Hatha Yoga's Attraction for Middle-Aged Students

By Paul Jerard
Why are more, and more, students, over 40 years of age, discovering Hatha Yoga classes for the first time? What can Hatha Yoga do for a “couch potato?” What can Hatha Yoga offer the active person, who is over 40? Let’s take a closer look at each of these issues for the deeper answers, which Hatha Yoga contains.
There are many styles of Yoga, and Hatha Yoga is just one of the nine main styles from India. Hatha Yoga has many sub-styles, such as: Vinyasa Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, and many more. Before we go too deeply into this subject, please realize that outside of India, the most common form of Yoga is Hatha Yoga.
Why are more students over 40 discovering Hatha Yoga classes for the first time?
Recently, I’ve seen an influx of Yoga students, at our Attleboro Yoga Studio, who have been inactive for decades, but decided to make a “life change” to improve their health. As a result, they become physically active in Hatha Yoga classes and continue to practice their Yoga training at home.
Some of our new Yoga students arrive, due to a physician’s referral, but many have researched Yoga. Their research caused them to make an independent decision to improve their health on a mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional level.
As we approach middle age, body weight is harder to get rid of than it ever was. As a result, this extra weight can bring us many health problems and diseases.
In fact, shedding 10 or 20 pounds of body weight may just extend your life span. Heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, some forms of cancer, and more diseases, prey on those of us who carry extra pounds around.
So, we are not considering living at a nursing home for an extra decade, but increasing our odds to have an active and quality life to the end.
What can Yoga offer the active person, who is over 40?
For those of us who have been exercising for decades, we realize there is a flaw in the “No pain, no gain” theory. Premature joint wear is the biggest problem. For most of us, recognizing the difference between muscular and joint pain comes with age.
Therefore, the new fitness motto for middle age should be, “Work smart, not hard.” This requires a bit of research, as to which style of Yoga is most suited to your body and then finding a compassionate Yoga teacher. One class can tell you if the style is to your liking. As for Yoga teachers: It is easy to recognize a Yoga teacher who is abusive from one who is not.
However, some people are very attracted to a Yoga teacher who will “push them.” Be careful if you fall into this category. A Yoga teacher is not a coach, whose goal is to push you to the next competitive level.
It is fine to have goals in life, but take the time to research your individual needs. Make sure the Yoga teacher, and the Yoga style, you choose will fit into your lifestyle. Yoga’s principles are more about training for longevity than training for a short-term gain.
© Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com/ He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
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The Philosophy of Yoga and How It Applies to Modern Society

By Richard Pettinger
Yoga in the west is primarily associated with hatha yoga postures. Hatha yoga is actually only a small part of an ancient system of spiritual practices grouped together under the term yoga. The Sanskrit meaning of yoga is yuj; to yoke or unite. The goal of yoga is to unite oneself with God. Yoga involves various practices in which a seeker aspires to attain realisation of his true Self.
“Yoga is union. It is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Self. Yoga is the spiritual science that teaches us how the Ultimate Reality can be realised in life itself.” [1]
Yoga does not negate any religion. Yoga is compatible with all the major religions. Religions are like different paths, which ultimately lead to the same goal. What yoga does is to provide spiritual practises, which enable a seeker to accelerate his journey of self-discovery. While religion is often concerned with outer forms and outer rituals, yoga is concerned with individual development and the practical application of spiritual ideas. Yoga encompasses all religions but at the same time goes beyond them.
The teachings of Yoga originated many thousands of years ago when the Vedic Seers first started to write down their spiritual discoveries and spiritual realisations. Since the Vedic times the teachings of yoga have been refined and updated through a long succession of spiritual Masters and teachers. Although the teachings of yoga have been revised; the essential message of yoga has remained the same; Atmanam viddhi “Know Thyself.” Although coming from a different era the basic ideals of yoga are timeless and still very relevant for the modern age.
Yoga takes a fourfold approach to the discovery of truth. Individual seekers are free to concentrate on a particular path that appeals more. In the west the path of Karma Yoga is popular as it allows seekers to progress through dedicated service. The essence of Karma Yoga is to work without attachment to the result. If work is dedicated to God or the Supreme then it becomes no longer work but a spiritual sadhana (practise).
Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. Many saints from different spiritual traditions have taken the approach of love and devotion to God (in whatever form they feel most inspired.) The essence of Bhakti yoga is often encompassed in the devotional poetry and songs of saints such as Mirabai, Rumi, St Teresa of Avila and Sri Ramakrishna.
Jnana Yoga is the yoga of wisdom and discrimination. In jnana yoga aspirants seek to discover the truth through renunciation of false ideas and wrong thoughts. He uses reasoning and discrimination to go beyond the domain of the mind and see the unity in the real essence of the universe.
In the hoary past aspirants would feel that to practise yoga it is necessary to renounce the world. However many modern spiritual teachers have shown it is both possible and desirable to practise yoga right in the heart of modern life. Worldly activities need not be separated from yoga and spiritual practise.
Footnotes
[1] Yoga and Spiritual Life by Sri Chinmoy
Richard is an economics teacher in Oxford and is a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy. Richard teaches meditation classes in Oxford and writes several essays on spirituality and yoga. His other interests include cycling and photography.
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Pilates and Yoga

By Alan Kintel
Pilates refers to a physical fitness exercise system that focuses mainly on developing the core postural muscles (i.e., abdominal and back) along with lengthening and stabilizing of the spine in order to achieve and maintain perfect body alignment and posture. It was formulated by Joseph Pilates more than 80 years ago by taking inspiration from the ancient Yoga postures.
Although Pilates is not as complete and holistic health system like Yoga, it seeks to reach more or less the same physical fitness goals as Yoga through a series of controlled movements and breathing regulation. It is particularly effective for aesthetic body sculpting and makes you feel and look tall, lean and svelte.
Pilates basically represents the adaptation of certain yoga exercises for performing them using an exercise gear, the Pilates machine, for specific and limited purpose – i.e., core strength development, perfect body alignment and posture. The Pilates machine makes these exercises much easier to learn and more fun to perform. Pilates is a dynamic form of Yoga, you can say. Similar to yoga, the emphasis in Pilates is on concentration, control, breathing and precision. And just like in yoga, one’s own body weight is used for resistance and strength development.
However, Pilates highlights just a tiny aspect of the vast discipline of Yoga, which encompasses what Pilates comprises plus much more. Yoga lays emphasis on uniting the mind, body and spirit. It involves a combination of physical exercises, breathing exercises and meditation and is aimed at promoting flexibility, increase stamina and strength, reduce stress and cure ailments. Yoga is considered therapeutic not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit. People practice Yoga not only to feel more physically fit and energetic, but also to reduce stress and anxiety and achieve inner peace and happiness.
Yoga is the most holistic approach to physical and mental well-being known to mankind. It is not just a physical exercise program – it is a complete system for physical and mental health, covering additional aspects like proper breathing, relaxation, internal hygiene, diet, meditation and ultimately self-realization. The Yoga exercises are meant not only to make you physically fit and strong, they are also designed to set right the functioning of the internal organs by bathing them with rich oxygenated blood and life force energy. Yoga regulates the endocrine system, strengthens the respiratory system, improves digestion and elimination and perks up the reproductive system.
So, what should you be doing for overall health and fitness – Pilates or Yoga? The answer is a sensible combination of the physical and meditative aspects of both. Both, on some level, share the same goal of strengthening of the body using your own body weight for resistance. In fact, many of their movements and postures are strikingly similar. And, similar to Yoga, even Pilates can be performed as floor (mat) exercises if you don’t want to spend money on buying Pilates equipment. Pilates is relatively easier to learn and simpler to understand and tends to give faster results. But ultimately the choice is yours depending upon your patience level and the goals you have set for yourself: just physical fitness and a svelte figure or all that plus long-lasting inner peace and happiness.
Alan Kintel is a writer that concentrates on helping people better themselves, for cutting edge information you NEED to know check out his website at http://someofthebest.info
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Are Yoga Balls Helpful for Doing Poses?

By Foras Aje
I’ve been doing yoga for years and never actually had the need for or even used props such as blocks, belts or even the common yoga balls.
However that changed when I recently attempted some yoga poses using the big ball nestled in the corner of my girlfriend’s apartment.
Turns out that when doing yoga poses with an exercise ball, there are many benefits that it can add to your practice.
Being as though it is a versatile prop for many postures, the 30 inch diameter ball is a terrific tool. These air-filled balls give support in poses such as backbends hip openers and restorative poses.
Balls are shipped un-inflated and include a small hand-held pump. Moreover, they are made from durable vinyl and can support up to 600 pounds.
For Moms, kids being kids, they naturally tend to gravitate towards the prop as they too, like you, may be trying to practice their favorite yoga poses.
Well, in spite of all the fun that I’ve said it could add to your practice, let’s remember it’s not to be abused (per-se) as you need to remember to keep the order of the poses as suggested in your yoga class or literature you may be using as a road-map.
Going back to the fun part of using exercise balls for yoga, what's even better is you can add simple calisthenics like the yoga-esque Hindu Push-Ups and several other core exercises to have one knockout of exercise routines for your yoga ball.
Hey, one more thing, if you simply need a place to keep your jacket after a hard-day’s work, you could drop yours right on the prop too…
All in all, here’s to making Yoga even more fun folks.
In Friendship,
Aje
Foras Aje is an independent researcher and co-founder of BodyHealthSoul LLC. Stop by His Yoga for Beginners Blog today for more information on exercises with yoga ball.
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Yoga: A Legacy That Enriches Your Well Being

By Rick Maguire

Well regarded as the oldest practice of self-development, Yoga received a legacy status in India about 500 years ago. Yoga beautifies your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Moreover, Yoga motivates you to focus on your potentials as well as self-awareness. Yoga has several methods to start with and to carry on a healthy life. These methods include physical postures, breathing control as well as meditation. Though Yoga helps you to cleanse & refresh your mind but most people engage in Yoga to shape up and to get better with their health and well-being. There are only a few who really get into pure mediation and self-reflection without doing or performing the Yogic asanas.

Yoga is misconceived as a series of steps to be followed but actually it is an ever-evolving process that refines your self more as it itself gets evolved. Over time, Yoga enriches your soul & enhances the self-awareness as you practice it. Yoga improves your body & strengthens control on your body and mind. Yoga enhances your capability to direct your mind and to interact with the object of your concentration. However, Yoga requires a real dedication in order to achieve these goals and enjoy its corresponding benefits.

Starting its journey from India, Yoga has become a widespread practice nowadays and has influenced & benefited millions around the world. You will find yoga classes and groups in almost every city and region. The most common form of Yoga involves proper coordination between breathing and body. This right coordination of physical exercise and harmonized breathing improves the blood circulation, provides a positive relief to the body and increases one’s vitality, potency and flexibility. Yoga has several forms; few of them are fast aerobic workouts while few include effective & powerful precise styles for the fitness conscious people. Few forms of Yoga are gentle and focus more on remedial causes.

Yoga can be practiced by anybody. It is open to all people of different ages, beliefs and lifestyles. It can be learned by simply reading good books & references. Although it will be more advantageous if you go for a personal tutor or attend a prestige Yoga class.

Undoubtedly, Yoga will be a plus for your health and well being but you must decide on to a form that fits your physique and your lifestyle. You must be aware of your own qualities so that your learning is guided properly because each form of Yoga has its own unique form of meditation.

While practicing Yoga, it is advised to use good mats that act as a cushion on hard floor and choose your clothing that lets you move freely to optimize your flexibility skills.

Rick Maguire is an weight loss expert and has an extensive range of articles on weight loss, exercises, obesity, the weight loss pill Phentermine and other health issues to his credit. For a glimpse into his article gallery, visit the website http://www.phentermine-effects.com

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Power Yoga: Great For Core Fitness

By Joseph Ducat

Do you have any previous experience in martial arts? Perhaps you once tried a little karate in high school, or checked out a tae kwon do class at your local YMCA. Anyway, you may have dabbled in martial arts a little. That’s a good thing, since most people have never had any experience in a self-defense discipline and have little understanding of what the training is like. But even if you have minor experience, you may not be prepared for the training required for a similar type of fitness discipline. That is something you must consider if you are thinking of trying out power yoga. It is a discipline that requires commitment if you are going to achieve results, and the training involved can actually be quite intense.

Yoga is not only about calmness and relaxation. When I speak of power yoga, I’m talking about using yoga as a means of achieving fitness, especially core fitness--that is, exercising the central muscles of your body, as opposed to focusing on your arm and leg muscles. Power yoga has the benefit of giving you a total body workout, so that the development in all areas of your body takes place more or less simultaneously. This is an excellent way of getting fit. And the stretching, balance, and concentration involved in yoga improve your body’s regulation of your blood circulation, pumping more oxygen to your muscles and increasing your overall energy.

Power yoga is a great discipline to help you stay in good shape as you grow older. It is a physical art that teaches the body how to age gracefully, not quickly. Power yoga also requires a lot of devotion, just like a martial art or indeed any fitness program in general. You need to not only learn and master the techniques of power yoga but put them into continuous practice. It is like being a boxer or a martial artist, if you do not train your skills regularly, you will become rusty and your fitness development will suffer. If you are serious about doing power yoga, you must be devoted to a regimen that you must strive to follow every day in spite of the many distractions that life brings. That, after all, is one of the keys to this discipline. In the end, it is important that you see it not as a tool for exercise, but as a way of life.

Did you find my tips on power yoga helpful? You can get more answers to your questions about fitness and weight loss here.

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Breath Awareness

By Donna Visco

The act of breathing is so natural we often take it for granted; I know for sure that I did for many years. Over the last three years of my life I have come to really appreciate the act of breathing in a way that has made a difference in how I approach every day of my life.

I remember the first time I was really aware of my breath in a way that it consciously made a difference. It was about 3 years ago when I was taking a yoga class and I was in the head to knee pose called Janu Sirsasana intending that my head touch my knee while reaching for my left foot. I’d been taking this yoga course for a while and progressively had moved closer and closer to my toes, so much so that I could actually grab my foot. The ability to touch and then hold the bottom my foot took a couple of months to accomplish. On this particular day something different happened. I was looking at my knee, deep in this forward bend, holding my left foot, and I could hear the instructor softly and encouragingly saying, “breathe into the pose, allow your breath to take you more deeply, more gently into the pose, stretch yourself just a little further”. In that moment, my nose touched my knee, and I remember a welling up inside me, and thinking to myself, “My nose is touching my knee… for the first time in my adult life I am having face to knee contact!” As the tears welled up in my 51 year old eyes, I thought… “Wow! If I can do this, what else could I possibly do?” This accomplishment was a first for me, and all I had to do is simply BREATHE into it.

Around that time in my life I had begun to meditate regularly as well, which also calls for breath awareness. In learning to focus on my breath and the flow of it into and out of my body, I started to realize how different I felt as my breath slowed down. I became more relaxed, and a more settled peaceful feeling came over me, all by simply slowing down my breath! I found this interesting and I loved these wonderful side effects. Many times this relaxed peaceful feeling would carry into daily activities.

I’ve come to rely on breath awareness to assist me in moments of stress and challenges. “Just Breathe.” I say to myself and I recall that special time on the yoga mat and I hear my instructor’s voice softly saying, “Just breathe into the pose”, softly, gently…. just breathe into the pose” and I think … “Yes, Donna, just breathe into it… that’s it…just breathe.” And I find myself immediately feeling more peaceful, more clear in my thoughts and I am able to approach the physical or emotional challenge from a much calmer state of mind. I also find when I am more focused without mental friction I am more open to receive; solutions come more easily and very often I even see the blessing in what originally felt like frustration or irritation.

Today, I am fortunate to teach others how to create more balance and harmony in their lives and I’d love to share with you one of my favorite breathing exercises called Ujjayi Breathing, also known as ‘sounding or ocean sounding breath’. If you follow the simple steps below so you can begin to experience the healthy benefits of breath awareness. Ujjayi breath is known to clear and calm the mind, balance the heart rate, increase mindfulness and reduce internal heat caused by frustration or irritation.

Here are the simple steps:

1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect, or lie down on your back. Begin by taking a long, slow, and deeper than normal inhalation through your nostrils.

2. On the exhalation, slightly constrict your throat muscles so as you breathe out it sounds as if you are snoring. The outflow of your breath is through your nose with your mouth closed. The result is that you should sound like “Darth Vader”.

To get the hang of this practice is to first exhale the “haaah” sound with your mouth open...imagine you are fogging up a mirror in front of your mouth. Now make a similar sound with your mouth closed, directing the outflow of air through your nasal passages. This should result in the desired breathy snoring sound. Once you have mastered it on the outflow, imagine you are fogging up a mirror in the back of your throat as you inhale gently constricting your throat.

It is very simple really and the beautiful thing is that whether or not you don’t have to practice yoga or meditation to reap the healthy benefits. Just relax and breathe easily and notice the changes your awareness on your own breath brings into your life. While you practice this simple exercise take a moment to look around you and enjoy your surroundings, acknowledging how much you are a part of what is happening around you.

When you start to become more aware of the simple things you may find that in that moment you realize what a gift life is, and you can more fully enjoy the present moment of what life presents to you.

So the next time you find yourself in a state of confusion, anxiety, frustration or irritation whether in the office, on the road or at your local super market, etc. give yourself the gift of Ujjayi breathing! Happy Breathing!

Donna Visco is the author of Divine Spark that is you - a compendium of simple truths, she is a Teacher of Meditation, Yoga and How to Live Life Fully Expressed, as well as a Pranic Healer.

Her unique presentation style is a combination of passionate belief and earthy inspiration. Donna LOVES seeing the lights in peoples eyes TURN ON when the realize that they CAN create the life they desire!
She is co founder of Joyful Evolution facilitating live seminars in the United States, she is also a co founder of Building Momentum which provides a teleclass environment program with her two partners, Jennifer Connell and Laura Nash.

Her passion and dream is to get her message out there however she can. She believes Life is a party, a gift, an amazing experience, and feels it's important to make sure we invite everyone to really see it for what it is!

Donna has Yoga, Meditation and Perfect health Certifications from the Chopra Center in California.

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