Yoga Asanas Are Not Mere Exercises

Yoga and exercise are not the same.nytimes.com Today, most fitness programs teach exercises, Yoga asanas, pranayama, Tai Chi, aerobics, martial arts, etc or a combination of these. Though all of these are aimed at maintaining and improving health, few understand the difference between Yoga asanas and other forms of fitness methods. Exercises are aimed at building your muscles and physical strength and endurance. Exercises involve repetition of certain movements aimed at building a certain group of muscles, thereby increasing the muscle weight and improving strength of those body parts. It increases the blood supply to those parts. Most exercises increase your breath rate and heart rate. You consume more oxygen during exercises than when you are doing your daily routine activities.


Yoga asanas on the other hand, work in a totally different fashion. The idea of asanas is not building muscles, but harmonizing the body, breath and mind, thereby contributing to the overall health of the individual. In the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, asana is described as "Sthiram Sukham Asanam", which means that which gives steadiness, stability and Joy is called Asana. From this definition, it is clear that unlike exercises, you cannot do asanas with strain or tension. There is no extra load on the respiratory and cardiac systems. It has to be done in a steady and calm manner and should induce peace and sense of well being.


The oxygen consumption during asanas is lesser than your daily regular activities. Asanas reduces your breath and heart rate. Yoga decreases your Basal Metabolic Rate while exercises increase it. When performing asanas, your body is learning to use much less resources and be more efficient. Yoga asana doesn’t burn your calories as much as exercises. Yoga practitioners will need less food consumption than those who do exercises. Exercises can build up toxins in the body, while Yoga asanas help in eliminating toxins. Asanas help in optimal secretions of the endocrinal glands, thereby balancing the emotions and improving relationships and social interactions. The effect of yoga goes beyond the body. Benefits of yoga include not only strength and steadiness of the body, but also physiological and mental health. Yoga prevents as well as alleviates health problems. Finally, one has to understand that Yoga asanas were developed as part of spiritual science. The goal of yoga is primarily spiritual. Health and other benefits are secondary, though today most practitioners take to yoga for its physical and mental benefits. Yoga improves awareness in all our activities. Asanas are a prerequisite for the higher practices of pranayama, meditation and samadhi.

Do not practice Kapalbhati if you have any of the following conditions: - HerniaKing Dancer PoseRotate to the right so that the hand pass over the right toes as far to the right as possibleSimultaneously, tilt your head backwardsPress up into downward dog. Lower knees to floor, then push back up. Repeat five timesWith the release of gravity the body is able to find the optimum stretch

Everybody should detox their bodies. Not only with yoga, but with natural food too. I've always thought yoga to be a great thing to do for your mind and body but had no idea it also helped in detoxification. Very interesting lens. Need to find more time for yoga! It's been very helpful info about detoxifying the body with yoga poses. Angel blessed, and I've listed some of your yoga lenses on November Blessings for mental health under improving mental health with exercise. Wow, this is really interesting! I just got a yoga DVD that says it's supposed to help detox but it doesn't explain any of the science of why it works.


When I first read the title I thought, "How does yoga do that?" Then I read the part about your body's natural detox system. Yoga just aids in it. Then I understood. Great lens! I never knew you could detox with Yoga. I'll have to try this. My daughter learned how to do a head stand in cheerleading. I think I'll have her teach me. I know that I need a good detox. This sounds like a simple process using yoga. Very interesting info. Thanks. I just love to check out on poses here to refresh my memory. I find the detox explanation very useful.


I love this lens! Hi - I never associated Yoga with detoxing before, but it certainly does make sense. This encourages me to practice more, thanks! I'm always looking for great detox tools, plus, love yoga, so great combo! Great videos and an overall fantastic lens on yoga. Have tried some of the poses you've put here. I have learned yoga and practiced a bit but am not very regular. Will try to be. Thanks for the pictures. Can go back to it once in a while. Have tried some of the poses you've put here. I have learned yoga and practiced a bit but am not very regular. Will try to be.


Thanks for the pictures. Can go back to it once in a while. AuthorKaren 7 years ago from U.S. Hi Geoff -- I checked out your Anamaya Resort website, and it looks wonderful! Thanks for your comment. Thanks, this is a very helpful article. I think I just may go try an inverted pose now! KarenHC: Thanks for the tip! AuthorKaren 7 years ago from U.S. Kyecerulian: And the legs up the wall pose is a great way to rest the legs and back after a long day's work. A simple variation is to place a folded blanket or two underneath the sacrum to get more of an open chest.


There a number of things that determine how much yoga studios and wellness centers charge for yoga classes. Rates go significantly higher, pretty much like everything else, as the cost of living increases. These are only drop-in fees. Of course you can get it for less when you buy in bulk. Again on average, you will save about 15% per session if you buy multiple sessions. In some studios you will find a variety of packages offered at fixed rates. A typical monthly plan entitles you to one class everyday for 30 days, but for only half the price of what you would otherwise pay based on drop-in prices.


A package may offer specific classes only-under a particular instructor and during certain schedules.naturalnews.com Be sure it is right for you before paying up. With gyms, meanwhile, unlimited yoga classes are frequently bundled with membership. Such offers of total access are a good idea if you have the time to use the equipment and attend the classes. If you only have time for one, then that's the only thing you should pay for. When something is bundled, it doesn't necessarily mean it's free. You may be paying for it, too, albeit at a lower price. Special promos and incentives affect the rates, as well. For instance, some fitness centers charge less for first timers even if they're just dropping in. Some even throw in a massage therapy or a Pilates training along with the yoga classes.


Others offer seasonal discounts. Loyalty reward and referral programs are common schemes. There are inclusions that increase the costs. Studios may have reasonable rates per session, but also charge you for the lockers, sauna, mats and towels. Know beforehand whether you actually need such facilities. As for the mat and towel, which you do need, you may want to compare prices first. All that said, how much your yoga classes should cost will really depend on you. How often can you go? How much are you willing to spend? My advice: find the time and you will find the class that fits your budget. Just find the time.


Being a yoga teacher has become a lot more competitive in Spokane and North Idaho over the past four years. It’s the natural result of more people turning to yoga as a simple way to undo stress and find balance in their lives. A survey completed by Yoga Alliance, a national advocacy group, said more than 80 million people tried yoga in the United States for the first time in 2016. The same study said more than 38 million Americans practice yoga regularly. That rising popularity means a new yoga teacher here likely can find plenty of chances to teach, said Dawn Spickler, who has taught yoga for three decades, primarily at Yasodhara Yoga Center in Browne’s Addition.


But the number of other teachers around means it’s hard to make it a full-time career, said Spickler, who uses the name Swami Yasodananda. She changed her name to reflect her commitment to her guru, Swami Rhada, she said. It’s unlikely in Spokane that a yoga teacher can generate a full-time income," she said. If a yoga teacher supplements a partner’s income or doesn’t need full-time work, Spokane is a decent place to consider teaching yoga, she added. Spickler, along with other veteran yoga instructors here and in North Idaho, say it’s a good time to become a yoga teacher if one’s lifestyle, health and finances allow that choice.


Getting your name out there takes time," said Jessica Richmond, a Coeur d’Alene yoga teacher who until earlier this year ran her own studio for classes. Being a yoga teacher in general is not something someone goes into for money and I think this wave of Instagram celebrity yogis shows something that just is so far from reality," she said. The solution she prescribes is being willing to cobble teaching jobs wherever they can be found. Or, if a teacher gets hired to work at an established yoga school or center, the pay is typically a percentage of the fees paid by students for that class. Area yoga instructors said the best strategy is being flexible with one’s schedule and developing a network of students and employers who value the style of yoga one offers. Those instructors offered up suggestions for would-be yoga teachers.


Consider taking a registered yoga teacher training (RYT) to build a stronger foundation and a solid skill set, said Alison Rubin, owner of Harmony Yoga in Spokane. RYT training comes in 200-hour and 300-hour categories. They involve weekend commitments and intensive sessions with advanced trainers. The goal, Rubin said, is to learn a wide range of tools, including understanding physiology, anatomy, teaching methodology, proper alignment and yoga philosophy. One can become a dedicated yoga instructor without completing the RYT, but the training is the best way to establish one’s credentials, Rubin said. The RYT insures that a yoga teacher has learned not just the basic asanas - yoga poses - but also knows how to incorporate them in class and how to modify those postures depending on the student.


There is a lot of competition if you’re a yoga teacher. So, you do really want good training in order to become a good teacher," Rubin said. A teacher starting out needs to be willing to teach at various locations. Instructors should apply to athletic clubs, gyms and community centers to get hands-on experience in the field. Rubin added teachers should offer to work as a substitute at local yoga studios. A good number of area firms hire yoga teachers to give on-site classes to employees. Hospitals, nursing homes and universities all typically try to offer yoga instruction through hiring contract teachers, Rubin said. Be willing to patch together a teaching schedule to get out there and get known, because it can all contribute to generating a respectable income," Rubin said.


Diversifying where one teaches should be balanced by deciding which style of yoga and what niche group of students best fits one’s style, said Richmond, the Coeur d’Alene teacher who ran Soul One Yoga Studio until closing it this March. Yoga classes range in style from very active (vinyasa or power yoga) to more deliberate, breath-connected approaches (flow yoga). In general, vinyasa yoga has become the current preferred style for most younger practitioners, Richmond said. Some teachers can try to cover the map by being generalists. Richmond instead prefers to focus on teaching a more connected, meditative yoga. There’s also the additional choice of deciding which specific niche or specialty fits one’s teaching, Richmond added.


Her specialty has been offering yoga for expectant mothers or for women with a newborn. Other specialties include yoga for seniors, gentle yoga for people with injuries or disabilities, yoga for athletes looking for more flexibility and range of motion, and yoga for children. Working as a solo teacher instead of owning a studio can be challenging in a market like Coeur d’Alene, Richmond said. That city now has too many yoga teachers, with overall teaching quality being uneven, she said. Richmond said she shut down Soul One Studio when it was obvious she didn’t have a passion for running a business. I love the freedom of not having a studio now," she said. It’s important to market your work through social media if you’re a solo yoga teacher," she said.


Doing that puts you into the loop and eventually produces opportunities to enjoy teaching the style you prefer, she said. Find a yoga teacher to be your mentor. Find a teacher with a style that suits you and appeals to you," said Shawn Brow, co-founder of South Perry Yoga, which has been in business for 10 years. A good mentor will help guide a novice yoga teacher into finding the best fit within the Spokane area yoga community, she said. Yoga teachers by nature focus more on positives than negatives. Still, there are some things not to do when trying to become a yoga instructor.