Yoga practitioners find many benefits along the ‘journey’
Posted: May 14, 2012 at 3:11 am
The burning Indian fragrance is an incense called nan champa, and the music that sets the mood is a mixture of Kundalini meditation music. The lights are low, and the moment Shannon Workman Lanier starts the class, all chatter becomes a sudden, focused quiet. Lanier has been practicing yoga for 10 years, but it wasnt until this past summer that she became a certified yoga instructor through YogaFit.
Lanier said whats important to remember about yoga is not to have any specific expectations, and to be open to whats new and different. Let go and honor your body.
While there are many forms of taught yoga, Lanier teaches a version called Hatha (ha in sanskrit means sun and tha means moon), which dates back to the 15th century and was founded by a sage in India as a way to intensify the meditation experience through stretching exercises. Hatha Yoga is the basis for other various yoga techniques taught today, said Lanier.
While Lanier guides her students through various poses from Childs Pose, which is a kneeling position on the floor to the several standing Warrior forms she instructs them on when and how to use their breathing techniques.
They say we take 5,000 breaths a day, said Lanier, And how many of those do we pay attention to?
What she also notes about yoga as compared to other exercises is that yoga is very adaptable to the individual participant. She keeps the routines flexible in case anyone is having specific issues with joints or muscles. For example, she said, shoulder expansions and forward folds will do well to stretch out kinks in the back, neck, or shoulders. Also, certain positions can be made to adapt to a persons experience and flexibility level, which is why, she points out, yoga can be accessible to all ages and body shapes.
One of Laniers students during a Wednesday class said she is able to use what she learns from yoga and apply it to horse riding and shows. Anne Demirjian, 46, a former registered nurse, has been practicing yoga for 2 years. She also does aerobics and weight training. She said it helps with balance and keeping flexible for riding, specifically down dog, which stretches out her heels. It also allows her to mentally focus and visualize what she needs to do.
It calms you, explains Demirjian, And, in turn, it calms the horses.
While Laniers classes consist mostly of women ranging in age from 30 to 60, a recent one at the Decatur Indoor Sports Center, which offers a yoga class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, was made up of students in their early 20s. Of the eight who attended, three were men.
One session in early March at the DISC was run by T.J. Kuster, 22, a Millikin student from Warrensburg-Latham.
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Yoga practitioners find many benefits along the ‘journey’
A yoga class for dogs (and people)
Posted: at 3:11 am
SHANNON MONEO VICTORIA From Monday's Globe and Mail Published Sunday, May. 13, 2012 7:53PM EDT Last updated Sunday, May. 13, 2012 7:55PM EDT
With music softly playing in the background, the calm voice of yoga teacher Gwen Siciliano instructs five women, each with their beloved dog beside them, to settle into a pose.
But theres no barking out instructions at what is Vancouver Islands only yoga class for dogs and people doga where participants bond on the mat during one hour of heavy breathing and soft poses.
Its about tuning into yourself and settling into yourself so the dog will feel it, says Ms. Siciliano, who teaches doga at the Fuller Lake Arena near Duncan, B.C. Youre grooving to your breath, going into a twist, holding the pose and getting into this quietness. The dogs become totally relaxed, said Ms. Siciliano, a yoga practitioner for 10 years and yoga teacher for two years.
When a fitness co-ordinator asked her if shed like to lead a doga class. Ms. Siciliano, who owns four dogs, at first didnt bite.
I thought she was crazy. I thought it was a gimmick, she said.
But once she tried it with her two golden retrievers, shepherd, and Shih Tzu-mix, Ms. Siciliano realized you can teach an old dog new tricks.
You might judge this as flaky, but once youve experienced it, youll really understand the quality of the bonding, she said. Its like Mommy and Me yoga, where you bring your kid.
At the one-hour class, dog owners bring their pets favourite blanket and toy and use the same spot each week. The dogs, who remain on leash, dont socialize before or during class.
Even hyper Jack Russells or high-strung Chihuahuas can be brought under the calming spell of doga as long as the owner retains control, Ms. Siciliano said.
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A yoga class for dogs (and people)
Is yoga the best choice for teen?
Posted: at 3:11 am
Your tween daughter is begging to take a weekly yoga class with her friends. Should you steer her toward a sport instead?
Parent advice (from our panel of staff contributors):
Once you've checked it out, I'd say let her go for it. As the parent of a girl this age, I think they can benefit from learning anything that increases their focus and ability to calm themselves, which I've found to be one of the great, lasting benefits of yoga. And while team sports are great, I think it's important to promote physical activities that kids can still be doing at age 80. Like yoga.
Cindy Dampier
I would think the benefits of yoga would outweigh those of most other activities. Even if your daughter is interested only because her friends are and she's just following the pack, something might click, and she'll become involved in a body/mind practice that she can benefit from long after she'll have lost the ability to kick a soccer ball.
Bill Hageman
Teaching children about the mind/body connection, breathing and stretching can have lifelong benefits. Plus there's a fitness component, and it's a great stress reliever. Also, the noncompetitive nature of it can improve self-esteem in kids more than a team sport. And what tween couldn't use a bit of self-esteem?
Seka Palikuca
Expert advice:
Adolescence is actually a prime time for yoga, says Paula Walker, yoga instructor at Miami-based Green Monkey yoga studios, which partners with schools to offer children's yoga classes.
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Is yoga the best choice for teen?
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Posted: May 13, 2012 at 1:16 am
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