Find
a Yoga Instructor
Yoga
What Is It?
How Does It Work?
What To Expect
What Is It Used For?
Side Effects/Cautions
Recommended Books
Recommended CDs
What Is It?
Yoga is more than just the series of postures we have become familiar
with in the West. It is a philosophy of life, incorporating exercise,
breathing, relaxation, body awareness, meditation and personal and spiritual
development. The word yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “union”;
the practice of yoga aims to unite the body, mind and spirit in harmony
and balance.
Yoga is thought to have originated from Hindu philosophy
around 5,000 years ago, although the first known written
teachings, the Yoga Sutras, were compiled during the
second century B.C. by Indian sage, Patanjali. In his
work, Patanjali outlines eight steps to spiritual enlightenment:
1. Moral practices such as truth, non-violence and avoidance
of greed and theft
2. Self purification through cleanliness, contentment, effort, study
and faith
3. Physical practice of yoga postures (asanas)
4. Breath control
5. Turning the attention within and focusing on the senses
6. Concentration
7. Meditation
8. Enlightenment
There are many branches of yoga, which may specialise
in specific aspects of these eight steps, but the one
most commonly practised in the West is Hatha yoga, which
combines postures, controlled breathing and meditation.
The combination of physical, psychological and spiritual
aspects of yoga make it useful as both prevention and
therapy for a wide range of ailments.
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How Does It Work?
Yoga enhances the life force, or prana, within our bodies, and allows
us to reach a state of balance by integrating the mind and body. The
practice of Hatha yoga involves postures (asanas), breathing (pranayama)
and meditation (dhyana). The physical postures increase strength and
flexibility, improve posture and circulation, promote relaxation and
enhance the functioning of the nervous system. The breathing techniques
of pranayama help to calm and focus the mind, lowering the breathing
rate and promoting relaxation. Meditation calms and focuses the mind
and relaxes the body, reducing stress and anxiety, and enhancing energy
levels.
Scientists are unsure exactly why yoga is so beneficial
to health, but some suggest it mainly works by reducing
stress, while others suggest it triggers the release
of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
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What
To Expect
You can learn yoga from books or videos, but beginners will gain more
by learning from an experienced instructor in a class setting or in private
sessions. Yoga is normally practised in loose, comfortable clothing,
and bare feet. It is best practised on an empty stomach. The instructor
may provide a “sticky” mat which prevents slipping, or you
can buy one yourself, although a foam mat or blanket can also be used.
You may also be asked to bring a cushion to sit on during meditation
and/or a blanket, which will keep you warm during relaxation.
A yoga class may start with gentle warm-up exercises.
You will be taught to focus on your breathing during
the exercises, breathing through the nose, and inhaling
during certain movements, exhaling during others. You
will be taught a series of postures that are held for
a few seconds to several minutes. These include standing,
seated, or lying down postures which gently stretch the
muscles, and squeeze the internal organs. Some postures
will be repeated up to three times. Beginners will start
with simple postures and gradually advance to more difficult
ones. You will be encouraged to work at your own pace
and to your own physical limitations. Classes will usually
end with a period of relaxation. Longer classes may also
include breathing exercises and meditation.
Classes normally last between one and two hours and
are held once a week. In addition to classes, many people
practise yoga at home everyday for at least 20-30 minutes.
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What Is It Used For?
Most people practise yoga as a means of maintaining physical and emotional
health rather than as a therapy. It improves strength, flexibility,
co-ordination and range of motion, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure
and aids sleep and digestion. Although yoga on its own is not a cure
for any disease, it is used as a complementary therapy for people with
cancer, respiratory problems such as asthma, heart disease, depression,
arthritis, diabetes, addictions and AIDS.
Side Effects/Cautions
Consult your doctor before beginning yoga if you have any health concerns.
You should also mention these concerns to your yoga instructor.
Avoid yoga if you have a back injury or have had recent
surgery.
If you have high blood pressure, avoid upside down postures
or postures that involve standing still for lengthy periods
of time.
Let your instructor know if you are pregnant so s/he
can modify the exercises for you. Some classes are available
which are designed specifically for pregnant women.
Don’t try to do too much too soon. Take it slowly
to avoid over-stretching which can cause injury.
Some forms of yoga such as astanga or power yoga are
very challenging, and are not appropriate for beginners,
or people who have not been exercising regularly.
References
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Instructor
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Recommended Books
Prices are in US Dollars
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Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A
Manual for Students, Teachers, and Practitioners
H. David Coulter
Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is the only modern authoritative
source that correlates the study of hatha yoga
with anatomy and physiology. Hatha yoga is comprised
of stretching, strengthening and breathing exercises
in upright, lying down and inverted postures.
Yoga teachers and students, personal trainers,
medical therapists, or anyone who is curious
or troubled about how the body responds to stretching
and exercise will find in this book a cornucopia
-- partly new and partly old -- of readable and
reliable information. It was written and edited
to meet the needs of a general audience largely
unschooled in the biomechanical sciences, and
yet to attract and challenge the interests of
the medical profession. This book features 230
black and white photographs and more than 120
diagrams and anatomical illustrations.
WINNER, 2002 Benjamin Franklin Award for Health Wellness, and Nutrition
- Publishers Marketing Association.
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Yoga: The Path To Holistic Health
B. K. S. Iyengar
In this comprehensive and highly illustrated
guide B.K.S. Iyengar, the world's leading teacher
of yoga, shares his unique, holistic approach.
For Iyengar, yoga is more than just a form of
exercise; it is a holistic experience that benefits
the body, mind, and spirit. He outlines the philosophy
and ideals behind this ancient practice and explains
how yoga can help to counter the stresses of
modern living. Designed for every level of ability,
age, and physical condition, there are detailed
instructions for beginner, intermediate, and
advanced students. Clearly illustrated, step-by-step
instructions explain how to perform each yoga
asana, or posture, correctly, while a unique
360-degree view of the final pose shows exactly
how to position each part of the body. A special
section introduces B.K.S. Iyengar's innovative
use of props, enabling beginners or the less
flexible to practice the classic yoga asanas
more easily and effectively. A further section
illustrates sequences of asanas to treat or prevent
a wide range of ailments. In addition, there
is a 20-week yoga course, personally formulated
by B.K.S. Iyengar, which progresses from simple
to more challenging postures. Without a doubt,
Yoga: The Iyengar Way is the definitive guide
to the practice of yoga by the master.
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Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual:
An Illustrated Guide to Personal Practice
David Swenson
This is the most user-friendly yoga book available!
It contains the entire Primary and Intermediate
series of Ashtanga Yoga with three options for
every asana. It is spiral bound to easily remain
open while practicing. It contains over 650 photos
with clear instructions and commentary. It is
a great book for all levels of practitioners
to enjoy and teachers will find it to be an invaluable
tool for teaching their students.
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Yoga Books
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Recommended CDs
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Bryan Kest's Long, Slow & Deep:
A Complete 90 Minute Yoga Workout (CD & Booklet)
Bryan Kest
This highly anticipated live recording of Bryan's
Long, Slow & Deep routine will help you move
into areas deeply and safely with a combination
of deep stretching poses. Only on rare occasions
does Bryan teach this routine, but now you can
have your very own recording. Balance your usual
regimen of vinyasa (flowing) routines with this
deep exploration. The live, approximately 90-minute
recording was done at his very popular Santa
Monica, CA studio, and is in audio CD format,
accompanied by a beautiful, 8" x 8" spiral
bound instructional booklet. (Like the other
titles in the series, the spiral binding makes
it easy to keep the book open and follow along.)
The audio CDs are segmented into 14 tracks for
easy repeating or forwarding. The booklet has
photographs of the asanas (positions) which track
the recording, along with detailed written instruction
for key poses provided by Bryan. A nice treat:
Bryan Kest is one of the two models photographed
for the asanas.
In addition to being an excellent, complete yoga routine for your
library, the CDs are a compact format perfect for travelers.
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Bryan Kest: Advanced Yoga (CD & Booklet)
Bryan Kest
You've asked for it, and you got it: an advanced
Bryan Kest routine. We all like the physical
challenge that Bryan provides within the context
of yoga. Practice working at your edge while
maintaining a healthy approach to your practice.
This is the third in a series of live recordings
just made available to the general public. The
recording is of one of Bryan's 90 minute classes
at his very popular Santa Monica, CA studio,
in audio CD format accompanied by a beautiful,
8" x 8" spiral bound instructional
booklet. (Like the other titles in the series,
the spiral binding makes it easy to keep the
book open and follow along.) The audio CD is
segmented into 18 tracks for easy repeating or
forwarding. The booklet has over 100 photographed
asanas (positions) that track the recording,
along with detailed written instruction for key
poses provided by Bryan. A nice treat: Bryan
Kest is one of the two models photographed for
the asanas.
In addition to being an excellent, complete yoga routine for your
library, the CDs are a compact format perfect for travelers.
Learn
more...
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Yoga Sanctuary: A Guided Hatha Yoga
Practice
Shiva Rea
"Shiva Rea's CD offers a lot of flexibility
in designing a home practice. Practicing at home
is an important part of yoga because it helps
you integrate the benefits yoga offers into your
life more readily. Most people develop their
home practice with video tapes, which are great
as you want to watch to learn new postures.
But video tapes can be difficult (hard to rewind or adjust the
volume while you're standing on your head!) and after you've used
one or two a while, a little boring.
So this 2-cd set is incredibly useful. If you have a programmable
CD player, you can easily create your own mix-n-match yoga practice
by choosing the tracks you feel like doing that day. If you're
tired, choose the slower, more meditative tracks; if you're feeling
pumped, go with the more energetic, aerobic ones. This means less
boredom than you might get with other home yoga instruction, and
a more personal, customized practice.
The set has sections that focus on balance, abdominals, hip stretching,
strength building, general flexibility, fast flowing poses, and
meditation. All this with a complete warm up and cool down. There
is also a great poster to help you visualize the poses in each
section." - Amazon Reviewer
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Om Yoga in a Box: Basic Level
Cyndi Lee
OM Yoga in a Box-Basic Level, Contains everything
you need to sustain an ongoing, varied home yoga
practice:
• 2 Compact Discs: Instructional CD with 70+ minute yoga class (This CD
can be programmed into 4 shorter, targeted classes, including one especially
for brand new beginners)
• Flash cards, showing correct posture alignment and describing benefits.
• A Yoga belt, to help with deep stretching.
• A candle, incense and incense holder to help create sacred space.
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Om Yoga in a Box: Intermediate Level
Cyndi Lee
OM Yoga in a Box, Intermediate level, contains
everything you need to practice flowing, vinyasa-style
yoga:
• 2 Compact Discs: Disc 1 provides 70 minutes of yoga instruction on 4
tracts. Tracks can be programmed and shuffled to create a variety of classes.
Disc2 is an all-music CD, perfect for yoga practice or relaxation.
• 20-page Instructional booklet
• 75 Flash cards
• 6-ft Yoga belt
• Tea Candle
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