Category: Yoga

Yoga Bolsters – Restorative Yoga Poses Support

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Yoga Bolsters are mainly used to lift and support the body to promote deep, restorative type poses. The firmer a yoga bolster is, the less sinking feeling you will get when you lie on it. What is important is that the yoga bolster runs the entire length of your spinal column. You should feel muscular and tension relief as your chest, abdomen and back begin to relax and your rib cage begins to open more. In this way you can feel your breathing and monitor inhale and exhale.

Yoga Bolsters come in different sizes and materials. Depending on the exercises you would like to perform you choose your ideal Yoga Bolster. Smaller and thinner Yoga Bolsters are also called Pranayama. They are round and ideally quite firm. Yoga Bolsters also come in larger sizes, often round but sometimes rectangular as well. They support your body during restorative yoga poses such as savanasa and reclined hero.

EMP Industries is an Australian owned and based company that is specialized in Yoga, Pilates, Massage, Meditation, Wellness and general Fitness goods. The EMP online store offers customers around the world a convenient and secure shopping platform. If you are interested in ordering a Yoga Bolster, please click here to view EMP’s extensive range of yoga bolsters: 100% organic cotton or budget version available.

EMP Industries is also famous for offering Yoga Mats, Pilates Mats, Yoga Blocks, Yoga Blankets, Stretching Straps, Yoga Sandals, Stretch Bands, Exercise Balls, Yoga DVDs, Dance DVDs,Pilates Rings, and many many more. EMP sells its products to the end customer but also offers wholesale prices for bulk buyers (usually prices start dropping when you order more than 10 items of one product). That is the reason EMP Industries counts most large yoga and pilates studios in Australia as their customers!

Yoga Central – Legs Up The Wall Pose

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This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as Legs up the wall Pose or deep lake pose. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose.

How to Carry Out the Pose

We have put together instructions on how to carry out the pose correctly however there are also a number of modifications that can be done to make the pose easier as well as deeper. These modifications will be found lower in the article.

1. Begin the pose by placing two folded blankets on top of each other about a foot from a wall. If you dont have any blankets you can use a couple of pillows.

2. Sit sideways on the blankets and swing your legs around so that they are up the wall and lie back over the blankets. You should position yourself so that your sit bones are over the edge of the blanket and your sacrum is fully supported.

3. Ensure your legs are straight and use an eye mask to increase the relaxation. Position your arms straight out from the shoulders and close your eyes.

4. Bring your attention to your breathing, particularly in your stomach and use this pose to bring about a deep feeling of relaxation in your stomach. Allow your stomach to sink into the back body and allow your back to relax completely into the blankets.

5. Remain in this position for 2 to 3 minutes continuing to focus on your breathing. To come out of the pose slide the blankets out from under your back and roll on to your side to come up into a seated position.

Tips and Precautions

If you feel discomfort in your lower back when carrying out this pose, move your body back so that your sit bones are fully supported by the blankets. If you still feel discomfort then remove one blanket.

If you have difficulty straightening your legs then move the blankets further away from the wall until you can straighten your legs. You legs may also get tired doing this pose so you can reduce the difficulty by bending your legs, bringing the soles of your feet together and sliding your legs down the wall. You can do this if your legs get tired part way through or if you have difficulties and discomfort keeping your legs straight.

Benefits and Focus

There are a large number of benefits to this pose and many of them are the same as those experienced with more complicated inverted poses. The main areas of focus are the abdomen and lower back with the aim of bringing about a deep feeling of relaxation. This feeling of relaxation can help with various different conditions including stress, anxiety and insomnia. It can also help with relieving stress and tension in your upper back which can be beneficial for conditions like headaches. This is mainly due to the fact that headaches can be caused by tension in the upper back. This can be a great pose to practise before going to bed and can really encourage a deep a restful nights sleep.

Jan 2 The Evolution Of Yoga Pants

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Hatha yoga flowered in the West in the late sixties and early seventies when several prominent yoga masters traveled to America. They traveled the length and breadth of the country, introducing a new generation to an ancient practice. It didnt take long for their students to recognize the benefits of yoga and it continued to grow in popularity. Today, yoga is a household word.

There was no such thing as yoga apparel in those early days until entrepreneurial students started a cottage industry. Back then, the only pattern they had to work from was their pajamas. Pajamas were an interesting choice, since the word comes from a Hindi word that means leg garment, though pajamas were never actually worn by yogis in India, who traditionally wore nothing but a loincloth, if that.

Loose fitting, cool cotton pajamas provided a pattern, but in order for the pajama style pant to be functional as yoga apparel, some changes had to be made. Thicker drawstrings and heavier elastic replaced thin waistbands and heavier cloth was used instead of the flimsy cotton and synthetics used in the manufacture of sleepwear. The frequent choice of unbleached cotton reflected the growing trend towards natural, organic foods, as did the use of natural, earth-toned dyes.

Yoga pants were so comfortable that people wanted to wear them everywhere. Pockets were added and the market for them grew beyond the yoga community. Some of those small one sewing machine companies grew into larger boutique manufacturing companies. In an effort to compete in an ever-growing market, they refined their designs and the materials they used. Today, yoga apparel has become so popular that even fashion labels like Victorias Secret carry a range of yoga pants and tops.

The serious student of hatha yoga puts functionality ahead of fashion when they choose their yoga pants. Whether its one of the natural and synthetic blends like cotton/lycra or the natural fibers like hemp and organic cotton, theres never a problem finding yoga pants that are functional and look good, as well. Yoga pants that impede or restrict movement in any way are not really yoga pants theyre a fashion statement. When youre stretching into the standing tree pose (vrilshasana), you dont want to have to stop to adjust your pant leg and when youre lying on the floor, stretching your legs behind your head into the plow position (halasana), you dont want to feel like you have to hitch up the back of your pants. Yoga pants should move as fluidly and flexibly as the body of the practitioner and stay put around the waist.

With typical Western ingenuity, yoga was embraced and adapted to suit its new home, but basically it remains the same. There was little if any improvement needed to be made to the ancient art of hatha yoga. All that was needed was for us to create a range of apparel that suited the modern age. It may be a humble contribution to yoga, but its a welcome one, because yogas benefits are too numerous to be kept to the select few who prefer a loincloth to a pair of yoga pants!

Health Benefits Of Mixed Martial Arts Training

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Mixed martial arts is defined as a complete contact combat sport which involves a number of fighting skills and techniques, from a mixture of other fighting sports, used in competitions. Such training programs are great for the body and help one to improve stamina and strength.

It has been proved by a number of researches that individuals who practice any form of martial arts on a regular basis have high levels of fitness as compared to individuals who don’t. In addition to this, they also have a stronger immune system. These training programs are considered good for individuals suffering from innumerable health troubles like high cholesterol level, cardiac problems, high blood pressure, breathing difficulty, poor circulation and many others.

Some of the major benefits offered by MMA training programs are given below:

Increases flexibility and strength
This is one of the major benefits offered by such training programs. Regular training helps in the strengthening and toning of muscles thus increasing body flexibility. One becomes physical stronger and capable of defending himself from any kind of physical attack. Moreover, these training programs also help in muscle strengthening and stress release.

Weight loss programs
This is another major benefit associated with such training programs. Such programs are considered good for weight loss and help one to have a healthy and slim body.

Increases mind sharpness
Learning martial arts not only makes a person physically stronger but mentally sharper as well. The training involves good concentration and self control and thus improves coordination between the mind, body and soul.

Thus, mixed martial arts training provides innumerable health benefits to individuals and is becoming immensely popular worldwide. There are innumerable organizations which are offering MMA courses as per the needs of individuals.

Joys Of Granada Hills Yoga

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If you are a fan of relaxation and centering yourself, then you will be delighted to discover that a number of Granada Hills yoga studios provide sessions for both individuals and groups. Yogas popularity has increased dramatically over the past few years because people have realized that it can bring a lot of joy, relaxation, and balance to a persons life. It can also increase your vibration and help renew your spiritually. Maintaining a regular practice can help achieve this. Yoga and meditation can ease the stress from daily life and career pressures. It can help to relieve tension, pain, and even lessen emotional distress.

Although this has been practiced for several centuries, yoga is experiencing a renaissance in terms of popularity. Busy career people have discovered how to feel pleasure and obtain a more positive disposition by doing yoga. Granada Hills is home to numerous studios, and you can find one near where you reside. Once there, you will find relief from many of your usual worries by just maintaining a consistent and regular practice.

Many people who do yoga on a regular basis swear that they feel much better after several sessions. It is not only a form of exercise but rather a way of life that affects you in a spiritual way. If you plan to attend Granada Hills yoga classes, the instructors can teach you some meditation techniques, postures, and breathing that will not only help your physicality, but also can benefit you on an emotional and spiritual level as well. Yogas origins are from spiritual and religious rituals practiced by Buddhists and Hindus centuries ago.

Of course, you should always seek consultation with a medical doctor regarding your medical problems, physical injuries, or stress. A medical physician might prescribe medicines to remove or lessen your symptoms. Yoga on the other hand, can help further your relief. It may be a slow process, but it addresses the deeper source of ailments so that the problems will not recur. By going to the source, you heal from within. Yoga is also a preventive measure and strengthens your mind and body. Furthermore, when your body is strong, you also strengthen your immunity against sickness.

If you are searching for yoga classes, Granada Hills has quite a few places that offer lessons for people at all different levels of expertise. If you are a beginner, visit the studios, meet the instructors, and observe a class if you would like to. This will give you an idea if the studio is ideal for you. To be able to make yoga effective, you have to be comfortable with the instructor and the surroundings. Yoga is about balance and harmony, and you have to be in sync with your surroundings and the people in your class for you to achieve that balance yourself.

If you prefer private yoga, Granada Hills also has instructors willing to do one on one sessions in the comforts of your own home. You can also get individual sessions at the studio. Although private yoga classes will be slightly more expensive than classes with a group of people, through individual sessions, an instructor can focus on your specific needs which can result in faster progress to a higher vibration and healthier living. This could be better than sharing the class with many people, all of whom may be demanding attention from one instructor.

At Granada Hills yoga, you will find instructors who are considerate to their students and communicate with them during each class. All instructors always ask class members if there is anyone in the group who has any medical conditions and or physical limitations. Anyone with physical injuries or limitations should receive additional assistance.

Furthermore, great teachers do more than just showing the poses. They effectively teach each student how to breath in each pose. After you go through the initial yoga classes in Granada Hills, you will start to enjoy it more and more. Some people like it so much that the practice almost everyday. Hopefully, you will find the right studio and instructor for you, so that you can begin to bring a little more joy into your life.