Bloggers Join in Welcoming U.S. Cultural Affairs Officers

Ever since Pres. Barack Obama was ushered into the highest position of the land in the United States on the back of a campaign built with the help of the internet and new media, the landscape of government has never been the same. The ease of Pres. Obama with tech, new media (bloggers), the web, [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

New Online Yoga Studio Class with Cameron Gilley

My Yoga Online is continuing its' live studio yoga sessions with the latest yoga class by Cameron Gilley: Yoga for Heart Opening and Rejuvenation.  Join Cameron in this moderate level hatha yoga class that will leave you feeling expansive, deeply rejuvenated, and in touch with your body and mind. Cam discusses Ujaiyi breath, flows through a balanced sequence of yoga postures ending in the most important posture of all: savasana. Filmed at Semperviva Yoga Studios' Kits Beach location in Vancouver, BC.

About Cameron Gilley:

Cameron whole-heartedly believes in the transformative power of Yoga. Having received certification to teach Hatha Yoga in 2002, he has been passionately sharing in his search with students ever since. Drawing from his experience in Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Power Yoga, Meditation and Martial Arts, in each class Cam devotes his energy to creating a space for students to access their own innate presence through posture, flow, breath and awareness.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

New Vinyasa Online Yoga Video with Mara

My Yoga Online has released a new online yoga video series in high definition.  With this new yoga video series, we are also excited to introduce new yoga teachers to the program including Mara Branscombe.  Mara delivers a beautiful and challenging practice in this latest video: Dynamic Vinyasa for Strength and Balance

This dynamic class is designed to tune into your inner fire, strength, balance, and flexibility. Get ready to sweat, open your hips and heart, find your core strength, and move with grace and vitality. Move with Radiance in this dynamic vinyasa flow practice.

Click to watch Dynamic Vinyasa for Strength and Balance

About Mara Branscombe:

Mara’s personal yoga practice began in India over a decade ago.  Since then, Yoga has been the most poignant, transformative, and informative force in her life. Her teaching practice draws from several traditions: Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, Iyengar, and Anusara Yoga. Mara’s background as a dancer contributes to the design of her class through dynamic flow, grace, strength, and vitality.  Learn more about Mara Branscombe.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

My Yoga Online 4 Week Giveaway

We are half way through our 4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway with Passport To Prana.  From August 15 to September 11, we are inviting you to participate.  Each week, participants will have the chance to win a Passport To Prana card.  And a final grand prize of a 1 Year Membership to MyYogaOnline.com will also be given away to one lucky participant.

Passport To Prana is the original multi-studio yoga pass giving you the opportunity to enjoy yoga classes at a variety of studios in major cities across the USA and Canada.  A great way to try different yoga studios and different styles of yoga at an affordable price.

4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway Details:

*Each week, we will be posting a funny yoga question or challenge on MyYogaOnline’s community yoga blog.

*Share your answer to this yoga challenge on your Facebook page with a link to MyYogaOnline’s Facebook page (we welcome you to become a Facebook fan if not already!).

*MyYogaOnline will be giving away 1 Passport To Prana card each week for 4 weeks, so check our blog and Facebook page each week for the new yoga question and for more chances to win.

 

Week 3 Giveaway Challenge:

Spread your appreciation for MyYogaOnline to your friends!

On your Facebook page, complete your Facebook entry as follows:

I am a Fan of @My Yoga Online and joined their Yoga Giveaway.  You can join as well to win a free @Passport to Prana yoga class pass and a membership to MyYogaOnline.com:  http://www.myyogaonline.com/community/blog/my-yoga-online-4-week-giveaway

*note: manually enter @My Yoga Online to create a Facebook link to our Fanpage

Additonal Giveway Details:

*giveaway begins August 15, 2010 and ends Saturday, September 11, 2010.  Four (4) Passport To Prana cards and one (1) one Year MyYogaOnline membership will be awarded.  Winners will be selected via randomn draw from valid entries (valid entries must have an active Facebook post with an active link to MyYogaOnline’s Facebook Fanpage as listed on any of the 4 MyYogaOnline giveaway community blog posts). 

Participants can enter as many times as desired with each of the 4 yoga challenge questions.  To create an active link and a valid entry post from your Facebook page to MyYogaOnline’s Fan page, type in directly @My Yoga Online with your entry (do not copy and paste).  Check MyYogaOnline’s Facebook Fanpage after submitting to see if your entry was posted well on the Fan page.

Winners will be announced at the end of each week (August 22, 2010, August 29, 2010, September 5, 2010, and September 12, 2010).  Prizes are not redeemable for cash value.  MyYogaOnline reserves the right to remove entry posts that are deemed inappropriate or offensive.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Facebook Yoga Giveaway-Week 2

My Yoga Online would like to thank everyone who has participated so far in our 4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway with Passport To Prana.  Congratulations to Carolyn Wilman who won the first week yoga pass giveaway.  From August 15 to September 11, we are inviting you to share your insights into yoga and wellness along with some funny challenges.  Each week, participants will have the chance to win a Passport To Prana card.

Passport To Prana is the original multi-studio yoga pass giving you the opportunity to enjoy yoga classes at a variety of studios in major cities across the USA and Canada.  A great way to try different yoga studios and different styles of yoga at an affordable price.

 

4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway Details:

*Each week, we will be posting a funny yoga question or challenge on MyYogaOnline’s community yoga blog.

*Share your answer to this yoga challenge on your Facebook page with a link to MyYogaOnline’s Facebook page (we welcome you to become a Facebook fan if not already!).

*MyYogaOnline will be giving away 1 Passport To Prana card each week for 4 weeks, so check our blog and Facebook page each week for the new yoga question and for more chances to win.

 

Week 2 Giveaway Challenge:

Name Your Favorite Standing Yoga Pose

On your Facebook page, name one of your favorite Standing Yoga Poses and also feel welcome to post a picture of you doing this yoga pose (optional).

Complete your Facebook entry as follows:

*Post your favorite standing yoga pose answer as directed above followed by the following text (manually type @My Yoga Online to create an active link to our Fan page):

“I joined the @My Yoga Online Giveaway.  You can join as well to win a free @Passport to Prana yoga class pass: http://www.myyogaonline.com/community/blog/4-week-facebook-yoga-giveaway  “

 

Additonal Giveway Details:

*giveaway begins August 15, 2010 and ends Saturday, September 11, 2010.  Four (4) Passport To Prana cards will be awarded.  Winners will be selected via randomn draw from valid entries (valid entries must have an active Facebook post with an active link to MyYogaOnline’s Facebook Fanpage as listed on any of the 4 MyYogaOnline giveaway community blog posts). 

Participants can enter as many times as desired with each of the 4 yoga challenge questions.  To create an active link and a valid entry post from your Facebook page to MyYogaOnline’s Fan page, type in directly @My Yoga Online with your entry (do not copy and paste).  Check MyYogaOnline’s Facebook Fanpage after submitting to see if your entry was posted well on the Fan page.

Winners will be announced at the end of each week (August 22, 2010, August 29, 2010, September 5, 2010, and September 12, 2010).  Prizes are not redeemable for cash value.  MyYogaOnline reserves the right to remove entry posts that are deemed inappropriate or offensive.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

It is intimacy we want not enlightenment… (take 2)

It is intimacy we need not enlightenment. The embrace of all ordinary life is the means by which we realize the source of all life. Paradoxically we could now call this “enlightenment.” But it does not arise as a result of the attempt to overcome desires or step back from experience as “witness consciousness” or [...] yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Interview with singer Kellee Maize

My Yoga Online recently enjoyed the opportunity to connect with singer Kellee Maize.  Kellee is a former gymnast who now pursues a singing and song writing career.  She brings focus and grounding energy to her career with her passion for yoga.  She follows an engaging path with a philosophy of 'I consider myself a spiritual person and now see activism on an energetic level that starts within so I work on my SELF daily'.  We are excited to hear that her album is currently #1 on Amazon In the Dance category (even ahead of Lady Gaga).

Our Interview with Kellee Maize:

*When did you start Yoga and what/who was your inspiration to begin practicing?
I started over the last few years.  I was inspired from my first practice when the teacher could not believe how inflexible I was given that I used to do gymnastics.  Her sign said, Yoga is my health insurance.  I didn't have health insurance during that time and realized that this could really help.  I don't get to practice as much as I would like with my schedule, but, it is so helpful in keeping me centered.

*What types of Yoga and meditation do you lean towards and why?
I really prefer Yoga as meditation.  I don't really like doing any faster paced or aerobic yoga.  I also practice transcendental meditation.

*As a young musical performer, how does doing Yoga translate to your career and the industry in which you work?
Well, I am often sitting at a computer, writing or working online so it is good to get up and do some poses.  I also feel sometimes I have blockages that need attention.  I recently started working with a friend, Iris Baron, who focuses on energetic chakra work while doing the practice which I think is amazing.  As a performer, it is so important to stretch.  I learn this the hard way and have to always remind myself of why its so important to be
disciplined about practicing!

*More and more people from all demographics are now engaging in the practice of Yoga, but there are still some lingering stereotypes of who does and should do Yoga.  Can you offer any advice or inspirations for young people who may have not tried or are curious about Yoga, but still have some hesitation in starting?
I honestly see it as part of a healthy lifestyle for people of all ages.  I think there are so many different forms that there is certainly one that will resonate with you.  I have also done yoga with many different "types" of people and can't really say that there are many stereotypes among them.  Again, I see it as health insurance!  And everyone needs that!

To learn more about Kellee Maize, please visit her site www.kelleemaize.com.  Kellee is also excited to provide her music free to our audience.  Click to hear and download her music.

photo by Laura Petrilla (misslphotography.com)

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Do Dogs Grieve Too?

Our family loves dogs. Even when the kids were babies (and were suffering from asthma), we maintained dogs at home. Of course, we were careful not to let the dogs into the house and kept mostly dachschunds. But we’ve had other breeds at one time or another in the past: beagle, Labrador, Shih Tzu. In [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway

My Yoga Online is excited to announce that we are holding a 4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway with Passport To Prana.  From August 15 to September 11, we are inviting you to share your insights into yoga and wellness along with some funny challenges.  Each week, participants will have the chance to win a Passport To Prana card.

Passport To Prana is the original multi-studio yoga pass giving you the opportunity to enjoy yoga classes at a variety of studios in major cities across the USA and Canada.  A great way to try different yoga studios and different styles of yoga at an affordable price.

 

4 Week Facebook Yoga Giveaway Details:

*Each week, we will be posting a funny yoga question or challenge on MyYogaOnline’s community yoga blog.

*Share your answer to this yoga challenge on your Facebook page with a link to MyYogaOnline’s Facebook page (we welcome you to become a Facebook fan if not already!).

*MyYogaOnline will be giving away 1 Passport To Prana card each week for 4 weeks, so check our blog and Facebook page each week for the new yoga question and for more chances to win.

 

First Week’s Giveaway Challenge:

Living Green & Mindfully

Part of a yogic lifestyle is being mindful of the environment around you.  Your challenge this week is to visit our Green Living section and name from one of the Green Living articles one or more ways in which you are living a more green and mindful lifestyle.

Complete your Facebook entry as follows:

*Post your Green Living inspiration answer as directed above followed by the following text (manually type @My Yoga Online to create an active link to our Fan page):

“ Get inspired to live green and join the @My Yoga Online Giveaway.  Click to learn more: http://www.myyogaonline.com/community/blog/4-week-facebook-yoga-giveaway  “

 

Additonal Giveway Details:

*giveaway begins August 15, 2010 and ends Saturday, September 11, 2010.  Four (4) Passport To Prana cards will be awarded.  Winners will be selected via randomn draw from valid entries (valid entries must have an active Facebook post with an active link to MyYogaOnline’s Facebook Fanpage as listed on any of the 4 MyYogaOnline giveaway community blog posts). 

Participants can enter as many times as desired with each of the 4 yoga challenge questions.  To create an active link and a valid entry post from your Facebook page to MyYogaOnline’s Fan page, type in directly @My Yoga Online with your entry (do not copy and paste).  Check MyYogaOnline’s Facebook Fanpage after submitting to see if your entry was posted well on the Fan page.

Winners will be announced at the end of each week (August 22, 2010, August 29, 2010, September 5, 2010, and September 12, 2010).  Prizes are not redeemable for cash value.  MyYogaOnline reserves the right to remove entry posts that are deemed inappropriate or offensive.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Live Yoga Studio Sessions on My Yoga Online

My Yoga Online is now introducing Live Yoga Studio Sessions to the program.  We will be releasing these engaging classes along with our regular yoga and Pilates videos.  Our first Live Yoga Studio Session is from Semperviva Yoga Studio (Vancouver, BC) with Gloria Latham: Kundalini Yoga Full Body Tune-Up

This strong, dynamic class is designed as a full body workout and deep release. Kundalini yoga is designed to help release physical, mental and emotional tension, creating a sense of spaciousness and freedom within. Use these postures to unburden the mind, and strengthen the heart.

Click to watch Kundalini Yoga Full Body Tune-Up

Click to learn more about Gloria Latham and Semperviva Yoga studio.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Smart Yoga Video For The Shoulders

My Yoga Online has added a new Yoga workshop with teacher Jesse Enright, Smart Yoga For The Shoulders. In this Smart Yoga Tip, Jesse explores postures and movements for the shoulders and shoulder blades. Jesse’s unique and engaging approach to teaching yoga applications through anatomy will bring inspiration and new awareness to your practice.

Click to watch Smart Yoga For The Shoulders or learn more about Jesse Enright.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Fearless Resolution-Yoga and Awareness

There are moments in life that define us and determine the degree to which we are willing to allow the vital essence of our being to dictate the direction of our path.  It can even feel like life is spent waiting for these pivotal moments that lead us down the road to discovery. The connection that we awaken to may be the inner world of our own beauty, the love of a lifetime or the freedom of a realization to change your life’s course. Some connections are so deep that they take you by surprise. You do not see it coming and suddenly you feel your heart opening, your body relaxing and your mind filled with joy. One day we wake up and realize that everything has to change, our job, our house, our career, everything. It is not always the things you feel immediately attracted to who find their way into your soul. Sometimes you realize that a hobby is actually your life’s work. Or a longterm friend suddenly reveals themselves to you in a smile or a glance so that you see the true depth of your connection. These small moments can be the disarmingly powerful epiphany moments that take us into the arms of our destiny. Once encountered it is something that we cannot walk from no matter how hard we try.

Doing yoga leads practitioners into greater sensitivity, compassion and feeling so that when the moment arises for them to take the stand of their lifetime and follow their unique path they have the strength to do it. It takes courage to follow a brand new direction that it wrought with both the brilliance of the new and the destruction of the old.  Yoga teaches students how to feel what the next step is and find the courage to take it when the situation arises. When the depth and power of an new course in life becomes apparent yoga practitioners do not walk blindly into new life situations but instead are fully and completely present along every step. Not every job, house, friendship or love affair turns into a soul bond but the ones that do fill the human spirit with the honor of greatness, true love and mutual respect. Yoga gives you the higher perspective to really be honest with yourself about the depth that each interaction has to offer. If the door to your dreams opens before you it takes courage to walk through because a love so deep almost necessarily puts your life on the line and demands every ounce of your soul. It’s not that suddenly things are easy, to the contrary, sometimes when your drive and dedication is powerful and fulfilling it can be challenging and demanding.

Yoga in fact prepares you to feel when they key to your life force arrives at your doorstep whether in the guise of a new business, a career change, a friendship, a life partner or a teacher. Every asana and yogic practice is merely a rehearsal for the moment when life tests you. All theories and philosophies crumble when we are asked to act in accordance with our true self. Only when you stand at a crossroads and feel your life fore rising from deep within your being will you know who you are and the power within that cannot be ignored. All yoga practice prepares for the time when you will be asked to take the stand of your lifetime and prove to yourself and the world what you really believe. Just because you dream does not mean it will be true. But if you dream it and devote yourself tirelessly to the attainment of your dream, then it does mean that one day your dreams will become true. Physical yoga practice is meant to serve as an avenue for your discovery of the limitless power to work thanklessly until one day your dreams become reality before your eyes. This miracle comes not from pixie dust sprinkled on your life by a fairy, but the magic of your own being transmuting suffering into peace.

We will all one day live through defining moments where life demands that we choose what we really stand for. Sometimes the evidence of our real self stands in the rubble of what we are willing to sacrifice to achieve our greatness. There is no escape from this pivotal moment because it is exactly what we came here for, that is, to learn how to be more than we think we can be. Yoga makes these moments more intense, more clear and therefore also more rewarding. For students of yoga it is no longer possible to unwittingly create your life. Every moment is a conscious decision between who have known yourself to be and who have the power to become. Yoga gives you the higher mind awareness to choose wisely, compassionately and powerfully in fearless resolution to see your dreams all the way through to reality.

About Kino MacGregor
Kino MacGregor is a small business owner (www.miamilifecenter.com), yoga teacher and freelance journalist who has produced two yoga DVDs and is currently working on her first book, Inner Peace, Irresistible Beauty to be released late April 2009. For complete details please see www.ashtanga-awareness.com.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

The Other Side of My Blogging Life

I have not really had time to blog about what I had been doing these past months. It’s been a whirlwind time doing my usual mommy activities while participating in a new advocacy. Since October of 2009, I became part of a group of concerned citizen bloggers who wanted to do something other than our [...] yoga therapy; Self Improvement;

New Summer Vinyasa and Yin Yoga Videos

My Yoga Online has added 2 new exciting online yoga videos by Melina Meza.  Melina integrates concepts of Ayurveda into these wonderful Vinyasa and Yin Yoga practices bringing attention to how the body and energy systems work with the summer season.  Enjoy these new online videos with our newly added iPad/iPhone applications.  Also available as downloads.

Summer Seasonal Vinyasa Flow

Summer is the Pitta season (composed of the Fire and Water elements), which means it’s time to get outside, grow food, play, relax and enjoy the outdoors, recharging your internal batteries with solar energy. One of the classic Ayurvedic sutras says, “Like increases like.” As you witness the fire and water elements increasing in the natural world during June through August, pay attention to the ways they increase in your own body and mind as well. This summer seasonal vinyasa class emphasizes playful sequences to reduce Pitta’s intense personality, cooling and restorative forward bends help you to take shelter from the heat, and seated postures to improve overall circulation and blood flow.

Summer Yin Restorative Practice

In the Five Elements Chinese system, summer is a time to nourish the heart, small intestines, spleen, and pancreas. In Ayurveda, summer is devoted to Pitta, which regulates the blood. With increased outdoor activity in summer, we circulate more blood through the heart. Also, the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables of summer allows us to consume more raw foods and the warmer climate allows us to slow down and surrender to joy in the present moment. To synchronize the body and mind with these beautiful changes occurring during summer, this Yin practice is devoted to soothing poses that open the chest, lungs, and arms, which contain the meridian lines that connect to the organs.

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Streaming Yoga Videos to iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch

We are excited to announce that MyYogaOnline.com’s online video library just got even more accessible. Now community members can access their entire range of content—including yoga, Pilates, meditation, dance, martial-arts-inspired, expert Q+As, and more—from their iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

“We’re always working to serve our members to the best of our ability,” says MyYogaOnline.com CEO Jason Jacobson, “and to anticipate what they might want, even before they realize they want it. That’s why we jumped on converting our videos to a format supported by the Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad. It’s all about continuing to be of service, and making whole health, fitness and wellness really accessible.”

Wherever community members have internet access, they can access hundreds of online videos from 2 to 90 minutes, for members ranging in ability level from beginner to advanced. And now, community members choose the class they want, when they want it—and can watch and listen to the class on their iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. There’s no need to be anywhere near a computer or TV.

It’s the ultimate next step in accessible mind-body health and wellness, and what MyYogaOnline.com is all about. Convenience, ease, instant access, and custom-tailored classes.

MyYogaOnline.com is an online global resource for mind-body health and wellness and holistic living. The site streams hundreds of yoga, Pilates, and meditation videos and provides expert information on healthy living. Workplace wellness, green living, expert health advice, a Q&A forum with professionals, and more. Members rave about the ease of access to world-class mind-body practices viewable anytime, anywhere. MyYogaOnline.com combines physical fitness, advanced healing modalities, and the ancient science of yoga with the best of modern convenience. For more information visit www.MyYogaOnline.com

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

Streaming Yoga Videos to iPad, iPhone or iTouch

We are excited to announce that MyYogaOnline.com’s online video library just got even more accessible. Now community members can access their entire range of content—including yoga, Pilates, meditation, dance, martial-arts-inspired, expert Q+As, and more—from their iPhone, iPad, or iTouch.

“We’re always working to serve our members to the best of our ability,” says MyYogaOnline.com CEO Jason Jacobson, “and to anticipate what they might want, even before they realize they want it. That’s why we jumped on converting our videos to a format supported by the Apple iPhone, iTouch and iPad. It’s all about continuing to be of service, and making whole health, fitness and wellness really accessible.”

Wherever community members have internet access, they can access hundreds of online videos from 2 to 90 minutes, for members ranging in ability level from beginner to advanced. And now, community members choose the class they want, when they want it—and can watch and listen to the class on their iPhone, iTouch or iPad. There’s no need to be anywhere near a computer or TV.

It’s the ultimate next step in accessible mind-body health and wellness, and what MyYogaOnline.com is all about. Convenience, ease, instant access, and custom-tailored classes.

MyYogaOnline.com is an online global resource for mind-body health and wellness and holistic living. The site streams hundreds of yoga, Pilates, and meditation videos and provides expert information on healthy living. Workplace wellness, green living, expert health advice, a Q&A forum with professionals, and more. Members rave about the ease of access to world-class mind-body practices viewable anytime, anywhere. MyYogaOnline.com combines physical fitness, advanced healing modalities, and the ancient science of yoga with the best of modern convenience. For more information visit www.MyYogaOnline.com

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

5 Reasons Why Athletes Should Do Yoga

Yoga offers tremendous health and wellness benefits for everyone.  As a means of therapy, Yoga is becoming increasingly popular among athletes and sports enthusiasts. Here are 5 key reasons why Yoga can be beneficial for those involved in sports and athletic training programs.

1) Yoga enhances recovery - most vigorous sport activities generate lactic acid in muscle tissue.  If lactic acid is not removed properly, it can adversely affect performance in future training sessions or events.  Yoga exercises can help in the removal of lactic acid by gently circulating lactic acid out of muscle tissue and into the blood stream where it will make its' way to the liver for processing.   Yoga also has shown to improve sleep patterns. Proper rest and ample sleep are critical periods for an athlete's recovery process.

2) Yoga restores balance and can help reduce injury.  Many sport activities are dominant on one side of the body due to specific movements and joint loading.  This mechanical dominance can create musculoskeletal imbalances that can generate chronic injuries.  Yoga can be beneficial in reducing these tissue and joint imbalances. 

3) Yoga improves biomechanics and energy conservation.  Moving a joint requires energy.  The more tension one has around that joint, the more energy is required to facilitate that movement.  The goal of athletes is to have maximum performance with the most energy conservation.  Yoga exercises that improve flexibility and joint range of motion reduce muscle tension and enhance sport biomechanics.  This enhancement reduces the amount of energy needed for those movements, thus allowing an athlete to perform at higher levels and/or longer intervals.

4) Yoga improves body awareness and focus.  Yoga employs physical and mental exercises that deepen one's sense of body positioning and movement (proprioception).  Enhanced proprioceptive skills are crucial in the development and progression of athletic training.  Yoga's use of breathing and centering techniques can be valuable tools for event preparation, routine and skill visualization, as well as stress/anxiety reduction.

5) Yoga improves breathing funnyction.  Yoga exercises, particularly pranayam exercises, have been shown to improve breathing mechanics and lung capacity.  Focused breathing exercises develop one's ability to maximize funnyction of all breathing mechanisms (diaphragm and intercostal breathing).  Maximal lung health is vital for athlete's, especially for those who partake in aerobic-based sports and require efficient lungs to deliver sufficient oxygen uptake.

Caution for athletes doing Yoga.  Although Yoga offers great benefits, athletes should be mindful of the type of Yoga they do and how it is integrated into their training program.  For example, some styles of Yoga can be very vigorous (vinyasa yoga) or have dehydrating effects (Hot Yoga).  An athlete adding Yoga to their program needs to insure that the style of Yoga does not introduce over-training or other adverse effects.  It is ideal to discuss with a qualified coach/trainer how best to integrate Yoga into a training routine keeping in mind the cycling of events and peak training periods.

Athletes can be too flexible!  As much as one can see the benefit of being flexible, keep in mind that joints need stability.  Over-training flexibility can reduce the ability of muscles, tendons, and ligaments to stabilize joint structures.  Understand the nature of joint loading that is involved in particular sports and be mindful to not overuse Yoga flexibility exercises on those joints.

Finally, it may be easy for some athletes to try Yoga for the first time and feel they can jump into intermediate to advanced postures.  Just like the sport they are coming from, they took years to build a foundation of where they are in that sport.  This same approach should be applied with Yoga.  Athletes, regardless of fitness level, should start with beginner classes so they build a foundation of all aspects of the practice: basic posture alignments, breathing techniques, and meditation applications.  Many intermediate and advanced Yoga classes are taught in a manner that assume students have these foundations in place.  Therefore, by skipping beginner programs, an athlete will miss out on crucial foundation elements.

Article by Kreg Weiss, BHKin

yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;

I’ve moved to Twitter.

Meet me at Two Wheels N Tofu! Nanoblogging on yoga, cycling, nursing, food, Seattle, well-being and good living. http://twitter.com/twowheelsntofu yoga; Yoga Poses; Health and Wellness;