What Is Yoga?

If you think of people in seemingly impossible and weirdly twisted poses when you think of "Yoga", then you may have an inkling of what yoga is, just an inkling that's it. Yoga is much more than those poses. Derived from the Sankrit word "yuj" which means "to unite or integrate"; yoga is a 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge. Yoga is all about harmonizing the body with the mind and breath through the means of various breathing techniques, yoga postures (asanas) and meditation.

Sri Sri Yoga is a 10 hours' workshop spread over 3-5 days, uniting the body, breath and mind in a joyful experience. A combination of gentle and vigorous series of asanas is taught for the well-being of the body, while an equal emphasis is placed on techniques for nurturing the mind and spirit. With Sri Sri Yoga's multi dimensional routine combining yoga postures, breathing techniques, yogic knowledge and meditation, students gain a complete take home practice. It is suitable for beginners as well as experienced yoga practitioners. Through the practices taught in the workshop, participants can lose weight and be cured of chronic diseases such as insomnia, asthma, diabetes, hypertension and migraine.

Yoga has never been alien to us. It's a way of our life. We have been doing it since we were a baby! Whether it is the Cat Stretch that strengthens the spine or the Wind-Relieving pose that boosts digestion, you will always see kids do some form of yoga throughout the day. Yoga works for everyone from people engaged in desk jobs to professional cyclists to runners to people looking for weight loss to housewives to students. This section mostly explains how yoga can improve the quality of life for everyone who adopts this practice.

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of natural and holistic medicine. Ayurveda means "the science of life" (the Sanskrit root "ayur" means "longevity" or "life" and "veda" means "science"). Ayurveda provides guidance on how to improve our lifestyle while living a healthy and zestful life. Practicing ayurveda also improves your yoga practice, a perfect win-win situation! This section sheds light on how ayurveda can uplift our life in every sphere.

Pranayama is the art of effective breath control. Practicing proper techniques of breathing can help bring more oxygen to the blood and brain, eventually helping control prana or the vital life energy. Pranayama also goes hand in hand with various yoga asanas. The union of these two yogic principles is considered as the highest form of purification and self-discipline, covering both mind and body. Pranayama techniques also prepare us for a deeper experience of meditation. Know more about various pranayama techniques in these sections.

This section lays an exclusive commentary by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the ancient scripture, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, which will enlighten you on the knowledge of yoga, its origin and purpose. The goal of this rendition of the Yoga Sutras is to make the principles and practices of the Yoga Sutras more understandable and accessible. The descriptions of each sutra offered by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar attempts to focus on the practical suggestions of what can be done to experience the ultimate benefits of a yogic lifestyle.

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Yoga : What Is Yoga? - Art of Living foundation

Inside a museum: You can meditate among the masterpieces as Dali's energy infuses the physical, mental and spiritual inspiration of yoga at The Dali museum, where classes get a great view of St. Petersburg's downtown waterfront through the Dali's large windows. For an extra $6 you can visit the galleries when you're done. Sundays, noon. $10 members and students; $15 everyone else. 1 Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg.

On a paddleboard: YOW, or Yoga on the Water, is hosted by Urban Kai and combines the balance of paddleboarding with yoga for a unique challenge that increases core strength while letting you enjoy the outdoors and maybe get a tan too. Sundays, 11:30 a.m., $30 with board rental or $15 if you bring your own. 1000 Severn Ave., Tampa (Davis Island).

On the sand: Whether you want your yoga with a morning sea breeze or a sandy sunset, there are several options for Vinyassa flow-style classes on Pinellas County beaches. Mind Body Fusion offers classes Tuesdays and Sundays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Indian Shores Beach ($8, (813) 917-2892), while Beach Yoga Pinellas has 9 a.m. classes at Redington Shores as well as morning and sunset classes at Indian Rocks and Madeira beaches. $15 per class. Call (727) 222-6476 for more info.

With a dog: Care to try downward facing dog with your dog? SPCA Tampa Bay's doga classes feature meditation, massage and gentle stretching that's a bonding experience for pets and owners, and some find it's a good way to calm hyper dogs who can sense their owner's mellow mood. Beginner and advanced classes happen on the last Sunday of every month. $5 to $15 per class. 9099 130th Ave. N., Largo. Register online at spcatampabay.org.

In a store: Fashionable yoga pants and fitness apparel giant Lululemon offers free and open to the public yoga classes in all of its retail stores, including the one in Tampa's Hyde Park Village. Sundays, 10 a.m. 727 S. Dakota Ave., Tampa.

Read more from the original source:
Seven unusual ways to try yoga around Tampa Bay

Swap the Dumbbells For Yoga to Tone Arms Faster

Relaxation. Calmness. Serenity. Yes, yoga delivers on all of these things, but the fact that yoga can also offer your muscles a kickass strength workout should not be overlooked. Yoga is such an effective strength-training workout, because it utilises lifting and holding your own body weight. Not only will these eight poses sculpt a strong, sexy upper body, but they will also help strengthen the rest of your body too. Aside from buffing you up, these arm-targeting yoga poses will also make it easier to tackle inversions like Headstand, the oh-so-fun Forearm Stand, and the playful Handstand (and yes, even Scorpion!). Source: Louisa Larson Photography

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Here's an easy-on-the-wrists variation of Down Dogto target the upper arms and back.

Source: Louisa Larson Photography

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Lifting one leg in this Chaturanga variationreally targets your triceps and shoulders.

Source: Louisa Larson Photography

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Swap the Dumbbells For Yoga to Tone Arms Faster

James Brickwood

NAKED ISSUES: "From time to time, someone will get an erection": Benjamin Law gives nude yoga a crack.

Performing yoga in the nude does unkind things to the male body.

The human scrotum looks miserable enough at the best of times, but I've never seen mine look as demoralised as right now.

Our instructor - also naked - has told us to stretch our right leg tightly over our left, before twisting our torsos to flex out our spines. If I was wearing underwear, this would be easy. But because I'm nude, this scissored, clamp-legged position just bunches my equipment together and mashes everything upwards, until it resembles some sort of angry offal bouquet. And I thought yoga was supposed to be beautiful.

I've come to my first Naked Yoga class to suss out its appeal. Considering these classes requires everyone getting buck naked in a group to stretch in every conceivable position, surely it can't just be about the yoga, can it?

Sessions run on the second floor of a warehouse in Sydney three times a week and, on average, attract around 15 men every session. No women are allowed. Nude co-ed yoga classes are taking off in the US and UK, but in Australia, only all-male classes exist.

Naked Yoga Sydney's instructor and founder, Steve Gee - who started his classes nine years ago - tried reaching out to women in the early days, but found there just wasn't the demand.

"I've had a few enquiries from women, looking for either women-only classes or mixed classes," Gee says, "but not enough interest to justify running a full-time class."

Nude Yoga USA in Arizona, which runs co-ed naked yoga classes three times a week, has some theories as to why women might be more shy. In their classes, men can outnumber women four to one.

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What happens at a naked yoga class