way, what we’re really talking about is hitting the sweet spot between just enough ‘diet days’ combined with just enough ‘eat up’ days.
As a woman, once you hit this sweet spot, the fat will come off faster than you think and the process itself will be much more enjoyable because you get to take periodic breaks from the diet.
There are two tailor-made programs, one for Ladies and another for Gents.
Yoga
You have little energy left for anything else after a day of work, responsibilities, and a very long to-do list. Basically, you’re in terrible need of a timeout.
This is where yoga comes in. As it strengthens weak muscles and stretches tight ones to keep you free from injury and pain, yoga strikes a balance in your body. Also, the different poses in yoga help dissolve physical tension and the deep breathing calms your nervous system.
Your body stresses out from all it has to endure throughout the day or week. Under such a situation, it becomes important for you to not only practice yoga but also to understand why it’s beneficial for you.
The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means ‘to join or ‘to yoke.’
Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation.
Since ancient times, yoga has been practiced for its many physical and mental benefits. The advantages of utilizing yoga in your life have been studied and perfected for many years and it can work for you, whether young or old – ill or in good health.
If you’re thinking of practicing yoga, it might help to understand its roots. The practice is said to be as old as civilizations itself, but written history classifies it into four periods of time – the Vedic, Pre-Classical, Classical and Post Classical.
Yoga’s rich tradition of healing can be traced back to stone seals dated around 3000 B.C., but scholars believe that yoga was around even during the Stone Age period when Shamanism was practiced.
Shamans were medical healers and strived to improve the health of humans during a time when there were no educated doctors and when the community’s survival depended upon a disease-free existence.
Our Western doctors of today are constantly revealing other health benefits of yoga and recommend it as a way to relieve symptoms of many illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis, AIDS and obesity.
Today, many are turning to Hatha Yoga as a way to prevent damage that aging can cause. Today, we are just learning about the benefits that practicing yoga can bring to a society plagued by diseases and ill health.
Yoga for Health
People often turn to yoga for the preventative and therapeutic benefits it offers. The body and mind can be renewed by the stretching and deep breathing involved without having to risk injuries or to exacerbate an existing illness.
Here are a few of the incredible benefits that yoga offers:
•Improve Flexibility – A misconception that people have about yoga is that you have to be flexible to practice it. That’s not true - your muscles and joints will improve by leaps and bounds when you practice yoga for health.
You may have certain areas of the body that you’d like to be more flexible, and there are certain poses that address and body area you have in mind. If you’re in a job where you sit too much or where certain muscles become taut, yoga can target those groups of muscles and stretch them out.
•Build Muscles – If you think that only weight training can build muscles, you’re wrong. Yoga can help strengthen and build muscles by positioning your body in positions that make you support your muscles.
Rodney Yee, renowned yoga expert and trainer says, ‘People always ask me, ‘Don’t you lift weights?’ and I say, ‘Yes, I lift my own body weight!’ Yoga sculpts your muscles without trying. The toning and strengthening is a natural outcome of practicing yoga.
•Ease Back Pain – Dealing with back pain can be excruciating and incapacitating. The exercises of Yoga can help in a natural way and give you the relief you need. Many of us sit most of the day, which weakens the back and opens it up to injuries.
Restorative yoga poses can counteract the damage that a sedentary life brings and make a big difference in the quality of your life. Beginner yoga poses that are great to relieve back pain are Cat/Cow, Downward Dog and Spinal Twist.
•Muscular/Skeletal Restoration – The muscle and skeletal system of our bodies work in unison so that we can move easily and function properly. Some muscles work without practice, such as blinking our eyes, while others require exercising to work properly.
The simple, but restorative stretching exercises and poses of yoga help the muscular/skeletal system receive the oxygen and nutrients they need by helping the blood flow. Practicing yoga keeps us moving fluidly and gracefully.
•Strengthen Spine – To maintain proper spine alignment you need to have flexibility and balance. Yoga can help the spine by helping develop the flexibility and balance you need to keep the spine straight and to strengthen it.
If your spine isn’t aligned properly, you could suffer from back pain and lack of motion. A few yoga stretches such as Seated Twist and the Bridge Pose will help to keep your spine aligned properly and to improve your range of motion.
•Digestion and Elimination – Two important elements that can make or break your immune system, proper digestion and elimination, can be improved by practicing yoga on a regular basis.
Many Yoga poses are perfect to relieve cramping and bloating and to stimulate the intestinal tract that leads to better elimination. Yoga poses such as Cobra and the Bent Elbow Spinal Twist can also increase the blood flow to your intestinal tract, calming the system and helping it operate more efficiently.
•Boosts Immune System – Priming your immune system for better health is important to fend off colds and flu and other, more serious diseases. Yoga can boost your immune system by increasing circulation of the lymph – a clear fluid that helps to eliminate bacteria and viruses.
Yoga poses such as the Balasana (Child’s Pose) and Downward-Facing Dog can greatly benefit the immune system and are easy to learn.
All of the physical benefits of practicing yoga have yet to be determined, but studies have concluded that every aspect of your health and body can be improved by practicing the art of yoga on a regular basis.
The above poses and much more about the benefits of yoga for your health and well-being can be found online or in books and videos.
Mental Benefits of Yoga
Besides the obvious health benefits of yoga, the poses, meditation, deep breathing and stretching can also help your mental well-being. Increased body awareness, relief of chronic stress and relaxation are just a few of the benefits you’ll experience when you begin the practice
