Various Yoga Pose For Ankle Recovery, Promote Healing And To Get Back In Shape

By Patricia | January 6, 2009

Can I Take Yoga Class With Sprained Ankle

The ankle is one of the most critical joints in the human body. It is here that various ligaments and tissues of the foot and leg connect thus giving us the ability to walk and move around. The unique feature of the ankle is its ability to twist and spin, allowing us greater flexibility and mobility. It is this trait, which allows us to perform many of our sports and daily activities apart from dancing and shaking a leg.

However the twisting motion can also instigate a serious foot injury. This primarily happens when unwanted force or pressure is applied on the foot and the ankle joint, which sparks an imbalance in the ankle region thus causing injury. This is termed as a sprain. This injury can hamper a person’s daily life as it severely restricts the movements of the leg and foot. Usually the injury is mild with the ligaments getting a little stretched however the injury can get serious when the ligaments are flexed beyond a certain limit causing them to tear.

Before getting into any Yoga class or position, it is absolutely mandatory to follow these fundamentals. Firstly take ample rest as this is best mode of recuperating your ankle. Apply ice at least twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes to the affected area. As the healing process continues make sure to wear an ankle supporter and comfortable shoes to get the right balance and prevent stress to the ankle. As excessive rest can also hamper healing get your ankle accustomed to motion gradually and once able enough walk preferably on a flat surface.

Although you can’t start with Yoga asanas (poses) but you can surely improve your situation by doing basic ankle stretching exercises. Start by taking a chair and placing yourself on the edge. Use props or cushions to support your back. Now stretch your legs with the heels positioned firmly on the floor. Slightly bend your ankle pointing the toe towards you and then slowly move it away from you, Follow the same procedure for 3 to 5 times. Another great stretching exercise would be the squats. Stand at least 12 to 15 inches from a wall with your toes pointing towards the wall. Slowly bend yourself in a squatting position and maintain this pose for at least 10 counts. Then slowly rise without putting too much tension on the ankle. Repeat this procedure for at least 10 times. If there is the slightest pain do not continue with this exercise. However, before embarking on any exercise regimen, always consult a physiotherapist.

Once recovery has already begun yoga may be used as a part of physiotherapy to further strengthen the ankle and promote healing. There are various poses for the ankle in Yoga, however give ample time and rest before you hit the Yoga class again. Also makes sure you have a qualified Yoga instructor who can guide you step-by-step for your ankle recovery and get you back in shape for some twisting and curling.

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Yoga Posture Provide Strong Resistance To Pressure Applied By Increasing Bone Mass And Stamina

By Patricia | January 6, 2009

Is Yoga Good For Bones Or Body

Yoga is a one-of-a-kind ancient art form, which has proved to heal the mind, body and soul. It’s been a tried and tested formula for people suffering from bodily imbalances over many centuries. Yoga has such great potential that even today modern medical science struggles to unravel many of its mysteries and therapeutic properties.

In today’s time due to the everyday turmoil, we have somehow lost our ability to stay attuned to our bodily functions. Pretty much like a computer or any machine our body too diagnoses problems in any of the bodily functions and makes us aware of them. Most of us however do not notice these warnings because we are not tuned in to our bodies and are too caught up in our daily busy routines. For example when we get a back strain, we take it lightly and resort to painkillers. It’s only when the condition turns a lot more serious that we attend to it. Anxiety too often turns into depression as we ignore the problem while still remediable. This is where Yoga comes in more than handy and can be the best exercise to the rescue. The Yoga school of thought says that to cure a problem in your body, you must first understand and attend to your body.

One of the major problems we suffer today is prolonged stress on our muscular-skeletal system, particularly our bones and joints. High-impact physical training might be good to certain extent but can prove to be a menace later in life putting tremendous pressure on certain joints of the body. To eradicate this problem, one can use Yoga to foster healthy bone growth and restrict the routine wear and tear of the various joints and bones.

Yoga is the ideal physical exercise for your body particularly your bones. The restorative properties of Yoga enhance bloody supply and also promote the secretion of synovial fluid, an essential lubricating agent for the bones and joints. The various asanas (poses) stimulate a healthy blood supply and essential nutrients for the muscular-skeletal system.

Firstly, a complete Yoga workout will help you align your body and get your balance right. This helps in promoting a healthy bone and joint structure. Secondly, the yoga postures are designed in such a manner that they provide strong resistance to pressure applied thus increasing bone mass and stamina in various positions. There are numerous stretching exercises in Yoga, which promote mobility, flexibility and eliminate or reduce stiffness in various parts of the body. Yoga complements the endocrine and adrenal glands, which help in promoting skeletal formation and at the same time relax various muscle groups and joints in the body. One can only understand the limitless potential of Yoga by a regular and disciplined exercise of this art form.

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Yoga Make Aware Of Every Limb In Body And Help By Improving Balance And Concentration

By Patricia | January 6, 2009

What Is The Best Type Of Yoga To Start With An Athletic, Inflexible Male

Yoga works by giving you full control not just over your body but also your mind so you need to learn it properly and gradually. It involves a lot of stretching of different parts of your body, which might not be very easy for a beginner. So you would need to start with the basics and then gradually move on to the advanced postures or yogasanas. You would need to keep the following points in mind while starting yoga:
Practice yoga early in the mornings. If you can’t manage to do it in the mornings then you may practice it in the afternoon but you need to follow some restrictions regarding your food timings and intake. Yoga should be practiced on an empty stomach so you need to consume solid food at least three and a half hours prior and liquids at least an hour before you start.

  • Do not consume spicy and heaty foods
  • Do not practice yoga on a bare floor; do use a yoga mat or a carpet. Ensure that the place is clean and airy or practice in an open space where there is lots of clean fresh air.
  • Wear clean comfortable loose clothes that would allow your body to stretch easily without causing any strain.
  • For better results practice yoga daily for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

The following are some basic asanas (yoga postures) for beginners:

  • Kanthasanchalana – This is practiced to increase the strength and flexibility of the neck muscles
  • Skandhasanchalana – This is practiced to increase the flexibility of the muscles in your shoulders and back
  • Hastasanchalana - This is practiced to increase the stamina and flexibility of the muscles in your shoulders and hands
  • Padasanchalana - This is practiced to increase the strength and flexibility of the muscles in your hips and legs
  • Janusanchalan - This is practiced to increase the strength and flexibility of the muscles in your waist and knees

Yoga does not involve any fast movements but is gradual and consists of slow smooth movements that give a natural and easy flow to your body. It makes you aware of every limb in your body and thus helps you slowly control it by improving your balance and concentration. It also helps to reduce the stress levels by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen to each and every part of your body. Practicing yoga regularly keeps your mind sharp and active, and your body healthy and well toned.

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Yoga Relax And Rejuvenate Body By Healthy Blood And Oxygen Flow To Every Organ In The Body

By Patricia | January 6, 2009

Does Yoga Helps For Someone Who Has Anxiety And Low Self Esteem

Yes yoga does help with anxiety and low self esteem as it does with all other problems. Yoga is beneficial both for your body and mind. The gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels are the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitters that are responsible for your moods. Practicing yoga helps to increase the GABA levels and thus treats anxiety. The feelings of anxiety and low self esteem come in our mind when we are isolated and depressed and involved in too much of worry and stress. Yoga involves your body in the asana or the yoga posture and your breathing, so you concentrate only on that. Thus it takes your mind away from the stress and anxiety. The endorphins released in your body after the yoga exercise help to make you feel happy naturally. And as you stretch your body a little more every time you learn and practice a new asana (yoga posture), it increases the control and confidence in yourself.  Thus it helps to increase your self-esteem. Yoga benefits your mind and body in a number of ways like:

  • Improving your posture that naturally makes you look confident.
  • Increasing strength and stamina by giving you more control over your mind and body.
  • Relaxing and rejuvenating your body by helping in healthy blood and oxygen flow to every organ in your body.
  • It also helps you to lose excess weight and tones your body naturally making you look fit and feel great at all times.
  • It also makes your body more flexible as you stretch yourself more and more with every new asana. It gives you great control over your mind and body that helps you to block out negative thoughts which cause anxiety and low self-esteem. A person who practices yoga regularly has good control over his mind and body, feels great because of his excellent health and a well-toned body. And a good looking healthy individual would rarely ever feel depressed, anxious or suffer from low self esteem.

You can learn yoga from books and videotapes but the best way to learn would be to learn from a qualified teacher. When you practice yoga don’t just imitate your teacher but understand and feel how your body responds to it. You need to feel the effect it has on every part of your body. When you start doing this you would naturally improve in your postures and feel the positive effects sooner. Yoga is best practiced early in the morning preferably in a open space like a garden or a beach.

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Sahaja Yoga Increase Concentration, Self-awareness, Reducing Stress, Strengthen Immune System And Make Mind Calm

By Patricia | January 6, 2009

Do We Need To Sit In Any Special Posture While Doing Sahaja Yoga Meditation

No, you do not have to sit in any special posture when you’re doing Sahaja Yoga meditation. This meditation can also be done at any time and in any form. According to Sahaja Yoga practitioners, through this meditation technique you become one with the Spirit and then you do not have to meditate more than ten minutes to enjoy the benefits. There aren’t any particular restrictions in this form of yoga. You can even sit in any posture while doing meditation.

While practicing Sahaja Yoga, you have to get into a state of thoughtless awareness, which is known as Nivichara. While doing this, you have to sit quietly in one place and stop entertaining any thoughts that drift into your mind. When you can control your mind and become thoughtlessly aware, then you have to meditate for five minutes. This isn’t too complicated and even a few minutes of medication through Sahaja yoga can work wonders for you. Sahaja, which means simple, is actually an easy form of meditation.

Through this you can attain self realization and can awaken the Kundalini within you. A good method of becoming integrated and balanced, Sahaja Yoga can increase your self awareness and work on your nervous system. It makes you more spiritual and unifies your mind, body and soul through a few minutes of practice.

You connect with your inner self and your spirit in those few minutes of thoughtless awareness and this makes you feel that you are so much more than just an ego, a body or emotions. This state of self-awareness, used to take several years and tough meditation, before the sages who practiced yoga could attain unity with the Spirit. But now, in an age when time is in short supply, a few minutes of Sahaja Yoga is all you need to de-clutter your mind and achieve self-realization.

Sahaja yoga also eliminates all negative thoughts from the mind and helps to calm you. This also replaces anger and negativity with happiness and positive thoughts. Sahaja Yoga is said to awaken your kundalini quickly.

Some of the benefits of Sahaja yoga include, increasing your concentration and self-awareness; reducing stress; strengthening the immune system; making your mind calm; and, unifying your mind, body and spirit.

Thus, with hardly any time required and through any posture, you can attain self-realization by doing this simple yet fulfilling form of Sahaja yoga.

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