Some people may wonder if using a yoga prop can help them get more out of their practice. My personal opinion is yes. B. K.S. Iyengar introduced the yoga prop as a means of supporting proper alignment of the joints and bones during postures. Maintaining proper alignment is key to reducing the possibility of injury and to allowing you to get deeper into the poses. Props are especially useful for beginners, for people who do not have a great deal of flexibility, for those who are recovering from injuries, and for those with special physical needs....

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Yoga clothes should be comfortable and functional. They should allow you to move freely and not distract you from your practice. They should feel good against your skin so they don't cause any irritation. Ideally, the clothing should be absorbent so that it wicks sweat away from your body. There are few things that feel as uncomfortable as a sticky, clammy body that is moist from perspiration. I also think they should be attractive and fun to wear. When I do yoga alone in my home, I am willing to wear an old tee shirt and sweats or baggy shorts....

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Yoga mats are a basic part of every practice. What you might not realize is that there are several types of yoga mats that you can choose from. Sticky Mats These yoga mats offer a covering for your practice area, as well as some stability for you when doing poses. They are thin, lightweight, and come in a variety of colors. Some of them have guide marks on them to illustrate proper hand and foot placements. In order for these mats to be sticky and prevent you from slipping and sliding, you need to sprinkle them with a small amount of water and let them air dry....

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There are many types of yoga, some with more emphasis on the physical part of the practice and some with a more spiritual approach, some that will make you sweat and some where you'd spend half a class holding the same posture. There is a type of yoga for anyone! When choosing a class that's right for you, you have to consider your personal preferences. It's perfectly normal to try out a few yoga methods, until you find the system that you feel the most comfortable with. Ashtanga is a very physically challenging practice, that is based on ethical principles....

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The Sanskrit word 'Yoga' has two meaning, because it is derived from two roots - one is 'yujir yoge' and other is 'yuj samadhou'. The root 'yujir yoge' means to join or to unite. Religious leaders accept this meaning because their philosophy is based on dualism. They always try to project an external God and become Gog's representitives. By this they rule over their followers. However the other root 'yuj samadhou' means to concentrate. Patanjali tried to preach that Yoga where mind is concentrated in order to realise the true self(svarup)....

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As described in my earlier article... thoughts in the mind generate because we have five senses. So broadly there are five kinds of thoughts. Again each thought may either be of pleasure or of pain. This way there are ten types of thoughts. Patanjali further describes each of these ten types of thoughts may be based on proof(pramana), or an opposite(viparyay), or an alternative(vikalpa), or forming sleep(nidra) or forming memory(smriti). In order to control thoughts Patanjali teaches - thoughts may be controlled throgh practice(abhyasa) and detachment(vairagya)(I....

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Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the fitness professionals industry had an amazing 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey. Job Satisfaction In the same survey, 98% of those interviewed felt that "My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment." Lack of personal satisfaction is the most frequent reason why people leave a job. These statistics make it obvious that this is an extremely harmonious atmosphere to work in. For many of us who worked in the corporate world and shifted into the health and fitness industry, the energy felt in a health club, ashram, or wellness center is similar to being on vacation....

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Are you one of those folks who have never tried yoga? How about one of those grown up teenagers who likes cow tipping and thought you might knock over your sister when she was doing yoga? Yes, I know that is fun isn't it? I have done this on many occasion and watched the silly looking humans fall right over indeed. Not bad, it is easy too; a little push and see ya, over they go. But really we should be very serious yoga is quite good for the soul, relaxation and de-stressing too. So, do not knock yoga until you try it....

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Pilates can benefit your overall health and sense of well-being in many ways. I have been doing Pilates for three years and I have seen for myself how challenging, yet effective it is. Recently, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic muscle and soft tissue pain syndrome. One of my osteopathic doctors told me that if I hadn't been doing Pilates (and yoga), I would not be able to get on and off the examining table. As a matter of fact, when patients come to see him because of pain, he often recommends Pilates as a method of treatment....

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