Yoga Equipment Make Effective and Easy

»These Make Yoga More Effective and Easy

Admit it. You would think twice before entering that Yoga class, all because those exercises and poses look too uncomfortable. But hey, no pain, no gain, right? But just so you would finally lift that lazy foot and head on to the next meditation class, here are a few Yoga equipments(yes, name it: paraphernalia, apparatus, gears, they’re here) that would surely make your exercises not only more effective but also easy. Just give it a chance:

The Clothes- of course, begin with what you will be wearing! Choose ones that are comfortable and with breathable materials.

The Mat- or the so-called sticky mat. This gives traction for the feet and hands, to prevent an accidental slip. If you can, buying your own mat saves you from renting one during classes (yes, you wouldn’t want the smell of others’ sweat!).

The Strap- these are commonly used by people who have difficulty in reaching out for their own ankles or feet. Straps are useful for poses that need binding.

The Nada Chair- as opposed to its name, it is not actually a chair! It is an adjustable sling that is used to align the spine when seated. This then alleviates pain in the lower back and hips.

The Blocks- these provide support and safety when doing poses. They help stretch your hands, heels, and even hips. Using these makes you stretch your spine and chest. Most blocks in the market today are firm, thus, they can withstand pressure.

The Bolsters- just like the ones we use when we sleep, these provide support. Even during difficult exercises, they support the back, chest, and hamstrings. There are several types of bolsters: the rectangular, cylindrical and breathing bolsters, to name a few.

The Backbending Bench- this equipment not only stretches the chest and shoulders but also is a spine extender. It is good at stretching and toning the muscles and organs of the abdomen. It would also come as good news that it improves circulation of the kidneys, relieves back pain, and might reduce cramps caused by menstruation. Patients with scoliosis could benefit greatly from this.

The Calf Stretcher- as the name suggests, is used to stretch the calf muscles. It could also stretch the hamstrings and Achilles tendons. Doing stretches for these muscles could relieve pains in the lower back.

The Heartbench- much like its cousin, the Backbender, this equipment stretches the chest and upper portion of the spine. It also relieves cramps caused by menstruation and constipation. It deepens one’s breathing and improves circulation of the kidneys.

There are a few tips in using this equipment. You can use this to recline, making sure that your hips are on the ground. Doing this intensifies chest stretching. On the other hand, if you are in an inverted position, it is the muscles of the abdomen that you stretch.

The Head Stander- this equipment’s main purpose is to relieve the head, and even the neck, of any pressure. The distribution of the weight becomes: 90% go to the shoulders and the remaining 10% to the palms. The pads cushion the shoulders and press the muscles there. This helps relieve headaches.

The Heartblock- this is for chest stretching and extension of the upper portion of your spine. It also helps deepen your breathing, relieves constipation and menstrual pains. Again, this stimulates the kidneys.

This equipment serves as a fulcrum where the ribcage and the shoulders are stretched, thus, giving an intense extension when compared against the Heartbench.

The Shoulderstand Bench- this distributes only a small portion of your weight on your shoulders and neck, thus, strain on these areas could be eliminated. A proper shoulderstand would ease back pains. It also stretches the spine and chest muscles.

The Forward Bender- it is very similar to the calf stretcher as it also stretches the calves and hamstrings. But a word of caution! Be sure that you are able to reach your feet even when your legs are straight, else this equipment becomes useless. This will help flexible persons intensify their forward bends.

These are just few of the equipments that are being offered in the market today. Consider investing on some of these and you are well on your way to a rewarding yoga experience!

Tips Bikram Yoga

Tips on Bikram yoga

Yoga is a good exercise for most people especially those who want to achieve a good mental and physical well-being. The discipline offered by yoga no matter what type it is will surely help a person become fit and confident about his physique.

Those who practice yoga believe that a person has to unite body and soul to be able to achieve a higher level of being. Only by uniting his physical with his mental can a person elevate himself to that state where everything is within his control.

The different yoga poses have their own individual purpose but all of these are aimed at enabling the person practicing yoga to relax and to become flexible and comfortable with his body. A person who is able to find that perfect balance between body and mind will not only be physically fit and healthy but also happy and mentally fit.

Despite the misconception that yoga belongs to the underworld practice of what is mystical, it is really in effect a science that tries to find the connection between the body and the mind in order to achieve physical and mental fitness for its disciples.

Yoga can be beneficial to a person in terms of lessening his pulse rate and blood pressure and in increasing the efficiency of his cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, gastrointestinal and other bodily and organic functions. If you have not noticed it yet, try to observe people who do yoga and you would be impressed with their body posture.

It also helps to empower a harried person into living a life that is less stressful and helps him improve his mood and his attitude towards life, people and events. A person who does yoga will have more ability to accept his actualities in life.

One type of yoga that has caught the interest of some people is Bikram yoga or what they refer to as hot yoga. Bikram yoga is literally a hot yoga because the poses are performed or executed in a room that has been well-heated. Doing the poses in a heated room relieves the disciple or the follower from the various toxins that has invaded his body by releasing sweat all throughout the session.

The hot yoga style is being promoted by an Indian yoga master named Bikram Choudhury. Choudhury has recently attempted to copyright his Bikram yoga poses and this has led him to become embroiled in a legal battle that has been solved in his favor.

Choudhury claims to have the legal right to the 26 poses used in Bikram yoga and he is posing a heavy legal battle to have the exclusive right to call the practice of hot yoga Bikram yoga. If his legal action becomes successful, Bikram yoga will only be practiced and taught only by his disciples who will follow his method and prescribed yoga environment to the letter.

If his claim goes well, he would be like the franchise owner of the Bikram method and no one would be able to teach Bikram yoga without his two cents worth. This attempt to make Bikram yoga exclusive for him and his disciples has made Bikram a controversial figure in the world of yoga today.

A person who wants to give Bikram or hot yoga a try should arm himself with a durable man slip-proof mat because the high temperature required by Bikram in his hot yoga will be more than enough to keep the yoga follower sweating profusely for the whole session.

It is also very important that a woman who intends to practice Bikram yoga should make sure she is not pregnant to avoid possible negative effects to her health and the health of the unborn baby. Always drink plenty of water before doing the poses, during exercise and even after to avoid dehydration. Also avoid eating at least two hours before the actual yoga exercise.

To be sure, it is best to get the opinion of a doctor before doing the Bikram yoga to avoid health problems and complications later on. To make sure the doctor understands the extent of the risk being taken by a person doing the different yoga pose, he can bring a photo of the poses and show this to the medical expert.