Anyone for A Yoga Pose With Your Battleship?

Sailors and soldiers are seeking enlightenment in uniform. Are tow-truck drivers and Wall Street traders next?

By Eve Conant, EVE CONANT is a freelance writer.
August 24, 2006

YOGA MAGAZINES seldom fail to offer a glossy dive into the sandalwood-scented world of downward-facing dog poses, toned bodies and organic tank tops. But the August edition of Fit Yoga magazine is an exception. Turn to Page 6 and you'll see a pair of mildly euphoric U.S. naval aviators on the deck of an aircraft carrier doing their yoga practice in full uniform. There are no yoga mats in sight, only combat boots, survival flashlights and helmets. And, yes, you guessed it, they are doing the warrior pose.

**Hmm, maybe is all the worlds military forces practiced Yoga there would be less fighting?
Read the rest of this article here


Namaste,
Nat

Yoga Instructors Under Siege?

Conmen making moves on yoga

By Tom Stirling

Yoga teacher Wendy Jacob, of York, who was the target of email tricksters

YOGA is said to be the ultimate way of attaining Enlightenment - so sneaky cyber-shysters picked the wrong target when they tried to con practitioners in York.

"They obviously think we're all rather nave," said one yoga teacher who saw right through the dodgy scam.

Improved health, emotional well-being, mental clarity and joy in living are what most people want from a yoga class.

But email scammers aren't interested in the union between body and mind. Instead, they have been trying to trick yoga teachers out of their hard-earned cash.

**So not content with pretending to be an African prince looking for someone to deposit large sums of money, this losers are now targeting YOGA instructors??

Well thats inventive, i'll give them that.

Read the rest of the article here


Namaste,
Nat

Amazing Recovery With Yoga

Yoga, spirit got woman on feet

Truck crushed her body, not her resolve to walk

Cary Aspinwall
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 31, 2006 12:00 AM Gilbert resident Cathi Worley last year was given a 10 percent chance of walking again.

Now Worley is not only walking, she's doing yoga and planning when she might go skiing with her sons again.

Worley, 39, was lucky to be alive after a truck backed over her and crushed her in May 2005. She was walking in Cave Creek at nighttime, and the driver didn't see her.

Doctors thought her spine was severed. She remembers waking in the hospital, and doctors asking her to move her legs. Only her right toes would wiggle slightly.

She spent two weeks in an intensive care unit and had three surgeries in 10 days. Doctors had to implant six screws in her neck, two rods lining six of her vertebrae and remove a broken rib. After that, it was three weeks in a nursing rehabilitation facility.


**Truly amazing story which highlights the amazing benefits of practicing Yoga.
Read the rest here


Namaste,
Nat

Can Yoga Be Instrumental In Weight Loss?

Yoga and Obesity

Obesity has risen to epidemic levels in the U.S. The figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 65 percent of U.S. adults (about 129.6 million people) are either overweight or obese.Nearly 14 percent of British youngsters are clinically obese. The cost of obesity to the NHS in UK is about £ 1 billion a year. By 2010 the number of overweight and obese youngsters in the European Union nations is expected to hit 26 million. An estimated 20,000 obese youngsters will have type 2 diabetes as per another report.

Obesity put strain on heart, respiratory and eliminatory system. It also increases the chances of diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Generally it is seen that obese people are also lower in vitality.

**One would have to be living under a rock to not know that obesity is on the rise and that it kills!

Surely the benefits of any exercise, not just yoga, is apparent to anyone who can hear and see?

Read more here

Namaste
Nat

Yoga Positions: Are They One Size Fits All?

Yoga: Three reasons not to do Yoga pose Bow (Dhanurasana)

The Bow – (Dhanurasana)

The Yoga pose Bow (dhanurasana) is a very invigorating and exhilarating pose raising both halves of the body at once, combining the movement of the Cobra pose (Bhujangasana) and the Locust pose (Salabhasana).

In this posture the hands are used like a bow-string to pull the head, trunk and legs up, while the body rests on the abdomen. The Bow gives a full backward bend to the whole spine and muscles of the back, from the neck to the lower back. The Bow pose works all parts of the back simultaneously.

This yoga pose maintains the elasticity of the spine, strengthens the abdominal muscles, tones and massages the abdominal organs. Balancing the weight of the body on the abdomen reduces abdominal fat and keeps the digestive and reproductive systems healthy.

The alternating stretching and releasing of the abdominal muscles increases blood flow to this area and aids digestive disorders and discomforts.

The Rocking Bow yoga pose gives the internal organs a powerful massage. Initially, it is easier to lift the knees with legs apart; more advanced students should aim to perform the Rocking Bow with legs together.

Regular practice of the yoga pose Bow (dhanurasana) develops internal harmony and increases vitality.

However beneficial the Bow posture is, there are some health conditions in which this Yoga pose should be avoided.

Three important reasons (out of many) not to do the Yoga pose Bow:

1) Anyone with a history of chronic back pain or acute back pain should not do this yoga pose.

2) During pregnancy avoid this pose as it increases pressure on the abdomen.

3) In case of hernia this yoga pose is better to be avoided as it increases intra-abdominal pressure which can exacerbate the hernia. (If you are having pain in the upper abdomen on the left side, especially after eating,it is better to seek medical advice before attempting this yoga pose).

** Some people are under the impression that yoga cannot cause harm, well that just isn't true.

There are ALWAYS certain things that certain people should not attempt, this is true of any physical pursuit.

Only ever take a position that you CAN do without pain or injury. There is NO benefit to trying to 'out yoga' the person next to you.

Read more here

Namaste,
Nat

Is This The New 'Must Have' Yoga Equipment?

Conscious Cards.
A series of new credit cards has been launched for socially/spiritually conscious businesses and yoga lovers.

Los Angeles-based Conscious Enlightenment and First Hawaiian Bank have launched eight new VISA credit cards. The "Enlightenment VISA Reward Card" allows socially and spiritually conscious businesses and organizations to offer their services and products as part of the rewards program.

"Enlightenment Card" members can earn points that can be redeemed at retreats, workshops and classes that are available around the world.


***Are they serious? So let me get this right, the more credit you rack up, the more points you earn towards a relaxing, de-stressing holiday at a retreat?

I guess you'll need it to get over the debt you've had to rack up to get there in the first place.

Read more here:

Namaste,
Nat

Christian Yoga- Yet Another Style Of Yoga?

Porter shares personal peace with church's yoga class

Susanne Tso
Special for The Republic
Aug. 30, 2006 12:00 AM Elena Porter took her first yoga class 10 years ago, but it didn't quite live up to her expectations.

She felt the promised tranquility but not the spiritual benefits that yoga was supposed to deliver.

"I really liked it and it felt peaceful and calming but it didn't feel spiritual. The practice of yoga just wasn't talking to my soul," Porter said.


**Its great to hear of people adapting yoga so that they get the benefits that are right for THEM. Hopefully Christian Yoga won't go the way of Bikram....

Read more here


Namaste,
Nat