To do warrior poses in Ashtanga yoga, begin in a balanced standing position with your feet together, arms to the side and back straight. With an inward breath, raise your arms in the air overhead. Bend the knees slightly to lower the torso. With...
Flowing yoga poses are often referred to as vinyasa, meaning to place in a special way. There are many styles of vinyasa yoga available but all have a common theme of moving through the sequence of postures fluidly with the breath. As with any new...
Tightness in your hip flexors can be more than just a nuisance. When your hip flexors are too tight, they pull your pelvis forward, putting extra strain on your lower back. Stretching these muscles daily can loosen them and decrease the pain in...
Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice that has found a home in Western cultures as a form of physical fitness. Yoga incorporates controlled breathing techniques, meditation and postures, called asanas, in order to help you relax, increase...
Ashtanga yoga takes you through set routines that require vigor and sweat to execute. K. Pattabhi Jois, a yoga teacher in India, derived the postures from an ancient text called the "Yoga Korunta." The authors of "Instructing Hatha Yoga" recount...
The history of yoga dates back more than 3,000 years. The practice has many benefits: flexibility, strength, relaxation, improved mind-body connection. Most yoga practices consist of a series of poses or positions and emphasize concentrating on...
In Sanskrit, the warrior or hero pose is called Virabhadrasana. The name derives from Virabhadra, a great warrior hero in Indian mythology. According to legend, Virabhadra had a fearsome appearance with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes and a...
The yoga one-legged pose is last of the three yoga warrior poses and will require lots of patience practice to gain the strength and balance necessary to hold the posture. However, it's worth the trouble, as the one-legged pose not only improves...
As more people become aware of the flexibility and mental health benefits of yoga, the strength training elements of some postures often goes forgotten. Similar to exercises such as pushups, situps and chinups, yoga postures use your natural body...
It is important that you understand what your fitness goals are when you begin to choose a workout routine. It is crucial that you set your expectations so you can choose a program that develops the muscles you want. A good workout program should...
Poor posture and tension headaches are only two of the effects you might experience if you sit at a desk for eight hours a day. Inertia can also wreak havoc on your musculature. Muscles, such as your hip flexors, that are not stretched regularly...
Stretching and core strengthening exercises are part of physical therapy programs to relieve back pain. Stretching combats muscle spasms and helps achieve and maintain a normal range of motion. Exercises for lengthening the lower back, hips, legs...
Stability and weighted balls are great props to incorporate into your yoga practice. A stability ball can help you strengthen your core and engage in difficult poses. Weighted balls can develop the upper body while you perform poses that focus on...
More than 15.8 million people in the United States practice yoga, according to "Yoga Journal," as of 2008, and the yoga ball allows you to explore poses in fun, new ways. Made from durable vinyl, yoga balls are large, air-filled exercise balls...
Prenatal yoga is a way to stay in shape during pregnancy. It is gentle on your joints and helps you relax. The breathing techniques taught in yoga class can help you in pregnancy, labor and when mothering a newborn. Some yoga poses should be...
Dozens of yoga poses focus on the core, or your abdominal area. In fact, few yoga moves don't engage this essential body part in some way, although some are more core-oriented than others. A core-intense yoga practice can be a key component in...
When the long sciatic nerve that runs down the back of the leg gets pinched or pressed against by a disc, a condition known as sciatica can develop. Pain that radiates from your lower spine all the way down the back of your leg is the hallmark of...
A "hamstring" is actually a three-part muscle that resides on the back of the upper thigh. In anatomical terms, the hamstrings are known as knee flexors and they consist of the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. The action of...
Though traditional yoga consists of eight different limbs, here in the West the focus is on the asanas, or yoga positions. These make up the physical practice of yoga and despite a variation from discipline to discipline, the categories of yoga...
According to Baron Baptiste, yoga teacher and creator of Baptiste Power Yoga, "the biggest benefit yoga can bring to your skiing is injury prevention" because yoga helps you become aware of your physical imbalances. Skiing requires active balance...
Toned thighs are the result of repetitive, focused contraction and extension of the gluteal, quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups. It's possible, however, to target these muscle groups without firing up the deeper, individual muscle fibers of...
Yoga is an ancient art that teaches physical postures, breathing exercises, proper diet and principles of ethical living. Certain yoga exercises help tone the legs and hips, and they can also have a slimming effect on the buttocks muscles. Consult...
Yoga may seem tame to many die-hard athletes and not worth the effort, but the truth is, yoga is one of the most effective all-around toning and strengthening forms of exercise a person can do, without placing strain on joints from high impact...
Stiff connective tissue supports the joints of the average person. The connective tissue in those with hyperflexible joints, however, is stretchier and lacks support. People with hyperflexible ankles are prone to ankle sprains and have tight hip...
Just as the longevity of a bridge depends on the stability of its arch, the same can be said for fallen arches in the human foundation. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons website, fallen arches is an adult developed...
Yoga has a reputation for transforming the body. Ironically, yoga itself is undergoing its own transformation. Students of this ancient discipline used to the solemnity of a Hatha yoga class now have the option of rocking it out in an Expressive...
Yoga is a type of exercise that increases flexibility, stretches your muscles and improves strength. It involves performing a variety of poses and holding them for an extended period of time to improve your balance and concentration. Though many...
A person with pulmonary problems typically has discomfort or difficulty breathing on a regular basis. For many people with pulmonary problems, exercise can be extremely difficult. However, gentle yoga poses can be soothing and therapeutic for...
Whether practiced alone or in a group, yoga poses are traditionally performed on an individual basis. Although you may use your classmates as a guide or motivational tool, you probably won't come into contact with them during a yoga class....
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