Yoga Cool Down

The cool down is an excellent time to stretch, helping your body relax and increasing flexibility. Gradually lowering your heart rate gives your body time to recover for its next workout.

Yoga for Healthy Knees: What You Need to Know for Pain Prevention and Rehabilitation

By time she was in her early twenties, Sandy Blaine was facing multiple traumatic knee injuries that left her in constant pain. After enduring extensive physical therapy with limited results, Blaine was amazed when a six-month exploration of Iyengar yoga caused her knee pain to disappear completely. Spurred by curiosity and gratitude to find out how this was possible, Blaine made a thorough investigation into recovering from knee pain through the practice of yoga. Her discoveries are revealed in Yoga for Healthy Knees. The book features 17 unique yoga poses tuned specifically to knee health and a complete index and covers knee problems such as hyperextension and tightness, features an extensive section on the best yoga poses for knee pain prevention and rehabilitation, and outlines a daily knee maintenance plan. Blaine explains how to incorporate use of simple props like blankets and towels, and shares safety guidelines that encourage readers to establish good habits, making healthy knees a part of everyday life.

Available at Amazon.com.

Yoga Abs: Moving from Your Core

A unique vocabulary exists that ascribes a variety of emotions to the belly: "my guts are in a knot," "I knew it in my gut," "gut-wrenching," and "no guts, no glory." Yet too often, more emphasis is placed on the way the abdomen looks than how it feels and functions - a sterling six-pack can mask true abdominal trouble. Yoga Abs outlines a series of exercises, yoga poses (asana), and breathing practices designed to achieve optimal health for this crucial area, which houses the organs of both digestion and procreation. Drawing on her experience as a yoga instructor and physical therapist, Judith Hanson Lasater discusses the anatomy and philosophical aspects of the abdomen and offers a set of movements that create awareness of important muscles while developing and maintaining abdominal strength. Each exercise and asana lists the props or supports needed, safety guidelines, and practice instructions, and the book includes practical guidelines for moving mindfully through everyday tasks.

Available at Amazon.com.

Agustin's Yoga Routine

Agustin Aguerreberry introduces his yoga routine that he does daily and encourages viewers to develop their own.

Yoga for the Feet by Tara Stiles

Come on feet! Tara Stiles returns with another installment of her yoga series devoted the feet.

Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual

This is the most user-friendly yoga book available! It contins 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.

Available at Amazon.com.

Concentration Yoga

Concentration yoga, over the mat in the valley…Tara Stiles seeks focus, concentration if you will in this routine designed to achieve…to achieve…uh, concentration!

Yoga for Pains in the Neck

Tara Stiles returns to demonstrate some of her favorite postures for alleviating neck pain.

Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga

The definitive guide to the philosophy and practice of Yoga--the ancient healing discipline for body and mind--by its greatest living teacher. Light on Yoga provides complete descriptions and illustrations of all the positions and breathing exercises.

Available on Amazon.com.

Yoga Warmup Lesson

A look at some relatively simple Yoga warmup techniques.

Binding Yoga with Tara Stiles

Whatever your take on yoga you're bound to like this segment of Tara's on binding yoga!

Yoga for the Hips with Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles shows a yoga routine to help open up the hips.

Yoga for Weight Loss with Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles has designed a yoga routine to shed some weight.

Lose Weight, Gain Health -- with 5 Dahn Yoga Exercises

Data gathered by Centers for Disease Control show that 65% of Americans are overweight and 31% are obese -- and both rates have doubled in the past 25 years.

According to Ilchi Lee (http://www.ilchi.com), president of the University of Brain Education (South Korea), "Our stressful lives and poor diets have been bad for our digestive system and therefore for our health. People are experiencing a build up of waste in their intestines, which negatively affects all our vital functions -- including the brain -- and has an unfavorable mental-emotional impact. One common result is putting on weight. Once this happens, a lack of proper exercise often keeps the weight on."

Dahn Yoga (http://www.dahnyoga.com) was founded by Lee to provide people in the U.S. and around the world with the tools to regain and maintain their body-mind fitness. Based in the principles of several thousand years of Asian health practices and modern brain research, Dahn Yoga classes (stretching, breathing and meditation) and individual healing sessions are ideal for weight and health management.

When asked why Dahn Yoga works, Lee explains, "When practiced diligently, this approach increases the circulation of fresh, oxygenated blood to your internal organs and throughout your entire body, allowing it to burn fat more effectively from the inside. This eliminates your accumulated toxins, especially in the digestive tract, caused by stress and tension." It also restores the body's sense of what foods it needs and how much is right for each person. The outcome is losing weight naturally and learning what is required to keep it off.

What can people expect from doing the full range of Dahn Yoga exercises? Many testimonials report these results: Pounds melt away as strength and flexibility increase. People improve their digestion and normalize their elimination. Their abdomens and thighs became tighter and firmer. They feel lighter, breathe easier, and look healthier and more attractive, which in turn builds confidence and self-esteem.

Lee recommends five exercises that have the specific benefit of decreasing weight and improving general health:

1. Abdomen Tapping. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the knees slightly bent. Lengthen and relax your spine, shoulders, neck and arms. With your palms, tap your abdomen in a rhythmic, striking motion, focusing on the feeling of inner vibration it creates. Do it at least 100 times a session, 2-3 sessions a day.

2. Intestinal Exercise. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the knees slightly bent. Lengthen and relax your spine, and relax your shoulders, neck and arms. Place your hands comfortably on your abdomen, with your two thumbs pointing toward the navel and your two index fingers touching each other to form a triangle. In a rhythmic pace, push your abdomen out as you inhale, and pull it toward your back as if you want it to touch your spine. Breathe comfortably. If your feel any pain in your intestines, stop and with your palms gently rub your abdomen in a clockwise circular motion. Start with 100 times a day, working up to 500 times.

3. Rocking the Spine. Sit on the floor, pulling your knees to your chest, feet together. Clasp your hands and lock your fingers around your shins. Keeping your chin tucked at all times, roll back on your spine and extend your legs toward the floor behind you. Start with 30 a day, working up to 100 times. Afterwards, pull your knees to your chest and rock from side to side to massage your spine.

4. Fish Exercise. Lie on the floor, with your arms and legs extended. Lace your fingers and stretch your arms up, while relaxing your neck and shoulders. Keeping your feet together, sweep your upper body and lower body in the same direction, toward the right and then the left, feeling your torso being stretched and stimulated. Do 30 repetitions, 3 times a day.

5. Shaking the Extremities. Lie on your back, and lift your arms and legs straight up from the body. Relax your entire body. Rapidly shake your extremities so that your entire body vibrates. Keep breathing slowly in and out of your abdomen. Do this exercise for 2 minutes, 3 times a day.

Lee points out, "Besides exercising regularly, it is important that you do two other things: First, modify your diet to ease the burden on your digestive system and absorb maximum nutrition and energy. And second, release the emotions that contributed to the weight gain, and access the inner resources needed to support the emergence of the new, thinner you."

For January 2008, certain Dahn Yoga Centers in the U.S. are offering free, open classes in weight loss and health gain. Find out their locations and schedules (http://www.dahnyoga.com/general/news_view.asp?id=445).

Source: PRWeb

Yoga for Beginners with Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles demonstrates a basic yoga routine for anyone interested in getting started. Remember, breathing is important.

Restorative Yoga with Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles is back to demonstrate restorative yoga poses that are comfortable and can be held a long time to bring the body back into balance.

Yoga for Home with Tara Stiles

Tara Stiles has developed a yoga routine that can be done at home that takes between 60-90 minutes. Get a mat and get to it!

Tired of Fatigue? Try 6 Dahn Yoga Exercises for Vibrant Energy

Fatigue, the persistent lack of physical or mental energy and motivation, is increasingly common in our stress-filled world. It is often accompanied by muscle aches, apathy, lethargy and drowsiness. Fatigue is a normal response to high emotional stress, physical exertion, boredom and inadequate sleep. However, it may be a sign of more serious physical and psychological problems, such as depression, under active thyroid, sleep disorder and allergy.

According to Ilchi Lee (http://www.ilchi.com), president of the University of Brain Education (South Korea), "Overcoming physical and emotional fatigue requires a balanced approach of good nutrition, sound sleep, and the energy-related practices of regular exercise, deep relaxation and stress-managing strategies."

As the founder of Dahn Yoga (http://www.dahnyoga.com), modern integrated body-mind fitness training with roots in ancient Korean health practices, he adds, "In terms of oriental health principles, yoga is well suited to counter fatigue and restore energy because the human body is an 'energy-circulating system,' of meridian channels and with acupressure points. Excessive stress and tension block the energy flows, depriving the brain and the rest of the body of their natural vitality."

Lee explains, "Dahn Yoga combines stretching, breathing and meditation exercises to improve how the brain and body generate the vibrant energy needed by people to live well." He describes six Dahn Yoga exercises to revitalize their lives.

1. Take a Bow. When you sit for long periods, this posture is effective for stimulating the spine and nervous system. It stretches the inner thighs, chest, abdomen and waist. Lock your fingers behind your neck. Inhale. With feet together and stationary, turn your body to the left. Bend from the waist and bring your head toward your left knee. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Move your head and trunk toward your right knee. Hold for 5 seconds. Exhale as you slowly return to a standing position. Repeat the exercise twice, alternating both sides.

2. Let's Swing. Invigorate your body and increase your circulation with this graceful swinging posture. Place your feet parallel, shoulder-width apart. Relax your knees. Extend one arm forward, slightly raised with relaxed elbows, and the other behind you. Imagine that you are gracefully dancing. Slowly bounce while moving your head toward the arm behind you. Repeat this motion in the opposite direction.

3. Happy Giraffe. Reward yourself with a massage to get rid of neck tension. Rapidly rub your hands together to warm them. Massage the back of your neck with your fingertip pads. Slowly rotate your neck in a circular motion to the right (clockwise) and then to the left (counterclockwise). Massage your trapezius muscles (below the neck and along the spine) and then the length of your arms. Do for up to 5 minutes

4. Pedal Pusher. This exercise relieves lower extremity fatigue and enhances your stamina. Lie on your back and raise your legs straight up, keeping the knees relaxed. Support the back of your waist with both hands. As if you are riding a bicycle, move your legs, making a big motion. Be sure that your neck and shoulders are relaxed. Do for up to 5 minutes.

5. Awakened Brain. This simple outdoor practice will awaken your brain, stimulate your body's energy, and give you precious time alone with your self. Season permitting, go outdoors to get more in touch with your senses. Without shoes, walk slowly on grass or soak your feet in warm water. This activates your feet's many acupressure points. Next, stand still. Close your eyes and focus on the air and smells around you, on the sounds and the sensation of grass or water on your bare feet. Do this exercise for up to 5 minutes each day.

As Lee concludes, "You are the master of your life, or 'your fatigue is yours, not you.'" For more information on Dahn Yoga, visit http://www.dahnyoga.com, or phone 1-877-HSP-YOGA.

Source: PRWeb

Yoga Balancing Act with Tara Stiles

Are you listing? Off kilter? Try Tara Stiles yoga poses for balance and restore your equilibrium.