Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga: Strength DVD by Gaiam Yoga

February 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last weekend, I rented Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga: Strength DVD, this is one of the yoga DVD by Gaiam. I used this DVD to do yoga for 2 days and thought I should write a short review about this gaiam yoga dvd. The duration of the yoga dvd is short and all postures are choreographed using sun salutations.

Gaiam_yoga

Duration: The effective duration of this gaiam dvd is 20 minutes. I believe this yoga dvd is primarily targeted for people with busy schedules. If you are concerned about spending lot of time visiting gym or yoga studio, this DVD can come handy without sacrificing lot of time.

Teacher: Rodney Yee is the instructor in this video. The tone in this video is pleasant and voice is good enough to follow through.

Music: The music is nice and it won’t interfere with instructor’s voice. The composition is quite pleasant and it is not distracting in anyway. Good work here.

Pace: I wasn’t impressed with the pace. It is very fast, it is as fast as you don’t even feel the pose at some instances and it is quickly moved into next pose. However, I could follow the pace as I have been practicing yoga for quite long. But I felt beginners would feel quite uncomfortable chasing the instructions. After few sessions, It should be okay to follow the video. But I strongly feel that the pace could be bit slower.

Essence: This is the most important aspect I consider while I review yoga dvds. And this yoga dvd seriously lack the essence of yoga, let me tell you why. Breath is most important factor while practicing yoga and this yoga dvd seriously messed up this factor. The instructions to inhale and exhale are not choreographed well. The sequence of the postures begins with instructing when to inhale and exhale, and then they skip at some places, which leave you to wonder to do at that point and the next instruction tells you to exhale and you may need to inhale at the point. I would expect instructions to be full and complete in its entirety.

Advantages:

✓Good upper body workout.
✓Quick yoga workout.
✓The duration of the video is beneficial for the busy scheduled people.

Disadvantages:

✓Fast pace.
✓Instructions on breath is incomplete.

Verdict:

This is less yoga dvd and more of a workout dvd. It is recommended for the people who are into yoga already and can find it handy to do a quick yoga session in busy days. I recommend beginners to stay away away from this yoga dvd.

Image: The DVD cover image is copyright of Gaiam Inc.

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What is YOGA ?

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yoga is a meditative practice that originated in India. It has connections with a number of Eastern philosophies, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, but various branches of yoga have been developed, including a modern Western form that is usually detached from these religious origins. This secular form of yoga can be seen as deriving from asana, a system of physical poses and postures that form part of the eight limbs of yoga in Hinduism.

The word "yoga" is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit word "yuj", which means to control or to unite, although it has also been connected with the phrase "yujir samadhau" which can mean absorption or contemplation. A person who practices yoga or who has achieved a certain level within the practice may be called a yogi or a yogini.

The branches of yoga include Hatha yoga, Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga, Jhana yoga, Karma yoga and Tantra. Different forms of yoga are practiced in different ways and they also have different goals. There are two sides to yoga, the mental and the physical and the practice of yoga is often about seeking a balance between these. It can also be about the search for harmony with the wider universe. Yoga can mean different things to different people.

Many people take up yoga, particularly the secular forms of yoga, in order to improve their physical fitness or for the sake of stress management and relaxation. However, the goals of yoga, particularly the traditional forms, can include improving one’s health and attaining spiritual goals such as release from the cycle of reincarnation that is part of the Hindu belief system. In Hinduism, yoga is a discipline that follows the paths of action, knowledge and devotion in order to achieve tranquility and spiritual insight. Similar goals of yogic meditation pertain in the other religious forms that are found in Jainism and Buddhism and even in the forms that have been adapted by the Christian and Islamic faiths.

The practice of yoga can combine meditation, physical postures and actions, and breathing exercises. A practitioner of yoga may focus on stretching their body in different ways, working with their breathing and senses, or searching for a spiritual awareness and concentration. Some forms of yoga are gentle while others are more vigorous. Some focus on the mental or spiritual achievements, while others are more about developing the health or fitness of the body.

Filed Under: Thoughts on Yoga Tagged With: , , ,

7 Important Aspects of Back Bending Postures

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Yoga asana can involve a wide range of different styles and poses, many of which involve bending the back. Back bending poses include dhanurasana (bow), bhujangasana (cobra) and matsyasana (fish). The back bending postures of yoga can be challenging, but when they are practiced correctly they can offer a number of important benefits. It is essential to ensure that you protect your back when you are performing these back bending poses.

1. Counteract the pressure everyday life places on your spine. Many everyday activities and simple bad posture tend to bend the spine forwards. This can lead to back pain and it can force the vertebrae closer together at the front. Back bending postures can counteract this by decompressing the vertebrae at the front and brining back to the natural curve of the spine.

People spending lot of time at work in sitting posture usually has lower back pain (lumbar region) or neck pain (cervical). The vertebrae in cervical and lumbar region are compressed closer twitching the nerves causing symptoms of sharp pain and numbness. In some cases, this pain can also be felt in arms or legs. Back bending yoga postures can help to counteract the pressure from spine.

2. Strengthen your back. The back muscles are among the largest and hardest working muscles in the body, so it is important to keep them strong and healthy. Back bending yoga postures can help strengthen the back muscles, which will keep them fitter for everyday use, other forms of sport and exercise, and for lifting and carrying.

3. Stretch and expand the chest, shoulder, hips and back. Back bending postures do not only help to stretch and strengthen the back. They also use the muscles of the hips, chest and shoulders, which will therefore also enjoy the benefits of these types of postures.

4. Improve your breathing. Expanding the chest and shoulders through back bending postures can help improve your breathing and it may even be able to alleviate some of the milder symptoms of asthma by working on the muscles that play a part in breathing.

5. Relieve back pain. Exercising, stretching and strengthening the back muscles can help to alleviate the symptoms of some types of back pain, particularly the lower back pain that is so commonly caused simply by everyday life. If you suffer from serious back problems, you should be particularly careful with back bending poses and you may want to consult your doctor before trying them. Some back bending positions are also unsuitable for women who are pregnant, particularly if they are in the late stages of pregnancy, so you should consult an expert or a doctor before attempting to alleviate back pain with these yoga poses if you are expecting a child.

6. Keep the lower back long. In order to protect your back when you are performing back bending postures you should ensure that you keep your lower back long. If you are not careful, you could damage your neck or your lower back when you are practicing these poses. These are the most flexible parts of your spine and they are, therefore, at the greatest risk. Keeping your lower back long in postures such as the bridge pose by ensuring that your tailbone is pointing away from your neck, rather than allowing it to shorten, can help to protect it.

7. Position the heels correctly. Another important aspect of protecting your back during backbend poses to ensure that you avoid positioning the heels too close together or squeezing your buttocks together. You need to ensure that plenty of flexibility and room to extend is retained around your hips in order to perform the poses safely and properly. Back bending poses should involve bending at the hips and not just in the lower back. If your heels are too close together or your buttocks are squeezed together, your pelvis will not be able to move as much, which will force your back to do too much of the work.

Backbends can be very beneficial when they are practiced correctly, however, it is important to be careful and to avoid overstretching the back. It can be sensible to work up slowly to the more difficult backbend postures and to use props such as mats, blocks or chairs in order to enable yourself to start with smaller backbends and build your flexibility until you are ready to stretch further.

Image: By vsion (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

References:
Livestrong.com: Back Care Basics in Yoga Poses http://www.livestrong.com/article/102346-back-care-basics-yoga-poses/
My Yoga Online: Back Bends http://www.myyogaonline.com/poses/back-bends
Oh My Bikram: Posture Clinic- Why back-bending is good for your spine http://ombyoga.com/2010/04/28/posture-clinic-why-back-bending-is-good-for-your-spine/
Yoga Journal: Positioning the Heels in Backbend http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/664
Yoga Journal: Bend It Like This- Backbends http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/1776

Filed Under: Back Bends Tagged With: , ,

All about Yoga Mats

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

What Is A Yoga Mat?

A yoga mat is a small rectangle of material that can provide a surface upon which to practice yoga. Yoga mats can come in a range of different styles, varying not only in color, but in thickness, texture and the material from which they are made. Most people use a yoga mat when they are practicing yoga and they can also be used with other forms of exercise and meditation.

Why We Need Yoga Mats

Yoga mats are designed to provide the perfect surface on which to perform yoga. They need to provide sufficient grip while also ensuring that there is plenty of padding. The surface needs to offer stability, traction and cushioning.dyah1

Some people choose not to use a yoga mat and it is possible to exercise without one, as long as you have a suitable surface on which to do so. If you are exercising at home on a carpet or if you are practicing yoga on a slippery or hard floor then you will probably want to use a mat to ensure that you are as comfortable and stable as possible.

Before yoga mats were readily available, it was often difficult for people to find a suitable surface on which to exercise, particularly if they wanted to practice yoga at home. A yoga mat offers both the protection of a padded surface that can help to prevent any bumps and bruises and a well gripped surface that can help the user to hold their poses without risk of slipping.

Image by :rowdykittens  || License

Types of Yoga Mats

Yoga mats can be divided into Ashtanga mats and those that are intended for more general use. Ashtanga mats are ideal for Ashtanga and Bikram yoga or other forms of exercise that are likely to lead to a lot of perspiration. As moisture build up, the traction provided by the mat will increase. These mats are typically made from tightly woven cotton or jute. They provide additional padding that is ideal for seated postures and they also provide excellent stability for standing postures.

The majority of yoga mats are designed to be universal, so they can be used for any type of yoga or for other similar types of exercise. The surface is usually sticky and textured, producing a soft, comfortable surface on which to exercise. They are generally thicker than Ashtanga mats and they are made from sticky materials such as PVC or rubber rather than cotton.

Travel mats are also available that are designed to be easy to transport, so they are typically small and they roll up to be very compact.

Choosing a Good Yoga Mat

A good mat should be weighty enough to stay in place while you are using it. It should offer you plenty of grip on its upper surface as well as gripping the floor underneath.

The material from which the mat has been made will determine its texture, stickiness, sponginess and durability. PVC, rubber and thermal plastic elastomer mats are sticky and have plenty of "give" than any yoga mat material. Cotton and jute provide grip through texture rather than stickiness, and they are firmer and less spongy.

A thicker mat will offer more cushioning and padding for seated poses, while a thinner one will offer more stability for standing poses and take up less room for transport and storage. Yoga mats usually range between 1/16 and 1/4 inch thick.

A bumpier texture can provide physical barriers to slipping, but a smoother mat can be more comfortable and texture is not always necessary on a sticky mat.

Yoga mats can come in all sorts of colors and patterns. It is even possible to find personalized mats or mats onto which useful instructions have been printed.

It can be sensible to choose a yoga mat that comes with a bag or strap for storage and transport. Some people also like to buy extra cushions out of similar padded material when they are buying their yoga mat. These cushions can assist with holding difficult poses.

Pros and Cons

The stability, grip and cushioning provided by a yoga mat can enable people to perform better and to enjoy their yoga more, but there are also some negative factors to consider when choosing a yoga mat.

Yoga mats can carry germs, so it is important to keep them clean. Mats that have been treated with antimicrobial substances are available that can help prevent germs from accumulating. The likelihood that used yoga mats will carry germs is an important reason in favor of buying your own yoga mat if you will be attending a public gym or class. You can take care of your own mat and keep it clean, rather than having to share a mat or floor space that has been used by other people.

Another factor that you may want to consider when you are choosing your yoga mat is the environmental impact of the material from which it has been made. Many yoga mats are made using PVC, which can harm the environment both during its manufacture and its disposal. Natural materials such as jute and rubber are far more environmentally friendly, as are the new mats that are made from thermal plastic elastomer, which can be recycled once they are worn out.

Some people prefer not to use a yoga mat at all when they are exercising because they feel that the mat limits them. However, it is best to use a yoga mat on most surfaces, even if you need to place multiple mats alongside one another. If a suitable surface that offers plenty of traction and stability is available, then it is possible to enjoy yoga without any mat, but in most cases a mat can help to do yoga poses easier and more comfortable.

References:

ABG-of-yoga.com: Yoga and Meditation Mats- Types http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yoga-props/yoga-mat.asp
Gaiam Life: How to Choose the Right Yoga Mat http://life.gaiam.com/article/how-choose-right-yoga-mat
Wall Street Journal: Looking for a Soft Spot to "Om" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123501322951319501.html#articleTabs%3Darticle
Yoga Journal: Mat Matters http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/1615
Yoga Journal: Sticky Business http://www.yogajournal.com/basics/161

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Things to do before you start Yoga

December 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Like anything to begin with, a little prep work before hand will help in getting good results. Before I got my first yoga lesson, first thing I got educated was on importance of yoga for me and what are the things I need to do to make it more effective. The question of effectiveness depends on case by case, because I believe everyone is unique. Yoga has not only streamlined my physical system but also helped me to organize myself. So, lets into the basic things here -

First Things First: Attend nature’s call

This is very important thing to do depending on when you want to do your yoga. If you are intended to practice either in mornings or evenings, it is important that you need to empty your bowels. It is recommended to cleanse your internal system to maximize the benefits of doing yoga. Excretion right after getting out of bed is the best thing to do, but not everyone will be able to do this. If you are not used to go toilet in the mornings, here is the simple and effective solution. Drink at least 32 OZ/1 liter of luke warm water and do little walking for few minutes, this will help to push the waste and helps in cleaning your intestines easily. It sounds like a simple solution, but it may not work right on the first day. It takes few days for the body to actually work. The idea is that you are just flushing your internal system just like you flush a toilet. It is better if its done two hour before your yoga schedule. The difference is very clear, as you can feel much better and lighter while doing yoga.

Abhyanga (Optional):

Abhyanga means oil massage and the results are amazing. I used to do oil massage on me when I had no full time job and now with the full time job I don’t get enough time for it. If you have time, I recommend you do it. In short, the benefits are – better sleep, healthy skin, stimulates blood circulation etc.,.

Take Shower:

Taking shower in the morning before yoga will freshen you up. I personally do take shower because I like it that way, it helps me not to fall asleep while doing meditation/relaxation poses. I know people who does yoga without shower, but its fine too.

Clothing:

Wear comfortable and loose clothes that should enable you to stretch comfortably. It is better if you can wear organic cotton clothes.

Warm-ups:

A simple stretches will loosen the joints and releases the tightness in the muscles(if any). Especially during winters, it is good to get warmed up with light running or jumping jacks. Warms ups will help you in doing yoga poses comfortably and reduce chances of injury.

Relax the mind:

Be more aware of your thoughts and try to relax before you begin the yoga class. Drop all your worries, concerns and all matters that keeps your mind busy right at the parking lot. Focus on the present moment alone and breath softly.

And finally, talk to your yoga teacher about your injury(if any) or any physical condition before you start your yoga class.

Filed Under: Yoga Tips Tagged With: , , ,
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