Taoist yoga

During the so-called ‘primitive period’ in China (10,000-3000 BC), the Chinese looked into the supernatural and mystical forces of the body. It is commonly thought that during this period the acupuncture meridians were slowly discovered, as were the many different herbs still in use today.

The acupuncture meridians were first used to open up the energy centres of the body for self-realisation, in much the same way that Indian yogis do today, but now acupuncture is used mainly for healing.

From - Buddhist Meditation - Contemplation of the Mind

Getting Stronger With Yoga

Yoga is an ancient technique that promotes flexibility and health. It originated in India over 5000 years ago. The yoga positions are specifically designed to tone, stretch, and strengthen your muscles, make your body more flexible in general, help you with any weight related issues, and teach you meditation and relaxation. This is one of the most popular ways to achieve overall health - both physical and spiritual.

The equipment you will need for practicing yoga is not expensive and the yoga classes that you can sign up for are very affordable. You will need a yoga ball and a yoga mat. Some of the more popular yoga practices are - Kundalini Yoga (awakens the energy within us through easier positions that are suitable for all age groups), Hatha Yoga (the most popular yoga, it is used for finding balance and getting rid of everyday stress), Ashtanga Yoga (This is a very challenging yoga. It is for the more advanced and the people who practice it move from one challenging position to another), and Bikram Yoga (This is a more demanding version of the Hatha Yoga. It is very popular in California and it is made up of 26 positions and 22 breathing exercises).

Depending on your needs you can work on specific positions - the ones that will help you get rid of stress, manage your weight, provide you with more balance, or whatever it is that you need and want to improve. Yoga classes are great for beginners and after you start to understand the fundamentals you can practice yoga on your own.

By Tom Black

The Benefits of Yoga – Yoga for All

Yoga is an ancient exercise, which was originated in India 5,000 years ago. Yoga is an applied science of the body and mind. Practicing yoga creates a balance between the body and mind. Yoga helps in internal as well as external strength. It balances the yin and yang. Yoga teaches about healthy body and healthy mind. Good health means calm mind.

The balance between mind, body and soul is established by yoga. Yoga was developed thousands of years ago by yogis. There are thousands of yoga asanas (exercises) and each has its own significance. Yoga can be done in the morning or in the evening. A trained instructor is required to teach the person. There are various breathing exercises, which help in relaxing the whole body. There are many standing exercises, deep breathing exercises and exercises, which are done sitting and lying flat.

There are many yoga institutes in US. There are various types of yoga, like kundalini yoga, hatha yoga etc. People with diseases and pain, whether it is migraine or arthritis, can utilize yoga as it can help in healing. By doing yoga the body’s immune system functions well and the healing properties in the body is enhanced. Meditation helps in improving a person’s concentration and memory.

Yoga also helps in muscle flexibility, stamina, lowers fat, improves blood circulation, lowers bad cholesterol levels and makes the mind calm. Everybody can do yoga and attain its benefits.

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Learning Yoga For Your Good Health

For many of us, cranking out a ten-minute mile on a treadmill or pounding the floor of the racquetball court can mean major joint pain. Fortunately, you can cover all three of your major exercise types (aerobic, anaerobic and stretching) through a low-impact activity like yoga.

Yoga is an ancient Indian practiced designed to promote relaxation, health and flexibility. By using a series of poses and breathing techniques, yoga also works on the practitioner's balance, strength and overall health.

It has been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, diminish back pain and improve cardiovascular health. Depending on the type of yoga you do, yoga can be an aerobic, anaerobic or stretching exercise or all three.

Essentially, yoga tones and stretches all your joints and muscles. Not only does this unique form of exercise deliver physical benefits, it also reduces stress while promoting relaxation. When it comes to aging well, yoga is one of the best activities you can do.

Some types of it are more strenuous than others, so before you sign up for a class or purchase a yoga DVD, you may want to make sure you're choosing a yoga program that's right for you. Keep reading to learn about the five major types of yoga:

Integral Yoga: This is a basic and very gentle form of yoga with a set pattern of postures. The emphasis is on pose control, relaxation and deep meditation. Integral yoga is perfect for beginners.

Ashtanga Yoga: You may see Ashtanga yoga listed as "power yoga." This type of yoga moves fast and focuses on a continuous flow of movement through the traditional yoga poses. By incorporating strength, aerobic exertion and flexibility, Ashtange embodies all three types of exercise.

Kundalini Yoga: This form of yoga is extremely spiritual and tends to focus predominantly on breathing exercises, chanting, relaxation and meditation.

Iyengar Yoga: Iyengar yoga focuses predominantly on positioning and poses that are precise and correct. Using wooden blocks, buckets or straps, Iyengar concentrates on alignment and the actual structure of a pose. Though slow and steady, Iyengar is not recommended for yoga beginners.

Bikram Yoga: Also known as "hot yoga," Bikram yoga is typically done in a room heated to anywhere from 80 to 100 degrees. Vigorous and intense, this form of yoga may be too much for those suffering from respiratory problems, high blood pressure or cardiac issues.

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Relaxation Techniques In Stress Management

If you are stressed out, you probably know that relaxation techniques which will also help to relax the mind will be an enormous help in resolving your problems. This article will outline some relaxation techniques which are used in stress management and will point to a website which has much useful information.

Relaxation techniques work on the idea that you can't be relaxed and uptight at the same time. Relaxation exercises help reduce anxiety and stress. Relaxation training can help you to control your body's reaction to stress. There are basically two main ways: Learn how to turn off the alarm system through various relaxation methods. There are more sophisticated versions of these muscular methods, like the shower of relaxation and progressive relaxation. If we consider cognitive theory, its basic premise is that peaceful thoughts cause relaxation and stressful thoughts cause stress. A massage provides deep relaxation and improves physiological processes. Many people use specific relaxation techniques including yoga, meditation and breathing techniques. Sometimes spa-like music is used along with a collaborative counselling approach to elicit the relaxation response. Although not proven effective if used alone, yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation are very important to help slow the mind and body down and undoubtedly play an important role in controlling the effects of the buzz. Make time for relaxation and leisure activities. Perform relaxation exercises or get a massage.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique

Tighten all the muscles you can find: legs, arms, back, face- Hold for 10 seconds- Then, release- Repeat a few times. Other activities that actually reduce stress include daily exercise, finding constructive outlets for your emotions, socializing, performing relaxation exercises and eating a healthy diet. Meditation, relaxation skills and muscle relaxation are all ways for you to chill out and feel good. Stress management and relaxation are two techniques that can be effectively used to treat stress. Stress management and relaxation can help individuals take control of their own situations and effectively deal with stress. There is a difference between stress management and relaxation. You can begin to use the relaxation techniques that work for your specific needs, body and mind. Stress management and relaxation are two kinds of therapy, quite often self-therapy, that can be used together to help recognize and alleviate stress in daily life,

We should remember that successful stress management is not about applying one or another method, or taking one or another pill; successful stress management is about dealing with a problem in general. If you would like to know more about relaxation techniques in stress management, visit the link below this article.

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Complete Health Bliss With Yoga Relaxation

Until recently, I was totally oblivious of the intertwinement between yoga benefits and yoga relaxation. Like many women, I also sought solace in leisure activities such as socializing, partying, watching a movie, or reading, to relax.

It was only when I started practicing yoga that I became aware of the mammoth yoga benefits that can be obtained from the state of profound relaxation. A few yoga relaxation sessions were enough for me to perceive the generation of sublime state of harmony.

Different women have totally different reasons for practicing yoga. Some women are interested in the health benefits they obtain after performing yoga exercises routinely, while others practice yoga to achieve the desired state of harmony between the inner and outer self, but a large percentage of women carry out yoga sessions just for relaxation.

At this conjuncture, a very important question crops up, “Why can’t leisure activities provide relaxation?”

I consider, that leisure activities are merely a gateway to escape from stressful conditions and feelings for a while. As soon as you confront a stress producing condition, you neither know how to react to it nor you know how to deal with it.

Accomplished yoga practitioners consider that yoga relaxation develops a woman’s ability to deal with stress more effectively and at the same time makes her more energized, concentrated and relaxed. As a consequence, a woman is able to regain her mental composure quickly during stressful conditions and this enables her to deal with stress with an iron hand. This is one of the greatest yoga benefits associated with yoga relaxation.

Modern women live under overt and subtle pressure to look good, behave well and impress others. She has to deal with competition at work place and difficulties in personal relationships. All these lifestyle factors adversely affect her physical and mental health.

Under such circumstances, the big question is, “How can a woman preserve her physical and mental health?” You don’t have to scratch your head to find an answer because yoga, the legacy of our forefathers is still powerful enough to help today’s woman to stay healthy.

If you still have some doubts about the effectiveness of this ancient system of exercise, then consider some yoga benefits retrieved, after thorough research and investigations.

1. Yoga relaxation improves the overall physical and mental health of a woman through the relaxing effect on her body and the calming effect on her mind. This is one of the most basic yoga benefits related to relaxation.

2. It relieves and delays the onset of fatigue.

3. Yoga relaxations works to expand the consciousness, which brings about greater freedom from negative conditioning and repressed memories.

4. It helps a woman to minimize and alleviate illusions, confusions, and inessential burdens, and develop a living that is more skilful.

5. Life is complex and challenging. There is suffering in life. Yoga relaxation helps us to deal with the modern stresses of competition, complexity and change.

There are many more yoga benefits that can be linked with yoga relaxation. Infact, each yoga practitioner has an incredible yoga health benefit experience to narrate.

To achieve maximum yoga benefits and to accelerate the process of arriving to the intense stage of relaxation, perseverant yoga practitioners advocate adherence to five essential components of yoga:

1. Diet- It is an important factor because the things we eat influence not only the structure of our body, but also our brain.

2. Breathing techniques- Deep and prolonged breath helps your brain to stay oxygenated, which contributes to analyzing things in a clearer manner.

3. Postures- They cultivate and maintain mental and physical balance, strength and health. They are most beneficial when practiced on a regular or daily basis and at the same time, each time they are practiced.

4. Meditation practice- During relaxation it is essential to mediate on the true values of the world.

5. Relaxation practice- Yoga postures are often cumbersome and demand a lot of attention therefore yoga relaxation is necessary and mandatory stage of every yoga routine.

Yoga is a connection between spiritual and real world, and yoga relaxation is considered to be a stage, which safely brings you back to the present reality you live in.

To yield rich yoga benefits out of yoga relaxation, a woman must have the right attitude and focus. These are considered to be the key elements. Entering the profound stage of relaxation and synchronization between your inner and your outer self cannot happen unless you physically and mentally desire it.

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7 Relaxation Techniques for Stress Reduction

There are many relaxation techniques people can learn to keep stress at bay. One of the most important aspects of stress reduction is knowing how to relax.

Here are some relaxation techniques that individuals can use to help them relax:

1. Breathing is key when it comes to controlling stress. Make a conscious effort to breath in through your nose. Take deep long breaths, instead of shallow ones. There have been some medical findings that associate stress reduction with breathing pattern.

Taking slow deep breaths can also relieve anxiety. During the day, whenever individuals feel that stress is creeping up on them, they should take a few minutes to gather themselves. This will also allow them to take some deep breaths to help them relax.

2. Get into yoga. This type of exercise puts an emphasis on relaxation. It is a great way to release tension from the body. Yoga can help one feel more calm. It also relieves tension from the muscles.

3. Listening to music is a great way to relieve stress. Listening to soft, soothing music has a calming effect on a person's body. It eases the mind, and help the body relax.

4. Individuals who want to relax should do so in a quiet and comfortable environment. Being in a room that is cluttered and messy will not help anyone relax. This also applies to the working environment. Work stations that are cluttered and disorganized will only add to a person's stress level. So individuals should always keep their work space tidy and clean.

5. A massage is also a great way to relieve stress from the body. It's also very conducive to relaxation.

6. Baths are also a good idea! After a long day at work, what better way to relax than to take a long, relaxing bath. This will helps to invigorate the body.

7. Regular exercising is a great way to get rid of stress. Physical exertion helps to provide an outlet for pent up emotions that are related to stress. There is also strong evidence that links a hormone called endorphins-which has been known to promote a feeling of euphoria with exercise. This is why after exercising a person tends to feel much better.

There are many relaxation techniques that people can take advantage of to help them get rid of stress. It is just a matter of finding one that works for them, and can be adapted well into their lifestyle!

Written By:-Tim Lee
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