source http://weightlosstopic.com/

This question is really subjective. I used to take it as a closed ended question – yes or no. The purpose of practicing yoga is not to shape up the body and base it on an expected image that we perceive from the external environment. The practice is meant for us to learn how to be hands off by allowing our body to return to its natural condition and shape.

An over-weight person will need to lose weight in order to minimize obese-related medical conditions. And an under-weight person will need to gain muscle mass because the body needs to protect itself and for proper day-to-day bodily functioning.

The point is that we don’t trust ourselves anymore; instead we prefer to adopt beliefs created by others to define us. Nobody understands ourselves more than we do, not even our parents. Practicing yoga helps dissolve the doubts we form and strengths the bond of trust within us.

Our body is very intelligent and way beyond our imagination. It knows how to heal itself, given how much injury the egoistic mind has inflicted. Learn to release that grip and trust the body during the practice, and allow the ‘magic’ to unfold.

Whether there’s a need to lose or gain weight, we’ll know as the practice progresses!

Ashtanga Vinyasa Led Class

*Click image to view video

For class details, click here !

You may have already packed your mat and it was left unrolled in your luggage throughout the whole journey. Instead of just your mat, I packed one more thing – a mantra: unroll the mat as I can, as the space (time & physical space) allows.

Practicing during my travels teaches me how to let go.

The fact that I do not get to practice as regularly as when I am home – I learn to let go of the rigidness of my private appointment on the mat.

As the body may not perform as it is used to due to the weather condition – I learn to allow my physical and practice to adapt to the environment provided.

And as the expectation of a good sweaty practice did not happen - I learn to release those thoughts and accept what is given during the practice.

Sometimes we become guilt-stricken when we skip practice; and this too we have to let go. Slowly, we will learn how to fit the yoga mat into our living space, and fit the practice into our private space.

Tschüs!

Self- regulation (Yamas) is listed as the first of the practice of Eight Limbs in the yoga sutra. There are five guidelines as suggested by Patanjali:

1) Non- harming
2) Non- mendacity
3) Non- stealing
4) Non- desire
5) Non- possessiveness

We may misunderstand that these are practices of self-restraint, which practices the mind translates as – “not allowed to”, “cannot”, “not supposed to”. That makes us not want to go deeper in our yoga practice other than physical postures (asanas).

Notice that self-regulation is translated as “Non” instead of “Not”. This suggests that each guideline is not to be practiced with expectations and with unwillingness.

If we take practice as “Do Not – harm, steal, desire, possess, lie”, we are in fact avoiding them. But that doesn’t mean that they are not around us, all these “Do Not” are still lying dormant by our suppression.

The more we want to run away from them; it’s an invitation for them to chase after us. One of these days, we’ll get tired of running and surrender.

When we practice as “Non”- harm, steal, desire, possess, lie”, we are being aware of their presence, and how much they are operating within us. Instead of suffocating these within ourselves, we want to confront and look them in the eyes. We stand firm with our own practice, unaffected by their presence.

Slowly, these harmful ingredients will dissolve.

“So how can we actually start practicing?” When can we reach that level?

It always seems so impossible to go beyond the physical level of practice. My suggestion is – take it slow. There is no need to rush. The moment we plan to make it happen, an expectation tags along and two things can happen:

1) Using suppression to make sure we fulfill the expected deadline
2) Feeling dejected and disappointed for not being able to reach that expected level of practice as planned. Give it all up and conclude that deeper practice is just not possible for us.

Instead of wanting to “hit a target”, just take awareness of our behaviors and bring in little changes one at a time whenever possible.

Through long-term asana practice, we understand that any poses that seem impossible to practice at first will eventually happen when the practice is going strong.

Same as being in a spiritual practice, there’s no deadline or target given. It is not about being in a spiritual competition; who can reach the top first wins. Anything that we want to happen fast or rush into, will only lead us a step closer to injuries.

“You, take your practice long, for many years, and shanti (peace) is coming”~ Sri K Pattabhi Jois

Due to continuous maintainenace of an upright sitting position, blood circulation tends to be sluggish at the back region where impure blood tends to reside. Very often tension and tightness of the back (shoulders and neck) are also a result of our sedentary lifestyle. Backbending poses help to stretch the abdominal muscles, tone and strengthen the muscles controlling the spine. They also help to create a balanced, supportive contraction and tone of the muscles running along the spinal column.

On a mental level, practicing backbending can help us to overcome and deal with our fears of turning the body out to face the world. Often the common fears are instinctual or due to unpleasant past experiences. Our mental stiffness translates this message via our brain and nervous system, resulting in resistance, awkwardness, frustration and even defensiveness. With patience, perseverance and compassion, backbending poses can help us to overcome these emotions.

Backbending poses are invigorating, uplifting, energizing, stimulating and heart opening – because they encourage deep breathing, expansion of the chest, increased self-awareness and inner focus. They are a good practice to embrace life, allowing us to see the possibility of indefinite potential and growth within ourselves when we have the courage to bend backwards. You will realize the fear is within yourself and that you have the absolute power and ability to face them with your inner strength and compassion.

Gain a stronger back, confidence and tranquility with regular and consistent practice of backbending. Start small, be present and turn (back) to see the world from a yogic perspective.

Look out for our upcoming Backbending Series in 2012!

Are there instances in your life that you are repeating to yourself and others too many times? Is it beginning to sound doubtful and discouraging? Are you repeatedly doing something out of boredom and mindlessness? Maybe it is time to quit the inner chatter and put words into actions. Actions do speak louder than words.

If something is not working for you, steer in a different direction. If you continue to do the same thing and expect a different result, that is pure insanity. And, you should not be surprised when others stop paying attention (to you), after all no one likes to be ‘tricked’ too many times. Initially, our calls for help will generate empathy and help from others. However, subsequently when there is no sign of change, doubts set in and people will start walking away. Painful situations can either make you take a complete turn in your life or paralyse you from making changes for the fear of failure.

http://www.speakaboos.com/story/the-boy-who-cried-wolf/

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want o conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
- Dale Carnegie

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.
- Elbert Hubbard

Yoga is a mind, body and soul practice. It involves the practice of physical postures while maintaining a slow, even and controlled breathing. When the breath is even, the mind becomes more calm, clear and focused. Eventually, the body becomes relaxed and energized at the same time.

With regular yoga practice, our awareness is heightened hence allowing us to identify our stressors. When we are able to identify the true cause of our stress, it becomes an easy task to manage. Instead of feeling frustrated, choose to take a deep breath in. Instead of binge eating, you become more mindful of your eating patterns. Insomnia can be cured and you find yourself getting more restful sleep at night.

With a variety of yoga styles available, choose one that fits you. If you are not sure, try out a few different classes – hatha, ashtanga, therapy, restorative, iyengar, yin etc. Give yourself some time before committing and ask questions about the particular style you are interested in.

Make time for practice. Very commonly people practice once a week and expect miracles to happen without making an effort to change their daily habits and patterns in dealing with their current stressful situations. By committing to a daily yoga practice, changes are more likely to take place.

Start small - a five minute daily practice works better than an hour weekly practice. Focus on the quality of your practice – breathe with more awareness and learn to connect with how and where your physical body is feeling the stress.

If your intention is to reduce the stress, you need to start looking at the areas of your life that are causing the stress. Say goodbye to unnecessary tasks, obligations and expectations that are taking up your time and space. Welcome in a wide range of positive and enriching experiences in your life. Manage your stress wisely – with yoga, it can be a lighter path to a healthier life(style).

To change is difficult, not to change is fatal.
- Annoymous

He said that the yogic journey is like taking a bus from point A to point B. The bus will load X number of people from point A, and ending up with Y number of people at point B. It is a tough journey to survive, with many temptations and distractions along the way, e.g. committments, life-changing events – marriage, work, children, death, injurires etc. And what happened to those who ‘dropped out’ along the way? Some may choose to board the bus from point A again, while some will never come back.

Wherever you are at your practice now – take time to pause, slow down, maybe even take a break and come back on the mat again and again (but don’t stop!). Some day you will get to point B, as long as you keep practicing.

Although yoga is good for everyone, yoga is not for everyone.

Yoga requires more than mere physical strength and a flexible body. Yoga asks you to look within and find the will, courage, persistence, commitment, discipline, faith, devotion, compassion and wisdom in the practice – for a long time, for a lifetime.

Kino MacGregor said that one way of knowing whether you have made progress in your yoga practice is to reflect on your relationships with others before and after the practice. Are you more kind in your words and actions towards others and yourself?

The physical practice of yoga is just a small part of yoga. What truly matters is inside you, your true nature and that is the power of practicing yoga.

Master Teacher Paalu is regionally recognized and well respected master Yoga teacher. He is a Reiki Grand Master under the Usui Method and a qualified Pilates Instructor who was trained in the USA. He was trained personally by Yoga Acharya V.Sheshadri of Mysore and Yogaratna Guruji BNS Iyengar in the Ashtanga Vinyasa style.
http://www.tirisulayoga.com.

Kino MacGregor is one of a selected group of people to receive the Certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga by its founder Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. She is dedicated to carrying the torch of Ashtanga Yoga throughout the world and sharing the amazing tradition of Ashtanga Yoga with everyone who is inspired to practice.
http://www.kinoyoga.com

When we experience stress, it affects us in various ways – physically, emotionally and physiologically. We may experience headaches, fatigue, muscle tension and loss of concentration, and excessive stress can cause irritabililty, weight loss/gain, depression and anger although this differs from one another.

The degree of stress is highly dependent on various individual factors – level of commitment (e.g. family, work), expectations from self and others, our physical health, interpersonal relationships, day-to-day events and unexpected changes in our life.

Stress is a fact of nature, it is inevitable. Stress can have a neutral, negative or positive effect on us depending on how we choose to deal with it.

Here are some recommendations to ease the tensed moments:

• Take deep long breaths, even your inhalation and exhalation, for 1 minute (or as long as you can), refocus your thoughts and get back into action.

• Go for a brisk walk and get connected with the nature, which is extremely therapeutic for the mind and body.

• Listen to soothing music and just let your mind ‘rest’

• Go for a massage – Lavender and Ylang Ylang are great essential oils to balance out your senses.

• Watch a comedy, laugh out loud. Laughter is the best medicine.

• Volunteer to do something (nice) for someone. Giving is a rewarding and priceless experience. You will feel happy almost instantly.

• Sweat it out! Regular exercise helps to decrease the stress hormones (cortisol) and increase endorphins – the body’s natural feel good chemicals. Your mood is boosted naturally!

The list is endless. Pick a few that works for you. A little stress daily can be a positive motivation to action. It is only when we push ourselves too hard that it becomes harmful.

“Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down.” ~ Natalie Goldberg

Watch out for part 2 on Stress and Yoga in the next update.

In simple terms, a group of muscles that stretch along a movement and a group of muscles contracts to move against the same movement. This happens all the time.

From this concept, we learn how to use our flexibility to build up more strength, and vice versa – for an efficient practice.

For example, if we want to increase the flexibility of our hamstrings, we need to stretch them. I mean, yes of course! But many may encounter the point when the knee has gone weak during the practice of forward bend.

Instead of focusing on the hamstrings (agonist), we bring our focus to what’s stopping the stretch from happening – that is the quadriceps (antagonist).

The current situation is: Hamstring too strong to stretch; quadriceps too weak that causes the knees to bend.
The solution: Do the opposite. Strengthen the quadriceps, as this will eventually help the lengthening of the hamstrings.

Asana has got so much for us to discover just by practicing it. Many times when we get upset or frustrated for not progressing into the practice – we may be adopting a system that’s not helping us. It’s always more convenient to focus on the problem that is smack right in our face. Why not go around to the back of the problem? The solution is there for us.

When facing the solution, the problem dissolves.