Croatian Yoga Portal
Originally from India, the physical and mental discipline known as yoga has quietly and steadily taken root into Western cultures. In the past decades more and more people, regardless of age, weight, build or experience, are practicing and benefitting from the teachings that help them take control of their physical postures or poses, as well as their mental and spiritual vitality.
Yoga is not just about stretching, but rather about respecting and creating a balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility, a discipline that can be accomplished by most people. Yoga can be helpful in reducing stress, losing weight, strengthening inner organs and circulation, increasing energy levels and awareness, as well as provoking flexibility of body and mind.
For people on a fixed income or limited funds, yoga is quite affordable. All they need is their body, comfortable, non-restricting clothing, a towel, and a bottle of water to revitalize the body after practice. Those who cannot afford classes and professional training can teach themselves through library books, or instructions, illustrations and forums found on the Internet.
Once familiar with the basic yoga principles and becoming more advanced, yoga scholars can buy props, however depending on the style of yoga that is practiced this may not be an absolute necessity.
Advanced yoga headstand video |
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Posture and Stretches
Most people tend to hold in patterns of tension emerging from daily stress, lack of exercise, bad posture, or other dire habits. These patterns make us stiff and directly interfere with our movements. As everything in a human body is connected, stiffness and restricted movements can in turn affect our mental flexibility, interfering with our thoughts and our physical actions.
Regular stretching exercises not only allow us to think and act more freely, but can also help us move less restricted. In fact, by stretching ligaments, tendons and muscles, we make them stronger and more efficient. Furthermore, these lengthening actions also help us to walk and stand taller, and the joints, able to go through their full range of movements, will be much better supported.
Stretching will increase blood supply to the muscles and will give the body an improved physical edge.
Exploring yoga can start by practicing good posture, which will purify and generate an improvement in the overall functionality of a person, rather than just the form of the body. Body posture, also called “asana” consists of many different positions, some of them resembling those often used in everyday life. These positions can be held standing up, sitting, kneeling or lying down. These last ones are quite helpful for rest and relaxation, as well as recovering between more demanding postures.
During therapeutic situations, Yoga encourages a creative energy flow throughout a person’s system. This happens through emphasizing repeated movement into and out of posture, and holding a posture for a certain length of time. When holding a yoga posture or doing stretches, make sure you are able to breathe slowly and deeply. Always go to the edge in the posture and hold it where you feel a good stretch and/or your body working, but do not push it any further. If you feel pain, strain or fatigue, you are overdoing it.
Calorie counters keep you on track
When getting started with a calorie counting plan because of a weight loss program, you first need to find out what you are currently eating. Successful weight management programs often start by asking you to keep records of everything you consume, even if you plan a vegetarian diet. This can be particularly helpful in finding areas where your eating habits need to be improved. These plans challenge you to find out where you can make easy changes you can sustain, and point out where you may encounter difficulties. Use calorie counter to track your calories.