Author: yoga deb

What most people call “yoga” is the physical practice, but it is only one of the four primary types of yoga that are currently practiced.

According to the yogic tradition there is:  Karmic Yoga, which is the path of service.  Mother Teresa was this type of yoga practitioner.  Bhakti Yoga, which is the yoga of devotion.  Prayer, singing, chanting, and other expressions of love for the Devine are all forms of bhakti yoga.  Jnana Yoga, is the path to wisdom and intellect.  Raja Yoga  is the “royal path”, and includes Hatha Yoga (breath and bodily practices).

 

Hatha Yoga:  This is the most popular and most common types of yoga.  It’s great for beginners.  It focuses on exercising the body, and includes specific movements, and series of postures (asanas) done one after another, without much attention to the transitions between them.  You can expect to hold poses for around five breaths each.  Hatha yoga includes, traditional postures, careful movements, breath, mindfulness work aimed at keeping your mind and body feeling alive, fit, and working together in harmony.  Gentle movements and poses to promote long muscles and loosen you up.  This is an effective way to relax after a busy or stressful day.

 

Vinyasa Flow:  The word translated as “breath-to-movement,” meaning you are expected to move in and out of the postures with your inhales and exhales.  Sun Salutations are practiced in Vinyasa classes, and other sequences that emphasize flowing between the poses, rather than starting and stopping.  This type of yoga is a caloric torching, muscle building, fast flowing workout.  It will make you sweat and calm your mind.

 

Ashtanga and Power Yoga:  Is a strong physically demanding type of yoga consisting of a few set of series of postures from beginning to advanced, that lead in to each other.  This yoga is for building core strength and toning body.

 

Lyengar Yoga:  It’s extremely alignment oriented, and focuses on precise execution of yoga postures, and uses props like blocks, straps, and blankets to help find your optimal positioning.

 

Bikram or Hot Yoga:  Room is heated between 95 and 108 degrees.  This yoga only has a one set series of 26 poses, and is very intense.  Plan to sweat.  Gains in lower body strength and flexibility.  And attempt this style if you are free from injuries and physical limitations.

 

Restorative Yoga:  A relaxing form of yoga which uses props to support the body in seated and reclining postures.  The purpose is to completely relax into the props so that you can focus on your breath and relieving stress.

 

Yin Yoga:  A style of yoga that emphasizes longer and more passive holds, and it targets the connective tissues instead of the muscles and bones.  Its relaxing and therapeutic, although those with an active mind find the longer periods of quiet to be challenging.

 

Prenatal Yoga:  Safe poses for the mom to be can help with everything from easing pregnancy woes to helping moms body for an easier labor and recovery.

Kundalini Yoga:  A form of hatha yoga that combines poses with breath work.  It focuses on addressing and freeing the energy that collects at the base of your spine around your tailbone, which is your root chakra, and reflects your survival center.  This yoga helps you to stay in tune with what keeps you grounded and makes you feel secure.  You’ll unleash the power of your root chakra  and build amazing core strength.

When you are ready to take your first yoga class and you need to choose what type of yoga is right for you, follow the steps below:

Step 1:  Consider the reason why you want to take a yoga class.  Are you looking for an intense workout, to relieve pain, or recovering from an injury.  Are you looking for a spiritual experience, or looking to combat the signs of aging.

Step 2:  Consider your preferences and needs.  Are you ok in a class setting or do you want personalized attention on a one to one basis.

 

Step 3:  You may not know what you are searching for until you start trying the different types of yoga at the beginner levels.  So take a class.

Continue reading “Let’s Have A Look At The Well-Known Types Of Yoga” →

Yoga To Reverse Aging From The Inside Out
For those of you who have a job that confines you to a desk all day.
Try some simple neck rolls and the Frog Pose. The Frog Pose
gets your cardiovascular system going, regenerates your cerebro spinal fluid and brings energy to your life nerve, which gets squished from too much sitting.
Here’s how the frog pose is done: squat down onto your toes, with your heels touching and raised off the floor, knees spread wide, your fingertips on the floor between your thighs. Keep your head level and looking forward. Inhale as you lift your butt up towards the sky, keeping hands and balls of feet on the ground. Allow the top of your head to tip down towards the floor. Exhale as you return to the starting position, continue for 26 breaths, then inhale deeply into the up position and hold your breath. Then exhale, come down and relax.
Feel that your cells are invigorated and full of light.
A Restorative Yoga Sequence for Self-Care
For this sequence you will need a strap that is 8-10 feet long.
This yoga technique will stimulate your rest and digest response.
It slows your heart rate and breath and inspires a feeling of deep relaxation. Begin seated in a position that is comfortable to you, elevate your seat slightly higher than your knees so that your hips
can relax completely. Elongate your spine by reaching your sit bones towards the floor and stretching your crown towards the sky. Loop your strap behind your back to touch the bottom of your shoulder blades. Hold on to each end with the corresponding hand and equalize the excess slack of the straps on both sides. Sling the strap ends over your shoulders so that they fall back behind you. Pull
down on both ends of the strap to gently tighten its grip over your
shoulders and cross the strap ends into an X behind your back.
Keep strap pulled tight and each end held in your hands in front of you. Loop strap in to the buckle and tighten it. Soften your shoulders and relax your arms in a place of your comfort.

Now close your eyes and draw awareness inside. Mentally scan your
body to find any pockets of tension and consciously release them.
Surrender in to the present moment.
Here is a mantra used to send healing energy to ourselves
and to others. The pose for this meditation is just as important as the sound. You are to sit comfortably with elbows bent and tucked
firmly alongside the ribcage, forearms extended out with palms facing up.

Ra ma da sa sa say so hung will be repeated 108 times in a slow song like manor,

the translation: sun, moon, earth, Infinity, All that is in infinity, I am Thee.

My hope is that I can find the words to encourage you all to take a yoga class and experience all that it has to offer, and the fullness of the healing that is achieved on levels that have never been achieved before.  Yoga has benefits for everyone on a grand scale.  It is growing on a world wide level and if you haven’t given it some serious thought and discovered on your own how it will benefit you.  Waste no more time.  Our world is full of uncertainties, it has become harsh, Yoga can help take the edge off and prepare us to handle the new changes in our world on a physical, emotional and spiritual level.  It helps us become all that we can be, and not be affected by the things that we can not control that are going on around us.  I am truly grateful for the discovery, and always amazed from the results I gain from the many techniques and exercises that I have learned over the years.  I would like to hear responses from you all about what yoga has done for you.

There is no need to spend an excessive amount of money on the items needed to get you started.  There are many exercises that are done on the floor, so a good yoga mat is necessary for your comfort.

Yoga blocks are great for beginners.  The blocks help you get in to posses and maintain the appropriate posture when you can not reach the floor.

And its important that you choose clothing that allows you to move the full range of motion with comfort.

I apologize for my inability to provide what hot products are available due to I am still in the learning stage and not ready to team up at this point in time with the companies that are responsible for the trending yoga products.  Once I get on board with this brilliant new career choice of mine.  I will redeem myself.