Yoga is a perfect example of holistic health because it combines body and mind. Many people practice yoga because of this body-mind connection. For some people yoga is not only a form of exercise, but also a spiritual path. Most people in the West practice Hatha yoga, but there are many kinds of yoga.

Interestingly, Hatha is the composite of two ancient Sanskrit words. Ha is the word for sun and tha is the word for moon. Hatha yoga therefore is the union between the sun and moon–the combining of opposites. It is also, not coincidentally, the combining of the mind and the body.

When you perform yoga, you’ll find that not only does it lead to greater strength and vitality for your body, but it also provides an unparalleled peace of mind.

Yoga is a great form of exercise for people with physical ailments such as arthritis or fibromyalgia. Yoga exercises are expressly used to not only ease tired, tense muscles, and to improve flexibility, but to tone the body’s internal organs as well. Yoga is purposely performed slowly with focus given to your breathing.

The beauty of yoga is that it can be practiced by anyone. It doesn’t matter how old you are. If you desire a more limber body, yoga is one of the quickest ways to attain it. Yoga also increases an individual’s physical coordination and promotes better posture. And it does all this without potentially hazard negative effects that are often incurred in high-impact forms of exercise.

Yoga is also one of the best exercises to do if you are not in the physical shape you used to be in. It’s a great way to introduce your body to subtle gentle movement performed at your own pace. If you are considering an overall exercise program but feel that you don’t have the energy at the moment, try yoga first. You’ll find that, ironically, the gentle movements and relaxed tone of this ancient practice reinvigorates the body to provide more energy. At the same time, your body is refreshed and renewed, giving you a clear-headed feeling.

Curiously, Hatha yoga reaches much of the same effects of aerobic exercise. It improves your overall health by reducing stress, but unlike aerobics, it doesn’t increase you heart rate. And many of the postures go a long way towards strengthening your bones, but without the need of lifting weights or doing other weight-bearing exercises.

When performed properly, in conjunction with proper related breathing techniques, yoga also helps stimulate the circulatory system, the digestive process as well as the nervous and endocrine system.

When a person has sexual problems, the last thing they want to do is comparison shop for the best product for their problem. Most sexual aids are sold as novelty items, and that means they are not regulated. Through this large loophole comes tons of products with some nasty chemicals in them.

Everything from sex toys to personal lubricants can have some questionable ingredients in them. Even doctor-approved drugs like Viagra can have some pretty nasty side effects. A person needing help in this area can find themselves having to navigate through a labyrinth of lies, half truths, and too-good-to-be-true promises.

Of course there are many reasons for sexual dysfunction–diabetes, hypertension, emotional or psychological problems. A medical professional will have to determine the reason; however, if you want to try to help yourself, yoga has a proven history in this area. Yoga poses, some of which are based on tantric sexual practice, will increase blood flow and flexibility. When performed regularly, yoga postures that exercise the hips, thighs, and groin make it easier to engage in certain lovemaking positions.

Keep in mind that the greater goal is to connect. This is possible because these positions help open the heart, sacral, and root chakras releasing dormant sexual energy and increasing the capacity to love. Yoga’s emphasis on breathing and movement increases the flow of prana or life energy throughout your body.

Many couples find exercising together to be an aphrodisiac. If you’re looking to spice up your relationship, yoga can enhance sexual desire, heighten your level of intimacy. While some couples may want to try these exercises just for a change of pace, others may find a new way to experience each other’s body with or without clothes as well as a new way to bond.

As mentioned, sexual aids and lubricants can contain toxic chemicals. Many people took note when sex expert Sue Johanson called the We Vibe the sex toy of the year. The We Vibe is green because it’s made with medical-grade silicon and is free of endocrine disrupting pthalates. It’s also rechargeable, so no batteries will end up in the landfill.

As for personal lubricants, there are new developments on the horizon–

An experimental sex lubricant designed by Australian researchers could help block both HIV and genital herpes, a study suggests.

Tests on lab animals have shown that the microbicide gel, called Viva Gel, inactivates the HIV virus and another responsible for genital herpes, News.com.au reports.

What’s most important for you to know is that many brands of lubricants contain chemicals you don’t want anywhere near your body such as parabens—methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben and benzylparaben. Although parabens inhibit the growth of fungus and bacteria, they can cause allergic reactions. Studies have also found parabens in breast tumors.

While the FDA says parabens are safe for consumers, a number of studies have shown that parabens may be linked to high rates of breast cancer, reproductive problems in women, decreased sperm counts, and prostate and testicular cancer in men. Just remember to read labels carefully so you’re sure of the type of lubricant you are purchasing.

Resources: Tantric Sex Guide | Video: We Vibe

You can reduce work stress and keep your body toned with yoga. But wait, with your busy work schedule, how can you find time to grab the mat and go to class? That’s no excuse because you can do yoga moves at the office without changing into exercise clothes. In a few minutes twice daily, your office yoga moves will make sitting or standing so much more tolerable.

Desk Yoga Move 1: Without leaving your chair, sit straight with your back pressed against the chair. Put your feet flat on the floor, so be sure to take off heels. Press your toes on the floor while raising your heels.

Then press your heels to the floor while raising your toes. Alternate these movements. You will feel the lower leg muscles stretch and relax. At first it may feel tense, then with repetition, you will notice how much your lower legs feel relief. You can do this while talking to a client on the phone without missing a word.

Desk Yoga Move 2: Take in a deep breath as you slowly raise your arms over your head. Use your right hand to take hold of your left wrist. Exhale slowly as you bend to the right. Inhale and return to vertical sitting position. Then repeat with the opposite hand and stretch.

Desk Yoga Move 3: Move your chair away from your desk. With your back against the chair, slowly fold forward lowering your upper body, reaching your hands to the floor. Stretch gently until you can place your palms down on the floor. Hold that position for ten seconds, and then slowly roll upward to sitting position.

Desk Yoga Move 4: Sit straight in your chair with your back against the chair back. Slowly drop your chin toward your chest. Move your head in a circular motion toward the right, center then toward the left. Keep your shoulder still and avoid tightening them as your neck moves.

Desk Yoga Move 5: Do a half cat stretch from your chair. Start with feet flat on the floor. Place your hand on your knees. As you inhale, gently arch your back looking toward the ceiling. Then you exhale and round the spine downward so your head drops to the chest. Pause a few seconds and repeat this stretch.

In five minutes, you can do a few desk yoga moves that relax your body and energize your sense of well-being. And you can repeat these moves several times a day. Desk yoga is a great stress reliever.

When you feel overwhelmed with work or frustrated with an task that’s not working out as you planned, don’t reach for chocolate or go out on a smoke break. Use the natural soothing power of yoga moves to create healthy relaxation.

Vinyasa Yoga is another style of yoga. Like the other styles, the root of this yoga can be found in India and in the language of India, it has two meanings. “To place” and “in a special way” meaning it’s a series of postures worked along with a breathing technique.

The two are made to flow easily from one move to the next. Watching this style, you could assume it’s some type of ancient dancing the moves are so fluid as they’re worked with inhaling and exhaling.

This kind of yoga uses breathing as an essential part of the moves. It helps people to let go of stress and reach an inner peace. Practicing yoga won’t give you a perfectly happy life but what it will do is show you how to find a balance, a way to handle the stress and keep it from reaching deep into the core of your being. People take part in yoga for many reasons. To connect with their inner selves, to relax, to reach their spiritual roots and even to lose weight and shape up their body.

If you’re surprised at the thought that Vinyasa Yoga could be handy with weight loss, don’t be. The way the yoga is conducted, with the breathing and movements performed with simultaneous precision, the flow is constant, the moving constant.

While you’re not rushing or bopping around like you would in a dance class, you are in effect dancing albeit slowly and with a greater point to the movements. The poses or postures are completed with an inhale or an exhale and are timed to be done that way.

One thing you can expect as you practice this style of yoga is that there will be different movements but each with room for you to express yourself as you’d like. There’s no cookie cutter way to this form of yoga and it embraces people as unique and separately wonderful.

You might find some parts of this yoga is very fast paced while other parts of it is slower. Like other yoga styles, there are specific movements or postures associated with this particular yoga.

Performing Vinyasa Yoga offers many benefits to each individual. Benefits like being more in tune with what’s going on in your body and mind as well as achieving a bond of relaxation and peace at the deepest part of yourself.

The first time you take part in any type of yoga, you might feel awkward, maybe even a little foolish, but know that yoga doesn’t judge based on performance – how well you move or how long it takes you to reach serenity. It can and does bring so many health benefits to those who practice it faithfully.

The beauty of yoga is that it can be practiced by anyone. It doesn’t matter what your physical condition, or your age–if you’re breathing you can do yoga. One of the quickest ways to attain a fitter body is to do yoga. Yoga also increases an individual’s physical coordination and promotes better posture. And it does all this without potentially hazard negative effects that are often incurred in high-impact forms of exercise.

Yoga is also one of the best exercises to do if you are not in the physical shape you used to be in. It’s a great way to introduce your body to subtle gentle movement performed at your own pace. If you are considering an overall exercise program but feel that you don’t have the energy at the moment, dive into yoga first. You’ll find that, ironically, the gentle movements and relaxed tone of this ancient practice reinvigorates the body to provide more energy. At the same time, your body is refreshed and renewed, giving you a clear-headed feeling.

106 pages of free yoga tips

When performed properly in conjunction with proper related breathing techniques yoga also helps stimulate the circulatory system, the digestive process as well as the nervous and endocrine system.

Yoga appears to have an influence in reducing an individual’s risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. A three-month study in Germany treated cardiovascular patients with a combination of yoga, meditation and a vegetarian diet. The researchers at Hanover Medical Center discovered a “substantial reduction” in risk factors for heart disease which included the lowering of blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

In studies conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine yoga seemed to have improved the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hands. The group which received the yoga therapy discovered less pain during activity as well as less tenderness. Additionally, the participants’ experienced a greater range of motion in their fingers. The results were published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

Surprisingly, some fibromyalgia patients have been helped by the daily practice of yoga. Patrick Randolph, Ph.D., director of psychological services at the Pain Center of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, studied yoga’s effects on this often elusive disorder. While difficult to diagnose, fibromyalgia is often debilitating. The wide range of symptoms make it difficult to treat.

The study consisted of a very small group of only six women, but the results are exceedingly encouraging. The women discovered that the practice of yoga improved the circulation to the arms and legs which in turn helped the individuals to relax.

But yoga had a second, unexpected benefit. It helps to lift the irrelevant “mind chatter” that frequently turns chronic pain into pure misery. The mind very often refuses to quiet which only produces more anxiety about the problem itself.

And in the view of some health care practitioners, this ability to quiet the mind and help it to live with our chronic problems may be one of the greatest assets of yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga is a yoga that teaches the eight limbs of yoga. It focuses on controlling one’s breathing through the movements, controlling the senses by not allowing distractions to interrupt the art, and by deep concentration.

This kind of yoga has roots in morality, meditation and focuses on the asanas or the poses. The purpose of concentrating on the use of the eight limbs in this yoga are to remove from inside the body the things that cause it to be unclean.

The purpose of practicing the asanas within this yoga are to lead the individual into developing a body that’s full of health and strength. When health and strength are present, it’s easier for the mind to concentrate and keep tuned in to the purpose of the yoga movements.

By stretching and toning, by concentrating and meditation, the body is freed from the internal and external weights that drag it down. Focus helps to achieve the goal of a healthier body, a stronger mind and a freer spirit.

Through the performance of Ashtanga Yoga, the poses are worked in harmony with the breathing. There are specific that are done while exhaling and other specific movements that are completed while inhaling.

The movements are correlated to work in conjunction with the breathing to reach a point of attention in the body, which helps to create that bond, that union that yoga is known to help users reach.

The eight limbs of yoga can be done as individual steps apart from one another, but just like the steps in a two-story home, they’re made to help users reach the next level. They work best when achieved in order and in a consistent way.

This style of yoga has a purpose in each of the movements. When used as a form of exercise, you’ll get a tougher workout than you would if you were practicing a more serene form of yoga.

You’ll find the movements of certain styles of yoga to have specific levels for the beginner student, a stronger level for the somewhat experienced and a tougher level for the person who’s been a student of Ashtanga before.

Taking part in Ashtanga Yoga will certainly get your heart rate up. Some users equate it with the same workout that one might find in a workout designed to bring cardiovascular benefits to the table.

If you’re a complete novice to the art of yoga and haven’t yet mastered some of the basic asanas, this kind of yoga is what you want to reach in the future, but not where you should begin.

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