Yoga, a physical and spiritual practice which is thousands of years old, has exploded on to the American scene. Every one is doing yoga from Hollywood movie stars to your local fireman. Yoga studios are popping up everywhere. Physical fitness, stamina, strength , flexibility, youthfulness, weight loss, stress reduction are all reasons people are flocking to yoga. Once a student finds a yoga class, there is an overwhelming array of traditions to choose from, including specialized fields of yoga practice- such as yoga for women, and yoga for children.

What is it about yoga that keeps people coming back? The benefits are amazing on many levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. What may have begun as a quest for flexibility turns in to a life transformation with job changes, relationship changes and lifestyle changes.

Yoga is that time to regroup and call your own. And best of all , while you are nurturing all your vital systems of the body and soothing the soul you are getting a great workout. I don’t know about you, but that seems like multi-task heaven!

If time is truly a constraint, why not incorporate yoga in to the family routine? Set aside 15-20 minutes per day to do yoga with your family. Create a sacred space in your home with candles, soft music, soft light and make it your daily yoga space.. Children are equally as stressed these days as adults and many are not nearly as flexible as we think they are. Children are also very open and curious, responding easily to both yogic breathing, yoga postures, and meditation.. Their refreshing perspective can only encourage our own growth and mind/body/spirit awareness. Husbands/fathers, too, may become more open to their own emotions as they honor their inward journey through yoga.

Being present is a gift that you can give yourself and your family at any age. When you are present , you are timeless and ageless. Life is meant to be lived fully .What that means is that we are here with each breath, each moment, BEING ourselves. So why not give yoga a try?

       

There are certain medical conditions which make it inadvisable to do the inverted postures (headstand, shoulder stand and reverse posture). These are high blood pressure, dizziness, and serious eye problems. If you have any doubt, see your doctor before you start the asanas.

In some cases you may feel worse for up to two weeks after starting the asanas. This is because the yoga exercises cause the body to eliminate toxins, which spend some time in the blood before being eliminated. After this initial period of body cleaning, you will start to feel much better. The more toxins you have, worse you will feel in the beginning.

Some of the symptoms you may experience are a slight increase in your usual aches and pains, and a little stiffness. Your body may become slightly bloated and you may feel a bit drowsy during the day. You may feel sore in the back, neck and shoulder muscles for a couple of weeks. To minimize any soreness, start gently and don’t overdo it. Above all, never give up. Any discomfort will only be temporary and you will start to feel much better in a relatively short time.

 

It’s best to do the asanas in the early morning or the early evening before the evening meal. Never exercise on a full stomach. Before exercising, wait at least three hours after eating a main meal, about one hour after eating a light snack such as a piece of fruit and about half an hour after drinking juices. After finishing the asanas, wait about a quarter of an hour before eating.

The best time to do the yoga postures is about one hour after getting up or in the early evening. Wait about 15 minutes before eating. Don’t exercise immediately after getting out of bed, since you’ll be too stiff. Wait at least one hour. It’s not advisable to do the asanas before bed, since their stimulating effect may prevent you from getting to sleep easily.

Don’t take a hot shower or bath immediately after yoga, since this draws blood away from the internal organs and glands to go to the skin. A shower which is just warm is all right, since this is neutral and will not affect the yoga exercises.

 

Make sure you have good ventilation in the room where you exercise. Use a thick rug or about an inch thick firm foam. Don’t do them on the bed since it’s too soft, or on the floor without some padding, since that would be too hard.

Wear loose clothing, since tight clothes will restrict the circulation to some areas of the body. This would defeat one of the purposes of the asanas, that of increasing the circulation to various parts of the body.

Slowly, with no strain

Breathe slowly and deeply with the abdomen only. When inhaling, push out; when exhaling, let it return

Concentrate on the main organ or gland (with your eyes closed)

Be regular - aim to do the routine six times a week.

       

Yoga can be a beneficial therapeutic tool for relieving headaches brought on by muscle tension and stress. The majority of headaches originate from muscle stiffness and imbalances emanating from the neck and upper back. When headaches set in, using a series of restorative yoga exercises can greatly relieve both the cause and symptoms. Here are our top yoga poses and exercises that naturally treat headaches.

1) Cat Pose: The flowing motion of breath and spine helps release tension from the neck and upper back while also pouring refreshing energy through the body and mind.

2) Seated Twists like Half Twist: Besides increasing circulation throughout the entire length of the spine, the twisting motion in the upper spine (cervical region) often alleviates tension coming from the scalene muscles of the neck (anterior aspect).

3) Chest Openers like Yoga Mudra Arms: Much of the tension in the back body is a result of muscle dominance from the front body (called Upper Cross Syndrome). Expanding the chest and front shoulder muscles helps break down muscular imbalances and frees the tension coming from the neck.

4) Eagle Arms: This simple crossed arm pose can be done in Mountain Pose or any natural seated posture. This back expander can reach well into the mid and upper back targeting problematic muscles around the shoulder blades and the base of the neck. Take time in this arm pose to breath slow and full into the upper back and insure that you perform this arm pose on both sides.

5) Simple Neck Stretches: Gently move through the various muscle fiber lines by allowing your head to float down to one shoulder with gravity, down across the chest and into the other side ?repeat with a natural, unforced motion. Avoid letting the head fall back-keep the motion in a half circle from one shoulder to the other. Pause where you find extra areas of resistance.

6) Childs Pose: A perfect restorative yoga pose that slightly inverts the body. A gentle flow of extra blood circulates into the head helping relieve tension. With the legs slightly separated, you can easily settle into deep core and back breathing to encourage a flood of circulation to reach deep into the body. Note that the head and neck should be absolutely comfortable. If needed, keep you arms forward or bend the elbows and rest the forearms by your chest/under your shoulders so the palms face up-this will greatly unload any pressure from the neck.

7) Two Knee Reclining Twist: Unlike our seated twists, this reclining twist can be far more restorative and held longer to bring deeper focus into relaxing the nervous system while the chest expands and rejuvenates the spine. Give extra attention to releasing the shoulders into the mat to again release dominance of the shoulder and chest muscles.

Legs Up The Wall Pose: This highly beneficial inverted pose is great for developing hamstring flexibility and for improving circulation in the lower limbs. For headaches, the extra flow of blood to the brain and the restorative support can be deeply relaxing and nourishing.

9) Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing): The aim of alternate nostril breathing is to restore balance to the energy systems. With balance, we find release and calm. This yoga breathing exercise is easy to do for all levels and targets the nervous system by slowing brain waves, calming the mind and purging stress.

10) Relaxation Pose: After doing a series of restorative yoga poses, take some time to simply relax and release in Savasana. Turn the focus away from the symptoms of your headache and settle into the sensation of mental and physical release. You may find a light eye pillow helpful in moving tension/pressure out of the eyes and forehead. Increase your comfort by placing a bolster under the knees and a thin pillow under the head. To complement the chest openers and reclining twists, lay with the arms open to the sides/palms facing the ceiling.

Take advantage of restorative yoga exercises to treat your headache. Before jumping for a chemical medication that usually just masks the symptoms, see how these key yoga poses can first work to naturally eliminate the cause of the headache and free you from the discomfort arising from imbalances and stress.