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Eating for Health
Yogis know that it is important to eat just the right amount to keep the body healthy—neither too much nor too little.
Eating too much makes your organs of digestion and elimination work overtime; this is a waste of energy that makes you feel tired and lethargic. Not only that, if you overeat consistently, you may become seriously overweight, and that can lead to heart disease and other physical ailments.
Busy, Busy Yogi Bees
The less time you have, the more you need to do yoga. "But how?" you may ask. "I'm already doing way too much." Well, with yoga, it's easy to break down your practice into shorter periods if the mere thought of getting up an hour earlier makes you yawn. Although, I must say, an hour of yoga is more energizing than an hour of sleep!
Increase Your Flexibility
Pain is not a bad thing—the good pain of a safe stretch, that is. In fact, putting up with a bit of discomfort will increase your flexibility. You may be tempted to pull back from a stretch, especially in a pose you're not used to. But instead of coming out of the pose at the slightest hint of discomfort, bear with it. It's only by holding the pose that you'll coax your muscles to lengthen. You know from experience you'll feel better afterward, and the longer you hold the pose (safely, of course), the easier it will be next time.
Stretch Before Action
There’s one thing you need to be careful of when you exercise, whether you practice aerobics, gymnastics, weightlifting, or a particular sport. And my friend, a martial arts expert, is no exception. She loves to practice Tae Kwon Do’s high kicks. Sometimes she’s lucky; she kicks high, it feels good, and it looks great. Trouble is, she’s so enthusiastic that she often hurts herself because she kicks higher than she can stretch. She throws her leg up, using the leg’s momentum to get it as high as possible.
Don't Shower Just to Get Clean
The first thing a yogi does in the morning is take a cold shower—not just to get clean on the outside, but to energize the inner body as well. A cold shower lasting one or two minutes will jolt you out of your lethargic, sleepy state and leave you feeling alive, refreshed, and wide awake. You’ll be ready to start the day with a clear, focused mind and plenty of energy, whether you’re heading off to work or to your yoga mat.
The Face of Yoga
A lot of gyms and yoga studios have mirrors along one wall, which are great for helping you achieve proper alignment in a pose. But have you ever studied your face as you practice? Have you ever noticed how it changes throughout your asana session?
Kick Nicotine with Yoga
People often ask me whether yoga can help them quit smoking. It can. Practice the asanas in fresh air, focusing on the breath. Pay special attention to pranayama, yoga’s breathing techniques. After all, for some, smoking is just the urge to breathe deeply, and you will with yoga!
Do You Really Need Your Morning Coffee?
How would you like to wake up quickly and sustain your energy level throughout the day without coffee? It’s not as hard as it seems. Go outside and do a few simple yoga asanas with deep breathing.
Three-Stage Perseverance
Some yoga poses are easy for us; we like doing them and practice them regularly. Sometimes, however, we try a new pose that stretches muscles we don't often use or requires us to muster up strength. That's when our resistance kicks in.
Let's say you learned a new pose yesterday that was quite hard for you. When it comes time to do it today, you're reluctant. You know how stiff you were in that pose, how little movement you got, and it felt uncomfortable. So you're inclined to skip that one. But those are just the poses your body needs.
Overcome Fear with Yoga
Terrorist attacks in America have left many people anxious and fearful. They are experiencing emotions ranging from sadness and grief to anger and outrage. Life is full of stress and tension, much of it arising from the fear of future danger.
