Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Yoga for Women


Becoming a "yoga woman" is not about shopping for yoga apparels for women; it is about making a decision to carve a little time out of your day to do something just for yourself. As singer Helen Reddy describes the role of yoga in her life, "Yoga gives me the realization that I can not only be an active 75-year-old woman, but still a meaningful one."

Perhaps one of the most famous practitioners of yoga in the headlines today is world renowned singer Madonna. A dedicated adherent of Ashtanga yoga, when Madonna suffered injuries in a horse riding accident in 2005, including broken ribs, her doctors credited her rapid recovery and ability to fend off potential chest infections to the important role of yoga in her life regimen. More and more women are expressing interesting in yoga after hearing stories like Madonna's.

Yoga Benefits Women In Every Life Stage

Yoga for women is appropriate at every stage of life and special yoga apparels for women are not required. Any loose, comfortable clothing will work just fine. The exercises make women more aware of their strengths and weaknesses while reducing stress, increasing flexibility, improving coordination, and extending range of motion. It is a good routine for the cardio, respiratory, and circulatory systems and is especially helpful to alleviate the lower back pain common in women before menstruation and during pregnancy.

Some women have found that a regular yoga routine will even out their periods and alleviate the anxiety and depression common at "that time of the month." Also, by strengthening the abdominal muscles, yoga has been found to decrease painful cramping.

During pregnancy mild yoga exercises help the mother to stay fit without placing too much strain on the baby. Yoga keeps the heart strong but the blood pressure low and if the expectant mother is anxious about her impending delivery, yoga will help her to manage that stress more effectively. Specific types of yoga for pregnant women should be carefully chosen, however.

Pregnancy and ashtanga yoga are an especially good match since this form of yoga follows a well-defined set of movements to come into and out of poses in a way that completely absorbs the consciousness while stilling the thoughts. Bikram yoga and pregnancy, however, may not be as good a match because even though bikram involves a series of 26 exercises, it is performed in a heated room (95 to 105° F) that may prove too stressful.
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Introduction to Yoga

Introduction Yoga' means not only contemplation but also communion and yoking all powers of the body, mind and soul to God. It is a very ancient and efficient system of disciplines and controls designed to produce the integration of the body, mind and spirit. It also achieves higher states of awareness and self-realization by methodical efforts to attain perfection. The therapeutic benefits obtained by performing the asanas are well known. The circulation of the blood is improved; tensions can be removed, and a feeling of well-being is induced. The muscles are strengthened, nerves soothed and physical endurance is increased. One important aspect is that blood vessels and nerves for the internal organs are "massaged" by the twists and bending, ensuring proper functioning. Ageing bodies can have fewer aches and pains, stiffening of joints can be healed and depression alleviated. 1. Hatha Yoga Concerned, primarily with the body and the asanas. 2. Bhakti Yoga Path of love and devotion. 3. Mantra Yoga Recitation and repetition of words and verses. 4. Karma Yoga Service through action and work. 5. Jnana Yoga The intellectual path. 6. Raja Yoga Synthesis of Bhakti, Karma and Janan. 7. Laya Yoga The secret path, the 'Yoga of Dissolution'. What is Yoga? Yoga is a philosophy brought down diligently through the ages. And, it has acquired more significance now because of the “stressed out” way of life that we live in this fast paced world filled with pressure, anxiety and energy consuming routine. In ancient times, the seven stages of yoga consisted of : 1. Eyama – Good deeds 2. Niyama – Stoping bad habits 3. Asanas – 4. Pranayama – Breathing 5. Pratikaharan – Special diet 6. Dharana / Dyanam – Concentration 7. Samadhi – Submitting oneself to die What we are trying to do here is not drill into your head that it is some kind of an exercise that has to be done. IT is certainly not so because it is just not some form of an exercise or some form of a routine that has to be rigidly followed. It is more of a philosophy and it has to become a part of yourself as much as eating, brushing your teeth, combing your hair or even breathing. And, once it pervades your system there is no way that any thing can take its place. It becomes so much of a second nature to you that you find it difficult to even imagine that how you had lived without it for so long. And this, is no exaggeration – it is the pure and simple truth itself. Yoga Reduces heart beat Charges energy leading to less food requirement Reduces tension Leads to calm and composure Exercise Enhances heart beat Discharges energy leading to increased food requirement Increases tension Gives went to aggression