style. It is her ability to connect with a wide range of students which makes her accessible to the yoga novice as well as the professional athlete. She is currently touring the U.S. to promote her self-produced yoga-hybrid DVD YOGALOSOPHY, which is available online at MandyIngber.com and Amazon.com.

Alas, not all of us can travel to Los Angeles (if you don’t live there) on a regular basis to seek out a practice with the lovely Mandy. Sigh. But, we can practice some of her signature moves! Sweet! Here is a recent article on Yoga Moves For Flat Abs! Just in time for Turkey Day! Holla!

October 20, 2011

Bruins forward Reeves Nelson has been working with Yoga instructor Kent Katich to stretch, bend and contort his body an hour at a time, all with the intention of making himself a better player and a better thinker.
Big man on campus
Reeves Nelson talks about what expectations the Bruins have against the rest of the country.
It’s a short walk from the UCLA campus to yoga class in Westwood Village, but for Bruins forward Reeves Nelson, the trip is nothing less than a pilgrimage.

Nelson visits The Yoga Court almost daily, working with instructor Kent Katich to stretch, bend and contort his body an hour at a time, all with the intention of making himself a better player and a better thinker.

“It’s something I’ll probably do for the rest of my life,” Nelson said, “because quite honestly, I like it that much.”

So does Bruins coach Ben Howland, who has seen positive results from a number of players who have gone to Katich, among them former Bruins Jordan Farmar and Josh Shipp as well as current players David and Travis Wear and Lazeric Jones.

“It’s something I’m really sold on because I’ve seen what it’s done,” Howland said. “It’s been very good for us.”

No player espouses the benefits yoga more than Nelson, UCLA’s top returning scorer, who recruited the Wear twins, transfers from North Carolina, to also take classes. But Katich works with many other athletes, including NBA players Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and Baron Davis, former No. 1 tennis player Pete Sampras, UCLA golfer Patrick Cantley and the Bruins men’s golf and women’s tennis teams.

Inside a simple studio that has little more than a few mats and a couple of benches, Katich limbers up his students so they’re able to get the most from their bodies. A former basketball player at the University of South Dakota, he understands the importance of playing in harmony.

“Their body is their tool and they need it to function at its highest level,” Katich said. “So they need to have the flexibility and stamina and strength. … If you’re familiar with how your body feels and moves, you don’t get rigid. I’m asking you to get in positions that are awkward, and then breathe and relax. So you’re taking what would normally be a stiff motion or movement and you’re learning to move effortlessly through it.”

Nelson, a 6-foot-8 junior from Modesto, said he did a little yoga in his freshman and sophomore years, but it wasn’t until he accompanied several teammates to one of Katich’s classes after last season that he became fully absorbed.

“Physically it makes me more flexible, more explosive, less susceptible to injury,” he said. “Mentally, it’s just like a way to regroup during the day. It helps with my focus. It’s a way for me to become a better athlete, and it’s also helped with the mental side of sports.”

Nelson’s devotion has even impressed his teacher.

“I don’t mean to overstate this, but he’s the most committed athlete I’ve ever had,” Katich said. “He’s driven, he’s motivated. He’s the first athlete I’ve had in 15 years that has asked to come in at 6 a.m. He works harder than anybody, and I’ve worked with Blake Griffin and Kevin Love and the best of the best. It says a lot about him.”

Nelson said one of the benefits he’s felt is that yoga puts him in a relaxed state of mind, but you have to wonder if too many downward dogs and half moons might soften up an athlete – maybe even make him mellower.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Nelson said. “But in a game, you want to be in control. That’s like the main thing about yoga. It’s difficult physically, but you want to be in control and calm during the game.”

Katich said too much emphasis is put on things like aggressiveness and a so-called “killer instinct.” Yoga, he said, works better toward playing well.

“I personally think those qualities are manufactured,” he said. “I don’t think you need them. Sport itself is intended to be harmonious. You need your competitor to do well for you to rise to another level. … If you look at the true artists, they play their own game. You don’t have to have this ‘killer instinct’ — it’s a cliché.”

It might be. Nelson said he appreciates a chance to ease back mentally and give his mind a break.

“It’s great because it gives you time to unwind and settle down and just sort through all the thoughts in your head,” he said. “And then it gives you time to relax.”

How much will his yoga experience translate to the court? It’s unknown, but Katich, like Howland, says he sees a difference in class.

“His strength, his composure,” Katich said. “We’ll see (how he’s changed) on the court emotionally, but he’s developed a confidence with his body, what he can do. It’s allowed him to go deeper into his workouts, and I think it’s given him an overall sense of well-being and confidence.”

Michael Martinez, a veteran sportswriter with more than three decades of experience in journalism, has covered virtually every major sporting event as a staff writer for the New York Times, San Jose Mercury News and other major outlets.

–Christina

June 21st, 2011

By Faye Martins

According to the American Journal of Occupational Therapy,The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes hand injuries as one of the most common, but preventable, injuries in people of working age. Those and those familiar with teaching Yoga will surely agree. Many new students have pre-existing hand or wrist pain long before they ever started practicing Yoga. The hands and wrists, made up of relatively small joints with many muscles, tendons and nerves, are a delicate area.

They control fine motor skills, and at the same time, are strong enough to bear a person’s entire body weight. Too many practices are ended early because of discomfort in the hands and wrists. Thankfully, there are exercises to help with strained wrists and sore hands. There are also props to alleviate straining altogether and alternative positions to try that are less likely to cause pain.

First, consider props that can help distribute the weight more evenly along the arm and spare the wrist. A new prop that is getting excellent reviews is the Three Minute Egg, a rounded, egg-shaped foam block that takes the place of traditional square blocks or wedges.

By using the egg blocks in each hand during asanas with weight on the hands and wrists, the pressure is distributed up the arm and the pose becomes much more comfortable. In poses like Plank, or Chaturanga, grasping hand weights can relieve wrist pain. Even rolled up mats beneath the heel of the hand can provide some relief.

Assuming some wrist pain is already present, the following are some simple stretches that can help.

Therapeutic Yoga for Wrists and Hands

Handcuffs: Circle each wrist with the opposite thumb and forefinger and squeeze firmly for 3-5 seconds.

Wrist rotations: Hold the hands palm out flat and circle the wrists clockwise and counter clockwise.

Prayer pose, with both hands together in namaste position. Exert gentle pressure pushing the hands together, then lean them back towards the wrists: first the left hand pushing the right back to a 45 degree angle, then right pushing left back.

Reverse Prayer: Behind your back, put your hands together in Namaste mudra, with your fingers pointing down instead of up. Hold for 20 seconds, or so, as long as it is comfortable.

Backward wrists: On all fours, rotate your hands until fingers are pointing towards you, with forearms facing the front and gently lean back. Go slowly and pay attention to any pain in the muscles, as this stretch can be quite intense.

Wrist Safety and Pain Prevention in Yoga Class

To prevent hand and wrist pain altogether during practice, modify hand positions during Yoga sessions. In Downward Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, keeping the hands flat and pushing back is responsible for a great deal of soreness. Bending the fingers of the hands at the top joint, so the middle knuckles stick up rather than lie flat, is an excellent modification that strengthens the forearms and keeps pressure off wrists. In Upward Facing Dog, or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, keeping the hands closed in fists protects the wrists. Many other Yoga poses can be modified by using the forearms to bear the weight – rather than using the hands.

Additionally, chairs, low stools, blankets, and bolsters can be used to modify postures, which put too much pressure on the wrists. It may be necessary to take a rest from arm balances entirely if pain is recurrent. Remember that Yoga works with your body, not against it and honor its need for recovery.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

Yoga presents itself as a complete lifestyle, and while most people in the west associate Yoga with a physical discipline involving a series of poses, the entire concept involves an eight pronged approach to realizing your best self, each component coming together helping individuals achieve what some refer to as a state of enlightenment.

While Hatha Yoga is physical Yoga in its most pure form, physical Yoga has grown to incorporate more of the aerobic and strengthening aspects that are associated with physical fitness. Vinyasa Yoga, which stresses the use of breath as the impetus to move from one pose to the next, has emerged as one of the most popular ways to tailor the practice to fit your needs.

As the popularity of Vinyasa grew, more and more teachers began to adapt the style to fit both the needs of their students and their growing knowledge of the discipline, resulting in a number of varieties including Vinyasa Flow and Power Yoga.

The origins of Vinyasa Yoga can be traced back to 200 B.C. when Patanjali began constructing his ashta-ang, or eight limbed discipline that involves meditation, mental, and physical conditioning. Since then followers like Sri K. Pattabhi Jois from Mysore, India have committed themselves to refining the techniques of Patanjali to use more movement with breath as opposed to remaining in poses, or asanas, while breathing.

In 1964 Andre van Lysebeth visited Jois and studied with him for two months, after returning to Belgium he wrote a book entitled “Pranayama,” that included Jois’ photo and address. As a result, mostly European westerners began seeking out Jois, and gradually the practice of Vinayasa began to spread. Later in 1973, Norman Allen attended a seminar taught by Jois and became the first American to be exposed to, and consequently spread, the theories of Vinyasa in the United States.

Vinyasa itself is the series of movements that are done between each asana, so as a student moves from one pose to the next, they are said to have completed one “vinyasa.” Physically, the breath increases heat in the body and causes more sweating, which is meant to be purifying.

It is believed that the inspiration for these movements can be found in Vamana Rishi’s Yoga Korunta, and was later inspired by the training of Indian wrestlers and British gymnasts. Today, the practice of Vinayasa has been expanded to include styles suitable for adolescents, expecting mothers, and physically challenged individuals.

To see Aura Wellness Center’s Vinyasa Yoga teacher training  home study course, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Vinyasa-Yoga-Teacher-Training-Course-Level-1.html

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher certification courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

http://news.yahoo.com/video/albuquerque-koat-18190730/anti-gravity-yoga-turns-classic-workout-on-its-head-24438279

Maybe you’ve been avoiding yoga because it looks too hard (“I’m not a human pretzel!”), or because it doesn’t seem hard enough (“It’s not a workout if my heart’s not racing and I don’t break a good sweat”) or because it’s difficult to believe that stretching can help you lose weight. But in fact, yoga is an extremely valuable slimming tool anyone can use (yes, even if you think you have zero flexibility): It helps you trim trouble zones, firm up all over, shrink your waistline and ease stress—all in the comfort of your own home. It’s so effective, fitness guru Jillian Michaels made yoga her workout of choice when she designed SELF’s new Jump Start plan. Try these moves a few times a week (hold each move for 30 seconds, repeating the series five times total), and get ready to Om your way to a tighter, lighter and stronger body.

BRING UP THE REAR

works butt, back, hips, thighs, hamstrings
Lie faceup with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Press your heels into the floor and lift your hips toward ceiling, clasping your hands beneath you. Extend your left leg straight up, foot flexed (as shown). Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat, switching legs.

BALANCE BUFFER

works arms, abs, calves
From standing, bend forward and place your palms flat on the floor shoulder-width apart. Rest your knees on the back of your upper arms. Engage your abs and lean forward, coming onto the balls of feet (as shown). Hold for 30 seconds.

RESHAPING REACH

works shoulders, back, abs, butt, thighs
Kneel with your knees hip-width apart, toes curled under. Contract your glutes and press your hips forward as you arch back, lift your chest and reach your right arm to your right heel; extend your left arm up (as shown). Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat, switching arms.

TOTAL PACKAGE

works shoulders, back, abs, butt, hamstrings
Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, back straight. Contract your abs as you extend your left arm and right leg in line with your body (as shown). Hold for 30 seconds. Switch sides; repeat.

SITTING PRETTY

works abs, butt, thighs
Standing with your legs together, reach your arms overhead, palms facing in. As if sinking into a chair, bend your knees (as shown) until your thighs are almost parallel to floor. Hold for 30 seconds.

For more of Michaels’s total-body toning moves, or to take advantage of her entire diet and exercise plan, go to JumpStartDiet.com.