Sometimes in life you feel stuck and in a rut. No matter what you do, you just can’t seem to move forward. It feels like your feet are stuck in concrete and every which way you turn doors are closed, friends turn their back and you feel lost and alone.

During these moments, when you are going through a difficult patch what can you do? Who can you turn to help you find the inner strength, courage and determination to rise up and stop yourself sinking further into murky waters?

Maybe you have tried to seek professional support or gone on line and joined a support group. Perhaps your manager has recommended you seek counselling or even suggested you take a few days rest. When life gets to you, what else can you do to see beyond your immediate situation and feel better again? You may be surprised to know that the ancient system of yoga provides you with the solution you are looking for.

Here are three ways yoga can help you feel better and well when you are going through a difficult period.

1. Yoga Exercises. This has a positive effect on your nervous and endocrine systems which influence all the other systems and organs of the body. In addition, regular practice, especially a gentle Yin Yang Yoga sequence, which enhances the flow of energy in the tissues around the joints where energy often stagnates, can leave you feeling energised and soothed at the same time.

2. Yoga Breathing Exercises. From a yogic perspective, your breath is the link between your body and your mind. Have you noticed that when you are stressed, anxious or even tired you tend to hold your breath or take short grasping breaths?

Yoga with its emphasis on slow, steady, deep breathing is a simple yet highly effective way of releasing tension, toxins and pain from your body. For example, sit in a comfortable upright position, close your eyes and breathe out slowly and fully. Observe your breath and then gradually allow your breath to flow in and out through your nose for a count of three in-breaths and three out-breaths. Do this for 5 – 7 rounds then slowly open your eyes. You will be amazed at how calm and clear your mind feels. Try it now and see for yourself.

3. Healthy Eating. Traditionally a yogic diet emphasises the use of a whole grain, vegetarian diet. Where possible, food should be eaten in its natural state, for example lots of fresh salads, nuts, seeds and fruit. Research has shown that the closer food is eaten to its natural, whole grain state then more enzymes are retained and used by the body. This has a naturally revitalising effect on the body. So instead of indulging in sugary, high fat fast foods, doughnuts and candy when you feel low, try to snack on a couple of oat cakes, a handful of blueberries or almond nuts. Your body will feel lighter and appreciate it.

So if you are feeling low or going through an emotionally draining and tiring time, then I am sure you will find something with yoga to help and support you to release sadness and feel uplifted, relaxed and happy.

In fact yoga practices have laid great emphasis on healthy sexual life. A good number of asana and exercises are specifically meant to enhance your sexual energy.

Yoga’s sexual philosophy says that for getting sexual pleasure your mind and body should remain in a rejuvenated state and this rejuvenation could be only brought about by various yoga practices. These practices include all forms of yoga- be it asana, pranyama or dhyana.

Various sexual dysfunctions could be effectively cured by yoga. It even offers cure for male impotency. Because of yoga’s efficacy in improving your sexual life, it is being practiced by a good number of folks with the sole purpose of enhancing sexual drive. But Yoga never advocates excess of sex. It sticks to the conventional concept of sex that the act of sex is primarily meant for procreation.

Among various types of Yoga, Tantra is said to be very much linked with sex. Tantra Yoga was a preferred practice in ancient India to better you sexually. Ancient Indian guide of sex Kamasutra have advocated usefulness of Tantra Yoga for enhanced level of sexual pleasure. This practice of Tantra Yoga has recently gone through a renaissance as more and more folks prefer it over Viagra and other medications to gain desired level of erection.

Asanas of Tantra Yoga bring in required physiological changes to propel more secretion of sexual hormones. These hormones in turn help gain desired sexual potency. In addition to that Tantra Yoga also contributes to increased flexibility and freshness. These factors combine together to serve a unified purpose that is your better sexual life. Kamsutra offers around sixty yoga positions for ideal sex. These sexual positions have been proved effective in solving marital discord arising out of sexual dissatisfaction. Thus Yoga could be a very effective way of improving your conjugal relationship.

Yoga, with its emphasis on eating a healthy balanced diet, offers you a variety of ways to help break unhealthy eating habits. If you regularly eat refined and processed foods, drink lots of caffeine or alcohol, red meat and fatty foods; you increase your risks of gaining weight, increasing your stress levels and depleting your body’s natural reserves as you put unnecessary strain on your cardio vascular system.

If you want to have vibrant health, be full of life and vitality then the foods you eat play a key role in helping you achieve this. Change your unhealthy eating habits and you are well on the way to living a more fulfilling and energised life.

Five Easy Ways Yoga Breaks Unhealthy Eating Habits

1. Yoga philosophy offers you a solid framework in which to choose foods to eat. From a yogic perspective, the purpose of foods is to assist your body to cleanse, revitalise, repair and build up your immune system. A yogic diet consists of foods which are eaten in as close to their natural state as possible, e.g raw or lightly steamed, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables. Food contains energy; therefore to gain the maximum energy you need for your body to function you need to eat foods which are nutritionally rich and bursting with energy.

2. Eat with love. Yoga encourages you to get in touch with your inner being. The more in tune you are with what is going on in your inner world, the easier it becomes for you to choose foods which reflect your natural state of being. Have you noticed that when you are angry, upset or frustrated you grab and eat foods which you usually do not eat, or you may feel so mad you haven’t the energy to stomach anything else? Whereas when life flows and you feel good, you feel more inclined to choose foods which make you feel good inside?

3. As you start to become more aware of the spiritual side of life, you develop a sense of awe and appreciation for all life. This extends to the foods you eat. The yogic philosophy of ahimsa (non-violence) recognises the sacred in all forms, including animals. Generally, yogis favour a non-meat, vegetarian diet as this causes the less harm to another being. You will notice that a vegetarian diet consists of lots of pulses, nuts and seeds; foods that are wholesome, natural and full of vitality.

4. Life is full of colour. Look around and notice the variety of colours found in fruit and vegetables. Each colour relates to the energy centres (chakras); choosing a combination of colours in your regular diet helps you have a well balanced diet that enriches your life.

5. Be present. Yoga encourages you to live in the present moment, to be fully aware of how your body feels as you breathe through your practice. When you apply “presence” to your diet, you eat with a conscious awareness and fully appreciate your meal. Instead of mindless chewing and eating in front of the television, eating with presence leaves you feeling spiritually and mentally calmer and fed.

To get results, we need to commit to a regular schedule, ideally we should be doing something every day if possible. But whatever our personal circumstances, I don’t think there’s a single one of us that doesn’t find that difficult with so many demands on our time.
Of all the choices of exercise available, yoga is perhaps the most versatile, allowing us to exercise almost anywhere, without the need for any special equipment – we don’t really even need a mat.

This means that we can exercise anytime morning to night, wherever we feel comfortable, at home, at work or in our hotel room when we travel.

For most of us, the limitation of yoga, is also one of its most important aspects. To practice properly, we have to know the postures, and the correct sequence to do them. But now we can all get our own private professional yoga instruction.

Ancient practices, modern technology

The latest technology now allows us to follow video based yoga instruction, without having to buy the videos or DVDs. Instead we can access a full library of videos online at the click of a mouse. Our high-speed computers can stream the videos over the internet to our homes or wherever else we want to practice.

Convenience and quality – all the better for us

Having access to a range of different yoga routines and instructors gives us the benefits of going to class, without the hassle or its limitations. Online yoga classes give us:

Yoga instruction on demand so we can practice yoga according to our own schedules. Fit a session in before work, at lunch or in the evening – there’s no need to check your yoga center’s class schedules.
Yoga wherever you are No need to fight traffic, pay for parking or even make a special trip to our yoga center. We can just practice at the click of our mouse, wherever we feel comfortable. Even our hotel room when you travel.
Clear visual and audio instruction – Using the same technology as the Hollywood movie studios, we can get full screen, High Definition (HD) quality streaming video online. We don’t need to wait and we don’t even need to waste electricity downloading the videos overnight. It’s as convenient as putting on a DVD.
More health improving yoga poses – Having access to a library of online videos means we get a wide range of routines and a greater range of yoga poses and their unique benefits to your body and mind – just like you’d get in class.
The highest quality yoga instruction – All yoga instructors have unique styles and quality standards. Don’t let your development be limited by the instructors in your area, get access to yoga instruction like you’ve never experienced before.

The basics of yoga were defined by a yogi called Patanjali who lived about 300BC. He was a very well respected teacher and commanded great influence at that time and his classification is one that is used now. He established the fact of yoga being separated into eight different parts. The first two concern a person’s lifestyle, which should be serene with the days spent in contemplation, study, maintaining cleanliness and living very simply and at peace with others. Anything that involves avarice or greed or is harmful to others has to be avoided. The third and fourth parts are concerned with physical matters and list a number of exercises that are designed to promote peace and infuse energy into both the mind and the body. The remaining four sections are concerned with the advancement of a person’s soul or spirit and mental faculties by being able to isolate himself or herself from outside worries and normal life, contemplation and broadening mental faculties with the ultimate knowledge known as somadhi. Mentally, this is a complete change that gives final realisation of existence. Much more recently, yoga became available in India to everyone, in complete contrast to centuries ago.

Nowadays, the practice of yoga is not restricted to India alone, with millions of people worldwide being followers. There are five different types of yoga: raja, jnana, karma, bakti and hatha. It is this last system that is known in the west and it involves the use of exercises and positions. The other methods concentrate on matters, such as control over the mind, appreciation and intelligence or a morally correct way of life. These other methods are regarded as being of equal importance by the person completely committed to yoga as a way of life. Many people have little or no spiritual feeling. However, the basic belief in yoga is the importance of mental attitudes in establishing the physical from exercise.

In yoga it is believed that the body’s essence of life (prana), is contained in the breath. Through a change in the way of breathing there can be a beneficial effect on the general health. If a person is in a heightened, emotional condition, or similar state, this will have an effect on the breathing. Therefore, if the breathing is controlled or altered, this should promote joint feelings of peace or calm, both mentally and emotionally. There is a variety of exercises and each promotes different types of breathing, such as the rib cage, shoulder and diaphragm. Some of the movements and stances in use were originally devised from the observations of animals, since they appeared to be adept at relaxation and moved with minimum effort. These stances which are maintained for one two minutes, aim to increase freedom of movement and make the person aware of the various parts of the body and any stress that may be present. It is not intended that they be physically tiring or that the person should ‘show off’ in front of others. The aim is to concentrate on self knowledge.

It is recommended to follow some simple rules when practising yoga. First use a fully qualified therapist and practise daily if at all possible. It is always best that yoga is undertaken before mealtimes but if this is not possible then three hours must elapse after a large meal or one hour after a light meal. Comfortable clothes are essential and a folded blanket or thick rug should be placed on the ground as the base. Before commencing yoga have a bath or shower and repeat this afterwards to gain the maximum benefit. If the bladder or bowels are full it is not advisable to do yoga. Should the person have been outside on a hot or sunny day it is not recommended that yoga is practised straight afterwards, as feelings of sickness or dizziness may occur.

Yoga is believed to be of benefit to anyone, providing that they possess determination and patience. If a person has certain physical limitations then these must be taken into account with regard to their expectation but there is no age barrier. If you suffer from stress or disorder in your lives, teachers believe that you are in greater need of harmony and peace. Yoga was used in the main to encourage health in the physical and mental states and thereby act as a preventative therapy. Tension or stress was one of the main disorders for which it was used but nowadays it has been used for differing disorders hypertension, bronchitis, back pain, headaches, asthma, heart disorders, premenstrual tension and an acid stomach. Trials have also been conducted to assess its potential in treating some illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and depression experienced after childbirth. Since the effects of tension are often shown by the tightening and contraction of muscles, the stretching exercises that are performed in yoga are able to release it. Also, being aware of each muscle as it is stretched encourages the person to mentally lose any stress or problems with which they have been beset. Suppleness is developed by the exercises through the use of the bending and twisting actions. This will help to maintain healthy joints, particularly for those people who lead inactive lives.

There should be no strain felt and after practise some or all of them can be done in order. As mentioned previously, it is best to check with a qualified therapist if the person is an expectant mother, suffers from hypertension, is overweight or is having their monthly period.

I have already mentioned that yoga has been used to treat some illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis and if a person has such a severe disorder, then a highly skilled and experienced therapist is essential. Since this form of yoga, known as therapeutic yoga, is new there is a limited number of suitably experienced therapists available. For those who wish to use yoga to maintain mental and physical health, joining a class with an instructor is perhaps the best way to proceed, so the exercises are performed correctly and any lapses in concentration can be corrected. These classes last usually in the region of an hour and are separated into sessions for beginners and those who are more proficient. Proficiency and progress are achieved by frequent practice, which can be done at home between lessons.

You will find dedicated Pilates studios available throughout several major cities and suburbs. One of the benefits of practicing in a studio is that you do not have to be worried about equipment costs. The studio provides you with any needed blankets or mats, or other common props.

Often times, the local gym in your area offers exercise classes, and Pilates generally is one of them. You can examine to see if you will find any beginner’s classes available, but additionally make sure the instructor is well-qualified. In case you aren’t comfortable practicing Pilates inside a studio or gym, you can always buy a few videos and learn the exercises in your house.

Always eat healthy meals, and clear your mind before beginning your exercise routine; these two things can greatly affect your ability to focus and your level of comfort. Also, it is crucial to warm-up before beginning. The best and many recommended Pilates workouts are the pelvic curl or clock, angel arms, and imprinting.

It is crucial that you learn how to properly apply such Pilates principles as breathing and concentration, and also, control flow, centering, and precision. If you are able to understand these basic principles quickly, how well you’re progressing with Pilates will be much faster.

Pilates works well for losing excess stomach fat, because it has a group of abdominal training exercises just for that purpose. One of the most popular Pilates abdominal exercises is “Rolling like a ball.” It’s both fun and effective. Other exercises range from the “Crisscross” and “The Hundred,” and these as well are simply as good at producing desirable results. Think about consider is the fact that all these exercise techniques requires proper breathing and a certain amount of physical movement to actually work for you.

Pilates may very well be the workout program for you personally, particularly if you are trying to find something that is straightforward to do and simple on the budget.

Benefits of a Pilates Class

1. Improved Flexibility: Pilates involves a lot of stretching, and so, explore have only more flexibility, however your body becomes toned.

2. Better Posture: Pilates helps to bring balance to the body. Your body will end up better aligned through core muscle exercises in areas like the abdomen, pelvis, and buttocks.

3. Stress Management: Pilates breathing exercises can help to relive stress. You will discover yourself more enjoyable and focused on a day-to-day basis.

4. Core Development: Pilates classes have a concentrate on strengthening the body’s core. This ultimately leads to a stronger body.

5. Enhanced Motion: Pilates helps your body movements being smoother as you move from one position to another, thus making your various muscle groups work together.

Preparation

You always need to get ready for your Pilates class. You have to eat well before training, wear the correct clothing, and judge a professional instructor that has an authentic interest in teaching you Pilates.

You should consume a protein rich meal before going to class, also it should include high quality fats and carbohydrates too. Be sure that you do not eat immediately before class, though.

Don’t be shy to inquire about the instructor regarding their credentials and experience. A warm welcome generally means that the instructor won’t mind assisting you throughout your training.

Your instructor needs to see how the body is aligned during your training, so wear loosely fitting, but not baggy, clothing.

Keep the suggestions above in your mind when you’re starting Pilates, and set these pointers into action. It will surely aid you in getting the best out of your Pilates class.

Many feel that practicing Pilates is a fantastic way to prepare for childbirth. Most women, however, can find it tough to stick to an exercise program during pregnancy. Pilates is a rather simple solution, though, because it’s not strenuous nor will it need a great deal of time.

Advantages of Pilates While pregnant

1. Helps make the stomach muscles stronger, which increases spinal support. It also helps increase support for the growing uterus.

2. It becomes easier to keep good posture, and so, pressure on the spine is reduced.

3. Can help within the prevention of leg cramping and spider veins.

4. Improves pelvic floor control. This is a necessity for offer the additional weight gained during pregnancy.

5. Improved understanding of the pelvic muscles, which helps the mother to higher relax during labor.

6. Pilates increases the muscular stamina needed for a lady to keep a situation for extended amounts of time.

A pregnant woman can build stamina and strengthen her core muscles by taking part in healthy exercise. Pilates might seem like a lot of work, but it is less hard because it seems to be. There are many reasons that Pilates is really a great exercise for women that are pregnant, and any woman who looks toward a proper delivery should think about it.

The Pilates ball helps the practicing individual to complete several exercises required for increasing strength and obtaining balance. Thus, it is an essential element of Pilates, and through it you can get the most from your workouts.

Several exercises which use the Pilates ball are:

o Full Roll-up:

While lying on your back, enhance the ball above your face, inhaling as you lift it. As you exhale, curl your face and shoulders off the mat. At the same time, roll your spine over your knees together with your arms in front of you. For the best results, you should repeat 5-7 times.

o The Hundred:

Place the ball under your ankles while lying on your back, but keep your legs straight. Inhale while you do that, then curl your face and shoulders from the mat while you exhale. It will likely be helpful if you can and also hardwearing . lower back firmly on the ground while your shoulders are down. Also, watch the position of your abdominals, they must be well placed, too.

o Rolling Like a Ball:

While balancing inside a C-curve position, take your feet from the mat. Inhale, and roll back in the same position while pulling your navel in. You need to continue doing this 5-7 times as well.

Where you can Buy the Ball

When it comes to purchasing a Pilates ball, you have many options. Fitness stores usually carry them, and you can always ask an exercise instructor and you’ll discover the very best ball for the workouts. It can be a bit of a challenge to find a good Pilates ball, but your choices definitely not limited. If you reside in a tiny town, you can always drive to 1 of the bigger cities and go to a fitness store there. And, of course, there’s always the choice to buy the Pilates ball online.

The main focus of Pilates is strengthening the stomach muscles, it offers the benefit of working multiple muscle groups. One is prone to feel rejuvenated, instead of exhausted following a Pilates workout because it works through smooth, continuous motion.

Pilates works the stomach, butt, and back muscles, through which the core of the body is strengthened. Caused by a better core is better posture in addition to stability while sitting, standing and walking.

Pilates increases body awareness, therefore it helps you to have greater stability and causes you to definitely be more alert of your body movements. Self-awareness not only can help you pay attention to how you stand or walk, but also how you sit and any other movements that may be affecting your body.

You’ll want a focused mind to achieve success with Pilates, and thus, it improves your mind-body connection. Probably the most crucial facets of Pilates is you focus on your breathing. It is because is that some exercises require you to exhale and others concentrate on inhaling. A high-level of mental focus is required by Pilates so that you can practice proper breathing, which is something not required by many people other exercise programs.

Pilates provides the advantage of an improved posture during the day. Your posture automatically improves while you tone and strengthen your core muscles which leads to less spinal pain.

Considering the many benefits of Pilates, it’s not hard to see how such routine could be life changing. Having more strength and increased flexibility can help you perform better in most regions of your lifetime. As well as, you’ll experience increased levels of energy as well.