Yoga Guide
| Name | Ann Pizer | |
| Yoga Guide | ||
| Biography | Public Profile | |
Ann belongs to our network of Guides from our parent company, About.com. In addition to providing Calorie Count Plus with articles, reviews, and tutorials, Guides also maintain their own GuideSites on About.com with in-depth information on each one of their areas of specialization. To learn more about Ann and her background, see her Calorie Count Plus biography page.
Articles
| Comforting Your Fearful Preschooler Take a peek into a yoga class at your gym or local yoga studio and you will see students moving through postures as if choreographed. The teacher gives the name of the pose and the students assume the position in unison. If you have never done yoga, this may seem mysterious, but once you get started, you soon learn the poses associated with names like Downward Facing Dog and Happy Baby. |
| How to Start Doing Yoga Deciding that you want to start doing yoga is the first step. It's easy to get stuck here though. Don't be intimidated! Here is the information you will need to take that next step and start enjoying the pleasures and benefits of yoga. |
| Yoga Sequences One of the most challenging things about doing yoga at home (right up there with getting motivated!) is figuring out how to sequence poses. If you take a lot of classes, you may start to notice that there are certain classic sequences that teachers use over and over again. There are also some poses that naturally flow together. Here are some ideas for how to use sequences to create a full yoga experience, so when you've psyched yourself up to do some yoga, you'll be ready to go. |
| Yoga Style Guide Your Guide to Popular Yoga Styles. |
| Step-by-Step Sun Salutation Illustrated Step-by-Step Sun Salutation. |
| What is Yoga? The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between mind, body and spirit. |
| The Eight Limbs of Yoga According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the ancient texts that is the basis for the philosophy behind yoga, there are eight limbs (Ashtanga in Sanskrit) of yoga. Each limb relates to an aspect of achieving a healthy and fulfilling life and each builds upon the one before it. You may be surprised to hear that only one of the limbs involves the performance of yoga postures. Here is a description of the eight limbs. |
| Beginners' Yoga Poses There's no need to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of yoga poses. Hopefully, your yoga practice will be a lifelong pursuit, giving you plently of time to learn scores of poses. As your practice progresses, you will feel comfortable taking on more and more challenging poses, but when you are just beginning, it's a good idea to keep it simple. Below are the poses you need to get started with the names in both English and Sanskrit and a link to the full, illustrated instructions. |
| Alternate Nostril Breathing Nadi Sodhana This breath is balancing, relaxing, and calming. |
| The Equipment You Need to Start Your Yoga Practice Clothing: Comfortable, breathable clothes are recommended for yoga. You probably want to wear a shirt that is a little bit form-fitting, since in many yoga poses your head comes below your hips and your shirt can slide down. Any exercise pants or shorts will do, although it's best not to have super slick lycra-type pants since in some poses this may cause you to slip. |
| Yoga Etiquette These rules of good yoga etiquette will help you feel comfortable when entering an unfamiliar setting. They are based on common sense and courtesy, but deal with some issues that are specific to yoga classes and studios. |
| Power Yoga Power Yoga is a general term used in the west to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style yoga. |
| Yoga for a Better Night's Sleep If you have a hard time getting to sleep at night, incorporating yoga into your life can help, especially if your insomnia is stress-related. |
| Yoga for Back Pain Series 1: Yoga for Back Health This series of four poses is designed to support back health and relieve back pain through yoga. On each page, you will find links to full instructions for each pose and an explanation on how the pose addresses back pain from Anne Asher, About.com's Guide to Back Pain. |
| Yoga for Back Pain Series 2: Basic Flexibility for Pain Prevention This series of four poses is designed to prevent back pain through improving basic spinal flexibility, strengthening the core and the spinal support muscles, and becoming comfortable with the movements that control flexion and extention of the spine. On each page, you will find links to full instructions for each pose. |
| Yoga for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Yoga exercises can help reduce the pain of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 concluded that participants who practiced yoga over an eight-week period showed improvement in their condition when compared to those who did not do yoga. The yoga poses emphasized in this study focused on opening, stretching, and strengthening the joints of the upper body. A yoga regimen including these types of poses, and avoiding those which place too much pressure on the wrists, may offer relief to CTS sufferers. It should be noted that no yoga poses can cure CTS and that your physician should be consulted before trying any new therapy. |
| Introduction to Prenatal Yoga During pregnancy, you want to stay in shape and do what is best for your baby-to-be. Prenatal yoga is a wonderful way to do both. Whether you are new to yoga or already an experienced practitioner, you can enjoy the benefits of yoga while pregnant. Yoga classes are a great way to prepare yourself for the birthing process as well as enjoy the company of other pregnant women. Many a toddler's playgroup has emerged from the bonds forged in prenatal yoga classes! |
| Top 7 Best Yoga Books This list includes books that provide great instructions on how to do yoga poses, reference sources, yoga philosophy, and books with amazing aspirational photos. In other words, a yoga book for everyone. |
| Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem. In the Gita, Arjuna, a great warrior, is faced with a difficult decision: whether or not to fight in a battle between his kinsmen. He is torn between his duty to fight alongside his brothers for a just cause, and his reluctance when he sees those he must fight against include his other relatives and mentors. Krishna takes the place of Arjuna's charioteer and offers Arjuna advice on how to deal with the situation. Included in this allegory are lessons on how to lead a moral life, which form the foundations of the spiritual practice of yoga. |
| Yoga Poses Alphabetically by Sanskrit Names If you only know the Sanskrit names of a yoga pose, look it up here where the poses are arranged alphabetically by Sanskrit name. |
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