Twists: Has a "squeeze-and-soak" action: The organs are compressed during the twist, pushing out blood filled with toxins. When we release the twist, fresh blood flows in, carrying new oxygen, new nutrients . Twists stimulate circulation and have a cleansing and refreshing effect on the torso organs and glands. Backbends: Energize, refresh and invigorate the body. Open the chest, encouraging proper breathing. Backbends realign the spine, counteracting and re-teaching the body’s poor postures. Helps to build confidence and self-esteem Forward bends: Give an internal massage as well as improve the circulation to the various organs in the abdomen: stomach, pancreas, liver, intestines and kidneys. Reduces stress, anxiety, depression and fatigue - Calms the mind and soothes the nerves. - Relieves tension in the spine, neck and back - Improves digestion. Inversions – Downward facing dog: Retrieves blood from your legs and lower torso, carrying it upwards against the force of gravity. Inversion allows your body to work with gravity to ease the circulation process. Inversions provide a lymphatic wash. The lymphatic system has no pump, putting the body upside down helps speed up the process of removing waste from the body. • Inverted poses are extremely important because they reverse the action of gravity on the body and get the blood and lymph flowing in opposite directions. • Increases blood flow to the top of the body, improving brain function and cognition and reduces anxiety and depression. • Takes pressure off the heart, which has to work less to get blood flowing to the brain. • On an emotional level helps us to see things from a different angle and perspective. Shavasana /Savasana: Shavasana is perhaps the most important part of yoga practice. It is an integration phase where the effects of the practice are allowed to take hold and penetrate deep into the self of the practitioner. After the exertions of the practice, Shavasana allows the body a chance to regroup and reset itself. It is intended to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit.
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More and more athletes nowadays are turning to Yoga to help improve their performance. Whatever type of sports you are into, you can be sure that Yoga can help you up your game. Benefits of the Sport yoga: - Yoga can help you develop a better breathing technique while it improves your balance, flexibility, core strength, and endurance. - Sport yoga can help athletes to reduce the chance of sports-related injury and heal more quickly from injury. - If you participate competitively in sport or simply join the occasional fun run on a whim you are aware of the impact breathing can have on performance. Deep, relaxed breathing is the foundation of reducing performance anxiety and improving concentration. Yoga will help you develop a habit of breathing correctly. - Yoga practice integrations the mind-body connection and athletes can benefit from this combination of skills training. - Increase Core Strength: Yoga poses are all about building core strength. The slow, focused movements require a strong mid-section and the isometric contractions of many exercises will add a new form of resistance training to your typical machine-based workouts. - Increase Flexibility and Range of Motion: Yoga routines incorporate slow, steady flexibility exercise that is ideal for athletes. Frequent yoga training may increase flexibility, and range of motion while relieving muscle tension. Whether you are a runner or a golfer, improved range of motion can often help improve performance. - Improve Balance. Yoga is a perfect way to incorporate balance exercises into your training routine. Balance exercises are often overlooked by athletes, but are one of the most effective ways to correct muscle imbalance or body mechanic problems. With most sports and weight training routines you tend to perform repetitive motions that develop some muscle groups while others are ignored. Yoga can fix these imbalances. - It’s Great Cross Training. Yoga is a great low-impact way to cross train. Cross training is necessary for athletes who do the same sport or exercise routine year-round. Adding new exercises can help reduce injury, relieve training boredom, add variety and help recover from hard aerobic or strength workouts. There are hundreds of postures that can provide a workout for any athletic need. About the Teacher: I am Claudia Gutierrez, former Argentinean Gymnastic Champion. I was envolved in sports since I was 5 years old. I have 28 years of experience as a Coach and Fitness and Yoga Instructor. I have a Honour Bachelor Degree in Sport Science and Physical Education (Major in Sport Training and Gymnastics). I am constantly updating my knowledge and expertise. I attended several Symposiums of Medicine, Kinesiology and Sport Science applied to Athletic Training (among hundred more!) I understand perfectly the needs of the Sport's trainees and runners and I can help you through the Yoga practice to discover your true potential, maximize your training and reach your goals more easily. What Yoga Can Do For You It seems that you can’t go anywhere these days without seeing people carrying yoga mats under their arm or sticking out of their bags. Although the Indian art of yoga is thousands of years old and has been practised in Europe since the eighteenth century, it has seen a massive growth in popularity in the past decade, with most modern gyms and fitness centres offering yoga classes of different levels, as well as the plethora of yoga DVDs available. So what’s so special about yoga? Here are a few of the benefits of practising yoga regularly. Flexibility, Strength and Balance As yoga involves a lot of stretching, as well as slow movements from one posture to the next, which require strength and balance, attending a yoga class or practising yoga at home will improve your levels of flexibility, strength and balance. You’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll feel the difference, even as you go about your daily life. For those looking to tone up, the build-up of strength will tone your muscles, leaving you with a more toned body. Stress and Breathing Many people practise yoga in order to reduce stress levels. As yoga requires intense concentration on body movements, to the exclusion of all else, worries and stress melt away, leaving you feeling calm and at peace with the world (ideally!) Reduced stress levels can improve your skin, your happiness levels and reduce the likelihood of a heart attack. In addition to that, certain types of yoga places a great emphasis on breathing, encouraging you to breathe deeply and regularly, which can have both physical and mental benefits. Health Benefits Yoga has also been shown to slow the signs of ageing, such as loss of bone density and stiffness. There is also evidence that yoga can help people with high blood pressure, depression, back pain and even heart disease. Plus, many people claim that they became more conscious of their diet and their body after taking up yoga, becoming more conscious of how much junk food they consumed. Yoga is for Everyone! You can probably think of at least one reason why yoga wouldn’t suit you; you think you’re not flexible enough, too old or too unfit… None of these are valid excuses! There is a yoga class for everyone, with different styles of yoga being more or less physically demanding. Beginners’ yoga classes will build up your fitness and flexibility over time, allowing you to progress slowly towards more complex or demanding postures. So grab yourself a yoga mat and get your Zen on! This article was written by William Montcalm, a yoga fitness instructor. What is the Menopause?
Being female means that hormone fluctuations are a part of our life. From acne and mood swings at puberty, morning sickness in pregnancy, post-natal depression and the emotional and physical roller coaster that is the menopause. Menopause literally mans the cessation of menses. It marks a physiological milestone in a woman’s life when her ovaries produce significantly less hormones and stop producing eggs. Gradually over a number of years, periods end and ovulation no longer occurs. It marks the middle of a woman’s natural life span. It is not a health condition or an illness, but a natural stage in every woman’s life, therefore does not require a cure. No need to medicate with a “pill for every ill”. It can occur anywhere from your late 30’s (although this would be considered an early menopause) to your mid 50’s. There is no universal menopause experience. It is highly individual. Symptoms can fluctuate wildly from having almost no effect on daily life to being severe and debilitating. It is part of the normal cycle of life and the more we approach it as such and accept it with grace, the better we can cope with whatever symptoms it throws up. Women are described as post-menopausal when they have gone one year without a menstrual period. What is happening to our bodies? The symptoms are normally very gradual and are triggered by a reduction of the amount of oestrogen produced by our bodies. As our ovaries are slowing down and producing less hormones, the pituitary gland tries to make up for this by sending more follicle stimulating hormone to the ovaries to encourage the production of oestrogen and progesterone. This slowing down of the ovaries and speeding up of the pituitary is responsible for a lot of the symptoms of menopause. Our hormones are in flux. These fluctuating hormones can leave women feeling unbalanced and victims of their changing bodies. It takes our bodies a little time to adjust to these changes, but once they do, balance is restored, symptoms disappear and we move on with the rest of our lives. Menopause does not last forever! There can be an increased risk of some health conditions after menopause. This is no cause for alarm, but just something to be aware of. For example, one of the functions of oestrogen is to prevent fat deposits building up in the arteries and this provides protection against coronary heart disease. When the production of oestrogen decreases there is a possibility of the development of heart disease. Oestrogen is also involved in the process of calcium absorption into the bones, therefore as oestrogen levels drop there will be an acceleration of bone density reduction, which can lead to osteoporosis. Oestrogen is like an oil that lubricates the body. The elixir of life! It is responsible for our femininity, our youthful glow, our thick, healthy hair. When we begin to lose it, we can experience stiff, aching joints and muscles, hair loss and dry skin. So where is the good news? Do we just turn into doubled up old crones and bemoan the fact that the best part of our life is over? Is it the end of something or could it possibly be the beginning of something wonderful? Yes, it is the end of our fertile life, but it is most certainly not the end of our creativity and productivity. Can we see it as a time of freedom, of new challenges, a time when our duties are lightened? We have less responsibility for childcare, care of elderly relatives, domestic duties and perhaps reduced work commitments. Is there something we can actively do to improve the quality of life? Can we become the wise women nature intends us to be? The resounding answer is yes. With a few simple dietary and lifestyle changes and of course, yoga, the menopause storm can be weathered. I am right in the middle of the menopause and I feel that I am dealing with the symptoms very well thanks to my yoga practice. My friends and family remark that I don’t seem menopausal at all. At a time when typically women can become unreasonable, moody and exhausted, this is refreshing. There is life before, during and after menopause and I know I am preaching to the converted here. We know from our knowledge of yoga that the practice is a two way street between the actions of the body affecting the mind and emotions and a positive mental attitude affecting the health and flexibility of our bodies. There is no more important time in a woman’s life to benefit from this knowledge. Yoga supports not just our bodies but our minds and emotions as we work through the biological changes taking place. The benefits of yoga during this time are substantial and regular practice helps to maintain physical, mental and emotional health. For my thesis I decided to look at some of the common symptoms of menopause and explore how a yoga practice involving asana, pranayama, meditation and relaxation can help alleviate those symptoms. It is my theory that a practice which includes all four yoga elements can tone the body, soothe the mind, alleviate anxiety and ease us through this natural transition with grace and confidence. More in Yoga and Menopause in our workshop Sunday 26th at 2.30 at Yoga Fitness Dun Laoghaire www.yogafitness.ie Just wondering if Yoga is for you? You have to read this!
From better sleep to more energy and strength, this list provides several benefits of practicing Yoga: Aging. Yoga stimulates the detoxification process within the body. Detoxification has been shown to delay aging, among many other health benefits. Posture. The very nature of yoga teaches the practitioner how to hold and control one’s body in a more healthful position. Through consistent practice, your posture will improve so that you look more confident and healthy. Strength. One of the premises of yoga is that you are using the weight of your own body for overall strength. Energy. Regular yoga practice provides consistent energy. In fact, most yogis state that when you perform your yoga correctly, you will feel energized after your yoga session rather than tired. Weight. The benefits of a better metabolism along with the exercise of yoga work to keep your weight in check. Additionally, the stretching of muscles longwise helps to reduce the amount of cellulite that can build around muscles. Sleep. Because of the many benefits to both body and mind that a yoga routine can provide, many find that their sleep is much better. Balance. An integral part of the yoga practice is balance and control over your body. With a consistent practice, you will find that your overall balance will improve outside the yoga class. Integrated function of the body. Yoga is derived from Sanskrit and means "to join together and direct one’s attention." This is exactly what happens to your body after you start practicing yoga. Yogis find that their body works together much better, resulting in more graceful and efficient body movements. Body Awareness: Doing yoga will give you an increased awareness of your own body. You are often called upon to make small, subtle movements to improve your alignment. Over time, this will increase your level of comfort in your own body. This can lead to improved posture and greater self-confidence. Core strength. With a strong body core, you receive better posture and overall body strength. A strong core helps heal and reduce injuries. This is why a lot of athletes do yoga as cross training. And the list continues... In the next post... |
Claudia Gutierrez
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Yoga Fitness BlogI am Claudia Gutierrez, owner of Yoga Fitness, originally from Argentina and proudly Irish Citizen since 2012. Archives
November 2021
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