The Day 5 of The 30 Days of Yoga journey! Feel Alive Flow! This practice will help you shake off the blues to feel revitalized and fresh again!
Use this Day 5 practice to check in with the breath. Let the breath be the soundtrack to this practice. Notice what it feels like to be ALIVE today. Meet your edge but don't take anything too seriously. Today is a reminder to have some fun! Smile and stretch it out. Give thanks! You are ALIVE! Yoga helps up notice what it feels like to be alive and in the moment. Give thanks and enjoy!
Connect and support others down below! Cultivate positivity. Remember each day is different! The journey is the reward! See you tomorrow! Let 's have a strong health for future together
Do not forget to play music and practice to stimulate our emoticon
Yoga for your back! Stretch and strengthen your back with the power of the breath, ỉmprove our health for future
Use this practice to awaken the spine and meet your edge. Tone arms, legs, core and stay connected to subtle body movement with the breath. Stick with it! Take this time to see to notice how Yoga practice has your back. Get frisky! Or at least, remember Yoga is not so serious! Modify as needed and keep a sense of humor. Keep finding that breath!
Connect and support others down below! Cultivate positivity. Remember each day is different! The journey is the reward! See you tomorrow! Let 's have a strong health for future
The Day 3 of The 30 Days of Yoga journey! Forget What You Know About Yoga! It is so easy to slip into automatic pilot. For today's sequence, come into a beginners mind, have a healthy lifestyle for future (Bonus if you are a beginner and totally new to yoga!) When we come to this idea of beginner's mind - we open up to all possibilities.
Use this Day 3 practice to check in with balance and connect to your core center. Let go of expectations and stay receptive as you work to build strength and unlock more space. Again, open up to making new discovery! If you are regular yogi this practice will be a great opportunity to change it up. If you are new to the practice, ROCK ON, you have that beautiful beginners mind already. Seek opportunities to learn - especially in the difficulties. Everyone, close your eyes when you can, move mindfully and trust yourself. Breathe. Breathe slowly. This revitalizing and strengthening sequence is great for balance, core & hip check in, and supports good posture! Explore where you are TODAY, improve our health for future
There are some more restorative practices on the way, I promise! Plus shorter sequences begin to weave in and out! Stick with it!!
Connect and support others down below! Cultivate positivity. Remember each day is different! The journey is the reward! See you tomorrow!
The Day 2 of The 30 Days of Yoga journey! Stretch your body and soothe your soul. Relieve stress and ease into your 30 day experience with an open mind, kindness and curiosity, to have a healthy for future lifestyle Use this Day 2 practice to stretch tight muscles and soothe the nervous system - even an achey heart. This first week we take time to connect to the big picture and a full body experience. Practice staying present as we deepen the practice and learn vocabulary to play with on our mat. Practices change from day to day - and get shorter towards the end. Stick with it! Take this time for yourself. Have courage to take the time for yourself! Get empowered, find what feels good, listen to your body and don't forget to have some fun!
Connect and support others down below! Cultivate positivity. Remember each day is different, ỉmprove our health for future! The journey is the reward! See you tomorrow!
Our calming music is useful for yoga for beginners, yoga exercises, yoga chants influenced by Indian songs, African music, and is soothing music which can enable you to go into a yoga trance. If you are familiar with the work of Yogscast, Hare Krishna, Michael Franti, and Keshna be sure to use this.
Use this DAY 1 practice to take stock, check in with the body and mind. Begin the practice of slowing down, noticing, stretching and moving with ease. Commit to 30 days of breathing deep and listening. Acknowledge the distractions, the frustrations, the parts of the body that need more love or are in healing. Acknowledge it all! For this journey is about more than just a flexible, strong and tone body. It is about full mind, heart and body wellness. Begin here to set the foundation for a connected home practice. - FREE and in the comfort of your own home! Get empowered, find what feels good, listen to your body and lets have some fun, and health for future!
Connect and support others down below! Cultivate positivity. Remember each day is different! The journey is the reward! See you tomorrow!
Welcome! Thank you for joining for the 30 Days Of Yoga experience! Watch this video before you begin! It includes helpful ideas and tips to support you on your journey, to improve our health for future! Today we begin with this video! Tomorrow - DAY 1 of YOGA.
As we transition into the New Year I already feel great about the idea of practicing for 30 days straight. I feel excited about challenging myself, connecting to myself and learning something new. I am grateful that my body is able to move, that my breath is capable of deepening and I love that I will be doing it with so many others, around the globe.
The hardest part each day will likely be getting on the mat. Make time. Stay focused and choose to make the experience your own. This 30 Day practice is intended to support you in finding what feels good in the New Year. So, though it may be challenging to make time for your practice – just do it – knowing that it is okay to adapt, change, modify, rebel and do your own thang at any time.
But get on the mat.
Take conscious breaths and stretch each day as a way of connecting to your intentions, your big picture and ultimately, complete wellness, have a strong health for future
The Tai chi 's lesson 7:Lu is about keeping your center of mass downward, and turning from your waist. Let 's watch the video first to know more and improve our health for future.
Lǚ is an energy of deflecting and neutralizing. Incoming force is deflected or diverted to the side or downward and in the process, you draw off and dissipate the incoming energy. This is also known as leading the force to emptiness or void in order to neutralize it.
Transcript: INTRODUCTIONSo you know the old riddle; what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? Well in Tai Chi Chuan theory, the immovable object appears to be yielding and giving way. But what is really happening is that it is simply redirecting the energy into a harmless direction. This redirecting energy is another is another Kinetic Concept known as Lǚ, which is often translated as yield or roll back. One more time I am going to show you the movement in its entirety and then we are going to break it down piece by piece, improve our health for future.
LOWER BODY
Neutral position Start with the feet together, hands relax by your sides. The knees are slightly soft, the hips are a little soft. The head is floating up towards the sky like a balloon filled with helium. All the weight shifts over to your right foot. Your left foot steps upward and then steps out to the side about shoulder width. And then center the weight evenly over both feet. After the hands rise up to about shoulder height, the knees soften and everything floats down, getting heavier. Hands press down towards about hip height.
One: Turn and Deflect Shift your weight to the right foot and rotate towards the left about 60 degrees. All of my weight here is on the right foot, about 90% there and only about 10% on the left heel.
Two: Deflect in Empty Step Now my weight begins to shift forward onto the left foot, the right foot gets empty and steps all the way into this Empty Step here. Now my weight is 90% on the left foot and only about 10% tapping down with the right toes.
Three: Step Out The right leg steps out just to the side of that front brown circle in front of your mat. Landing heel first, remember. You land sort of empty, so most of your weight is in the back foot As you settle down the weight distributes about 60% in your back foot and 40% over your front foot. The toes in the front foot turn inward about 30 degrees.
Four: Draw an Arc and Catch So here I shift my weight forward onto that front foot, now my weight is 60% on that front leg and the left foot stays about 40%, still in the same place as it was before.
Five: Sit Back and Deflect You are going to reverse direction, sit back into the left hip. The weight going to about 60% on the back foot, 40% on the front foot. Keeping the front leg slightly bend and the toes turned in.
Back to Neutral I shift my weight all the way back so I can step side by side. The hands float down, I shift my weight back to the right foot and step the feet together. Head floating up, spine getting longer, finishing Lu.
UPPER BODY This time through we are going to take a look at what the hands and arms, basically the upper body is doing.
One: Turn and Deflect So as I rotate towards the left, my hands are just trailing, deflecting outwards, palms down, fingertips pointed towards the front.
Two: Deflect in an Empty Step The hands are going to stay at pretty much the same position, palms down, fingers pointed towards the front. And the elbows stay slightly bend, you know, not locked out.
Three: Step Out My waist is going to start the action here, turning slightly to the left, my hands trail with the motion. Now again make sure your torso stays upright, your head floating up towards the ceiling like a balloon filled with helium.
Four: Draw an Arc and Catch My waist shifts forward and my hands draw an arc in the air, moving forward. My right hand about nose height, my left hand down at shoulder height. Palms forward, fingers pointed up. I turn my waist slightly to the right to finish of this movement.
Five: Sit Back and Deflect So I am going to reverse direction, sitting back down into my left hip. Sink and turn the waist to the left, both hands deflect and neutralize downward. The left hand at hip level, the right hand right in front of the body. Palms down, fingers pointing forward.
Back to Neutral And then finish up, go back to neutral. Step back, let the hands float up to about shoulder height and then float down, easy breath. Shift the weight back to the right foot and finish.
Now is the time for practice, to improve our health for future with tai chi, yoga, meditation. You should try to play tai chi 's music in the same time to stimulate our emoticon.
Today is the time for Tai chi 's lesson 6: Great two-person exercise to build strength and balance and to learn yielding and rooting, to improve our healthy life tomorrow Transcripts:
Leg strength, it is the key to a foundation of a solid Tai Chi Chuan.
Now in the first Duàn, our training exercise is designed to help you strengthen your legs and increase the stability of your torso.
Go grab your training partner and come along and play.
Start in the Wújí stance (Neutral Position) with the Taiji Zen Salute.
Now both of you step forward with the right leg and shake hands.
Try to push, pull and torque each other out of balance and off position, by changing the amount, direction and speed of your power.
Avoid using brute force and be careful to avoid causing injury to your partner.
The first person to cause the other one to lose their balance 5 times wins the game.
Once you are comfortable playing the game on the right side, try switching to the left.
Now is the time for practice, let 's do together to improve our health, have a healthy lifestyle. Do not forget to play the tai chi 's music to stimulate our emoticion.
The Taichi 's lesson 4 to have a healthy life tomorrow
In Taijiquan theory, Péng and Àn (Pushing Energy, Kinetic Concept #4) are two mutually interactive forces. The outward expansion of Péng can be used to neutralize and dissipate the incoming push of Àn.
Transcript:
Well congratulations, you are well on your way on learning your Tai Chi Chuan Essentials.
But now it is time to go to the next step, because you will have to learn the practical application that goes along with each form that you are learning.
It is really when you learn the practical part that it becomes a Martial Art.
Now we are very fortunate, because to help you learn the practical applications we have master Wang Zhanhai, who is a multiple time national champion in Push Hands here in China and a 12th generation lineage holder of Chen Tai Chi from Chen Village.
Master Wang, nǐ hǎo, nǐ hǎo (Greeting in Chinese). Are you ready? Let's get started.
Péng energy can be used to dissipate an incoming force. Now the first stage to that is to learn to feel the incoming force against the outside edge of your arm and the second phase to that is to use the expanding energy to dissipate that force.
Now to help you practice this, your partner should just be applying a general push forward, later on we will learn this is the energy Àn, which means Pushing Energy.
But for today just generally push. Master Wang is going to apply the Péng Energy, so keep your eye on him.
Taiji Zen Salute!
Both sides step forward with the left foot.
Notice his feet are not on a straight line, but rather the stance opens at a 30 degree angle. This creates more stability in the position.
Now let's try practicing Péng. Rotate, sink, gather, then expand forward when your partner pushes lightly into your left forearm.
Observe how Master Wang's head and spine are upright. Posture is aligned and strong, suspending the body from the crown of the head.
Hands are placed on the elbow and wrist area. This is where your partner will feed you An (pushing) energy.
Now observe how Master Wang's rounding structure allows him to easily absorb and channel the force into the ground.
It's as if an imaginary beach ball is continuously expanding, helping to provide a bouncy but firm buffer in front of him.
He is using his Péng energy to expand in all directions, absorbing and dissipating the incoming An energy.
Now let's look back at the foot detail.
Notice Master Wang's foot turned in at a 30 degree angle. This creates the proper angle to absorb and neutralize the incoming force.
You can experiment what would happen if the foot was pointed forward, instead of turned in at a 30 degree angle.
You probably notice that your structural ability diminishes a lot and you know have to rely on brute force which is not Tai Chi Chuan.
Try this at home and feel it for yourself, don't forget to play the Taichi music together to have more emotion to do taichi and have a healthy life tomorrow.
Today, we will practice the Taichi 's lesson 4 to have a health for future beside meditation, yoga. The lesson 4 is called: Hollow the chest, round the back, release the tension.
This video, taken from Taiji Zen's Online Academy, guides you through the key principle of 'Hollow the Chest, Round the Back,' or 'Hán xiōng bá bèi'.
'Hán xiōng bá bèi'（含胸拔背）means to sink the chest in mildly and round the back, resulting in a slightly arced circular shape. This is the body's natural position and is optimal for muscular relaxation.
Transcript:
Our second principle is called 'hán xiōng bá bèi', which basically means 'Hollow the Chest and Round the Back'.
Imagine the torso like the back half of a circle, the back should be rounded and the chest hollow.
Here are some ways to make sure that you get these principles into your body.
Number one: take a nice deep breath, inhale and then exhale~. Very nice, that already releases some of the muscles.
The second thing you will have to do is release the muscles here in the chest.
Typically the muscles are all puffed out, people walk around in this military posture. But if you relax, you can see how that sinks down.
And to continue that, number three is relax the shoulder blades to get this feeling in the back of your back. The shoulder blades point down, rounding up the back and hollowing out the chest. We will improve our health to have a healthy lifestyle for future
So what are the benefits of this principle?
Well number one, when you hollow the chest and round the back the energy can flow. Typically the energy is stuck right here in the chest. When you release those muscles, you can get the Qi flowing throughout your entire body.
Number two, this structurally connects the chest and back to the spine, bringing an even better alignment. And alignment equals power.
Again, if the chest is tight, then the shoulders are tight, the elbows will be tight, the wrists are tight, everything gets tight.
So when you relax the chest, round the back, everything else gets relaxed too and increases the ability to have speed of reaction, a strong health for future.
And I introduced you about Taichi 's lesson 1 and Taichi 's lesson 2 , now is the time to practice two lesson. To know more about that, let 's watch video together, and follow it.
It is well-suited for beginners learning Tai Chi as well as more advanced students.
Designed for self-practice, these guided videos provide minimalistic reminders to help you keep on track when practicing solo. Practice makes perfect! To have a healthy life tomorrow with taichi, yoga, meditation
In the lesson 1, Jet Li introduced you the basic of Taichi, and now he will introduce you about TaiChi 's key principles to have healthy life tomorrow
Jet Li's Taiji Zen Online Academy teaches Tai Chi Chuan with a unique principles based approach. It is well-suited for beginners learning Tai Chi as well as more advanced students.
This video, taken from Taiji Zen's Online Academy, guides you through the key principle of 'Suspend from the Crown' or 'Xū Lǐng Dǐng Jìn'
'Xū Lǐng Dǐng Jìn'（虚领顶劲）means to maintain an upward floating intention, as if your entire body is being suspended by a string from the crown of the head. This intention should be continuously maintained in every movement.
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Transcript:
The first principle that you are going to learn in your study of your Tai Chi Chuan Essentials is called xū líng dǐng jìn, which means 'Suspending the Body from the Crown of the Head'.
This is the first step in relaxing structurally and it connects you, it connects the whole body to the heavens above and the earth below, sort of giving you a sense of being bigger than just the confines of your physical body.
The upward intention allows you to let everything else relax and let go.
Now here is how to do it. First thing is to suspend your head from the top as if you are being drawn up by a string.
So if I tie a string to the top of her head and lift if up and we get taller and taller, now that string is going to hold you up and everything else can relax below it.
The second thing you can do is elongate the back of the neck, so the back of the neck gets longer and longer. This will cause the chin to float in just a little bit, but you don't have to pull the chin in just make the back of the neck longer.
And finally, always imagine that you are floating. As if your head is a balloon filled with helium, when the balloon goes up the rest of the body can go down.
The benefits of this kind of proper alignment is that it bring your spine into neutral. Now the neutral spine is the best position for better energy circulation, and it is also the optimal position for increased mobility, flexibility and strength which are essentials in your study of Tai Chi Chuan.
Now is the time to practice Taichi lesson 2 - to have a strong healthy life tomorrow
Jet Li's Taiji Zen Online Academy teaches Tai Chi Chuan with a unique principles based approach. It is well-suited for beginners learning Tai Chi as well as more advanced students, improve your healthy life tomorrow with Taichi, Meditation, Yoga and Alternative Medicine.
This video will teach you the kinetic concept of Péng as part of the Taiji Zen Online Academy curriculum. It is the first of the 8 Tai Chi Chuan kinetic concepts which together with the 5 steps make up the 13 fundamentals of Tai Chi Chuan, have a healthy lifestyle.
Péng is an energy of continuous outward expansion. It pushes out in all directions to create a protective buffer around the core. It's often described as the fundamental energy of Tai Chi Chuan, and applies to all Tai Chi Chuan movement.
Transcript: Imagine that you are surrounded by a bubble of energy that can literally bounce off any incoming force. In this lesson you are going to learn about a Taiji Zen Essential known as Péng, which means Expansion. Now Péng is the first in a series of Tai Chi Chuan Essentials that you are going to be learning in each Duàn, along with a movement that is going to express that Essential. But Péng is not so much a movement or a technique, as it is a Kinetic Concept. It is an energy that you are going to learn how to put in any movement that you want. To help make it easier for you to learn each movement by yourself, I am going to break down each movement into three pieces. We are going to look at the footwork first, and then in the next pass we are going to talk about the hands and the waist and the third time through I am going to talk about the energy and the feeling that you have with each movement.
LOWER BODY Let's take a look at the footwork first. Stand with your feet together, hands relax by your sides, the knees are slightly soft, the hips are a little bit soft and your head is floating up towards the sky.
Neutral Position Now shift all the weight over to your right foot and your left foot floats up a little bit, then steps out to the side about shoulder width. Then evenly distribute the weight over each feet. Both hands float up into the air, about shoulder level. Then everything gets heavy, the elbows sink down, the hands sink down, the knees bend and the hips sink down as well. Palms are pressing down right about to hip height.
One: Turn and Hold the Ball I shift my weight onto the left foot and pivot on the right heel to the right, about 90 degrees. Now my weight right here is about 90% on the left foot and only about 10% on that right heel.
Two: Hold the Ball in Empty Step I now shift my weight onto the right foot, bringing the left foot into an empty step. So there is no weight on this left foot and it is just tapping the ground right in front of the right.
Three: Step out From here my left foot steps out, just at an angle by the other side of that round brown circle on the front part of your mat, landing heel first. In fact, whenever you step out like this you land with your heel first, but very lightly so there is not a whole lot of weight on that front foot. I sink down into my stance and my front toes pivot in about 30 degrees. Still about 60% of my weight is back on the right foot.
Four: Sink and Gather My feet and my weight pretty much stay in the same place. I simply sink down into the step, just kind of get down into it here.
Five: Expand Forward I now shift my weight into the front foot, turning my waist as I go and as I finish I sink down into the stance and my right toes pivot inwards slightly.
Back to Neutral I shift my weight back, step by side by side and let my hands float down as my knee straighten, my spine straightens, my head flows up. The weight shifts back over to the right foot and I step my feet together and that's the entire sequence of Péng.
UPPER BODY This time through we are going to take a look at what the hands and arms, basically the upper body, is doing.
One: Turn and Hold the Ball So I am rotating my body with my left leg as the axis, turning my toes out and then I am going to put my hands out into a holding the ball position. My right hand rising up like the top of the ball, about shoulder level, my left hand coming under and cupping the bottom of the ball, hand right in front of the navel.
Two: Hold the Ball in Empty Step Keeping my hands right where they are, I shift my weight forward and step in while my waist is turning slightly to the right.
Three: Step out Again, the hands are staying in the same place. My left foot steps out into its position.
Four: Sink and Gather So from this position, my hands still in the same spot I sit down into my stance, just sitting down a little bit deeper. Rotate from the waist more towards the right, letting my hands trail my body's rotation.
Do Taichi everyday to have a strong healthy life tomorrow
In this video, Jet Li introduces the Online Academy, a systematic and revolutionary approach to learning Tai Chi for beginners, as well as mindfulness and meditation techniques to help you relax your mind and bring more balance into your life, improve your health for future to have a healthy lifestyle.
This program is perfect for teaching Tai Chi for beginners with it's principles based step by step approach. You will learn all the fundamental principles of Tai Chi. It is also a very valuable resource for more advanced students who want a better grasp of the concepts and principles in Tai Chi.
With the Taiji Zen Online Academy, you will learn the complete art of Tai Chi Chuan. Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced Tai Chi student, you will benefit from this program. The videos teach you the core principles of Tai Chi Chuan and the training manuals provide much information on background, theory and in-depth explanations of the movements. Each level (duan or 段) introduces incrementally more complex concepts, principles and partner practices.
Today, I will introduce about the series 30 day to learn meditation to have a healthy lifestyle for tomorrow. Learn how to meditate if you are a beginners and completely new to meditation. This is day 1 of the 30 day meditation challenge for beginners, and will teach you all the basics of meditation and how to meditate. So take this meditation challenge for beginners and learn to meditate so that you can improve your health, health for future, improve your concentration, lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, think clearly, raise your awareness and consciousness, become more spiritual, and improve your life so that you can be happy, healthy and whole as a person.
Today's challenge will be a simple breathing meditation to teach you how to meditate and how to empty your mind of thoughts and inner chatter. The most difficult thing when you are just starting out with meditation, is to empty your mind and become thoughtless... your mind will wander and you will start to have inner conversations with yourself which is completely normal... so this exercise will help you stay focused and stay still, have healthy life tomorrow
In the past, I introduced the articles How to meditate - Basic Practice and now, we watch the video to know more about it. It is very interesting to access meditation more and more to have a health lifestyle tomorrow
Hope you have a overall look with meditation, and I will introduce the step-by-step lesson in the next day, healthy life
Q. How can I keep my mind "empty"? A. "By not running away from thoughts that come up," says meditation expert Rodney Yee. "Just sit with it," he says. "You might have your own little conversation inside your head about it, like, 'There I go again; I'm thinking about what I did yesterday, and I'm supposed to be just sitting here and watching my breath.' But that doesn't mean you have to go anywhere with that thought."
Meditation - Healthy Life Tomorrow
Take yogi Kate Hanley's advice and treat that thought like a bad boyfriend.
Q. Do I have to sit cross-legged to meditate?
Not at all. In fact, you don't even have to sit — you can walk, or sit in a chair, or sit any number of ways that are conducive to quieting the banter in your brain without getting distracted by fallen-asleep extremities. It IS best not to lie down, since you're more likely to get some Zzzs than clock any meditation minutes. Get more detailed answers to this question in the Meditation Styles & Positions section of this guide, have a healthy life tomorrow
Q. What is walking meditation?
"Walking meditation is a way to practice moving without a goal or intention," writes Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh in his book Ten Exercises For Well-Being. "Mindful walking simply means walking while being aware of each step and of our breath. It can be practiced anywhere, whether you are alone in nature or with others in a crowded city ... even between appointments. Placing our footsteps one after the other slowly and in silence, we can create joy with each step. Walking meditation can release our sorrows and worries and help bring peace into our bodies and minds, improve your healthy life, bring strong health tomorrow."
Yee says walking meditation is a more advanced form of meditation and, for some, a less optimal form than seated meditation. "Of course, for someone who can't sit still," he concedes, "walking may be better. Ideally, I like to teach people how to sit quietly, because many will have the best benefit from that."
Skimming the yellow pages or the class schedule at your gym for a good yoga class can be a real exercise in confusion. How can you tell the difference between Anusara and ashtanga? Or hot yoga and hatha? Below is a cheat sheet to the many different styles of yoga being taught today, to have healthy life tomorrow. May it help you find your way to a class you love.
Yoga in the park - Health for future
1. Anusara
Developed by American yogi John Friend in 1997, anusara yoga is a relative newcomer to the yoga world. Based on the belief that we are all filled with an intrinsic goodness, anusara seeks to use the physical practice of yoga to help students open their hearts, experience grace, and let their inner goodness shine through. Classes, which are specifically sequenced by the teacher to explore one of Friend's Universal Principles of Alignment, are rigorous for the body and the mind, improve your health
2. Ashtanga
Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by Pattabhi Jois (pronounced "pah-tah-bee joyce") in the 1970s. It's a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that ashtanga always performs the exact same poses in the exact same order. This is a hot, sweaty, physically demanding practice.
3. Bikram
Approximately 30 years ago, Bikram Choudhury developed this school of yoga where classes are held in artificially heated rooms. In a Bikram class, you will sweat like you've never sweated before as you work your way through a series of 26 poses (like ashtanga, a Bikram class always follows the same sequence, although a Bikram sequence is different from an ashtanga sequence). Bikram is somewhat controversial, as Choudhury has trademarked his sequence and has prosecuted studios who call themselves Bikram but don't teach the poses exactly the way he says they should. It is also wildly popular, making it one of the easiest types of classes to find, have a healthy lifestyle for future.
4. Hatha
Hatha yoga is a generic term that refers to any type of yoga that teaches physical postures. Nearly every type of yoga class taught in the West is hatha yoga. When a class is marketed as hatha, it generally means that you will get a gentle introduction to the most basic yoga postures. You probably won't work up a sweat in a hatha yoga class, but you should end up leaving class feeling longer, looser, and more relaxed.
5. Hot Yoga
Basically the same thing as Bikram. Generally, the only difference between Bikram and hot yoga is that the hot yoga studio deviates from Bikram's sequence in some small way, and so they must call themselves by another name. The room will be heated, and you will sweat buckets.
6. Iyengar
Iyengar yoga was developed and popularized by B.K.S. Iyengar (pronounced "eye-yen-gar"). Iyengar is a very meticulous style of yoga, with utmost attention paid to finding the proper alignment in a pose. In order to help each student find the proper alignment, an Iyengar studio will stock a wide array of yoga props — blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, bolsters, and a rope wall are all common. There isn't a lot of jumping around in Iyengar classes, so you won't get your heart rate up, but you'll be amazed to discover how physically and mentally challenging it is to stay put. Iyengar teachers must undergo a comprehensive training – if you have an injury or chronic condition, Iyengar is probably your best choice to insure you get the knowledgeable instruction you need.
7. Restorative
Restorative yoga is a delicious way to way to relax and soothe frayed nerves. Restorative classes use bolsters, blankets, and blocks to prop students in passive poses so that the body can experience the benefits of a pose without having to exert any effort. A good restorative class is more rejuvenating than a nap. Studios and gyms often offer them on Friday nights, when just about everyone could use a little profound rest, have a nice sleep and healthy living.
8. Vinyasa
Vinyasa (pronounced "vin-yah-sah") is the Sanskrit word for "flow", and vinyasa classes are known for their fluid, movement-intensive practices. Vinyasa teachers choreograph their classes to smoothly transition from pose to pose, and often play music to keep things lively. The intensity of the practice is similar to Ashtanga, but no two vinyasa classes are the same. If you hate routine and love to test your physical limits, vinyasa may be just your ticket.
Today, we do not need to do anything, forget everything what we do, we have, we feel tired in the day. We listen to music together. Let 's open it through the sleep. We will feel comfortable to have a healthy life. This is also a way to meditate with music. Following these steps
Repair our bed
Lying comfortable
Play the video
Close our eyes
Have a steady breathing
. . . . Sleeping . . . .
How to have a healthy life with meditation, yoga, taichi
Alternative medicine practices are used instead of standard medical treatments. Alternative medicine is distinct from complementary medicine which is meant to accompany, not to replace, standard medical practices. Alternative medical practices are generally not recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches.
Alternative medicine - Health for future
Alternative medicine includes dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, massage therapy, magnet therapy, and spiritual healing.
What are complementary and alternative medicine therapies?
Complementary and alternative medicine therapies fall into five major categories, or domains:
Alternative Medical Systems Alternative medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Often, these systems have evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the United States. Examples of alternative medical systems that have developed in Western cultures include homeopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine, to have healthy living. Examples of systems that have developed in non-Western cultures include traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.
Mind-Body Interventions Mind-body medicine uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Some techniques that were considered CAM in the past have become mainstream (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body techniques are still considered CAM, including meditation, tai chi, yoga, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance to have a healthy lifestyle for future.
Biologically Based Therapies Biologically based therapies in CAM use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplements,3 herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but as yet scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).
Manipulative and Body-Based Methods Manipulative and body-based methods in CAM are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and massage.
Energy Therapies Energy therapies involve the use of energy fields. They are of two types:
Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven to have a strong healthy life tomorrow. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.
Tai Chi is also called meditation in motion, according to the Tai Chi and Chi Kung Institute, and is an easy meditation technique that can be practiced just about anywhere. Tai Chi meditation was originally developed as a martial art, according to the Institute, but is now a meditation technique aimed at reducing stress and improving healthy life tomorrow, having a healthy lifestyle for future. You can learn Tai Chi meditation by using a Tai Chi instructional DVD at home, taking classes at your local gym, fitness center or YMCA or with a personal instructor or group in an open space like a park. Read on for four Tai Chi meditation techniques.
Standing meditation technique
According to Cynthia McMullen, LMT, of the Oriental Healing Arts School of Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, and Traditional Taoist Medical QiGong in Arizona, meditation is an important aspect of doing Tai Chi because it grounds you, or centers you, both physically and emotionally and helps you uncover the stillness within motion. McMullen adds that standing meditation is the most basic Tai Chi pose. To do this easy meditation technique:
First stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing straight ahead and your knees slightly bent.
With your hips tucked slightly forward, keep your shoulders down and relaxed and your head held up.
Slowly inhale and exhale deep breaths through your nose. McMullen adds that you should continue this meditation technique by keeping your eyes closed or slightly parted, and begin meditating.
Focus on your feet and their connection to the earth.
Use this meditation breathing technique: As you inhale, imagine that you are pulling energy into your feet from the ground or earth. As you exhale, you return the energy to the ground.
Repeat this numerous times, then let the energy from the ground travel up your legs and into the center of your inner strength, which, according to McMullen, is located just below your belly button. Exhale, ridding your body of any unclean energy.
Variations of the standing meditation technique
According to McMullen, variations of the standing meditation technique include seated, arms circled with shoulders down and relaxed, horse stance with feet wide apart (beyond shoulder-width) and arms circled with shoulders down in horse stance.
Focus on breathing
According to Dr. Paul Lam of the Tai Chi Association of Australia, correct breathing techniques are an important part of Tai Chi meditation and should focus on the giving and taking of energy. The premise of this meditation technique is very easy: Lam recommends that when inhaling, you should think of taking life energy into your body. When you exhale, release that energy. This breathing technique can be applied to almost all tai chi meditations and movements, according to Lam.
Involve opening and closing movements
Lam adds that another meditation breathing technique involves opening and closing movements. With opening movements, like when your hands are in front of your chest and opening up, you breathe in. Stepping forward or pulling your hands apart are also opening movements. When your hands come together or close, these are closing movements and you exhale. According to Lam, this rule applies to up and down motions when it comes to breathing techniques during meditation. When you move your hands up, you breathe in; move them down and you’re delivering energy, so you breathe out. Similarly, standing up and bending down, respectively, correspond to breathing in and exhaling.
Interested in learning about tai chi, which originated in China as a martial art? According to the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association, tai chi is sometimes called moving meditation, to have a health lifestyle for future, ỉmpove our health because the person practicing t'ai chi moves his body in a slow and relaxed manner while meditating and breathing deeply. The Association adds that tai chi positively affects the flow of qi, pronounced “chee,” a vital energy. According to the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association, the three fundamentals of t'ai chi are movement, meditation and deep breathing. Learn about tai chi, including its fundamentals and key movements, as well as tai chi steps.
Taichi Fundamental
Movement
One t'ai chi fundamental is movement. In tai chi, each movement flows gracefully into the next, creating forms or routines, according to the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association. Proper alignment is key to t'ai chi movement. Correctly aligning the body cultivates steadiness and balance.
According to the Association, some movements resemble the motions of birds or other wildlife and were subsequently named after those animals. The number of movements involved in texercises, or sets, can vary. The Tai Chi and Chi Kung Institute teaches its beginning students the Yang Tai Chi in 24 Forms, or Beijing 24. However, the American Tai Chi and Qigong Association says that basic forms incorporate 13 movements into the routine, and more difficult forms can involve many more movements.
Meditation
Another fundamental, according to the Association, is meditation. The slow, deliberate motions of tai chi are conducive to meditation, allowing those who practice tai chi to remain fully alert and focused on the movements. The Tai Chi and Chi Kung Institute indicates that concentrating on your breathing and completely engaging in the movements helps clear your mind and increase relaxation.
Deep breathing
The third fundamental of tai chi is deep breathing. The Association reports that breathing is especially important because it promotes relaxation by increasing the flow of oxygen and nourishment to the whole body and stretching the core muscles, have a strong healthy life tomorrow. The Tai Chi and Chi Kung Institute states that deep breathing is often performed in sync with your body's movements, further enhancing the meditative aspect of the art.
Get step-by-step instructions
Numerous resources offer step-by-step tai chi instructions. One example is the book Step-by-Step Tai Chi by Master Lam Kam Chuen. Reading about it is one thing, but you can also watch and see it to learn. Some instructions can be found online, while more in-depth instructions and demonstrations are available on DVDs. A great tai chi DVD for beginners is Gaiam's Tai Chi Beginning Practice which allows you to learn movement, breathing and meditation fundamentals in the comfort of your own home.
Learn about the benefits of tai chi
WebMD lists the following benefits of tai chi: reduction of pain and stiffness, improved strength, our health for future, coordination, flexibility, better sleep, improved balance, increased calmness and positive outlook on life. It's clear that practicing the fundamentals of tai chi can improve your health and well-being.
If "God is in the details," as the saying goes, the places where you live and work are the ideal places to stay connected with your meditation practice and make your spirituality part of your everyday life. Those details can go a long way toward helping you feel more centered, grounded and happy.
Where should you locate your sacred space?
In the last articles, I introduced you about meditation position and styles, now You don't necessarily need a whole room. You can set the stage for meditation or an introspective state of mind almost anywhere, including:
A desk or small table — A single object, arrangement or mini-altar can be enough to help you tune out the world's chatter and get into the ritual of meditation.
Meditation in room
A corner of a room — You'd be surprised how a small space can be transformed by a bamboo screen or shoji screen and a mat or meditation chair.
In a secluded area — Set up a spare room or a corner of your bedroom that's reserved especially for meditation and stock it with a few meditation supplies.
In the garden — Indoors or out, sometimes nature's voice is just what you need.
What kinds of items should you include in your sacred space?
This is your personal space. Knock down walls if you need to. What speaks to you, inspires you, moves you?
Mementos: personal items that are meaningful to you
Talismans: symbols of peace and safety
Visual Art: your own, your friends', post cards of famous works
Photographs of loved ones and special places
Statuary: traditional symbols of divine and protective energies
Stones and shells that hold memories from special places
Just as fitness is an approach to training the body, meditation is an approach to training the mind. And as with fitness, there are many meditation techniques to choose from to have a healthy life, besides yoga, taichi. From what you focus on to how you sit, learn which meditation styles and positions are best for you. Concentration meditation involves focusing on a single point — e.g., watching your breath, repeating a single word or mantra, staring at a candle flame, listening to a repetitive gong or counting beads on a rosary. In this form of meditation, you simply refocus your awareness on the chosen object of attention each time you notice your mind wandering. You just step away from the random thoughts, and proceed directly to serenity. Through this process, your ability to concentrate improves.
Mindfulness meditation asks you to observe wandering thoughts as they drift through your mind. The intention is not to get involved with the thoughts or to judge them, but simply to be aware of each mental note as it rears its head.
Meditation in the park to have heathy lifestyle
Daily meditation practice among Buddhist monks focuses on cultivating compassion by envisioning negative events and putting a positive spin on them via a compassionate perspective.
There are also moving meditations techniques, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga and walking meditation to have heathy lifestyle
How should you sit when you meditate?
If you've tried to get into lotus pose (or any semblance of a cross-legged seated position) and found that your legs just don’t bend that way, you’re not alone, says yoga and meditation expert Rodney Yee. So we asked Yee to dive into the hows and whys of other positions that can be more comfortable or practical for meditation.
"Full lotus pose is considered by many to be the uber-pose for meditation, but it’s not accessible to everyone," says Yee. "It requires open hips and a lot of practice. But complete ease in your position is very important to achieve when just starting out with meditation, because it will encourage you to meditate more frequently.
"Hero pose and crossed-legs pose both facilitate the movement of energy in the body," he adds. "You get a lot of grounding just by doing them — there’s already a connection to the earth that you don’t get in a chair. You can also prop up these poses to many, many levels using tools like a yoga block, blanket, or meditation cushion."
See our detailed photo how-to on meditation positions including variations on hero pose and crossed-legs pose; meditating in a chair; or using a wall, yoga blocks or blankets to position you for meditating more comfortably for longer periods of time.
The easiest way to begin meditating for a healthy life tomorrow is to simply stop and focus consciously on your breathing. This is an example of one of the most common approaches to meditation: concentration. Try it:
How to meditate
1. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed gently (don't squeeze them shut).
2. Don't try to control your breath; just breathe naturally.
3. Concentrate your mind on your breath and the movement of your body as you breathe.
4. If your mind wanders, simply let the thoughts go out of your mind and return your focus back to your breath.
Try this meditation practice for 2–3 minutes to start, then try building up your "endurance" a little at a time.
Keep in mind that the purpose of meditation isn't about achieving benefits or results, we will have a healthy life future. In fact, the goal in meditation is to not have a goal. It's simply to be present. We're such a goal-oriented society that it's tough to get our minds around this — much less think about, well, nothing. Dare yourself to let thoughts go without capturing them on a list, handheld device or social media site. (We know it's hard.)
Life, have a healthy life is the living art of balance. Balance is a beautiful concept, rooted in the exquisite imagery of Yin and Yang. For most of us, the attempt at balance is more like a circus act of hither and thither, with multiple moving parts flying about our worlds in an unpredictable and mysterious way. As we all strive for our perfectly expressed version of “just the right amount,” it’s important to remember a few essential things to the practice of balance.
1) Let go of perfection
There is never a perfect, “just so” amount of anything in life. Every day is a unique experience where you will require varying amounts of practically everything: sleep, food, leisure, work, etc. What held true for you a week ago might not be the right recipe for balance this week. We must be willing to let go of the idea of balance and come in contact with the feeling of balance as it is expressed moment to moment. Give yourself full permission to let balance be a conversation that evolves and changes as you do, to have a healthy life tomorrow with yoga
2) Be forgiving
Balance is something to strive for, certainly, but be forgiving with yourself if balance doesn’t prevail. It is so easy to be hard on yourself for not hitting the target when it comes to balance, but this goal is often a moving target! So we must be compassionate with ourselves and know that sometimes we will exercise balance perfectly and other times balance will be nowhere in sight. We can hold this framework for living as a great goal, but not something we are attached to so completely that when we aren’t successful, the result is self-attack and judgment.
3) Get Inspired
When you feel like you are struggling to cultivate the delicate nature of balance in your life, look to the things and people that are doing it with grace. This beautiful Earth is such an exquisite example of natural balance, like the dance of day and night. And even with this, nature is teaching us that balance is hardly ever perfect. There are only two days out of 365—the spring and fall equinoxes—where the balance between day and night is perfectly aligned. The rest of the time, things are slightly “off.” I am often amazed at the people in my life, particularly women, who are masters at the art of balance. Look to those who do it well and be inspired by how they do.
Certain areas to strive for balance are the following:
Work and play
Solitude and community
Home and travel
Responsible choices and taking chances
Saving and spending
Friends and family
Eating for health and eating for pure pleasure
Wherever you are in your own personal quest for balance, know that you are in the right place, even if things shake out a little uneven in the end. Just as we seek balance, balance is constantly seeking us. Relax into this life art, have a healthy lifestyle with yoga, taichi, meditation. It will never be perfect, and that is just perfect.
We are a proud people of the mentality “gotta’ do more, gotta’ be more,” where it’s common practice to boast about the busyness of it all and go, go, go until life is gone, gone, gone. I get tired just thinking of the running around that is inherent to the life culture of the masses. What we forget is that our ability to exert ourselves is proportionate to our ability to rest and rejuvenate. To that end, we must create as much time and space in our daily life to rest and restore. These days, all doctors’ orders should be something in this realm. Here are some ways to encourage restoration in your daily life, have a healthy life for future with meditation, yoga, taichi
meditation
Active Relaxation
Try to take at least one or two opportunities during your day to actively relax. What does this mean? You aren’t sleeping, unless you feel called to a nap, but you are consciously:
Closing your eyes
Breathing
Turning off all electronic stimulation
Spending time in nature
These don’t have to be long bouts of relaxation; 5-15 minutes is sufficient. You will notice a boost in your energy, decreased need for caffeine and more clear thinking (less brain fog).
Restorative Yoga
The balancing practice for all the styles of yoga that are popular and practiced in the West. As yoga, we have become accustomed to working hard in our classes, being challenged, and definitely breaking a sweat. While this is good for the body in many ways, the body also craves the practices where we actually gain energy rather than lose it. Restorative yoga classes are the best complement to your regular yoga and can support your life in unimaginable ways.
Sleep
Sleep has been devalued so much that people actually say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Sleep is a beautiful time of complete relaxation and renewal where all the following beneficial processes take place:
Breathing slows
Blood supply to muscles increases
Muscles relax
Growth hormone is released
Growth and repair of body tissues
Cortisol levels drop
Energy is restored
Sleep is crucial for our daytime performance. It is of great important to give the body, the brain, and the nervous system this precious time of decompression.
When you are planning your weekly schedule, be certain to include time for slowing down, turning inward, and being generous to the body that works so hard for you, all day, every day. Your life will thank you! With the cultivation of restoration in your world, you will be a better partner, parent, employee, boss, friend, and overall contributor to the world.
Last time I went to the airport, I saw a small boy with his hands and cheeks up against a large glass window. He watched the planes take off over and over again with a look of awe smudged across his face. His reflection held a sense of luminous possibility, as if he realized he could fly too. I stood there, tired and anxious to get to on my flight, witnessing something magical.
When yoga talk about the beginner’s mind, healthy life tomorrow, taichi, meditation, alternative medicine they refer to that rare openness we see in small children: a fleeting a sense of receptiveness that recognizes the beauty of each moment, no matter how mundane. But we can embrace a beginner’s mind too, and not just in yoga. Here are some steps to practice in your daily life.
yoga for health
1) Question preconceived notions
Have you ever walked into a yoga class to find out that you’re the only one who signed up? You immediately react, thinking, “Oh! This class must be awful. There’s no one here!” If you let go of that thought, you would find a private lesson with a new teacher for the price of a regular class. The world is filled with wonder when we drop our tendency to judge.
2) Bring it back to your breath, healthy life
When in doubt, breathe. In the same way that breath gives yoga its power, it also fosters balance within our state of being. During moments of joy or sorrow, annoyance or ease, bring yourself back to the natural ebb and flow of your breath. Instead of taking you away from the moment, it allows you to absorb the richness of each experience.
3) Embrace not knowing
In Zen Buddhism, the beginner’s mind, also known as shosin, can be described as a posture of “not knowing.” Without our learned beliefs in the way, we find ourselves in a place of mental openness. Mary Jaksch, a Zen Buddhist teacher, says that “not knowing leaves room for intuition.” Developing mindfulnessallows the truth to surface like a cork in water.
4) Think practice, not perfect
As we begin to master a practice of any kind—yoga, meditation, tai chi or writing—we may get frustrated with our lack of progress or feel bored with repetition. But by treating each moment as a blank slate, we can stay in a beginner’s mind, no matter how much of an expert we become along the way. This approach to growth strengthens humility and ensures that we are always open to experiencing things in a different light.
5) Support self-compassion
A beginner’s mind is an important vehicle for self-compassion. By letting go of inhibiting expectations and building awareness, we nurture our own growth with love rather than shame. We can laugh when we fall and show compassion to ourselves no matter the outcome. Research conducted by Kristin D. Kneff, Associate Professor at University of Texas, Austin, suggests that this kind of self-compassion fosters emotional well-being and decreases anxiety.
As humans, we are like glue—we’re always trying to stick to something: our partners, routines or thoughts, have a healthy lifestyle, yoga, meditation, taichi. Cultivating a beginner’s mind allows us to truly see, truly hear and truly feel, without the background noise of, “Oh, this again.” Instead, each day is an opportunity to savor life as it unfolds before us.
Practicing Tai chi for healthy life tomorrow, beside yoga meditation, alternative medicine, is a great way to reduce stress and stay in shape, and it has many other health benefits as well. It originated in China as a martial art thousands of years ago and is popular today as a form of exercise. It can be practiced every day, anywhere, by people of all ages.
Tai chi, also known as meditation in motion, is practiced throughout the world, though it is more popular in eastern countries such as China. It is relatively simple to learn and doesn't require any special equipment. Because the motions are slow and non-strenuous — although the intensity can vary between styles — Tai chi is generally suitable for all ages, and can be especially beneficial for seniors seeking a low-impact workout routine.
Tai chi basics
Tai chi is a Chinese martial art and energy flow technique that has been practiced for more than 500 years. Unlike traditional martial arts, tai chi routines are performed with very slow, deliberate motions designed to focus the mind and the body.Tai chi is composed of a series of gentle stretching motions in which each posture is allowed to flow naturally into the next one, rather than being held in one spot. This means that the body is constantly in motion, helping the mind stay focused on the movement.
The solo forms of tai chi require the practitioner to keep a straight spine, to breathe abdominally, and to perform leg and arm movements while maintaining balance over the body's center of gravity. Advanced tai chi practitioners can learn routines that use weapons, such as swords, but the majority of tai chi practitioners perform "open hand" routines.
There are more than 100 possible motions in tai chi. Each is named after an aspect of nature or an animal. Some examples include “Grasping Bird's Tail,” “Carry Tiger to Mountain” and “Monkey Offering Fruit.” The rhythmic patterns of the motions help develop a strong sense of inner tranquility, and the disciplined rhythm enables total concentration in the present.
Tai chi health benefits
There are a number of different styles of tai chi, including sun, hu lei, chen, wu shei and yang. Each style has an emphasis on different methods and principles, though all have many health benefits. Practicing tai chi for healthy life can lead to:
Reduced stress and anxiety levels
Improvement of balance, posture, flexibility and muscle tone
Improvement of sleep quality
Lowered blood pressure
Better circulation
Relief from pain
Improvement of the digestive system
Increased energy and concentration
Overall feeling of well-being
Tai chi is also great for improving body awareness. It does not require any specialized equipment and can be practiced in a relatively small space or even outdoors while wearing comfortable clothes that allow you to stretch. Tai chi can be practiced daily for as little as 20 minutes to improve overall healthy life.
Tai chi for seniors
Because of the gentle motions of tai chi, some styles of the discipline, particularly wu shei, are perfect for senior adults, as well as those with disabilities. It can even be practiced from a wheelchair. Tai chi is particularly attractive to seniors because it is low impact and provides gentle stretching. Senior practitioners of tai chi reap many benefits from this "moving meditation," which forces the mind to focus on precise movements of the body.
One of the most common forms of tai chi is the Beijing 24, which is a 24-movement sequence. Many seniors in China and around the world gather in parks to perform this tai chi sequence as a group. For seniors with limited mobility, many of the movements can be adapted to seated positions, allowing them to still reap the benefits.
According to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), tai chi can help seniors reduce their risk of falling by improving balance, strength, coordination and posture. Since the average hip fracture can result in more than $16,000 in medical bills, helping to prevent such falls is a major benefit of tai chi for seniors.
The AAPM&R also notes that practicing tai chi can help to boost seniors' self-confidence. A study sponsored by the National Institute of Aging and published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine concurred, noting that tai chi can help seniors regain physical strength that has been lost through inactivity or injury and help them regain confidence.
However, even though tai chi is a gentle exercise process, any senior who wants to start a tai chi program should contact her doctor to ensure that no underlying medical issues will be adversely affected by the tai chi practice.
Internationally acclaimed yoga instructor Rodney Yee has been teaching yoga around the world for more than 20 years. Known for his unique teaching style, Rodney has a way of making abstract concepts come alive by using metaphors and other poetic devices to invoke the physical and emotional sensations of yoga. While changing the lives of thousands of yoga practitioners around the world, Rodney has gradually moved toward meditation in his own practice. It's a progression he describes as a natural extension of yoga. But can it be that way for you? Yee recently talked with Healthy Life Tomorrow about how he has integrated meditation into his yoga practice and his life's work.
Rodney: All forms of yoga are beginning stages of meditation. Even in deep meditation, there's always going to be some input, some micro-movement in the body. Meditation is observing what's going on — both internally and externally — without necessarily reacting to it. When we do the postures, we are concentrating the mind within the body. I might tell you to spread your toes, or to press your legs into the earth. All of that is a form of meditation — you're concentrating and focusing the mind on a subject, which in this case happens to be the body. That's the first stage of meditation.
You've hosted a series of meditation programs that use a sequence of yoga postures. How do these poses facilitate meditation?
We use yoga postures to go inward. The relaxation poses help the mind, the body and the nervous system to rest. All of these yoga postures aid in meditation because when the mind relaxes and begins to get quiet, it becomes able to focus on the subtle movements inside the body. A lot of people say, "When I sit down to meditate I can't still my mind; my mind is all over the place." And this is exactly why we do these postures first — because they settle the body; they settle the mind.
Yoga to Meditation
What is meditation?
Meditation is a silent way of looking at resistance; it's not necessarily silent inside, but basically you're sitting with the resistance. You're not running away from it — you're sitting with it, you're stewing in it, you're fidgeting with it, but basically you're trying to follow the resistance. And I think that's very interesting. You might have your own little conversation inside your head about it, like, "There I go again, I'm thinking about what I did yesterday, and I'm supposed to be just sitting here and watching my breath." You have your own little conversations in your head, but after a while in meditation you are bringing yourself back to now.
And if you feel resistance, feel the resistance. It doesn't mean you have to go anywhere with it. It's not necessarily something you have to figure out. But if the resistance is rising inside you, you really have no choice but to be with it, in some sense, until it resolves or dissolves in its own right. And sometimes you have nothing to do with it resolving or dissolving. But to live it, to be in it, is a profound thing.
Why is the breath so important in meditation?
I am moving more toward meditation in my own practice, but I've also done pranayama (breath absorption) for many years, and I love it. I go to a place in my psyche and in my body that I'm not really allowed to go any other time during the day. And I mean that not just as a personal thing but as a societal thing. People don't allow you to sit and watch your breath. You have to do that on your own time. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be that intimate with your breath and to be that intimate with your mind, to just be there, watching your mind move.
The breath itself, as the yogis have said for thousands of years, is the ruler of the mind and body. If you control the breath, in some sense you also control the state of the mind and the chemistry of the body. By making the breath smooth and easy, you create a quiet, easy mind. Breath is what stills and quiets the mind so that meditation can take place, and relaxation is a fundamental aspect of breath.
My friend Ian, a classical musician, sometimes doesn't want to play concerts and have a healthy life tomorrow with taichi, yoga, meditation and alternative medicine. He doesn't want to have to produce music. He wants to be with the music. I want to be with my breath, as a yogi. I want to watch it and watch it so deeply that I am it. I am my breath. I am my mind. I'm not trying to do something with my mind. I'm not trying to produce something with these postures or with this body. I'm not trying to get healthy life, I'm not trying to get unhealthy. Everybody pushes you in this life: "Why are you doing that? What are you doing that for? What's that going to lead to?" I'm not trying to do something with this. I'm doing it because I love to do it and I am doing it.
When is the best time of day to practice meditation?
I find morning to be the best time of day, but many people can benefit from it at the end of the day as well. Morning is the time when you are the most quiet and the air is most pure. Taking time for this practice in the morning sends you out of the door feeling centered, present and relaxed. Everything you do is going to be enhanced by that. At the same time, at the end of the day, you're often tired. You know you need rest, and you're ready to place your body in positions that are good for it, that will remove the stresses of the day. To go from yoga postures into breath work and meditation is the perfect segue to a peaceful, restful night.
Just like a workout, a person can train their brain, improving regions associated with learning, memory, regulating emotions, perspective and more.
Mindfulness Practice Builds and Strengthens Your Brain
A study by the Harvard Medical School investigated what happens to the grey matter of the brain before and after a person takes part in a mindfulness-based stress reduction course (MSBR).Healthy life tomorrow, MBSR is a rigorous program involving focused attention and awareness training achieved through a variety of seated and laying down exercises and the mindfulness of everyday activities.
Yoga in the beach
Participants spent eight weeks training their brain, and practicing mindfulness throughout their day for an average of 30 minutes. The results are impressive.
This study joins an extensive body of research that shows a person can train their brain to increase their psychological healthy life and well-being. Just like a muscle, repeatedly activating areas of the brain through focused attention training increases grey matter and improves the networks of neural systems. It doesn’t just grow your brain, it strengthens it too.
Researchers found that completing these focused attention and awareness exercises significantly impacted the hippocampus, the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and the cerebellum.
What do these parts of the brain do?
The hippocampus improves regulating emotional responses, the consolidation of information for short- and long-term memory, and spatial navigation. Meanwhile, a decrease in the density or volume of the hippocampus is linked to pathological conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The TPJ involves social cognition, the awareness of the desires, intentions and goals of other people. So training the TPJ increased feelings of compassion.
The PCC plays an important role in reference your self, like remembering the past and thinking about the future, as well as conceiving the viewpoint of others.
The cerebellum affects sensory perception, coordination, and motor control. But it also plays a crucial role regulating behaviours. The cerebellum influences the speed, capacity, and consistency of emotion and cognition as well as their social appropriateness. A hindered cerebellum often leads to a host of behavioural abnormalities including anxiety, depression and sleep dysfunction.
All these areas saw improved density and structural changes to have a healthy life with yoga, meditation, taichi and alternative medicine. What’s more, it seems to stay that way. Structural changes in the hippocampus were detectable eight weeks following the end of the study. So the improvements last even after the training ends.
The study builds on a large body of research that shows attention training, meditation and other mindfulness-based interventions benefit the mind.Mindfulness improves a person’s well-being while reducing the symptoms of disorders like anxiety, depression, and more.
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The benefits of yoga provide both instant gratification and lasting transformation. In the fitness world, both are extremely important. Too much time with too few results can be incredibly discouraging, and monotonous routines week after week can lead to stagnation. Yoga can change your physical and mental capacity quickly, while preparing the mind and body for long-term health. Yoga is for everyone
Most yoga studios and local gyms offer yoga classes that are open to all generations and fitness levels. It’s exciting to enter a room full of young teens, athletes, middle-aged moms, older gentlemen and even fitness buffs and body builders. Everyone can feel accepted and included and, unlike other sports or classes that focus on niche clients, yoga tends to have open arms. Whether you like to say "Om" or you can’t stand the word “yogi;” whether you are 92, 53, or even 12, yoga can help you. Yoga encourages overall health and wellness Yoga is not just about working out, it’s about a healthy lifestyle. The practice of yoga allows students to be still in a world consumed with chaos. Peace and tranquility achieved through focused training appeals to everyone.
Yoga’s deep breathing and meditation practices help foster an inner shift from to-do lists, kids and spouse’s needs, financial concerns and relational struggles to something a little bit bigger than the issues you face. Yoga helps relieve stress and unclutter the mind, and helps you get more focused. Yoga has many faces
One of the benefis of yoga is that you can choose a yoga style that is tailored to your lifestyle, such as hot yoga, power yoga, relaxation yoga, prenatal yoga, etc. Whether you prefer you're at home, in a private session, watching a DVD or at a studio or gym, there are a huge variety of options available to suit your goals and needs.
If you are a yoga beginner, Hatha yoga, which focuses on basic postures at a comfortable pace, would be great for you. If you want to increase strength through using more of your own body’s resistance, power yoga may be right for you. There is a great online yoga program at Gaiam Yoga Studio that focuses on Hatha yoga.
If you are ready for a deeper practice, Advanced Yoga, or Bikram, also called “hot yoga,” may be just what you are looking for. In Bikram yoga, the room temperature is set to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in greaterelimination of toxins from the body through the increased production of sweat. No matter your fitness level, fat percentage, or health history, yoga has a place for you.
A primer for beginning yoga students, plus the benefits of a more advanced practice
Strength training and flexibility
Yoga’s focus on strength training and flexibility is an incredible benefit to your body. The postures are meant to strengthen your body from the inside-out, so you don’t just look good, you feel good too. Each of the yoga poses is built to reinforce the muscles around the spine, the very center of your body, which is the core from which everything else operates. When the core is working properly, posture is improved, thus alleviating back, shoulder and neck pain.
The digestive system gets back on track when the stretching in yoga is coupled with a healthy life, organic diet, which can relieve constipation, irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux. Another one of the benefits of yoga is that stretching and holding of postures also causes muscles to lengthen, which gives the body a longer, leaner look. How does power yoga build muscle?
A more advanced form of yoga can amplify these effects. Adapted from the basic Ashtanga yoga, power yoga requires increased amounts of energy, focus and strength. Although power yoga is an evolvement of the basics, it certainly is not a basic course.
But how does it help build muscle? Deeper, more focused participation is required, because most poses are held for five full breaths versus the usual one to three breaths. Muscles are challenged as the mind and body have to work together simultaneously to hold a position or continue a succession without giving up. Breathing, posing, moving and increasing flexibility happen all together at one time, which solicits a new level of discipline in your mind and body. Power yoga and the core
Isometric exercises are one of the best ways to build core strength. Isometric, stemming from the words “same” and “length,” simply translates to holding one position without moving. Power yoga uses isometric exercises along with other postures that are designed to make the core and back stronger. Flexibility and balance stem from your core, so it is very important to train this area of the body. In turn, you can increase the strangth and healthy life of your entire body. Generally a higher-temperature room is used in this practice to help keep the muscles warm and release additional toxins from the body. Power yoga’s effect on the total body
Here's a list of some of the most beneficial aspects of power yoga:
It increases endurance, strength and flexibility.
Mental endurance and physical stamina are tested through holding postures for extended breaths.
Arm and shoulder strength is multiplied as you use your own body weight for resistance.
Lats and other back muscles begin to support the spine better than before.
Abdominals and obliques are refined and sharpened through building core muscles.
Poor and average posture begins to correct itself over time.
Hip flexors are stretched and rebuilt.
Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves are tightened and lengthened where they need to be.
No matter what ails your aching body, or if you just want to take your fitness to a higher level, power yoga's ability to build muscle has an undeniably effect on the total body.
