Practice Yoga for Yourself, Your Energy, and Your Life

Here’s an energy tip that crosses the boundaries of many of the categories in this site: Practice yoga.

Yoga is good for overall health and well-being; it’s an exercise that improves strength and flexibility; it can foster personal and spiritual development; it promotes sleep; it may aid in detoxing the body; and it is the ultimate example of mono-tasking, providing kind of focus needed to better organize your thoughts, you priorities, and your life. And yes, it is a wonderful way to manage stress, promote relaxation, and increase energy.

You don’t have to know your Asthanga from your Vinyasa to be impressed with the myriad benefits you can derive from yoga. Research backs up what practitioners have known for centuries – yoga, with its precise moves and controlled breathing, can relieve anxiety, increase concentration, promote a meditative state, and improve mood and energy.

A recent study points to why yoga may be effective at improving mood. An hour of yoga produced a 27 percent surge in brain levels of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that’s often low in people who are depressed or anxious. Yoga has also been shown to reduce fatigue in subjects with multiple sclerosis and relieve lower back pain in chronic sufferers. In yet another study, this one on subjects with chronic insomnia, researchers found significant improvements in sleep in those who practiced 30 to 45 minutes of Kundalini yoga once a day for eight weeks.

Reduction in fatigue, pain, and anxiety translates into one thing everyone wants: more energy for living!

But wait, there’s more. Yoga can also reduce heart rate and blood pressure, increase lung capacity, improve body composition, relax tense muscles, and improve overall physical fitness. Talk about an energy super-charge!

The practice of yoga began thousand of years ago as a way to attain spiritual enlightenment through physical and mental training. Today there are many yoga disciplines that vary in style and intensity, but all remain rooted in yogic tradition by incorporating various asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathing techniques).

In yoga, breath signifies prana, or vital energy, and is the connection between the physical and the spiritual. Practicing yoga helps develop mind-body stamina. By focusing on the breath, you can clear the mind of distraction, as you ease the body into a pose. Yoga practitioners often describe that increase in focus and clarity as feeling like the energy equivalent of a penetrating laser light.

In principle and practice, yoga promotes flexibility. Asanas can be adjusted to meet in individual’s fitness level or to work around an injury. With thousand of poses and a wide variety of disciplines to choose from, yoga can be fashioned to suit a wide range of personalities, sensibilities, and goals. Done consistently, it can almost definitely send your energy into the stratosphere.

FIND YOUR FORM
The most common form of yoga in the United States and Europe is hatha yoga. It encompasses a variety of styles, both strenuous and gentle; some focus on the physical, others the meditative. Some forms of yoga are exacting in the number and sequence of asanas, and others are more free-flowing.

Lyenga yoga emphasizes precision and form, and employs belts, pillows and other props to help students reach poses that would otherwise be beyond their limits. I Ashtanga yoga, on the other hand, asanas are performed one after another, quickly and continuously. Bikram yoga is a particular style developed in Los Angeles by Bikram Choudhury, a former Olympic gold medalist. It is practiced in a hot, humid room (typically from 950F, or 350C, to 1150F, or 460C) and is rapidly gaining popularity around the world. Then there are the many hybrid classes, which mix and match yoga styles. Why not try a few, and pick the one that most suits you and gives you the greatest sense of well-being and increased energy?

Whether your ultimate goal is a lifetime of inner peace or just an hour of peace and quiet, by practicing yoga – clearing your mind, challenging your body, and controlling your breathing – you can attain a state of relaxation and invigoration.

WORTH KNOWING
“Trying to find the right yoga class is like trying to find the right date”, says Cyndi Lee, founder of Manhattan’s Om Yoga. Asthanga may be a perfect match for your best friend but way too sweaty for you. Here area a couple of tips to keep in mind when hunting for the right class.

• If you’re a yoga novice, regardless of your level of fitness, begin with the beginner class. Give yourself a chance to develop proper breathing technique and good form.

• When searching out a yoga class, ask friends for recommendations, read class descriptions, sample various yoga styles, and try classes with different instructors until you find the right fit.

• Be sure to tell the instructor that you area a first time student, and always mention any physical limitations.

Start Your Day with the Sun Salutation

The exercise I’m about to describe to you is one of the beginning exercises in a yoga practice. It’s called the Sun Salutation. I use it all the time, especially when I want to start my day with a nice little energy boost.

You don’t have to practice yoga on a regular basis to get the energy boost of the Sun Salutation. Truth be hold, I don’t practice yoga, and I don’t pretend to be anything like an expert on it. But I can tell you that the Sun Salutation is one of the best ways to start your day if you want to get your circulation going, get oxygen into your brain, stretch your muscles, and quicken your step. It’s an energy bonanza, and it only takes a few minutes to perform.

The version I’m about to show to you comes courtesy of my friend Bernard Rosen, Ph.D., nutrition educator and consultant, and certified yoga teacher.

1. Stand with your feet parallel and hip-width apart (4 to 5 inches, or 10 to 13 cm) and your arms by your sides.

2. As you inhale, sweep your arms out to the side and overhead. Reach through the fingertips, keeping the arms straight – the palms come together and there is a light back bend. (This is known in yoga as the Mountain Pose).

3. As you exhale, fold forward from the hips as you bring your arms out to the sides and then your fingertips to the floor (forward bend). The idea here is to bend over straight from the waist and touch the floor with your legs straight, but few people will be able to do that. Don’t worry about it. Go as far forward as you can go and, if you can reach them, grab your ankles. If you can’t, grab your calves, or even your thighs. Pull your chest gently toward your legs as much as you can, while your chin is tucked under.

4. As you inhale, step your left foot back into a high lunge. The left leg is straight, the right leg remains forward, the right foot is even with the hands, the spine is long, and the hips are sinking. Tilt your head back as you look up.

5. As you exhale, step your right foot back and move into an inverted “V” position (called the Downward Dog in yoga). Press into your hands and feet evenly, and relax your head an neck.

6. As you inhale, lower your hips as your body moves into a high push-up position (called the Plank in yoga). The hands are below the shoulders. Press into your hands, and press your heels toward the floor to lengthen your body.

7. As you exhale, lower your body to the floor.

8. As you inhale, lift the head and chest off the floor. You hands are below your shoulders with your elbows in toward your body. Press the tops of the feet and the pelvis into the floor as you lift (called the Cobra Pose).

9. As you exhale, press into your hands raise your hips, and return to the inverted “V” position (Downward Dog).

10. As you inhale, step your left foot forward into a high lunge. The right leg is straight, the left leg is forward and even with the hands, the spine is long, and the hips are sinking.

11. As you exhale, step your right foot forward to meet your left foot and fold into the standing forward bend.

12. As you inhale, sweep your arms out to the sides and come to standing with the arms overhead (Mountain pose).

13. AS you exhale, bring your arms down and press the hands together in front of the heart.

14. Repeat the steps above, but this time step the right foot back in step 4 and bring the right foot forward in step 10.

This is a basic version of the Sun Salutation (there are many!). It’s a great way to start your day, and for little real physical effort, you get a very big energy bang for your buck. Try it!

Deep breathing to instantly boost your energy

I asked my doc for some tips that you might be able to use right now to instantly boost your energy. She suggested practicing deep breathing.

“Most of us breathe very shallowly”, she told me. “When we get upset, we hold our breath. Consequently, get stuck in that feeling of fear or anger, and those two emotions are energy zappers”.

Here’s how to do it:

• Take long, slow, deep breaths as soon as you start feeling stuck on a negative emotion.

• Breathe in through your nose, filling up your stomach, and then breathe out through your mouth. Do this until you establish a rhythm, like waves of the ocean moving in and out on the shore.

• Connect with what you are feeling so that you can release it.

• Now ask yourself, “What am I feeling that I need to release?”

• Let that feeling surface.

• Is it anger, frustration, insecurity, or something else?

• Allow yourself to rally feel it.

• Hold your breath for the count of five.

• AS you exhale, imagine that there is an orb of gold light in front of your.

• Release those feelings that are keeping you stuck into the gold light.

• Feel as if the gold light is a powerful vacuum cleaner, pulling all negative emotion from your body, organs, and cells.

• Keep breathing and releasing until the negative feelings dissipate or until the negative emotion feels neutralized. You will feel a shift.

“It is important to release the feelings and then replace them with something else,” She told me. “This is the step that most of us forget”.

Here’s how to do it:

• Once you have neutralized the negative feelings, begin to visualize how you want to feel (joyous? Peaceful?). Then begin to bring in those feelings associated with that condition or state.

• For this part of the exercise, imagine an orb of white light.

Allow that white light to fill your body and the entire space surrounding you.

“Remember, nature abhors a vacuum, so you need to fill up the space you have just emptied of negativity with gorgeous and beautiful energy and visualizations”.

“If you can visualize it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can do it”. Nowhere is that truer than with energy. If you can visualize the kind of positive, joy ours energy you want to fill your life with, you will be on the way to creating it. And that’s the kind of energy we all want in your lives.

Yoga most effective exercise for breast cancer patients

INDOOROOPILLY breast cancer survivor Sarah Varghese knows all too well about the long recovery process after diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Yoga Chi Gung, a style of yoga, helped her with that recovery.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000, the mother of three underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Despite being tired from the treatments, Mrs Varghese decided to start practising yoga to help address both her physical and psychological needs.

“The fatigue lasts for many months after the treatments finish and I did not feel right for at least a year after the chemotherapy and radium,” she said.

“I found that yoga was of great benefit in managing the fatigue and anxiety associated with the cancer diagnosis and treatment.”

Now a yoga teacher herself, Mrs Varghese wants to share her knowledge and techniques with other women who may be in similar situations.

She teachers classes at her home every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

She is also a yoga teacher with the Kim Walters Choices program.

For more information phone 3870 5535.

source: westside-news.whereilive.com.au

How Bikram Yoga Is Making Me One Of “Those People”

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not an “exercise person.” In fact, if I was dating some smart, hilarious, darling and hot dude who was otherwise perfect but had a penchant for enthusing about his early morning gym regimen, I probably wouldn’t call him again.

Overtly healthy people annoy me, maybe because they have an irksome way of making me feel guilty that my favorite leisure activities involve a glass of wine and a Parliament Light. OK, OK, I wasn’t always exactly a lazy slouch:

I was a serious ballet dancer until the age of 18, and I ran and practiced some yoga in college. But since moving to New York almost a decade ago, let’s just say my workout history can best be summed up as “slightly cloudy with a chance of pizza.”

So how the hell did I become the kind of person who is highly optimistic about doing one of those disturbing-sounding hot yoga for 30 days challenges?

When it comes to realizing that you should actually do more physical activity than lift a cigarette or a burrito to your mouth, I don’t know what that tipping point is for you personally. For me, it was a summer of house guests and hostessing, which involves a lot of food and beverage and very little taking care of yourself or “me time.” So, recently, even though we had what was approximately our seventh visitor in four months, I carved out 90 minutes of time in the evening to steal away to a Bikram yoga class I found via Google. I’m not sure what came over me. I think I just needed a place to hide out.

Even people who are completely comfortable with yoga have reservations about Bikram. “It scares the sh*t out of me,” is a pretty standard refrain. That’s because the class takes place in a room heated to 105 degrees with something like 50 percent humidity and the 26 postures are seriously challenging enough to make you curse like you really mean it. You are sweating profusely out of pores you never knew existed before the first 20 minutes of the class have even gone by. You get dizzy. You get nauseous. Some people panic. You slip and slide. After, you’re sore down to the tiniest muscles surrounding your ribs. Torture, right?

Only for some crazy reason, I didn’t see it that way. Yes, I got dizzy and had to sit down a few times. It was absolutely annoying and uncomfortable to be surrounded by insanely hot, humid air. My heart pounded so hard that I wondered if anyone had died during a class. (As far as the internet knows, no, no one has.) Because, despite all those superficial roadblocks, it felt really, really good. And don’t get me started on how rad it feels to stroll out into a cool night feeling all smug about your accomplishment afterward.

You could say that people love Bikram so much because it’s so freaking horrifying they get addicted to how great they feel after the class when it’s all finally over. I have to admit that was my original hypothesis. But after doing it religiously for a few weeks—I simply haven’t wanted to stop—I can say that there’s a lot more to it than that. Not only has class become way easier (the heat, the poses, all of it), I’m a bit sad, or rather, could keep going when it ends, which I know is a totally vomit-inducing statement, but trust me, it was a shocking and pleasurable revelation. Maybe there is something to be said for positive thinking? And while I still feel elated from the feeling of endorphins and blood pulsing through my body after, I’ve also noticed that it creates some sort of physical equilibrium—lately, my body craves vegetables and fruits and coconut milk, not cheesy, meaty Mexican food. My skin looks better. I stand up straighter. I have more energy. I feel good.

So since I love it so much I wanna marry it and stuff, I took a seemingly logical next step: Those familiar with Bikram know that studios encourage you to do a 30-day challenge and offer incentives like free classes if you complete the period. A month ago I thought this sounded like the most insane, impractical, inconvenient and most offensively goody-goody exerciser thing to do ever. But suddenly, it seems like a doable goal. I realize that it will take sacrifice: It takes extra time to wash my sweat-soaked yoga clothes every day and pack them; I have to work extra diligently in the office to make sure I’ll be able to make it to my evening class on time; I can’t drink because you really can’t do it hung over; and I have to drink lots of water all day and regiment my food intake—not too long before class so I have enough energy, not two hours before so I don’t get sick to my stomach. Any money I would’ve normally put aside for fall clothes or other indulgences will pay for classes instead. Have I joined a cult? Maybe.

No one likes a gloating Gussy, and I certainly hope you’re not getting the impression that that’s my motivation here. For some reason, yoga people are especially infuriating. (Eat Pray Love drove me nuts, ugh.) I’m just so genuinely happy about the whole goddamned thing—we tend to be so self-destructive, especially as work hard/play hard New Yorkers, that these types of moments happen rarely. I’ve tried to share the love with friends. Amelia says she’s coming to try it tonight (yay!), and obvs, she’ll do great—after all, she survived surf camp.

That said, I seriously hope she fares better then my best pal who hated it so much I don’t think she’ll ever set foot in a yoga studio—heated or otherwise—again and now I feel terrible for recommending it to her. The point is, it’s not for everyone. And if you’re already the type who eats well and goes to the gym on a regular basis then good for you, you’ve got a gene that I certainly don’t possess and you’re probably all like, “Wow, you discovered exercise, way to go genius.” I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you’re not that person, then keep looking. For some of us, the only way to find pleasure in working out and making healthier choices and sticking to it isn’t because you want to lose weight or feel you ought to but simply because you found a way to love it. I think I’m getting there.

Of course, I’m only on my second day of the completely uninterrupted month soooo, you know, keep ya posted .... Has anyone done this before? I’d love to hear any and all tips.

SOURCE: thefrisky

Top Ten Marvelous Health Benefits of Yoga

Yoga isn’t just fashionable, it’s accessible to all, recommended by many respected enthusiasts, and appears to have a wealth of associated benefits. The practice of yoga can range from meditation and breathing, right through to challenging movements requiring skill and stamina. If you’re wondering whether or not yoga is for you, maybe it will help to read the Models Direct top ten reasons to give it a try.

1. Mind and body: The breathing and meditation exercises taught in yoga act as natural tranquillisers, lowering blood pressure, heart rate and levels of cortisol (a ‘stress hormone’). It is a natural way to improve many stress-related conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, depression and even medical conditions such as migraine or asthma.

2. Lung function: It encourages deeper, slower breathing – strengthening the lungs by putting good habits in place for those who practice it.

3. Focus: By helping the process of disciplining the mind, yoga increases concentration, memory and focus.

4. Pain relief: Some have reported reduced pain associated with PMS, neck and back problems, auto-immune diseases and many other conditions.

5. Circulation: Various yoga poses are said to aid circulation and oxygenation of cells.

6. Strength-Stamina: Yoga movements and poses improve strength. They are designed to impact on every muscle in the body and are also said to massage internal organs.

7. Flexibility: Those who regularly practice yoga will notice their range of movement increasing, benefiting mobility and flexibility.

8. Posture: By increasing self-awareness, core strength and good postural habits, yoga will help those who practise it regularly to hold themselves better and move with more grace and agility.

9. Anger management: By teaching those who suffer from anger-related issues, more patience and tools to enhance calm, yoga can be beneficial as part of an anger management programme.

10. Confidence: All of the ways that yoga improves someone’s life encourage self-confidence, self-belief and a more positive outlook.

source: bignews.biz

Do's and dont's of popular yoga poses - Photos

By Jeannine Stein

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)
A few simple techniques can make the difference between a sore back (or other body part) and a strong, healthy one. Click through these do's and don'ts of popular yoga positions.

Christine Burke is co-owner and director of Liberation Yoga, Los Angeles. Candace Morano is a New York-based yoga instructor and educational kinesiologist.

Click Here For Do's and dont's of popular yoga poses

Jivamukti Yoga Most Popular Hot Trend of Yoga

Jivamukti yoga is hot right now (figuratively, that is, not literally like Bikram yoga). There may not be a ton of yoga studios that offer Jivamukti right now, but if you sign up for a class you might look over and see Gwyneth Paltrow doing her best to get her poses just so.

Third, Jivamukti yoga encourages that we love all living species the same. Truly devoted Jivamukti students will actually give up eating meat and even become vegans, which means not eating or using any animal products at all (no eggs, milk, or leather purses). This all goes along with the notion that Jivamukti yoga and its philosophies can be part of your day-to-day life.

Another part of this type of yoga is the concept of community. Jivamukti yoga is meant to help bring together like-minded people with similar ideas. People who practice it tend to care about the world and everyone in it, and when participating in a class will often feel a sense of unity or belonging.

Finally, Jivamukti yoga and its philosophies encourages world peace and love among all living things, including animals, plants, and insects.

As you can see, Jivamukti yoga is not your typical or common form of yoga, although it is becoming increasingly popular. When you finish class you don’t leave your yoga behind, but rather pack it up and take it with you. The way I’m thinking about it after reading many articles on this topic, you don’t just practice Jivamukti yoga, you live it 24/7. It becomes a part of who you are and how you live.

source: empowher

Be a yoga champ with the right tools

Let's get this out of the way: You don't have to be flexible to do yoga.

On the contrary: The less flexible you are, the more you probably need it.

"I find a lot of people think yoga is for skinny women who sit cross-legged chanting 'Om,'" says Rocky Sharwell, a 49-year-old appellate public defender who has practiced yoga since 2003. "I would tell the reluctant yogi that practice is nonjudgmental. Odds are there will be people of all shapes and sizes."

In its simplest translation, yoga means "union" in Sanskrit. So not only will you be exercising often-forgotten muscles (or ones you never even knew you had!), but you'll also exercise your mind by training yourself to not go along with its every whim.

Starting any new physical activity can be scary, so try to make it easier on yourself by doing your homework before you go to class, says Adrienne Reed, host of PBS' "Power Yoga: Mind & Body" and owner of Namaste Yoga Studio in Lutz.

"Set your goals of what you're trying to do: Do I want to lose weight? Do I want to become more flexible? Do I want to de-stress?" Reed says. "Really take a step back and realize what's your goal, then pick out a class that fits that goal."

After that, research studios near you to see what kind of classes they offer. Read the descriptions. And if you still have questions, don't be afraid to ask them.

"There is a style of yoga out there for every single body," Reed says.

Within the plethora of yoga styles, teachers also teach differently. Some teachers are more spiritually oriented, some more athletic. Some you'll relate to; others you won't.

"You really have to experiment a lot when you start yoga," Reed says. "The teacher matters a lot, the environment matters a lot - and really know what you're going to get into before you get there. Make sure you're getting what you want out of it."

With that in mind, here's a checklist of what you'll need to bring with you - besides a mat, water bottle and stretchy clothes:

Presence: Just show up, and try to shut off the to-do list your brain is ticking off. No matter how much you're thinking about it, you won't be able to cook dinner during your yoga class, so there's no point in mulling over it in that moment.

Humor: Laughing at yourself is OK, and you'll probably have more fun that way. You will fall out of poses, but so has your teacher, and probably your neighbor, too. There is always something new to learn - even the experienced yogis know that they may be able to do one pose, but there's always another variation that will present a whole new challenge - so cultivating your sense of humor will help you at any stage of your practice.

Humility: Acknowledge your limits. You'll get more benefits out of a pose if you're aligned correctly but not deep in the posture than if you try to become bendier than you actually are. It takes time, but you'll already be doing something good for your body, so accept what you can do for the moment. Also, tell your teacher about your injuries if you have any; he or she can show you a modification so you won't put more strain on the affected body part.

Oh, and don't bother bringing these:

Expectations: Your body changes every day. Just think of the variables involved in daily life: sleep, stress, too much food or a hard workout the day before. You may have been able to nail a pose just right in your previous class, but tonight you may not. Be accepting of it, and move on.

Competition: Worry about what's happening to you on your mat. Don't compete with your neighbor, who may be closer to the ground in a pose than you are. And don't compete with how you performed yesterday, a week ago or a month ago. Each person has a unique journey, so pay attention to yours and yours alone.

source: tbo

"Doga", yoga and meditation for dogs and their owners

Dog-owners and yoga-lovers have finally found a way to bring their two passions together: doga. Yoga classes for dogs and their owners are sprouting all around the United States, combining massage and meditation techniques with gentle canine and human stretching. Ludicrous or blissfully relaxing?

Doga aficionados are adamant: there's nothing like balancing your cocker spaniel on your belly as you stretch to create a bond between you and your canine companion. The practice stems from an unsaid philosophy shared by many yogis: because dogs are pack animals, they are a natural match for yoga's emphasis on connection with other living creatures.

Created eight years ago by Florida-born yoga instructor Suzi Teitleman, the popularity of doga classes has skyrocketed in the US, drawing attention from major media outlets like the New York Times and CNN.

But not all yoga afficionados are comfortable with this new development. They fear that doga brings a trivial, fad-like approach to a 2,500 year-old spiritual practice. Teaching doga requires no official certification, so the quality and content of classes vary from veterinary-approved stretches and massages aimed at improving dog's digestion and heart function, to more dubious courses where dogs are trained into executing poses in exchange for treats.

Instructors vary in their approach to doga - some say it requires the same physical effort and concentration as traditional yoga, while others adopt a more laid-back approach. Brenda Bryan, a Seattle-based yoga and doga instructor who has recently written a book on the subject, told the New York Times her classes are loosely-structured and filled with humour, the essential being that humans and dogs alike leave with a smile.

Click for dog poses and more informations

source: observers.france24

Yoga may help prevent age-related diseases

Practicing yoga may help women lower inflammatory-inducing certain compounds in their blood to ward off conditions like heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and arthritis.

Researchers at Ohio State University have found that doing yoga helped reduce the amount of the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) compound in the blood.

IL-6 is an important part of the body’s inflammatory response and has been implicated a host of age-related debilitating diseases. Researchers say that using yoga to reduce inflammation may provide substantial short-and long-term health benefits.

"In addition to having lower levels of inflammation before they were stressed, we also saw lower inflammatory responses to stress among the expert yoga practitioners in the study," said the study’s lead author Janice Kiecolt-Glaser. "Hopefully, this means that people can eventually learn to respond less strongly to stressors in their everyday lives by using yoga and other stress-reducing modalities."

The study consisted of 50 women with an average age of 41 who took part in a series of stress-inducing tasks followed by either short yoga sessions, walking on a treadmill or watching short, boring videos.

Researchers found that the participants who did yoga after the stressors had lower levels of IL-6.

They say that their findings prove that small lifestyle changes, like doing yoga a few times each week, can lead to positive long-term health benefits.

source: drcutler

Loosen your hips, feel younger with yoga

Yoga gives athletes a mental and physical edge, instructor Eoin Finn says

So now, on top of everything, it turns out most of us have tight hips - and that's whether we're elite athletes or sedentary office dwellers.

Having tight hips means there isn't a lot of mobility in our hips, says Vancouver-based yoga instructor Eoin Finn, so that movements feel restricted and robotic, and we move inefficiently.

"And if you have any stress at all in your life, you are walking around with tight hips," he said from Calgary, a stop on a tour to promote his new DVD, The Pursuit of Happy Hips.

Finn, 40, will be in town Sunday to share his teachings in two workshops at Centre Luna Yoga in Old Montreal.

"Because body and mind are one connected unit, when we can't move in our hips, we feel old and rigid," he said.

Finn has been practising yoga since he discovered its benefits back in university as a warm-up to mountain biking, surfing and windsurfing. He has been teaching yoga for more than a decade and has counted among his students elite athletes, including Olympic skiers and National Hockey League players, for whom he created customized yoga programs to enhance their performance.

He said the idea for this DVD, his fifth, came about because the hips of so many winter athletes, including figure skaters, bobsledders and skiers, get tight because they use their legs so much. "The whole intention of the DVD was to do something that would help them," he said.

The video was shot in Whistler, B.C., with elite athletes who practise yoga - including Kimiko Zakreski, who is on the Canadian Olympic women's snowboarding team; Shannon Bahrke, an American freestyle skier and Olympic medallist, and Andrea Holmes, a Canadian para-Olympic skier. The video, produced in association with Lululemon Athletica, the yoga-inspired apparel company, also features someone demonstrating beginner modifications to the positions.

Finn said yoga will give athletes that extra edge they need from their bodies - and their minds.

As for the rest of us, "it helps you to be calm and centred when the pressure is on. Most of the time when we get flustered in life, whether we're giving a speech or performing at Olympic level, it is because we are not at our peak.

"The whole practice of yoga is one challenge after another; can you accept these challenges with calm and ease?"

Finn said thinks of himself as more than a yoga instructor; he sees yoga as a means to an end - a life of what he calls "blissology," which is "balancing our selfishness with love and connection and trying to find a perfect balance between those two polarities," he said. "Yoga puts you on the right path: It is a way to live a happy life and take care of others."

It takes awareness, though. "You have to take time to contemplate and consider the consequences of your actions," he said.

"You have to be aware of what the feedback is when you do something. That is the major thing we are missing as a species. Once you understand the pattern, you can see it in all things."

The importance, he said, is applying what you learn in yoga to all your relationships - personal relationships as well as those with the community and the environment."

source: montrealgazette

5 Health Benefits of 'Hiking Yoga'

Can you think of a cool way to stay fit while getting to know San Francisco? I can! Hiking Yoga with Eric Kipp and Megan Gathers.

What is Hiking Yoga? Hiking Yoga is a program designed by Eric Kipp that combines approximately 25 minutes of yoga and 65 minutes of hiking for a 90 minute invigorating workout through the city of San Francisco. This is your chance to discover San Francisco's urban parks, secret alcoves, and hidden stairways.

Who can benefit from Hiking Yoga? Since this program is created to be a challenge for fitness buffs, you must be in good shape. This program is suitable for a person with minimal yoga experience and the ability to sustain a brisk hiking pace (17-20 minute/mile) up and down hills for approximately 55 minutes.

5 benefits of hiking yoga:

1) Cardio: The hiking component of this program increases aerobic capacity and helps you burn calories. The hills and steps of San Francisco are no easy feat!

2) Yoga: Increase strength and flexibility while taking in the beauty of San Francisco.

3) Nature: Studies have proven that the natural environment can reduce blood pressure, stress, and have positive effects on your mood.

4) Explore San Francisco: Eric Kipp knows San Francisco after being a tour guide for several years. His workout takes you to some of the hidden gems enjoyed by our locals.

5) Sustainability: All hikes are designed for sustainability to prevent injury or re-injury. The program incorporates sustainable hiking practices from sources like Chi Walking by Danny Dreyer in order to take care of joints and muscles.

Both yoga and hiking have well-documented benefits. Together, hiking and yoga are even more powerful.

source: examiner

Yoga Is The Best Exercise To Heal Back Pain

A new study done by Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center has found that yoga may be more effective than traditional treatments in alleviating back pain, especially in minorities.

Researchers studied the effects of yoga therapy compared to standard treatments like doctor’s visits and medications on racially-diverse, low-income adults with chronic lower back pain. They found that participants who took part in weekly 75-minute yoga classes that included postures, breathing techniques and meditation for 12 weeks reported about a 30 percent decrease in pain, compared to a 5 percent reduction in those who had traditional care.

In addition, the yoga participants reported an improvement of function and an 80 percent decrease in use of medication to treat their muscle pain.

"Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use," said the study’s lead author Dr Robert Saper.

While low back pain is a common problem in the U.S., using alternative and complimentary therapies like yoga is uncommon among minorities and individuals with lower incomes or less education.

In addition to yoga, other alternative therapies suggested to treat back pain include acupuncture, chiropractic therapy and massage, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Emotional Exercise: Hyp-Yoga May Help Shed Those Extra Pounds

Experts will tell you losing weight isn't just about your body. It is also about your mind. In Omaha there's an innovative idea that is producing stunning results. Some people say they are using emotional exercise, to take off the pounds.

It is yoga, with a twist. A version called Hyp-Yoga that is helping people take off the pounds.

"Yoga is absolutely the reason I look the way I do," says Jen Krider. She is a true success story. In six months of using the program, she lost 76 pounds. And she is not the only person watching the weight fly off.

"I immediately lost ten pounds the first session, then five pounds the second session," says Pam Shrader.

Carly Cummings founded the program. "People think the problem is in their hips, but it's really in their head," she says. Cummings focuses her yoga program on the eating spurred by emotions and stress, using visualization and hypnosis.

The hypnosis part of Hyp-Yoga creates suggestions in your subconscious to help you curb cravings. That way, instead of reaching for that can of pop, you choose water.

"I've given up french fries and don't even crave them," says Shrader. "I gave up diet coke and don't even crave it."

The system is so successful, other studios are now adopting it. As people see results, they tell us it helps them make good choices more deliberately, and more consciously.

"The tradeoff is really easy for me now," says Jen Krider.

Cumings says, "You need to keep and sustain your weight loss and change your life pattern, so just being physical in class is great but you need to be able to take that off your mat and back into the rest of your life."

Anyone who has fought this battle knows the easier a program is to fit in your life, the greater your chances of sticking with it.

"They weren't unrealistic, they were easy to incorporate into every day living," says one student of the program. "For me this allows me to eat real food and live a real life."

The program leader tells us people typically lose ten to fifteen pounds in an eight week session.

SOURCE: acyion3news

10 Things Your Yoga Instructor Won't Tell You

1. “I just started doing yoga myself!"

Yoga is booming: For proof, you needn’t look any further than your health club, your cable-TV schedule, or even conventional retailers like Target and Walgreens, where yoga mats and DVDs are copious. Some 15.8 million Americans spent a collective $5.7 billion on yoga classes and products in 2008, an 87-percent jump since 2004, according to a survey conducted by trade publication Yoga Journal.

The problem is that there’s no real standard for how much teacher training is required of instructors, so almost anyone can lead a yoga class. Yes, there are plenty of certification programs around, but they run the gamut from thorough training—like that offered at the Advanced Studies Program at the Yoga Room in Berkeley, Calif., which requires 500 hours of classwork covering such subjects as philosophy and anatomy—to mere weekend workshops.

How, then, to avoid un- or underqualified instructors? Check with the Yoga Alliance, a national education and support organization. Although joining the group is voluntary and many perfectly good teachers haven’t signed up for its instructor registry, you can check to see if yours has at least attended a YA-approved program, which must require a minimum of 200 hours of teacher training.

2. “Sure, we have mats you can borrow—how about a case of athlete’s foot, too?”
You’ve probably seen yoga die-hards heading to class, their telltale yoga mat bags slung over one shoulder. Yet many studios lend or rent mats to their students, so is lugging around your own really necessary? Absolutely. “One of the key elements of yoga is cleanliness,” says Ann Merlo, co-owner of the California Yoga Center in Palo Alto, Calif., and Mountain View, Calif. “You want your studio and your mats to be clean; that’s just part of the practice.”

Though some facilities do try to wash or disinfect their mats regularly, most don’t get sprayed on both sides. And think about it. Bikram yoga, a popular version that’s performed in 105-degree classrooms to allow muscles and ligaments, is designed to prompt the body to sweat out toxins. With 30 people sweating for 90 minutes, the room’s a petri dish. Our advice: Spend the $20 on your own mat—or go without.

3. “You’re not read y for this class . . .”

When instructors at the California Yoga Center spot new faces in class, especially at the intermediate and advanced levels, they’re encouraged to make inquiries. “It’s important that we know how much experience they have and whether they have any specific injuries,” Merlo says. “If necessary, we’ll suggest they come back for a beginner class instead.”

Yoga classes tend to be rated by level of expertise—typically beginner, intermediate, and advanced. But if you say you’re ready for an advanced class, chances are no one at the sign-in desk will question you. It’s not a bad idea to call the studio ahead of time and ask them which class is most appropriate. And be honest about your abilities. After all, you won’t learn much if you’re in over your head and become too discouraged to continue.

4. “. . . and you could really hurt yourself.”

Some yoga poses are universally acknowledged to be risky—in particular, inversions such as shoulder stands and headstands. Since they cause blood to rush to the head and can raise blood pressure, these poses are potentially dangerous for anyone being treated for glaucoma or chronic headaches, or anyone who’s recently had a stroke; they’re also not recommended for anyone who’s more than 30 pounds overweight, since they compress the vertebrae in the neck. Good yoga instructors will caution a class before going into inversions and will keep a careful eye out for anyone doing the pose improperly.

5. “I’m just here to get lucky.”

While many gyms, training schools, and yoga teachers’ associations frown on liaisons between instructors and students, with all that bared skin and limber bodies, it’s no surprise that this rule sometimes gets broken. It’s not always a big deal, but on occasion these matside flirtations have been known to erupt into full-blown sexual scandals.

In fact, some studios as rife with drama as a nighttime soap opera. Yoga devotees still talk about Rodney Yee, the celebrity yoga teacher who in 2002 was accused in a lawsuit of having extra-marital affairs. Yee subsequently divorced his wife and married one of his students, Colleen Saidman--a union that received attention in the national press and put the yoga world into a twist.

6. “Your gym is a terrible place to do yoga.”

Not surprisingly, gyms have jumped on the yoga bandwagon. Although most gyms try to hire good teachers, they often don’t provide a yoga-friendly environment to go with them. Whereas many dedicated yoga studios discourage arrivals that are more than a minute or two late, some gyms keep an open-door policy. What’s worse, those who roll in late aren’t warmed up and often miss critical instructions. Try yoga both at your gym and at a studio; in the end, it’s all about what works for you.

7. “You don’t have to let me touch you.”

If you have yet to attend your first yoga class, let us be the first to alert you to what otherwise will be something of a surprise: Not only will the teacher give you verbal instructions, he or she will probably want to adjust you manually. In other words, while your bum is raised in the air during the ubiquitous “downward-facing dog” pose, you may suddenly notice a pair of hands on you that weren’t there before.

What you should feel is a gentle correction or even just a calming touch; the teacher should help you discover what’s right for your individual body. Furthermore, a thoughtful teacher should always tell you that he’s going to touch you—and should never do so inappropriately. Not your cup of tea? If you don’t want to be touched at all, just say so. You’re the boss.

8. “Yoga isn’t a cure-all.”

Several recent mainstream medical studies have shown that yoga can help alleviate everything from chronic back pain to asthma. One study even found that people with coronary heart disease who do yoga have fewer angina episodes. Perhaps that’s why 52 percent of yoga students today say they are motivated to practice yoga to improve their overall health, up from just 5.2 percent of students in 2003, according to theYoga Journal’s survey.

But yoga doesn’t have all-healing powers, as some high-profile yoga proponents have implied. Bikram Choudhury, for instance, displays prominently on his website testimonials from students who claim his brand of yoga has helped alleviate symptoms of everything from rheumatoid arthritis to anorexia and bulimia.

While yogic tradition has long held that certain poses relieve certain ailments—seated forward bend for sinusitis or headstand for insomnia, for example—not all such claims are supported by hard evidence. The primary effect of yoga is to quiet the mind, which has profound healing qualities, says John Kepner, executive director of the International Association of Yoga Therapists in Prescott, Ariz. Consider the case of a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, he explains. “Her body is being ravished by both the cancer and the drugs. Yoga can often help reduce this stress, and hence help her sleep and eat better.”

9. “I teach only one kind of yoga—and it’s not the one for you.”

There are dozens of different types of yoga, among them Integral, which include lots of chanting and prayer but minimal physical activity; fast-paced “flow” classes; Iyengar, which emphasizes the alignment of the body and uses props including straps and wood blocks to help students into positions; and hot and sweaty Bikram yoga, which consists of 26 poses done in a room heated to 105 degrees. Which kind is right for you? It depends on what you’re looking for—relaxation, say, or a rigorous physical workout.

Trying different classes is the best way to determine the type of yoga that best suits your goals and abilities. Even more important than what kind of practice you choose, though, is how much the teacher inspires you. Yoga instructors have dramatically different styles—some are as authoritative as gym coaches, while others are more touchy-feely. One class with a teacher who lights incense and chants about world peace, for example, might turn you off to the practice altogether. The best thing to do is to sample a few classes and find the class that’s right for you by listening to your instincts.

10. “A little class time goes a long way.”

Attending class regularly will keep you motivated and inspired—and regular instruction will help you learn the proper way to hold poses, especially if you are new to yoga. But one of its biggest benefits is its portability: As long as you have a flat surface and enough room to move, you can do yoga almost anywhere.

Indeed, the best instructors will encourage you to establish a home practice—and with fees approaching $20 per class at some studios, you can save a bundle.

source: smartmoney

Yoga for kids: New York's latest trend

My five-year-old son, Ted, is unimpressed at the prospect of a 45-minute Yogi Rascals class. Already a rulebreaker, he does not give two hoots whether yoga will – as its growing number of devotees claim – improve his strength, flexibility, balance, co-ordination, concentration, body confidence or test results. He just thinks it's silly. We therefore do a deal involving chocolate chip cookies.

Thankfully, on the day of the class, Ted is upstaged by fellow rascal Sass, also five. Sass is an old hand at yoga and likes to enthuse, loudly, about dinosaurs. Founder Ladan Sattaripour, originally a Montessori teacher, seems unfazed. She manages to engage Ted and control Sass, along with three older girls, whisking them all off on a story-telling adventure.

From their yoga mats, they visit a zoo and a beach, eat ice cream, bark, hiss, moo and swim with dolphins. The class moves fast and she keeps their attention by asking frequent questions.

"What's inside your sea shell?" Sass: "A T-Rex." "What flavour ice cream are you having?" Sass: "Blood!" "Look at the butterflies – what else can we see flying?"
Sass: "Pterodactyls."

"I don't mind what they say as long as they're not harming themselves or others," says Sattaripour.

Indeed, the children are positively galloping through the exercises – stretching and moving and breathing deeply, holding postures for just a few seconds, with ease. "It's all about story telling and imagination," Sattaripour explains. "That's how you get them to love it. They almost don't realise they're exercising."

Sattaripour trained as a children's yoga teacher in New York. There, she says, the yoga-for-kids trend is "massive" – perhaps because Manhattan is packed with yoga mummies whose pressurised, overscheduled offspring badly need calming down. The trend is now gathering pace in Britain, too.

The characters on BBC children's programme Waybuloo now practise ''yogo'' and yoga teachers are setting up classes in schools across the country. One franchise company, Yoga Bugs, even turned down £200,000 from the entrepreneurs on BBC's Dragon's Den.

Fenella Lindsell is founder and director of Yoga Bugs, which brings yoga into schools, working with children up to the age of 13 – currently about 40,000 of them a week. Lindsell believes that the burgeoning interest is down to teachers and parents looking for ways to help their children handle the constant stimuli of a test and technology-driven culture.

"Today's children are dealing with major issues – obesity is just one of them," she says. "Yoga is truly holistic. Children get physical, emotional and mental benefits from it. Sporty ones can improve their performance. Not-so-sporty children can find a flexibility they didn't know they had. We also teach the techniques to teachers, who use them in short bursts throughout the day in order to calm children down, or energise them."

Yoga teachers are also working with children with special needs. Jo Manuel runs London-based Special Yoga. She sees children with anything from emotional problems to autism, ADHD and cerebral palsy. She prefers not to use imaginative games and focuses solely on the body. Children, she says, find yoga fascinating without all the animal noises.

"Yoga helps them to calm down, feel better and sleep better," she claims. "It has numerous physical benefits, too. It can open respiratory pathways, help structural misalignment, flexibility and motor skills."

Manuel says she has even seen children with cerebral palsy and no movement learn to move their limbs, hold a cup and sit up. "Yoga is not a miracle cure," she says. "It won't transform every child, but almost anyone can see some benefits."

Manuel found out the benefits of yoga first hand when she adopted her daughter at 19 months from an orphanage.

"She was totally withdrawn and closed off," she says. "We just sat together on a yoga mat, working with her body." After a few months, she says, her daughter "had become far more responsive and open".

Ted, sadly, is not yet a convert. His Yogi Rascals class ends with a lie-flat relaxation pose to soft music. "Imagine flying through the sky," coos Sattaripour. "On a pterodactyl?" cries Sass.

Ted squeezes his eyes shut, plainly willing it all to end.

source: telegraph

Yoga 'proven' to improve dowager's hump

Adopting certain yoga techniques can lower the risk of developing dowager's hump, the age-related curve of the upper spine, a new study finds.

Kyphosis (spinal hump) and its resultant bent-over posture often occur in advanced forms of osteoporosis. The condition is more frequently reported among women, particularly older ones.

Increasing the calcium intake and engaging in more weight-bearing exercises are among the most effective ways to prevent osteoporosis in younger women; in elderly, however, simple postural exercises such as shoulder shrug can slow further progression of the Dowager's Hump.

According to the study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, doing yoga for about six months can lower the upper spine curve in elderly with Dowager's Hump by 5 percent.

The exercise was associated with some 6 percent improvement in the spinal curvature among those with more spinal flexibility, indicating that yoga is more effective when the spine is more malleable.

Yoga also alleviated upper back pain, commonly reported in those with Dowager's Hump. The rate of early awakening or insomnia was also lowered in this group.

The exercise was also reported effective in improving the height and reducing the time needed for an elderly person to stand up from a chair.

Scientists concluded that yoga can not only reduce spinal curvature among the elderly, but also improves their quality of life.

source: haber27

Yoga: A Tool Against HIV/AIDS

A "yogathon," held in the shadow of the soon-to-be-razed BART headquarters building near Oakland, CA's Chinatown, raised money to help maintain Asian Health Services' HIV/AIDS program.

Asian Health Services (AHS) has been serving the diverse low-income Asian and Asian American population of Alameda County, California, for 35 years, based out of Oakland's Chinatown.

Its doctors, nurses and other medical specialists and staff dispense care in at least 10 languages (English, Cantonese Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Khmer, Mien, Mongolian, Tagalog, and Lao) plus dialects of some of these languages.

Its work has won national recognition, but that doesn't make it immune from the current economic downturn.

If you buy into the simplistic stereotype that the Asian and Asian American population, whether in Alameda County or all over the United States, is well off and can easily afford private health care, then you know very little about the realities of this population subset.

Yes, there is a portion of the Asian and Asian American community that lives in or on the edge of poverty, and some aren't fluent enough in English or familiar enough with the mainstream system because they are recent immigrants.

One area of AHS's multifaceted medical care that's been particularly hard hit is its prevention and educational outreach program to lower income Asian and Asian Americans who may have HIV and AIDS. This program educates these patients about the disease and gets them tested and treated.

In fact, the modest HIV/AIDS program of Asian Health Services has lost 70 percent of its budget because of sharp cutbacks from Alameda County, which in turn has experienced deep slashes in funding from the State of California. The 70 percent cut translates into a $41,000 reduction in AHS HIV/AIDS program.

That may not sound like a lot of money, but it means a deep reduction in the workload of the one AHS staff member who has been doing a herculean task of reaching out to lower income Alameda County HIV and AIDS patients who are of Asian descent.

"Despite AHS's commitment to this issue, if new funding doesn't come in the next couple of months, we'll have to consider whether we can sustain the position or not," said Linda Okahara, director of community services for AHS.

To begin to close the $41,000 gap, AHS held a yogathon on Saturday, October 3, in Madison Square Park in Chinatown. About 50 people, including me, did as many as 100 poses over a three and one half hour period to help this worthy cause. Ten Asian American yoga instructors donated their time.

The yogathon raised approximately $8,000, and AHS is applying for grants and looking for other funding sources to make sure its HIV/AIDS program continues its essential work.

The yogathon was the brainchild of Patty Hirota-Cohen, who happens to be the sister of Sherry Hirota, the long-time chief executive officer of AHS. Patty teaches yoga at AHS and at Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland.

She said, "My sincere hope is that HIV/AIDS is something we can talk about openly in the API (Asian Pacific Islander) community."

Her statement gives a clue about the challenge AHS faces about HIV/AIDS in the Asian and Asian American communities of Alameda County. This challenge is not unique to these communities, but it is acute in the Asian American population because it's largely a taboo subject.

This is especially so for lower income Asian immigrant men -- approximately two thirds of the HIV/AIDS cases at AHS. Many of them are in denial about the possibility of contracting HIV, which can lead to full-blown AIDS, after they've had unprotected sex with other men, according to AHS's Okahara.

AHS has found that many of its HIV patients contract AIDS in a relatively short time period, an indication of testing late. That suggests these patients either don't know the risks or deny the possibility of getting the disease by waiting too long to get tested.

Dr. Sophy Wong of AHS said:

Since API (Asian Pacific Islander) testing is very low, we don't know the true prevalence of HIV/AIDS in our communities (or abroad, for that matter). The fact that in 2008, 83 percent of the API men having sex with men in Alameda County were late testers means they got diagnosed so late that they progressed to AIDS within one year of diagnosis.

That shows us that there are many API folks who don't know their HIV status until it's really late, much later than after the point we would normally start medications. The AHS program is important to inform the API community that HIV screening is important and accessible, and that treatment and management are available to all who test positive so it's not a death sentence anymore.

This is why AHS wants to at least maintain its HIV/AIDS program. The recent yogathon was one strategy to raise much needed funds to restore the program to its previous standard.

If you want to contribute to help AHS maintain its much needed work to combat HIV/AIDS, contact Asian Health Services.

Yoga and your health: uniting mind, body and spirit

Yoga was first practiced by Hindus in India more than 5,000 years ago.

It is a mind-body exercise that combines spiritual traditions with physical movements. These movements, known as "postures," involve deep stretching and meditation. The word yoga means "union" in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit.

Various yoga styles have evolved over the centuries. These include hatha, mantra, shiva, siddha and bhakti. Each type of yoga stresses a different aspect of the mind/body relationship.

Hatha yoga is the most well known type of yoga in the U.S. Its postures and breathing exercises focus on concentration, endurance, flexibility and stretching.

Yoga moves are meant to be gentle. Most people of any age can do at least a modified form of yoga. There are both sitting and standing postures, and many can be done in a wheelchair.

Before you begin

When the body is controlled through yoga's careful positions and stretching movements, muscles relax and circulation improves. This in turn can release tension and stress.

There has been promising research on the health benefits of regular yoga practice. Some hospitals even offer "yoga therapy" as a complementary treatment.

You'll need to talk to your doctor before trying yoga if you:

* Are pregnant
* Have heart disease, high blood pressure or a risk of blood clots
* Have osteoporosis or an artificial joint

Also, see your doctor if you have been inactive or have any other medical problems. You may need to avoid certain yoga positions depending on your physical or medical condition as well.

Yoga books, videotapes, CDs and Web sites abound, but it is probably best to start by taking a class. Many health clubs and YMCAs employ yoga instructors, as do some hospitals. A skilled instructor will help you use proper form and avoid injury. A teacher can also tailor the yoga positions to your personal needs or limitations.

Health benefits of yoga

In addition to reducing stress, benefits of yoga may include:

* Increased flexibility and balance. Increased range of motion and steadiness means you're less likely to fall or injure yourself in your daily activities.
* Enhanced well-being for people with cancer or another serious illness. Doing yoga may foster a sense of well-being and improve quality of life.
* Weight loss. Yoga is a sound adjunct to any weight-loss program. It has even been shown to promote gradual weight loss when combined with aerobic exercise, and is great for strength and toning.
* Help in dealing with chronic health problems. The breathing and relaxation methods used in yoga might help if stress is making your medical condition worse.

A few more tips

* Don't expect instant results. While you will probably feel relaxed and peaceful after your first session, it can take weeks of yoga practice before you begin to reap any significant health benefits.
* Avoid competition. Some people in your class will be more flexible than you are or able to hold the postures longer. Don't try to out-posture anyone. Yoga is all about the journey, not the destination.
* Don't push too hard. Some days you'll be more flexible than others. Progress in yoga seldom follows a smooth curve.
* Be alert to pain. If you feel pain while doing yoga postures, it's probably a sign that you are doing it improperly. Stop and ask an instructor for advice.
* Practice what you learn. Carve out at least 15 or 20 minutes daily to practice your yoga postures.

While yoga may help ease symptoms of a host of ailments, there is no evidence that it cures any disease. If you are seeking yoga as therapy, it should be to enhance - not replace - any treatments your doctor prescribes.

source: myOptumHealth