Archive for November, 2007

By Megan McDonough

I felt an asthma attack coming on this morning as I was teaching yoga. It came at the worst possible moment, just as I was getting ready to lead the final relaxation. I had been neglecting to use the steroid inhaler that keeps my asthma in check. When I feel good, I forget that I need it. When I have difficulty breathing, I remember too late to take it, since it needs time to work. It’s like having a leaky roof. Can’t fix the roof when it’s raining…no need to if it isn’t.

Short of breath, I wondered how I would be able to lead the guided relaxation before the final meditation. Really, who can relax with an out-of-breath asthmatic rasping out instructions?

I started beating myself up for forgetting my medicine, while at the same time wondering how I could gracefully escape the room to use my emergency inhaler, which leaves me shaky and jittery.

Silence filled the room instead of my usual calm speaking voice.

Then the words came. As is usually the case when I’m leading relaxation, I wasn’t sure what was going to come out of my mouth. Then this thought arose and I spoke it into the room: What if the universe was breathing you instead of you trying to breathe?

Instead of you inhaling, what if the universe was exhaling into your body everything you need in this very moment? Instead of you exhaling, what if the universe was inhaling out of you all the stuff that clogs you up?

Breathing in, you are filled with whatever you need. Breathing out, you give up to the universe whatever is not serving you.

What would happen if you led your life without feeling that you needed to fix anything, go anywhere, or be anybody? What if you trusted that the universe was always right there for you, cleansing and providing? What if you were an empty vessel, breath moving through you, your essence merging with the universe?

Mind you, I’ll be much more diligent about taking my medicine now. The universe has, after all, provided the inhaler as well as the relaxation that ended my asthma attack today.

Try an experiment today. Imagine that every decision and every action (or every indecision or non-action) is exactly the right response. The wind blows when it blows, and is still when it is still. You make a decision or you don’t. All striving falls away.

How perfect is that?

Megan McDonough helps you get clear in body, mind and spirit so you can get the results you want. Along with teaching yoga, she’s the award-winning author of Infinity in a Box, a marketing consultant for mind/body organizations, and a corporate trainer. She’s taught at the famed Kripalu Center, the largest site for yoga and holistic health in the United States and is on the faculty of the Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Advanced Training. http://www.ugetclear.com

By George Carter

When someone asks, “What is peace?” it’s one of those questions that can be answered either thoughtfully (which tends to be lengthy) or by rote (which tends to be shorter). A similar question we encounter is, “What is Yoga?”

Well, my answer to both is along the lines of, “It’s where you find it, not where someone tells you it is.” That is to say, it’s largely a personal answer. As for this Essay, the object is to express what ‘peace’ is to me. Maybe this will help you find it for yourself.

I would say that a global concept of peace is well described in a speech given by John F. Kennedy at American University’s commencement in 1963. I remember it well from my youth, and it still rings true today…

“…What kind of peace do I mean and what kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, and the kind that enables men and nations to grow, and to hope, and build a better life for their children – not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace in all time… I realize the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war, and frequently the words of the pursuers fall on deaf ears. But we have no more urgent task… World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor, it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement… So let us not be blind to our differences, but let us also direct attention to our common interests and the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s futures. And we are all mortal…’When a man’s ways please the Lord,’ the Scriptures tell us, ‘he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.’ And is not peace, in the last analysis, basically a matter of human rights: the right to live out our lives without fear of devastation; the right to breathe air as nature provided it; the right of future generations to a healthy existence?…”

Now, I suppose this pretty well covers peace in the global or geopolitical sense, but what about for us as individuals? How can we unify or tie this all together? I’ve always preferred a return to principles (“back to basics”) type approach to most questions as a way to keep it simple.

What I mean to say is that Yoga can tie it all together and is a great way to find peace in your life. So, for me ‘peace’ as an individual boils down to stillness of mind. When we are able to tame our wild, active minds and experience stillness within we have found and experienced peace. We can all do it but it sure takes a lot of practice. Stillness of mind is our goal in our Yoga practice and it’s hard to find, especially for us folks in the west. That’s why B.K.S. Iyengar calls Savasana the most difficult pose in all of Yoga to perform correctly. Let’s all remember that and be sure we respect Savasana as the counter pose to our day’s practice. Namaskar

Copyright 2007 George Carter. All rights reserved.

George Carter has been teaching and seeking to help others with special needs and is committed to helping others to improve their lives through Yoga principles. He continues his daily personal practice and studies regularly with Bob Metzler, Chris Beach, and Meagaan Baas. His teaching practice is heavily influenced by the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. He is also editor for L7 Lifestyles newsletter for Lotus7 Yoga and Pilates located in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Sign up for more yoga and pilates articles at http://www.lotus7yoga.com

By Gihane Nadine

In the frantic pace of our life we hurry to pursue the stream of technological advances, we go into competitions, we face daily stress and never ending financial problems. Everybody longs for something to set them free, to disengage them from their burdens physically and mentally. The solution of this entire problem is simply one word, Yoga. Yoga helps relieve inner tension, boost self awareness and set souls free. Yoga also improves the physical health, tones the muscles and internal organs, reduces weight and strengthens the bones.

We have to forget about our predetermined ideas about yoga, it is for everyone, and it is suitable for all ages and all levels of fitness. Yoga will ban our anxieties, show us the path to happiness and liberates our self awareness. We have to centre and calm our souls and yoga will lead us to peace and well being. Yoga is a non-competitive enjoyable activity that can produce amazing results, it promotes our health and well being by physical exercise; it strengthens our body, our blood circulation and our inner organs.

The principles of Yoga are relaxation, nourishing diet, meditation and positive thinking. The word yoga means union of body, mind and soul. Yoga was created by sages of India 3000 years ago. It is the experience of truth and the apprehension of our self. It is the ancient art based on balancing body, mind and spirit. By practicing yoga we develop self awareness on emotional level by recognizing our worries and habits, on the physical level by being aware of our breathing patterns and on the mental level by controlling our mind. Self awareness is the basis of self esteem that leads to self confidence. The low self esteem affects our psychological and emotional well being.

Struggle and strife are natural to the human state; negative habituation promotes unawareness which prevents us from experiencing our true potentials, these negative thoughts get stored in our bodies causing blockages that disrupt the balance of health. By purifying our body and keeping it in good shape, we can enhance our health; we can reduce the procedure of cell deterioration and delay the ageing symptoms. Ageing is changes and deterioration in our bodies, by practicing yoga we feel and look younger.

The regular practice of yoga decreases problems with breathing, digestion, blood pressure, and also reduces cholesterol and blood-sugar levels. Once we start the practice we have to set a regular fixed time and put a plan to focus on how yoga can benefit us .The best way is to learn Yoga with a teacher who can give appropriate guidance, even for one class every week as a start.

Bibliography:

Brown, Christina. The Book Of Yoga. The Bridgewater Book Company Limited. Parragon Book,2004.

Jerusalim, Janice. A Guide to Yoga. The Bridgewater Book company. Parragon book, 2004

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Among the many purposes of mantra, japa, affirmations, or prayer, is to keep the mind under control. When left unattended the mind can travel to many random thoughts, at the same time. It is guaranteed that an unattended mind cannot be fixed upon positive thoughts all the time. For some of us, the mind is programmed to default to negative thoughts automatically.

This can be a result of past experience; conditioning, heredity, or possibly this is an organic problem. In the case of an organic problem, professional help should be sought. Yoga therapy or Yoga sessions will still help, but a competent psychiatrist is still needed.

If the source of low self-esteem is in your past, you may be able to address it through self-analysis, meditation, or mindfulness. If it is too much to handle alone; a trusted friend, mentor, Guru, or counselor, may help you bury the past.

Meditation sessions should be spent pondering a positive solution. Meditation time should never be spent on negative thoughts, or rehashing past mistakes. We cannot change the past and we must realize what parts of our lives can realistically be controlled. There are situations in life, which are far beyond our control, and we have to come to a realization about the limits of our control.

We are responsible for our actions. So, forgiving oneself for past mistakes is a difficult task for most of us. Yet, if we do not forgive ourselves, we prevent our own happiness. Self-worth and happiness must start from within.

We must accept the past, our friends, and our family, as they are. This is the practice of Santosha: To be content with life as it is. We cannot change the past, and we only will frustrate ourselves, if we try to change people, but we can change our own thinking process for the best.

Look at mistakes only for their educational value. All of us make mistakes, because we are human, but with every mistake there is also a hidden opportunity. This is what separates successful people from those who spend their lives dwelling on the past.

How many times have we heard a Yoga teacher say “Be present for practice” or “Live in the moment?” Many Yoga students practice Asana, but how many are really present for their practice? As we roll the Yoga mat up, and go about our lives, we should be present for life. This is a state of “mindfulness” or non-judgmental awareness. If you really want to raise your self-worth, stop judging yourself.

© Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

It is important to understand that attaining a Yoga teacher’s diploma is only the beginning of the long journey; toward becoming the best possible Yoga teacher, you can be. The teacher’s journey is a daily continuation of the study and practice of Yoga.

The vast majority of those who desire to become a certified Yoga teacher have years, or decades, of experience. Some certified Yoga instructors taught for decades without an official teacher’s diploma. Most people do not wake up one morning, and suddenly decide to become a Yoga instructor, without years of Yoga practice, training, and experience.

That said – how much time is sufficient for a Yoga course to take? Some Yoga teacher training intensives take a single weekend. The only way a weekend intensive would cover a complete Yoga teacher training is if all the attendants were already Yoga instructors.

This type of weekend intensive, for experienced Yoga teachers, does exist; but we usually cover one, or a few, related topics over the course of a weekend. For example: A weekend intensive about Pranayama, Bandhas, and Mudras, would be a good blend of related subjects. You could easily go beyond a weekend working with Pranayama, alone.

However, to cover an entire Yoga teacher training syllabus over the course of an entire weekend is not really possible. Consider this: A weekend intensive is usually 20 to 30 hours of study and practice. The average Yoga instructor graduate spends a minimum of 200 study hours, before successful completion of his or her Yoga teacher training course.

At our training center in Attleboro, Massachusetts, a graduate of our on-site program attends 18 weekend intensives, over the course of 9 months. Home work assignments are also part of the study. Keep in mind, some Yoga certification programs take years, so our training is moderate in length, but complete.

Now, back to whether 90 days is really enough time to become a Yoga teacher. The answer is “Yes,” but the candidate must be experienced in the practice of Yoga, and disciplined enough to study independently. The ability to take initiative is a quality every experienced Yoga instructor must have to be completely competent.

How much experience should a Yoga teacher intern have before applying for a Yoga certification course? A minimum of two years of practice, before joining a Yoga teacher training course, is wise. The reason for this is the terminology used in Yoga teacher certification courses.

Just like any other subject, Yoga has its own language. Sanskrit is the common language heard in Yoga classes around the world. A student who desires to become a Yoga instructor should have, at least, a basic understanding of Sanskrit terms used in the average class.

© Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/docs/Yoga-in-Practice-eBook.pdf

Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.riyoga.com
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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, Paul
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By Thomas T

Are you looking for a way to improve your health and the overall quality of your life? Hot Yoga may be exactly what you have been seeking. Hot Yoga has become very popular and for good reason; it is one of the best ways to relieve the stress in your life and get into shape.

Also known as Bikram Yoga, Hot Yoga consists of 26 yoga poses, which are done in a heated environment. Also included in the routine are two breathing exercises. Each breathing exercise is performed twice within the workout time. Hot Yoga was especially designed to help you get into shape and improve your health.

The purpose of the high humidity and heated room is that it lowers the risk of muscular injury and increase body flexibility. The high room temperature of between 95-105 degrees helps you to burn calories and tone muscles, as well as boost your immune system. Hot Yoga has been shown to improve your metabolism and flexibility, as well as detoxify the body, and strengthen all of your muscles and joints.

Not only does Hot Yoga increase your body’s ability to burn fat and build muscle; in addition, this form of Yoga helps to oxygenate blood, tissues, glands and organs. Increased humidity helps to detoxify your body and build your immune system.

Along with these many benefits of Hot Yoga, the routines also help to relieve stress in your muscles making them less stiff and sore. If you suffer from back pain or chronic muscle pain and stiffness, this could be the perfect way to eliminate this pain from your life while helping to heal your body of any other illnesses you may have.

Hot Yoga is also a great way to help prevent illness. This form of Yoga is not just to heal, but to prevent as well. Stress is one of the biggest killers, and Hot Yoga can help reduce stress while it is eliminating your body of poison toxins.

If you are really looking at creating a new you, Hot Yoga is definitely something you will want to look into. It is the one change you can make to your life that will offer you several advantages at the same time. Lose weight, tone muscles, and improve your health all at once while ridding your life of unnecessary stress.

Hot Yoga has become so popular because it works.

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

http://www.yoga-instruction.net/yoga-instruction.asp

Bikram Yoga: http://www.yoga-instruction.net/bikram-yoga.asp
Hot Yoga: http://www.yoga-instruction.net/hot-yoga.asp

By Thomas T

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.

http://www.yoga-instruction.net/yoga-instruction.asp

http://www.yoga-instruction.net/hatha-yoga.asp

http://www.yoga-instruction.net/ashtanga-yoga.asp

By Robert Weiner

Yoga is a 5,000 year old exercise system that works to improve your overall health and well-being. If you talk to any yoga instructor, you will hear the phrase, be in harmony with yourself and your environment. Yoga enforces the use of your total being; mind, body, and spirit. Through yoga exercises, you learn to stimulate the organs within your abdomen, improve the circulation throughout your body, and apply pressure upon the glandular areas of the body. All of this coupled with specific breathing and meditation techniques, gives you the ability to focus on your surroundings and feelings.

There are many aspects of yoga, but one of the good things is that yoga is an exercise regimen that anyone can practice. It does not matter how old you are, or young and it certainly does not matter if you are male, female, rich, poor, homemaker, or professional athlete. Yoga is an ancient practice that benefits every age and body. For women, practicing yoga can help in weight loss, muscle building, and toning. One excellent benefit of yoga is that women can even practice the art while pregnant. Yoga has been proven to prepare the muscles used most during birth and aid in breathing preparation for labor.

Men often think that yoga is only for women – this is just not true. Yoga works to reduce every day stresses, enable men to relax, and help increase levels of power, flexibility, and stamina. Seniors benefit from yoga as well, often times the art of yoga will aid in improvement of ones attention span and memory. Yes, yoga is even beneficial for children, the exercises aid in strengthening their growing bones, improves blood circulation and breathing methods, as well as being a relaxing and calming form of exercise.

Yoga has many benefits and aids in improving a wide variety of health issues. People who practice yoga improve their overall health and lifestyle while experiencing better memory, more stamina, and a sturdier balance. Yoga is a form of therapy for a variety of ailments and afflictions such as high blood pressure, circulation problems, arthritis, breathing disorders, and many others.

There are 6 basic types of yoga these are called Hatha, Bhakti, Raja, Jnana, Karma, and Tantra. We will touch on a few of these and explain what these areas involve.

Tantra involves using specific rituals to find the sacred aspect in every part of your life. Many people hear Tantra and think of sex, while this is a part of it, sex is not the entire aspect of this form of Yoga.

Jnana involves using the mind and focusing on intelligence, wisdom and gaining knowledge.

Karma is an area of yoga that believes that your actions are a direct reflection on things you have done in the past. It promotes doing selfless service and freeing yourself from a negative and selfish future.

As you can see, yoga touches a wide variety of health and life aspects.

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By Maria Ward

Are you spending too many hours hunched over your computer? Did you just get off the phone with a difficult client? Have you become entrenched in office politics? Are you nervous about an important meeting or presentation? Have you been concentrating on a difficult subject for too long of a time period? Instead of stressing out and causing your body to go into a fight-or-flight type of chemical reaction, which over time may lead to a feeling of dis-ease or worse, take a couple of minutes to release some tension.

Office yoga can be done at your desk, in the break room, at the copy machine, or wherever you are comfortable. There is no need to change your clothing or fix your hair afterwards and you only need a couple of minutes to leave you feeling more centered, alert and feeling good.

Please remember that all movements should be comfortable. You want to feel the tension releasing and the muscle lengthening; however you should never push yourself to the point where you feel pain. If you have any physical limitations, be sure to make proper modifications. An integral part of yoga is to be present in your body and be aware of how you are feeling, so put your problems aside, at least temporarily, and be present in the moment. (It is amazing how perceived problems sometimes just seem to work themselves out when we get out of our own way.)

Here are a couple of simple stretches that you can do without leaving your desk:

Grounding & Centering:

From a seated or standing position, lengthen your spine so your head is over your heart, your heart is over your hips (if you are sitting, your feet should be flat on the floor – if you are standing your hips are over your knees and your knees over your ankles) and take several long, slow, deep breaths. Inhale through your nose and let your belly expand, then exhale through your nose and allow your belly to contract as if you were pulling your navel to your spine. *This posture will hereinafter be referred to as neutral position.

Side Stretches:

From a neutral position, take a deep breath in and bring both arms overhead. Clasp your left wrist with your right hand and use your right hand to assist in a stretch of the left side as you bend to the right. Hold for a couple of breaths, come back to center and then repeat on the opposite side. Exhale as you allow your arms to return to your sides.

Neck Rolls:

Starting in neutral position, bring the chin to the chest. Inhale and bring the right ear to the right shoulder. Exhale and bring your chin back down to your chest. Inhale and bring your left ear to your left shoulder. Exhale and bring your chin back down to your chest. Repeat several times on each side and return to neutral position.

Shoulder Roll Sequence:

Roll both of your shoulders several times forward and back. Ultimately bring your arms behind your head so that your hands are clasped and supporting the base of your skull. Lengthen your spine and open back by turning your chin toward the ceiling, being gentle on your neck and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for several breaths. (*This will help off-set some of the postural distortion caused by a computer monitor that is too low or hours of looking downward to do paperwork, however, avoid the spinal extension portion of this stretch if you suffer from a bulging or herniated cervical disc.) Then lengthen the spine back to center and gently bring your chin down to your chest using your hands to apply a pressure that is comfortable for you. Hold for a couple of breaths and then return to neutral.

Spinal Twist:

From a seated position with a long spine, reach both hands to the right side of the chair (holding onto the arm of the chair is ideal) and allow the lower, middle and upper back to twist to the right. Look over your right shoulder. Elongate your spine as you increase the twist and make sure to breathe deeply in this pose. Come back to center and repeat on the other side. (*This pose is very nourishing to the spine but in the event of a spinal injury or if you are in your second or third trimester of pregnancy this should be practiced with due care.)

Back Roll Up:

From a standing position with feet about hip width apart, bend the knees – keeping the knees pointed in the same direction as the toes – and place your hands on your quadriceps. Starting at the lower back, inhale and roll the spine up, one vertebra at a time, neck is last. Repeat several times.

Standing Forward Bend:

From a standing position with feet about hip width apart, lengthen the spine and bend forward, coming out of the hips. Hold onto your elbows and lean forward. Hold this stretch at the level that you are comfortable. It is okay to bend the knees if you are less flexible. Otherwise try to straighten the legs and lengthen through the spine. You should feel a lengthening of the muscles of the back of the legs (the hamstrings). You may also feel a release of tension in the upper back. Gently shake your head to allow a greater release. Make sure to breathe fully and deeply as you are nourishing the brain in this inverted pose. If you would like to increase the intensity of the hamstring stretch, grab the back of your legs or even your ankles and pull your torso toward your legs. Remember, first lengthen the spine and then bend.

Quad stretch:

From a standing position, shift your weight to the left leg. Bend the right leg behind you, trying to touch the heel to the buttocks. Your right knee should be pointing toward the floor. You will feel a stretch in the front of the right leg (the quadriceps). Hold the stretch and take a couple of breaths and repeat on the other leg.

Try to take a couple of minutes, several times a day, to incorporate some stretching and relaxation into your daily grind. It will leave you feeling refreshed, revitalized and more productive.

Maria Ward is a yoga instructor and Licensed Massage Therapist located in Miami, FL. Additional information and articles may be located at http://www.vitalityexpressed.com

By Louise Dewar

I’ll start not at the beginning, but with the good stuff. I think my connection to Yoga is like other people’s connection to chocolate or their favourite morning latté. I just feel better for doing Yoga, and like chocolate, I want more!

Yoga is a journey between you and your body – it’s never boring, you don’t need expensive equipment and you can practice anywhere, any time. It’s individual, it’s not competitive. It’s never judgmental. It’s constantly humbling. It’s constantly exciting. Your body feels more alive, more elastic, more open – physically and emotionally. I’m taller now, I’ve added two inches to my reach, my “old age” arthritis has gone, my Morton’s Neuralgia has disappeared, and a nagging neck pain for over 30 years has dissipated.

None of this is instant, but all of this is certainly possible for you too. True, I’m a disciplined, organized person and made Yoga a priority in my life. While working 12 hours a day in advertising I went to three classes a week and made a point of stretching at least 20 minutes a day. The benefits surfaced after about two months.

HUNCHED OVER MY WALKER

I’m also moderately active – love to walk, play tennis and golf – however, it all began when my husband commented that my shoulders were rounding, and I was not walking upright. I saw the slippery slope at only age 58 to where I was hunched over my walker at 78! This was NOT going to happen to me. The day I saw my bent back in the mirror, was the day I took control of my body and made it my mission to become more mobile.

STRETCH OR SNAP

Imagine a piece of gum in the summer heat – it’s runny, and it’s so pliable. Imagine a piece of gum on an ice cold day – it snaps. Quite simply, that’s exactly the benefits of Yoga on your body – you can bend, reach, twist and breathe so much more easily. It’s a choice you make about your body’s future years – do you wish to be fluid, or brittle?

You are either born flexible or not. I am not the least bit flexible. If you have ever seen Yoga on TV, or in a magazine, those pretzel like poses are unachievable for most of us. Ignore those pictures and ignore those people who look like performers from Cirque de Soleil. Focus on increasing your mobility which can be so easily be achieved.

A great Yoga class reaches every single part of your body – it begins to hum in good health, it becomes more elastic through stretching, it sighs with relief because your breathing is deep, and all parts have been stretched. Trust me, it’s addictive to push your body a little further, pull on those tight ham strings just a little more. There is no pain in Yoga, but there is always a little more stretch. When I began Yoga at 58 I could not touch my toes – now in a standing forward bend I can put my hands flat on the ground, that’s an amazing feeling and an accomplishment!

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT YOGA CLASS

Look for a small Yoga studio that teaches Hatha Yoga. Unless you’ve done Yoga for years, start with a beginner class, or what’s called gentle Hatha. Often you’ll see level 1, level 2 and advanced classes advertised. That really is referring to how mobile you are. Your Yoga instructor is key, and it may take several classes to find the right fit. I would look for a teacher who walks around the class, looks at your body, makes slight hands-on adjustments and repeatedly mentions “no pain”, and gives you options for various poses. If the teacher is doing the poses and not observing you, then he/or she has their own agenda and is not mindful enough to instruct you properly.

Just as there are all kinds of crazy diets out there are all kinds of crazy Yoga classes. Remember, it’s YOUR body, find a class that’s sensible and mindful, and does not have you doing head stands – that’s plain dumb at our age. We want to hold our grandchildren effortlessly, swing a tennis racquet or golf club with more motion, glide our shoulder blades back and sit with a straight spine. In fact, if you ever hear a Yoga instructor say “now we are going to prepare for a head stand”, just say “no”!

YOUR YOGA EQUIPMENT

Most studios will provide a mat, or sometimes called a “sticky mat”. If you incorporate Yoga into your life then you’ll want to buy your own mat for obvious hygiene reasons. Studios also supply straps and blocks – all excellent props to assist you in a pose. I have my own flexible strap that I use every day to stretch out my ham strings and to open up my shoulders. But any tie will do. The average cost a of Yoga classes in North America ranges from $14 to $20 – most studios have drop in classes or passes. I suggest trying drop-ins until you find an instructor that you click with, and a class that’s right for you.

REVIEW YOUR YOGA GOALS

Why Yoga? You won’t loose weight, it’s not a calorie burner, and it’s not instant. If you are the type that’s want immediate results, the magic bullet, those 20 lbs dropped, then don’t even try Yoga. However, if you want a gift for life, an hour where you can reconnect with your body and the pure joy of feeling your body shift in micro movements, then Yoga will take you until the end of your days. I can’t promise you you’ll be pain free, (although at 61 I do not have a single joint pain or a single complaint) but Yoga wakes up your body like no other activity- just like that hit of chocolate. I guarantee that every day you’ll want to honour your body and celebrate all it can do. Becoming more mobile is addictive!

To learn more about how easy it is and how Baby Boomers can benefit greatly from Yoga go to http://www.helloboomers.com.
Louise Dewar is writing for Hello Boomers Magazine, sharing her personal point of view from a female baby boomer’s perspective.
You can contact Louise directly by email at writerlouisedewarDELETE@gmail.com (please remove DELETE)