... on yoga throughout the world today. Since these two pioneers, a number of other influential teachers have brought their particular focus on yoga to the West, including, most notably, B.K.S. Iyengar (founder of Iyengar Yoga), Swami Rama (the Himalayan Institute), Swami satchidananda (Integral Yoga), and Swami Vishnu-devananda (Sivananda Yoga).

The transmission of knowledge of yoga is a two-way avenue, however. Because knowledge about yoga has become more widely available in the West, increasingly large numbers of Americans and Europeans are traveling to india to seek instruction firsthand in the ancient practices of yoga. Ram Dass was one of the first and best-known Westerners to forgo the creature comforts of the West to sit at the feet of a guru in india. He distilled the essence of what he learned in the title of his groundbreaking book Be Here Now. Since Ram Dasss pilgrimage, countless other Americans have followed a similar path.

Office Yoga - Corporate Yoga for the Office

...al as they travel to the heart and vital organs. Blood clots can, and do, cause stroke, chest pain, and heart attack.

With larger numbers of office workers putting in extra hours of work, some forward thinking companies have begun to respond with office Yoga programs for their employees. Even short Office Yoga sessions can release muscle tension and alleviate the routine pains and aches, which result from prolonged sitting.

Therefore, companies, which take pro-active measures, by installing Office Yoga programs, are taking positive action toward health solutions for employees thus, increasing productivity, while decreasing sick time, tardiness, and med...more

Health Benefits of Yoga

...rnal organs in a way that other programs do not, and produces a detoxifying effect. Some speculate that this may lead to delaying aging.

Finally, yoga can be practiced almost anywhere, anytime, by anyone, and requires no special equipment. It does not even require special training! While having an expert teach you personally would be best, a careful reading of books on the subject and a DVD or two can get you started. However, our modern citizens tend to throw themselves headfirst into new projects. Not only is this completely opposite from the philosophy and aims of yoga, but it can invite injury and strain. The people in the books and DVD's have been doing yoga for years. It is highly unlikely that you will immediately be able to duplicate their ability to achieve the positions they demonstrate. Just do the best you can, and then do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day...

As always, before beginning any physical fitness program, check with your doctor first to make sure it is okay for you to start. Once started, however, be aware that there are people in their 70s, 80s and 90s doing yoga. You will not be alone.more

Yoga Mats - Finding The Perfect Yoga Mat For You

... or a folded blanket. On the other hand, if you're taking lessons at a yoga studio, it's awkward to carry a blanket, so ring the studio before you start, and ask what kind of mat they recommend. They may even sell yoga mats. Sticky and other mats are often sold with a carrier, so you can sling the mat over your shoulder on your way to practice.

Eco Yoga Mats For a Cleaner Environment

In the past few years, environmentally conscious...more

...yoga practice has realistic solutions for stressed-out teenagers. Young people need to take time out for non-competitive and wholesome activities, such as yoga. When teens have a chance to explore themselves from within, this is time well spent.

There has never been a time when teenagers were subjected to more stress than right now. Reuters Health reported, "One third of US teens say they feel stressed-out on a daily basis." This was based upon a study of over 8,000 teens, and young adults, at the University of Michigan, ann arbor.

For adults who lack compassion, for young people trying to cope in our society, consider this: The leading cause of death in teens and youths, ages 10 to 19 years old, is "teenage suicide." Stress can place young people at risk. According to the US Department of Justice, "It is estimated that 500,000 teenagers try to kill themselves each year."

The sources of the reasons for teenage stress, on such a massive scale, is subject to theo...more

Teaching Hatha yoga: Designing a Lesson Plan - Part 1

...hould ideally contain a mixture of standing, seated, table, kneeling, balancing, prone, and supine yoga postures.

This may not always be possible, if you are teaching a specialized class, such as Chair yoga or Prenatal yoga, but a wide variety of yoga postures will have a multitude of health benefits for mind, body, and spirit. On the surface, we know that yoga helps us live a better quality life - with improvements in pain relief, the immune system, circulation, removal of toxins, and a change to moderate dieting habits.

Therefore, any yoga is better than no yoga at all. This is why it is good to tell your students to add a small daily yoga routine to...more

Distance Learning Courses for yoga Instructor Training

...nstructor trainers, and master yoga teachers, maintain contact, with interns, by Email. This constant dialogue, from teacher to student, and vice versa, is very good for exchanging ideas. It also helps avoid common mistakes in communication.

With technology advancing at a rapid pace, the age of online yoga teacher training is here. yoga certification online is usually composed of assignments that can be sent by the intern, to the yoga instructor school, via Email.

Even the yoga certification videos, or practical exams, can be sent by interns with video streaming technology. Many yoga instructor interns may still prefer to send their training assignments back, in the traditional way, by Postal Mail.

Is this the best yoga certification pro...more

Hot yoga - Bikram's Twenty Six

...enever you feel you should - kind of take it gradually. The instructors just ask that you do your best to stay in the room for the entire time." What? Were we still talking yoga here? I'd seen pictures. Sure, I might not be able to balance on one leg while holding the other one over my head at my first try, but come on. How hard could it be to stretch as far as I could go and stop there? Why would I get desperate to leave the room?

Her next suggestion: "OK, I see you brought a bottle of water. That's good, but you'll be tempted to drink a lot, and I recommend you just drink sips - not too much at a time." Hmm. What was I getting into here? It sounded like I was facing some kind of ordeal - not what I had in mind at all since I was thinking of yoga as a peaceful, low- impa...more