3 Yoga Poses To Help You Increase Your Height

In addition to helping you to improve strength, balance and flexibility, yoga has been shown to be very effective in helping people to increase their height.

You need to note that if you are a full grow adult, yoga will not help you to "grow" but it will rather help you to appear taller by stretching your spine. Here yoga creates a space between vertebrae and helps you to support this extension.

Yoga also helps you to improve your posture and correct the curvature in your spine thus helping you to appear taller over time. If you want to appear taller, here are some of the beneficial poses that you can engage in:

Mountain pose

This is a very simple pose that easily strengthens your arms, legs and spine. To assume the pose you need to stand straight with your feet together and your spine erect. You should ensure that your hands are by your side and your palms are facing your thighs.

At this position you should clasp both of your hands with your fingers and inhale deeply while lengthening your spine and stretching your hands above your head. For ideal results you should ensure that you palms are facing the ceiling.

At this position you should lift your heel and balance yourself by standing on your toes. You should then stretch your entire body as much as possible then exhale while returning back to your original position.

Revolved triangle pose

Also known as the inverted triangle pose, this move strengthens your back and improves your body balance and as a result you gain height.

You need to stand on both your legs and lift your hands and keep them in line with your shoulders. Turning your torso towards your right, you should touch your right foot with your left hand. For ideal results you should ensure that your right hand is facing upwards and your fingers are pointing outwards.

Looking towards your fingertips, you should hold in this position for 30 seconds then repeat the pose with the other side.

Hand to foot pose

The good side with this pose is that it focuses on every part of your body from the head to the toe and as a result it helps you to easily gain some extra height. The pose is ideal for people with a shorter upper part.

Here you should stand straight with your feet together and your arms alongside your body. While inhaling, you should extend your arms over your head and bend towards your feet.

You should then move your chest towards your knees and lift your hips and tailbone. Pressing your heels down, you should let your head relax and move it gently towards your feet. You should hold in this position until tension starts to build.

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Choose The Best Yoga Retreat For Your Well Being

The right retreat can help reboot your life. Many retreat facilities double as vacation sites and a place to find direction and clarity. Ideally, yoga facilities are recommended for persons with health problems, such as heart problems.

Furthermore, if you need your spirit refreshed, to rediscover a balanced life and reignite your purpose for living, a yoga retreat is a good place to start. The internet offers a great resource to start searching for a retreat center.

• Location

It is possible to find a yoga facility in any part of the world. Undertake some research in order to discover new places you may like to explore. Self-examination should help you know whether you are a nature person, a mountain person, a beach person, or a city person.

It is equally important to determine if you want a retreat facility that is sorely dedicated to yoga or a facility that offers other activities, such as cycling, mountain biking, hiking, surfing, or skiing. The secret is to find a destination that offers more.

• Teacher guides

Familiarize yourself with the trainers guiding the retreat and find out their years of experience in operating the retreat and teaching yoga. It is equally important to ask for references you can contact in order to know the experiences of former practitioners in the yoga facility. Client testimonials can also help you acquire some form of insight about the facility and teacher guides.

A retreat is like a short-term "teacher training". Therefore, it is important to determine whether you feel comfortable with the style of yoga offered (i.e. Ashtanga, Anusara, Bikram, Baptiste, Vinyasa, Forrest, etc.). Furthermore, find out the level of yoga offered at the facility (i.e. multi-level, beginner, intermediate and advanced).

• Theme of retreat

If you are planning to visit a yoga retreat, it is important to know what you hope to achieve by the end of the program. Perhaps to get over old emotions, make new friends, lose weight, or get direction for your life. Therefore, it is advisable to read the workshop and/or theme description carefully and choose a retreat that helps you achieve your goals.

For instance, if you are interested in physical activity and exercise, a retreat facility that is based on self-development and life coaching may not meet your expectations. If you are interested in tranquility and end up finding training loaded with lots of physical activity, this may not be the best retreat for you.

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Top 5 Benefits Of Aerial Yoga

Aerial yoga or yoga fly is a new kind of workout exercised on the hammock fabric and not on the floor. It is equivalent to traditional yoga. The only thing that makes a difference is that it is exercised in the air, just slightly off the ground. This form of yoga consists of a series of exercises influenced by yoga, Pilates, calisthenics and aerial acrobatics to achieve a total-body workout. Let's discuss top 5 benefits of aerial yoga that not only keep you active but also give you a reason to live a better and healthy lifestyle.

Complete body workout: This form of yoga makes your yoga sessions more adventurous. This exercise forces all the body parts to move and stretch in a proper manner. With this exercise, you can easily tone your body, and redefine, regenerate and strengthen all joints. That is why, this exercise can be used for physical rehabilitation.

Activation of inner body: This exercise is absolutely suitable for regulating the functioning of the internal body. With it, you can easily eliminate localized fat collection, circulate blood, tone the body, reduce stress levels, and delay ageing process as it reactivates your circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems. Moreover, the exercise is good for boosting your mental abilities and relaxing your mind.

Psychologically beneficial: The newest form of yoga helps you rebuild your emotional system as it is capable of making you free from tension and stress. It also helps you strengthen the neural connections related to memory and intelligence.

Develop new body skills: Although aerial yoga is a form of yoga, yet it is a little bit different as it enables you to exercise all yoga forms in the air. It lets you perform the new and improved movements so that you can develop body skills that you fail to achieve with regular yoga exercises done on the floor.

Spiritually uplifting: When you go for this sort of exercise, you feel highly relaxed and energetic and this leads you to experience more joy and optimism. That is why the spiritual benefits of aerial yoga are undeniable.

Remember: This yoga uplifts your creativity that ultimately leads you to develop your own artistic skills.
On the basis of the mentioned-above benefits, it can be said that aerial yoga is a good exercise for developing both the body and mind. To get the best out the newest yoga form, you should follow aerial yoga instructor trainings so that you can achieve maximum benefits with the least efforts.

Jasmine Patricia is a good pilates station instructor, they provide aerial yoga and aerial yoga instructor trainings with certificate. Please visit for more information at: Pilatesstation.co.th

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How To Teach Yoga Classes: Five Easy Tips And Tricks

Teaching any unique skill is going to require time, patience, and complete devotion. With yoga, the pressure is even more overwhelming as teachers must carefully orchestrate and execute class after class. Luckily, all it takes is a little practice and planning beforehand to ensure that each session runs smoothly and brings the most amount of health and happiness to each and every attendee. For those that are wondering how to teach yoga classes, here is a look at some simple tips that can be used to make every single session as memorable and hassle-free as possible.

Understanding Specializations

While some teachers may explore multiple specializations within yoga, most are going to focus on a single form. Each of the various styles of yoga come with their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is important for an up-and-coming teacher to explore which style they will personally benefit from as it will make both the training process and teaching both easy and rewarding. A few of the most popular specializations include Bikram, Ashtanga, Hatha, and Kripalu.

Completing Training and Certification

For those that are just now exploring how to teach yoga classes, it is important to know that the training and certification process will take some time. The requirements change between every single studio or gym, but most will want a minimum of 200 hours of certified training with that specific form of yoga. It is also important to explore options for CPR or other emergency services for anyone that will be entering into the field of fitness. Advanced training and certification, typically needed for teachers that would like to work with injured students or unique demographics, will need 500 hours or more of training.

Start Out Simple

With all of the training and testing out of the way, it is time for teachers to begin planning out exactly how they would like their classes to go. While it may be tempting to have a complex lineup of movements spanning different levels of difficulty, most will want to start out simple. Teachers can create a basic lineup of movements and then practice the entire sequence a few times before each class. This is also the best time to explore options for music, ambient noises, or any other simple additions.

Practicing What You Love

The easiest way to ensure that classes go smoothly and everyone gets as much out of it as possible is for teachers to emphasis what they personally enjoy. Teachers should focus on the needs of their students and cater to whatever demographics they are teaching, but students also feed off the passion of their teacher. Infusing as much personality as possible into each session will result in satisfied students and a genuinely powerful experience.

Prepare for the Unexpected

Teachers should plan each session and continue honing their skill, but there is no amount of preparation that will prevent mishaps from taking place. At some point, every teacher will misstep during a sequence or have to teach while they are not feeling well, but remembering why they teach yoga and focusing on the benefits it brings to their students will make any unexpected problems nothing more than a minor, forgettable problem.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

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Enhance Your Career Opportunities With A Power Yoga Instructor Certification Program

While there are many forms of yoga that are practiced around the world, power yoga has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent decades. Many people compare this style of yoga to Ashtanga yoga, but it varies slightly. One of the main differences between these two vigorous styles of yoga relates to the poses. In Ashtanga, students are led through a serious of poses, but there is more free form and fluidity to power yoga. The flexibility in the structure of the power yoga class means that the instructor chosen to lead the class has a considerable impact on the overall impact of the class on students. Often, students will search for an instructor whose class they enjoy, and they will continue to use the services of the instructor for health and wellness benefits. Those who are interested in pursuing a fulfilling and active career as a power yoga instructor will need to follow a power yoga instructor certification program.

Where to Find Certification Classes

A power yoga instructor certification program generally provides a graduate with the ability to obtain a job as an instructor at a wide range of gyms, fitness centers and yoga centers. Some yoga centers that offer classes to members or to the general public also offer training and certification programs for those who wish to become instructors. Often, certification programs are advertised through a studio's website or through the center itself.

The Typical Features of a Certification Program

The majority of certification classes require the student to spend approximately 200 hours or longer in a classroom. A typical program provides students with in-depth knowledge of an expansive range of yoga terminology and poses. Students may be taught how to modify postures and breathing techniques for the benefit of individual students, how to be inspirational to students and how to structure a class for maximum benefit and enjoyment. Everything from assisting and correcting students with postures to how to demonstrate poses and observe poses is taught in the program. In addition, some programs also provide business-oriented instruction for those who wish to run their own yoga classes. Many provide perks and incentives to students, such as assistance finding a job as an instructor after graduation, free classes in the studio while they are students, refresher courses with classes after graduation and other benefits.

How to Search For a Training Program

While many features in a certification program are similar from school to school, it is important to note that there are key differences. When you are searching for a training program, you may consider taking a few classes at the school to get a feel for the ambiance in the facility and to meet the instructors personally. In addition, pay attention to course schedules, flexibility to make up classes that are missed and other details. The best facility is one that has a relaxed environment that you feel comfortable in and that is focused on making the program as beneficial for students as possible.

Many who obtain a power yoga instructor certification will work as a private instructor or will be hired to work in a yoga facility or fitness center. This is a great option to consider for those who love yoga and who are looking for a fulfilling part-time or full-time position.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

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Simple Steps For Yoga Student Safety

Few physical activities are as beneficial as yoga. The practice of yoga cultivates physical strength, stamina, flexibility and proper breathing. The benefits don't end there, as yoga helps participants develop mental clarity, concentration and peace of mind. Yoga is a high performance tool that develops both physical and psychological well-being. Like any good tool, however, yoga can do harm if not used properly. Before including this valuable practice in your wellness regimen, consider the following steps that promote yoga student safety.

Consult Your Physician

As with any exercise activity, it's a good idea to speak with your physician before beginning yoga. Practiced properly, yoga stretches and strengthens muscles and develops flexibility in joints, ligaments and tendons throughout the body. Yoga also requires an increasing level of cardiovascular fitness as the practice progresses to longer sessions and more challenging poses. For all of these reasons, it's wise to seek the advice of your doctor to before you launch a yoga practice.

Find a Qualified Teacher

Whether you plan to attend yoga classes or pursue yoga independently through books or videos, it makes sense to do your homework and find a teacher or other resource that provides expert knowledge of yoga in a safe and positive way. Today's Internet enabled world makes this job easy. Most any yoga teacher, book or video series that's been used by a large number of people has been reviewed by users, and it's easy to find these reviews online. Take the time to research the resources you plan to use and read the reviews. Find resources with lots of positive user reviews that express satisfaction and praise for the physical benefits received.

View a Class

Most yoga instructors will allow you to view one of their classes before you participate actively. This gives you the chance to observe their teaching technique and the level of difficulty of the poses and postures they teach. Depending on your fitness and prior experience with yoga, certain levels of difficulty may prove dangerous and increase your likelihood of injury. This is particularly true if the teacher is not observant and attentive to students, or if they push students to perform difficult poses. Fortunately, most yoga teachers do a good job and promote safe practice that's tailored to each individual's capabilities, but it still makes sense to observe a class before you begin. If you choose to pursue yoga independently using one of the many videos that are available, it's wise to view the video all the way through without performing the poses to make sure the level of difficulty is appropriate for your circumstances.

Get the Right Gear

Yoga clothing and equipment such as a mat, blocks and bands are about more than just style. Properly fitted clothing promotes easy movement that can help you avoid pulled muscles and strained joints, and good quality accessories help you perform postures properly to maximize their benefits and reduce the chance for injury. If you are unsure what to buy, consult your teacher or read online or other resources.

Yoga is a wonderful practice that provides physical and mental benefits for a lifetime. Make the most of your practice and follow these steps to promote safety and well-being as you begin your journey with yoga. Namaste!

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

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Yoga Poses To Firm Your Butt

Yoga not only helps you to balance your body and mind, but it also helps you to stretch and strengthen your muscles. If you want to tone your butt muscles, here are some of the poses that you should engage in:

Traditional squat

Here you need to put your feet hip width apart and then sit down as if you are sitting in a chair. You should then put your hands on your hips and then lean back. For ideal results you should lean back until your can't take it anymore. Once you reach your maximum position you should inhale and come back up.

Crescent lunge

Here you need to step back with the right foot and then bend the left knee. You should then lower down so that the left thigh is parallel to the floor. You should hold in this position for some time and then change your legs so that the right foot is forward and bent.

You should then hold in position for some time and then release the pose when you feel tension building. For ideal results you should do at least five repetitions of this pose.

Balancing table

This works the gluteal, back and abdominal muscles. You should start on your hands and knees and then lift your right arm straight out in front of you and the left leg straight behind you. You should then pull your belly in towards your spine and inhale as you lift your arm and leg higher.

At this position you should hold for a few breaths and then exhale as you place your hand and knee back on the floor. For ideal results you should repeat the other side by lifting your right leg and left arm.

High lunge variation

This pose not only tones your gluteal muscles, but it also tones your hamstrings and quadriceps. You should start from the downward facing dog and then step your right foot between your hands and rise into a lunge. Here you should ensure that your back leg is straight and your front knee is bent.

You should also ensure that your shin is perpendicular to the floor. At this position you should stretch your arms over your head and keep your belly pulled in and up. You should then take several breaths and return your hands to the floor then switch legs and repeat with your left leg forward and right leg back.

These are some of the best poses that you can engage in to firm your butt. For ideal results, it's recommended that you practice in a yoga studio.

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Yoga Poses To Firm A Sagging Chin And Neck

Do you know that you can firm up your sagging skin under your chin and neck using yoga? Here are some of the most beneficial poses.

Seated forward bend

Here you need to sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of your body and then stretch your arms above your head. You should then lean forward over your legs and hug your knees. For ideal results you should hold in this position until you feel tension building.

Bow pose

This pose stretches the front of your body from the neck to the ankles. To assume the pose you need to lie on the floor on your stomach and then bend your knees and move your feet towards your buttocks.

You should then reach down with your arms and grasp your ankles. At this position you should gently raise your upper body and your thighs off the floor while at the same time grasp your ankles. Again you should hold in this position until tension starts to build.

Fish pose

The fish pose stretches the muscles on all sides of the neck. To assume the pose you need to roll over onto your back while keeping your legs straight.

You should then tuck your hands under your buttocks with your palms facing down. With your forearms on the floor, you should lift your lower back, middle back, and your shoulders.

For ideal results you should ensure that your buttocks and lower body are stationary. You should hold in this position until tension starts to build.

Cat pose

By doing this pose you easily stretch your neck and back muscles. Yoga experts say that this is the best exercise for toning the neck. You start the pose by placing your hands on the floor and kneel.

When you do this the body should form a table with your knees directly under your hips. With your arms straight and your palms flat on the ground, you should look directly on the floor. You should hold in this position for up to 5 seconds.

Cobra pose

This move focuses on the chest and neck muscles. You start the pose by placing your body flat on the floor. For ideal results you should ensure that you are facing the floor.

With your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders, you should tuck in your elbows so that they are close to your torso. You should then slowly move your upper body off the floor starting with your chest.

You should then move your upper body into an upright position and keep your palms on the ground until your arms are straight.

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How to Choose the Best Yoga Management Software

Administration of the yoga business as the owner of yoga studio or as a teacher could give one happiness in teaching and sharing yoga to the people. But this is business where the owner has to maintain a lot of staffs and teachers in order to make the business running. It is not easy to maintain the finance reports, do marketing and advertisements and grow business. To reduce the workload of administrative affairs there is the yoga management software having different features which would help in the management of yoga business. This studio software is also used in pilates, personal training, dance, martial arts, fitness, health club and salons.

Robust scheduling capacity

The business administrator should remember that class and private session is the heart of the business. So scheduling software would only allow getting the automatic bookings, email responder software and the credit card processor to make the upfront payment. There is central database creating the scheduling software. Postal digital calendars are updated automatically. Calendars posted throughout the website would do changes fast in one calendar. The software would enable to log in, book and reserve for private classes and pay online through credit card. Auto responder software associated with booking of private classes and payment of fees would send email messages to students. Even if someone cancels classes or those who are in the waiting lists would get chances thus reducing no-class shows.

Centralized Database for students

As the owner of yoga business the tracking of students through spreadsheets is done efficiently. That same thing cannot be managed from Excel. Any properly programmed database is used to manage the student contact database. To expand business this contact database is very important because as the yoga business owner the student contact information is highly important to exchange various information from time to time. If the contacts are integrated in the email software then automatically the messages would be received by the students immediately.

Autoresponder Email Integration

Without Email Auto responding software program the emails are sent at pre-defined hours. When there are a bunch of e-mail messages regarding notice of sales, vacancies of class and events those could be sent on the specified date to all students. Even if a student joins for the class the news could even be sent to the newcomer's mail address without delay. So triggering the series of email messages is the primary importance of the email software.

Processing Credit Card with E-commerce capability

Credit card processing is always a hassle. The 'on the cloud' software provides the facility at the minimal costs to process credit cards in the computer. With this processing the administrator could integrate class schedules after getting the upfront payment. Even the e-commerce option could enable any business owner to sell retail goods with best packages. Also such package could provide great revenue and referrals.

Payroll Management

Tracking independent contractors with classes and paying the remuneration is a hectic job. If the yoga business class uses the software where from the scheduling of classes to remuneration management all could be figured out instantly along with the students' who are paying hourly fees and flat fees could be instantly checked without much tracking and hassle.

Swipe students' cards and capability of tag

Yoga studios issue swipe cards or tags enable students to scan attendance. They are fast and ready to use. Even they are convenient for students. Swipe technology has been in use for the yoga business studio providing a great convenience to students and the management department. Such software could save time and money for installation and software network costs.

Online Yoga Studio Management Software provided Mybeststudio.com. Get a handle on your yoga studio class schedule, registration & billing the easy way. Find more information about yoga studio software at - http://www.mybeststudio.com/studio-management-software.php

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What Type Of People Should Take Yoga Teacher Training Online?

Many people opt to become yoga instructors, oftentimes by taking yoga teacher training online. However, there are many yoga students who have considered undergoing teacher training, but aren't sure if this career path is right for them. While there is certainly a difference between a student who's passionate about yoga and a full-fledged instructor, both share a passionate interest in yoga, meditation and advancing their practice. To help determine whether or not teacher training is right for you, here are some of the qualities that make for a good yoga instructor.

Someone Who Lives and Breathes Yoga - If you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is heading off to a class, then you might just be a perfect candidate for teacher training. Yoga teachers share a deep and universal love for their practice. They say that those who do what they love will never work a day in their lives. If yoga is your passion, a career as an instructor could be perfect.

Someone Who Want To Help People - In the media, yoga has gotten the reputation of being nothing more than a mere workout. However, passionate yogis know that this is simply not the case. Yoga has been known to treat a wide array of physical and psychological ailments, from depression to physical injuries to insomnia and more. Those who feel that it is their calling to help people would be happy in a position as a yoga instructor. As a teacher, you'll not only help your students to advance their practice, but to deal with issues that they have been struggling with in their lives.

Someone Who Wants To Own a Studio - Many yogis harbor the not-so-secret dream of someday owning their own studio. While some studio owners don't have their certification, the vast majority do. By having your teacher certification, you'll be a better studio owner. You'll have a good understanding of what makes a great teacher and also have the option to potentially teach a few classes on your own.

Someone Who Wants To Deepen Their Practice - Not everyone who takes teacher training online is completely positive that they want to switch careers and become an instructor. Sometimes, enthusiastic yogis enroll in instructor training for the simple reason that they are ready to deepen their practice and get a better understanding of yoga. Even if you aren't sure that you want to become a teacher full-time, investing in teacher training will help you to expand your practice and become a better yogi.

Teacher training can be invaluable to a wide array of yogis. Even if you aren't positive that you are ready to become a full-time instructor, passionate yogis often find that teacher training programs help them to improve their own practice and get a better understanding of the deeper meaning of yoga. For those who are ready to definitely become yoga instructors, teacher training is the crucial first step towards beginning your new journey as an instructor. By devoting your life to yoga, you'll gain a sense of peace and joy that all novice yogis aspire to obtain. Namaste.

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

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Chair Yoga for Office Workers To Feel Instant Relief of Neck and Shoulder Pain

When you tell someone you're an office worker of whatever role, the only real dangers assumed are that of a paper cut. Very few realise the real dangers that lurk in every office.

When you're hunched over a desk, the most notorious pains are in the shoulders, neck and back.

This one exercise is one of many for chair yoga for office workers to use anytime

I use it daily and it works a charm every time.

Introducing You to the Seated Neck Roll

Since I sit a desk for most of the day, I love the seated neck roll. Now if you've any problems with your spine, or a neck injury, do not even attempt to do this.

For those in good physical shape, but sit for a long time, you'll no doubt experience stiffness in your neck.

You might be used to the old-fashioned elbows back, shoulders forward that all of us seem to do out of habit. (think of your first stretch when you get of bed)

With the seated neck roll, once you feel the instant benefits, you'll go back to this time and again because it's so simple, yet so powerful it's like having tension relief instantaneously.

All you do is perch your neck out long, looking up to the ceiling.

As you lift your head, inhale deep through your nose and feel the air as it fills your lungs.

Slowly but gently shift your head from the upwards gaze, to bring your right ear toward your right shoulder. Exhale as you do and you'll feel the tension release. You'll also feel the stretch on the left side of your neck.

That's why you should never do this if you're any neck or spinal injuries.

With your head tilted to the right, slowly bring your neck into line with your chest and embrace that relaxation.

Then repeat to the opposite side of your neck.

I find just five neck rolls are enough to relieve tension and they can be done in any amount of rolls, at any time you feel the need to.

Never push more than you can though.

Some say that you can add your arms into the movement by crossing the right arm the left side of the head, using your arms to pull your head to the opposite side. I do not recommend you do that as it could result in you forcing the move, rather than going as far as you comfortably can.

Just remember if you feel pain, your body is telling to stop.

Pain is not strain though. A gentle stretch and you'll feel strain.

Not pain.

If you feel any pain, just don't do it.

And if you don't know the difference between pain and strain, then speak to a professional before continuing.

Using just that one chair yoga movement provides instant pain relief. You can discover more by visiting http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga

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Discover the 1 Chair Yoga Pose for Beginners to Experience Tranquility on Demand

Nobody practices becoming a couch potato, but certain lifestyles and careers lead to health issues stemming from immobility. The only way to keep mobility for longer is to use what you already got.

Assuming you have a chair, I'll share with you how to get the best out of it.

You see, when you're sitting for dismal periods of time, it's like you're inviting ill-health into your life.

Even sitting in waiting rooms, travelling on an airplane, train, or driving for long hours, you're not actively engaging your major joints that keep the joint aches at bay.

Inactivity causes aches and pains, and that gets worse with age.

• The more you work your joints, the more flexible you become
• The more you become aware of your breathing, the more mindful you become.

Mindful awareness with flexibility improvements, brings a complete new meaning to total body health.

How you do is through yoga.

The most gentle of yoga practice is done with the chair you're sitting on.

You Need to Learn to Breathe before Doing Chair Yoga for Beginners!

As silly as that sounds, there is a fundamental breathing technique that makes yoga work tremendously for stress relief, and a holistic healing exercise for all sorts of health woes.

Breathing brings your mind and body together, for complete relaxation instantly.

Proper breathing starts with a straight back. Sitting upright, put both hands on your belly.

Breathing from deep in your diaphragm with your hands there lets you focus on how your body is working.

Inhale through your nose, feeling your stomach push out with the intake of oxygen. As it pushes its way up your body, you will start to feel the air fill your lungs, and then you exhale and feel the tension leave with it.

The one chair yoga pose every beginner starts with is the seated mountain pose.

It's the grounding for every chair yoga sequence, and here's how you do it...

How to get your body into the Seated Mountain Pose

If you have a good strong back, then place yourself to the edge of your seat. If you need to support your back, then use a chair with a flat back that will help you keep your spine straight.

With your butt planked to the edge of your seat, perch your back up straight, so that when you inhale, your belly and chest thrust forward.

Practice a few rounds of mindful breathing, with your hands across your belly, and then place both your hands on your knees.

• Butt cheeks to the edge of your seat
• Back straight
• Palms of hands resting on your knees
• Legs hips width apart

The above is the seated mountain pose used between sequences..

In the seated mountain pose you have one goal - None

The instant you put a goal into the sequence, such as to become relaxed, you're forcing it by focusing on that goal.

Without a goal in mind, you can put your full energy and focus into the yoga poses and breathing that will leave you feeling relaxed and decompressing each muscle worked with different chair yoga poses.

Now you know how to do the seated mountain pose, click here to discover chair yoga sequences you can use today for instant muscle and mental stress relief http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robbie_Bowman

3 Of the Best Exercises Using Chair Yoga for Back Pain

Regardless how active or inactive you are, back pain will surface. Second to the cold, it's the most common health problem we all have.

The solution is not to reach for the painkillers in the medicine cabinet, but to take a proactive approach to work with your back, improve spinal alignment through body posture.

You're about to learn just 3 ways to do that without leaving your chair.

• First up - The Lateral Stretch

You're already familiar with this one. After a good nights rest, you rise out of bed, and take a big long stretch. Arms raised to the ceiling, straightening your back.

For some reason that first stretch of the day has a magnificent energizing feel to it.

You can capitalise on that feeling any time you're feeling the tension build in your lower back region.

All you do is bring yourself to the edge of your seat, and straighten your back.

Then...

Inhaling through your nose, bring your arms out in a wide stretch, raising them up so that the end position is both hands outstretched above your head. Hold that position for a few breaths, and lower your arms back down.

• Next up - The Cat Cow Pose

The easy way to remember this one is to

a) Inhale and arch your spine

b) Exhale and round your spine

As you inhale and arch your spine, stretch your neck towards the ceiling.

As you exhale, round your spine and lower your neck so your nose is pointing toward your chest.

Do not try it if you've got chronic pain, or any neck injury.

• 3rd - The Seated Twist

For a quick five-minute twist, this one works miraculously. It works best if you have sidearms on your chair, so it's perfect as an armchair yoga exercise.

Sitting with your back straight, take one hand and place on your opposite knee, with your other hand on the back of the chair to the same side you're other hand is placed.

From that side position, gently move your neck so that you're looking over your shoulder. You'll feel the stretch on your neck and lower back, but the instant you feel it too much, don't force your neck around any further.

You should feel a comfortable stretch and nothing painful.

Go only as far as what feels comfortable to you.

There you have it -

3 Chair yoga exercises for back pain prevention

1. The seated lateral stretch
2. The seated cat cow pose
3. The seated Twist

Practicing those just twice a week will...

• Increase spinal flexibility
• Strengthen your upper and lower back
• Tone and stretch your abdominal muscles
• Improve your circulation
• Reduce back, neck and shoulder tension

The above are only touching on chair yoga exercises for back pain... to discover even more awesome stuff about what chair yoga can do for you, click here to visit http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robbie_Bowman

Chair Yoga for Seniors Gives the Upper Hand in Aging Ailments

A coupon arrives in the post for a free game of bingo on the Friday evening session. You have two choices of what you do with it.

1. Use it
2. Lose it

The same goes for your mobility. You can use it or you will eventually lose it.

Flexibility is one of the highest concerns for an aging population.

• Joints stiffen
• Reflexes slow
• Aches and pains come par for the course.

That is if you choose to let it get you down.

Even when mobility and associated health problems charge at you, dishing out chronic back pain, sciatica, arthritis, or even constipation...

You can fight back without leaving your seat.

Every health concern, and life woe that worries you adds to a burden of stress.

Stress is a part of life! You can work with it and manage stress healthily, or you can let it rule the roost and dominate your life.

Do you know how severe unhealthy stress is?

It can lead to:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• High levels of Cortisol

Cortisol Helps You Survive, or it Can Destroy Your Life - If you let it!

Cortisol is natural as it's the bodies primary stress hormone. When you're watching TV, stick the toaster on the kitchen... it screws up, burns the toast, and the smoke alarm goes haywire.

So does your body with Cortisol.

It's the fight of flight response that tells you that you need to take action. You sort out whatever raised your pulse rate through the rush of the Cortisol hormone, and then it returns to the baseline.

If you age without actively managing your stress levels, you can wind up with a body that's pre-programmed to be in fight-or-flight response mode.

Constantly on edge, agitated, anxious, sleep deprived etc. (if you're feeling that now, you'll learn in a minute how to banish the anxiety)

Too much Cortisol leads to all sorts of health concerns including disrupting your digestive system, which can lead to chronic constipation.

Eradicate all of those with just the one part of chair yoga for Seniors

• Breathing

During a chair yoga session, emphasis is put on breathing techniques to inhale deep from the diaphragm, bringing oxygen up through your body, into your chest, up to your head, and then slowly exhaled.

The increase in oxygen alone through effective breathing techniques lowers Cortisol instantly, relieving your body of the high anxiety levels.

That can be done anytime of the day, regardless whether you are or are not actively using chair yoga exercises.

For the (roughly) one hour that you do use the chair yoga sequences, (some can be done in only 5 minutes) you can improve your flexibility, regain mobility in all your major joints, without putting any stress on your knees, ankles, wrists, or back.

It's a relaxation exercise, great for the mind and body.

Just a few weeks and you will see and a new and improved you.

You can unlock massive health benefits with the chair you're sitting on right now. Discover how at http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga and watch the free video demo for a 10-minute chair yoga sequence you can use instantly

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robbie_Bowman

Chair Yoga Exercises to Open the Hips and Relieve the Tension

Do you know the damage that sitting is doing to you? It's been said that "sitting is the new smoking," but you're about to discover how to reverse the dangers, open your hip flexors and feel the relief from tight hips caused by prolonged sitting.

In the office, stress levels are high and it's not unusual to hear the whispered words of "this jobs going to be the death of me."

While I wouldn't go as far to say that the dangers are even remotely close to that of smoking, there are lurking side-effects from sitting too long.

That's why chair yoga has its benefits.

It's ideal for those in office work, drivers, and those new to retirement struggling for things to do.

Let's face it, most of the community activities that used to free to use have or are being hit by budget cuts left, right and center.

That's the society we live in though.

What's one to do?

a) Accept it and deal with the consequences

Or

b) Sit up, take notice, and more importantly, take charge of the situation.

I opt for B and I'll about to tell you why

Because chair yoga poses are so simple to do, and they're great for the mind and body.

Relaxing the mind is crucial.

If that's left to run rampant, you're in for a life filled with stress, anxiety, and potentially depression if you let it drag you down.

The breathing techniques used in any type of yoga, (chair, mat, or standing), calms your mind.

That makes stress a matter of choice.

Either you choose to let stress drag you down, or you choose to manage it and practice healthy stress management, because we all know it can't be avoided.

These chair yoga practices let you do that, and that's the instant benefit.

The longer-term benefit for those who do sit for an extended time is that you get to flex your major joints.

The major joints these couple of exercises focus on is your hip flexors.

That's the joints giving you the stiffness when you rise up from the chair.

Any guesses on how you can open your hip flexors to relieve that stiffness?

Would you believe it...

The Hip Opener

Here's how you do it

• Sit at the edge of your seat
• Hands at either side of your chair
• Put both legs out straight in front of you, slightly bent at the knee
• Bring one leg over the other (if you can't manage that, just cross your legs at your ankles)
• Slowly bring your foot that's on the floor to be under your knee
• Slowly bend yourself forward from the hips
• Hold that stretch for ten deep breaths

How about a forward bend

• Sit right back on your seat
• Bend forward between your legs, and let your hands touch the floor
• Again - hold for 10 breaths

If you can't manage that, then at least do it halfway to get some movement in the hips.

Think of the half-forward bend as the "brace" position demonstrated on flight safety demonstrations. If you can't manage that, chances are, you shouldn't be flying.

Don't miss another flight, or let tight hips be your pet peeve another day. Discover chair yoga, the benefits, the ten minute routine on video, and your chance to stretch your muscles in the simplest way. On your chair! http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robbie_Bowman

Unlock the Secrets of Chair Yoga for Stress Relief With Ujjayi Breathing

Just for a moment, close your eyes and picture the scenic views of an ocean. What does it feel like to you?

Chances are it's peaceful, tranquil and picturesque blue.

Now let me paint a different picture.

A scene filled with torrential rain hailing down from the dark thundery sky, waves crashing fiercely and in the distance of the stormy water, you see the distress lights signalling through the currents of tidal waves flying over a fishing trawler.

Your heart rate rises, breathing becomes faster, more oxygen floods through your body, you feel confused, irrational even and can't instantly decide the best action to take.

• Your attention is distracted
• You can't hold your concentration
• You struggle to make a rational decision in the heat of the moment.

Welcome to Your Autonomic Nervous System

If this is taught in school, I couldn't have been listening that day. If you weren't either, listen up...

It's made of two parts.

1. The Sympathetic Nervous System
2. The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS)

My take: The Sympathetic Nervous System kicks in when you care. The PSNS to me means I couldn't care less.

In truth, it's your relaxation response and that's controlled by the Vagus Nerve.

Without boring you with a lesson on human anatomy, the Vagus nerve is responsible for the following:

• Slowing down your breathing
• Reducing your heart rate
• Lowering your blood pressure
• Stimulates your digestive system

Each of those above will benefit you. From panic attacks, to weight loss, you're about to discover the one breathing technique that lets you tap into your Parasympathetic Nervous System for instant stress relief.

Ujjayi Breathing with Chair Yoga to Manage Your Stress Healthily

Ujjayi breathing is simply inhaling and exhaling through your nose. The technique is done using your diaphragm.

Every breath is done with equal duration and you're always in control.

If you struggle to inhale for five seconds, then reduce it to a couple of seconds. Just make sure it's a one-two on the inhale, and a one-two on the exhale so that the breathing is equal both in and out.

It works great with chair yoga, as you have the support there to keep your back straight, and the different poses help to open your airways more and get the circulation moving better.

There's no stress put on any part of your body.

Just one minute with any of the many chair yoga poses will instantly calm your mind.

Do you think you need to be flexible to do chair yoga?

Try this...

Take a seat, sit up straight, relax your shoulders, chest, and let your stomach relax, as if you're just letting all flop to your feet.

Take a deep and slow breath in from your diaphragm, feel the oxygen move up through your body, and then exhale slowly for the same time you done when you inhaled.

That's the breathing element of chair yoga.

Now all you have to do is combine the Ujjayi breathing with these chair yoga poses, and you'll soon be a master at using chair yoga for stress relief whenever you feel the need to. Just visit http://www.squidoo.com/benefits-of-chair-yoga to learn how

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robbie_Bowman