Yoga for Women: A Non-Violent Approach to Exercise

Many women pile up an array of small violences against themselves from the moment they wake up - caffeine, cigarettes, abrasive exercises or no exercise at all. Lots of faddish fitness programs today have this violent approach - do 50 leg raises or pound your body jogging on the pavement or jump around to a rhythm not of your own making. Is it any wonder we don't like to exercise?

For a happier, healthier life, your approach to fitness and well-being and to life in general should be nonviolent one - working smoothly with concentration and determination at your own pace without competing with anyone else. Don't be ruthless with yourself and you won't be ruthless with other people.

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Yoga is a great way to start off your day on a peaceful note.
First things first, when you roll out of your bed, sit onto a mat on the floor and hug your knees to your chest. Then raise your legs in the air and stay bottoms up until your head clears. Next stand up and drop your forehead to your shins until you feel ready to tackle the toothbrush and get on with your day.

Your morning yoga routine should center on postures drawn from the 5,000-year-old technique whose name comes from the Sanskrit for sun, moon and join together. The exercises can range from deep breathing to pretzel-like stretches.

Yoga can be strenuous, but it should not be painful. It can be gentle and easy, or challenging. It helps you relax, but it can also give every inch of your body a terrific workout.

Yoga helps you maintain flexibility, build strength and muscle definition. Ideally, you could try spending 60 to 90 minutes on your yoga routine, before breakfast, five to six days a week, but as little as 10 minutes a day can really help start your day off on the right foot.

Don't space out during workouts. Use that time to tune in to your body and have a private conversation with yourself: 'How do I feel physically, mentally?' 'How is my balance and coordination today?' 'Is there something I should pay special attention to?'

Practice yoga in the early morning or early evening at least one hour after a light meal or three to four hours after a main meal. If you are hungry before practice, try tea, milk or fruit juice.

Following these basic yoga tips on a regular basis can help women obtain a more healthy and balanced life

A Simple Yoga Breathing Exercise

Regular practice of yoga can help you to approach life in a less stressed manner, and in doing so, you will get more out of life. You may find you are able to achieve more each day and still feel more energized at the end of the day.

One of the most important things that you will learn from yoga is the correct manner of breathing. Most of us breathe too shallowly, and this can lead to stress and tension. It is only with correct breathing that you will teach your mind and your body to gravitate towards a more natural state of relaxation.

You will be able to bring about a peaceful and relaxed state more easily and that in turn will help you to cope with stressful situations.

The deep breathing techniques that are taught in yoga can lower stress and bring more calm in your life, while at the same time energizing you. Many people feel that they need some form of stimulation to get energized, but yoga will show them that this can be far from the truth. Yoga gives you long-lasting energy that is not influenced by hyper activity or nervousness.

You can practice the basic yoga breathing techniques wherever you like - even while sitting at your office desk.

Just follow this simple technique to quickly lower your stress levels and feel calmer and more relaxed:

1. Sit up straight in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on top of your thighs and begin to relax, slowly closing your eyes.

2. Now begin to think about the various parts of your body, starting with your feet and working your way up. Relax each part one at a time as you feel your muscles become soft and relaxed, releasing all the tension that is being held there.

3. Feel your lungs filling with breath, expanding and contracting in a relaxed manner. Allow your breath to go deep into your belly, expanding your diaphram naturally. Don't 'push' your breathing. Just maintain a relaxed breath in and out. With each outwards breath expel the tension that is being held in your body. Set it free and breathe in the next breath of relaxed energy.

This will come more naturally the more often you do it, and you will find that you can get into a relaxed state faster each time. It used to take me several minutes to relax when I started a yoga session, but now I can relax within seconds of starting the yoga breath technique. The energy that you get from this exercise will carry over further into each day of your life, until you find it easier to be relaxed in nearly all situations.

Try it now and see how you feel, and then make this a regular practice in your daily life to reap the benefits of yoga just by breathing!

Video: 30-Minute Beginners Yoga for Relaxation & Stress Relief

This relaxing yoga session helps balance your energy and relieve anxiety, stress, and insomnia, and is great to do before bed or at the end of a long day.

Whether you have a stressful daily life (and really, who doesn't?) or you have trouble sleeping, or you just want to relax or relieve anxiety before an important event, this 30-minute yoga sequence will help you breathe more deeply, sleep better, and bring relaxation your body and mind.

These gentle stretches also improve flexibility, and are great for those who may be new to yoga, as well as those who simply need to relax after a busy day.

All you need is a yoga mat, and perhaps a towel or small folded blanket.

How Yoga Helps You De-Stress

Over the past decade, the yoga craze has been sweeping the Western world.  What previously was seen as being odd or Eastern superstition has now become a Western staple.  Yoga can strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and help you sleep better.  But perhaps the most useful effect of yoga is its ability to decrease stress; something we seem to have more and more of every day.  If it seems the world is piling up on you and you just need a break, why not finally give in to the craze and try some yoga exercises?  They’ll not only reduce your stress level, they can also help you live a longer, healthier life. 

(Photo credit: GO INTERACTIVE WELLNESS)

While there are many different kinds of yoga, most revolve around the same principles.  What we refer to as yoga now is a method of balancing the systems of your body using poses and deep breathing methods.  These methods help stretch muscles, massage internal organs, and leave your mind in a peaceful state.  The full concept of yoga also includes balancing diet and other aspects of your life. 

You should choose a method of yoga based on what classes and books are available to you, your dedication to yoga, and your physical skill level.  You should research all options available to you in order to find the best fit.

So why is yoga so good at relieving stress?  First, in addition to the poses and breathing, it emphasizes a healthy and balanced lifestyle, leading to a healthier body and mind. Yoga also helps build stamina and strength which can help you cope better with the physical aspects of stress.  It also helps to calm you physically and mentally.  This helps to relieve the stress you may have built up through the day.  It also emphasizes proper breathing methods.  Generally we take short shallow breaths.  The long deep breaths used in yoga promote relaxation by changing the carbon dioxide levels in the blood.  Lastly, yoga can help promote a full, restful night’s sleep.  Getting enough sleep is very important in helping the body and mind heal.  This leaves you ready to cope better with stressors the next day.

Adding visualization to your yoga exercises can make them even more relaxing and more effective at relieving stress.  The concept is to visualize images that will guide your mood.  If you think of sad things during your visualizations, you’ll become sadder.  This also means that if your mind wanders to work and other stressors, you’ll become more stressed.  By teaching yourself to concentrate on peaceful and relaxing images, you will help relive even more stress from your body. 

While they may take time, practice, and patience to master; yoga and visualization techniques can be great tools to help you relax, unwind, sleep better, and stay healthy and happy.