Archive for May 20th, 2008

Written By Sarah Russell

Kids today are exposed to so many different stress factors – from regular homework to rivalries with other children to the general over-scheduling that seems to fill many calendars. Unfortunately, children aren’t taught to manage stress the way adults are, and this untreated stress can result in mood swings, fatigue and even illness. Yoga can be a great way for kids to unwind, release pent-up energy and reduce overall stress.

In addition to relieving stress, yoga has been proven to help hyperactive children gain more control of themselves and their lives. Everyone knows that kids have an innate need to be active – stop by a local elementary school if you don’t believe me! Yoga can help by giving kids the outlet for movement and self-stimulation that they need to explore these impulses in a positive manner.

Some yoga poses are more suited for children than others. Kids tend to respond well to the warrior and tree positions. Both of these poses help to infuse kids with calm, confidence and a sense of inner balance.

The secret to really engaging kids in the practice of yoga is to get them thinking about what the real posture means. For example, when practicing the warrior pose, encourage children to believe that they are strong, powerful warriors. In the tree pose, ask them to focus on the energy of a tree and demonstrate it through their movements.

Another great yoga technique for children is visualization exercises. These exercises help students relax by thinking of positive images or other things they enjoy. Encourage kids to focus on breathing from their bellies and consider playing relaxing music to help facilitate the exercise. If your children aren’t able to focus at first, instruct them to imagine that they are floating in outer space, catching a few rays on a secluded beach, playing their favorite sport or taking part in an activity they enjoy doing. Over time, it will become easier for them to focus and guide themselves in visualization exercises.

At the end of each relaxation exercise, you can encourage your children to share their experiences. Ask them to describe the surroundings that they visualized and the feelings they experienced. Doing so will help encourage closer bonds between you and your children and reinforce the positive experience of visualization. A word of caution though – this sharing exercise works best with younger children. As kids grow into teens, they may not feel as comfortable sharing their visions, especially if they center on a certain special friend. That’s fine. Don’t press the issue and make your child feel uncomfortable; just encourage him or her to continue relaxation exercises privately.

If your children are having trouble forming their own positive images during visualization exercises, you can help form and guide their imaginations by telling a calming story. Children have wonderfully active imaginations and will enjoy listening to your story and experiencing it in their minds. Tell them about a walk near a green pasture or about a young child who turned into a butterfly, flying around a beautiful garden. Any story is fine, just remember that the goal here is to deliver a sense of peace and calmness.

Children who are taught yoga at a young age tend to be more relaxed at home, more focused at school and more likely to engage in healthy, positive relationships. In addition, these kids are more likely to maintain healthy habits throughout life and to respect the union of the mind, body and spirit. Do your child a favor and begin practicing yoga together!

Want to learn more about how yoga can change your life? Check out Sarah Russell’s new book – The Beginner’s Guide to Yoga and Meditation – at:

http://www.Mind-Body-Connection.com

Written By Jeffrey Meier

Yoga

We all live stress filled lives? Many of us want to become fit, healthier and would like to weigh less. Could yoga help us to achieve some of these wants as well as bring benefits to our life and our health?

The practice of yoga is growing more and more popular each day. People are learning that it has many emotional and health benefits. It also has many therapeutic and preventive benefits.

You may all ready know that yoga is a great way to relax. The stretches, the poses, the quiet music the whole process can relax our minds and our bodies.

Of course, relaxation is the key to learning how to deal with stress. Relaxation also helps our body to cope with many health problems such as depression, high blood pressure, and tension that fills our muscles and can result and overall aches and pains.

You may realize that yoga is a great way to learn flexibility techniques. The different poses learned can help to build strength in various joints and muscles throughout one’s bodies. This flexibility that is learned can help the body at work and at play. It can help the body to move better, to bend better and to have more strength.

Yet, there are other benefits that comes with the regular practicing of yoga that you might not be quite aware of that helps both the body and mind, such as:

Physical benefits:

Detoxification of the entire body

You know that toxins build up in our body. These toxins come from everyday living, from breathing bad air, eating foods we shouldn’t, etc. But did you know that when you are practicing the various yoga moves you are helping to flush out these toxins from your system? You do this by gently stretching your muscles and joints throughout your body.

Toning your muscles

Toned muscles are sleek looking, tight muscles. These are the tight of muscles that look good in whatever you wear. These muscles are achieved by all that stretching and holding those sometimes hard poses.

Strengthens and correct our posture

We learn how to stand up straighter from our poses. We then learn how to carry these corrections on into our real life.

Ease back pain and neck pain

The stretches can help to eliminate stress from key locations in our shoulders, backs, spine, necks, etc. Once this stress is gone or is lessen, we may find relief from pain.

Create balance and grace

We may become more graceful and more balance in our real life. How? By practicing our moves and our poses over and over and by paying attention to our posture and how we carry our body.

Improvement in overall health conditions such as:

Increase circulation
Improve heart condition
Improve breathing disorders
Boosts immune response
Decreases cholesterol and blood sugar levels

Weight loss

By increased movement and increasing mental moods

Mental benefits:

Harmonizing your mind with your body

When our body and mind becomes one, we are less stressful. We find our inner calm. We are able to perform all of our tasks better and quicker. We no longer feel weighed down or confused.

Better body awareness and better body attitude

As you learn each move and can hold each pose longer, you begin to learn more about your body. You also may begin to like your body better. This can help one achieve a better self image.

Feeling refresh frequently

This can help keep the mind from feeling cloudy or drained.

Overall relaxation of the mind and body

This can lead to many other mental benefits that can help in every aspect of everyday life such as:

Sharper concentration

Center attention

Feeling more free

This can help one to achieve more creative endeavors.

Yoga is now being used as an exercise tool, a mediation tool, a tool to help conquer one’s stress and as a tool for overall better health. Unlike most traditional forms of exercise, a person does not have to be in any certain shape to begin yoga. You can practice yoga at any age or at any fitness level.

Yoga stresses quality of movement of the quantity. This makes it ideal for many people.

If you are looking for a new way to achieve a better, healthier you? Could yoga bring benefits to your life and your health? Why not see how flexible you really are and learn some new yoga moves and poses today? Your mind and body may thank you.

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.Jam727.com offers information articles on a wide variety of subjects including Yoga at http://www.jam727.com/yoga2/index.php