Yoga Grandma at age 83

yoga-supergran-bend-backwards-age-83.html

Check it out! That could be all of us. :D

Meditation to Overcome Stress

This meditation uses a specific mudra, breath pattern, and eye focus. It affects the body in a number of ways. It unites the two hemispheres of the brain, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body's reaction to stress, and improves mental focus due to a prolonged concentrated attention. 

Enjoy. (The video has minor technical difficulties at the beginning but clears up at 8 secs.)

Yoga at Home: Refresh yourself after work

Expand your Breath, Shrink your Waistline

       As an Yoga/Fitness Instructor and practitioner, the most fascinating part of my job is how the body changes by the day and according to choices in our lifestyle. All vanities aside, when my abs are looking their best, it because my practice has involved a lot of breath work. The breathing techniques, known as Pranayama, create specific mental/physical health benefits are widely available today unlike in the dark ages of the past when they were kept hidden because they are so powerful.
      Pranayama is the physical Eastern practice of exerting conscious control of one's breathing over a certain period of time.  According to Western concepts, breathing is a largely unconscious, autonomous function of the the body. As a culture we are to address breathing changes in a person who may be having a medical emergency, such as an allergic reaction, choking, or heart attack; Yet we intuitively recognize the breathing pattern of someone who is emotionally upset and encourage them to breathe deeper in order to calm down.

        In Eastern practices, the breath is the common link to higher states of consciousness as the physical connection to concepts of spirituality, divinity, liberation, and the true nature of existence. It is through clarity of mind and breath that we are truly able to perceive the world. The initiation stage of every Eastern practice, whether Tai Chi, Chi Gung, Kung Fu, Yoga, or Meditation involves beginning with ten minutes of conscious observation of the breath. The locus of the exercise is on the mechanics of breathing, the inhalation and exhalation.  This allows you to observe how your mind works as it is asked to focus on something that is automatic.
      Pranayama exercises expel stagnant air from the lungs, reviving our physical and mental self, as well as tone the soft tissue of the lungs and the deep and superficial abdominal muscles.  The specific techniques of Pranayama also induce heightened states of awareness.   Heighten your mental acuity, tone your lungs and your abs simply through an otherwise automatic function. Stop living your life on automatic and get breathing!