Power Yoga - Perfect for Athletes

Some people who have tried yoga and are used to aerobic workouts find yoga to be too slow. This is why Power Yoga is getting to be so popular. Power yoga is based on Vinyasa Yoga, but is stripped down to fewer poses and performed more quickly. Power yoga is a style that appeals to many that are already fit and want to get a "workout" when going to the gym.

ower yoga originated in the United States in the 1990's and its birth is often credited to Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest who were both studied yoga with Ashtanga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. They named this yoga "Power Yoga" to differ itself from the slow moving styles that most people think of when they think about yoga. Since then this style of yoga has taken off in North America and many people prefer it to more traditional styles of yoga.

Benefits of Power Yoga

Power yoga works out your entire body building strength and toning while also improving your flexibility. Many athletes have started to include it in their training because it is such a great way to improve your performance in sports. Some of the benefits include:

1. Increase in metabolism
2. Increase in the amount of calories burned compared to other yoga styles
3. Strengthens your entire body, improves flexibility and increases stamina
4. Relieves stress, tension and improves your ability to focus
5. Uses muscles you don't use often in other exercise routines
6. It is a great way to flush out toxins in your body
7. Excellent way to improve performance in sports

Cardio exercise is obviously an excellent way to burn calories and one hour of cardio burns a lot more than doing one hour of yoga. However, yoga is better at building lean muscles while also working out your core. Lean muscles increase your metabolism and in turn, burn calories quicker. This is why, if you are looking to lose weight, it is a great option. Even better, pair cardio and running together in your workout schedule and you will see some amazing results. If cardio is done too often, you can actually lose muscle mass. This is why including other types or workouts in your routine is very beneficial.

Power yoga also helps you get in touch with your whole body. Even though it is at a faster pace, you are still encouraged to connect with your body, mind and spirit while doing this style of yoga. I highly encourage you to give it a try if you are an athlete or love to do cardio exercise.

Yoga and Cancer

Cancer is a word riddled with fear and apprehension. Those whose lives have been affected by the debilitating disease have firsthand knowledge and experience of what it can do while the rest of us can only stand by and hope we might dodge the bullet. There are many types of cancer, some more vigorous than others. The various ways that people cope with cancer are as different as the types. Some let the cancer take over as innocent onlookers, giving up all control, while others face the disease with fierce determination to survive.

Typical cancer treatments involve chemotherapy, radiation and other medications. Many patients also turn to gentle yoga training as a way to cope with the emotional stresses of the disease. Therapeutic Yoga training has proven to be a viable treatment for cancer patients, not to cure the disease but to help one's mind and body cope with the disease. Meditation helps clear the mind and gain a new perspective on life while the breathing exercises will help cleanse the body of toxins and bring new energy into the body.

When the diagnosis of cancer is given, it is often seen as a death sentence. Anxiety and stress spike to high levels, putting the body on high alert. This environment is not conducive to healing and can actually encourage the disease to spread. What the body needs is a release of tension to encourage healing. Relaxation and meditation through yoga can allow patients to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They can find inner peace and strength that will allow them to fight the disease until remission.

Yoga can bring cancer patients more energy and vitality, even at the lowest points of their health and well-being. Whether someone is a beginner or experienced in yoga, the asanas can always be modified and adjusted to suit the needs of those undergoing harsh chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Even if a patient must lie on their mat without coming to an upright position, yoga can still help. It brings people strength, flexibility and stamina.

A mental attitude toward disease is a huge and important aspect of healing that should never be underestimated. Cancer patients must be able to find peace with the disease and be able to seek a higher truth. By coming to terms with the disease and focusing on wellness, patients will allow the body's cells to do the best they can at healing holistically.

Laughing Yoga Health Benefits

Looking for a healthy pick-me-up? "Laughter Yoga" is a relatively new concept that still emphasizes breathing like traditional yoga, but encourages laughter as exercise for the belly, diaphragm, lungs, and perhaps most importantly, the mind. Laughing Yoga proves true the old maxim - laughter really is the best medicine! As simple and profound as traditional yoga breathing, laughing yoga helps the practitioner feel happy and healthy. Laughing yoga encourages healthy breathing, but its benefits reach far beyond the lungs. Laughing yoga practitioners profess general health improvements such as lower frequencies of respiratory infections like colds and the flu, but they also claim to experience a genuine mood-lifting effect. It's truly incredible how just a bit of laughter can improve your whole day!

Originally launched by a physician in Mumbai, India in 1995, laughing yoga is based upon the scientific principle that the human body cannot differentiate between "fake" laughter and "real" laughter, so no matter how you slice it, the body will reap the same physiological and psychological benefits. Whether "real" or "fake," laughter lowers the levels of stress hormones in the blood stream. Laughing fosters hormone levels that literally "put us in a good mood." Many laughter yoga devotees claim to have used these exercises to overcome depression, or at least to laugh away troubles after a long, stressful day.

A session of laughing yoga requires you to leave your shyness at the door, but if you have trouble doing so, your "laughter leader" will help you shed your inhibitions. Exercise warm ups include lots of clapping, eye-contact with your fellow practitioners, rhythm and movement, and simple chants to promote heavy exhalations from the belly, invoking classic yoga diaphragmatic breathing. Most of all, warm-up exercises are designed to ease the class into a silly mood. Before you know it, you'll find yourself laughing. Sometimes your laughter leader will lead you through "gibberish" exercises, encouraging everyone to babble like babies. Sound silly? Of course it does! That's what makes it so effective at promoting laughter and feelings of child-like playfulness.

As a modern adaptation of an ancient practice, Laughing Yoga not only often incorporates traditional yoga postures, but also method-acting techniques to shift your mindset and stimulate the imagination. Your leader may intersperse bouts of laughter with light physical exercise. Whatever approach or method your laughter leader uses, laughing yoga is designed to invigorate, energize and entertain.

As the laughing subsides, your leader will take you through laughing meditation, then finally relaxation and grounding exercises. As opposed to warming up, laughing meditation takes place seated with eyes closed, and laughter starts deliberately and gradually. This can often be a cathartic experience and may bring up other emotions as well. Once the group has settled, as in most forms of traditional yoga, the leader will guide you through "yogic sleeping" in order to bring your energy levels back down to normal, leaving you feeling both relaxed and re-energized.

Kundalini Yoga Explained - What Is Kundalini Yoga?

ost Yoga practices have elements of Kundalini Yoga in them. There is some confusion about Kundalini and its connection to sexuality. Most beginners to this practice are drawn to it by this interest alone, assuming that the term, Kundalini Rising, refers to some kind of orgasm. All Yoga pursues the ideal of total Enlightenment. Yes, Kundalini Yoga is excellent for improving your sex life, (as is most Yoga), but let's examine it a little further.

The literal meaning of Kundalini (in Sanskrit) can be translated as a 'coiled, corporeal energy' or an 'unconscious, instinctive, libidinal force (Shakti)' which lies (curled up) at the base of the spine. It is a spiritual energy or life force which is generally conceptualized as a serpent. Hence the name - Kundalini (or Kundala) - 'that which is coiled, to coil or to spiral'. Kundalini Yoga arouses this sleeping Kundalini Shakti (from its coiled base), up the body, through the 6 chakras (travelling along the main channels of pranic energy in the body) to penetrate the 7th chakra (the Crown), developing strength, character, consciousness and awareness. It has been called 'serpent power' and is described by Nirmala Srivastava as a 'residual power of pure desire'. Describing the actual location is very difficult, with some saying it resides somewhere between the rectum and the navel, while others say it is in the sacrum bone. We all feel it to some extent especially during heightened times of danger or excitement - perhaps in conjunction with the 'fight or flight' adrenaline response.

Sexual energy is the most powerful energy in the human body - it has to be to create life. While some Yoga practices may renounce sexual energy, Kundalini Yoga embraces it and uses its techniques (asanas, meditations, active and passive kriya sequences, control and pranayama) to channel sexual energy up the spine to empower spiritual development. To clarify the first point made in this article - Kundalini Yoga is indeed excellent for shifting ALL energies in the human body and this naturally includes sexual energy. To note, the main goal of Kundalini Yoga is not great sex, but great sex is a pleasant side effect of it.

Yogi Bhajan (who taught and practiced Kundalini techniques for more than 35 years) was of the view that sex was holy, should be reserved for committed relationships and did not advocate casual sexual encounters at all. Yogi Bhajan believed sacred sex was blissful love in action with both partners treating each other like sacred temples of the divine and his overwhelming theme was always - 'See God in All'. He was the first to teach Kundalini Yoga openly, touching many hearts, opening many minds and mentoring many politicians, statesmen and famous personalities. He was equally at home whether teaching in a boardroom or sitting on the grass in a park.

Kundalini Awakening Stages

Below are the stages that present the energies of Ida and Pingala (both right and left) and the central channel which flows through the chakras (Sushumna nadi - also called the 'silver cord'). These represent Kundalini Awakening in six stages;

• Prana flowing in Ida or Pingala
• Prana flowing in Ida and Pingala
• Prana flowing in Sushumna
• Kundalini energy awakens
• Kundalini energy leads upwards
• Kundalini rises to Sahasrara (crown chakra)

Shakti and Shiva

The journey of Kundalini Yoga, leading to Kundalini Awakening leads to the realization of the Absolute where consciousness divides itself into two parts which seem to be apart but cannot exist without each other. They are called Shiva (a static, formless quality) and Shakti (a dynamic, creative aspect of consciousness). They can be conceptualized as deities or as principles / processes of the universe. Either way, the journey is an inner one travelling to the centre of one's own consciousness. Interestingly enough, some people have experienced spontaneous Kundalini Awakening without doing any intentional practices.

Once Kundalini Awakening has taken place, and becomes more established through meditation, Kundalini has been known to automatically purify the body and dispel all mental, physical and spiritual clutter. Preparation for Kundalini Awakening is very important because once it occurs, there is a certain amount of time and effort needed to blend the aspects into the body and personality. However, after genuine Enlightenment and Self-Realization, the body becomes more active and zestful, the face younger and the personality beautiful and magnetic.

Yoga Can Improve The Digestive System Of The Body

In order to remain healthy it is important that we have a good digestive system. Improper food habits and digestion problems can disturb the normal bowel pattern and make it irregular. This can further lead to various serious skin problems and can also cause excessive hair loss. It is important to understand that digestion affects the entire health of a person.

To improve the digestive system, a person can practice Yoga on a regular basis. A beginner of Yoga suffering from chronic types of digestive problems like ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease should consult a physician before starting to practice this special type of exercise. In case of irregular bowel syndrome, Yoga can give an immediate relief. However if a person has undergone any form of surgery he should not start practicing yoga until the total recovery of the body.

How is yoga helpful for better digestion?

Proper breathing techniques are used in Yoga, which helps in bringing an extra amount of energy to the body and also helps in removing the toxic materials that are formed after the consumption of improper food. The toxic materials are also formed due to excessive stress and unhealthy lifestyle. Here are some of the best poses of yoga that helps in the digestion procedure:

• Ushtrasana - it helps in alleviating constipation by stretching the intestines and stomach. Ushtrasana is also known as the camel pose.


• Trikonasana - it stimulates the appetite, improves digestion and alleviates constipation.


• Matsyendrasana - it helps in alleviating the digestive ailments and also massages the abdominal organs.

In the present day scenario one can come across many videos on the internet that demonstrates different yoga poses. However, it is important to remember that complex poses of Yoga should always be practiced under professional guidance.

Apart from improving the digestive system, yoga also helps in reducing the body weight, improves concentration, helps to feel relaxed, improves blood circulation and increases the physical strength of a person. Many people complain that they lack the desire to eat food, in case of such people proper yoga poses can improve the appetite.

Practice Yoga And Enjoy A Happy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most special times in the life of a woman. The experience of pregnancy is great, but a woman undergoes a number of bodily changes during this time which makes the person feel uncomfortable. To feel relaxed and comfortable, yoga can be a great solution. Most uneasiness and sufferings of pregnancy can be cured with the help of yoga. Yoga can be considered as an ancient form of exercise which is carried out to get rid of the tension of the body and the mind.

The regular practice of yoga during pregnancy makes delivery less painful and helps a woman to stay fit post pregnancy. There are numerous types of yoga poses that can be beneficial for pregnant women. Each of the pose has its own benefits and targets specific areas of the body some focus on the nervous system while others on the muscles. Studies have proved that women who practice yoga during pregnancy stay much healthier and happier compared to those who do not do such exercises.

Yoga adds flexibility to the body and is very effective during labor. Different yoga poses help to stretch the muscles, soft tissues, ligaments and tendons and thereby prepares a woman's body for the birth giving process. Pregnant women often suffer from pains and aches but regular practice of Yoga can solve this problem. This form of exercise also boosts the circulation process of the body and eliminates back ache that very often occurs during pregnancy.

In the present day scenario one can come across a number of DVDs or CDs on different types of yoga poses that can be practiced during pregnancy. However, following these DVDs on one's own is not a wise decision and a pregnant woman should practice yoga under certified supervisors. One has to learn these poses correctly as any wrong act may have negative impacts. These poses should not be practiced alone at home for safety reasons.

A pregnant woman should immediately discontinue the yoga poses if she faces any kind of confusion or any kind of pain. A woman should always consult a doctor before taking up special yoga classes during the time of pregnancy. One should always keep in mind not to overstretch the ligaments during the time of pregnancy as they tend to become loose. None of the yoga poses that is practiced during pregnancy exerts pressure on the abdomen, as it can lead to mishaps.

Perform Yoga To Gain Height

Yoga is a form of exercise that not only makes the body of a person flexible but also keeps his internal organs healthy. Yoga is just perfect, be it for getting a fresh and peaceful mind or for having a healthy body, and the best part is, it does not have any side effects like most medicines. Doctors have proved that yoga helps in solving digestion problems and also eases back pain. In fact, there are many yogis who say that if a person performs yoga regularly then his body would release growth hormone that would enable the person to grow taller. Now the human growth hormone is a natural phenomenon that is mainly controlled by the pituitary gland.

This hormone reaches its peak when the person is in his childhood days and it starts to slow down as he reaches his adolescence and then becomes an adult. The human growth hormone helps the person to grow taller quickly. If you notice carefully then you will see that there are some people who are extremely tall. This happens due to the over secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. On the other hand, we can find people who are called dwarfs. In the case of such people there is an under secretion of the growth hormone and as a result they do not attain the normal height as they should.

If you want to grow taller naturally then it is important that you perform yoga on a daily basis. Here are some of the advantages of performing yoga for growing taller.

• First of all, the asanas that you will be performing will help to lengthen the muscles of your body especially the growth muscles. While performing such asanas you must take care of the posture of your body and the breathing technique that you follow.


• Secondly, apart from helping you to grow taller yoga would also keep you relaxed and calm. Many people do yoga for anger management.


• Since the growth hormones will be triggered by the pituitary glands there would not be any kind of metabolic malfunctioning which normally happens when you try to take medicines for the purpose of growing taller.


• When you perform particular asanas for growing tall you must make sure that you go to sleep early at night because the pituitary gland secretes the human growth hormone at night. So it is better that you do your job and leave the rest to the pituitary glands at night.

Yoga and Stress - Moderate Asanas With Pranayama and Meditation for the Best Results

No human being can claim a non-exposure to stress of some form or another, during his life. Various factors including physical threat or mental distress put into motion a chain of hormonal and chemical reactions in the body that trigger stress. At this stage, adrenaline pumps into the heart and the body and shuts down all unnecessary body functions to cope with this aggressive phenomenon. Further, if the stress levels increase, the shut down body functions will turn ineffective. The experts opine that you can easily counter such extreme reactions to stress with regular exercise.

Among the various exercises recommended for prevention or later alleviation of stress, yoga plays an extremely meaningful and important role. However, scientific investigation results are not available for substantiating this point but, several great researchers have claimed the success of yoga in stress reduction. The experts recommend a blend of easy to moderate Asanas along with pranayama and meditation for the best results. The moral of the story is that the process of performing the yoga Asanas is as or more important than the Asana itself. Yoga, fostering a feeling of self-awareness, is an ideal response to stress problems.

Today, our fast way of life is contributing heavily to increased stress levels, leading not only to uncomfortable symptoms like back pain, headaches, and insomnia, but also, to more serious ailments like osteoporosis and cardiovascular problems.

Among the eight limbs described by Patanjali in his "Yoga Sutras," Pratyahara is the fifth inward limb, which can greatly promote stress reduction. Some people feel that the audio and visual excesses in our lives in this modern world are prime contributors to our being stressed out. Only a conscious and continuous inward look will stop the audio/video and other outside factors from taking control. Practicing meditation, pranayama and certain other Hatha Yogas, keep the external forces at bay, and prevent our becoming slaves to stress related problems.

Fortunately, the practice of any form of Yoga is an antidote against the assault of stress related forces. Improve your practice of yoga a little by little every day, and include exercises in breathing and relaxation to make your immunity to stress even stronger. Those who claim they are busy must find a way to do their part of yoga every day.

Yoga Physiology: Nadis and the Energy of the Body

Nadis: Pranic Energy Channels of the Body

In a previous article on Yoga Physiology, I wrote about the Pancha Kosha (the Five Layers of Existence) and mentioned the topic of Nadis or Energy Channels. In this article, I will discuss Nadis in a little more detail. Please remember this is still a very basic overview written for those just entering the topic of yoga physiology and the practice of tantra.

In classical yoga physiology, nadis are energetic pathways which form a matrix throughout the human body. These channels are not considered as physical, measurable or dissectible structures. They are "that which underlies and sustains life within the body." In higher states of meditation and yoga practice the nadis can be perceived as flows of light, heat, color, or sound.

Nadis are conduits for Prana (Qi or vital life force). The classical texts suggest there are somewhere between 72,000 and 7.2 million nadis. These are big numbers and are more philosophical than practical. For our practice, we will concern ourselves with only five primary Nadis: Ida, Pingala, Arohan, Awarohan, and Sushuma. With regards to our practices, these channels are the main conduits for energy flow.

• Sushuma: the central channel, runs from the mooladhara chakra near the perinium to the top of the head and is considered the channel of balance.
• Ida Nadi: follows a path up the left side of the body and represents the moon or cool energy.
• Pingala Nadi: runs up the right side of the body and represents the sun or hot energy.
• Arohan Nadi: travels the front of the body between the mooladhara chakra and the top of the head.
• Awarohan Nadi: travels the back of the body between the top of the head and the mooladhara at the base of the body.

(These last two channels, the Arohan Nadi and Awarohan Nadi are primarily used in advanced Hatha, Kriya and Tantric yoga practices, thus I will save the discussion on these topics for a later writing).

As for Ida and Pingala, the flow of these channels (moon and sun) represents the constant ebb and flow of human existence. To see the importance of this concept we can look to the term "Hatha" yoga.

The term Hatha itself signifies Ida and Pingala in that the word "hatha" is made of two root mantras: Ham representing sun energy or Pingala; and Tham representing moon energy or Ida. Thus, the major premise of Hatha Yoga is to find a natural balance of these two forces within the body.

Much like acupuncture in Chinese Medicine, or the use of marma points in Ayurveda, the Asanas (postures) used in classical Hatha Yoga are designed to improve health by freeing up blockages of prana and facilitate the free flow of vital energy throughout the body. Any other use is simply gymnastics.

As mentioned, Pingala represents the solar polarity. It produces physical vitality, dynamic activity, and tension. It is the extroverting force and generally dominates during the daylight hours.

Ida represents the lunar polarity. It is cold in nature and corresponds with the parasympathetic nervous system. Ida relates to relaxation, thinking, and passive activity. Ida is generally dominant during the evening hours and sleep.

Ida and Pingala dominance is directly related to the flow of breath in the nostrils. At any given moment one nostril is more open than the other. When the flow of breath is stronger in the left nostril, it indicates that Ida is dominant. When the flow is stronger in the right nostril it indicates that Pingala is dominant. When you are sleepy or drowsy, you are likely to notice the left nostril flows easier. Conversely, when you are physically active, the right nostril will be more active. Observing this phenomenon, the ancient yogis devised breathing and meditation techniques to regulate the flows of energy in order to regulate the experiences of the pranic body.

Six Yoga Poses Against Cervical Spondylosis

1. Bend forward and backward. Stand in a relaxed posture with hands on your hips, and open your feet with the shoulder's width apart. Bend your head back with your eyes looking at the ceiling. Breath in on the way up and hold for a moment. Slowly lower your head close to your chest as far as possible with your eyes looking at the floor. Breath out on the way down and hold for a moment. Repeat it for four times. This action is aimed to relax your upper body slowly. It is right until you can feel the stretch.

2. Raising your arm and stretching. Stand in a relaxed posture with hands by your sides, and open your feet with the shoulder's width apart. Raise your right arm with your fingers pointing to the floor. Raise your head with your eyes looking at the ceiling. Slowly twist your body to the left and hold for a few minutes. Attention should be paid to turn your feet 45 degrees and lean your gravity forward during twisting. Slowly turn to the right. Remember to inhale on the way left, and exhale on the way right. Keep the action slow and smooth. Try to twist your neck and waist as far as possible, and then hold it for a few seconds until you can feel the stretch. Switch to the left arm when you return to your natural posture. Tip: Hold your right wrist over your head with your left hand and pull it slowly along your right ear, stretching your right side. Switch to the other side and repeat it. Do it two times once.

3. Spinning. Stand in a relaxed posture with hands on your hips, and open your feet with the shoulder's width apart. Slowly turn your head to the left until you can feel the stretch at the right side of your neck, and breath in on the way. Hold for a moment. Slowly turn to the right until you can feel the stretch at the left, breath out on the way. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat it alternately for four times. It is noted that you should keep this action relaxed and smooth.

4. Raising your shoulder and shrinking your neck. Stand in a relaxed posture with hands by your sides, and open your feet shoulder width apart. Slowly raise your shoulder and shrink your neck as far as possible. Hold for a few seconds. Release, return to your relaxed posture and breath naturally. It is noted that you should inhale while shrinking your neck, and hold your breath when you hold this action. Repeat it for four times.

5. Swinging. Stand in a relaxed posture with hands on your hips, and open your feet with the shoulder's width apart. Slowly turn your head to the left, and keep your left ear close to your left shoulder as far as possible, stretching your right side. Hold for a while, return to the original and switch to the right side. Repeat this action for four times. Remember to inhale during swinging your head, and exhale on the way to the middle position. Try to relax your shoulder and neck as possible as you can while ding this pose. Keeping it slow and steady is the best.

Yoga Is the Best Exercise for Your Heart

We have heard of the mystery yogis who can slow or stop their heartbeat on the strength of their yogic prowess. We have seen this phenomenon highlighted again in movies of James Bond and other pictures of martial combat where the old Shaolin monks teach their ardent students about the secrets of controlling heartbeat to live longer, endure more pain and fight harder.

Yoga purports to control the working of the heart, which is the first organ to develop in our body, and yoga harnesses its strength, elasticity and power to help stabilize the entire body. The heart with its four chambers, receiving and transmitting blood has the extremely sensitive and connective myofascial tissues that react to every single emotion of the mind and affects the blood flow all the time.

The practice of yoga in America has picked up rapidly in the last 10 years and today it is one of the highly popular exercise regimes there. You can see it best in the state of California in the populous city of Oakland, where people both old as well as the aspiring practitioners pack the yoga institutes to capacity. They look at yoga from the point of view of a better and healthier lifestyle.

People from different occupations, look at yoga from their own personal perspectives. For some it may seem the right way to release stress and tension, by mildly stretching themselves with relaxed breathing, while others use yoga to build up their body and mind strength to succeed in their endeavors, whatever they might be. Practicing yoga for the heart gives your body extra suppleness, strength and flexibility so that the body is now ready for your command, be it sports or jogging or dancing.

Aerobic activity is part of the Cardio exercises and yoga, though not really a part of aerobics, has a large part to play in helping people to avoid the onset of cardiovascular problems. The yoga enthusiasts talk about a relationship between yoga and your heart health and opine that it could play a major role in preventing or reversing heart diseases. Most experts agree though, that there is no question about the fact that yoga is good for the heart in several ways. The general opinion is that any system or plan, which helps to work out your muscles, has a direct and useful impact on the muscles of your heart.

Through the years, yoga too has evolved with humanity and their diseases. Before going in for any kind of yoga practice or postures, it would be best for you to check with your doctor or yoga specialist to ensure that you would be selecting the right postures or Asanas for the particular ailment you wish to address.

Yoga Is the Best Solution for Back Problems

Yoga has been part of Indian history for almost 26,000 years, from the "golden age" or the "Sat Yuga," when perpetual tranquility and concealed happiness were latent tools in the search for eternal youth. The excavations at the site of at the Indus Valley civilization, the oldest civilization in the world, and the ancient inscriptions on soapstone, which the historians recovered there, proved yoga's existence from ancient times.

Over a period, yoga became a common practice among Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. It was not until Patanjali compiled the works of yoga into a book called yoga sutras of Patanjali sometime between 100 BCE and 500 CE, that the world could see the various aspects of yoga in writing. Many still contend that yoga existed long before Patanjali and he was not due credit for the first compilation.

Yoga's popularity has grown rapidly in the last 10 years in the Western countries, especially Hatha yoga, and over 15 million Americans swear by this healthy practice, combining physical and breathing exercises with meditation, to enhance health and prevent diseases. Several people suffering from back pain have found relief in yoga by virtue of its success in alleviating pain, increasing body flexibility and instilling the important features of relaxation and self-appraisal, which are the cornerstones of success bodily and mentally.

You can read below some of the effective postures or Asanas of yoga for back problems that you can use for alleviating back pain:

Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

Here you lay on your back on the floor, arch your back by slowly tilting your head backwards until your head touches the floor by using your forearms and elbows as supports. With even breathing, continue holding this position for about 3-5 minutes and then relax. This posture targets the cervical vertebrae and alleviates the pain and rigidity in the neck region.

Shalabhasana (Locust Pose)

This posture involves lying on the floor with your abdomen and chin touching the floor while your arms are at your side, heels, toes are together, and your fists are touching the floor. Apply pressure on your fists and raise your legs while inhaling slowly. Exhale slowly after holding this position for a few seconds. This asana has positive effects in relieving nervous tension as it targets the muscles on the back.

Marjaryasana (Cat Pose)

In the cat pose you are on your hands and knees with hands and shoulders, knees and hips, wide apart. Inhale slowly trying to lift every vertebra in your spine. Exhale slowly as you arch your back upward. Repeat these sequences several times.

Yoga for Increased Metabolism and Mental Health

Established over 26,000 years ago and practiced seriously for over 4000 years, yoga represents the effort to enhance self-awareness and general well-being of one's body and mind. The ancient yogis practiced yoga from very early times as they recognized its potential not only as a source of natural healing, but also a way of maintaining overall health of the mind and the body at the same time. The modern yogis who carried yoga with them across the seas to the west, in the form of the popular Hatha-yoga, are busy propagating it, not only as a means to burn one's karma or duty, but also the calories in pursuit of weight control.

Metabolism purports to life-sustaining enzyme-catalyzed reactions of a of a chemical nature that occurs within the body cells, and supports the body functions like digestion, breathing, blood circulation, muscle contraction, and even the functioning of the nerves and the brain. In other words, metabolism refers to all bodily functions that create and use energy, when the body needs it. You measure the metabolic rate by the calories you burn every day for the above-mentioned functions. Metabolism has two aspects. Catabolism works on breaking down organic matter to collect energy, while Anabolism uses the energy to construct cell components like nucleic acids and proteins.

How Yoga Can Speed Up Metabolism?

Yoga speeds up our body metabolism in several ways:

1. The body metabolism improves due to yoga's effect on improved blood circulation and stimulation of the abdominal muscles.
2. Back bends during sun salutations enhance metabolism because it involves all body muscles.
3. The right recipe of Asanas will stimulate the thyroid gland, which controls metabolism.

Muscle Strengthening

Since, the yoga postures are almost akin to resistance exercises they help in building muscle mass. Yoga's principle of using body weight as resistance helps to strengthen and tone up the entire body. Consequently, calorie burn occurs at a higher rate because the muscle tissues' metabolic requirements are much higher.

How Thyroid Stimulates Metabolism?

Though small, the thyroid gland produces hormones that control and regulate the body metabolism rate. Any drop in the level of hormones produced by the thyroid gland will directly result in a slowing of the metabolic rate. On the other side, research by the national institutes of health have shown that those who have excess hormone production resulting from an active thyroid, put on weight, become lethargic and have a general difficulty in maintaining the temperature of their bodies. Yogic poses like the back bends, bridge pose, and shoulder stand, motivate the thyroid gland.

How Breathing Affects Metabolism?

Yoga poses like Kapalabhati and Ujjaii are breathing techniques, which inspire the abdominal muscles to stimulate the digestive system. In the process, it also helps to raise the temperature of the body and consequently the metabolism rate.

Benefits of Heated Yoga

What is Heated Yoga?

Heated yoga is traditional yoga which takes place in a room whose temperature is increased to between ninety five and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The style used is often linked poses which are vigorous and promote increased sweating while raising the body temperature.

Heated yoga is a low-impact exercise which reaps many benefits for your mind, body, and soul. Hot yoga is a series of linked yoga poses which are done in a room with a temperature between ninety five and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. This is done so that your body sweats more during the yoga exercise, leading to increased results and ridding your body of toxins.

Doing yoga in a heating room feels much the same as a sauna. The heated room increases the pulse, metabolism, and the flexibility of the blood vessels. The latter increases blood flow to each of your limbs during the exercise and eases circulation. If your muscles are cold they are prone to injury, but keeping them warm (hence the reason athletes "warm-up" before exercising) can help your body move freely. When you do hot yoga, your body will sweat profusely and this sweating will control the internal body temperature.

The series of flowing postures used during heated yoga allows your muscles to remain flexible as the body moves from one pose into the next. Hot yoga offers the same benefits as traditional yoga, but forces you to truly focus your thoughts. You have to push yourself beyond what is normal for yoga, because of the extreme heat conditions.

There are psychological benefits associated with incorporating heated yoga. By doing yoga your flicker fusion frequency improves, as well as your depth perception, symbol coding, learning efficiency, and your concentration. Doing yoga daily or weekly can also increase your memory and attention. You can increase your mood, self-actualization, social skills, and your overall well-being by doing even a basic yoga workout each day for just fifteen minutes. By doing yoga you can increase your somatic awareness, kinesthetic awareness, and self-acceptance. Yoga leads to increased social adjustment and decreased hostility, anxiety, and depression.

The biochemical benefits of heated yoga will decrease your glucose levels, your sodium levels, as well as your total cholesterol. By implementing yoga you will also decrease your triglycerides, your LDL, and VLDL. You will increase your HDL, cholinesterase, and ATPase. When doing yoga you will decrease your catecholamines and total white blood cell count. You will increase your total serum protein, vitamin C, as well as thyroxin. When you incorporate yoga into your daily life you can enjoy an increased lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit.

The health benefits of heated yoga are better than traditional exercise for many reasons. Firstly, when you exercise with yoga your parasympathetic nervous system dominates. At the same time, the subcortical regions of your brain will dominate.

while you enjoy a normalization of your muscle tone. By doing this you can decrease your risk of injury while minimizing the total effort your body puts out during each work out or session. You will also cause your mind to be aware of the internal things such as breathing while working out in a process-oriented and non-competitive environment. In such a state, your energy is controlled through the process of yoga breathing.