Georg Feuerstein

Yoga is well known for making people more flexible, supple, lithe, and limber. In fact, you’ve probably seen photographs of yogis or yoginis contorting themselves into different yoga postures. However, recent studies indicate that it’s a safe and effective option for relieving moderate low back pain.In a study funded by NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), participants suffering from chronic lower back pain were divided into three groups: one group took 12 weekly yoga classes, one group took 12 weekly stretching classes, and one group was given a self-care book and encouraged to exercise to relieve pain.

Yoga is an ancient practice that still provides numerous benefits today to the people who practice it regularly. Some people are scared off by certain myths they’ve heard about Yoga, but in truth, there’s no reason why anyone can’t and shouldn’t practice it.If you’re new to Yoga, finding a class and a teacher that fits your needs is crucial.

Yoga itself is at least 5,000 years old, and yoga exercising — what you know as yoga postures, or asanas — emerged about 600 years ago. Even though yoga has evolved over the centuries as it traveled to new cultures, its principles are universal. Yoga is a practice of mind, body, breath, and spirit. The articles in the Cheat Sheet touch on the physical and mental benefits yoga offers, offer suggestions for how to enhance your yoga practice even when you’re on your own, and remind you why warming up is so important to any exercise routine — even one as “user-friendly” as yoga.

This short Yoga routine focuses on the areas of the body that you want to strengthen as you prepare your body for giving birth. Make sure you have consulted your physician to be sure you have no special circumstances before beginning any prenatal exercise routines.Mountain posture: TadasanaOne of the benefits of the mountain posture during pregnancy is that it directs your attention to your posture during this period when your weight and balance have gradually but steadily changed.

This Yoga exercise is for people who suffer from insomnia but have an active imagination. Instead of watching your mind weave tale after tale when you can’t sleep at night, why not recruit your imagination for the purpose of falling soundly asleep? Here’s how. If you’re claustrophobic, this exercise may not necessarily work for you.

The best way to understand a yoga routine or posture is to see someone practice it. These ten short videos introduce you to a variety of yoga postures and beginning-level routines. With these demonstrations at your fingertips, you can improve your yoga practice, regardless of your age or physical abilities. Check out these tried-and-true poses and routines at www.

No matter what anybody else tells you, yogic breathing typically occurs through the nose, during both inhalation and exhalation. For traditional yogis and yoginis, the mouth is meant for eating and the nose for breathing. Here are at least three good reasons for breathing through the nose: It slows the breath because you’re breathing through two small openings instead of the one big opening in your mouth, and slow is good in Yoga.

To succeed at anything, you must know two things: the ground rules and yourself. Here are ten tips for growing your yoga practice into a sturdy, fruit-laden tree. If you bear these points in mind, you can expect to reap the benefits of your efforts surprisingly quickly. Although you shouldn’t expect overnight miracles, correct yoga practice can bring you multiple advantages — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Starting anything new can feel overwhelming, but choosing the Yoga class that fits you is easy when you take time to evaluate your Yoga needs. So how do you know the right class when you see it? When you visit a Yoga center or classroom, pay attention to your intuitive feelings about the place. Consider how the staff treats you and how you respond to the people attending class.