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Yoga Stretching Techniques For Athletes

Adam Maywald, Editor — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:35:08 +0000

Stretching techniques are ground level guidelines for each and every type of stretching exercise. Stretching techniques helps us to do the exercise in right posture. It helps us to avoid the injuries caused while doing our exercise. Stretching techniques are more fruitful for the yoga doers and athletes than common man.

photo credit: timsamoff

It helps them to be prepared in good shape and with perfect mind to do their respective exercises of their body. If stretching techniques are used in wrong manner it would have bad effect on the body by causing muscle injuries for the athletes and yoga doers.

Basically the stretching techniques include the manner of holding every stretch for about two seconds only. This method helps in stretching and it also works on the body for physiological makeup. This stretching technique does improve the blood circulation and increase the flexibility of the muscles joints of athletes and the yoga doers.

There are many types of stretching exercise in yoga and for the athletes, which require a great flexibility of the body. This requirement can be ultimately fulfilled if the stretching exercises are done with correct stretching techniques. The following are the basic stretches, in yoga and for the athletes:

• Dynamic Stretching

• Ballistic Stretching

• Static Active Stretching

• Isometric Stretching

• PNF Stretching

These stretches are required to be done with accurate stretching techniques to get right result.

Traditional yoga moves are well balanced for every exercise and they demand a complete range of motion, as they perfectly reveal the imbalances. Thus by constructing in symmetrical way, yoga posture allows the intensity of repetition demanded in athletic activity. It helps to prevent injuries that are caused during training exercises these all can be achieved only by correct stretching techniques in yoga.

Normally athletes get into trouble while training, as they do not know the correct stretching techniques. This type of troubles occurs to them while doing the training as due to the limitation of their range of motion. Then they use the momentum and rotation of the body to complete a movement that is a bad technique. It would probably result into either injury or have a bad impact on them by lowering their level of optimum performance at their respective games.

It now known that athletes are very much accustomed for using their body muscles in more intensive way on the regular basis for their sport. Thus for them stretching and breathing exercises helps them to maintain a correct body posture and cuts off the tension that has been accumulated in their body muscles. On the contrary if these things are not followed it would result them in giving up of their favorite sport as it causes a permanent damage to their body.

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Yoga Shoulder Stretches For Office Workers

Adam Maywald, Editor — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:46:41 +0000

photo credit: d70focus

The office workers prefer it the most for becoming agile and flexible at their work.

Office workers generally are more found doing desk working at there office. Office workers are more prone to the shoulder pain and which might ultimately result in a shoulder injury. The best way for the office workers to solve this problem is shoulder stretches.

Shoulder stretches are easy and very simple for the office workers to do it at their office. Office workers can spend some time for the shoulder stretches to keep them away from muscle stiffness, back pain and shoulder pain. - It will increase their flexibility and decrease the tension and stress of their work. Office workers have the shoulder problems mainly due to some work of typing, and net surfing. The shoulder shrugs can be a best manner to relax the shoulders and get going blood circulation in the shoulders.

The best way for doing the shoulder shrugs is as following

1 - Be seated or by standing at the workplace, raise the shoulders straight above along the ears.

2 - Press the shoulders as much as possible.

3 - Hold them for 1 to 2 seconds and turn them back as you relax.

4 - Repeat them 8 to 10 times but do not over do it.

Office workers do need to strengthen muscles between the shoulders to get rid of the shoulder problems. Following are the exercises to strengthen the shoulder muscles.

- First sit with a perfect posture on the chair with the feet on the floor.

- Then bring together the fingers right in front of the chest with our elbows out to the sided.

- Press our shoulders blades closer to each other by pressing back muscles

- Do not pull the fingers tighten up apart

- Hold it about 10 seconds and then move them apart.

- Repeat this for about 2 to 3 times

For stretching the muscles between shoulders the following is the best way:

- We must keep our right hand on our right shoulder and then our left hand on our left shoulder with elbows pointing in front.

- Slowly move our elbows towards one another and shift them to right to left alternatively, experiencing the stretch in our upper back.

There are also some simple desk shoulder exercises for office workers known as Pilates. These exercises are simple enough for us for performing at office desk for relieving tension. We can select them either to be done during lunch time or at the break time in office. Pilates are mainly designed to be fruitful by providing us flexibility of body at our work and also mental alertness and relive our shoulder muscles stress. Lastly we can say that no matter what type of carrier we choose we do have a certain level of stress in it then for avoiding that stress the best key for us is stretching exercise.

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A Premium Yoga Teacher Course For An Affordable Price

Adam Maywald, Editor — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:37:48 +0000

Does an affordable Yoga teacher training option, for interns, exist anymore or is it pure fantasy? With the price of everything, except a house, going up; how can we expect to find a reputable training for an intern, who wishes to become a yoga instructor, at a reasonable price?

photo credit: andy54321

Some interns apply for “seva” programs (community service) in the larger ashrams. Any large facility needs cooks, housekeepers, office help, and a maintenance crew, so this is a good arrangement for the student and the ashram.

Seva is a form of selfless service, where one may be asked to perform a variety of tasks that will maintain the ashram. In some Yoga ashrams, all students seek to perform “guru seva,” in the spirit of selfless giving toward the head teacher and the facility.

This exchange of work for housing, meals, and learning, is a traditional one. The idea of giving of one’s self to a larger cause is noble and a form of Karma Yoga. Not every applicant is accepted, and some centers do not have seva programs at all.

Yet, it should be realized that a seva agreement between a student and his or her guru may last years. If you have obligations, such as children, spouse, family, job, or a significant other, the concept of seva may not fit your lifestyle.

Interns, with obligations, may seek a Yoga certification course, which gives them the independence to meet their obligations at home or on the job. In this case, ahome study option is your most affordable and flexible choice.

Correspondence courses have been around for years. With technology advancing to its present level, every skill can be studied at home. If you are not sure about techniques, and desire some hands on experience, you may want to seek out a local Yoga teacher or search for a mentor.

Some interns have years of previous experience. This is obviously significant, when approaching any intensive learning program. Therefore, experienced Yoga students will progress much faster, than those who have less experience.

The Internet has made it possible for anyone to learn about Yoga instantly. Just a few decades ago, you would be lucky to find a Yoga book in a small town library. We now live at a time when any subject can be learned in an instant.

With the use of CD’s, DVD’s, e-Books, streaming video, and the ability to ship anywhere, learning to become a Yoga instructor, at an affordable cost, is much more common than in the past.

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The Yoga Equipment Required To Practice Your Yoga Moves!

Adam Maywald, Editor — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:38:53 +0000

One of the aspects about yoga that appeals to so many people is the fact that you don’t need a lot of equipment to perform the exercises; hence a very low outlay is required. In fact you don’t need any yoga equipment to perform most of the basic yoga moves which makes it very easy for yoga to be practised almost anywhere. It also makes it easy for people of all ages to participate in yoga exercises and get the life-changing benefits that it will present to them.

Not only is it one of the most beneficial forms of exercise that you could undertake but it is also one of the few that requires virtually no investment of money other than some loose clothing to ensure that you can perform the poses comfortably. Traditionally, yoga is done in bare feet so you don’t even need to buy any special footwear to practice yoga.

Unlike many other sports you don’t even need to rely on expensive additional supplements, vitamins and minerals to make up for any deficiencies that can be caused through specific forms of exercise. Yoga in itself will improve your health and well-being and if anything reduce your dependence on the need to take additional supplements to compensate other factors that are lacking in your health and fitness.

As you become more advanced with your yoga positions you might feel the need to add some additional equipment to assist in taking yourself to higher levels. This can be as many as simple as a mat that will reduce the chance of slipping when doing your standing poses. You might also like to get straps that can assist with your stretching although even these don’t need to be anything more than a piece of rope or a belt that you’ve probably got lying around the house.

Yoga originates, and is practiced extensively in countries where the people cannot afford to spend money on specific exercise equipment. Fortunately basic equipment such as Yoga mats that will provide some form of cushioning and slip resistance on the floor, and bolsters, that will help to get your body in the correct position and provide alignment for your spine and legs can be purchased for very little expense.

Even the genuine Yoga straps, that will help you to achieve more flexibility by helping you to perform poses that you couldn’t otherwise do without the assistance of the strap, cost very little to purchase. The only other item that you could possibly need would be a blanket which most of us possess anyway.

Start your yoga training today and see the great, long-term health benefits you will receive in your life!

Take action now by clicking here to discover the most effective way to dramatically improve your physical and mental well-being forever.

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Yoga Teacher Training: What You Need to Know

Lindy Kirk — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:38:22 +0000

For many yoga aficionados, there is little that sounds more fun or more fulfilling than a career as a yoga teacher. Just imagine wearing yoga clothing as your version of “business attire.” Just think about the work hours, the sense of gratification and how great it’d be for your office to be a yoga studio. Not to mention, the pay is not too shabby. Before you can consider pulling your mat to the front of the class, however, teacher certification is required. It takes much more than merely avid class attendance to become an instructor; yoga classes, classes on technique, philosophy, ethic, anatomy/physiology and methodology are all required first. Here are a few things to consider. Do you want the 200 hr level certification or the 500 hr level?–both are great and adequate for teaching, but to make better money and to have more teaching options, the 500 hr is preferable. Do you have the time? In most cases, the 200 hr level teacher training involves 200 hours of contact time–aspects that must be completed at your training school–and then another 50 or so hours of self-study. For the 500 hr leve, it’s 450 and 50, respectively.Also, there are a variety of course options, but all are time consuming. Intensive courses usually involve 4 weeks for 200 hr level and 9 weeks for 500 hr level. During this time, you live at the school and participate in coursework/yoga classes 6-7 days a week for 8-12 hours a day.Weekend courses are usually 16 hours a weekend for either 11 weeks or 21 weeks–200 hr/500 hr. Also, these numbers, 11 and 21, are only if you work at an extremely fast pace and complete your self-study very quickly. Can you afford it? Yoga teacher training is very pricy. The cheapest program I’ve seen is $2000 for a 200 hr level/weekend training. Though this price does include study materials, unlimited yoga classes throughout the duration of your program, a certificate at the end and the training itself, it is still a hefty price to pay. Here are a few questions to ask your perspective training program: Are you registered with Yoga Alliance? Yoga Alliance–YA–is the organization that’s responsible for creating the guidelines for teachers, training and classes. Participating in a training program that’s not registered with YA is essentially pointless. You will have a hell of a time finding work without the RYT–registered yoga teacher–through Yoga Alliance. How many graduates has your program had? Are all you instructors certified, at least, at the 200 hour level? How long has the Teacher Training Director taught? How long has the program existed? Becoming a yoga teacher can be a great experience and lead to a limitless future, but please don’t rush into it thinking it will be a cake walk. Yogis are serious, and yoga student have a great deal of faith and trust in their teachers. So to expect for a training program to be anything less than rigorous and demanding is crazy. After all, these programs are teaching those who will hold in their hands, other peoples’ spiritual, physical and mental well-being, health and enlightenment.

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SoulCycle: Could this count as yoga?

Lindy Kirk — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:10:16 +0000

A few months ago, I wrote a post regarding SoulCycle on a weight loss website, but I think it’s a relevant subject here as well. Essentially, SoulCycle is a form of spinning–cycling class on stationary bikes–that removes the woes of spinning and adds a touch of yoga. It was created by three women in New York City who were sick of evil spin instructors, bright lights and blaring techno music. Classes are held by candle light and spinners can pedal away to soothing, relaxtion-focused music. Then, for a special touch, the instructors teach yoga breathing techniques that participants use while cycling. So, even though this class is held on bikes rather than mats, does the idea behind SoulCycle reach yogis?Here’s my conclusion. It can’t replace a traditional yoga class, as there is none of the strecthing aspects, and there are no postures and poses taught; however, I believe this activity does speak to yogis on a relaxation level. The atmosphere provides a meditative aura, despite the fact that your legs are working up a frenzy. The use of yoga breath also promotes a calming state of mind. In my opinion, this activity would be great for yogis who are looking for a supplemental cardio work-out. It speaks to yogis’ search for relaxation, calm and meditation, while furthering leg strength and cardiovascular health.

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Yoga for Migraines, fact or fiction?

Julianna Mosele — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:50:17 +0000

I have been suffering with Migraines since the age of eleven. When I began practicing yoga years ago they have improved greatly. I found this article at www.abc-of-yoga.com and found it extremely enlightening. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I also hope to bring more of these kind of informational articles to you so you can see just how beneficial yoga can be if you incorporate it into your daily routine. Namaste.

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The Role Flexibility Plays In Improving Your Health

Adam Maywald, Editor — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:44:04 +0000

There is so much health information available nowadays-it’s a real challenge trying to keep up with it…I’m sure you feel the same way. And it’s easy to overlook many important health issues that can be very beneficial to your health and longevity.

That’s why Healthy Answers helps to provide you with answers on topics that don’t get all the attention they deserve

That brings me to the topic of Flexibility.

Image by: Gary and Kitty

ncreased flexibility provides you with a number of health benefits. When you are more flexible, you feel better. Your body works better. You are less likely to become injured. You can exercise without discomfort and without getting too sore the next day.

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Yoga Backbends with Tara Stiles

Adam Maywald, Editor — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:59:42 +0000

Here’s another post with Tara Stiles showing us her amazing flexibility. Backbends aren’t the easiest maneuvers in Yoga class, so when trying these moves, please have a little discretion. We don’t want anyone ending up in the hospital!

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Yoga for Jocks with Tara Stiles

Adam Maywald, Editor — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 18:42:15 +0000

If you aren’t familiar with Tara Stiles, you should be. She’s a Ford Model and loves to do Yoga. We’ll be showcasing a few of her videos here. To get to know Tara a little better, check out here IMDB profile.

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