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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
15
May 13

Yoga breathing exercises may help you eat right

Yoga breathing exercises are often used for relaxation, but did you know there is also yoga breathing for weight loss? According to WebMD, reports have shown that celebs such as Liv Tyler, Halle Berry, Madonna, David Duchovny, Christie Turlington and Jennifer Aniston have all practiced yoga to help keep them in shape. Furthermore, many athletes have reported that they do yoga to keep themselves fit in between games. 

My Health News Daily spoke to a number of health experts about how yoga can help individuals shed pounds. For example, the news source spoke to Beth Lewis, associate professor  at the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology in Minneapolis, who explained that yoga can help increase your mindfulness about what you're consuming, and it may help you make better food choices. 

"Individuals may avoid foods that make them feel sluggish and lethargic (most processed foods). Instead,individuals will seek out foods that are healthier, which then may lead to weight loss," Lewis told the news source. "Additionally, many individuals eat more when they are feeling stressed and yoga can help combat stress, which can influence one's energy intake."

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
25
Mar 13

The health advantages of yoga stretching and yoga breathing exercises

Have you been struggling with minor but pesky health problems? Looking for a way to upgrade your overall wellness? You might want to start practicing yoga breathing and stretching exercises in your everyday life. Here are three ways yoga breathing exercises and stretching can benefit your health.

Minor headaches
If you've been struggling to stay focused at work or school due to headaches, it could be due to a lack of exercises and increased stress levels. However, yoga deep breathing techniques, meditation and stretching are all natural ways to improve blood circulation to minimize headaches.

Sleep problems
There are few things worse than having to endure a busy day after getting zero sleep the night before. Practicing yoga on a regular basis will help you feel more tired and less anxious about falling asleep at night, helping you get a healthy eight hours of rest.

Back aches
Your back is simultaneously a powerful and extremely vulnerable part of your body, so it's important to take good care of it. If you've recently strained your back due to heavy lifting, there are a variety of soothing yoga poses that can relieve pain and strengthen muscles.

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
28
Feb 13

How the great outdoors can benefit your yoga breathing and stretching routine

If you usually practice yoga at home or in a yoga studio, then you're missing out on the pleasures of exercising in the great outdoors. Not only can this improve your yoga breathing and stretching, but it can help you focus your healing energies during meditation. Here are a few reasons why you should incorporate nature into your fitness routine.

Fresh air and sunshine
One of the keys to any workout routine is taking steady, controlled breaths. Yoga breathing exercises are especially important to meditation and stretching. Heading outside can benefit your lungs with plenty of soothing fresh air and sunshine to benefit your exercises.

Your favorite spot
When it comes to getting into the zone to practice yoga, your environment matters. You need to be comfortable and relaxed in order to get the most out of your workout, and finding a favorite location outdoors can help. Consider a shady tree in your backyard, a patch of grass in the park or a sunny spot on a local beach.

The sound of silence
Practicing yoga at home can be rewarding, but only when you're not distracted by ringing telephones, blaring TV sets and rambunctious children. Luckily, popping into the backyard or a neighborhood garden to practice yoga can provide you with the gift of sweet silence.

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
01
Nov 12

Avoid distractions that can impair your yoga breathing exercises

In order for you to practice yoga successfully, you need to be able to completely focus your mind, body and spirit into one entity. Unfortunately, this can be easier said than done when you're outside of the yoga studio. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you avoid distractions when doing yoga breathing exercises.

Non-busy times of day
While it can be nice to practice yoga from the comfort of your own home or in your office, these are also locations that can be riddled with interruptions and distractions. Because of this, you should attempt yoga breathing exercises during non-busy times of day, like early in the morning, around lunch and before dinnertime.

The right headphones
Some people enjoy listening to soothing music or ambient noise to help them stay centered. And if you own the right pair of headphones, you can focus on these sounds without distraction. Look for noise-canceling headphones to enjoy some peace while you meditate.

The outdoors
If your children or coworkers just can't seem to give you 10 minutes of peace and quiet to practice yoga, you might want to think about heading out into the great outdoors. A local park, secluded spot in your backyard or a sandy patch of beach can be perfect for deep breathing and tranquility.

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
10
Oct 12

Three introductory tips to keep in mind about yoga breathing

As you make your way through the beginning weeks of your new yoga class, you may want to start practicing some of what you've learned outside of the studio. If you're trying to make sure your technique for deep yoga breathing exercises is successful, keep the following tips in mind.

Find a peaceful location
Yoga breathing and meditation is meant to help you relax and center yourself, but it takes time to develop these skills. You'll find it much easier to get into the zone if you find a quiet, peaceful location to meditate. Consider heading out to a local park, a quiet corner of your bedroom or a secluded area in your backyard.

Engage your belly
Most people don't think of focusing on their bellies when it comes to deep breathing, but that's exactly what you need to do. Practice breathing with only your stomach rising and falling to get the technique down, and you'll see how it differs from chest breathing.

Pick a time when you're already relaxed
Getting the hang of deep yoga breathing is harder than it seems, especially when your goal is harmony between your body, mind and spirit. As you get used to this practice, try to pick times to meditate when you're already feeling relaxed – this will make it much easier to nail down the basics.

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
09
Oct 12

Three benefits for deep yoga breathing exercises

If you're thinking about becoming a yoga practitioner, you're probably aware of the health benefits that physical activity like stretching can offer. However, did you know that there are also numerous advantages to the deep breathing exercises that meditation involves? Here are three benefits of yoga breathing exercises to keep in mind.

Reduced stress
You know how people tell you to take a moment to breathe when you're feeling stressed? Well, that holds true with yoga breathing as well. Sometimes just stepping back and focusing on deep, controlled breaths can provide you with a constructive distraction that can help you manage feelings of stress and anxiety.

Cardiovascular health
When you're feeling more calm and relaxed, your body tends to be healthier. By making yoga breathing and meditation a regular part of your routine, you'll also be promoting better cardiovascular health including increased blood circulation and reduced high blood pressure.

Better sleep
Last but not least, you may find it's easier to fall asleep and stay asleep at night when you're feeling at peace with the world. On top of physical activity's ability to promote better sleep habits, deep breathing exercises can be a helpful tool on your road to higher energy levels.

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13
Aug 12

Tai chi, yoga breathing exercises may soothe COPD

Why do yoga breathing for relaxation? Well, besides helping you unshoulder a week's worth of stress, these techniques can open up the lungs and help circulate cool energy throughout your body. And, according to a new study, tai chi and yoga breathing exercises may also relieve the symptoms of a common lung condition called COPD.

Also known by its full name, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, this progressive illness occurs when the small branches and sacs within the lungs become rigid or scarred. Smoking is one of the most common causes, but there are plenty of others.

Over time, COPD can make it harder to take deep breaths and get your blood fully oxygenated. And would you believe that 12 million Americans have been diagnosed with it?

Not only that but, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, another 12 million may have it without even knowing they do. Hence the importance of the recent study, which found that tai chi and breathing exercises helped COPD patients soothe their respiratory symptoms.

The report, which appeared in the European Respiratory Journal, revealed that, compared to people with COPD who did no such exercises, those who took tai chi classes for 12 weeks could walk for nearly 400 more seconds in a treadmill-based pulmonary test.

Not bad, huh? That's the power of holistic health!

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
12
Jun 12

Electronic suit monitors your yoga breathing exercises

Lots of folks in California yoga classes are looking for ways to improve their stretching and breathing techniques. Usually, this leads them to take more advanced seminars or to slowly work at getting more limber. However, one design firm has devised a more high-tech solution: a sensor-studded suit that tells you when you're hitting your poses just right and when you're getting them wrong.

For dads who love yoga, this has the potential to be the perfect Father's Day gift, one that combines holistic health with advanced gadgetry.

However, before you try to get your hands on one, be warned – there are a few small stumbling blocks in your way. For one thing, the suit is just a proof-of-concept for now, according to tech news site DVICE. It's not available for purchase just yet.

And the product itself, called the Move Suit, is made by Electricfoxy. As that name might suggest, the suit appears to be made for women only. Bummer.

Nevertheless, since it's currently Men's Health Week, try dropping hints about yoga around your dad. At the very least, he might appreciate learning yoga breathing exercises the old-fashioned way – that is, from a person, rather than a gadget.

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16
Mar 12

Yoga breathing exercises improve quality of life for caretakers

Caring for someone with a mental health condition can be exhausting, but researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) believe they have a viable solution: yoga breathing exercises.

According to a study recently published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, the holistic mind-body system can help mental health caretakers address their own emotional well-being.

This self-care is critical, since these individuals are at risk for all sorts of physical and mental health problems. Study co-author Helen Lavretsky, who is the director of UCLA's Late-Life Depression, Stress and Wellness Research Program, agrees.

"We know that chronic stress places caregivers at a higher risk for developing depression," she wrote. "On average, the incidence and prevalence of clinical depression in family dementia caregivers approaches 50 percent. Caregivers are also twice as likely to report high levels of emotional distress."

She added that many mental health caretakers tend to be older, since their wards are often their partners or family members, many of whom have dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

In the U.S., more than 5 million adults care for someone with these illnesses. Because there is such a widespread need for mind-body wellness among these people, the UCLA team concluded that "a simple, low-cost yoga program can enhance coping and quality of life for the caregivers."

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Yoga Exercise — No Comments
01
Mar 12

Coco Austin does yoga breathing exercises upside down

Swimsuit model Coco Austin has made the news again. As the wife of rapper, heavy metal artist and Los Angeles legend Ice-T, Austin doesn't have trouble making headlines, and this week proved to be no exception: The 32-year-old appeared in the Daily Mail and Radar Online after posting photos (via Twitter) of herself doing yoga breathing exercises.

The catch is that Austin was doing them upside down.

Caught up in the latest holistic craze, called "aerial yoga," the former Playboy model tweeted the pics along with the message "Look, no hands!… Aerial yoga is so my sport cuz u can twist & bend every which way."

If the name Coco Austin rings a bell, it may be because she recently appeared on the daytime health show The Doctors to prove that her curvaceous lower half is not the result of gluteal implants.

Austin also currently has her own reality show with her husband, titled Ice Loves Coco.

Okay, so the high flying yoga and butt implant controversy might not exactly sound all that serious. Even so, that doesn't detract from the healing power of California yoga classes, which help thousands of enthusiasts relax, reflect and reconnect to the world around them – whether they're upside down or right-side up!

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