What can yoga do for you?

If you’ve never stepped foot on a yoga mat, tiptoe over to one and give it a try. And while you’re at it, bend over and try to touch your toes. Go ahead, go for it. Before you know it, you’ll be doing things with your body you never thought possible. If you keep thinking about trying yoga but never get around to doing it, stop procrastinating and get going! Yoga can do so much for you, no matter what age or physical condition you’re in. In fact, once you start doing yoga it’ll make you feel better all over, whether you’re 18 or 80.

According to The Everything Yoga Book, by Cynthia Worby (Adams Media Corporation 2002), yoga:

• Gives you lots of energy.
• Helps you to age gracefully by keeping your spine healthy.
• Helps you stay fit.
• Improves your circulation.
• Eases menstrual, perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.
• Helps keep your reproductive organs healthy.
• Relieves chronic ailments.
• Relieves stress.
• Helps you relax.
• Creates a sense of inner fulfillment.
• Develops self-esteem and positive body image.
• Improves your posture.
• Increases your bone density.
• Has a profound impact on your emotional health.
• Improves your sex life.
• Focuses the mind.

Want to learn more about yoga? Get a copy of The Everything Yoga Book.  In this easy-to-read book about yoga, you’ll learn what yoga is, what it can do for you, the many styles of yoga, how you can get started, and breathing basics. This helpful book also includes lots of photos of warm-up poses, standing poses, seated poses, twists, supine and prose poses, inverted and balance poses, back bends, and sample practice sequences. Toward the end of the book you’ll find special sections about how to practice the sun salutation, relaxation poses, pranayama, meditation, and special applications (such as poses for pregnancy or cancer, for example). My copy is dog-eared, with little tabs scattered about, because I refer to it again and again. It’s one of the most important books in my yoga library.

I wish you the best in your yoga journey. Namaste.

How to Use a Neti Pot

Are you curious about how to use a neti pot? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Although I’m a new neti pot user, I can vouch for its safety and cleansing benefits, and now that I’ve tried it I’ll never go back to my old ways. Taking its roots from a very old cleansing technique embraced in India, Jala Neti is the sanskrit word for “water cleansing.”

What are the benefits from using a neti pot? Well, for one, you can use it as part of your nasal hygiene ritual, just like brushing your teeth. Using a neti pot can also help you to recover after  nose surgery, and relieve nasal congestion, infection or irritation. Irrigating your nose with a neti pot can also help relieve cold and allergy symptoms, as well as post nasal drip and a dry nose.

A neti pot treatment will flush out your nasal passages using gently salted — or saline — water that streams naturally in and out of your nostrils, ridding your nose of mucus, allergens and other irritants.

How do I use a neti pot? First, you need to buy one. There are many types on the market today, including stainless steel or ceramic. Below is a stainless steel neti pot available for purchase from HealthandYoga.com for a very affordable price.

Next, get yourself a natural salt, such as sea salt without added iodine. Some neti pot kits will include a spoon in which to measure your salt accurately, and some even come with salt packets. How much salt you use will be up to you. Next, fill your neti pot with warm water. You can test the temperature of the water by pouring a couple of drops on the inside of your wrist.

Stand in front of your sink or a special bowl that you’ll use just this purpose. Bend over and breathe naturally through your mouth. Be sure that no air enters your nose. Place the cone of the neti pot into the right nostril and make sure that no water can escape. Gently bend your head forward and roll it to the left side. Your forehead and chin should be at about the same level.

Start by pouring a half pot of water into the right nostril, saving the other half for the left nostril. Keep experimenting with the angle of your head so that you can feel the water coming out the opposite nostril smoothly and effortlessly. Then, tilt your head up a bit toward center and remove the neti pot. Gently blow your nose. Repeat the process in the left nostril, tilting your head this time to the right. Bring your head back to center and blow your nose gently, letting all water flow out naturally.

Want to learn more about how to use a neti pot? Purchase a kit with instruction DVD included. Click below for your own personal neti pot kit!

Yoga for Pregnant Women

Yoga For Pregnant Women…Author: aiman

Props are a yogi’s best friend

Props are silent instructors that teach directly to the intelligence of the body, and through that direct perception the harmony of mind, body and spirit can be experienced. - Mary Dunn, Yoga Teacher (from the book “The New Yoga for People Over 50,” by Suza Francina.

I can’t say enough good things about props. I have several blocks, both for my students to use in class and I keep four of them in my private yoga room. I also own five mats, two bolsters, several straps, a sandbag, a metal chair, several blankets, and assorted varieties of eye pillows. I carry four extra mats to the class I teach because there’s always someone who either forgot their mat or they just don’t own one. We have to be prepared.

For those of you who aren’t all that familiar with what props really are or what they can do, “A prop is any object that helps you to stretch, strengthen, relax or improve your body alignment. By providing more height, weight or support, props help you to extend beyond habitual limitations and teach you that your body is capable of doing much more than you think it can!” (quoting Ruth Steiger and Kay Eskanazi, co-founders of the company Yoga Props and authors of the Yoga Prop Usage Guides.

For people who are stiff and haven’t ever exercised but want to give yoga a try, using props will help them to get into poses they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to accomplish. If you’re over 50, chances are you have some kind of back, neck, or knee problems, or you’re suffering from an old injury. Perhaps your doctor prescribed yoga therapy to heal you and bring you back to life. Here’s where props can be your best friend.

With props you can hold poses longer, and go deeper and feel their healing effects. Props can support, allowing muscles to lengthen and improve blood circulation and allow for easier and deeper breathing.  Placing your hand on a block while bending forward will allow you to reach further without trying to strain to reach your fingertips to the floor. As you become more flexible and advance in your practice, you’ll be able to remove that block and feel the earth all by yourself. Those who can’t do the more strenuous poses can use props, such as a chair, for support and encouragement so as not to overextend themselves.

Props can be adapted to anyone’s level of flexibility, body type, and level of ability. They encourage, build confidence, help decrease pain, and support a student’s body so that he or she can be guided correctly into poses they never thought they could do before.

Lengthen your spine in Triangle Pose

Triangle pose (Utthita Trikonasana) is one of the more popular poses in the practice of Hatha Yoga.  It’s one of my favorite poses because I love how it stretches and lengthens my spine and adds flexibility to my lower back. But it does a lot more.  First, lets talk about how to do the pose:

Stand in mountain (Tadasana) pose and step your feet wide. Inhale and raise your arms out to your side. Your ankles should be under your wrists for correct alignment. Turn your left foot in a bit and turn your right foot and leg out to the side.  Keep your legs strong and engaged, inhale, and extend your spine. Bend your waist to the right and reach toward the floor with your right fingertips, just below your right shoulder. Look up toward your left hand and hold for several breaths. Be sure that your right heel is aligned with the arch of your left foot, and that your left arm is extended directly up from your shoulder (see photo).

What does triangle pose do besides lengthen the spine and add flexibility to your back?

• Improves your digestive and circulatory systems
• Relieves symptoms of menopause
• Eases symptoms of sciatica
• Stretches the calves, hamstrings, groin and arches
• Opens and releases the throat, chest, shoulders and hips
• Adds stamina and strength to the legs and torso area
• Increases muscular endurance
• Helps you to focus and develop willpower
• Stimulates the mind and relieves stress

Don’t practice triangle pose if you have low blood pressure or congestive heart disorders. Also, if you have a neck injury, be careful when gazing up toward your extended arm. You may want to look down at the floor instead.

For a more gentler variation, use a block to rest your hand.

Going Upside Down: The Benefits of Yoga Inversions

Scared of going upside down?  You don’t have to be. You can enjoy the benefits of yoga inversions without wearing yourself out trying to get up into a perfect handstand.  There are many yoga inversions that are perfectly doable, if you learn what they are, what the benefits are, and how to do them properly.

Yoga inversions are a gift you give to your circulatory, respiratory and immune systems. Poses such as shoulderstand and plough pose improve blood flow to your endocrine glands, as they squeeze, soak and massage your inner organs, efficiently ridding your body of old toxins and allowing new blood to flow. The result is a renewed feeling of overall health and vitality, akin to giving your body a tune-up.  By going upside down, you literally energize and stabilize your entire endocrine system, by pushing new blood into your skin and bone marrow. Most people who engage in shoulderstand, for example, radiate feelings of joyfulness, balance, energy and peace.

So, what are some inversions that you can do? Here’s a sampling of some of the best:

Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)

Lie down on your back with two folded blankets supporting your neck and shoulders.  Your head should be resting on the floor. Exhale, and bend your knees into your chest. As you press your hands into the floor, swing your legs with knees still bent over your head. Keep your elbows pressed firmly into the blanket, and place your hands on your lower back to support it.  Slowly raise your torso so that it’s perpendicular to the floor, and bring your knees to your chest. Raise your legs so that your thighs are parallel to the floor, then extend them toward the ceiling  (see photo).  Your body should feel long and straight and there should be no strain. Be sure to move your shoulders away from your ears and keep your head steady.  Stay in this pose for two minutes or more. When you’re ready to come down, slowly bend your knees and roll down.  Shoulderstand will surely lift your spirits and calm any anxiety or irritability you may be experiencing.  Note:  don’t do this pose if you have high blood pressure, are menstruating, or have neck or shoulder problems.

Plough Pose (Halasana)

Lie down on your back with two folded blankets supporting your neck and shoulders.  Your head should be resting on the floor, your arms are by your sides, and your legs are out in front of you with feet and knees together. Exhale, and bend your knees into your chest. Expand your chest and move your shoulders away from your head.  Exhale again, and extend your legs up and over your head, placing your toes on the floor behind you. If you can’t get your toes to the floor, then place a block or two for foot support. You can either extend your arms flat on the floor (see photo) or place your hands on your lower back for support.  Breathe deeply and slowly, and stay in this pose for several minutes or for as long as you’re comfortable. To come out, roll out slowly, one vertebrae at a time. Lie back and breathe deeply for a little while.  Plough pose will surely quiet your nerves, tame irritability and anxiety, and offer your body complete relaxation.  Note: don’t do this pose if you have neck problems.

Headstand (Sirsasana)

The best way for beginners to do this pose is to do it against a wall. Place a folded blanket on the floor against the wall and kneel in front of it with knees and feet together. Some people do the pose without a blanket, but I think a blanket gives more soft support for the arms, which will be holding all of your weight.  Interlace your fingers and place your hands about three inches from the wall, keeping your elbows shoulder-width apart. You’ll be putting all of the weight of this pose into your wrists, forearms and elbows, so be sure to give yourself a firm foundation. Place your head on the blanket. The back of your head should touch your hands. Pressing your forearms into the floor, lift your shoulders away from the floor, straighten your legs and raise your hips toward the ceiling. Walk your feet in until your spine is almost perpendicular to the floor, then exhale and lift one leg at a time until your feet touch the wall.  Keep your eyes and throat soft, and your tummy relaxed.  Hold this pose for as long as you’re comfortable, up to five minutes.  To come out, exhale and lower one leg at a time.  Bend your knees and sit back on your heels and rest for a few breaths. Raise your head slowly.  Headstand encourages freshly oxygenated blood to circulate freely into your head and chest and rejuvenates your entire body.  Its a great pose if you’re feeling agitated or depressed. Feelings of joy may follow, so be forewarned! Note: don’t do this pose if you have high blood pressure, are menstruating, or have neck or back problems.

There are other yoga inversions that can be done.  Some can be done with a chair, against a wall, or with the aid or other props.  Get a copy of The Woman’s Book of Yoga & Health by Linda Sparrowe if you’re interested in learning more.

Choosing a good yoga mat

Are you looking for a good yoga mat but don’t know what kind to buy? It can be a daunting decision, especially because there are so many types of mats and so many places in which to buy one that your head can spin out of control and you’ll break down and buy the first one you see at Wal Mart or Target and not think about its quality or whether it’ll really serve your purpose in the long run. All you know is that you’re starting a yoga practice TODAY and you need a mat.  There are thin mats, there are thick mats, there are extra thick, extra long, ones made from rubber, natural rubber, and even ones made from jute.  There are solid colors and ones with print, and even ones sporting designer labels. Which one should you choose?

Some of my newer students have asked me, “Where can I buy a mat?”  I often refer them to one of the online yoga sites that are high on my list, such as YogaAccessories.com — Click here to visit YogaAccessories.com — or YogaDirect.com, for example, because the prices are discounted and the quality of their yoga products is top notch. You can also get a more expensive mat from Manduka.com, which don’t come any better, in my opinion, and for really serious yoga practitioners, their mats may be the first choice for quality and long-lasting wear. Click here to visit Manduka Yoga Gear.  But if you’re just starting out, you really don’t need a mat of Manduka’s caliber, so buying one at one of the other online supply stores would be the better option for beginners. I bought a really nice, semi-thick basic black mat at YogaAccessories.com and it goes with me to all of my yoga classes.

Be aware that most inexpensive mats are made from materials that are not very friendly to the environment, such as PVC.  You’ll find that after using this type of mat there’ll be a “chemical smell.” I wouldn’t buy one of these mats and neither should you.

The best type of mat is made from rubber because they will be the stickiest and your feet won’t slip when getting into poses that test your balance.  However, they can give off a slight odor the first day or two of use but after that the smell should go away. If you have allergies to latex, however, you also may want to stay away from a rubber mat, but getting one made from natural materials can be another option. Wai Lana’s Yoga & Pilates Mat, for example, is “latex-free” and would be a good choice for a mat with a little extra cushioning, especially beneficial if you have knee problems or other injuries in which you need a little more support against a hard studio floor. Be aware, however, that mats made for pilates are a little thicker and may not be good for balancing or standing poses, but are very comfy for supine or “lying down” poses, such as savasana. You just have to weigh your needs and buy one that’s appropriate for your practice.

Once you find a favorite mat that you’ll carry around from class to class, you’ll definitely want to keep it clean and odor-free. You best bet is to use diluted soapy water and wipe it down gently with a soft cloth and then let it dry. You may also want to get yourself a nice mat bag to keep the dust and light away from it so that it lasts for a long time.

You can Buy Quality Yoga Mats at Yoga Direct.com.

Yoga & Pilates Mat – $ 29.95 The Yoga & Pilates mat has twice the thickness of our Yogi Mat, providing extra cushioning and comfort for jump-backs and kneeling postures. Available in Caribbean blue, gold, orange, and hot pink. Lightweight, durable, washable, and completely latex-free (tested by an independent laboratory). (1/4″H x 24″W x 68″L)

Yoga & Meditation ebook great for beginners with little time

I came across the Beginner’s Guide to Yoga & Meditation and had to tell you about it.  Even though I’m not a beginner yogi, I tend to read everything I can get my hands on because there’s always so much to learn.  If you’re struggling with stress and you can’t seem to find a few moments out of your life to just breathe, then get yourself a copy of this informative and instructional ebook that is easy to read and easy to follow to help yourself along the path to a more centered life. In this ebook you will:

• Learn basic yoga and meditation without having to attend classes
• Learn different styles of yoga and which one is best for you
• Learn basic yoga poses
• Learn how to make the most use of your personal yoga space
• Learn how to meditate for health and wellness
• Learn how to get rid of headaches with simple yoga poses
• Learn how to relieve menstrual cramps with yoga
• Learn how to do simple yoga poses at your desk to relieve tension
• And so much more!

Through the Beginner’s Guide to Yoga & Meditation you will learn basic yoga poses and simple techniques that will enhance all aspects of your life and bring peace and stillness to an otherwise chaotic existence, and you only need to put aside a few minutes a day to get started.  I don’t doubt that your daily schedule is riddled with responsibilities — work, kids, carpools, cooking, gardening, and whatever else you’ve scribbled on your calendar.  Most likely, you have no time to go to a yoga class much less get to bed at a reasonable hour.  If you want to feel better and ease that stress in your life, now’s the time to make a commitment to yourself and start a yoga practice, and the easiest way to do it is to start one at home, one step at a time.

The Beginner’s Guide to Yoga & Meditation not only teaches basic yoga poses, but it teaches you how to meditate using Universal Mantra Meditation, Relaxation Meditation, Energy Healing Meditation, Color Healing Meditation, and Centering.  It’s not that easy starting a meditation practice.  Take it from me.  But this little ebook will start you on the right track. It’s worth the time you’ll scribble on your calendar, it really is.

It’s no secret that millions of Americans today have taken to the yoga mat to bring quiet and purpose to their life.  Learn how to do it all in Mike Busch’s ebook Beginner’s Guide to Yoga & Meditation. Click Here to order your copy today!

And, not only will you get a copy of this conveniently downloadable ebook, but you’ll also get a 100% 56-day money back guarantee. And, it doesn’t stop there! You’ll also get three more downloadable BONUS ebooks, including:

• How to Eliminate Stress and Anxiety
• How to Boost Your Metabolism
• Fitting Exercise Into a Busy Schedule

Click Here to order your copy today! and start your journey toward a healthier body and a more spacious mind.  Get rid of that stress and call your life your own again. What do you have to lose but your sanity?

Namaste.

Yoga benefits seniors in more ways than one

Gone are the days when Granny sat in her rocker and took to knitting sweaters for her great-grandchildren, barely able to get up, let alone walk around the block.  Instead, many older people today are exercising to keep fit and healthy despite their advancing age.  The are enjoying a more pro-active lifestyle, and yoga has become an exercise of choice. And they’re more healthy and vibrantly alive because of it.

Take Pam Horton, age 71, a yoga enthusiast who’s been teaching five yoga classes a week to 20- to- 80-year-olds for the last 35 years in the United Kingdom.  “Yoga can have a tremendous effect on you, whatever age you start,” she says, “but I find I don’t need to do much practice to keep supple, as my awareness of my body posture has become second nature over the years,” says Pam, in an article called “The Yoga Teacher,” (Guardian.co.uk-The Observer, 21 June 2009). “I’m aware of the fragility of health and that it can change without warning. So I always retain a sense of detachment — I’m not pleased with myself if I do a complicated yoga pose, I’m pleased for myself. You’ve never got life cracked.  Yoga teaches you that,” says Pam.

So, what can yoga do for seniors?

• It helps you to function more independently as it improves overall body health;
• It strengthens your muscles and your bones through weight-bearing poses;
• It improves circulation, cardiovascular health and helps you to breathe deeper, which can increase overall well-being;
• It increases flexibility and energy levels and improves posture and balance;
• It helps keep the mind healthy, especially for those who have a family history of Alzheimer’s Disease;
• It provides a full spectrum of mind-body practices that enhance well-being and provide a spiritual connection to your inner self.

To jump start you on your journey, may I recommend Suza Francina’s book “The New Yoga for Healthy Aging:  Living Longer, Living Stronger and Loving Every Day,” a step-by-step guide for the “sixty and beyond” baby boomers who want to start practicing yoga to look and feel great!

Yoga is for older people, too

Yoga better be for older people, too, because I’m not going to stop practicing anytime soon.  Even though I haven’t even reached my 50th birthday yet, it’ll come soon enough and I don’t want to dig myself into a grave just because I’m hitting the big five-O.  It’s my belief that hitting midlife is not a time to think about the things we should have done, it’s a time to embrace life to the fullest, and begin a life with new meaning and vitality. 

I hope to be doing yoga well into my golden years, and I look forward to always living my life as a yogi and empowering others of advanced age to embrace yoga as a part of their lifestyle, too, so that they may live long and happy lives.  I may not be able to do everything that I can do now, but what I want to be is alert, flexible, and healthy, and be able to balance myself on my own two feet without falling.

According to a 2008 study —  ”Yoga in America” – by Yoga Journal, featured in an article called “Older Adults Increasingly Turn to Yoga for Health,” by John Hanc, (AARP Bulletin Today, June 9, 2009), “49 percent of those who practice say they are doing it to improve their overall health.  Most of these people tend to be younger: The study also found that among the estimated 15.8 million Americans who currently practice yoga, 40.6 percent are ages 18 to 34.  But more older adults are now taking their place on the mats alongside them.  According to the study, 18.4 percent of practitioners are now over 55.” 

It’s never too late for women in midlife to start a yoga practice. And you don’t have to step into — and you shouldn’t step right into — a power yoga class meant for 20-somethings.  There are many gentle yoga and restorative classes meant for older people just starting out.  “Whether you’re already active or sedentary, you need to be extremely careful in choosing the type of yoga you become involved in,” says Dixie Stanforth, a lecturer in exercise science at the University of Texas at Austin.  Most times, women find themselves suffering from chronic illnesses or stress-related conditions that prompt them to seek medical attention, and a means to make themselves feel better overall.   “One reason that a great number of older adults are showing up at yoga studios is because their doctors have recommended it,” says John Hanc. Most older people seek yoga as a means to maintain chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, depression, scoliosis, and heart disease, to name a few. The benefits of yoga are far reaching, and age doesn’t matter.

If you’re at midlife and you want to start yoga, may I recommend you get yourself a copy of Pat Shapiro’s Yoga for Women at Midlife and Beyond. It’s an easy read, and the illustrated poses are doable for women at any age.
 
Photo credit:  www.patshapiro.com

Learning to meditate takes practice

I had the pleasure of attending a workshop called “Intro to Meditation” yesterday at The Yoga Center in Holladay, Utah.  Yes, it was set for the middle of a Saturday afternoon when I could have been working in my home office or outside in the yard shaping my hedges, but I needed to do something about my meditation practice (or lack of it) so I signed up for and dutifully participated. And I’m very happy I did.  I walked away with a new sense of purpose and an inspired plan for beginning my own personal meditation practice. And I learned things I never knew before.

Led by two young men named Robin and Scott who have been studying and practicing meditation for many years, the workshop ran for three hours and it not only offered three 15-minute segments of visualization and insight meditation practices, but it also offered 60 minutes of gentle yoga and movement to help us sit for long periods of time without pain.

I learned that there really isn’t an art to meditating. I also learned that it’s okay to let random thoughts enter our minds so long as we come back to the breath. The most important part of meditating is being present in the moment and being comfortable in our thoughts. Feelings of agitation, being fidgety, and even feeling sleepy can happen and they can affect the quality of our meditation practice.

Meditation takes practice.  Its a personal process that could take many years to master. I hope to be able to get to a place in my heart where I can meditate and feel really good afterward because that’s what it’s really all about. All I need to do is listen to my breath and pay attention to my heart and see what it’s really trying to tell me. I want to set intentions for my life and my livelihood and I know that meditation can get me to that place of deeper meaning.

Just sit.  Just be.  Just meditate.  Be in the moment, and feel the joy.

Meditation Trilogy – $ 39.95 Sacred sounds to conquer fear and anxiety. 3-CD set includes: Rest and Relax; Music of the Heart; and Yoga Sound.

HEALTHY? HAPPY? RELAXED? Matt Clarkson has created a no cost
mini course teaching simple meditation exercises for busy
people. Each “daily meditation” is an exercise, inspirational
message or tip to help you calm the mind and reduce stress. If
your health is important to you, click here.

Choosing a beginner yoga class that’s right for you

So, you’ve thought about trying yoga but you don’t know anything about studio classes or what to expect once you get there. It certainly can be a daunting prospect. Walking into a yoga class cold without knowing anyone or anything about yoga can make anyone sweat even before the exercises begin.  So, you may need to do some homework before plunging into a class that you’re not prepared for.

First, not all yoga classes are alike. If you’ve never set foot on a yoga mat before, you don’t want to go to a level two or three class where the students are kicking up into handstands in the middle of the floor when you can barely touch your toes.  It’s best to sign up for a beginner or Level One class where everyone is like you — new to the mat and feeling just as timid about yoga as you are. In a beginner’s class, you will find like-minded and like-bodied people ready to stretch their limbs and start breathing deeply for the first time. You’ll feel right at home since the teacher already knows you’re a beginner and you’ll feel less intimated by the whole process because you’ll fit right in.

It’s not always easy to find a teacher you’re comfortable with, either. Sometimes you may need to go to different classes to find a perfect fit. Says Brianna Politzer Stevens in her blog SF Yoga Spiritual Living Examiner (6/2/09), “The best teachers will welcome you to class, learn your name, ask about your experience level and inquire about any past injuries that may affect your ability to perform particular poses.”  You want a teacher who cares about your well-being and who explains how to get into and out of a pose gently and correctly. He or she will know where to place your block or when you should use a strap to get the most out of a difficult pose. Stick with the same teacher and over time she will note your progress and encourage you to go deeper as you expand and create a new yoga journey for yourself.

In my opinion, smaller classes found in neighborhood yoga studios or those taught in churches or recreation centers are better than the bigger, more populated ones, like those found in health clubs.  Smaller classes will reward you with one-on-one attention and you won’t feel like you’re just blending into the crowd. Smaller classes tend to focus more on gentle and/or specialized types of yoga and offer restorative classes geared for older women and those with chronic conditions, and they tend to be more community inspired.

Photo credit:  The Honolulu Advertiser

Beginners Workout – $ 14.95 Beginners Workout is designed for beginners and for those who haven’t exercised for a while. It’s also good for those who want to take a break from their more strenuous workouts but still want to exercise. You’ll learn easy ways to: loosen stiff joints, strengthen your abdominals, firm your buttocks, and calm and tone your nerves. The last asana on the tape is Yoga Nidra, a very effective way to achieve complete relaxation. The Beginners Workout contains 16 yoga techniques and is approximately 50 minutes in length.