yoga for children

In a lot of ways, children can learn the most, and gain the greatest skill at certain things while they are still very young. It might take an adult years to learn a new language, while children seem to take it up quite quickly. It is the same way with a number of physical activities. Children love to be moving and mimicking other people around them. Yoga is a great place to start an exercise regimen that will have lasting benefits down the road.

Yoga is a great place to start with children because they are naturally quite limber. Therefore some positions that you might find create an incredibly intense stretch, they will simply be able to fall right into place. Sometimes it seems as though they're made out of rubber bands, which really isn't very far from the truth. If you are very advanced at practicing yoga, you will not be able to teach all positions to children because they do not yet have the physical strength and agility for some of the poses. But if they are capable of getting into the pose with out any discomfort, it's not going to hurt them either.

It really seems a little strange to me at how we treat our children these days as though they were made out of paper machete. I remember growing up throwing rocks, jumping off of buildings, riding bicycles over huge ramps, and yet somehow I managed to survive with little more than a few bruises and scrapes. Comparing yoga to the types of reckless behavior I displayed as a child seems incredibly tiny by comparison.  Therefore there is no real need to be incredibly careful about which positions you allow the child to attempt. If they can, and will, do the pose, it is just as safe and beneficial for them as it is for you. In many ways it's probably safer for them because there is less risk of injury.

There is an awful lot of hogwash circulating around out there that if children exercise too strenuously using weights or other things that it can be damaging to their bodies. Poppycock is all I have to say about that. No, you do not want your child learning to do free full stunt jumps from 10 story buildings, or trying to bench press 200 pounds. The simple fact is - they can't do those things anyway.  They don't have the strength or agility. But swinging from the branches of a tree is not going to kill them (within certain normal limits of course). Children's bones are softer and their muscles far more flexible than adults. A fall or tumble that would seriously injure you will seem to have almost zero effect on a child. So it's perfectly fine for them to take those energies that might otherwise be used for swinging from trees and devote them to something that can give them some real benefit such as yoga.

So if you're looking for something to involve your child in some coordinated structured exercise, yoga is a fabulous choice. Many of the positions are also named after animals which makes it perfect for tying in a little storytelling while you exercise. Of course, it's going to help if you know how to do yoga as well and will give you a way to spend some quality time doing something constructive with your child that may very well become something that they carry with them all the way through their adult life.

yoga ball exercises

It's a bit of a strange combination actually, yoga and exercise ball, since the advent of these large and virtually indestructible rubber balls is a fairly recent development while yoga is centuries old. I guess what we're trying to say is that there really is no such thing as a yoga ball. There is yoga, and then there are exercise balls, doing them together is going to require just as much mental agility as it will physical agility. But there certainly are cases where an exercise ball can help with certain yoga positions.

In that case what you can do is consider an exercise ball as a kind of yoga prop that you can use if you already have one available. But just because you are stretching while on a ball doesn't make it yoga at all really. Yoga is a lot more than stretching. As a matter of fact, it is about training your body to hold certain positions, or even get into certain positions for beginners, without any sort of help whatsoever. Therefore, using a fitness ball during a yoga practice session is something less than actual yoga.

But when you are first starting out there are definitely props that can make practicing yoga far easier. As a matter of fact, there are many people who are so stiff that they simply must use props in order to begin practicing yoga. Towels, straps, pillows and blocks are all used as yoga props for beginners.  If you find yourself in this type of scenario, an exercise ball might very well be one of the props that you can use.

Now, it may sound like we are against the idea of yoga ball exercise. That is not entirely the case. Because a yoga ball is not rigid, it will still force you to do the one thing necessary during yoga practice, and that is tense your muscles to hold a position. You may not be using proper yoga form, or even doing a traditional yoga pose, but you can still be accomplishing very much the same thing. And that is, holding your body weight in a position.

You will probably not use an exercise ball for very long in your yoga practice. At a certain point you will want to cast aside all types of yoga props as you progress to more advanced positions. But when you are first starting out, an exercise ball can certainly help you with certain yoga poses while you are learning the more advanced positions.

men's yoga

For most guys, and this probably means you, the only time that yoga ever crosses your mind is when you walk past the studio in your gym where all of the thin, attractive women are twisting themselves into lithe positions. You may have gone one step further and consider joining the class just for the view, but probably were never quite able to turn away from the more manly pursuits over in the free weight section. But it's probably high time that you completely reconsidered the way that you think about yoga.

First things first. There really is no such thing as men's yoga. There is just yoga. Whether you are a man or a woman doesn't matter at all to yoga. Quite frankly, most of the world's grand master yogis are men. But for most men, yoga seems far too calm an event to be considered a beneficial part of their workout routine. So let's set the record straight about why you really need to seriously consider adding yoga to your regimen.

You are probably far more concerned with how much muscle you have then anything else. But unless you were born with a natural propensity for a high degree of muscularity, you are more than likely already wearing just about as much muscle as you are going to be able to achieve without a little outside pharmaceutical intervention. With that being said, just consider that there are really only four things you can do with your muscle. There are: strength, flexibility, endurance and performance - those are the only four things you can train your muscle to improve upon.

If you are like most men, you have spent the vast majority of your time working on strength. You probably also think you understand something about endurance, but we won't go into how almost everyone fails at doing an effective endurance workout. You probably thought that you were going for some sort of athletic performance, but if your workouts are not balanced between the other three, your performance has probably not improved very much either.

All of that is to say that you have probably ignored working on your flexibility for far too long. The more flexible you are, the more of your strength you will be able to use in practical everyday activities, as well as in performance related ways. Two guys with exactly the same amount of muscle; put that image in your mind. One guy can barely reach his ankles, the other can quite comfortably put his hands flat on the floor. Guess which one can jump higher? More flexibility gives the available muscle more ability to flex their range of motion. The fellow who can touch his palms to the floor comfortably will always outperform the other guy even if they both have exactly the same amount of muscular strength during a leg press.

So, if you really want to be the top dog, you are going to have to get a whole lot more flexible. Yoga is perhaps the most available methodology you can use in order to do that. So, it's not really about setting your macho aside just to do yoga, it turns out that doing yoga can make you quite a bit more beastly after all.

about yoga

When you're first starting to learn about yoga, the sheer volume of information can be a little overwhelming. So let's try to break things down to their very basic parts to give you a better idea about yoga and exactly what the practice of yoga may entail. In essence, yoga is really very simple, and as you learn it through practice the levels of complexity and intensity will flow quite naturally. In other words, you don't need to know everything about yoga just to begin practicing yoga.

While many people think that yoga is just a peculiar type of stretching exercise is really more than that. Stretching is certainly a part of yoga, but it also aids in the development of other physical benefits.  Everything from breathing and stamina, as well as some strength and definitely flexibility can be achieved through the regular practice of yoga.

Yoga is really all about balance. It helps to loosen what is too tight, strengthen those areas that are weakest, and bring the body back into a proper alignment. Whether or not you buy into this spiritual and meditation aspects of yoga may be beside the point. While many of its practitioners claim that it aligns both body and spirit, it most certainly can do you nothing but good as far as your body alone is concerned.

The term practice is used by yoga teachers to describe your personal sessions and experience of yoga. You will be again by practicing certain degrees of different poses, as well as how to move between each pose you move through the process of developing the physical ability to place your body in certain prescribed positions.  These sessions of moving from one position to another within a certain style of yoga are much like katas in karate. Each series of poses is meant to be done in a certain order, and as you practice these sets of poses, often called asanas, your body will become more acclimated and capable on either including new poses within each set, or moving on to a more advanced asana.

You don't need specialized props, mats or even clothing to begin practicing yoga. You can probably find everything you need just lying around your house. But the one thing that many be necessary when you begin to learn about yoga is instruction from someone who has been practicing yoga for years. There aren't many good books, videos and even online resources that can give you the beginning instruction you need when you start learning about yoga.

exc? n ��x � to draw from. But you may very well find everything you need to know to do some basic yoga practice during your pregnancy online. But yoga is considered by many to be one of the few excellent options to keep and even improve your health and conditioning during pregnancy. n't ev B m g ��x `y now. And you don't need any specialized equipment to start learning how to do that. imes U o ��x � p>

If you are new to pregnant yoga, make sure that you start in a class with a certified instructor who can supervise your progress.  It is important that you learn the poses and learn them correctly under the care of a qualified professional.  If you are practicing at home, limit yourself to poses you've learned during classes with supervision.  It is not a good idea to attempt new, difficult poses for the first time on your own.

Experienced yoga students will have no problem finding plenty of instructional materials about which poses are appropriate during pregnancy.  A certified yoga instructor can help you out with which style of yoga is right for you.  Ask your instructor if you should be focusing on styles that benefit the nervous, glandular, or muscular-skeletal systems. 

As with any exercise system during pregnancy, it's a good idea to consult your physician before beginning a pregnant yoga program.  Also, ease into it especially if you are a beginner.  Remember that your body's top priority is to nurture and develop your unborn baby.  So use common sense and above all else, keep the child's welfare your number one priority.  If you feel uncomfortable or pain in any of the postures, regardless of your experience level, stop immediately. 

Pregnant yoga uses a lot of the poses practiced in regular yoga but there are some differences.  Remember, common sense!  It is not reasonable to expect that you're going to be able to stand on your head and do the splits when you are eight months pregnant.  You don't want to be putting any unnecessary pressure on the abdomen area.  Don't put any strain on this area even if you have been doing yoga for years as it could cause health problems or endanger your pregnancy.  Remember that during pregnancy, you do not want to over-stretch during any particular exercise since your ligaments are naturally looser around the joints during this time.

maternity yoga

For centuries, women and men of all ages and walks of life have practiced yoga. While the typical yoga master is very thin and unbelievably flexible, it doesn't mean you have to be in that sort of shape to be able to benefit from yoga.  As a matter of fact, practicing yoga is one of the ways that you can work on getting into that sort of shape yourself. It doesn't matter if you are tall or short, thin or thick, or even very out of shape, yoga can help you find new strength and flexibility you might not have ever known you could possess.

That means you don't have to be in great shape to practice yoga. Because it has little impact and should always be done in such a way that it does not cause your body pain, it is typically safe for just about anyone, even those with health issues. Because of this, it may be one of the best things that you can do from an exercise standpoint during maternity.

During your pregnancy is important that you keep your muscles in good shape for delivery, as well as your lung capacity. It certainly doesn't hurt to be as stress free as possible as well. If you are having atypical and healthy pregnancy, yoga is probably a very good option for you to achieve all of these things. Keep in mind, however, if you are having complications with your pregnancy, you might consider consulting your physician before beginning or continuing to practice yoga.

You will definitely want to do a little research into the yoga poses that are most appropriate during maternity, as there are special circumstances that arise depending on which month of your pregnancy you happen to be in. Certain poses should be avoided at certain times during your pregnancy, while others will certainly help to strengthen and relax the muscles that you are going to rely on during birth.

Yoga will also help you to increase your lung capacity which is very beneficial considering how much less lung capacity you have as your diaphragm expands outward. There are also poses that you and your spouse can do together when you are less able to do more intimate things.

Although there are not a lot of books available about maternity yoga practice, the few that are out there are excellent resources to draw from. But you may very well find everything you need to know to do some basic yoga practice during your pregnancy online. But yoga is considered by many to be one of the few excellent options to keep and even improve your health and conditioning during pregnancy.

beginning yoga

The health benefits, as well as the relaxation that can be achieved by practicing yoga are well-known. What you might not know is that yoga can be very simple to learn as well. You don't have to worry about twisting yourself into a pretzel shape right away. You can, and should, begin with the most basic poses while gaining more strength and flexibility for the advanced things you can learn later on. But before you even begin yoga here are a few tips and things to think about to get you started.

Even though there are thousands of yoga related items available for you to purchase, you really don't need anything at all to practice yoga. Certain props and clothing can definitely make it easier, but all you really have to have is a few square feet of space on a carpeted floor or even a bit of grass in your yard during nice weather. A little peace and quiet can also help you to concentrate and relax.

If you do find that you are in need of a few props, you can probably find everything you will need to begin just sitting around your house. Hand towels, pillows to and even a stack of books can take the place of straps, padded mats and blocks. You can spend some time working with these basic items as you learn yoga, and move into props that you can buy once you know exactly what you need as you learn more about your event and the different poses in the form you are working with.

As far as clothing is concerned, you can spend everything from a few dollars to a big pile of cash for your the clothing. While vanity is not something that necessarily goes hand in hand with the peace and serenity you are trying to achieve with yoga, you might still want to look good if you are taking yoga classes in a public place. But specialized clothing isn't absolutely necessary. All you need is light, stretchable garments that do not get in your way as you are practicing your poses. Many people prefer to wear very little, or even nothing at all when they are practicing yoga in their home.

When you are beginning to learn the poses in a particular asana, work just as hard on moving fluidly between the poses as you do on the poses themselves. It is just as important to learn to move slowly and freely between each of those as it is to achieve proper positioning on the poses themselves.

In other words, start slowly and with the basics. You're not competing with anyone when you practice yoga, not even yourself. The whole point of yoga is to gradually train yourself to let go of your stress and tension until your body is capable of doing things you can't even imagine right now. And you don't need any specialized equipment to start learning how to do that. imes U o ��x � p>

If you are new to pregnant yoga, make sure that you start in a class with a certified instructor who can supervise your progress.  It is important that you learn the poses and learn them correctly under the care of a qualified professional.  If you are practicing at home, limit yourself to poses you've learned during classes with supervision.  It is not a good idea to attempt new, difficult poses for the first time on your own.

Experienced yoga students will have no problem finding plenty of instructional materials about which poses are appropriate during pregnancy.  A certified yoga instructor can help you out with which style of yoga is right for you.  Ask your instructor if you should be focusing on styles that benefit the nervous, glandular, or muscular-skeletal systems. 

As with any exercise system during pregnancy, it's a good idea to consult your physician before beginning a pregnant yoga program.  Also, ease into it especially if you are a beginner.  Remember that your body's top priority is to nurture and develop your unborn baby.  So use common sense and above all else, keep the child's welfare your number one priority.  If you feel uncomfortable or pain in any of the postures, regardless of your experience level, stop immediately. 

Pregnant yoga uses a lot of the poses practiced in regular yoga but there are some differences.  Remember, common sense!  It is not reasonable to expect that you're going to be able to stand on your head and do the splits when you are eight months pregnant.  You don't want to be putting any unnecessary pressure on the abdomen area.  Don't put any strain on this area even if you have been doing yoga for years as it could cause health problems or endanger your pregnancy.  Remember that during pregnancy, you do not want to over-stretch during any particular exercise since your ligaments are naturally looser around the joints during this time.

hot bikram yoga (191 words)

Hot Bikram yoga was invented by yogi master Bikram Choudhury.  It is practiced in a hot room at a temperature between 95 to 105 degrees F and a humidity of 50 percent.  The hot and humid environment make your muscles stretch more while making you sweat.  The theory is that sweating more releases toxins from the body.  Hot Bikramm yoga requires you to do 26 poses that promote strengthening and stretching.  Since you'll be sweating a lot, it's advisable to drink a full glass of water or two before beginning.

It is advisable to work your way up to the full hot Bikram yoga experience.  You can start by purchasing or watching some Bikram yoga videos online.  Practice the poses at home focusing on practicing your breathing.  Breathing is very important in hot Bikram yoga as it helps you cope with the intense heat. 

Finally, find a local class and if possible a friend to go with you.  A friend is great for support and having someone to keep you motivated to keep going.  Make sure you find a place to practice with certified instructors who are educated about Bikram specifically.

pregnant yoga

Pregnancy is a beautiful time for a woman, but not all of the things that happen to our bodies are pretty!  Many of the discomforts caused by pregnancy can be relieved by practicing yoga exercises.  With this ancient Indian form of exercise, you'll relieve tension of the mind and body while enhancing your well-being.  So what are the benefits of pregnant yoga?

Practicing yoga while pregnant will help a woman stay fit and minimize weight gain.  Each yoga pose targets specific areas and has its own unique benefits to the body.  A pregnant woman can minimize typical discomforts by performing poses that target the right areas.  Yoga can even help make labor easier and benefit your body after birth!

Women who practice yoga during pregnancy have been observed by experts to be both healthier and happier.  Less labor pain is experienced during birth because of added flexibility as well as knowing how to relieve the mind's tension.  The body is made more prepared for the birthing process by stretching soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments when practicing yoga postures. 

There are other benefits from pregnant yoga such as learning breathing techniques to be used during delivery, reducing fluid retention commonly associated with pregnancy, boosting circulation, relieving aches and pains common in pregnancy, particularly, eliminate or minimizing back pain.

If you are new to pregnant yoga, make sure that you start in a class with a certified instructor who can supervise your progress.  It is important that you learn the poses and learn them correctly under the care of a qualified professional.  If you are practicing at home, limit yourself to poses you've learned during classes with supervision.  It is not a good idea to attempt new, difficult poses for the first time on your own.

Experienced yoga students will have no problem finding plenty of instructional materials about which poses are appropriate during pregnancy.  A certified yoga instructor can help you out with which style of yoga is right for you.  Ask your instructor if you should be focusing on styles that benefit the nervous, glandular, or muscular-skeletal systems. 

As with any exercise system during pregnancy, it's a good idea to consult your physician before beginning a pregnant yoga program.  Also, ease into it especially if you are a beginner.  Remember that your body's top priority is to nurture and develop your unborn baby.  So use common sense and above all else, keep the child's welfare your number one priority.  If you feel uncomfortable or pain in any of the postures, regardless of your experience level, stop immediately. 

Pregnant yoga uses a lot of the poses practiced in regular yoga but there are some differences.  Remember, common sense!  It is not reasonable to expect that you're going to be able to stand on your head and do the splits when you are eight months pregnant.  You don't want to be putting any unnecessary pressure on the abdomen area.  Don't put any strain on this area even if you have been doing yoga for years as it could cause health problems or endanger your pregnancy.  Remember that during pregnancy, you do not want to over-stretch during any particular exercise since your ligaments are naturally looser around the joints during this time.

children's yoga

Introducing your child to yoga is a fun, safe, and quick way to help him develop a healthy mind and body.  Yoga consists of a range of body exercises, breathing techniques, and visualization exercises that develop and strengthen the body.  Yoga can be practiced by children as young as two years old and its a great activity if you have a group of children. 

 Before starting any exercise program for your child, it's a good idea to consult your pediatrician.  Show your pediatrician which specific poses your child will be doing.  There are qualified yoga teachers out there who do have experience working with children. 

Here are five health benefits of children's yoga. 

First, yoga is good for developing internal organs.  In yoga, one stays in a posture for at least three to five rounds of breathing.  After releasing a pose, a burst of fresh rich oxygenated blood comes to that part of the body.  This helps strengthen and cleanse internal organs.

Second, yoga puts the mind at ease.  There is a direct link between a strong health body and a calm, disciplined mind.  Yoga poses such as the rag doll post, seated forward bend, or child pose calm the nervous system.  The breathing exercises learned while practicing yoga also calm negative emotions and reduce nervous tensions.

Third, yoga promotes graceful, more coordinated movements and flexibility.  While children are young, their bodies need to learn the full possible range of movement.  This can impede the learning of grace and basic movement.  Range of movement in various body parts can be promoted by adaptation of different poses.  For example, by using poses such as the prayer pose or the Wind Reliving Post, a child can learn to relieve stiff backs and tight hips.  This can ease tension and teach the child's body how to move more efficiently.

Fourth, its non-competitive.  Some children are intimidated by sports and exercise because there is often a competitive nature to them.  Kids don't like to lose or face the stress of the possibility of losing.  Children's yoga places an emphasis on respecting their bodies and listening to it, not pushing it beyond its limits.  It is a nurturing non-competitive environment and a good yoga teacher encourages children to modify poses as they feel fit for what their body is capable of.

Finally, yoga promotes inner peace and balance.  As we know, yoga means union, to bring harmony and balance to ones outer and inner worlds.  Yoga forces on to push the body to discover its full potential, as opposed to repeating skills one is already good at.  A child learns inner calm and quiet through guided visualizations and breathing techniques.  So try children's yoga for your child, You'll find its a great exercise system for developing a healthy, strong, well-balanced body.  The breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and range of poses teach your child a holistic exercise experience and a foundation for well-being as they develop.

mens yoga pants

Listen up fellas, if you're going to be practicing yoga, then it really is essential that you get yourself a proper pair of mens yoga pants.  Even though at yoga classes you find that it is mostly women; there are plenty of us men out there who practice it too.  And the segment of men is growing!  Yoga has all of the health benefits for us as it does for women. 

Just as it is with women, it is important for a man to be comfortable while he is doing Yoga.  And that's why its paramount that you have a comfortable, good pair of mens yoga pants.

I bet some of you have been going to yoga class wearing sweatpants.   That works, but they're not made for yoga.  They don't breathe well enough (don't you dare attempt Bikram yoga in sweats) and they are not stitched properly for many of the postures.  Just imagine how embarrassed you'd be if you were in a room full of women doing a seated angle pose and your crotch ripped open.  Dude, you'd be so humiliated you'd probably have to find a new place to take classes.

But more important than that, its simply an issue of comfort.  You are going to be in challenging positions for long periods of time.  Yoga is challenging enough; you don't need to be uncomfortable at the same time.  Remember that part of Yoga is bringing your mind and body together.  That's a little hard to do if your focus is on the fact that you're uncomfortable. 

Once you have a comfortable pair of mens yoga pants, your mind can relax and you will be able to concentrate on your health and your body.  You are going to be incredibly more comfortable and your focus will improve. 

So get with it, keep practicing Yoga, get healthy, but make sure you make the most of the experience by wearing a comfortable, well-fitting pair of mens yoga pants. enC n e ��x `y nscious for you to recycle as it takes many years to decompose at landfills. 

Recently, Yoga equipment companies have begun to use more environmentally friendly materials such as PER which is a polymer that decomposes easily but still has PVC-like physical properties.  This allows for us to use a biodegradable material while keeping material costs low and allowing cheap, good quality, yoga mats to be produced. 

Before purchasing a yoga mat, consider one of the cheaper alternatives before assuming more expensive is better.  You may just find that you can save money without sacrificing a ton of quality!

cheap yoga mats

Eventually, anybody who practices Yoga considers buying a yoga mat.  People choose to get their own yoga mat for many reasons: you can get one with an appearance that matches your own unique personality (c'mon guys you know you feel silly using the pink ones at the gym!), it offers you better support because you've custom ordered one that has the right firmness, thickness, and dimensions, and you won't have to worry about hygiene.  I don't know about you but I always feel a little icky at first posing on a mat that's been used by god-knows-who.  What you may not be aware of is that some mats cost up to $100 while regular ones are in the $20-$30 range.  Are the higher quality Yoga mats worth the extra cash?  What about cheap yoga mats?  Are they bad?

Believe it or not, for many people, purchasing cheap Yoga mats is a good decision.  Let me explain.

Many Yoga studios have cheap yoga mats made of PVC, while only a handful have decided to invest in high-quality rubber/latex or other natural material mats.  And there's a good reason for them using the PVC mats.  Cheap PVC mats provide adequate thickness, plenty of stability, are of a suitable width and length, wash without trouble, are resistant to bacteria (because they have closed-cells at the microscopic level) and they are light weight (the natural latex/rubber mats weigh a ton!).

You want to put some serious thought into how often you are going to do yoga and how many times per week you are going to attend class.  Keep in mind, as mentioned previously, that expensive mats are heavy and require regular cleaning and other conditioning.  Obviously, you don't want to have to throw away an expensive mat, so understand that when you buy an expensive one, you are committing yourself to taking care of it.  With cheap yoga mats, you don't have to worry about washing them or maintaining.  You simply use it for a few months, and then throw it away.  They provide plenty of adequate stability and support and are lightweight so they fit easily into almost any yoga bag for easy carrying to and from class.

The major downside to cheap yoga mats is that there are some disadvantages to the material they are made out of.  Cheap yoga mats are usually made of PVC, which is non-biodegradable, toxic, and has a distinct odor for the first few weeks.  If you are going to use PVC, it's environmentally conscious for you to recycle as it takes many years to decompose at landfills. 

Recently, Yoga equipment companies have begun to use more environmentally friendly materials such as PER which is a polymer that decomposes easily but still has PVC-like physical properties.  This allows for us to use a biodegradable material while keeping material costs low and allowing cheap, good quality, yoga mats to be produced. 

Before purchasing a yoga mat, consider one of the cheaper alternatives before assuming more expensive is better.  You may just find that you can save money without sacrificing a ton of quality!

christian yoga - part 3 )

Paul spends an entire chapter in 1 Corinthians 10 talking about idolatry. Read for yourself, beginning in chapter 9, verse 24 and then on through chapter 10. Several key elements to point out here. The first is that Paul obviously did some exercise, but he also focused more on conforming to God than to self (1 Cor 9, 24-27). He warns about idolatry and covers what happened to those of the old testament who fell into idolatry after being led out of egypt (among other sins in 1 Cor 10, 5-10). And finally he calls idolatry what it is (the theme of demons again) in verses 19-22.

Then Paul gives maybe the best advice of all in these types of situations.

23 "Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. (1 Cor 10, 23-24) 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Cor 10, 31-33)

The yogis themselves decry the whole idea of "christian yoga" because it tries to make yoga something it's not. Yoga is a complete system of spirituality that also includes some exercise. You can't really just take the exercise by itself and still have yoga - you end up with aggressive stretching or something. And you can't replace the spiritual enlightenment bits of yoga and stick God in there. It's a little like what the crusaders did - lopping heads off in the name of Christ. The activity and purpose are still something that just shouldn't be done, and pasting a cross on the top of it doesn't make it ok.

Do we all need to get a lot more exercise? Probably. Is yoga a great exercise system for balancing the body? Absolutely. But there are other things out there besides yoga that can do the same thing without all of the idolatry strings attached. Instead of grabbing a pair of scissors and whacking away at the strings, just go with a suitable "other." There are gobs of good stretching programs out there and even Pilates (which is still a bit weird in my book) if you feel like rigorous posing and stretching is the thing for you. Having been a personal trainer, I know that stretching and flexibility are the most overlooked components in any fitness routine and that most people would be much better off if they just skipped the jogging and worked on flexibility more than endurance.

But that doesn't mean that yoga is the only way to get in good and well balanced shape. It may be the oldest, but there are others that are just as effective and don't come with all the mythical gods and self worship. In other words, there is no such thing as "christian yoga." There are Christians who practice yoga, even if they probably should reconsider this, and there is yoga as it is traditionally practiced. But in the end biblical Christianity and yoga are mutually exclusive belief systems and trying to get them together is like trying to get two bits of matter to occupy the same place at the same time. It just doesn't work and you end up with a mess.

christian yoga part 2

People have tried to separate the asanas (that is the physical aspect of yoga) from the other nine parts. At which point all the yoga purists sneer and say it isn't really yoga at all without the other bits left in. In the christian yoga setting, the meditation on self is supposed to be replaced with meditation on God, but this is really a little ludicrous since you are trying to approach God from a self-discipline standpoint; and you might recall how that worked out for the pharisees.

But we don't have to really guess and wonder and argue too much about these sorts of things because we have a very clear guide in the bible. Two passages come immediately to mind that speak to this sort of thing, and merely from the physical standpoint. 1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1-8 sums it up pretty nicely:

1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

While I might not step out on the limb and call yoga and tantrism the doctrines of demons (although I get the distinct feeling I should) it definitely falls into the category of godless myths and old wives tales. and the passage above says to have nothing to do with it. It goes on to say that while physical training is of some (small) value that Godliness has value for all things. Godliness and adherence to doctrines that are not scriptural, old wives tales, myths and legends are not compatible. Here, from the wiki, is the myth about how Hatha yoga came to be:

Traditionally, Lord Shiva (आदिनाथ) is credited with propounding Hatha Yoga. It is said that on a lonely island, assuming nobody else would hear him, he gave the knowledge of Hatha Yoga to Goddess Parvati, but a fish heard the entire discourse, remaining still throughout. Lord Shiva took mercy on the fish (Matsya) and made him a siddha, who came to be known as Matsyendranaatha. Matsyendranaatha taught Hatha Yoga to Chaurangi, a limbless man who was given hands and feet by Matsyendranaatha just by looking at him. Hatha Yoga Pradipika mentions Adinaatha, Matsyendranaatha, Gorakhanaatah and many other yogis who became famous Hatha Yogis.

Maybe that clears it up for you. You've got fishes being transmuted into siddha (we're really getting into doctrines of demons there - self-salvation) and limbless fellows instantly growing limbs just by being looked upon. By the way, you might want to look up Lord Shiva on the wiki as well so you get an idea who he is supposed to be. In other words, the whole history and practice of yoga is inexorably tied up into the spiritualism and influence of ideals and practices that more than smack of things that are definitely non-biblical.

christian yoga

There are some really good reasons that yoga has never quite caught on in the United States, or anywhere else in western cultures, for that matter. For one thing, people in the west tend to be more of the "run until you drop" variety than anything approaching meditation. But primarily, the biggest reason that everyone doesn't do some form of yoga in places like the United States, as opposed to their Indian counterparts, is that the whole system of yoga is rather at odds with Christian belief at a fundamental level. So it's pretty interesting to see headlines for such a thing as "christian yoga" when the two terms are just about as mutually exclusive as they can get.

I would be the last one to get on anyones' case about some exercise. The bible is pretty clear that gluttony is a sin and you don't have to go searching very far to find evidence of over-indulgence. Our entire society is rife with over-indulgences. Will eating too much get you a one way ticket to hell? Probably not, but you're far better off following God's guidelines than you are doing it your way, and that's really the point of Christianity - setting aside self and your own desires and allowing God to replace those desires, which tend toward sinfulness, with His will, which is always perfect. No, it can't be done, only Christ himself was perfect, but the whole story of the Bible is about the fact that we need to be saved from our sins, which are many, and only God could provide a way for our sins to be forgiven. He did that by becoming a man and taking the punishment for our sins upon himself. There is nothing we can do, nor anything we should try to do to earn that salvation either. It's all about God, and God alone.

Yoga takes a very different approach. There is certainly nothing wrong with taking good care of your body, which the scriptures call the "temple of god," since God lives in us when we ask Him to. But you also have to be a little careful (or a lot, some people are quite narcissistic) that you do not begin to worship your body instead of the Lord himself. This, in effect is the main crux of the debate between yoga and christianity. Yoga is a kind of spiritual system, while not a complete religion, that also says that a complete religious system isn't necessary. Yoga teaches that all you need - is you. Yogis spend years training their bodies and minds to reach a sort of inner peace and enlightenment and become one with  . . . themselves.

In a sense, yoga is about worshiping you; your body, mind and spirit. While it is interesting that the system fully identifies the triune nature of humans (why people have trouble with the doctrine of the trinity is beyond me), it also opens the door to something approaching original sin. In case you don't know, the original sin is pride - satan committed this first sin before the dawn of time - pride being an overgrown sense of who and what you are. Lucifer decided he was bigger than the britches he had been given, and it was all downhill from there. Yoga, at it's very root, teaches self reliance; that you don't need anything but proper breathing and meditation to achieve complete unity with yourself, and that's all that you need in the universe. 

yoga ball

The term yoga ball is one of those things which should probably explode on the page the second that it is written. It is a bit like using a term like: slimming blubber. Ok, maybe it's not quite that much of a misnomer, but there really isn't any such thing as a yoga ball. You could read every traditional text on yoga and find absolutely nothing about a ball of any sort - at least until the mid 90's. But, there just happens to be a place in yoga for the use of a ball, but the ball should actually be called a "prop." There are some forms of yoga that make extensive use of props, but using a big rubber ball is a relatively new phenomenon.

And for good reason. Learning yoga, especially if you are wickedly out of shape can be pretty tough. Certain forms of yoga, like Hatha (which means 'forceful') and ashtanga can also be virtually impossible if you aren't already in pretty good shape, not to mention relatively thin, and probably young. So for those well past middle age and beginners who are starting from really ground zero or below, the use of certain props may be necessary even if the style doesn't call for it at all. It just so happens that this is precisely how the use of exercise balls entered the realm of the yoga classroom.

The ball, when used in yoga, is there to minimize the position to the point where someone with limited flexibility and strength can actually begin to work on the position without falling over, breaking or otherwise injuring something. Torn things lead to bad meditation after. Downward dog is wicked hard to do if your hamstrings are tight, and even folks who can touch the floor with their fingers will grimace while in this pose. The ball is used to take some of the pressure off the hamstrings and generate what might be called a "downward puppy." A much lighter version of the pose that a beginner can actually hold for more than a half second before exploding.

I'm just trying to be humorous, please dont think I look down even an inch at anyone who uses a ball for yoga. As a matter of fact I could probably have used something bigger and squishier when I started yoga. The real key to yoga is sticking with it consistently enough and for long enough that you end up being able to do the poses without props, and then actually lengthen into each poses even further. If you need to start with small props, you'll eventually get to using no props. If you need to start with big props you'll eventually move on to smaller props. Everyone has to start somewhere, and getting started is more important than where you start.

So, while there may still be no such thing as a yoga ball, per se, there are certainly good uses for an exercise ball during a yoga session. If you've never tried yoga before at all, you would probably do well to check out some of the other online resources (with pictures and everything) that show many yoga poses using a ball as a prop, or a class based on the use of props such as the ball. Just remember that (at least eventually) you're trying to get to the point where you're just doing yoga, and letting the kids play with the big rubber ball.

hatha yoga - part 2

Hatha practitioners believed that only through strenuous and physically demanding postures and practice could the body become prepared for the long hours of meditation to come later. It was, and presumably still is, said by Hatha yogis that the body must be purified before the soul can be enlightened. It is certainly easier to sit still and comfortable in the meditative poses required by yoga if you are in pretty good shape and very limber. Many people find yoga quite beneficial when it comes to these aspects of physical exercise.

Even though yoga has been purported to fix everything from obesity (fairly likely) to cancer (not so likely), it is certain that it is beneficial for almost anyone from a physical standpoint. Spiritualism aside, there is nothing but good to be gained from increasing flexibility and balance. It is certainly the case that relieving muscular tension reduces stress in the body, which definitely has the nice side effect of reducing emotional tension as well. Many aches and pains are nothing more than one area or side of the body being tighter and the other side not tight enough. Yoga addresses this wonderfully, strengthening the loose parts and loosening the rigid ones.

Hatha is well known and widely practiced, so there is a vast variety of literature, online resources and classes to be found in almost every part of the country. You might have a little difficulty finding a good Hatha class (or any other kind of yoga for that matter) in rural Oklahoma, but any large city will have one (even in Oklahoma). You may have to search around a little bit to find someone who teaches the asanas only, if you prefer not to indulge in the spiritualism of yoga, but there are also good videos and books that deal with only the asanas and poses themselves that have already done the separation for you.

In the end, Hatha is a popular style both in Hindu and Western cultures because it is rigorous, both physically and spiritually if you like. And at an age of six centuries plus, it also has the weight of time behind the practice, and there are a wide range of sub styles stemming from Hatha. If you are just beginning yoga, Hatha is a great place to start - even if you just want to find out whether you will enjoy yoga or not. Keep in mind that Hatha is fairly difficult and demanding, so you might need a little time to work into it, but you will certainly find that while it may take years to completely master Hatha, you can begin to enjoy it, and it's benefits, from day one.

Hatha Yoga

hatha yoga

There are many forms of yoga, so many, in fact, that the volume of variations and styles can be a little bewildering to people in the west. It's just not a part of our culture like it is in India. It's a bit like trying to describe to someone from Russia (or even New York for that matter) the difference between tacos and chalupas, or one musical style from another. But when you think of yoga, more than likely what you would generally recognize as "yoga" would be Hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga dates back to around the 15th century in India and Swatmahara. The Yogi Swatmahara wrote his treatise on yoga propounding the two main components he felt must be necessary in order to prepare the body vigorously for higher meditation. These two, the Praana and Apaana are referenced by the words Ha (meaning sun) and Tha (meaning moon). Thus the term Hatha was born.

While most of us in western cultures tend to look more at the physical activities of yoga, dissecting everything to its working parts, as it were, hatha yoga asanas (which are the poses) are only one part of a larger system of ten more major topics, plus many minor ones. In other words, all true yoga systems, including Hatha, have a physical component, but the physical component is just a small part of an entire system of meditation and spiritual pursuits with the ultimate goal of enlightenment.

Regardless of how you feel about all of that, it is pretty difficult to completely sever the asanas from the rest of the components of yoga. Many people have no wish to do so either. But for those who find the spiritual components of Hatha and other yoga types incongruent with their belief systems, it is at least possible to take the more aggressive bits of the asanas and use them as a form of exercise. Hatha lends itself fairly well to this, since it is one of the more physically demanding styles, although not the most athletic among it's peers.

In part two we will look more at some of the other aspects of Hatha Yoga.

health benefits of yoga

 In this very commercialized world that we live in there seem to be an endless number of things out there telling you that you will just "take this pill" or "do that routine" you will have found the fountain of youth in some way. It turns out that it may actually take a little time and effort to be in good health, to say nothing of being in great shape. But of all the pursuits and products you might be trying to decide between, there may be no more complete answer then yoga.

While there is no one form of exercise or diet that can solve everything all at once, yoga is about as close as you're likely to get. You'll never see a Yogi bench pressing 200 pounds. But you are not likely to see a 300 pound Yogi either. When it comes to good overall health and fitness, you really can kill all of your birds with one stone in just a few minutes of yoga practice every day.

You see, there are four aspects of physical fitness you need to be aware of. They are: strength, endurance, flexibility and performance. Unfortunately, most people base their workouts around performance and end up never doing a very good job with the other three parts. While a yoga workout will not leave you in the kind of shape required to do any serious lifting or the endurance to run a marathon, it is a fantastic flexibility style of exercise. And the thing about flexibility is that it improves your strength, endurance and performance. Although all four parts work together, the one that you should never ignore is flexibility. But in fact, that is exactly what most people do.

 With that being said, if you learn one of the more aggressive yoga styles such as Vinyasa or even Ashtanga, there is a certain amount of strength and endurance you were going to have to develop along with the flexibility in order to perform those particular yoga styles. In other words, while you might not get to the point where you can pick up a refrigerator by yourself, that's probably also not something you necessarily want to be able to do. But for every day fitness for most people, yoga will do more to give you a complete level of fitness than almost any other single type of exercise.

Now, you can find sales pitches for yoga that declare it can cure you of your every ailment. We're not here to either debunk or sell you on those. But what is obvious is that yoga will promote excellent posture and will certainly realign your body and do wonders for your joints. These benefits have been shown to improve back pains, arthritis and a number of other health issues related directly to the bones, muscles and joints.

Almost any form of exercise is going to give you some help benefits. Almost everyone could use to do a little more exercise and be in better shape. It only makes sense that being in better shape will improve your health. The nice thing about yoga is that it's cheap, fairly easy to learn and doesn't take a lot of time. You also don't have to be particularly athletically gifted in order to master yoga. We'll let other people sell you on the specifics of the health benefits of yoga, but we will say that if your choice is whether to exercise at all or do any one thing, yoga may very well be your best opportunity for the greatest health benefits in a single exercise style.