It’s well known that pregnancy is a journey for the mother to be. It’s a physical experience as well as mental. Women tend to naturally adjust themselves to the daily bodily changes and become more aware and in tune with them. But, at times they do need help to really adapt to these vital changes. Yoga can effectively help them understand these, as it’s turns out to be an excellent exercise for pregnant women. It can be safely done during the whole course of pregnancy. Even though it offers many benefits, there are certain precautions which should be taken into consideration before starting. In this article we will discuss how you can use yoga to get the most out of this special experience called pregnancy.

For pregnant women, yoga can help them understand their bodies and get in touch with their inner self in order to get the best results. With regular practice, it can help them reduce swelling, insomnia as well as back & leg pains. You can practice the general yoga in the first two months of pregnancy. However, it’s always a good idea to consult your doctor and also seek advice from an experienced yoga teacher. The moderate set of exercises can be practiced at any hour of the day, any number of times, preferably daily, The aim should be to basically strengthen the back, abdomen and the limbs. Also, breathing exercises, when done twice a day, can be very beneficial. The mother and the child both benefit from this as the breathing exercises provide them with more oxygen and energy. There are a number of benefits pregnant women get when they practice yoga regularly. (more…)

Pilates is often referred to as yoga, although the Pilates exercise routine has no real connection with yoga. It works differently and with a different approach. The common point, which you notice between Pilates and yoga, is that they both emphasize on mental focus and controlled breathing during practice. There are some similarities as well as differences between them, but both offer excellent benefits to the practitioner. In this article we will delve into the nits and grits of yoga Pilates and in the process understand the fundamentals, which make them the most efficient techniques for achieving sound physical and spiritual health.

It’s not hard to ignore the fact that over the past 2 decades, yoga & Pilates, haVE achieved a cult following. However, it’s important to notice that there is a good amount of differences between the two age-old arts of exercise and meditation. Studies show us that yoga began in South Asia and Pilates was born in Germany, a completely different continent. Although yoga can be easily traced back to the Indus valley civilization, the person who discovered/founded the practice of yoga is still unknown. On the other hand, it has been well documented that Pilates was the brainchild of Joseph Hubertus, which he founded in 1880. The key difference between yoga and Pilates is, while yoga tends to concentrate on uniting the mind, body and the spirit, Pilates solely focuses on the physical body. Given that, we still cannot ignore the positive changes we go through from practicing yoga Pilates.

The main focus of regular practice of yoga Pilates is maintaining good, optimum health with a proper well being. It revolves around helping the practitioner achieve enhanced body flexibility. Once you start practicing it on a daily basis, you will very soon notice a deep, positive change in your physical as well as your mental life. What’s more, the threat of injuries is lessened to a great extent in yoga Pilates because of the stretching that is involved. One of the most radical benefits that you will experience when you practice yoga Pilates is improved body balance. Also, yoga Pilates concentrates on certain well structured breathing methods which help you relax and calm down, leading to sounder sleep. We can also examine the benefits of yoga and Pilates individually for better understanding.

Yoga allows the energy inside your body to move a lot more freely than before, which basically means that your physical health & well-being is improving. Many negative blocks such as stress, tension and anxiety and other such emotions slow down and halt the free energy movement in your body. Yoga works on these key areas to give you improved energy flow and a balanced mental and spiritual health. It will help you prevent your body from being rigid. When we talk about Pilate exercises, we see them branch out in to several forms. For example, dancers usually prefer stretching exercises as it helps them get in tune or in sync with their bodies. Pilates also utilizes machines, which makes it very much similar to weight training. The trend these days in Pilates is the use of mats, such as the  for enhanced comfort.

Yoga Pilates can definitely prove to be a wondeful pursuit if you want to balance your health using these tried and tested forms of exercise. It all boils down to how much of effort you are ready to put in to actually make that big, happening change in your life. Leading a positive life requires the right techniques, and yoga Pilates does offer them. Start now and you should be on your way to living a perfectly balanced life.

It’s hard not to notice the many types of yoga meditation that have gained immense popularity across the globe. Yoga meditation is a way to control your mind by channeling the energy inside your body for your own benefit. This in itself is not an easy task, since the mind is never constant. It’s always moving and is extremely easy to divert. Taking up yoga can be a life changing experience, and as you progress you will discover methods like mantra meditation which will not only help you grow spiritually but also let you envision a successful life. In this article we will be exploring how yoga meditation can positively affect your lifestyle and give a whole new meaning to inner peace.

There are a few things that you should keep in mind when you start practicing meditation in yoga. To practice yoga, you will need to have a private place where no one will disturb you. Also, your yoga poses should be correct, so that your breathing cycle isn’t affected in any way. Your focus should solely be on your mind, this will allow you to cleanse your heart with your mind & senses alone. As you get comfortable, make sure your head, neck and body is in a straight position.

The mind needs to be completely free from feelings of fear, hatred, and any negativity that you might have. This will give you a way to meditate on the internal energy and help you find the real you, bringing you in sync with your true purpose. You need to have utmost control over your mind, body and movement. The ultimate goal of your practice would be getting your mind steady, so that gradually you can get rid of any materialistic thoughts that you might have. Once you are comfortable with the basics, you can move on to the other yoga meditation types, such as the mantra meditation.

Mantra meditation holds an important place in the yogic tradition, as it (more…)