Yoga

6 Reasons Why You Should Practice Yoga Daily

August 9, 2017 by Ava Rogers

Several thousands of years ago, Yoga came into existence in India, taught by ancient sages. But instead of dying down as an ancient practice, it persisted through the ages and eventually became immensely popular in today’s modern world. And this is definitely not without reason. Since, Yoga not only has several important physical benefits, overall mental and spiritual well being can also be associated with it.

Read on to find out the main 6 reasons why you should start doing Yoga on a regular basis. If every day Yoga seems to be a rather tough routine, practicing it for just 3-4 times a week can also be super beneficial.

Better Sleep:

Yoga is known to facilitate a better sleeping habit. Due to extreme stressful life in today’s modern world, numerous people around the world suffers from sleeplessness.

More than the physical stress, insomnia is often caused by extreme mental stress, work related tensions and lack of proper relaxation of the mind.

Regular Yoga helps to alleviate both physical stress and sooth the mental restlessness. Thus it will help anyone de-stress and fall sleep within minutes of going to bed.

Holistic Well Being:

It is extremely vital for anyone’s complete well being is that s/he possess both a fit body and healthy and stable mind. We live in such a fast paced and competitive world, it is hardly possible for anyone to take the attention away from constant media flashes on various smart screens and let the mind calm down.

But no one realizes the truth, that this constant bombardment of fleeting images can be really harmful for the mental sanity of any human being. Believe it or not, Yoga is just the right solution for this unavoidable problem.

Every Yoga pose comes bundled with its own breathing technique. These breathing techniques are superbly effective in relieving the mind from external distractions and calm down. So practice Yoga every day to ensure a sane and clear mind along with a fit and strong body simultaneously.

Fit And Flexible Body:

The numerous Yoga poses help maintain a better body posture with strong limbs and flexible joints. With increasing age, muscles and bone joints tend to get rusted and stiff. Also gravity plays a more and more harmful role on our spinal chord and the vertebrae starts wearing out with time.

And this is more true for those living a primarily sedentary lifestyle. Yoga is very beneficial for all these people and help stretch the muscles and tissues and improve overall blood circulation. And an improved blood circulation is always a good news because it helps wash out the body toxins and keep many diseases at bay.

For every core and crucial muscle of the body, there is a suitable Yoga pose performing which will make it stronger with time.

Weight Loss:

Speculation has always been high about the effectiveness of Yoga for weight loss. But it is 100% true that Yoga can be a good obesity deterrent if it can be done with calorie deficit diet. Due to accumulation of excess weight many people find it difficult to perform strenuous exercises.

Yoga is a perfect solution for them because of it’s relatively easier nature. Without being discouraged by the physical stress that comes with the high impact cardio routines, Yoga is a much convenient way to burn calories without extreme rigor. But it must also be remembered, the results obtained through Yoga will be slower in comparison to endurance or strength training or cardio.

That being said, it is beyond doubt that the weight loss through Yoga will be slow but steady, consistent and completely safe if Yoga regime is continued regularly.

Improved Muscle Tone:

Yoga will help gradually increase the internal body strength and improve the muscle tone. But faster results like resistance training should not be expected from Yoga. The effects with Yoga is slow and gradual but inevitable at the same time.

The main philosophy behind the Yoga poses is that most of them needs to be held for some time thus acting against gravity. Which is nothing but a form of resistance training through natural means.

This will slowly improve your strength and muscle tone and with time will also help you gain muscle mass.

Suitable For All Ages

No matter in which age bracket you fall, there is no barrier in practicing Yoga. If you have started late, no problem at all. You can continue it to your senior years without any risk of health hazard.

Unlike other forms of rigorous sports or fitness regimes, Yoga is low impact and suitable for all ages and body types.

Thus reaching at an age where other sports seem too tiring, Yoga can always be your true friend.

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The Quintessential Question – Does Yoga Help With Weight Loss?

August 9, 2017 by Ava Rogers

Why do I call this a quintessential question? Well, in a huge majority of the cases where people are looking for an exercise or workout regime, the main reason behind it is Weight Loss. Yes, that’s absolutely true.

Although it does seem a bit ironic that most person will consider themselves “reasonably fit” if they are not hugely overweight, but statistically it has been seen that the primary reason behind a workout routine is well, you guessed it, shading those extra flab around the waist 🙂

And Yoga is no different. Although a very comprehensive list of various awesome health benefits of Yoga can be compiled quite easily, but it does seem it’s effectiveness in losing weight ultimately helps decide its worthiness to many prospective beginner Yogis.

The plain and simple answer to this question is – Yes, Yoga will most definitely help you lose weight, but that being said, few points need to be kept in mind always.

1. There is no weight loss if you are not maintaining a caloric deficit.

To lose weight you need to take less calorie than you are spending. Always. Period.

So ask yourself first – Am I caloric deficit?

What is the answer that you are getting from within? A Yes? Great.

Then you have nothing to worry. Yoga is definitely going to help you lose weight and not only that, it will also help you to lead a holistically healthy and stress free life.

2. Yoga is not something which can help you with fast weight loss.

Since the Yoga poses can no way be compared to be rigorous calorie burning exercises like cardio and resistance training. So please understand that the weight loss that you will see will be slow but consistent, provided the routine is followed diligently.

So if you are looking for some fast results then it is better to either adjust your expectations or change your choice of workout.

3. Yoga will help you attain not only a healthy body but also a healthy mind.

Yoga is all about holistic well being of an individual. Not only it has profound physical effects, but from very old and prehistoric ages it has always been used to gain deep spiritual insights.

So please do not limit yourself in the thought that the only way to attain a truly “fulfilling” life is to attain a slim body. A peaceful, stress free and balanced mind is also an equally important requirement in today’s fast paced and competitive world where your tenacity and perseverance is tested every single day.

All these being said, I still think that Yoga is by far one of the best choice of exercise for long term and consistent result given the fact that it is flexible in nature and it is equally possible from total beginners to seasoned experts to gain immense health benefits from it.

Yoga is especially a great choice for those person who may have joint and muscle pains. It has been seen in many cases of obesity, that the person is suffering from painful joints and muscles for a long time due to excess weight causing stress on the joints or improper and unhealthy diets causing internal muscle inflammations.

If you can identify with the situation described above, then beyond any scope of doubt, Yoga is the best bet for you, because it can be excellent deterrent for muscle and joint pains. Watch this very famous case of Arthur in YouTube who transformed his life with the help of Yoga.

By now your doubts should have been eradicated about the efficacy and usefulness of Yoga.

If not, even then start with a Yoga regime anyway, and in few days you will soon realize that it is one of the best choice you have made to gift yourself a healthy life. Since Yoga is reasonably low impact, you can do it for a short time every day without any necessity of recovery days, given the fact that you are resting sufficiently.

As time progresses, you will become more comfortable with the various poses and the flexibility of your body will improve. Then slowly more challenging poses can be incorporated in your routine, for enhanced results. If religiously practiced it is not impossible to improve your muscle tone and gain some muscle mass as well.

So the bottom line is the fact that you must accept that weight loss is a gradual process and instant gratification cannot be expected and neither is that healthy, irrespective any form of fitness regime you are in. Yoga might not provide you as quick a result as cardio training would, but if you are for a holistic body and mind with slow and healthy but sure and consistent results, then you are all set for a great future with Yoga.

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4 Annoying Yoga Difficulties Beginners Face And How To Overcome Them

August 9, 2017 by Ava Rogers

Yoga has become a very common household name these days and have gained immense popularity in the Western World over last several years. This is due to its simplicity and super effectiveness. But although mostly Yoga is not too difficult to perform, but nonetheless, many individuals can face some few common difficulties while starting out.

Initial Pain and Discomfort:

The most common difficulty that a large number of beginners face is the stiffness of muscles that cause a considerable amount of discomfort and pain while practicing some of the Yoga poses. This is due to the reason that their body is not yet acquired the flexibility required for those poses.

The matter worsens for those, where the Yogi is supposed to hold the pose for several seconds for it to be truly effective. It is very natural to experience muscle aches during these poses and it does not necessarily indicate any serious issue.

An example will be the Warrior pose or the Virabhadrasana. This particular pose needs the thigh muscles to be stable and strong, so if that of the practitioner is weak, it can turn out to be quite difficult to hold the pose for a longer duration without the legs quivering. But this is quite natural in the onset.

The key is not to get daunted by this issue. Because the muscles need time and regular practice to become flexible and strong. And as time passes, with repeated practice of the same pose, will make the muscles appropriate and the pain and discomfort will go away completely. So hang on there!!

The Cost Factor:

The other most common difficulty is the cost factor associated with regular Yoga practice. It seems in recent times, the general thought process of many Yoga beginners and intermediate practitioners revolves round the merchandise that is needed to “appropriately” practice Yoga.

While some of these costs may be justified but one has to understand what exactly might be necessary and what are not. Since Yoga is a big industry these days, so the availability of numerous Yoga related merchandise is too common everywhere. Thus, if allowed, it can well be a costly affair.

The necessities are endless, starting from simple Yoga mats, to expensive equipment, fitness gears, accessories, headbands, dresses and the list goes on and on. And above all these, Yoga guides, books, DVDs and commercial Yoga classes or private instructors makes it even more confusing and expensive.

But the main question that arises from all this is – how much of all these is actually necessary?

The answer probably varies from person to person but it can be inferred without doubt that for a beginner, it does not need to be expensive at all. Now, Yoga has been practiced in India for thousands of years and costly equipment were not needed at that time.

Only two main things are necessary –

A good Yoga mat and there are tons of places where inexpensive Yoga mats are available
A Yoga guide be it a physical book or a DVD or online instructions. If it is too difficult to lay hands on a book or DVD, then YouTube is an excellent place for a ton of free resources.

Just by researching on the internet, huge amount of free information can be found on Yoga, and its various poses with instructions, which can be sufficient to begin with.

Getting Authentic Guidance:

The third difficulty is somewhat related to the above point. It is regarding unqualified instructors. Many Yoga students do not even realize the fact that their instructors may not be genuine, since it is all too much easy these days to get a false certificate in virtually any field.

Since Yoga instructors do not really need to be certified by a standard or centralized institution, so many of them get away with their limited knowledge which can, at the end, prove to be rather dangerous for the students.

So it is always advisable to only go to reputable workout institutions who are offering any Yoga classes and also to carefully check the credentials of the instructor/s. Also just by referring to a good Yoga book written by well known Yoga expert or by following a practice regime through a DVD or online course from a reputable organization can also be quite effective and sufficient.

Time Management:

Last but not the least comes the most prevalent difficulty of the 21st century. That of time. In today’s super fast digital age most people hardly have time for workout and even if they do manage to get time for Yoga everyday, they end up stressing up their everyday life.

One thing has to be remembered that the practice of Yoga is meant for relaxation and de-stressing the mind, but if this practice itself becomes the reason for stress, then it beats the purpose. So time management is extremely vital, because with Yoga, the importance of sufficient rest is paramount.

Although seemingly difficult, one way to manage time is to cut down a bit on less necessary and unproductive activities like watching TV, drinking with friends, spending hours in social networks over smartphone etc. For good health and mind everyone must be ready for a little bit of sacrifice.

It is also important to set aside a time for Yoga everyday and religiously maintain it. It is of no use to practice Yoga for 1 week and then forget about it for the next two. The time set aside for Yoga does not have to be long right at the beginning. Also during initial days it is fine to go ahead with a regime that involves only 3-4 days a week.

And as time progresses and practitioner becomes more and more comfortable and familiar with the different poses and regular timings, it can be incorporated more frequently in daily life.

As time progresses with diligent practice of Yoga everyday, life, without a scope of doubt, will become much more healthy, fulfilling and stress free.

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5 Super Effective Yoga Poses To Perform Every Day

August 8, 2017 by Ava Rogers

Yoga has become a common household name these days and has gained immense popularity throughout the world. Although the roots of this very ancient practice actually lies in India, but it’s simplicity and effectiveness in getting a healthier life have made numerous people of the world embrace it. Not only the benefits of Yoga manifold, but they span from physical fitness to mental and spiritual well-being.

There are thousands of Yoga poses to choose from, which makes most of the beginner Yogis confused how to choose since they are often not familiar with their names and benefits. Each and every Yoga has a special long term benefit either on a muscle or an organ of the body. Having specific philosophies, each pose comes with specific breathing and repeating techniques.

5 such super effective Yoga poses have been described below which every Yogi should try to perform every day for sustained results. Please do not despair if you can’t get it right the first time itself. It is very normal to take several attempts to get used to any specific Yoga pose, especially for beginners. Just keep in mind that persistence will eventually bring perfection.

1. The Downward Dog Pose

The Downward Facing Dog Pose or Adho Mukha Shvanasana is one of the most frequently used Yoga poses.

Bend and get on your knees in a crawl position.
See that your palms and shoulders and your knees and hips are aligned vertically straight.
With your palm pressing the floor, open up the fingers and then advance your palm forward and raise your knees off the floor.
You have to it till your body forms an inverted V shape.
Your knees should be straight. Keep you arms open and your head between them.
Head should not hang down but should be aligned with your arms.

2. The Mountain Pose

The Mountain Pose or Tadasana is quite easy for beginners to perform.

With your feet close and touching each other, stand in an upright and straight posture.
The shoulders should be kept stress free and the arms should rest straight by the side.
Then both the hands need to be lifted together till they are pointing upwards above the head.
See that palms of your hands are facing each other.
You need to breathe deeply while doing this pose and need to hold the final position for few seconds.
Keep breathing in and out and relax your body while holding this pose.

3. The Warrior Pose

The Warrior Pose or Virabhadrasana has gained quite a bit of popularity and can be seen on various Yoga merchandise. Many celebrities are also seen doing this pose since it looks stylish and elegant.

The first step is to stand upright with your legs a bit widely apart.
Then the right leg has to be rotated 90 degrees to the right and body has to be lowered slowly till you are actually facing right with your right knee pointing 90 degrees right.
With palms facing towards the ground, the arms need to be spread straight to each side of the body.
You need to hold the position for 60 seconds or so and during this time breathing needs to be relaxing and gentle.
Next, this pose needs to be repeated for left side as well.

4. The Tree Pose

The Tree Pose or Vriksasana is a common pose that may need a bit of practice to perfect.

First you need to stand upright with the legs pressed to each other.
Now right feet needs to be lifted slowly and you have to balance on your body on your left feet.
The right feet then needs to be pressed against the left thigh.
Then pressing the palms of your hands face to face, you need to lift your arms vertically above your head.
Hold the pose for a few seconds.

5. The Bridge pose

The Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is a popular pose that you perform lying down.

Lie down on the floor with your back straight and flat against the ground and your knees folded in front of you.
Keep both the arms by the side of your body with them facing and touching the ground.
Now you need to raise your entire body except your arms, till your thighs forms almost 90 degrees angle with your knees.
Bear in mind that the arms should keep pressed to the floor for support and thighs should be parallel to the ground.
Head and neck should always be kept pressing to the ground.
Be extra cautious while doing this pose to prevent any injury to your neck.

So go ahead and try these 5 poses which have several health benefits and are relatively easy to perform. Performing these 5 poses every day will eventually make your muscles stronger and improve you sense of body balance. After you have mastered these, you can then start trying more difficult Yoga poses for enhanced effects.