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Yoga Video: Jump Through With Blocks

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:00:00 -0700

The jump through vinyasa is one of the toughest moves to master in Yoga, but it's an important move to learn since it brings an amazing sense of fluidity to your practice. If you've tried it a million times, and are constantly kicking your hands or crashing your booty into the ground, then you are probably frustrated.

Here's a trick to make your attempts successful and to strengthen your core muscles, which are vital for mastering the jump through. Check out the video.

Want a detailed explanation of how to do this? Then

Yoga Video: Vinyasa to Cobra

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:45:00 -0700

When it comes to yoga, I'm a huge fan of the kinds that use vinyasas, like Ashtanga and Jivamukti, since the vinyasa keeps you moving. Vinyasas are movement transitions that link poses together making your practice like a continuous fluid dance.

I've already shown you how to do a vinyasa between seated postures. Now here's a video to show you how to do a vinyasa to get from a standing pose to one where you're lying flat on your belly, as in Cobra pose.

Music: Mountain Hare Krishna by Krishna Das

Are You Slipping on Your Mat? Try a Rug

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Saying that Ashtanga, Bikram, and Vinyasa yoga classes are sweaty is a bit of an understatement. The room is heated (in Bikram can be over 100°F), and you're moving vigorously, so your body sweats profusely to cool you down. In the first 15 minutes, my entire outfit is soaking wet and little beads of sweat start dripping from my chin. The worst part is that my palms get really sweaty too.

That's great for your body, but not for your practice. There's nothing I hate more than trying to do Down Dog, while my hands and feet are slowly slipping away from each other. You can spend all your time trying not to end up lying flat on your belly, that you can't concentrate on following your breath. I have a solution.

You should try a cotton rug. You can continue using your regular sticky mat, you just lay the rug right over it. It makes a wonderful cushioned surface, which is awesome for poses where your bones are pressing into your mat. Rugs are 100% cotton, which means they are washable and biodegradable. Plus they come in tons of colors. Here are my favorites from Barefoot Yoga Company.

Fit's Tips: After a sweaty practice, be sure to let your rug completely dry out. Hang it over a door, because if it remains wet, it can start to grow mold which is really disgusting. Pop your rug in the washing machine at least every 3 practices, if not more.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Beginner's Sage

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:00:00 -0700

I'm sure you all have your favorite yoga poses. We love ones that help you stretch out and increase your flexibility. Or the ones that help us heal or rehabilitate injured muscles. We also love the ones that relieve tension and stress.

Then there are the poses are all about strength. They're challenging to do, so when you finally get into them, you feel confident, safe, and stable. Sage is one of those poses for me.

Sanskrit Name: (beginner's) Vasisthasana
English Translation: Sage
Also Called: Side Plank

Want to know how to get into this pose? Then

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Animal Names

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:45:00 -0700

When you take a yoga class (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructor will call out the names of the poses in their original language, Sanskrit. Here's a list of some animals in Sanskrit and the poses they're named after. Knowing these Sanskrit words really helped me to remember the names of certain yoga poses.

Baka - crow, crane or wading bird, as in Bakasana (Crow pose)
Bheka - frog, as in Bhekasana (Frog pose)
Bhujanga - snake or serpent, as in Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Gomukha - face resembling a cow, as in Gomukhasana (Cow Face pose)
Kapota - dove or pigeon, as in Salamba Kapotasana (Supported Pigeon pose)
Kukkuta - rooster or cock, as in Kukkutasana (Cock pose)
Kurma - tortoise, as in Kurmasana
Matsya - fish, as in Matsyasana (Fish pose)
Mayura - peacock, as in Pincha Mayurasana (Feathered Peacock pose, also called Forearm Stand)
Nakra - crocodile, as in Nakrasana (Crocodile pose)
Svana - dog, as in Adho Mukkha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Simha lion, as in Simhasana (Lion pose)
Vatayana - horse, as in Vatayanasana (Horse pose)
Vrschika - scorpion, as in Vrschikasana (Scorpion pose)

Humans were not the first to do yoga. Way back in India, animals were observed in nature, and noted for their particular abilities and accomplishments. To imitate these qualities was considered a high sign of spiritual enlightenment, that's why so many yoga poses are named after animals. Check out this post to see animals doing yoga.

Vinyasa: The Link Between Poses

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Yoga is all about connecting your breath with your body, and vinyasas help that happen. Vinyasas link static yoga poses together, so your practice becomes more of a deliberate, fluid dance instead of just a bunch of random poses thrown together. Vinyasa is a series of 5 movements, kind of like a shortened Sun Salutation. You do a vinyasa between different poses and between the right and left sides of poses as well. Vinyasas are like the glue that holds yoga poses together.

Check out this video to see the flow of the 5 movements.

How did it get its name? To find out,

A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Basics

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:30:00 -0700

When I go to certain yoga classes (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructors don't demonstrate the postures. They walk around assisting students, and call out the names of the poses - in SANSKRIT! Here's a little lesson so the next time you go to a yoga class like this, you can have more of an idea of what poses you're supposed to be doing.

Asana - "pose," as in Tadasana (Mountain pose)
Urdvha - "upward," as in Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog pose)
Adho - "downward," as in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog pose)
Utthita - "extended," as in Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle pose)
Baddha - "bound," as in Ardha Bada Padmottanasana (Standing Half Bound Lotus pose)
Kona - "angle," as in Supta Konasana (Sleeping Angle pose)
Upavistha - "seated," as in Upavistha Konasana (Seated Angle pose)
Parivritta - "revolved," as in Parivritta Parsvakonasana (Revolved Side Angle pose)
Supta - "sleeping," as in Supta Kurmasana (Sleeping Tortoise pose)
Namaste - A sweet gesture meaning "The light (or spirit) in me greets the light in you." "Namaste" is also a greeting than means hello or goodbye.

So now you'll recognize some Sanskrit words when you take your next yoga class. With a little practice, these words will flow right off your tongue. It's fun to learn the Sanskrit names of poses, but you can still call them by their English names - You won't get in trouble with the Yoga Police.

Source

Move it at Home: Baron Baptiste - Journey into Power

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 04:00:00 -0700

You know I'm a huge fan of Baron Baptiste and I love his LIVE DVD, Soul of Strength. He's got such incredibly positive and inspiring energy, it made me want to check out his other videos.

After making the LIVE DVDs, he went on to write a book called Journey Into Power. A year later, he made a 2-DVD video series also called Journey Into Power - Level 1 and Level 2.

These videos are filmed as he leads a group of actual yoga students through his Power Vinyasa class. These are regular people - not yoga models - so you can see how individual body types do the poses differently.

They're a great introduction to Vinyasa Yoga because throughout the entire video, he is constantly giving tips about form and technique. He also explains modifications for poses, so they're great for beginners. Advanced yoga poses are also included, so these videos are great for experienced yoginis as well.

I just love Baron's down-to-earth attitude, and his creative sequencing. If you can't make it to a class, or want to know more about body alignment and technique, the Journey into Power DVDs are the next best thing.

Will Yoga Help Me Lose Weight?

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 08:45:00 -0700

People have been asking me the seemingly rather simple question, "Will Yoga help me lose weight?" Ahhh...but the answer is not so straight forward because losing weight is different for everyone, depending on your genetic make-up, your habits, your diet, your personal willpower, and your lifestyle.

Yoga focuses on having mind/body awareness. When you bring your attention inward, you may notice a shift in your perspective about how you treat your body and what you put into it as fuel. Doing yoga regularly can inspire you to take care of yourself as you become more aware of your physical and mental states. For this reason, some people believe that having a daily yoga practice results in weight loss.

Exercising frequently is the key to losing weight and maintaining your weight once the extra pounds are gone. This goes hand-in-hand with eating a healthy diet filled with fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. This kind of diet not only will help contribute to losing weight, but it will give you enough energy to workout. It's like a cycle.

In order to lose weight, you need to burn calories, right? Like anything physical, doing yoga can help you achieve that goal, but it depends on what style of yoga you choose. You want to choose vigorous Power, Vinyasa, or Ashtanga classes. These classes move quickly, and can really get your heart pumping, which can result in greater calorie burn than slower-moving gentle yoga classes.

Hour and a half classes like these should be done at least 3-5 times a week to see weight loss results. This consistency will help you strengthen, lengthen, and tone your muscles.

Want to know if HOT yoga will help you burn more calories? Then

Move it at Home: Baron Baptiste - Soul of Strength

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:15:00 -0800

Baron Baptiste is a well-known Power Vinyasa yoga instructor with studios in Cambridge, Brookline, and Boston, MA. He made one of my favorite yoga DVDs - Soul of Strength. It was filmed LIVE at his studio during one of his yoga classes.

Taking a yoga class is an amazing experience, feeling the energy of the group, it's really motivating. Sometimes doing a video at home can be really boring, but this DVD allows you to feel like you're part of the class.

This video shows at least 30 people of all levels and ages, so you can see how poses look on many different bodies. Baron starts off slow and then builds on the flow sequence. He gives options for beginners, and also explains how to take poses further if you are a more experienced practitioner.

The emphasis isn't on doing the poses "correctly." The important thing is to breathe and feel the sensations in your body, and to calm your mind. You want to focus your energy inward to heal and expand your heart. He encourages you to challenge yourself, but to first take care of yourself.

What I love about this video is that you can watch how he walks around and adjusts people in poses. He also gives verbal instructions like "pull your left hip back," and "press your chest towards your thighs," so you can learn to self-adjust yourself in these poses.

Baron is very down-to-earth, loving, and intense, and so is this vinyasa practice. I definitely recommend this DVD to people who already love yoga and to beginners. I especially recommend this DVD to people who think that yoga is boring and easy, because Baron will definitely kick your butt.

Get this DVD through Amazon for $9.98.

Kinds of Yoga

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

Deciding to try out a yoga class is really exciting, but it can also be confusing since there are so many different types. Here's a brief explanation of some popular kinds of yoga:

Ashtanga - Hot, fast-paced, same series of poses every 1 1/2 hour class. This style is great for runners, bikers, or anyone looking to really move and strengthen your entire body.

Jivamukti - Physically challenging with a strong focus on spiritually. You'll chant, meditate, and learn about yogic philosophy in this class.

Anusara - Grounded in spirituality, the poses are heart-oriented. Instead of trying to control the body and mind from the outside, the poses originate from a deep creative and devotional feeling inside.

Iyengar - Deep emphasis on correct body alignment, with the use of props like straps, blocks, bolsters, chairs, and blankets.

Vinyasa - Poses flow from one to another in conjunction with the breath, like a choreographed dance. Music is usually played and the class moves quickly incorporating a whole range of poses.

Bikram - The hottest yoga by far - you complete a series of 26 postures, twice, in a room heated to 100 degrees.

Kripalu - A gentler class that's great if you're looking to relieve stress, relax, and spend a lot of time moving deeper into poses.

Do you have a favorite type of yoga that I didn't mention? I'd love to hear all about it at Yoga Stretch and Tell.

Class Act: Vinyasa, Power, Mixed. What's it all mean?

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 03:30:00 -0800

When checking out the yoga class schedule at your local gym or studio, your brain can get all twisted up trying to figure out which class to take, and you haven't even stepped on a mat yet. Allow me to explain.

Vinyasa or Flow - Usually a fast paced class, the instructor plays music and makes up the sequence, like a choreographed dance.

Beginner - This is a perfect class for someone who's just starting out. It's usually an hour or less and paced much slower.

Power - This is fast-paced, difficult, and based on Ashtanga Yoga.

Mixed - This could either mean "mixed levels," for both beginners and experts, or it could mean a mix of different postures taken from different styles of Yoga. I'd call and ask just to make sure.

Hatha - Literally means "sun moon" and is usually slower and more gentle.