Monthly Archives: September 2009

Learning about Yoga Ashtanga Vinyasa

September 28, 2009

Once you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, you’ll want to know what it takes in order to perfect your gaze while meditating, as well as how to position your body for certain postures or poses that could improve your health. Ashtanga Vinyasa is one of the most beneficial forms you can learn, since it is a balanced combination of meditation and physical movement. Here are some basic facts you’ll want to know before you get started.

First, it is important to know that ashtanga vinyasa is a form of Raja yoga, which means meditation is involved. Within this practice, you will also learn about the different poses and postures that will help you achieve your mental and physical health goals. For instance, the bandhas, which are the three main body locks in the body, are the basis for all poses and postures. The mula bandha, which is also known as the root lock, involves contracting the muscles in the pelvic area. The udiyana bandha requires you to contract the muscles at the base of the spine–this one of the most important postures, since it helps  to control breathing and is meant to assist students in achieving balance during poses. The jalandhara bandha, is the throat lock, which is achieved by lowering the chin and raising the sternum during poses.

Ashtanga vinyasa is also the practice of engaging in focused gazes that will enhance your concentration while meditating. There are many different forms of this as well, and the techniques are separated into what direction the eyes are focused in. These gazes are called Dristhis, and they include ‘parsva’, which are gazes to the left and right sides of the body, ‘angusta mya dai’, which is a fixed gaze to the thumb, and ‘hastagrai’, a gaze into the palm or outstretched hand. These meditation gazes are meant to encourage focus, and to instill discipline in the thought process.

You will also learn flexibility while you’re participating in ashtanga vinyasa, since the body locks that you will learn will help you to have more control over your body and its movements during the meditation process. If you want more information on how you can practice ashtanga vinyasa even in your own home, you can visit online bookstores such as Barnes and Noble or Amazon in or der to purchase videos and DVDs that will allow you to learn the different poses and gazes at your own pace. If you want to get more online examples, or want to read up on ashtanga vinyasa so that you will feel more comfortable in your community classes, sites like www.ashtanga.com or www.theyogacenter.org will be very helpful in helping you to achieve your personal best when it comes to yoga. Good luck!

Click Here if you want to Gain Muscle Mass in shortest time possible!

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
By admin | Posted in Yoga | Tagged , | Comments off

What Is Yoga Meditation?

September 10, 2009
A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva me...
Image via Wikipedia

If you’re interested in learning more about yoga, you’ll definitely want to get more information on yoga meditation.  And, meditation can be done anywhere you feel comfortable; these tips will help you to make the most of your meditation time.

First of all, you should choose a place for meditation that makes you feel relaxed and at ease. This will help you to concentrate on your breathing patterns and give you perspective when you’re trying to reduce stress. A quiet room in your home, a garden, a park, or even your backyard are great places to meditate, and you can use some of the natural elements in nature to make you feel more focused, and put you in a better mood. For instance, if you enjoy being close to the water, a pond or river in your area may be the best place for yoga meditation, since you can listen to the rhythm of the water while you concentrate on letting all your fears and frustrations go.

You should also make sure that you are in a comfortable position during meditation. If you are currently taking yoga classes, you may feel that you have to adopt poses or stances during your meditation time that may not be ideal for you physically. Remember to move at your own pace, and make sure that you don’t have to worry about your posture or limbs while meditating. If your joints are stiff or if your muscles begin to hurt because of the pose you’re in, you will lose your focus when meditating, and may end your session more stressed than when you began.

During yoga meditation, make sure that you are deliberate in your thoughts, and that you are intent on relieving stress. If you are tense about an assignment at work, or want to know how to balance family obligations, think about these things in a peaceful way during your sessions, and envision yourself in a better situation. This will help you to behave calmly in ‘real life.’

When it comes to yoga meditation, you should also set the mood in the space you have chosen. Candles, essential oils, and aromatherapy are great additions to your meditation session, and certain oils and fragrances can actually calm your senses and make you more open to releasing toxins and stress from the body. Or, you may want to choose oils that have invigorating scents if you are meditating in the morning and want to get a better start on your day. So, for yoga meditation, choose scents like lavender or vanilla, for a more tranquil and peaceful feel. If you are trying to clear your head after a workout and want to maintain a high energy level for the rest of your day, you may want to choose scents like bergamot or grapefruit so that you can be energized yet peaceful.

Click Here if you want to Gain Muscle Mass in shortest time possible!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
By admin | Posted in Yoga | Tagged , , , , | Comments off

How To Find the Body Building Supplement That is Right for You

September 10, 2009
RelianceMart5
Image via Wikipedia

Exercise and good health should go hand in hand, and if you’re looking for a way to increase your muscle mass while still maintaining your health, you may want to try a body building supplement so that you can see results quicker. This article will give you some pointers on how to find the right body building supplements, as well as other lifestyle changes you can make to improve your health and see a change in your body.

Before you start taking a body building supplement, you should make sure that you don’t have any food allergies that would make you sick or give you discomfort. Many of the supplements now contain soy or wheat products, and these are substances that many people can not ingest, so be sure to check the ingredients thoroughly (you may even have to call the company yourself) before taking supplements so that you can achieve the best results.

Next, you’ll want to look at what each body building supplement provides. Will you be getting some of the other vitamins and nutrients that you need in order to give your body more energy and increase your muscle mass naturally? Can you take your new body building supplements in the place of a daily multi-vitamin? Ingredients like creatine will help you to gain muscle mass faster and will add proportion to your body, while whey protein, which is also found in most supplements, will help to ‘feed’ your muscles. These factors will help you to determine which type of supplement to get, or whether or not you need to switch supplements after a while when you are not getting what you need.

Knowing where to search for body building supplements and weight lifting supplements will also help you to make the right choice. You can go to your local grocery store to find mild body building formulas in the vitamin section, but you will probably have more luck looking in places like The Vitamin Shoppe or GNC (General Nutrition Centers). If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the store, you can even order your supplements online. Be sure to visit sites like www.gnc.com or www.illpumpyouup.com to find out more about the body building supplement you’re considering–the product descriptions and ingredient list will give you a clear idea of the supplement you will be purchasing before you buy.

Wanna Gain Muscle Mass fast? Then Click Here!

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
By admin | Posted in Supplements & Diet | Tagged , , , , , | Comments off

Finding the Exercise Equipment That is Right For You

September 10, 2009
The leg extension is an isolation exercise.
Image via Wikipedia

If you enjoy working out in the comfort of your own home, then you’ll definitely want to know how to find the exercise equipment that is just right for the workout routine you’re looking to follow. Below, you’ll find a few tips that will help you find equipment that is affordable and helpful when it comes to achieving your fitness goals.

Bowflex exercise is a very popular trend in fitness right now, and if you’ve seen the television commercials, you know that this exercise equipment and total body workout system has been helping people to stay fit and lose weight for years. And, due to certain promotional offers these days, Bowflex exercise is more affordable than before–right now, you can own Bowflex equipment for as low as $14 a month. This exercise equipment includes a complete gym that you can fit in just about any room in your home, and you can utilize the back exercise, abdominal exercise, and weight training features of the equipment.

In addition to famous brands like Bowflex, you can also purchase exercise equipment from your local exercise equipment store. You can get a great workout by using some of the things that you’ll find in these stores, such as free weights, exercise balls, and weight training materials. Brands like Harbinger, Everlast, and Hex will have just what you need for a workout, no matter what stage of exercising you happen to be in . If you want a less intense workout, and are using your workout to relax and relieve stress, you may even want to purchase pilates equipment, or a yoga mat. However, when you get all the exercise equipment that you want, it’s still important that you know exactly how to use what you’ve purchased.

Before you start your back exercise of abdominal exercise, you should make sure that you stretch for at least 10 minutes before beginning intense exercise. You should also use weights that are fairly light, but heavy enough for you to feel some resistance. Be sure to stay hydrated as well; not enough water or liquids while you’re exercising can make your muscles cramp quicker and cause dehydration.  If you’re unsure about how to use your exercise equipment, you can purchase an exercise video or two to help your workout go smoother, or you can hire a personal trainer to help you use your home exercise equipment more effectively.

Wanna Gain Muscle Mass fast? Then Click Here!

Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
By admin | Posted in Exercise Equipment | Tagged , , , , | Comments off

5 Tips For Gaining Muscle

September 10, 2009
Schwarzenegger autograph
Image by d_vdm via Flickr

Deciding to gain muscle is one thing, but actually doing it is another. It isn’t something that you can do through little to know effort, and in fact is quite the opposite. The people who see who have large muscular bodies are people who have dedicated a good portion of their lives to getting their bodies in the kind of shape they want it to be in. In order to gain muscle, these are the things that you need to do.

1. Exercise with weights

This may seem obvious to a lot of people out there but it isn’t obvious to everybody. Many people who want to gain muscle mistake exercising in general with exercising with weights. It’s the weight training that’s important. Other types of exercise will help you lose weight, which is exactly the opposite of what you are trying to do, or help you build endurance. Both of those things are great for those that want it, but neither is your goal.

Weight training will help you because by forcing the muscles on your body to strain against challenging lifts, they will be forced to regenerate and grow. What happens, in actuality, is that the muscles you have tear while trying to lift the heavier weights, and then as they repair they form bigger muscles. Needless to say, this is essential and you should form a vigorous and well planned weight training program for yourself.

2. Eat a lot more food

Because you are essentially gaining weight—albeit in the form of muscle—you need to give your body more food than it is used to. Otherwise you won’t have anything to build that extra body mass out of. Of course, you can’t just go about eating anything you want. You will need to take the time to analyze your eating habits and research better or more appropriate ones for the task.

3. Eat more often

Eating more won’t help if you eat all at once. If all you do is consume one huge meal, your body will just work like crazy to metabolize everything you take in by the time the day is out. That’s exactly what you don’t want to be happening. By eating more often, you are forcing your body to find ways of storing up all the extra nutrients it’s getting.

4. Drink a lot of water

The whole idea of drinking gallons of water every day in order to stay healthy is likely over blown. In this case though, drinking a lot of water really is necessary. Because you are trying to grow healthy muscles and because you will be exercising very hard, you need to work to ensure your body stays hydrated. If you wait until you’re thirsty, you’ve waited too long.

5. Take in more protein

Protein is one of the key ingredients you need in order to gain muscle. In order to achieve any significant muscle growth you are going to need a lot of it. Make sure the foods you choose for your meals contain as much protein as possible, and you should also seriously consider taking protein supplements as well.

Click Here if you wanna Gain Muscle Mass fast!

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
By admin | Posted in Bodybuilding & Weight Training | Tagged , , , , | Comments off