...Interest in Yoga for fitness is increasing across the country and it is a widely accepted fact that Yoga is great for the body. What was once ridiculed as a bizarre fad is today recognized as a basic skill that many people have embraced as a way of life and a first-rate choice for physical and mental fitness.

Yoga is so popular these days that many celebrities like Madonna, Sting, russell simmons and Ricky Martin to name a few have become informal advocates for this form of exercise. From increased flexibility, strength, endurance to delayed aging and massaging of the internal organs of the body, the benefits of Yoga seem limitless.

I stumbled upon it personally after telling a friend in the gym several years back that Hey man, look at apes and all, we are so similar, they dont lift these boring weights and they are so much stronger, in fact Bruce lee was known to NOT lift any weights but to perform several Hindu Push-ups, so theres got to be another kind of exercise to do for fitness on the inside and out Well, he passed on a book on Yoga to me the next day and lo and behold, Ive been hooked ever since.

From my own studies, research and practice, Ive come to realize that Yoga is more than just stretching, is not only an exercise for women: (I challenge the most hard-core body-builder to hold a peacock pose for 2 minutes!!) and is quite simply great.

Many people practice Yoga exclusively and at times for days on end, that is the only exercise I perform with as much emphasis on the unique Sun salutations as possible. I single these core warm-up routines of Yoga out as they restore flexibility to the spine and believe it when I say they miraculously endow you with strength to hold challenging poses such as the Wheel, ...more

Benefits of Yoga

...r bodies and have a sense of forewarning at the first possible sign of illness or disease; obviously, enabling the yoga practitioner to take pre-emptive corrective action.

Another benefit of yoga is complete body detoxification. As yoga gently stretches the muscles and joints and stimulates the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply throughout the body.

By achieving optimal blood supply, toxins are flushed out of your body and total nourishment is accomplished. The resulting side effect includes delayed ageing, increased energy and a remarkable zest for life.

Yoga is also an excellent way to tone your muscles. Muscles which have been flaccid and weak are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess fats and flaccidity.

In addition to t...more

A review Of Yoga For Pregnant Women

...There are many reasons to take a yoga class, but the main one for most Americans is to find relaxation and improve health -- not just muscular, but cardiovascular and mental health as well. Yoga for pregnant women can make all the difference in the mother's mindset. When combating fatigue, weight gain, tenderness, swelling, mood swings, cravings, constipation, leg cramps and headaches, its practice can be the only respite.

Pregnant women practice this relaxation technique for physical benefits. For instance, its practice can teach techniques that will be helpful during labor, such as breathing and relieving tension around the cervix and birth canal. Additionally, prenatal physicians recommend combining a light car...more

Your Perfect Yoga Retreat

...Yoga is the art of release. It is the study of one's concentration upon the diverse layers of the body, exploring deeper with an advanced focus into the mind, until eventually delving and settling forever within the spirit. This ancient tradition of breath, movement and meditation developed within the Hindu culture of the Indian subcontinent becomes the practitioner's sacred ritual. Therefore, finding the right yoga retreat is equally a part of one's practice as is a particular inhalation of breath, an exhalation into a specific posture, or the stillness of silent observation. The right retreat must align with the right individual, and only then will one have the relaxation to let go and discover the true depths of their yogic journey.

The Destination Is Also The Journey

Yoga retreats are aplenty. They come in all different shapes, sizes, destinations and complete packages. Some offer 24/7 yoga, strict meal guidelines, and absolute silence. Others begin the day with a series of opening postures (or asanas in Sanskrit), and then immerse participants in the culture of their environment, performing creative activities and restorative downtime. The day ends with a final series of relaxation. It's all up to you-the ...more

Yoga Mats