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How Yoga Can Help Your Overall Health

October 27, 2012 By Angela

Yoga is a popular practice of meditation and exercise that has helped thousands of people lose weight and get into the best shape of their lives. The mind, body and soul connection that yoga provides is unlike any other form of exercise, giving not only your body a workout but your mind as well. The health benefits of yoga are endless and go way beyond just helping you get into better shape. Here are some of the additional reasons you should consider practicing yoga.

Posture

Better posture is achieved through yoga from the core strength that is developed through the practice. Your abdominals are so frequently used to support and maintain each pose that in turn your posture is improved. The ability to sit and stand with your spine straight isn’t easy and requires practice, but that’s another benefit of yoga. During yoga you are also taught to pay attention to your body and with this heightened awareness, you know whether you’re slouching or slumping so you can adjust your posture.

Strength

Yoga teachers are some of the strongest, most naturally muscular people I’ve ever seen. The practice of yoga is all about using your own body weight to tone muscles, which is great. Muscle tone will be improved through yoga, without question.

Static poses such as downward dog, upward dog and the plank pose help to build upper body strength, which is crucial to have as you get older. The standing poses, on the other hand, help to build strength in your hamstrings, quadriceps and abdominal muscles.

Flexibility

Flexibility is something people are born with. For those who aren’t born with it, they have to work hard at it if they’re trying to be flexible. Many people who haven’t done yoga before believe that yoga involves having to stretch like a gymnast and only those born flexible can do it. The fact is you can improve flexibility at any age!

Doing yoga allows you to stretch your muscles and all of the soft tissues of your body. This includes ligaments, tendons and the fascia sheath that surrounds all of your muscles. The great thing about yoga is that no matter what level you’re doing, the results will show fairly quickly.

Stress Levels

Yoga requires relaxation which means that for those who are stressed out and over worked, yoga could really change lives. Even beginners have noted that they feel more relaxed after just one class. The deep breathing techniques that are taught during yoga help to focus mind on breath which turns off the thoughts about work and helps relieve stress.

There are many biochemical responses that are associated with yoga as well. Yoga lowers levels of hormone neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, which creates an overwhelming feeling of calm.

So as you can see, the practice of yoga is no joke. By doing yoga on a weekly basis, you can improve your flexibility and posture, strengthen your entire body and decrease your stress levels. If you thought that was all, you’re sorely mistaken. The benefits of yoga are practically endless, as it will improve your overall health and well being. There’s a reason yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and has continued to grow in popularity. Try it out for yourself and see how you feel after a few sessions. The changes could blow your mind!

Becky Karn is a freelance writer and health advocate. After researching many degree programs including university of southern california (usc) health administration degree online, she would like to go back to school and someday educate the public in making healthy choices.

6 Meditation Benefits For The Elderly

November 18, 2011 By msommer

More and more of the elderly in the West are giving meditation a try. This is nothing new in the East where the oldest generation has utilized meditation for centuries. Meditation, regardless of your spirituality, yields numerous benefits for those young and old. Many older meditation participants are reaping the benefits that meditation teaches for the trials of old age. The following examples are only a few of the health gains associated with meditation.

1. Lowers blood pressure. Meditation relieves your tension that cause high blood pressure. More scientifically speaking, the process of meditation influences the production of nitric oxide, which widens your blood vessels. Some physicians are suggesting meditation along with other lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

2. Relieves stress. Stress is a killer that can lead to a score of medical complications. As you get older the chance of stress triggering health conditions such as a heart attack or asthmatic episode is ever more likely. Daily meditation reduces your stress and teaches techniques to control stress in a tense situation.

3. Clear mindedness. One reason meditation is often associated with Eastern religion is because its clarity induced state is essential to those spiritual pursuits. Meditation allows for peacefulness and clear thought. Since the elderly are often more concerned about mortality, this allows for spiritual reflection regardless of your religious beliefs.

4. Focuses memory. Meditation can also assist with the onset of dementia and Alzheimerâ€™s disease. A study from the University of Pennsylvania suggests that daily meditation slows down the progression of Alzheimerâ€™s. The study shows that participants who meditated just twelve minutes a day had increased blood flow in their brains. The participants also tested for improved memories.

5. Pain management. The idea is mind over matter, yet you donâ€™t have to be a monk to manage pain. A study at the University School of Medicine indicates that pain discomfort is greatly reduced in test subject who were meditating. This sort of technique, if effective, would be invaluable to those with chronic pain.

6. Sleep. Proven to be effective with insomniacs, meditation can help with your sleep patterns. Try relaxing with mediation in the morning or afternoon but not before bed. While meditating relaxes you it can also wake you up if practiced to close to bedtime.

Meditation will take some effort and practice, yet the benefits for even the novice are great. Give meditation a try and see how it can work for you.

Matthew write health tips.

6 Alternative Methods For Reducing Stress

November 4, 2011 By msommer

Stress affects your day-to-day life and can be detrimental to your health. At the same time controlling your stress is easier said than done. Short of medication there are various techniques that will effectively reduce your stress. Give the following methods a try.

1. Biofeedback. Hooked up to electric leads, biofeedback monitors your heart rate, skin temperature, blood pressure and breathing. These biological functions are signs of stress. By watching the readout of the bodily functions you can teach yourself to regulate and control them. Biofeedback is a proven anxiety and stress reducer that is also good for your health.

2. Meditation. The process of simply quieting your mind and in effect; relaxing. Researchers believe that daily meditation can significantly reduce stress and lower your blood pressure. Try sitting a quiet spot and not thinking for 20 minutes a day. It just might eliminate the incessant thoughts you are stressed about.

3. Massage. If youâ€™ve ever experienced a massage then you know its relaxing power. Numerous studies show that massage and actual physical touch is responsible for decreasing cortisol levels to relieve stress. Some health care providers now cover massage therapy due to its positive impact on your health.

4. Hypnosis. Not only a cool trick at the fair but also a worthwhile therapeutic treatment. The benefits of hypnosis are two-fold. The process of hypnosis helps you to relax while you also train yourself to be less stressed or lead a less stressful lifestyle. You can either choose to see a professional hypnotist or learn easy methods to hypnotize yourself.

5. Yoga. It is all in the breath. Yoga involves athletic stretches and exercises based around focus and your breathing. The process is deeply relaxing and good for your body too. Yoga teachers claim that the moves restore the flow of energy in your body. Whether you believe this or not, yoga is an effective method to control stress. Try yoga only if you are physically fit enough for the exercises.

6. Art and crafts. Hobbies are an excellent way to take your attention of the daily stresses. Try an art class or buy a pottery wheel. Artists and hobbyists know that focusing all of your attention on a piece of art is a cathartic experience. Take up an art form for yourself and reap the benefits.

Donâ€™t let stress control your life. Utilize these methods will help you to live healthier and stress free.

Matthew Sommer writes health tips and helps people to compare health insurance quotes.

Also try one of our relaxing sound machines or massagers over at the BHI Store.