Many people who begin studying yoga may not realize that asanas, or poses, are only one branch of the yogic disciplines. Another important yoga practice is pranayama, or breathing exercises. Breathing exercises help to calm the mind and balance the body's energy, and many yogis like to practice them at the beginning of each yoga session for these reasons. According to Sivananda yoga, there are two pranayama exercises that should be practiced daily, called kapalabhati and anuloma viloma.
Target Hips With Yoga
Once you have a basic knowledge of how to perform yoga poses, you can use specific poses or categories of poses to target specific areas of the body. The hips are once place to focus since they carry the weight of our bodies and often are tight and painful. Many yoga poses target the hips.
Do a Shoulder Release in Yoga
A shoulder release can relieve stress and strain in your shoulders, upper back and neck. With just a few short breaths, you can use this yoga pose to relieve tension throughout your upper body.
Clean Foam Blocks
Foam is an extremely porous and flexible material. It can be used to make pillows, mattress covers, yoga cubes, and blocks for children to play with. If you have are using foam blocks, you will need to know how to clean them. Does this Spark an idea?
Become a Qualified Yoga Instructor
For the yoga devotee, moving from student to teacher provides an opportunity not only to demonstrate a skill but to model a way of life. A qualified, successful teacher studies all aspects of yoga from postures to principles of non-violence. You will research human anatomy and physiology and learn how to communicate in class. Much of this initial education is wrapped up in yoga teacher training: intensive coursework that ends in professional certification and prepares you for both the business and spiritual aspects of yoga as a career.