Hand Yoga For Self-Assurance, Confidence, and Strength

The basis of hand yoga is in practicing hand gestures or mudras - special ways of connecting fingers to influence different areas of our bodies and minds. Regular practice of mudras can heal minor ailments and major diseases, restore balance, invigorate the mind, enhance abilities and give energy.

Hand Yoga is a form of energy healing, based on the study of subtle energy currents running through our bodies. Today this practice is used predominantly in Buddhist and Hindu cultures, though evidence suggests many other cultures practicing it one way or another.

The scientific explanation of hand yoga is based on the fact that the tips of our fingers have thousands of nerve endings that correlate to specific organs and areas of the body. According to the practice, bringing these nerve endings together has profound healing and balancing effects. This very effective and seriously underrated practice has been tested and proven for thousands of years

This article discusses the Prithivi Mudra used to gain self-assurance, confidence and strength. The main purpose of this exercise is to stimulate the root chakra. Chakras are energy centers inside our bodies, situated along the spinal column. The Chakra Theory is a topic for another article, it is very simple to learn and just like hand yoga it can do wonders.

The energy from the root chakra flows through all other chakras, making it responsible for fundamental abilities, energy levels and trust in oneself. Stimulation of this chakra restores self-assurance, increases confidence and restores our strength and trust in natural abilities. Having strong root energy will make us feel more grounded, down to earth and at the same time very strong, powerful and capable. This mudra should be practiced up to 3 times a day for 15 minutes.

To perform the Prithivi Mudra connect your thumb and ring fingers on each hand, extend other fingers, that's all. This mudra is very simple, yet effective. Prithivi mudra can be practiced by anyone, anywhere, anytime. There are no side-effects and no restrictions. The beauty of Hand Yoga is in its simplicity and effectiveness.

Another important part of self-healing is meditation. While it is not required to meditate while performing mudras, having a clear mind will greatly enhance the effects of any mudra. Meditation is essential to over health and wellbeing. If you think you can't meditate - think again. Everyone mediates while they sleep, those who can meditate consciously, but it takes practice and dedication. Learn meditation and confidence, strength and self-assurance will come naturally even without any mudras.

In addition to meditation, another way to enhance the effects of this mudra is to take herbal remedies. Certain herbs can help establishing inner balance, restoring root energy, building self assurance and confidence.

Oatstraw has a restorative and nourishing effect on the brain and nervous system. This herb nourishes strong nerves. The effect of oatstraw is very grounding, essential for those who lack concentration. By increasing assertive powers, oatstraw can help people deal with stress, increasing self-confidence and vitality. Oatstraw also helps to maintain regular sleep patterns, reduce the frequency and duration of headaches and helps with menopausal symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, memory loss, restless legs and depression.

Another great assistant in gaining confidence is dandelion. Dandelion root can help us be more connected to our bodies so that we can align with and manifest our soul purpose, helping to ease frustrations and stay focused on our path. The polysaccharide insulin found in dandelion is said to have white blood cell and immune-boosting properties.

Combining mudra practice with meditation and herbal remedies creates a very powerful tool to fight lack of confidence and self-respect and loss of primary strength.

Konstantin Tsiryulnikov, the founder of Hand Yoga org is an experienced yoga practitioner and self-improvement enthusiast. To find more about the Prithivi Mudra for confidence, strength and self-assurance, visit Hand-Yoga.org.

The Importance of Keeping Core Muscles at Top Strength

When we see anybody, usually the elderly, stooped over and walking with slow steps, we usually assume that it is the ravages of time that has put them in this awkward position. We also assume that it is probably irreversible, and that the person is doomed to the condition for the rest of his life. But why does aging contort the body in such a way?

Through long hours of typing, reading, or hunched over for whatever reason throughout our lives, the muscles shorten and weaken with age. These are the core muscles that are reflected in our posture, and are centered in four areas of the body. Core muscles pertain to those found in the glutes, lower back, abdominals and obliques. These four areas will frame our posture, and if we can improve their strength and flexibility we will look and feel much better as we age.

Here is a list of some of the benefits of strengthening our core muscles:

1. Balance. Loss of balance is a major cause of injury to the elderly, and strengthening and lengthening core muscles that have contracted will allow for better balance. Yoga for seniors has become extremely popular, and one of the prime aspects of yoga is balance. Core muscle development is needed to give anyone better balance.

2. Decrease injury. By toning the muscles there will be less chance of injury, especially to the back. Stretching the hip flexors and adding strength and resiliency to the glutes and lower back will make those light lifts easier without muscle strain.

3. Improve posture. It may seem like the back muscles would have everything to do with posture, but the muscles of the upper and front part of the trunk are important. Stretching and strengthening the abdominal and trunk muscles will also strengthen the muscles of the back that extend to the spine.

4. Improving physical performance. Improving flexibility will naturally allow the freedom of movement to be able to better perform physical activities. The idea is to slowly stretch these muscles to the point of making them longer.

5. Sore muscles will not be a problem. This is because static stretching of core muscles works the connective tissue. As long as there is no quick, jerky movement during the stretch, there will be no real breakdown of the muscle and therefore no soreness.

As we can see from the benefits of a strong core, stretching and flexibility are probably more vital than actual physical strength. Fortunately, people at any age can begin doing these core exercises. Health and fitness experts recommend doing these exercise a minimum of twice a week. If this core training is done in conjunction with other exercise, either after or even during, ten or twenty minutes durations should suffice.

Core muscles, then, are vital to determining good posture, but unless you are ahead of the game and working on your core before it weakens, you probably haven't exercised for some time. Therefore it's important to know the ways to work out safely, as care must be taken even for normal stretching.

Understanding the Ways to Work Out properly is essential for anyone just starting on an exercise program. Yoga for Seniors is really an excellent way to stretch and strengthen core muscles, and is growing in popularity all the time. Rich Carroll is a writer and health advocate living in London.

Private Yoga - The Red Carpet to Good Physical and Mental Strength!

Did you know that Yoga is a science aimed at attaining stress release through meditation which originated in India? It is one of the well recognized disciplines of the six schools of philosophy. It aims at bestowing good health and strength to the seeker both in the realms of physical and mental perspective. Its end result is a new found spiritualiy through meditation. Well, let us consider the health point of view here.

Why is Private Yoga necessary for women?

In our present society, women are expected to be multi task between family and career and that responsibility carries a lot of stress that is often a subconscious burden. They need to let it out, revitalize, and become stress free to lead a peaceful life. Yoga has become an important tool to do this. Through relieving stress you can be lead a more healthy life. And the simple techniques of yoga can be modified to compliment your physical limitations.

The basic benefits that you are sure to experience are:

- Increased energy

- Better flexibility and mobility of your body

- A greater sense of well-being

- Peaceful sleep at nights

- A healthier spine with reduced back pain

- Feeling more youthful

- A spiritual uplift

After knowing the vitality of Yoga, we need to allot the time to practice it regularly.

Here are 5 tips to select your yoga instructor and classes:

- Be sure of the yoga style you will be comfortable with and select an experienced instructor for good yoga lessons

- Take time to talk to your prospective yoga teacher to be sure you are comfortable with her/him. Local classes that fit your schedule are the best way to get you going in a yoga practice.

- Your instructor should be a certified teacher of yoga

- Ensure that the type of yoga program suits your requirements. Smaller classes help the instructor to give you more personal care to meet your individual needs.

The group yoga classes conducted in Barrie provide health at your doorstep, affordable, encouraging, time saving, and motivational. There are yoga studios that offer various styles of yoga at studios in and around Barrie. Private classes are available as well.

View the original article here

Best Strength Building Yoga Postures

It is no secret that maintaining muscle strength is an essential component of building and retaining excellent health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults practice muscle-strengthening activity two days a week, and one of their preferred methods of strength training is Yoga.

By both holding and flowing through poses, Hatha, Ashtanga, Power, and Vinyasa Yoga build strength in virtually all areas of the body. A consistent Yoga practice can build both strength and flexibility in muscles, bones, joints, ligaments and tendons. Listed below are some of the top strength-building Yoga poses.

Students often recognize Four-Limbed Staff Pose, also known as "Chaturanga," as an intense challenge for the triceps, chest, and shoulders. The practitioner begins in plank pose, and then lowers him or herself halfway to the floor by bending the elbows until the upper arms are parallel to the torso. The abdominal and chest muscles work to secure the pose, as do the quadriceps. Since the wrists are supporting much of the weight, they too get stronger.

Utkatasana: Fierce Pose (also known as Chair Pose) is a standing posture in which the practitioner looks as if he or she is sitting in an imaginary chair. This creates an enormous challenge to the thighs and ankles. In addition, the arms and shoulders build strength as the student raises and holds them pointed toward the ceiling. Since Fierce Pose is a mild back-bending pose, the muscles along the spine also work to maintain the posture.

Virabhadrasana III: Warrior Three (also known as Stick Pose) is a standing balancing posture in which the non-balancing leg and torso are parallel to the floor. In the full version, the student raises his or her arms until they are next to the ears with fingers pointed forward. Holding this pose requires activation of the ankles, legs and arms. Additionally, the abdominal and back muscles tone as they labor to hold the posture steady.

Bakasana: Crow Pose and other arm balancing postures use the body's weight to stimulate the arms, shoulders and chest. They are also outstanding for toning the abdominal muscles, as the core muscles must contract to keep the body lifted.

Salabhasana: Locust pose is a tremendous back strengthener. In it, the practitioner lies prone on the ground and lifts the head, chest, arms and legs off the floor. The spine, buttocks, arms and legs all engage to maintain the posture.

In addition to building muscle strength, Yoga also cultivates mental and emotional strength that supports the ability to concentrate and remain present.

c Copyright 2012 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

Strength, Flexibility, and Balance

From those of us who can bench press 200 pounds to those of us who can barely bench the bar, from those of us who are contortionists to those of us who can only touch our toes when our knees are at a 90 degree angle, we all know that strength, flexibility, and balance are important factors in preventing injuries from sports, accidents, and everyday life. But, what about when an injury does occur - catching you off guard and sneaking into your body before you can swat it away - what happens then? Can the balance between strength and flexibility you've worked at maintaining help you to heal faster?

Renew your gym and yoga memberships, the answer is yes.

When it comes to muscle strength, the benefits are almost limitless. Not only does greater muscle mass facilitate metabolism and booster immunity, which helps heal injuries, but it also improves oxidative capacity of muscles, rushing the life force of oxygen to the area in need of attention. Additionally, muscular strength supports cardiorespiratory fitness, helping your heart to deliver minerals and nutrients to the point of injury.

From an emotional standpoint, having a body filled with strong muscles can help relieve stress, and produce confidence in your body and its ability to heal itself, both of which

are factors in rebounding from an injury at an accelerated rate.

Strength is often viewed as muscle mass and bulk, but true strength is the ability of a muscle to contract when it needs to work and to relax when it doesn't. If your muscles are always working you will soon become fatigued and have no inner strength to deal with the most basic stressors of everyday life.

Inner strength doesn't have all to do with muscle strength; it also has to do with your ability to find your center in gravity: to feel the balance of your skeleton in the matrix of surrounding connective tissue, muscles, and organs. Orienting yourself around your center allows you to move out into the world from this place with ease and grace. From here any exercise you choose to do to build muscular strength will support integration, balance and harmony rather than more tension through the fabric of your being.

Flexibility, not to be overshadowed by muscular strength, also markets itself as a tool for healing. Our body has natural methods of healing stored within, and flexibility plays a vital part in making these methods work to their fullest capacity; flexibility is like adding grease to the wheels. It greatly improves circulation, which rushes nourishing blood to the areas crying out for help. Circulation also rushes antibodies and endorphins

to the area of concern.

In addition, flexibility can help develop self-awareness, which helps you to become aware of, and adequately cater to, any injury you may sustain. It also improves both physical and mental relaxation; a person who is relaxed and at ease will heal much quicker than one who is rigid and tense. And, like muscular strength and inner strength, it lessons the accumulation of stressors on the body, which can greatly hinder the healing process.

While they might not prevent all injuries, cultivating strength, flexibility, and balance will help limit the power of your injuries, keeping them from getting worse,

as well as aid you in a speedier recovery process.

TWISTED is a medical yoga studio at the Center for Osteopathic Medicine in Boulder, Colorado. Twisted integrates osteopathic medicine, hatha yoga and mindfulness practices to teach optimal balance between physical, mental, and emotional health. It aims to educate and help people to live a healthy life from the inside out. Rehabilitation programs offer a comprehensive treatment regime for the whole being, empowering each person one breath at a time to stimulate the body's natural healing potential.

Jennifer Jordan is senior editor of for http://www.yogatwisted.com. Specializing in articles that not only teach yoga techniques, but also teach techniques on fulfillment and enrichment, she aims to educate students proudly enrolled in the school of life.