Find Peace Through Yoga

Kids Summer Camp

2005-05-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is crazy...but in a good way. There is a summer camp for kids that incorporates yoga, crafts, games, theatre, and gymnastics into a jungle adventure. This is a week of fun for young yogis. Visit this site if you would like to learn more (maybe for a younger sibling or family member etc.). I came across this site, and was really surprised by it - I had no idea camps like this even existed! This particluar camp is affiliated with other themed camps like "The Royal Castle Camp" and "The Beach Party Camp." Sounds pretty cool - I wish I had camps like this when I was growing up!

Not Quite Done...

2005-05-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

Although the project (the reason this blog was created in the first place) is now almost over, I would just like to let you all know that I will be happily continuing my blog! Please continue to read my posts and comment! :)

Even the British Are Doing It

2005-05-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

That's right, even the British are starting to participate in yoga. According to this article from Females First.Co UK, British superstar, Victoria Beckam is leading the yoga pack. This former Spice Girl is now pregnant and refuses to let her fabulous shape get away from her. By following after her close friend and bandmate Geri reshape her body through yoga, Victoria plans to do the same.

Another Rough Morning

2005-05-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I felt awful! Last night was my last formal at UD, and to put it bluntly, I was extremely "sick" when I woke up this morning. I struggled, but eventually forced myself to the yoga mat. I am not going to lie and tell you that it was my saving grace and relieved all my pain; however, it truly did help my dazed feeling. I'm sure you all can relate...

Yoga Gives You a Vacation

2005-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

According to this article from Surf Magazine, there is actually a market where people use vacation time to do yoga. Actually, these people enjoy leaving the monotony of the office life and seek out a healthy "refuse." These types of retreats are definately not your typical vacation! This specific retreat discussed in this article incorporates surfing into the vacation as well. Basically, you can travel around the world to beautiful beaches and learn to do yoga and surf! Sounds great to me...

Hip Hop Anyone?

2005-05-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hip-hop mogul Russel Simmons has recently released a video series "Yoga Live" with the exercises set to rap music. According to this article he tries to steer clear of the deeper, spiritual concepts, even though Simmons himself is a spiritualist. By doing this he is able to get people involved in yoga at the most basic level - which is great for beginners or skeptics. Even the hip-hop community is jumping on the bandwagon!

Sorry!

2005-05-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone! My computer totally crahsed, and I have not been able to keep you all updated, but everything will be picked up again today!

"Good Morning" I Guess

2005-04-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! So, it's REALLY early on a Friday morning and I am awake - which never ever happens. This might be because I came home...back to Jersey last night... and either my bed is still too small or there was sunlight shining directly in my eyes at 7am (or both). But the point is I'm awake, unfortunately. I was so annoyed this morning because I was so looking forward to a late afternoon start to my day, but then I did about a 15 yoga workout (I chose a fast, easy workout because I honestly didn't have the energy for a larger one). These 15 minutes honestly made me more relaxed and less stressed; basically I was able to face my day starting at 7:30am in a better mood than I normally would have. Clearly, yoga is not a panacea but it definatley helps (from personal experience)!

Yoga: TOO Popular?!

2005-04-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

The New Yoga is a really interesting article that is the basis of this entry. Throughout I quote the author, Anne Cushman. Honestly, at this point you really do not need me to tell you that yoga is a big hit – the “in” thing. You’ve already heard it everywhere else. “You’ve watched Sun Salutations on Good Morning America and heard about it on Oprah. You’ve read the statistics everywhere from the New York Times to the Tusla World.” The American media tends to show yoga as being the latest fitness craze, similar to the dance aerobics fad in the early 1980’s. The media takes away the spiritual aspect altogether. Another point is that slowly but surely yogic mind-body practices are influencing many aspects of Western society - from preventative medicine to Madonna's choice of outfits at the MTV awards. Yoga is seeming to seep into everything from “your favorite sitcom to your least favorite junk mail catalog.” It is everywhere – at work, at home, at church – you name it! What Easterners are concerned about is yoga becoming Americanized. This in depth article really dissects both sides of this argument. But it is up to you to decide where you fall. Personally, I understand the author’s points, but can recognize her biases as well (i.e. she seems to be a yogi). This just goes to show you, there are always issues arising around this hot topic.

More Celebs

2005-04-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

We all know the self-confessed “spiritual” addict , Madonna, is a hardcore yoga fan. According to YogaStudio.com so many of my favorite celebrities practice yoga – many of which I had no idea about. Some of them include Jerry Seinfeld, Sting, Cameron Diaz, and Nicholas Cage. A couple of those names might seem surprising to you – they were to me too. The thing is, everyone who practices yoga uses it for a different reason. Here is kind of a lengthy, but meaningful quote from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (NBA basketball star). “Basketball is an endurance sport, and you have to learn to control your breath, that’s the essence of yoga, too...Americans are very good at cardiovascular endurance and strength, but flexibility is the missing element. This is why a lot of athletes get injured. I think that doing yoga really helped reduce the number and severity of the injuries I suffered during my career. As preventative medicine, it’s unequaled.” Those are very strong words in support of this exercise program, and I’m sure many of you have not considered using yoga as a preventative medicine before now.

Yoga and Britney!

2005-04-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Pay attention if you are a Briteny Spears fan! Right before the new year, in December of 2004, Britney launched a line of yoga pants. They are great for anyone, but especially Britney addicts (to go along with the Hit me Baby One More Time school-girl outfit). You can check them out at the MTV website or at Britney's official website.

More Celebs

2005-04-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Yoga Sells...Stuff!

2005-04-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Yoga Sells...Stuff! According to this article entitled,
The Tyranny of Yoga, this hot new exercise has a definite presence in mainstream America. So much so, that is even being used to sell consumer products. Ok, you may be thinking, ‘well, yea, that could be successful for water or stretch pants,’ but what is surprising is that non-fitness related companies are jumping onto this marketing bandwagon. The article noted that even beer has aligned itself with yoga to push its product. To give you some real examples, companies including Air Wick, Norwich Union Direct insurance, Clear Blue pregnancy test, and Phostrogen weed and moss killer have all launched campaigns involving yoga. "Well-being is one of the mega-trends in the High Street now," says Richard Hammond, the managing partner of the advertising agency Spirit. Why are marketers doing this? The first and most obvious reason is because ‘every one is doing it.’ However, the more important idea about this type of advertising campaign is that it can be extremely versatile. Some companies can concentrate on stress relief aspects; while others focus on the yin and yang aspect of yoga and how that ties to the product and the consumer.

Last One!

2005-04-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging - I haven't been able to type (long story). Anyway, I really didn't mean to leave you guys hanging without the final exercise, but here it is...The Fish Posture a.k.a. Matsyasana. This exercise actually normalises several of your glands, and is reported to "tone" the nervous system (including the nerves that connect to sexual functions) according to the article. Let's get to it then, shall we? Lay down on your back and bend your knees. Bend your back as your raise it off the ground by pressing your elbows into the floor - use your forearms for support too. As always, breathe deeply with the abdomen. Hold this pose for 1 minute, then slowly come back to the starting position. Please try this exercise, now that you have it in full and let me know what you think of it! I have to run now, but I found a really interesting article and will definately be back to post it tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Excercise #3

2005-04-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

The third exercise in our routine is The Reverse Posture a.k.s. "Viparitakarani Mudra." Let's get to work. Just like the second exercise, lay on your back and raise up your legs and back while holding your body up with your hands under your hips. Your legs should be in a vertical position and remember to point those toes! Relax in this position and close your eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply from the stomach. Again, hold this here for about two minutes. Why bother? This exercise really concentrates on stimulating the thyroid and sex glands which leads to more vitality.

You're on Your Way...

2005-04-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting until today, but Blogger has not been cooperating. Anyway, let's pick up right where we left off. The second exercise in this routine is called The Shoulder Stand a.k.a. "Sarvangasana." Here's how you do it. Lie down on the floor flat on your back and take a deep breath in. At the same time, raise up your legs and back until your toes are pointing to the sky. Hike yourself up and rest your body on your shoulders and the back of your neck. Hold up your body with your hands by putting them in the middle of your back between your waste and shoulders. Take deep, slow breaths with your stomach. Hold this pose for approximately two minutes. This exercise is said to improve blood flow and regulate the sex glands. I know it sounds complicated! Don't worry though, read through the instructions again, and I'm sure you will get it right.

Interesting...

2005-04-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

There is a company called Yoga Craze who sells products specifically targeted at improving its customers sex life through certain yoga routines. They offer 3 DVD or VHS tapes for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. The company claims to focus on areas of the body that are usually forgotten about to give your body a new "awareness." There are also three video clips describing each of the videos. If you are interested, definately check out the website .

Want Better SEX?

2005-04-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

With the presumption that the answer to this question is ‘yes’ I suppose you will continue reading. You must be wondering what yoga has to do with your sex life. There is evidence that yoga practices can actually improve your sex life! I will give you an example of a yoga work out directly from the article Yoga: Your Way to a Great Sex Life that can improve your sex life and explain why it works. I will create a new post for the next 4 days, each with a specific exercise to create the entire “better sex yoga routine.” The first exercise that author, Kanika Dhawan describes is an abdominal lift, also called (Uddyiana Bandha). Let’s start with how this pose should be done. Stand with your feet shoulder length apart with your knees slightly bent. Lean forward slightly from your waist with your hands on your knees. Take a deep breathe by pushing your stomach out and then exhale by contracting it back in. Before taking another breath, pull your abdomen inward even more, making it hollow and hold this for about 10 seconds. Why is this beneficial to you? First of all, it tightens your abs which is something we all want. It also improves blood circulation around your body. Mostly importantly though, notes Dhawan, is that this pose improves the “functioning of the adrenal glands and sex glands.” To finish this completely, another exercise should be done. So, what you do now is pump your abdoman in and out (flex and contract) ten times without inhaling a breath - FAST! Then all you have to do is stand straight and tall and resume breathing normally. Simple, right?! Be back tomorrow with pose #2! Stay tuned!

"Real Men Do Yoga"

2005-03-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

By this time, some of you may have bought into the idea that yoga can be really gret for you. But, if you are a man, you might think there is just one little problem. This yoga fad is for one sex - women only. This is a really big misconception that, and men are signing on more quickly than you may think. It is very common for successful, "normal" men to practice yoga. According to the article Real Men Do Yoga written by John Capouya, "they’re businessmen, entrepreneurs, real-estate guys" (which many of my classmates can relate to). What might surprise some of you is that this article was right out of Newsweek, not some new-age niche magazine. Overall it seems that men tend to favor the more athletic style of yoga (power yoga) says Michael Lechonczak, instructor at New York’s Equinox gym. It can be used in tandem with regular workout routines to improve results. Lower-body stretches (a classic pose is Downward Dog) will “loosen hamstrings winched tight from running, for example, while upper-body openers like the Cobra help unlock chests and shoulders stiffened by bench-pressing” says Capouya. On the other hand, some men do look to yoga for spirituality . Check out this site for some quick advice from a professional instructor in terms of yoga and men.

Uh Oh, Spring Break is Almost Here

2005-03-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Today, for a one time only posting, I will consider that some of you (possibly) do not buy into the idea of using yoga as a tool to find your inner peace and strength. Some of you might even think yoga is only for the leotard wearing, strangely calm people whose diets consist soley of soy. Fine. Well, spring break is just around the corner, and I am sure many of you have been workingout at the gym religiously. How about trying to use yoga in place of just one of your routine workouts? Forgetting about all the positive effects yoga can give you on an emotional and spiritual level, yoga gets your body in shape! Most forms of yoga help you build strength, longen and tone muscles, and increase flexibility. There are three forms specifically, Ashtanga, Power Yoga, and Bikram Yoga feel a lot like aerobics, and you really burn a sweat! I challenge you to try something new. Let me know how it goes! Be back with more later.

It's Easy to Get Started

2005-03-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

I know that many of us are crammed for time these days - with classes, jobs, and especially interviews because graduation is quickly approaching. As pointed out on a comment to yesterday's entry, yoga can actually extend the length of your day by boosting energy levels. Not only will energy be increased, but concentration will improve, equaling greater efficiency. Who wouldn't want that?! There are so many local yoga centers and health clubs where yoga classes are offerred. Check this out for local listings! I'm sure we have all been to the UD fitness center during our time here. The student fitness center offers yoga classes for just $2 or less per session! Here is the current schedule. (I know we are all on tight budgets, but this is as affordable as it can get!) Not to mention the fact that the University gym is right here on campus. Try it once, and you will be addicted to yoga's benefits!

The Basics

2005-03-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Never tried yoga? Don't worry! There is always room for beginners. For all of you who are unfamiliar, here is a little background information about yoga's roots. Yoga was first practiced in India thousands of years ago. The purpose was to join the inner spirit with the spirit of the universe. Once this occurred, one would be enlightened. I found something interesting - the word "yoga" can be defined as "union." Although many of the same techniques are still used today, now many practice yoga for a far different purpose. Modern yoga involves concentration on breathing, meditation, and relaxation. It also uses stretching to help improve posture and flexibility. Don't let the idea of yoga scare you if you have not tried it before. Anyone is able to get involved - that is the beauty of it!

Test Message

2005-03-04T10:25:00.000-08:00