Saturday, December 29, 2007

Yoga: The Holistic Treatment for Arthritis Pain Relief

By: Cecilia Artates, 2007-12-27


Living with arthritis pain is not something that anyone would like to happen to them. Many people suffer the aches and pains of damaged or inflamed joints. Some are just uncomfortable, and some become crippled as a result of a disease that has been recognized since prehistoric times but understood only in the past few decades.

Arthritis affects the joints, specifically where the areas in the body where two or more bones meet. There are several different parts of the joint that may be affected by arthritis, such as cartilage, synovium, tendons, and muscles. The neighboring ends of bones that form the joints are covered by a soft, protective material called cartilage that cushions the bones and keeps them from rubbing together. The joint is also enclosed in a capsule and lined with a tissue called synovium.

The term arthritis covers a group of more than 100 diseases that involve inflammation of joints and discomfort in connective tissues throughout the body. In many parts of the world, the disease is called rheumatism.Arthritis is a frequent conversational topic because it affects so many people. It is estimated that about one out of every seven people in America have arthritis in some form and the need to find arthritis pain relief is on top of most sufferers’ minds. It could mean taking a pill, performing gentle exercises, stretching or trying some other means to obtain relief such as yoga.

Yoga is an ancient practice using a system of postures and breath controls, which aim to achieve the perfect union of body, mind, and spirit. Yoga can be customized to help with a wide range of specific conditions including chronic pain conditions such migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and arthritis.

Yoga for arthritis pain relief does not necessarily mean bending and contorting the body into weird and impossible positions just to get comfort from the pain. It is enough that a person suffering from arthritis may practice breathing and self-awareness, the core of yoga practices. While stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement (vinyasa-style yoga) or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. The poses are a constant, but the approach to them varies depending on the tradition in which the teacher has trained. Yoga poses can be tailored for different joints.

A common arthritic problem is swelling of the fingers and knuckle joints. In this case, if the condition is not too severe and the person suffers mild to moderate pain, a series of poses can be worked on that lengthen and spread the fingers. Hand stretches also create energy flow to the area that eventually moves to the fingers. Experts say that the heat is really good to the joints. As a therapeutic practice, yoga helps a person create heat through deliberate breathing and movement.


DrugstoreTM.com is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient customer access to various health medicines, including an array of health product and medicare prescription drug.Buy Soma Buy TramadolCecill Artates is a writer, athlete, and women's health advocate. She is also active in promoting sports and health among women and the youth in disadvantaged communities. She is also currently researching on various alternative and natural medications.

Article Source : http://www.articlewisdom.com/

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Some Simple Tantric Yoga Exercises to Improve the General Health and Sexual Abilities

A healthy anal and genital area is of great importance both for the general well-being and for the sexual abilities. The same is thrue about a healthy respiratory tract and breathing apparatus.
Here are presented three poses and three breathing exercises that have the following effects when done together in a series:

-They stimulate the physiological functions of the genital and anal area.
-They correct muscle weakness and anatomical problems of the anal and genital region.
-They increase the sexual drive and abilities.
-They produce a stimulating response that spreads upwords along the spine and revitalizes the whole body.
-They stimulate the physiological functions of the respiratory tract and help against infections in the airways.
-The exercises are very good to start each day with, or to do before going to bed in the night.

POSE 1

Stand on your hands and knees upon the floor.
Kneel backword so that your buttocks go backword and down towords your feet and stretch your arms foreword.
Breath out and then take a deep breath in, filling your lungs totally with air. Hold your breath with the air inside.
Squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inword as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting.Relax your anal muscles compleetely again.

Repeat the sqeesing and relaxing 3-5 times, but not so long that you go out of oxygen in your body.

Empty your lungs. Rize up on your hands and knees again. Relax a while in this position and then you can repeat the exercise if you wish.

POSE 2

Lie on your back upon a carpet on the floor with your arms along your sides and relax.
Breath out.
Then breath inn deeply while relaxing all the muscles you do not need for the breathing.
Then breath out. When breathing out, squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inword as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting.
After having breathed out, relax your anal muscles again.
Repeat the breathing in and breathing out whiile squeezing 3-8 times, but not som much that you get exhausted.
Then relax again.

POSE 3

Lie on your back upon a carpet on the floor.
Breath out completely.
Swing your armes in an arch over your head and down to the floor over your head so that your whole body is stretched from top to toe. When swinging your arms, take a deep breath filling your lungs totally with air.
Hold your breath with the air inside.
Squeeze your anal muscles and pull your anal opening as deeply inword as you can. However do not strain when squeezing. This exercise shall not be exhausting. Relax your anal muscles compleetely again.
Repeat the sqeezing and relaxing 3-5 times.
Swing your arms back at the same time as you empty your lungs. Relax some while and then you can repeat the exercise if you wish.

BREATHING EXERCISE 1

Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and the back streight.
Empty your lungs completely.
Breath in counting to 4. When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other:
Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves out.Then fill further by using your chest muscles. And then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.
Hold your breath counting to 16.
Then breath out counting to 8. When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other:Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles.And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.

BREATHING EXERCISE 2

Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and your back streight. Take 10 rapid deep breathes in and out after another, but not so rapid that you get strained or breath uncompleetely.
When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves out. Then fill further by using your chest muscles.And then complete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.

When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves in.Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders.
After the last in-breath , hold your breath with your lungs filled counting to 10.
Then breath out.

BREATHING EXERCISE 3

Sit upon a pillow on the floor with your legs crossed and your back streight.
Empty your lungs completely.
Close your left nostril with the fingers of one of your hands. Breath in through your right nostril counting to 4.
When breathing in, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other:Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves out. Then fill further by using your chest musclesAnd then compleete the filling by using the muscles around your shoulders.
Hold your breath counting to 16.
Then close your right nostril with your fingers.
Then breath out through your left nostril counting to 8.
When breathing out, try to do it in three stages that proceed smoothely into each other: Use first your diafragm so that your stomack moves in. Then empty further by using your chest muscles. And then complete emptying by using the muscles around your shoulders When you have breathed out, repeat the exercise, but this time begin by closing your right nostril first.

RELAXING AT THE END OF THE SERIES:

When the series is done, then lie down upon a carpet on the floor andrelax for 2-5 minutes. This relaxation will increase the effects of the exercises and make you recover if the exercises have made you tired.

Concentrate upon relaxing your legs first, then your lover body, then your upper body, then your arms and shoulders, and at last your head and face. When the whole body is relaxed, try not to think about anything, and relax your whole body even furter. Then lie some time in this relaxed state without thinking about anything.


Author Info:

Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. Please go here to find anti-aging supplements, medicines against acne, eczema, scars, wrincles, other skin problems, other common diseases. http://www.abicana.com


Article Source : http://www.media13.com/19213/Some_Simple_Tantric_Yoga_Exercises_to_Improve_the_General_Health_and_Sexual_Abilities.html

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Experiences of Cosmic Consciousness

Experiences of CC differ.

One poet defined it as

Nothingness, where neither land nor sea
Neither the moon nor the stars resplendent
Neither planets nor constellations exist
Sunk as they are in the Ocean of Bliss Absolute !

Another defined it as a state of omnipresence !

Aware of his occult omnipotent source
Allured by the omniscient Ecstacy
He felt the invasion and the Nameless joy

wrote Aurobindo

A force came down into his mortal limbs
A current from the eternal seas of Bliss
He felt the invasion and the Nameless joy.

It is this invasion of Bliss which characterises Cosmic Consciousness. The Nameless joy is our true nature and the symbol of the Cross, the symbol of the World-Pain, is only ephemeral, hanging as it is on the background of Eternity !

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Truth is Omniscient !

We are all Truth seekers, but Truth seems to be far away. Wisdom seems to be far away !

Conquest of Truth, its actualisation, was the sole object of the Seer-Poets of yore. The path celestial had a grand objective and Goal, Cosmic Truth. The Rishi, the Seer-Poet, was a Rithwik, or a Drishta, a Seer of Cosmic Truth.Truth Actualisation was Self_Actualisation, as the Seers discovered that Truth lay hid in them as the Absolute Self.

Savitri tells death about Cosmic Truth

Who can show thee Truth's supreme face
To thought an incomprehensibe supreme light
To speech a marvel inexpressible
If Thou wert to unmask Truth's supreme face
Thou shalt suddenly grow wise and cease to be !

Monday, December 10, 2007

Life, the Evolution of Consciousness.

In the initial stage of Yoga, one can feel " some mighty Force, not situated in the body but possessing it, is acting for you, thinking for you and that your entire body is moved by that Force and not by yourself ". This is experiential wisdom. It is the Superconscious Might which uses the individual as a center and as a means.

Now Life is the Evolution of Consciousness and we have to pass through different stages. The Ego will rebel against this leading by the Divine. All the negative traits of the Ego - lust, greed, anger, jealousy, sloth, covetousness and gluttony - drop off one by one, paving the way for Self Actualisation.

We have to understand that the Divine Will is leading us, through every circumstance, towards the Final Self Realisation. This is known as the Transfiguring Hour, as it transfigures the aspirant into something divine, something rich and strange. This is also known as the Hour of the Divine.

To him who seeks Self Realisation with a clear mind, to him the Lord reveals as " I am That " !

Saturday, December 08, 2007

How to Meditate

- By: Juliet Cohen, 2007-12-09

Meditation is the art of silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, concentration is increased and we experience inner peace in the midst of worldly turmoil. We can learn how to transform our mind from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy. Overcoming negative minds and cultivating constructive thoughts is the purpose of the transforming meditations found in the Buddhist tradition. Meditating a few minutes each day is a proven stress reducer, and it can improve your view of life as well. Various types of meditation that are recognized include transcendental meditation, prayer, Zen meditation, Taoist meditation, mindfulness meditation, and Buddhist meditation. Meditation is a practice that brings about not only physical benefits, but psychological benefits as well.

Some methods of meditation may require the body being absolutely still or to be moved with controlled deliberation, while other types allow for free movement of the body. It isn’t difficult to meditate, but it most certainly requires a few elements that are required to maintain an atmosphere that is conducive to meditation. To get the most from meditation you need to do it every day. This requires a place and time where you will not be disturbed. Sit with a straight back. Don’t try to meditate lying down because you are likely to fall asleep. Meditation brings relaxation and peace but at the same time this is a dynamic peace. Meditation is quite different than the relaxation of sleep. Don’t eat before meditating. After a heavy meal your body will be lethargic with digestion.

Observe your breath. Don't try to change the way you are breathing, just let your attention rest on the flow of your breath. The goal is to allow the "chattering" in your mind to gradually fade away. Relax every muscle in your body. Don't rush this, as it takes time to fully relax, and relax bit by bit, starting at your toes, and working up to your head. Take a meditation retreat of at least a few days. Some of these are silent, others are not. Once you experience the feel of actually meditating, you will better know how and if it applies to your life. Some of the benefits of meditation such as concentration. Knowledge of self is also benefits of meditation. Creates a state of deep relaxation and general feeling of wellbeing is benefits of meditation.

Benefits of meditation Tips

1. It decreases respiratory rate.

2. Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.

3. It is also reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.

4. It is increased learning ability, moral reasoning and memory.

5. Meditation is decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.

6. Regular practitioners of MTH have increased sizes of chakras and auras making the energy body stronger and more dynamic.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for fitness tips and weight loss tips. She also writes articles on home remedies.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Fame, only if one perseveres in the Path Celestial !

This is the quintessence of the Geetha, Sreyan Swadharmo Vigunah. Perseverance in one's chosen path is all in all.

We find that there are military people ( Kshatriyas ), businessmen ( Vaishyas ), spiritual people ( Brahmanas ) & people who are devoted to service ( Shudras ). These are the Four Noble Professions ! No caste system is meant here. The Lord says the He created the Four Noble Professions ( Thasya kartharamapi mam ) & at the same time He is the uncreator ( that He is blissful in the transcendental realm ).

So when a spiritual aspirant seeking Self Actualisation is beset by adversities, he should not give up his striving for the Absolute. This is what is meant by Sreyan Swadharmo Vigunah. When he underwent initiation, there was something in him which was not ignorant and something that made him crave for the Eternal. But tests and tribulations are part of the Law of the Way. Only after mortal dross is purged from his being, only after the Seven Deadly Sins fall away from him, then only can he hope to get Self Actualisation. So he has to persevere and not quit.

Sreyan Swadharmo Vigunah
Para Dharman Swanishtithal
Swadhame Nidhanam Sreyah
Para Dharmo Bhayavaha

The second line says one's own Path is better than the Path chosen by others. Persistence in one's path is ennobling; while other professions cause fear.

Sahajam Karma Kauntheyah
Sa Dosham api na thayjeth
Sarvarambha hi doshena
Dhoomenagni ri vavrutha

All paths have merits and demerits. The field of Business has its demerits and merits. So also the field of Military and Police. Also Service. And it is not fair to say that the spiritual path alone is infested with adversities. Philosophy has been defined as Adversity's sweet milk, by Shakespeare. OK, difficulties and adversities are real for an aspirant. So what, why abandon the path? Despite its difficulties, the Lord advises the discriminative intellect not to quit and bear the pain calmly ( O mortal, bear this great world's Law of Pain ).

Self Realization Is On A Moment By Moment Basis

By: Elysha

What makes you different to the life forms around you (animal, plant, mineral), at this stage of the evolution of the divine one consciously entering into its manifestation, is that you have the capacity to consciously realize who "you" are. You have the capacity to consciously be this "you" of you, and as a result of this beingness, have the luxury of the journey of self and heart discovery – the greatest journey in existence.

This "you" of you is the very central point of existence. It is the divine one of all time. It is the beyondness itself.

This one has created - from within its own intelligence, beyondness, genius-ness and innateness – a manifestation that is precisely designed for the incarnation of the very beyondness that this manifestation arises in. The precision of its design is beyond our current comprehension – however, this very journey of self and heart discovery is what brings the awakening of this comprehension. It is immaculate and flawless.

Who "you" are is truly the very divine one that this most amazing play of life is all about the incarnation of. "You" are not these short changed activities that you keep on believing yourself to be, after all, which quite obviously do not meet the mark of the recognition of this "you" that is this divine one.

Is that not fantastic news for you? If it isn’t, then you are bound for a lot more of what you are currently getting.

You are no longer bound to suffer the creating of an imprisonment that cannot bind who "you" are to it. You can actually find this "you" that you already are and stop at and as this one. You can actually be deeply at rest in this "you" of you through many consecutive moments of remaining stopped in and as your self.

You can begin to awaken to just how free "you" are as this one through your at-rest-ment in the beingness of this one.

Perfection is always what is going on from one moment to the next, it cannot be otherwise, this is the very nature of the divinity of "you". You can never not be this "you" of you. "You" have always been and since this "you" is immortal it is always going to be.

Because you are who you are you can attempt to be something that is not true of you, as well – and this is the particular game that you have been playing out for the longest of times now. Because you are who you are you can convolute yourself into such knots as to make yourself out to be or appear lost from realizing just who "you" already are and you can believe yourself to be what you are not. You can believe yourself to be who you think you are.

This belief has you suffering the forgetting of who you are, of not knowing who you are and of not being this "you" of you - although the moment you remember, recall and realize who you are once more, you will know immediately that this is who you are.

Right now, you are simply suffering the belief that you are a something and a someone that is not and never was this "you" of you.

As you realize just who it is that "you" truly are and you begin to establish your realization momentarily – on a moment by moment basis - you will awaken out of the dream, bondage and prison of your own making.

You will awaken to the fact that this mindbody, that you find yourself so intimately involved with, is not who "you" are. You will awaken to the fact that you are "that" which is flowing through this mindbody that you find yourself flowing through.

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com


Visit Elysha’s website for more free information on Self Realization and self help products - www.elysha.org - so that you can free up from the bind of the mind and stand in the freedom of the heart that you already are.

Power Yoga: Physical Activity and Meditation for a Overall Health

By: EMMANUEL CHAVEZ

Health is the real wealth of an individual. Good health does not mean the absence of physical illness but also the lack of mental and social illness. A healthy person can properly survive and easily cope with the difficulties and stress of daily living. Incorporating regular physical activities, nutritious diet, and refraining from alcohol and cigarettes are necessary in maintaining a fit and healthy body. Yoga is a physical activity that has been used in the ancient times to alleviate health problems associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, shallow breathing, backaches, chronic illness, and many other forms of discomfort. Nowadays, Yoga has gone from a spiritual discipline practiced by many in the Far East, into a mainstream exercise routine that has been taught in many gyms around the world. Other researches suggest that yoga may promote relaxation and reduce distress.

A new form of yoga that focuses on a more fitness-based approached has been developed. It is called Power Yoga, a method closely modeled after the Ashtanga style of practice. The term Power Yoga became widely used in the mid-'90s when many yoga teachers tried new ways to make Ashtanga Yoga more accessible to the western audience. Both Power and Ashtanga Yoga focuses on strength and flexibility. The only difference between the traditional method and Power Yoga is that the latter does not require the performance of a series of poses. It took the basics of yoga and and gave it a dose of aerobics to tone the muscles, sharpen focus, and strengthen the heart.

Other known benefits of practicing Power Yoga include:

Improved strength, endurance, and stamina
Tighter abs, legs, and arms
Helps release physical tension
Helps maintain good and proper posture
Serves as a good warm up for athletes
Improves an athlete's overall performance

Power Yoga is a very accessible exercise. To practice this new yoga method, all that is needed is a flat floor surface, a mat or towel, and enough overhead space to extend the arms. It can be performed by individuals of different ages and level of physical condition. However, not all poses should be attempted by everyone. Proper posture and alignment should always be maintained during stretch or posture to avoid injuries. These activities should be stopped when there is fatigue, pain, or dizziness. In addition, the mental component of yoga is as important as its physical activities. Concentration and meditation should not be taken for granted. Yoga should be done with an open and gentle mind when one performs yoga positions and posture. Impatience, self-criticism, and comparing oneself with others may hamper the improvement of one's physical and mental health.

Individuals who want to engage in physical activities like yoga should consult doctors and other health professionals before taking yoga classes. Certain injuries to the wrist, back, and ankles may prevent some individuals from practicing yoga postures and positions. Furthermore, yoga should be practiced with care and precaution. Some people have reported injuries that were acquired by executing yoga postures without focus, or by attempting difficult positions without working them gradually or by not having proper supervision. Oftentimes, beginners complain of muscle soreness and fatigue after engaging in yoga. These effects may disappear with continuous practice. Yoga is a great way to strengthen the and body and improve overall health.

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com


Choose Variety of High Quality Medicines at Online Medicines Enjoyed Reading this article? More here: Pharmacy Articles

Is Yoga Honestly A Form of Exercise?

By: Javier Melendez

India's most ancient gift to the human species is said to be Yoga. "Uniting" is what the word Yoga can be translated to in Sanskrit and consequently we take this small word as having a very large meaning: thre uniting of discipline.

Yoga is practiced for mental and moral development and helps generate whole health - Yoga practitioners call this "arogya". Yogic exercise also cultivates "chirayu", which is longevity. Yoga in its whole aims to develop inner peace and positive, perennial happiness. As such, Yoga is thought of as being essential for an individual's ultimate completion in life.

Yoga is really a kind of science that not only affects the consciousness of oneself, but also one's subconscious. Yoga's physiological training practice (Kriya Yoga) when done correctly, can lift human beings to a supra-mundane level.

Yoga shows people how to embrace life. It promotes mental control and self-development and brings out the noble in any being, thus removing the ignoble in any human. Yoga is pertinent to all people regardless of their belief system, race, religious inclination and gender. There is no doubt that everyone can benefit from Yoga – the sick and the healthy, the bad and the good, the non-believer and the believer, the ignorant and the educated and the young and the old. Age does not matter; anyone can reap the advantages of Yoga.

Yoga began as wandering Hindu monks sought solitude in the forests to practice contemplative techniques. These monks (Yogis) passed on their knowledge with ardent students who resided at Hindu hermitages. The Yogis were quite possessive when it came to the teching of Yoga, and they did not consider popularizing the techniques. Yogic postures alongside the different stages of the Yogic techniques were only passed on to students that deserved them, so the art of Yoga remained in remote caves and forests and was not shown to anyone but the Yogis and their students.

Developing Yogic techniques (like the Asana - a sitting position) aids the circulation of the blood. Other techniques (like Pranayama - breathing exercises) decrease carbon dioxide in the body, ensuring good health: Yoga gives a wealth of benefits to people.

Many doctors prescribe air baths, sun baths, shower baths and steam baths to maintain blood purity and toxin elimination. Yogis have created the "Neti" (nasal cleansing), the "Dhouti" (stomach wash) and the "Vajroli" (purgation of the bladder, intestines and reproductive organs).

Yoga can also have major benefits on the nervous system. The physiological activities are non-tiring and also engender composure of the mind and body. Almost every other type of exercise concentrates more on muscle activity whereas Yoga focuses on looking after every part of an individual's anatomy.

Yoga is not some "reach down and touch your feet" exercise: for example, asanas is an all over exercise that trains one’s physical and spiritual body function.

Yoga's effects are:

- Physical – through relaxing, stretching, strengthening and healing the muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems.
- Spiritual – the preparation of contemplation.
- Mental – developing a tranquil and calm mind, concentration and alertness.

Yoga truly offers something for anyone.

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com


Javier Melendez writes for several health web sites such as the Muscle & Fitness UK website. His recent work concerns weight loss clinics research.

Benefits of Yoga

By: Michael phillips

Contrary to popular belief, yoga is not a form of exercise but is a form of meditation. The term ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit term ‘yog’ which means to “add” or in simpler terms to be in oneness with god. Yoga relaxes a person and allows him/her to enter a deep meditative state. Although, there are numerous physical benefits of yoga, but the primary purpose and ultimate goal of yoga is to help a person reach a relaxed and spiritually elevated state. Yoga is a complete exercise that helps improve body tone and also helps relieve tension and anxiety.
Yoga is now recommended by many physiotherapists as a means to improve muscle tone and to improve the flexibility of joints. People that are recovering from muscle injuries are often prescribed easy yoga exercises to help improve blood circulation to damaged or injured ligaments and muscles. Yoga is also believed to be a strong detoxification exercise, and the body is detoxified by improving blood circulation and draining way built up toxins from body parts.
Yoga is also a great way to increase the flexibility of the body, there are various levels of yoga exercises, and as and when a person improves his yoga skills he can move on to complicated yoga exercises. Yoga allows a person to exercise not just the body but also exercise and strengthen internal organs. Yoga is perhaps the only form of exercise that has asana (exercises) that are designed to stimulate internal organs like the stomach. Although there is no scientific evidence to support the fact that yoga can stimulate and strengthen internal organs, people all over the world have reported much better health after regular yoga.
Yoga is also believed to be a great way to ‘lubricate’ joints, ligaments and tendons. Yoga is a result of thousands of years of research, and people that indulge in yoga regularly have reported fantastic muscle tone even in muscles they were not ‘working on’. Yoga is a complete exercise that works on muscles, body organs and the mind.
Yoga is one of the few exercises in the world which is designed to give the entire body a work out. Apart from physically strengthening and relaxing muscles and tendons, yoga also helps people relax their minds. Yoga was originally intended to be a spiritual exercise and was designed to help a person gain control of all his ‘senses’ and yoga can help an individual curb aggressiveness and control anger. People the world over are now turning to yoga to relieve tension and stress, and unlike other exercises yoga has exercises that are specifically designed to relieve stress and help a person relax both mentally and physically.
Although, yoga claims to offer numerous benefits; scientific studies have shown that not all benefits can be verified, however even physiotherapists and doctors recommend basic yoga exercises for recovering patients. In conclusion, Yoga is one of the few forms of exercise that is designed to exercise both the body and mind.
For more yoga exercises visit www.yogaonlineguide.com

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com



Michael phillips is the author of this article on Benefits of Yoga For a Better Health. Find more information about Yoga Book Onlinehere.

The Healing Power of Yoga

I used to be one of those people that only worked out if it
involved serious, jolting cardiovascular movement, lifting
heavy weights, and basically moving fast and sweating my
butt off.


Then I was introduced to yoga, a practice that I knew
helped a lot of people with back and muscle problems, which
I was starting to experience both with age and with my
continuing status as a "desk job" professional. The funny
thing is, I did not start practicing yoga to actually get a
"work out", which I thought could only be obtained through
my grueling sessions on the treadmill, eliptical machine,
and recumbent bike.

Oh no, for me yoga was strictly a relaxation exercise, one
designed to help stretch my muscles and soothe my busy
mind. Little did I realize, I was getting an excellent
workout with yoga, combined with all the benefits of a
serious cardio workout, as was apparent upon waking up the
next day to an invariably sore rump and tummy.

But it didn't always "feel" like I was working out when I
did yoga, especially the better I got at it. I wondered
why this could be. Then I figured it out, with a little
help from a yoga instructor. She said that as you begin to
learn to use your breath through the practice of yoga
breathing techniques, your muscles actually get more oxygen.

Lack of oxygen to the muscles builds up lactic acid within
the muscles, which leads to our sore muscles after a
serious workout. Oxygen also plays a vital role in
managing stress. It has been found in numerous studies
that one who is under stress has low blood oxygen levels,
and this is due to the fact that they are not breathing
properly through the stressful or anxiety inducing event.

This is why you will often find that you feel short of
breath when you are going through a stressful situation,
and this is also why asthmatics often have asthma attacks
during highly stressful episodes, or when their emotions
are on "high".


This made perfect sense. Not only did yoga help to
streamline my body, but it helped me learn to manage my
breathing, and condition my body and mind to manage stress
and anxiety through breathing with my body, not against it.
You see, yoga is much more than a meditational or
contortionist exercise. It actually transcends what we
think of as exercise.

Yoga is a tool that we can use to manage stress, condition
our mind and body to be more in touch with one another, and
to also gain a sense of tranquility and well being.

Yoga practice ranges from a more active, moving practice
called Ashtanga yoga or power yoga, to a more methodical,
slower moving practice called Hatha yoga, which
concentrates more on a slower, fluid movement and is geared
toward those that may not have exercised in a while or who
have back issues.

There is also another type, which I had the pleasure of
participating in on my recent trip to northern California,
called Bikram yoga, where you practice yoga poses ranging
form beginner to advanced in a room heated to almost 100
degrees farenheit.

This type of yoga can be strenuous on the beginner, and is
usually only recommended for those who are very fit or very
well versed in the practice of yoga. I found the Bikram
yoga to be challenging, but after I emerged from the room
after the two hours of posing, I felt a sense of
empowerment and clarity that continued on for the rest of
the evening.

It is said that Bikram yoga may actually help rid the body
of toxins through the sweat that is produced during the
practice. And believe me, sweat you will. There was not a
person in the room that had anything less than soaking wet
clothes.

Since I've started regularly practicing yoga about three
times a week, I find my stress levels are down, my back
hurts me less while I am working at my desk, and my muscles
have taken on a longer, leaner look.

I feel that I am more intuned with my breathing, and I use
my breath now to get me through stressful situations that
usually would leave me breathless and anxious. I have
found yoga to be a true blessing to my life, and will be a
lifetime devotee of this empowering and enriching practice.

About the Author:

Danna Schneider is the founder of
http://www.herbalne wsmagazine. com and
http://www.herbal- therapeutics. com where news on new
natural products and alternative health can be found.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Modern Meditation

By: Editor 123

With the changing times, the ways to enjoy the complexities of life has changed too. To run with the increasing pace of time, a person has to be choosing the ways that gives him or her most benefits. Modern meditation is the result of this increasing pace of life. In recent time, people have realized the utility of meditation method and its ever green benefits that will help a person to gain happiness and inner peace in his life.

To enjoy this process of meditation fully, a person has to learn the tricks and correct practice of meditation process to fully and then has to be practiced continuously to obtain the positive effects in the life for long. So, first thing is to learn the concept from a practiced master and avail the benefits. With proper learning process, you can develop great means to satisfy your meditating concentration and just feel on the top of the world.

The concept of modern meditation is to become aware about yourself, your surroundings and things happening in your life. It gives a way to realize there is another life besides just running around something or chasing something in life. With meditation you can stop and focus on something inside in body and what it wants to convey to you for betterment. Also, meditation helps in realizing things which generally miss in our daily lives and refill the pleasures of joy and fun back into the activities of life positively.

Learning meditation teaches you to control on your stress levels and learn to really relax the mind and body. With doing meditation regularly, you feel less stressed and can see the changes in your life. With meditation, we learn to bring back focus in our lives and this focus helps us to make the right decisions that we need for our happiness.

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com


Visit Modern Meditation, for further information on meditation community, meditation workshops, meditation news, meditation exercises etc please visit at www.modernmeditation.net

Personal contact with your Higher Self

By: Basavaraj Udapudi

The higher self is the true expression of you as an individual. Its purpose is to fulfil your heart's desire and soul purpose of your present life. The experience of the higher self is joy, self-confidence, and selfempowerment. It uses the faculties of clairvoyance, clairaudience,clairsentience and intuition.

Higher self is a wise and highly perceptive, unconditionally interested in your highest good, and capable of figuring out where you are getting off track with the same intensity that is required to get you to really listen.In this sense your higher self is a powerful mentor. You can certainly get assistance from your powerful mentor if you are setting out to change your life or achieve other types of seemingly impossible things and get stuck in important decisions of your life.

How to get assistance from your higher self: Here is a two step formula to contact your higher self. 1) The more relaxed you are mentally and physically, the better your contact with the higher self will be. So the best way to contact the higher self is through meditation. Then ask the higher self for the solution to any area of your life situations and decisions. 2)Keeping the conscious mind in an expectant but detached attitude is very important. Otherwise the other levels of mind would attempt to pose guesses as true knowledge thereby often confusing the true information received from the higher self. Usually the first impression or thought to pop up in your mind is the right one. Record it at once or speak it out-before your conscious mind has a chance to argue you out. However, you must analyze each experience to make sure it is not made up of your fears, worries, wishful thoughts, prejudices or imaginations before accepting the impressions as genuine or acting on them. As a matter of fact, a true higher self experience generally carries a feeling of joy, well being, authenticity, enthusiasm, contentment, clarity and conviction about it. As you gain more proficiency in using your ability to recognize answers from the higher self you will be able to recognize this feeling of conviction quite easily.

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com


Ready to know more about higher self now. Get Three FREE chapters of success wisdom ebook by Basavaraj Udapudi by visiting www.success-wisdom.com

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Yoga - Benefits of Yoga

By: Juliet

Yoga is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. The aging process, which is largely an artificial condition, caused mainly by autointoxication or self-poisoning, can be slowed down by practicing yoga. Although yoga has been shown to be beneficial in a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for specific illnesses. Yoga also strives to increase self-awareness on both a physical and psychological level. This allows people to take early collective action, such as adjusting posture, when discomfort is first noticed. Practicing yoga can provide chronic pain sufferers with useful tools to actively cope with their pain and help counter feelings of helplessness and depression. Laboratory tests have proved the yogi's increased abilities of consciously controlling autonomic or involuntary functions, such as temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure. Patients who practice yoga have a better chance of gaining the ability to control their breathing problems.

In general, yoga is a very safe form of exercise for most people. For those with specific back conditions, it is advisable to speak with one's treating physician prior to starting yoga. Yoga is dynamite to make you feel younger with heightened mental prowness. Longer life often result from following yogic ways of health maintenance. Yoga is approximately 4,000 years old and is a scientific methodology aimed at uniting the mind, body, and spirit. Yoga is believed to reduce pain by helping the brain's pain center regulate the gate-controlling mechanism located in the spinal cord and the secretion of natural painkillers in the body. Breathing exercises used in yoga can also reduce pain. Yoga has consistently been used to cure and prevent back pain by enhancing strength and flexibility. Both acute and long-term stress can lead to muscle tension and exacerbate back problems.

Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

Biochemical benefits of Yoga are as follows:

1. Sodium decreases.

2. Triglycerides decrease.

3. Cholinesterase increases.

4. Hemoglobin increases.

5. Total white blood cell count decreases.

6. Thyroxin increases.

7. Vitamin C increases.

Exercise Benefits of Yoga:

1. Rapid forceful movements.

2. Increased muscle tension.

3. Moderate to high caloric consumption.

4. Fatiguing.

5. Imbalance activity of opposing groups.

6. Boredom factor.

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

Some of the Physiological benefits of Yoga are as follows:

1. Pulse rate decreases.

2. Cardiovascular efficiency increases.

3. Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase.

4. Posture improves.

5. Strength and resiliency increase.

6. Immunity increases.

7. Pain decreases.

Article Directory: http://www.articlewisdom.com


Juliet Cohen writes articles for yoga and health. She also writes articles for health beauty tips and family health guide.