Ashtanga Yoga

The meaning of Ashtanga is "eight limbs" in Sanskrit, and refers to the eight limbs of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Ashtanga Yoga was taken from a very ancient text called the Yoga Korunta. The Yoga Korunta described an exclusive system of Hatha Yoga developed by Vamana Rishi.

With this form of Ashtanga Yoga, there are six different series through which a student progresses at his or her own pace. This type of Yoga entails daily Vinyasa flow practice, using Ujjayi breathing, Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and Drishti.

Ashtanga Yoga is known to help realign the spine, as well as detoxify the body, and also builds strength, flexibility and stamina. In addition, it can strengthen the nervous system.

With Ashtanga Yoga there are three different levels. The main series is the first and its goal is to align the body and help get the toxins out. The second series is used to clean and open the energy channels, which help cleanse the nervous system. The last series is for those who are advanced and is used to measure power and grace.

Ashtanga Yoga is an extremely popular style of Yoga. It is an energetic, athletic method of practice, and is a form of Yoga attractive to those who like a sense of order and who may also like to do things independently.

Practicing Ashtanga Yoga has shown to provide many benefits, including relieving the pain of stiff and sore muscles, as well as joint pain. Your muscles become more flexible and toned which adds to the overall good of your health.

The physical benefits of Ashtanga Yoga are great, but there are also mental and emotional benefits as well. When practicing this form of Yoga you built on your ability to focus mentally and release negative energy. The final result is that you are rid of bad tension, both physically and mentally.

If you have been looking for the right Yoga for you, Ashtanga Yoga may be exactly what you have been searching for. This form of Yoga is therapeutic and rehabilitative and can be practiced at your own pace, at your own fitness level, therefore making it perfect for both beginners and those who are advanced in other types of Yoga.

If you are unsure if Ashtanga Yoga is right for you, try observing a class or renting an instructional video before committing to joining a class. It may also be advisable to talk with your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise routine.

With the proper precautions, you will find that Ashtanga Yoga is a fantastic way to get into shape and improve your health.

Thomas T is the owner of Yoga-Instruction.NET. Free information about Yoga Instruction.

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Nude Yoga - Would You Try It?

Nude yoga is not a mainstream yoga form. It ignites great contradiction and controversy by way of challenging individual's ideas and customary ways of thinking. Although naked yoga is not suited to everyone, those practicing the art find their naked yoga classes an approach that aids in further developing and advancing their experience and unity of mind, body and soul.

So why substitute nude yoga as an alternative to the 'normal' everyday yoga class, and what really is the difference? In fact, the yoga poses are not any different to what you would find at your more common Hatha yoga or Bikram yoga classes, but you would be performing the usual poses completely naked. Although this may make many of us almost have a heart attack at the very thought, naked yoga is naked for a number of reasons.

Firstly, not only does it strip away competition and superficiality allowing you to focus more on your yoga than on what people around you are wearing, it also aids in developing self esteem for those individuals aspiring to become more comfortable with their body image. Performing yoga positions naked can also provide you with greater motion and flexibility as well as allowing you to achieve proper alignment during poses.

So how do you know if you are suited to this form of yoga and what should you be aware of prior to seeking out a naked yoga class? Generally speaking, the people that benefit from and enjoy nude yoga are individuals that enjoy trying out new things, aspire to improve their body image, want to learn more about yoga and most importantly understand that nudity in yoga has a very different meaning to that of sexuality and sexual behavior. It is very important to gather information about nude yoga centers or classes in your area prior to booking a session. Nude yoga should be run by a qualified yoga practitioner that is devoted to creating a safe and non-threatening environment. The atmosphere should be non-sexual in nature and the atmosphere should be a comfortable and relaxed one. In certain nude yoga classes lights are dimmed, clothes are removed as part of a yoga ritual and focus is always kept on the yoga practice and not those practicing around you. There are certain nude yoga classes that do not follow these guidelines and are groups that have changed the art into a sexual experience. If you are seeking yoga with a hint of sexuality, rather seek out information regarding tantric yoga or classes for couples in your area than joining the first group that you stumble on.

Wrapping up, Nude Yoga is not for everyone but for some it can aid in allowing one to accept one's body in a natural state and improve the body, mind and soul unity experience desired from yoga practice. I know that for many, even with understanding the benefits of Naked Yoga, the only time they may come close to a 90 minute class of naked yoga would be in the form of an embarrassing and shocking nightmare. The idea here is that you should choose a yoga class that suits you best and allows you to benefit from the art in a setting that makes you the most comfortable, whether it be naked or not.

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Student Can Do Yoga to Soothe Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia

Campus Calm had the opportunity to speak with Bo Forbes about how yoga can be an effective treatment option for stressed-out students who may be suffering from anxiety, depression and insomnia. Forbes is a yoga teacher, clinical psychologist, and integrative yoga therapist with over seventeen years of clinical experience in mind-body healing. She is the founder of Elemental Yoga and Director of the Center for Integrative Yoga Therapeutics(TM), established in 2006, which offers innovative mind-body yoga therapeutics to clients in the Boston and New York areas. She has a master's degree in Social Sciences and a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology.

Campus Calm: How can yoga be beneficial for stressed-out students who are dealing with problems like depression, anxiety and insomnia?

Forbes: Yoga requires that you focus on your breath and on what you're doing in a certain posture. This focus helps you take your mind off what you're worrying about -- either anxiety-wise or depression-wise. The movement of an active yoga class -- the contraction and release of muscles -- can help you release the muscular tension that comes with anxiety and depression, helping you to discharge stress and balance your mood. That combination of movement, plus certain things that you do in the practice, plus the breath, really makes you focus and be totally in the present. You're not thinking about the past or worrying about the future. In addition, other forms of yoga that are non-active, such as Restorative Yoga, can also help.

Campus Calm: Some students go outside and run when they're stressed. How is it different to learn to slow down and do yoga?

Forbes: Again, it's that focus on the breath and what you're actually doing which helps you achieve body awareness. It's pretty life-changing, whereas if you're just doing a workout, or just running, you can still zone out in that running experience or in that workout. You can be not present and run ten miles. I think a lot of people do just that. A yoga class really demands that you be present on so many levels. Other than just a workout for the physical body, it's a mind-body workout.

Campus Calm: How can yoga help students develop a positive body image?

Forbes: Two of the central principles of yoga are contentment, and being in the moment. Yoga is about accepting yourself in the moment. The fringe benefits of yoga are that when people start to feel stronger and more flexible, they value their bodies more for what they can do rather than what they look like. That's one major way to develop a positive body image.

Campus Calm: Isn't it true that yoga helps you practice gratitude for your body?

Forbes: That's a nice thought but I don't know if that's the goal of yoga. I think some people may say that happens. There can be a problem with yoga in America today in that, like in other endeavors, there's an emphasis on having that perfect, thin yoga body. We still have that to worry about. Many women who take classes will compare themselves to the size of the other women. Still, one of the guiding principles of yoga is contentment and acceptance- and gratitude can be an extension of that contentment.

Campus Calm: Can you explain what being "mindful" means and how students can live mindfully even when they have a demanding academic course load?

Forbes: Mindfulness is really about focusing on the present, what you're doing in the present moment rather than waiting for some time in the future when you can enjoy something. It's about being really aware and really focused on what you're doing in the present -- no matter if you're washing dishes, working on a paper, or sitting in class. And being present can be extremely demanding.

What goes along with that is putting a value judgment on different kinds of time. Time that you spend out with friends, for example, you often value more than time that you're spending studying. If you apply that same focus, mindfulness and real aliveness in the present that you might have with friend to your studies ... you'll feel better, more vibrant; and it will enhance your schoolwork as well.

Campus Calm: You wrote, "It's so easy to fall into the trap of doing too much, ignoring our own needs, and ending up in meltdown mode." How can students avoid this and learn how to make a conscious intention to take care of themselves every day?

Forbes: I think just by carrying that intention -- to practice the art of self-care -- everyday is the first step. It's important to acknowledge that self-care has a value. Many Americans believe that the harder we work, the more productive we are.

Taking time-outs to sharpen the saw -- to rejuvenate your mind and body, can actually improve your productivity on the other end. It's really about appreciating the value of self-care.

Campus Calm: Students grow & learn when they are able to block out the world's expectations and instead listen to what they really want out of life. How can yoga help students learn how to focus and how to develop an inner dialogue that leads to internal awareness?

Forbes: Yoga is about quieting that external stuff -- what the world expects of us -- and moving inward. The more you are focused inward, quieting your mind, being present, and moving your body in a certain way, the more you are able to get in touch with your inner truths. And the more apt you are to create and maintain a productive dialogue with your inner voice, as opposed to someone else's.

Campus Calm: In one of your articles, you said, "A personal crisis can be a gift on the path to spiritual maturity." Can you explain that further and discuss how a student's attitude in adjusting to the challenges of college life could help him or her develop a strong sense of self that will serve them their entire lives?

Forbes: Ever crisis is an opportunity for growth -- to be stronger and to mine our own internal resources. If things are always easy, we don't realize that we can rise to the occasion. A crisis helps us to dig deep within, to connect with something really strong inside us. And yoga helps us to develop that inner strength, so we can call upon it when we need to.

Campus Calm: Can yoga, in some cases, be more effective than prescription medicines in treating anxiety, insomnia and depression?

Forbes: Many of my students have used a yoga program, under supervision from a yoga specialist and their physician, to go off antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. It's a complex process that involves a combination of active yoga and restorative yoga.

Restorative yoga is a great way to address anxiety and depression. For people with anxiety and depression, they have a lot of imbalances in the nervous system. The nervous system is either on hyper-alert all the time or it might be under-functioning.

Restorative yoga's extraordinary combination of breathwork, internalization of the senses, calming of the mind, relaxation of the physical body, and passive stretching help soothe the nervous system. It subdues the "fight or flight" response characteristic of anxiety, insomnia, and chronic stress, while activating the "resting and digesting" response of the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in mental calm and physical release. It's a whole different process from active yoga. Chances are there's a restorative yoga class somewhere in the city that you live in. Once you learn it, you can do it in your dorm room or wherever you are.

Maria Pascucci is the President of Campus Calm - the award-winning online forum for today's stressed-out students, parents and educators. Download the FREE Stress-Less Kit with 4 free gifts at ([http://www.freecampusreport.com/]).

Yoga Benefits For All

Yoga is considered an art that helps with the development of your spirit, mind, and body. If you continue practicing yoga over a period of time, it will give you the contentment you have been searching for. Yoga is achieved through exercise, breathing, and meditation.

Practicing yoga helps to improve many body systems such as circulatory, digestive, skeletal, metabolic, respiratory, muscular, nervous, and lymphatic. Yoga also helps to stabilize your emotions and keep your mind clear. It not only focuses on your physical being, but also your mental and spiritual growth.

You do not have to be a certain age to practice yoga. Yoga can be practiced by anyone, but is most beneficial to people 30 years and older. Yoga gives you the energy you need for a healthier and more vigorous future.

To be successful at yoga, you must perform the exercises on a regular basis, start out slowly, and most of all stick with it. Yoga is best practiced under the guidance of a certified teacher. The instructor can correct you if you are not performing the poses to gain maximum benefit and he or she can also help you work out at the right pace.

When practicing yoga, be sure to dress comfortably. Many yoga students prefer to go barefoot. A typical yoga outfit consists of leotards or a body stocking. You can find these outfits in a variety of colors at your local sports store.

For indoor exercises, find a comfortable room in your home. If you are doing your workout on a carpeted floor, you will not need equipment, even though some people prefer to use a mat.

Types of Yoga

Today there are many types and styles of yoga. You may find a style you prefer from the two listed below.

Hatha yoga ("Ha" meaning sun and "Tha" meaning moon) is the yoga type better known in the west. This style is preferred among new yoga students. With so many benefits including simple poses and the option to perform at your own pace, Hatha is just what you need to help you relax at the end of a hectic day. In addition, Hatha yoga is a great means for clearing your mind and giving you a longer, healthier life.

Kundalini yoga, introduced to the West in 1969, is fairly new to the United States.This type of yoga focuses on healing and cleansing the mind and body. It involves poses, breathing, chanting, and meditation. Kundalini yoga also releases energy at the base of the spine and draws it up through the body. This energy is often referred to as a snake coiled up at the end of the spine.

Beyond the physical benefits, Kundalini yoga is considered one of the most spiritual types of yoga exercise. Individuals who are truly devoted to this type often wear white robes and head wraps.

Thai Yoga Massage

Besides using yoga as an exercise, did you know that this ancient practice can also be used in massage? The origin of Thai Yoga Massage can be traced back thousands of years to India and the spread of Buddhism.

The Thai Yoga Massage consists of gentle movements given by the therapist with the hands, feet, knees, and legs, along with a massage that releases the energy and helps it to flow freely. This free-flow of energy helps to relieve back pain, menstrual pain, headaches, stress. Also, this oriental massage increases energy and improves circulation. Both the giver and receiver are blessed by this massage and each one reaps the benefits.

Yoga as a Healing Tool: Reiki Energy

Many students today who are interested in yoga may have heard of Reiki energy healing or medicine. The word Reiki means Universal Life Force Energy. It is a form of healing through the use of natural forces, given the name Chi by ancient Chinese mystics. This form of yoga is known as a hands-on art. Practitioners use the laying of the hands as well as gestures in the air to channel the energy. Reiki brings back and balances the energy in your body.

Experts normally agree that Reiki is very simple to use and can be learned easily. In order for the life force energy to work, the recipient has to be willing to accept change and turn away from their old habits. Such is the case in most healing methods.

Which Yoga Practice is Right for You?

Whether you want to participate in yoga, have a massage, or try energy healing, remember it is your decision. Everyone is different and you must decide for yourself. If you are still hesitant, do some research online or check with your local yoga instructor to find more answers.

Jean Pardue is a freelance travel writer and can be contacted at speed-writer@hotmail.com . She travels with her husband, Bob Pardue, who is a stock travel photographer. http://www.parduephotos.com

Yoga Today - Modern Yoga Practice

Yoga is a form of exercise derived from ancient Hindu practice. It strengthens and stretches the body using poses called asanas. It can also help reduce stress, and help people find inner peace. It's used by some modern Hindu practitioners as an aid towards attaining enlightenment.

It's important to remember that yoga is more than just a series of exercises. It applies to the body, but also to the mind and spirit. Yoga derives from philosophies meant to help practitioners attain harmony and spiritual insight. The word is derived from a Sanskrit term meaning to join. The same word may also be related to the word referred to the yokes worn by oxen, and may be the ancestor of our modern words "junction" and "juxtapose".

There are many different schools of yoga, each with its own beliefs and practices. Here are the five most common types of yoga. Remember that there are plenty of other options that aren't listed here.

Hatha Yoga is the most popular school of yoga, and has been taught commonly in the West for a number of years. This type of yoga focuses on the perfection of the mind through the perfection of the body. It uses many breathing techniques, meditative techniques, and asanas.

Ashtanga Yoga is another popular type of yoga. It's performed much more quickly than most other schools, and is almost a form of aerobic yoga. Smooth, but speedy transitions between poses are a focus.

Kundalini Yoga focuses on the awakening and focusing of what's called kundalini energy. This energy is frequently referred to as a type of life energy lying dormant inside us, and may be represented by a coiled serpent.

Mantra Yoga is based around the discipline of calming body and mind using sounds and words. You may be familiar with the chant of "om". This is a common mantra used by this school of yoga.

Tantra Yoga is famous, or infamous, for its focus on spirituality through sexuality. Like Kundalini Yoga, this school also focuses on kundalini energy, but has a different intent and different methods for awakening it.

No matter which school you choose, you'll find that yoga is a rich and satisfying practice. It can benefit most people, no matter what their age, if practiced regularly. Asanas may be adapted to deal with injuries and other physical limitations, making yoga a worthwhile form of exercise for people who can't do other types.

There are traditionally eight fundamental paths to yoga: Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Purna Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Ashtanga or Raja Yoga, and Maha Yoga. However, in the Western world, when you hear yoga mentioned, it's usually in reference to Hatha Yoga. In Hindu practice, yoga's ultimate goal is liberating the soul from the cycle of death and rebirth, as well as from worldly suffering. Through yoga, it is believed to be possible to master the mind, body, and emotions, and to transcend desire.

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Easy And Advanced Yoga - What Is The Difference?

Most westerners usually wince when they the subject of yoga is brought up. All they see is complicated poses done by yoga practitioners. But there is easy yoga and the advanced level, so everyone who is interested can pick it up. Both easy and advanced yoga are formed thousands of years ago in India to assist practitioners achieve balance and harmony in their life. With a balanced and harmonious body, it is easy to be one with the universe.

Yoga is never religious although it was passed down from traditional Hindu sacred document. Easy yoga poses can be obtained from classes, self-help books, self taught videos or DVDs but it is better to begin learning from a qualified yoga teacher. You will then pick up all the proper yoga poses.

Yoga lessons can be tailored for children, pregnant women, senior citizens, etc as easy yoga is not at all difficult to pick up. Exercises keep your body fit and healthy and easy yoga fits the bills as it can be done in relax and joyful approaches.

As your muscles grow suppler, you will experience a growing confidence in addition to rejuvenation, reassurance and relaxation. As a form of meditation, it can help reduce stress and frustrations as well as getting healthy.

Beginners can practice yoga by following few basic steps and from there you can fully understand and garner the many benefits of yoga. Through practicing beginning yoga, you will feel emotionally and physically better.

Initially you will have to pick up the dissimilar features of yoga and the differing types. The philosophy of yoga needs to be learned as well, including the breathing techniques that will assist you in relaxation so as to attain stability to be able to acquire a right frame of mind to do intense meditation.

As you started off with beginning yoga, you will have to experience many levels of yoga and from there build up capability to sense what can be done from one level to another. Altogether there are eight levels and you need to be able to overcome each to achieve insight to a greater life. It is necessary to observe the morals and ethics of yoga in order to lead healthy life.

One of the many benefits of beginning yoga is its curative purposes and it can better your mental and physical well being. Your body will become suppler and you will be able to move about easily and you will also gain muscles and a well toned body. The mental aspects will be a reduction in stress level with increasing consciousness and calmness of mind in addition to concentrating better.

Advanced yoga is taught not to show off but one of the main attribute is humility. Yoga lessons create harmony between mind, body and soul. Although it can be learn from DVDs, books, magazines, etc, do not attempt it if you are not familiar as it is more difficult that envisage. Advanced yoga is for those experienced practitioners and Pilates can be useful too, even though Pilates focus on body and not mind and soul.

Advanced yoga is a gradual build up from easy yoga but there is more than meet the eyes as building up your ethics and morals as well as staying calm and be able to take what life throws at you and follow god's guidance.

Advanced yoga can muster the mind to walk on broken glasses or through fire and even went without food for days, be clairvoyance and even levitate. But that is not what advanced yoga encourages as it is to be unified with the universe and show you the direction in life.

Another difficult type of yoga is the power yoga and it can be thought of as similar to karate. Even with experience in martial art instructions, you might not be sufficiently prepared to take on power yoga.

Power yoga require total dedication as the training can be intensive but it make little sense as yoga is understood to be relaxing and calming to the mind and body. But power yoga is very physical in nature.

Power yoga is all about fitness and complements the usual stretching, balance and focus; it helps in your blood circulation. The reason is more oxygen is propelled to the muscles, thus improving energy level.

Power yoga is the best way to keep fit and with this, it will help you to grow old with poise and not rapidly. Picking the techniques of power yoga is not enough, you need to practice consistently or your fitness level will drop. Sticking to a firm schedule daily is essential even with distractions. This is what discipline is all about.

Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit free yoga exercises to learn what is yoga and history of yoga.

Yoga - Its True Meaning and Purpose

Although yoga is practiced in the U.S. by more people than ever before, there is still a great deal of misinformation in the West about the true nature and purpose of this sacred science. Most people associate yoga with the physical practice of postures, called "asanas." But this is like saying that your hand is your thumb without any regard for the other four fingers. The physical practice of asanas is just one of eight limbs that constitute the entire practice of yoga...or, to be exact, Kriya Yoga.

So what is Kriya Yoga? It's difficult to explain Kriya Yoga without first defining Yoga.

Yoga is a state of consciousness in which all fluctuations of the mind have ceased. In other words, your mind is free of thoughts and emotions. In this state, we perceive our true Self --the source of all creation--the knower of the known. This source of creation has different names depending upon the religious tradition. For example, among its names are: "God," "Reality," "Self," "Brahman," "the Hidden Essence," and the "Buddha nature."

So the ultimate goal of yoga is to attain a direct experience with the source of creation. Of course, there are interim goals as well, like more peace, balance, and contentment.

Kriya Yoga is the process--the action steps that you take to attain yoga. The Sanskrit word "Kriya" is derived from the root "kri" meaning "to do." In Sanskrit grammar, verbs are called "kriyas." So Kriya Yoga is fundamentally an action; it is not a religion. Rather, it is a set of techniques that have been transmitted orally from teacher to student for thousands of years. The Indian sage, Patanjali, was the first to document this oral tradition. He organized the techniques of yoga in four short books, known as the Yoga Sutras.

Patanjali offers the following definition of yoga: "Yoga is the cessation or inhibition of the fluctuations and variations of the mind." The only type of yoga that is mentioned in the Sutras is Kriya Yoga. In Book II, Patanjali says: "Kriya Yoga is self-discipline, self-study and attunement to the indwelling Reality."

He describes yoga as an eight-step process, known as the eight limbs. In Sanskrit, the eight limbs are called Ashtanga (ash=eight and anga=limbs). They involve disciplining the mind and body to break one's identification with the false self (the egoic mind) so you can awaken to your true Self.

Though Kriya Yoga encompasses all eight limbs, its emphasis is on karma. Karma is defined as the law of causation. Everything you experience in your life is the result of something you have thought, said, or done. In order to attune to "the indwelling Reality" we must first bring ourselves into balance. To bring ourselves into balance, we practice the eight limbs of yoga and other kriyas (actions) to help us neutralize our karma and gain control over the creative forces of our mind. This is the practice of Kriya Yoga, which leads to Yoga.

The practice of Kriya Yoga is linked to an Indian philosophy of how the universe is wired, called "Shankya Yoga." Thus, Kriya Yoga is the practice; Shankya Yoga is the theory. Though Kriya Yoga is linked to this philosophy, it is important to note that Kriya Yoga recognizes that there is Truth in each religious tradition and that each soul is where it needs to be to evolve. Kriya Yoga, however, does not require submission to a set of doctrines or to a particular individual or temple. Instead, it strives to develop independence in the individual, rather than dependence upon something that is external. The only dependence should be to the Truth, which is within each and every individual. It's just eclipsed by our thoughts and emotions. We need to get our selves out of the way so we can see our true Self. And the method for doing so is Kriya Yoga!

Laura Svolos is a Swami of Kriya Yoga, a spiritual life coach and teacher, and an energy practitioner of sound & color therapy. For those interested in learning more about her coaching and how she helps individuals to apply principles of Eastern spiritual wisdom in their lives, she offers free initial consultations. You may contact her at http://laurasvolos.com/