...I remember how intimidated I felt the first time a friend of mine invited me to take a yoga class with her. It was all so mysterious to me. I was sure I would look foolish trying to twist myself into a variety of shapes and configurations. My ego and I imagined all sorts of ridiculous scenarios. Being a rather shy personality type, I was worried I would commit a horrible faux pas and stick out like a sore thumb or offend someone. I had no idea of what to expect, what was expected of me, or what the proper etiquette was for taking a yoga class. As I look back on all the insecurities I had, it's a wonder I ever made it through the door to my first class. Thankfully, I did. That was many years and many yoga classes ago. over time and several different yoga teachers, I truly fell in love with yoga and wanted to share it with everyone I could. I became a certified yoga instructor and opened my own studio, Lights of Yoga, in 2000.

Yoga is a beautiful practice unlike any other form of fitness program I have ever tried. I encourage anyone thinking about including it in their life to find a yoga class ASAP. First, find a yoga teacher you can connect with. Every teacher has their own style of teaching and, although I believe we learn from all of our teachers, even ones we don't connect with well, in the beginning it is very important to have a teacher who does not make you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed while you are under their tutelage. Once you have found a teacher to start your yoga journey with, here are a few points t...more

Discovering The History And Concepts Of Different Branches of Yoga

...History of Hatha Yoga: The history of hatha yoga goes back in the fifteenth century india when Yogi Swatmarama, a sage during those times, introduced it as a form of "a stairway to the heights" of Raja Yoga which is the preparatory stage of physical purification that makes the body fit for the practice of higher form of meditation. Hatha yoga is also known to be called as "hatha vidya" and the word "hatha" is a combination of the words, "ha" which means sun "tha" that means moon and they are said to refer to the prinicipal "nadis" or the energy channels of the body and must be fully operational to attain the state of "dhyana" or a certain aspect of meditation.

Some people may link that the origins of hatha yoga which dates back in the tenth or eleventh century with Goraknath, a yogin during those times. However, the oldest surviving text about hatha yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by yogin, Yogi Swatmarama. The text is said to be taken from old sanskrit writings and personal yogin experiences of the yogin himself. The text relates about shatkarma, asana, pranayama, chakras, kundalini, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, nadis, and mudras among others.

concept of Hatha yoga: The total concept of the traditional hatha yoga is a holistic yogic path comprising of moral disciplines, physical exercises, breath control, and meditation. The hatha yoga that is widely practiced and popular in the western countries mainly composed of the "asanas" or postures and other exercises.

Hatha yoga is only one of the two concepts of yoga that concentrates on the physical culture and the other yoga is the Raja yoga but both of these are referred to as Ashtanga yoga. The main difference is that the Raja yoga concentrates more on the "asanas" or postures to get the body ready for a prolonged meditation that c...more

Yoga for Constipation - Home Remedies for Constipation

...Yoga is a science. The power of yoga is infinite. Yoga can heal many problems and ailments. There are lots of yoga poses (asana), which help the whole body.

Constipation is a common problem. Everybody in his or her lifetime faces this problem at some point in time. This condition should be treated or else it could lead to many more serious problems. The main problem with const...more

Teaching Hatha Yoga - The Eight Limbs and Student Advancement

...se than an egotist, who represents Yoga. If a person is constantly talking about themselves, they usually end up alone. Granted, most people do like to talk about themselves, but a well-rounded Yoga curriculum should cover putting the ego in place.

Instilling self-confidence in your students is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with a student achieving his or her dreams, but remaining humble is also part of the package. All of us should be giving thanks to a higher power for the quality of life we have. It is easy to be thankful for what we have in this life. Yet, for some people, it is also easy to take for granted, or forget, those who help us.

No...more

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