Rocket Yoga in Bangkok, learning to fly

In the yoga history, there are only few figures who contributed to create Yoga as we know it now or “Power Yoga”. This last week end, Bangkok gets the great chance to welcome one of the pioneers of modernYoga: Larry Schultz. Larry has been teaching during 30 years and has influenced yoga students and teachers around the world. His strength and success comes from the 63,000 Sun Salutes, 9,000 classes and 142 yoga teacher trainings he has been a part of. He is also known as the Grateful Dead’s yoga teacher and travelled with the band for 3 years. The workshop was aiming to introduce to Thai people the internationally acclaimed Rocket Yoga: an exciting series of poses drawn from Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga to renew energy and vitality throughout the body. This vibrant routine is called the-Rocket- because -it gets you there faster.-

The first yoga class started Friday evening. Thai and foreigner yoga student was much exited to learn from the creator of the Rocket. Larry Schulz makes his appearance and the magic happened. Xenna, reputed model from Thailand describe Larry as: “wonderful, charismatic, inspirational soul!”

Some student was beginners, some were advanced practicioner but everyone shared the same feeling of Fun and joy doing this Yoga routine. Bute the profond message of this week end was that Yoga is not only about doing yoga pose. It’s about a new way of life, of breathing aiming to bring more peace, love and health to our existence.

Before leaving to Koh Pagnan for the It’s Yoga teacher training, we ask Larry Schultz about his new Thailand experience. Thai student quite impress him. They are as flexible as their willingness to learn new things. Teaching Yoga in Thailand is like to be in a yoga holiday.

Yoga is just blooming in Asia and Its Yoga Thailand is the start of a long adventure.

It’s Yoga opened its first location in San Francisco in 1989. Today It’s Yoga is the global worldwide leader in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training and Certification. During the last 20 years more than 2000 yoga teachers have been certified to teach yoga by It’s Yoga.

More information about the yoga teacher training and yoga holiday in Thailand can be found to their website: www.itsyoga-thailand.com/

Yoga For Kids – What To Do And How To Do It

With evolution of humanity, our lifestyle has changed over the years. Todays generation is under lot of pressure and stress. The life has become immensely hectic and tiresome for youth as well. The lifestyle changes have affected the kids also. It has been seen in recent surveys that kids are under lot of stress in comparison with the previous generations. There are many factors that have caused such strain, like school, study, peer pressure, never-ending after school curriculum, interest and hobby classes and over scheduling for coaching and many more. All these add-up to a level where they are draining themselves so much that they seek expert assistance. Yoga in such a scenario is the only way out for kids, to de-stress them and keep them energized to follow their dreams in the long run.

Not only giving them a total de-stress mantra, Yoga poses also let them understand and build better body awareness, right from their initial years. Yoga teach the kids with many other subtle human behavior which is needed in the long run and forms the base of their overall character, such as self-control, tolerance, suppleness and coordination.

With constant practice kids are sure to take such characteristics beyond the class and into their daily lives. There are many asanas and poses to deliver effective results. For example – by doing breathing exercises such as three-part breath or camel pose one really can feel the difference in behavior. It builds them and helps retain them better than the grown-ups even, through the lifes vivid situations.

Besides, developing their innate qualities, Yoga is a great way to get hyperactive and attention-seeking kids to change their behavior and become well-mannered and calm. These kids mostly do such activities because they long for movement and stimulus (sensory/ motor). Yoga poses direct their impulses and energies in a positive manner.

Effective yoga poses for kids

Few immensely effective Yoga-Asanas that works particularly well for the kids are warrior pose and Tree pose. Children are, by doing these pose, gains confidence, balance and calm. However, Yoga is not restricted to just performing the poses, it transform your entire lifestyle and ought to go beyond the classes. The children are required to understand the benefits and the meaning of these poses. When they understand the meaning behind the poses, it then helps them become like the poses. For example – the Lion pose- it helps make behavioral changes in us, it is meant to encourage us to become strong and confident like Lion.

Other Yoga Asanas for Kids that work effectively:

Forward Bend or Extension – Uttanasana II
Half Shoulderstand – Ardha Sarvangasana
Dog and Cat
Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana
Head to Knee – Janu Sirshasana
Mountain – Tadasana
Sit/Easy Position – Sukhasana
The Bridge – Sethu Bandhasana
Triangle – Trikonasana
Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II
The Cobra – Bhujangasana
The Corpse – Savasana

Yoga Mats – A Few Quick Ideas

You’ll find different things it’s important to give some thought to in selecting the best yoga mat for you personally. The first and primary factor that you should remember while picking out a mat is precisely what method of yoga exercises you perform. Now, you can get various yoga mats built to be utilized for the various yoga types. If you’re performing a yoga style that requires hopping from one type to another, such as Ashtanga yoga, you’ll need a mat that is really thick and can provide you a good cushion. If, perhaps while engaging in yoga, you perspire a great deal, you should have a mat which has the capability to absorb it and the smartest choice will probably be cotton yoga mat. Other considerations to make in choosing a yoga mat are more of your individual preferences.

When planning on your most suitable mat, first of all think about the functional aspects, are you needing a yoga travel mat, to be quite easily carried wheresoever you might be, if that’s the case you will not want an extra thick mat. Secondly, just what form of yoga might you engage in, a high energy sweaty form could lead to insufficient grip on some mats, and if you posses deep environmental views you will require to take into account additional specifications once again. Long lasting, reliable for your form of yoga, comfortable, in addition to eco friendly, would be a great place to start out. You may additionally wish to add reasonably priced, mobile or portable, and quickly washable to your menu of must have mat specifications.

If you like the look of a patterned yoga mat there distinctive designs like tree of life, lotus, dragonfly, damask, wisdom, or simple peace on earth, prints. To really make it a whole lot more personal, some stores provide features such as placing a picture chosen by you on the designs of the mat. To hunt for such yoga mats it is possible to use the internet. With these mats, you can do yoga with your own sense of fashion. In fact, if you’re just not quite sure how to get started on looking for or getting more information on the various types of yoga mats and what might work best for you, just simply browse over to a fantastic yoga place to get going such as Gaiam.com. They’ve got all the different sorts of yoga mats and all the yoga gear, props, and videos that will enable you to get started or maybe go further with your yoga routines.

The density you will require is dependent upon a couple of points. A fuller mat will be more desirable for someone who has sensitive joints or if you have got arthritis or other joint issues. Thicker mats are designed for more exhaustive practices without moving around. Consider a thin mat if your primary yoga practice will not be too rigorous. If you intend to carry your mat about a great deal or travel with it, a slimmer, lighter mat is much easier to control. Also, thin mats provide a stronger connection to the ground and this can be well suited for balance.

Cotton yoga mats are great for those kinds of yoga that normally cause you to perspire considerably including Astanga or Bikram. Because they absorb sweat, they help prevent you from slipping and sliding throughout these hotter practices. They perform the best when they are sprinkled with a small amount of water. The moist mat will provide you with lots of traction which means that your hands and feet remain in the spot where you place them. Many of them contain lines in the designs, which can help with your body positioning. Organic cotton mats also offer shock absorption. They can substitute for blankets by helping to reinforce your body during certain postures. Many people use cotton mats in place of sticky mats throughout their routines.

One kind of yoga mat is referred to as the Ashtanga Yoga Mat. This kind of yoga mat is directly designed to satisfy what’s needed when it comes to Ashtanga yoga and even Bikram yoga. The mat contains cotton that is snugly woven to give traction and maximum absorption of sweat. This helps prevent the accumulation of moisture and perspiration. This yoga mat is also padded sufficiently to supply comfort for extended intervals of sitting and floor exercises as well as completely reliable for standing poses.

Yoga Program

Yoga Styles: Guide to the Most Popular Types
The image of yoga has changed during the past years. If once, the first picture that popped your mind was of a group of white wearing weirdoes standing on their heads and breathing loudly, now you are probably thinking about Madonna’s well shaped arms. Currently, yoga is one of the most popular fitness activities worldwide. One of its appeal is that it can be practiced by elders and it can improve the overall physical fitness of athletes.

If you want to start practicing yoga, here is a quick guide to the basic types of yoga. While most of them are based on the same ancient postures, each yoga style has a different focus. Some of the yoga styles focus on strengthening the body while others focus on flexibility. Other types of yoga focus mainly on breathing, relaxation, and meditation.

Most of the yoga styles that were adopted in the west, were derived from the Hatha Yoga, which is a general term that refers to the physical branches of the ancient Indian philosophy. The purpose of the traditional Hatha Yoga was to achieve balance between mind and body through moral discipline and physical exercises, which are expressed by a series of asana: postures, panorama: breathing and meditation.

Western culture adopted mainly the physical aspects of the Hatha Yoga and ignored the moral aspects, usually even the breathing and meditations aspects. All the yoga styles that were derived from the Hatha Yoga share the same basic principle that mental balance can be achieved through practice of physical exercises and postures. Each yoga style chooses to focus on different aspect.

Ashtanga Yoga:
This focuses on the flow of postures in order to improve strength, stamina and flexibility of the body. During a Asthanga Yoga class, the participants jump from one posture to another. Therefore, this type of yoga is not the ideal for beginners. People who are not well fit may find it too difficult and demanding. However, if you are interested in improving your strength, flexibility and stamina and you are fit enough to deal with an hour of jumping from one posture to another, Asthanga Yoga can suit you.

Power Yoga:
This is an American development of the Asthanga Yoga that also adopted several elements from other types of yoga styles. You can find Power Yoga classes mainly in fitness and health clubs. Power Yoga focuses on strengthening the body by performing Hatha Yoga postures for a longer time to improve both physical flexibility and mental focus. Power Yoga can be a good exercise for athletes, people who practice types of fitness activities and people who want to tone their body.

Bikram Yoga:
A Bikram Yoga class features a series of 26 Hatha Yoga postures practiced in a heated room. It is also known as Hot Yoga. The purpose of the heat is to allow the participants to get into each of the yoga poses in a deeper and safer manner. The heat also helps clean the body from toxins promoting sweating. Bikram Yoga focuses more on the workout of the entire body, including the internal organs and less on flexibility. Bikram Yoga is not recommended to pregnant women and people who suffer from high blood pressure and heart conditions, but it can improve the physical fitness of people who recover from injuries.

Iyengar Yoga:
This focuses on the physical alignment of the body and the accurate performance of each posture. Some of the Iyengar Yoga postures are practiced with the assistance of props such as blocks and belts that are designed to help the participants achieve the most accurate posture and to protect their bodies from injuries. Since the flows between postures are not practiced, Iyengar Yoga classes are less intense and therefore more suitable for people who are less fit. Iyengar Yoga improves body strength and flexibility and can fit people of any age and every physical condition.

Yoga Precautionary Measures For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

It is necessary to keep in mind all pre-existing physical conditions while undergoing any type of workout. As such, the same thing is applicable for yoga students. Although most of the recognized yoga centers consider the medical and physical condition of the students before practicing yoga, there are some late comers who miss the orientation session. In any case, it is the duty of the instructor to educate the students about the precautionary measures necessary for their health. Rheumatoid arthritis is one such disease where yoga should not be practiced without considering the physical conditions of the student.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease which causes inflammation of the joints and tissues throughout the body. Moreover, it can affect other organs of the body as well. If it is not properly treated, the patient may end up needing surgery of various joints in order to ensure full movement. The ratio of this debilitating disease is three times more in women compared to men, and as much as 1% of the world’s population is found to suffer from chronic rheumatoid arthritis.

Although yoga ensures a healthy and active life style along with a gradual increase in self-control and motivation, but it is necessary to consult a physician before hand. This disease, if not seriously treated, can lead into chronic conditions. Yoga is a low-pace practice and is recommended to many people having pre-existing physical conditions. It is suggested to practice only those yoga positions which do not exert much pressure on the joints. In rheumatoid arthritis, the most commonly affected joints are wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles and knees. With the increasing severity of the disease, the sufferer becomes more vulnerable to motion.

Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are two different medical conditions, as far as the effects are concerned. In rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints are affected due to inflammation and swelling of the surrounding tissue. Holding poses should be avoided, while such poses are highly recommended to people suffering from osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis patients must not undergo any high intensity workout and weight training. The asanas for both types of arthritis are different and must not be confused with one another.

Asana, which exerts pressure on the neck, must not be practiced; however, butterfly pose, child pose, and boat position may be practiced for beneficial effects. Moreover, the patient is required to monitor the symptoms carefully and regularly from time to time, in order to have maximum benefit from yoga.