These top yoga practices are extremely helpful, become favorites, and head yoga charts. As popular as they are, preparation for these essentials ease the beginner into yoga in a kinder gentler way. Each of the poses or practices can be quite challenging at first. Tight muscles bring discomfort, a busy mind can create silent frustration, and uneasiness rather than relaxation can make one feel like a failure. So what are the famous five, their benefits, and how to prepare so that they can be enjoyed for a long time to come?

1. Downward Facing Dog

This pose builds stamina and is a great release for muscles in the back of the legs. Those deeper calf muscles that other stretches usually don’t get to, as well as the hamstrings rejoice. There is an overall body sigh. If the upper extremities are weak, they scream in agony. Take the clue, exit the pose, and assume Child’s pose.

Preparation: Stand facing the wall, bend at the hips and press the hands into the wall.

2. Alternate Nostril Breathing

Used on planes, at bed time, to calm the mind, and to rejuvenate. Can be practiced for 1-3 minutes. The challenge is becoming familiar with this subtle practice. There are many variations as well.

Preparation: A simpler method is to breath naturally in and out of the left nostril five times, then in and out of the right nostril 5 times. Then breath through both nostrils 5 times.

3. Warrior Pose

These standing poses build strength and endurance. Psychologically one feels courageous. Warrior 1 can be extremely difficult if shoulders are weak, there are knee problems, and if there is generally overall weakness.

Preparation: Use props like a chair, stool or fitness ball. Place hands on hips. Take a shorter stance.

4. Child’s Pose

Excellent resting pose practiced after back bends, inversions, and Downward Dog. It gives a feeling of safety, stretches the spinal muscles, while rejuvenating the whole body. Tight hips and knees make this pose far from restful.

Preparation: Lie on back with knees to chest to release hips over time. Use blankets, bolsters, or a rolled up towel under the ankles, behind knees, under hips, under chest and head for comfort.

5. Relaxation

“Great” “Aah” “This is what I’ve been waiting for” – some of the comments often heard before lying in stillness on the mat. It removes fatigue. Simple. And when the mind is busy the pose becomes quite challenging.

Preparation: Keep the mind occupied counting with the breath. Count to 10 then back again.

Learn how to adapt yoga poses and practices to your body and mind, and you’ll enjoy yoga and its benefits for a long time.

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Heather Greaves helps practitioners in healing and helping professions learn about therapeutic yoga even though their only 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.

How can we bring yoga and meditation together? What are some of the techniques that work best for beginners to both meditation and yoga? What key elements of meditation techniques can be used in yoga?

The first meditation technique that comes to mind is mindfulness; paying attention to the task at hand. Precisely the problem for the scattered mind. Is this an impossible situation? How can key elements of this meditation technique work in a yoga practice?  With other meditation techniques the power of concentration is essential.

Let’s find simple ways to make the mind less noisy and more quiet, i.e. to make the mind meditative, using mindfulness and concentration  in a yoga asana practice.

Helpful Perception

Beginners practicing a meditation technique that requires concentration, experience frustration as the mind wanders time and again in far away places. Yet this is exactly why you are here in practice. So yes there is the wandering; and “my mind is being trained” is a more helpful perception of what is happening.

Yoga Asana Practice

Bring this awareness that the mind is being trained into your yoga asana practice. That as well as  training the body, there is training for the mind. Training happens through concentration. In fact, in Yoga’s 8 limb program, called Ashtanga in Sanskrit, concentration (Dharana) comes before meditation (Dhyana).

What can we concentrate on and what can we be aware of when practicing poses?

1. The Breath

For example, you are practicing raising and lowering your legs from lying. Synchronize the movement with the breath. In fact go further than this. Let the breath surround the movement. Begin to inhale before you raise the leg and end the movement first, then the inhalation. Begin to exhale and then start lowering the leg. Let the leg come to rest on the floor and then end the exhalation. Keep the breath in your awareness.

2. Keeping Track by Counting

When do you end the leg raising and lowering? Is it based on the number of repetitions or on how you feel? Maybe it is both. In any event, count mentally when your legs come to rest, after you have completed the round. To increase concentration, practice in this way.

3. The Place of Stretch

We want to anchor our yoga practice in the body. Where is the mind? Is it  looking around or judging yourself? Judging is in opposition to meditation. Bring awareness to the place where you feel the stretch. Let the mind be a humble Witness.

These interesting meditation techniques that can be practiced within yoga asana are: (1) a helpful perception that yoga postures train both body and mind; (2)  to concentrate in a variety of ways; (3) to be a witness and avoid the role of the judge.

Heather Greaves helps yoga beginners and enthusiasts learn even more yoga even though their only teacher is a book. They say, To master something, teach it. Since 2005 Heather has been training yoga teachers in a certified program. For more yoga tips and information visit Body Therapies Yoga Training http://www.yogatogo.com

Breathing becomes very shallow for the person with asthma. Sometimes a wheezing or whistling sound can be heard. There might be insomnia.  Medicine is prescribed for this chronic respiratory disease. In addition to medicine complementary therapies can be helpful.

There are 2 common myths surrounding asthma.

Myth 1 – Asthmatics should not exercise.

Asthmatics too will benefit from exercise. With proper medication asthmatics can exercise normally.

Myth 2 – You’ll grow out of it.

This is apparently both true and false. Some children do “out-grow” the disease. Some adults who have asthma did not have it as a child.

As a complementary therapy, Yoga can assist breathing in several ways.

1.Yoga Postures

Positions that expand the chest creating more space for lung expansion include the Camel. If you have never done yoga, you can still practice an easy version of any pose. If you cannot sit on the floor, sit on the edge of a chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground or prop. Extend your arms behind you and hold the back of the chair. Inhale and lift your chest fully, expanding it. Then lean your head backward to a place that’s comfortable for your neck.

Stay for 6 easier breaths.

2. Mudra (Hand Position)

Interlace, no actually curl or curve all the fingers as though to make a fist with thumbs on the outside and turn the back of the left hand toward the chest. Clasp fingers together. This is called Bear Grip in Kundalini Yoga.  Pull the fingers apart with moderate pressure while exhaling and release the pressure slightly when inhaling. Take about 7 breaths. Then repeat this time with the back of the right hand toward the chest. (This is not to be used in asthma crisis.) Please not if you have High Blood Pressure begin this practice slowly.

3. Yoga Restorative techniques

To gently energize, practice restorative postures. These postures lengthen the muscles without much effort on your part. Your body is supported by bolsters and blankets. The mind becomes calmer as you notice the gentle movement of the breath. If you like, create a visualize that supports easy breathing.

4. Yoga Stress Reduction techniques

For emotional health, yoga offers regular relaxation, and a very deep relaxation technique called yoga nidra. Anger and fear and all the shades of these 2 emotions, make breathing shallow. Regular practice of relaxation techniques do even more than calm emotions. It can give us a new perspective so that issues that created stress are seen as challenges.

5. The Experience of Stillness

After a practice of yoga postures, relaxation, breathing techniques and meditation, there is a stillness within; a feeling like you have come home. You have become a friend to your body, emotions and soul.

Heather Greaves helps yoga beginners and enthusiasts learn more yoga even though their only teacher is a book. They say, To learn more about something, teach it. Since 2005 Heather has been training yoga teachers in a certified program. For more yoga tips and information visit Body Therapies Yoga Training http://www.yogatogo.com  <a href=http://www.yogatogo.com>

Yoga is like your toothbrush. This strange thought occurred to me when I was thinking of just how personal yoga is. So I pondered how and came up with 3 reasons why. Here there are:

1. Very Personal

How do you choose your toothbrush. Is it primarily according to the quality of your gum, how sensitive it is and the impact the bristles will have on your gum? Or do you fall for how attractive the handle is, the color, design, or advertising?

Like toothbrushes, there are many types of Yoga to choose from. In the texts of this ancient tradition we’ll find a type of yoga for different personality types. In the type of yoga that is mostly physical, Hatha Yoga, there are again many different styles.

Yoga is so personal that even when you have decided on a type and style of yoga, the way you practice has to be adjusted according to your body type, health, age, lifestyle, and to be balanced it helps to take into account the bigger picture of the season of year.

2. Designed for Cleansing

What are we cleaning when we practice? The body and mind. Cleansing practices include breathing or pranayama. Pranayama can be both powerful and heating like kapalabhati and breath of fire; and gentle like alternate nostril breathing, nadi shodhana. You can even break out in a sweat with certain seemingly gentle breathing practices.

Asana or posture practice is also cleansing. Twisting, flexing, extending, holding, combined with conscious breathing help to flush the system, physically, emotionally and mentally.

3. More Effective When Used Twice Daily

If you can create space to practice yoga twice daily, you will notice quite a difference in your state of mind and body. Practice to bring balance. Energize In the morning to get going. Bring calm and closure at the end of the day.

Practicing 10 minutes a day is more effective than 60 minutes once a week. If your current practice is once weekly and works very well for you, by all means stick to it. And consider how you could include a short daily practice to support your life’s journey even more.

Three questions to know your better:

1.What are my reasons for practicing yoga?

2. How does my body and mind feel after a yoga practice?

3. How do I adjust my practice according to my changing bodily needs?

What are your best things to know about yoga? I’d like to know.

Author

Heather Greaves helps yoga enthusiasts learn more yoga even though their only teacher is a book. “To learn more about something, teach it.” Since 2005 Heather has been training yoga teachers in a certified program. For more beginner tips visit Body Therapies Yoga Training at  http://www.yogatogo.com

When I started my morning, I was feeling fine. By the end of my morning yoga practice, I felt enthusiasm touched by gratitude, was overflowing with optimism, and clarity filled my mind. There was a spring in my step, and I felt ready to greet the world. How come such a boost?

Today’s yoga practice started with a warm shower to freshen the body (I hope to get back to cold ones when the temperature rises). A reading on personality types inspired me and freshened up the mind. This was followed by a practice on the mat that began with a centering chant.

The warm-up was core strengthening. I kept awareness of my breath in order to synchronize it with the movement, and this increased mental focus. The rhythmic chant playing in the background was an encouragement for me to keep up… and I needed that towards the end.

I rested after the warm up to allow my heart beat and breathing to slow down a bit. And I remained aware of what was happening in my body and the thoughts in my mind. Some body parts pulled my attention.

This is day 2 of the Kundalini Yoga Sat Kriya workout – a series that helps digestion and elimination, and any sexual ailments. It is very strengthening and builds endurance. I enjoyed the kriya workout and the short rest periods during the series. Day 2 was easier than Day 1. The longer relaxation at the end was soothing for my body and soul. I floated away with the healing chant that also doubled as a 10-minute timer.

I had time to include the special 1000-day meditation chant at the morning practice today. The practice ended with me heartily singing the Kundalini closing prayer:

May the long time sun
Shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light
Within you
Guide your way on

Yes, courage came with a good workout and a song in the heart. Let’s keep the faith.