What to Expect When Starting a Yoga Routine

July 11, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Yoga

Yoga. We’ve all heard the word and seen the mats everyone seems to carry around with them these days. But can yoga really help improve your health and fitness levels?

The answer is yes, definitely – provided that you start safely and sensibly and know what to expect.

Why Yoga?

Yoga can help you get fit quickly and safely because it uses the weight of your body to tone and trim. It is low impact, and good for people of all ages and body types who want to build their strength and stay fix and flexible.

You’re Never too Old for Yoga

Yoga is ideal even for seniors because it can improve range of motion, balance and stability. It also relieves stiffness. The long lean muscle built through yoga can protect bones and aging joints in order to keep you mobile and injury-free. Those muscles can also help boost your metabolism so you will burn more calories, which is ideal if you wish to lose weight.

Thousands of Years of Proof That It Works

Yoga has been used for thousands of years for health, healing and fitness. It may seem weird or “New Age” to us in the West, but the truth is that Hatha yoga has been practiced for thousands of years in the Far East.

The health benefits of a regular yoga practice include increased:

* Concentration
* Strength
* Flexibility
* Long, lean muscle
* Stamina

Yoga will decrease:

* Anxiety
* Stress
* Tension
* Blood pressure
* Stiffness

Safety First

Before you start to twist yourself into a pretzel, it is important to put safety first. If you have any underlying health issues, check with your doctor before starting yoga. Choose a yoga that is low impact, such as Hatha, Kundalini or Vinyasa, compared to the more demanding forms such as Bikram (hot yoga) or Ashtanga.

Be aware of any old or recent injuries and protect your back and knees. Start with yoga poses that can work your core muscles, such as Mountain, Tree, and the Warrior series of poses, and Plank pose. A good set of abdominal and back muscles will give your practice stability and help keep you safe.

Don’t believe the myth of “no pain, no gain” in reference to yoga. That is the surest way to sideline yourself with a potentially serious injury. After a workout, it is natural to feel a little sore the next day, but if this persists, rest those muscles until the strain in healed.

Practice on a level surface and use a non-skid mat so you do not slip. It will cushion your joints as well when doing your poses. Warm up before and cool down after with some gentle stretching. Stay warm but not too hot. Cold muscles will tense can be injured more easily.

If you are using a DVD, work at your own pace. Pause it as needed. If you are confused, look up the poses online at a reliable site like Yoga Journal.

Enjoy your meditations. Think of them as a mini-break from your daily life even if some of them seem weird. Chanting mantras such as OM might also seem a bit odd, but you will soon notice your body, mind and spirit all becoming in tune with each other.

Don’t skip deep relaxation at the end. This is usually done lying down in Corpse pose and is a great way to de-stress.

Now that you know what to expect, start a daily yoga practice and see what a difference it can make to your health.

Wonderfully Fit | Nutritional Consulting

Why You Should Choose a Clean Eating Lifestyle

July 11, 2017/in Blog, Clean Eating, Nutritional Consultant

Clean eating is a lifestyle trend that has been growing in popularity over the past few years. Clean eating focuses on whole, unrefined foods rather than pre-cooked or processed alternatives.

The alternatives tend to have much of their nutritional value removed as a result of making them last longer or cost less. Does your diet consist mostly of fast food or instant meals? Here are a few of the thing you can gain by adopting a clean eating lifestyle.

A Healthier Heart

Many whole foods can have a positive impact on your heart health. Nuts are high in heart-healthy nutrients such as vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Almonds are particularly high in monounsaturated fats, which help lower the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood.

Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, or whole wheat bread are also great sources of fiber, which helps your body to process cholesterol. However you do it, lowering your blood cholesterol levels lowers your risk of heart disease.

Less Risk of Diabetes

Sugar tastes great. Which is unfortunate, because it’s not a healthy part of your diet. Sugar provides what are called “empty calories,” meaning that it offers no nutritional value other than calories.

Regularly eating too much sugar can also cause your body to build up an insulin resistance. This means that your cells are more resistant to insulin’s normal effect of transferring glucose into them from the bloodstream. Insulin resistance can contribute to the development of disorders including metabolic disorder and type II diabetes.

More Energy

Processed foods have a high glycemic index, which means that they are broken down quickly by your body. They give you a sudden, short-term burst of energy due to the spike in your blood glucose levels. However, these sudden bursts also mean sudden declines, which has the potential to leave you feeling sluggish and fatigued.

Clean foods, on the other hand, tend to have a lower glycemic index. This means that they take longer for your body to break down and are a more stable source of energy over a longer period of time.

Expand Your Horizons

When you plan a menu around packaged or pre-prepared meals, you take some of the freedom out of your menu choices. It may not seem like this is the case, since there are so many different flavors and varieties of these packaged meals to choose from. But, there are countless recipes available from sources like cookbooks, cooking magazines and food-related websites. Look for recipes that stick to whole foods as much as possible.

Clean eating is all about getting the nutrients that your body needs without taking in extras which may be harmful. Eating clean can help reduce the risk of kidney damage, heart disease, type II diabetes and a stroke. Whole ingredients may be a bit more expensive, but the resulting health benefits are well worth the extra cost.

Why Do I Keep Messing Up My Diet?

July 11, 2017/in Blog, Motivation, Personal Training

Every year, on New Year’s Day, millions of people make a resolution to diet and lose weight and get in shape. In fact, surveys show that this is the number 1 resolution in the entire world.

It is also the fastest resolution to get broken. Many don’t get past the first week. Most don’t get past February.

Why?

One of the main reasons for this is that people have a few slip ups in their diet, end up feeling guilty and tell themselves that they just don’t have the discipline. They then tell themselves that it will never work and they give up on themselves.

This is truly a pity. It really is because you are all you have and if you give up on yourself, then who is going to help you? The road to personal fitness is your road and it’s yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but nobody can walk it for you.

Before even thinking that you don’t have what it takes, let’s examine the reasons why most people slip up when it comes to eating.

1. Unrealistic goals

This is without a doubt the main reason. Someone who has been eating pizza, junk food, sodas, doughnuts, etc. for years should NEVER ever suddenly decide to go on a diet of lean chicken breast and broccoli. It’s madness.

The change is too drastic. Yet, so many people do this. They have unrealistic expectations and think that their will power is extremely strong. In most cases, it isn’t.

Always start with small goals. If you drink a lot of sodas, try cutting that out for a week and drink water instead. Keep the rest of the diet the same. The following week, if you snack while watching TV, then stop snacking. If you can’t do that, then stop watching TV. The week after that you may reduce your portion sizes but keep the diet the same.

By doing this, your goals are incremental. If you ask too much of yourself initially, you will most probably fail. Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.

2. Letting one slip up make them give up

If you accidentally dropped your mobile phone on the floor, what would you do? You’d most probably pick it up, dust it off and check if it’s all okay and be more careful. Would you pick it up and keep smashing it on the floor just because you accidentally dropped it once?

No way! Yet, when it comes to the diet, many people throw the entire diet away just because they had a doughnut or a plate of pasta.

You know what? It’s human to slip up. Everybody does it. You just pick yourself up and try to be more compliant to the diet. You may have read that a good body is 30% exercise and 70% diet. The truth is that a good body is 100% commitment.

And… commitment is very difficult. That’s why obesity is an epidemic. It’s difficult to commit. If you’ve already started, don’t give up. Anytime you feel like it, remember why you started.

Success is not linear. You will take three steps forward, two back, five forward, maybe six back… whatever the case may be, only one rule holds true. You keep going. So you ate that glazed doughnut… well, that’s ok. You will run for 15 minutes and burn it off later. Don’t tell yourself, “Argh! I ate one doughnut. My diet is screwed. I better just eat the remaining 5 doughnuts in the box”. NO! YOU WON’T.

These are the 2 reasons most people mess up their diet. Unrealistic expectations and aiming for perfection. Expect yourself to slip up. It’s a given.

Now that you know that you should aim to set your goals in incremental levels and not be too hard on yourself, stop worrying about those times you mess up your diet and focus on getting it right as much as you can.

That’s the only way.

Vinyasa Yoga 101

July 10, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Yoga

Yoga means union, the union of mind, body and spirit. There are a number of yogas to choose from. The best yoga will combine all three.

However, many modern yoga focus mainly on the poses, or asanas, and tend to not focus as much on the meditation and breath work which are an essential part of Hatha yoga, the oldest form of yoga.

What Is Vinyasa Yoga?

Vinyasa is also known as flow yoga. The word vinyasa means to place in a special way. It uses the same asanas as Hatha yoga. However, rather than each asana being done individually with a pause in between, the poses are organized into sequences whereby the body is in constant motion as it moves smoothly from one pose to the next.

The word vinyasa can also mean “breath-synchronized movement,” with the asanas being performed, held, and changed in conjunction with inhale and exhale patterns and a number of breaths being counted.

The most prominent teacher of vinyasa was K. Pattabhi Jois, who founded his own yoga institute in India in 1948 and helped popularize yoga throughout the world.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

Vinyasa flow yoga belongs to the ancient practice of Ashtanga yoga. It is also known as Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. Ashtanga is a Sanskrit term which means “eight-limbed,” referring to a 2,000-year-old book about yoga which stated that the practice of yoga, or union, involves eight limbs, or arms and legs, to support it.

Two of the eight limbs are asana and pranayama, that is, poses and breathing. Pranayama is a combination of two words, prana (life-force energy) and ayama (to move or regulate). Through controlling our breathing, therefore, we can regulate our energy and use it to achieve our goals in life. We can also use it for health and healing. Yoga is part of Ayurvedic, that is, traditional Indian medicine that has been used for centuries to bring the body back into balance.

Yoga for All

The beauty of Vinyasa flow yoga is that it can be practiced by people of any age and ability. The main trick is to learn the postures first, to then be able to move smoothly from one to the next.

Vinyasa is low-impact compared to Ashtanga, which is a good deal more strenuous and has seven levels (one beginner, two intermediate and four advanced). With Vinyasa, you need focus and concentration as you move from one posture to the next and then hold it for a certain number of breaths before moving on to the next asana. However, it is not high impact.

Different forms of breathing are used, though there is not as much pranayama and meditation compared with Hatha or Kundalini yoga, which are both also good for those new to yoga.

Due to its continuous movement, you have no time to get bored, plus Vinyasa has many beneficial physical effects such as improved circulation, digestion, flexibility and mental abilities such as concentration. It relieves stiffness and lowers blood pressure, while reducing stress and improving mood.

Vinyasa will give you more energy and offer relief from depression and anxiety. It can also improve your social skills as you attended classes and work with your teacher to improve your postures and flow.

If you are looking for an interesting and fun form of yoga, see if there is a Vinyasa or flow yoga studio near you, and see what a difference yoga can make to your mind, body and spirit.

What Does It Mean To Eat Clean?

July 10, 2017/in Blog, Clean Eating, Nutritional Consultant

Clean eating diets are a very popular trend these days. They focus on replacing unhealthy processed foods with fresh, whole alternatives. Processed foods have often lost much of their nutritional value in order to make them last longer or taste better. Not only that, they may also contain additives or preservatives that have a negative impact on your health with regular consumption.

Here’s some more info on the clean eating lifestyle, as well as some tips for “cleaning up” your diet if needed.

Who Started Clean Eating?

While the idea of eating whole foods to stay healthy was certainly not new at the time, it gained in popularity in 2007 when the Eat-Clean Diet Book was published by bestselling author and fitness model Tosca Reno. The book detailed the “eat-clean” diet that she stuck to in order to get in shape for a bodybuilding competition. The popularity of the book lead to ten more titles in the Eat-Clean series being published.

Stay Away from Sugar

The first step to take in order to eat a more clean diet is to cut out sugar as much as possible. Regularly eating sugar or foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup can lead to weight gain and diabetes, among other things.

Cutting sugar out of your diet completely won’t be easy. Just about every sweet, processed snack food on the market includes some sugar. But, when you’re in the mood for something sweet, reach for some fruit rather than candy or sweets.

Drink Plenty of Water

When you feel thirsty, water is the healthiest drink to reach for. Try to drink at least two liters of water every day. You may want to buy a reusable water bottle to help encourage you to drink more.

Soda and sports drinks both come with a lot of added sugar (not to mention the acid found in soda, which softens tooth enamel). An occasional glass of fruit or vegetable juice is a healthy drink alternative. Just make sure that you look for juice made from real fruits and vegetables.

Check the Labels

When in doubt about a certain food, check the nutrition facts and ingredient list carefully. Make sure that the bulk of the ingredients listed are whole foods and not artificial or processed. Some foods may say that they are “whole” on the label, but actually only be made in part with clean ingredients.

Also, make sure you pay attention to the serving size. A food’s nutrition facts may not look so bad, but “one serving” usually doesn’t include the whole product.

While there are many different ideas of what exactly encompasses clean eating, the basic principle of skipping processed foods in favor of whole, fresh ones is of great benefit to your body.

Even if processed foods have had nutrients added in to replace what they’ve lost during processing, they are not as healthy as the real, unprocessed versions. Next time you go to the store, try to buy as many of your ingredients as possible from the produce aisle rather than the canned goods aisle. Not only will all of your meals taste better, they’ll also be better for your health.

It’s My Body Type

July 10, 2017/in Blog, Motivation, Personal Training

If you ever wonder why some people have it so easy, stop yourself. This mindset needs to change and it needs to change ASAP.

There is no doubt that some people have it easier. They have a higher metabolic rate and are less prone to getting fat. That’s just the way things are. Everyone in your family may be overweight and you gain weight easily. Maybe that’s the hand you are dealt with but your genes do not hold you back.

You hold yourself back by thinking in this manner. People who are naturally thin are lucky but people who have had to fight to become slim are strong. If you are overweight, the struggle and challenge of shedding all that weight will make you physically and mentally strong.

In many cases, if everyone in the family is overweight, most of the time it is due to poor dietary choices. The grandparents ate poorly and passed on those habits to their children who will in turn pass them on to their children. Most of the time their diets are atrocious and the live they lead are sedentary.

If your parents eat all the time, that doesn’t mean you have to. Cut down your food intake and watch if it makes a difference. If it does, then it’s not the genes that are holding you back but your eating habits.

If you have been watching your diet closely and training but still see no results, there are several reasons why this may be so. None of these have anything to do with your genes.

You may not be eating enough. You should aim for a daily caloric deficit of about 500 calories. Many beginners make the mistake of cutting their calories too drastically. When you do this, your body panics and goes into starvation mode. It desperately holds on to every bit of fat that it can. Once this happens, you will find it very difficult to melt the fat off.

Another reason could be a lack of water consumption. Your body needs water to metabolize fat. Make sure you are drinking enough of it.

How about overdoing cardio? Does that hold me back? You bet it does.

Once again, this is a beginner mistake. They pound the track for hours hoping to burn off the fat as fast as they can. Too much cardio is counterproductive because of the law of diminishing returns. Your body will be stressed out and release the stress hormone, cortisol, which indirectly makes you gain weight.

Poor planning is another reason that you might not be making headway. Are you really hitting your caloric deficit? The occasional snack here and there adds up. Many beginners who train often mistakenly believe that they burnt a whole ton of calories so they can be a little lax with their diet.

Guess what? 2 slices of pizza is enough to wipe out an entire hour of cardio. Imagine that. You can undo an entire hour of sweating and panting within 15 minutes. Maybe you’re watching TV and decide to just pop in 3 Oreo cookies in your mouth. That’s about 160 calories. That may be about 15 minutes of weight training gone. What? You only trained for 25 minutes? Tough luck.

Watch your diet with the eyes of a hawk.

These are just a few of the reasons you may not be progressing. There are quite a few more and you will need to do more research online to brush up your fitness knowledge. Your genes are not a death sentence on your weight loss dreams. You definitely can lose weight if you really want to. Millions of people with genes just like yours have lost weight and kept the ugly fat off.

Join them. It’s yours for the taking.

Hatha Yoga 101

July 7, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Yoga

There are a number of different kinds of yoga – some ancient, and some modern inventions which emphasize different aspect of yoga.

What Is Hatha Yoga?

Yoga means union; the union of mind, body and spirit. Hatha is the most traditional of the yogas and has been practiced for thousands of years in India and the Far East.

The name Hatha means willful or forceful. The word is also a combination of hat (sun) and ha (moon). It works with the energy centers of the body, flesh and bone. The main focus is on surrendering to and perfecting the many poses, and using yoga for health, healing and personal transformation.

Hatha yoga is part of traditional Ayurvedic, that is, Indian medicine. In traditional Eastern forms of medicine, doctors treat not just the physical body but the energy body, also called the subtle body. It is thought to be comprised of channels, loops, meridians and chakras – that is, energy centers in the body.

If a surgeon cut you open, they wouldn’t see the chakras, but Hatha posits that they are there and balance the energy for healing purposes and overall wellbeing. Chinese acupuncture and acupressure, Reiki, Shiatsu and other healing modalities also work on the theory of balance and stimulating the energy in the body.

Hatha Poses

Many modern types of yoga focus mainly on the poses, or asanas, the physical side of yoga. Hatha yoga aspires to create balance in all things. There are different levels of poses, and therefore different classes and DVDs you can try.

Improved Concentration

Hatha improves mental concentration through meditation, chanting mantras like OM, and to some extent, breath work. With breath work, you learn how to breathe in different patterns with different purposes, such as a cooling breath or a heating breath that increases energy.

At One with the Breath

The Sanskrit word for breath work is pranayama. Prana means life-force, ayama to regulate or lengthen. In other words, practicing pranayama can improve one’s health and vitality through the breath. The breath work is very useful for eliminating toxins from the body and improving the immune system.

A Union of Body, Mind and Spirit

Yoga is not just about the body beautiful. It is considered to be a way of connecting with our inner selves so we can open up to connecting with others. This can be achieved through meditation. Meditation can also include breath work and chanting.

The Benefits of Hatha

Hatha has been shown to offer increased energy, less stress, better moods and sleep, and decreased anxiety. It lowers blood pressure and can help you lose weight more easily by boosting your metabolism.

Who Can Practice It?

Hatha is ideal for people of all ages because it is low impact and you can work at a safe and sensible pace. Even those with health issues can benefit from Hatha yoga. When done carefully with the help of expert guidance, Hatha can help relieve back, joint and muscle pain. The pranayama can help with allergies, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD.

Meditation helps improve focus, concentration and memory, all ideal for seniors who want to maintain a busy, active lifestyle no matter what their age.

With all of these benefits, now might be the best time to check out your local yoga studios to see which of them offer Hatha. Try an introductory class and see what a difference Hatha yoga can make to your health.

Ways to Alter Your Favorite Recipes So They Are Clean

July 7, 2017/in Blog, Clean Eating, Nutritional Consultant

If you’re preparing on switching to a clean eating form of living, you may be preoccupied that you is not going to be able to have your favorite meals anymore. But, this isn’t the case.

Here are a couple of tips on how you can alter your favorite recipes to fit in with a clean eating form of living.

Breakfast

If you’re working towards a clean eating form of living, then it’s time to throw out the breakfast foods such as cereals, pastries and microwavable sandwiches. There are clean eating substitutes for most, if not all of your go-to breakfast meals – which are all better for your health than processed foods.

If you enjoy cold breakfast, try swapping your yogurt or cereal for a heart-healthy blend of nuts, fruit and almond milk. Another clean possibility is a aiding of hearty, nutrient-rich oats. Oats are a good source of beta-glucans, and also manganese, magnesium and vitamin B1.

If you choose a cooked breakfast in the morning, look no in addition than the notably versatile egg. Eggs are surely a dietary powerhouse, containing high quality proteins, all 9 essential amino acids and varying numbers of essential supplements and minerals.

One egg contains 70 calories and at around 20 cents per egg, it’s complicated to find foods comparable to how inexpensive and nutrient-dense eggs are. maybe the what is best, eggs can be elaborated and eaten with just about any vegetable or meat. There are countless breakfast egg recipes, making them ideal for people who like to change their every day routines.

Lunch

Popular lunch go-to’s such as sandwiches and salads can be simply modified for a clean eating form of living. Salads are an ideal lunch possibility, but you may require to make changes to your favorites to fit in with clean eating.

One important circumstance is the kind of dressing you use. If your dressing contains processed ingredients, then it’s time to start building your own from scratch. Balsamic vinegar is the foundation for multiple healthy salad dressings. They are quite easy to make and extremely delicious.

For sandwiches, the kind of bread you use can make or break your clean eating diet. It’s vital to use a nutritious bread such as whole wheat and hold on away from white bread. what is better, you can cut bread out exhaustively and enjoy lettuce or cabbage wraps for lunch. It may take a couple of time getting used to having sandwiches without bread, but they are just as delicious.

Dinner

You may think that altering your favorite dinner recipes might be complicated, principally if they’re staples in your household. though, most modifications are actually very basic and a couple of even indistinguishable.

For example, pasta lovers can take comfort in knowing that pasta is yet on the menu for clean eating as long as organic wheat pasta is used. There are multiple clean eating variations of the classic hamburger, using lean meats such as turkey or chicken in place of area beef, or a mash of different forms of beans or candy potato.

When it comes to placing together a clean eating menu, a key concern is the ingredients that you use. You can make clean versions of multiple dishes simply by utilizing organic, fresh ingredients in preference to canned or processed ones. This basic switch is the first step to a healthier diet. Why not get on it today?

It Takes Too Long And I’m Tired

July 7, 2017/in Blog, Motivation, Personal Training

You’re completely right. It is a long and tiring journey. The question you have to be asking yourself is, “Why did I think it was going to be quick and easy?”

To be fair, this is not your fault.

If you look at any fitness magazine, weight loss advertisement or even articles on Facebook, you’ll see titles such as, “Get a Beach Body in 2 Weeks Flat!” or “Drop 12 pounds in 2 Weeks with FatsBeGone Pills”.

It all seems so easy and effortless. So why is it taking so long for you?

The answer is that you have been lied to through and through and through. If you truly stopped to think about it, you didn’t become overweight overnight or even in a month. It would have taken you a long term to become overweight to the point that you know you require to do something about the excess fats. So, if it took you quite a while to gain weight, why would you expect to lose it all fast?
Because you have been lied to. The difficult truth is that weight loss is a slow, tiring process. You will require to watch what you consume and exercise. You’ll require to maintain a caloric deficit for as long as it takes till your body burns off the excess fat.

Now that the truth has been unmasked, it’s time for a reality verify. usually, people may lose a pound of fat per week. Forget what you have seen on those weight loss reality shows. Most have been edited to make it look like the contestants lost weight in a short time. The fact of the matter is that initially the weight you lose could be about 4 to even 6 pounds in a week. anyhow, your body will adapt and in a matter of time, you can only expect to see about 1 pound of fat loss per week. occasionally, it might only be half a pound.

Imagine if you were 30 pounds overweight, it might take you 30 weeks. You can’t get a beach body in 2 weeks. That’s unreasonable.

You’re seeking at 30 weeks! That’s about 7 months. Does that shock you? Now you comprehend why you have the feeling of it’s taking forever. Your yardstick was an illusion. You were basing your expectations on hype and unrealistic declares by people and companies hoping to make cash. The health industry is a billion dollar industry and they will do anything it takes to make your pockets lighter and make you heavier. It’s good for repeat business. Now that you’re aware that it takes that long, will you prevail committed? You should. perhaps you’re just into your second month and you expected to lose the 30 pounds but you only lost ten pounds.

You feel such as a failure but you’re not. You have produced good progress. If you prevail the course, in another 4 to 5 months you would have pulled off your ambition. You’re on the proper track. All you require to do is keep going. This is a personal journey and you have no rivals. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to lose weight or construct a body that is muscular and toned. It all takes time.

If you’re tired, it’s mostly because you feel that you’re not seeing results or not seeing them quick enough. Now that you are aware of it takes time, the “not quick enough” is not an issue. If you see no results, there is either something wrong with your training or diet. You will require to explore them nearly. Count your calories but don’t obsess through them. Have a common idea of what range you’re in. Trying to lose weight? You require to be in a caloric deficit. verify it.

Keep examining your training pattern, diet and other reasons and make changes as you see fit. Nothing is set in stone. Do anything it takes to accomplish your ambition and never lose hope.

It is within your reach.

Kundalini Yoga 101

July 6, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Yoga

Yoga is not just a form of exercise. It is known to revitalize your body, mind and spirit as well. The word yoga means union, and the best forms of yoga are those which allow you to improve all three. Hatha yoga is the oldest of the yoga forms, dating back to 1,500 BC.

Kundalini is slightly more modern than that, having been developed in India in the 5th century AD and practiced as part of Tantric Buddhism.

What Is Tantra?

Tantra means union, that is, union of mind, body and spirit. Instead of living in a cave and starving in order to make spiritual progress, Tantric Buddhists incorporate all aspects of life into their spiritual path to perfection. You don’t need to be a Buddhist to practice Kundalini yoga, since yoga is not a part of any religion. Yoga is however a cornerstone of traditional Indian medicine, known as Ayurvedic medicine.

Yoga as Healing

Kundalini yoga was brought to the West in the late 1960’s by Yogi Bhajan, a Sikh from India, who also founded the Yogi tea brand. He set up teaching centers as part of the Happy, Healthy Holy Organization (3HO).

Kundalini yoga focuses on awakening your power within through two means, physical movement and mental improvement. You can develop strength and power in all aspects of your life and use this power to achieve both your worldly goals and your higher self.

The word Kundalini means coiled. It refers to two things. The first is a form of vital life energy thought by Ayurvedic practitioners to be coiled around the base of the spine. By moving this energy through your body and harnessing whenever you wish, you can release your full potential of body, mind and spirit – the second meaning of Kundalini.

Why Kundalini Yoga Is Different

Kundalini uses poses and breath work in a range of ways. Rather than being done individually for their own sake, they are put into sets known as kriyas which are designed to accomplish certain goals. These goals can range from boosting your energy and strengthening your immune system, to weight loss and lowering stress. Some of the poses are special and used only in Kundalini yoga.

In addition to the poses, Kundalini uses special breath work, including one called Breath of Fire – rapid breathing in and out through the nose in the same way a dog would pant through its mouth. The pattern is supposed to awaken the energy in the spine and move it upwards so it can be used in a range of ways. It also gives the abs a great workout.

Kundalini works on the individual chakras of the body as well, to balance them. The word chakra means vortex; the energy is pictured as spinning like a plate from the front of our body to our back.

There are seven chakras, each related to a certain form of energy. For example, the heart chakra at the center of our chest is said to control our love and relationships. A blocked or imbalanced chakra can lead to disharmony and poor health. An open and balanced one can lead to happier relationships.

Kundalini is also different because of the mantras and chanting. If you love to sing, this is the right yoga for you.

This form of yoga can be done by people of all ages and physical conditions. There are no levels so you can benefit from any class you attend. If you are feeling “stuck” in certain parts of your life, see if there is a Kundalini studio near you and try it out to see what a difference it can make in your life.

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