Cy-Yo Or Cycle Yoga: The New Fusion Yoga In Town

Everyone looks for a fitness workout which brings together the mind, body, and spirit. If you believe that there is one goal but different paths, you should try Cy-Yo or Cycle Yoga. This is the kind of fitness program that could especially be beneficial for people who prefer to combine both Eastern and Western practices and philosophies – yoga and cardio. It helps to improve muscle toning and body mechanics, as well as stretching and concentration on proper breathing and energy flow.  However, remember to dress for the occasion with good quality active wear when performing this kind of fitness routine.

Cy-Yo classes entail a one hour holistic cardio workout which combines the elements of yoga and cycling. It was first introduced by a fitness instructor – Curt Dalton. The ultimate aim of this fusion yoga is to focus all aspects of our being to achieve optimal physical and spiritual results. It is a known fact that cycling is an effective way to lose weight and burn calories really fast.  And it’s combination of yoga breathing and visualization techniques help with directing life force energy through the body optimally.

A class begins with 10 minutes of  yoga for energizing the muscles, warming joints and opening up the energy centers. This is followed by 40 minutes of an indoor cycling class which involves visualization techniques and breathing patterns so participants are clued in to find their stress zones. The aim of this part of exercise is to release negative energy, detoxify your body and increase higher energy fields. A class usually ends with another 10 minute yoga session and meditation to calm the body, relax and refocus the mind.  Overall, you treat your muscles right -  with a warm up before spinning and stretching afterwards.

Music is one of the significant elements of Cy-Yo classes. It is designed to speed up the heart rate and help to pedal against your negative energy replacing it with positive energy. As compared to the soothing music found in traditional yoga classes, here you will find more upbeat and energetic tempos. Typically the most popular choice are different Celtic music tunes.

Cy-Yo is a great way to increase flexibility, physical fitness and mental wellness. It is a combination of  the cleansing and static strength of yoga and the cardiovascular workout of spinning. Yoga fans  experience a harder work out to burn fat  while cyclists learn new ways of warming up and cooling down  using their mind along with attuning themselves to the energy flow within them. Cy-Yo is recommended for intermediate yoga practitioners as it is considered to be one of more advanced yoga styles which takes a certain amount of balance. It is should also be avoided by those who are trying to treat an injury through yoga.

*Image credits: photo by adifansnet on flickr

Benefits Of Yoga For Your Sex Life

It’s popular knowledge that Yoga is a great way of improving your physical self. Regular practice of yoga has proven to do the following – improve flexibility, strengthen muscle tone, improve balance, increasing stamina and physical energy. Take that all into the bedroom and it can drastically change and help your sex life. But, that’s not the only way Yoga can help int the bedroom.

To add to its already myriad host of physical, emotional and spiritual benefits, yoga is stated to be just the thing to boost or simulate your love making. How?

For one, the physical changes brought on by yoga helps instill confidence in a person. Feeling good and being in shape creates a reverence for your body that translates in the way you walk, talk and express yourself. With the leanness and muscle tone yoga brings, it’s hard not to feel sexy. Then there’s the flexibility, and you don’t need me to tell you how that can help.

Other than just the physical aspect of the act however, Yoga can help awake the sensual side in you. Yoga poses designed to stimulate the 7 Chakras, especially the Sacral chakra which governs the sexual organs in our body. Yoga asanas like Bhujangasana or the cobra pose that emphasize that region, helps open up your second chakra and energizes it. By focusing on this life force center in our body, situated below the navel near, the lower abdomen stimulates the release of your sexual hormones and helps you achieve a new sexual equilibrium. The Root Chakra in the region of the pubic bone as well as the Heart Chakra have an impact on our love lives and it’s more than just a physical act, it’s emotional as well. Hence stimulating these chakras can have an effect on our sexual life.

If that’s not enough, yoga has poses and postures to help achieve very satisfying results for both parties involved in the act. You’ve probably heard of the hundreds of sexual positions and ancient secrets in the Kama Sutra. Many of them involve asanas and poses of the other ancient practice of Yoga. Said, to help treating premature ejaculation in men and helping women reach newer levels of heightened arousal, there are positions for everything possible. You just have to be open to trying it for that extra va-va voom in the bedroom.

On an emotional level, the breathing exercises and meditative aspects of yoga can deepen the connection with your partner, improve on your communication and help you achieve balance within yourself and your loved one. The harmony of mind, body and soul will help you be better in tune with your partner’s needs as well as your own.

Just as yoga unites all aspects of your life, it can connect all aspects of your love making: the physical, emotional and spiritual, making it just great and satisfying in all ways.

*image credits: photos by Tiger Mask and kamakyri on flickr

Celebrities That Swear By Yoga

One of the growing reasons why yoga is gaining popularity in the modern Western world, is the fact that celebrities are adopting and introducing to public this ancient practice. A lot of people try yoga for the first time just because their favorite star is doing it. And though for many, the primary focus is yoga’s physical benefits, some become interested in the spiritual side of the discipline as well. Perhaps one of the most attractive features of yoga for celebrities, is that yoga helps to quickly relieve pressure and provide new energy within their stressful lives.

Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Jane Fonda, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Ricky Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meg Ryan, Sting, Tina Turner, Oprah Winfrey… are just some of the names of the long list of celebrities who practice and swear by yoga. When discussing the benefits of yoga, these celebrities usually describe this practice as not only a way to tone the muscles of their body, but more importantly to calm their spirit and obtain inner strength.

Here’s a closer look at Celebrity Yoga lover and what they have to say about it:

Meg Ryan, 49, American actress and producer, practices yoga every day at home. The most important aspect for her is a meditation as it helps to concentrate on what is really important in life. Ryan declares that yoga made her calmer as it puts you in the place of witness. And this is what supposed to be the right focus of living.

Jennifer Aniston, 41, American actress, does yoga sessions several times a week. She credits yoga with helping her to survive difficult times after the divorce. Aniston also used yoga to help her to quit smoking. Mostly for her yoga is the way to relaxation and breaking from the busy life.

Ricky Martin, 39, popular singer, says he is using yoga as a technique to restore inner peace and to relax. Martin practices Hatha yoga and prefers to exercise at home rather than to go to a studio. In interviews Ricky Martin declared that yoga is the perfect way to get to know yourself, to link heart and mind. This is what keeps him from making compulsive decisions in life.

Christy Turlington, 42, American top model in the past, is one of the most devoted to yoga celebrities. She also incorporates principles of Ayurveda and Vastu in her life. Having studied religion and philosophy at New York University she is a serious student of six branches of yoga in all its physical, spiritual and intellectual aspects. For the first time Turlington took yoga classes at the age of 18. For many years since she practices at home three mornings a week and additionally attends classes. As she says, it was interest in cleaning the body on a deeper level which attracted her to yoga first. But now she believes that the real lesson yoga gives you is how to be present. Some time ago she started up with German company Puma a line of clothing ‘Nuala’ for sports like yoga, tai chi and chi gong. The line was inspired by dance, movement and yoga.

Sting, 59, famous singer, and his wife Trudie Styler practice yoga daily. Sting was introduced to yoga at his late 30s which now he considers too late. Since then he has mastered complex asanas of Ashtanga Yoga while also practicing special variety of Jivamukti yoga. Sting says his aging process is reversing thanks to yoga. Overall, he and his wife praise yoga for maintaining their well-being and the high energy levels. Today Sting is famous as an active promoter of yoga.

Madonna, 52, pop diva, began to practice Ashtanga yoga in 1996 to get back in shape after delivery. Apparently she became worldwide known fan of yoga and has experimented with several forms of it including Hatha yoga. She states that yoga is an active force in her life, workout for body, mind and soul combined. According to Madonna, there are several values in yoga which should be accepted in everyday life like ‘take it slow’, ‘don`t skip to the next position’, ‘don`t judge yourself’, ‘let it go’.

Overall, yoga as a fulfilling path of relaxation which helps these and other celebrities to overcome the anxiety, stress, depression of their lifestyle. So why not for you?

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Yoga Asanas To Avoid For Certain Medical Conditions

While yoga can help alleviate many ailments as we saw in our last post- Yoga: A Route To Health & Vitality, not all poses are advisable if you have some medical conditions or are recovering from an injury.

First of all there are common rules like, never forcing your body into a position that causes discomfort, distress, or pain in order to avoid injury. Always start gradually with yoga.  Do not neglect warm-up exercises to avoid strain. Take into consideration the characteristics of environment in which you are practicing. For eg.  if you are practicing in a hot environment (105 degrees Fahrenheit and more) your heart rate, respiration rate and blood pressure increases, muscles expand and one can stretch the body more. This may harm the muscles if you stretch them too far. Moreover, there are general principles regarding sequences of yoga asanas which are advised to be followed through. So you should consider starting yoga with good professional to learn those sequences.

Yoga can also be  practiced even while you suffer some health problems However, in this case the affected region of your medical condition, whatever it may be should be placed correctly in an asana/pose. That’s the only way you will get relief and benefit from it. If not, it may worsen the problem.

Here’s a closer look at some yoga asanas and poses to avoid if you have the following medical conditions:

• Yoga exercises like Sun Salutation, Cobra pose, Locust pose, Bow pose, Standing Forward Bend, Kapalabhati and Ashtanga yoga series (which involves jumping) are strictly not recommended if the person is diagnosed with hernia.
• It is inadvisable to do the inverted poses (headstand, shoulder stand and reverse posture) with conditions like high blood pressure, dizziness, serious eye problems, ear problems, glaucoma, head and neck injury and osteoporosis.
• Women are advised not to do yoga asanas during menstrual period though they are still allowed to do pranayama and shavasana; for more advanced students it is enough to avoid inverted poses during this period of time.
• Pranayama should be practiced with precautions if you have asthma or other breathing problems.
• Avoid standing poses and back bends if you have heart disease or high blood pressure.
• Sitting poses should be avoided when you have had a hip replacement or knee injuries.
• Avoid twists and bends if you have a prolapsed disk
• You should not start practicing yoga for the first time during pregnancy; if you were advanced before pregnancy you will still need qualified instructor to guide you.

Overall, it is always sensible to check with your physician embarking on any exercise program including yoga if you suffer from any medical conditions no matter how little or grave they may be.

*Image credits: photos by Cocoa Dream and katca_78 on flickr

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Yoga: A Route To Health & Vitality

Yoga definitely can help you to find your own route to health and vitality. The well-being which you get from the practice of yoga, not only  has physical benefits, but also affects your spiritual and emotional aspects.

Today many of us accept yoga as an alternative medicine. But yoga is not a used as a substitute for medical care. Although, it can be of great assistance in the treatment of many conditions,  it is better to consider yoga as a kind of preventive medicine rather than a treatment.

There are numerous health benefits you can get from practicing yoga as we’ve previously seen in our posts such as Nourishing Yoga: Body, Mind and Spirit. Besides the well known effect of boosting the immune system, yoga has proved to provide better concentration, co-ordination and sleep, to lower blood pressure and control cholesterol, improve flexibility and the digestive system. Compared to other forms of exercise, while practicing yoga asanas all the joints of body are used to a full extent and kept mobile, and yoga poses have a tremendous effect on abdominal organs and thoracic organs.

There is also evidences that yoga helps to treat medical conditions like allergies and skin problems, menopause, menstrual cramps, heart problems,  slip disc, knee and hip problems, hypertension, acidity, anemia, depression, obesity, insomnia, Alzheimer disease to name a few.

To be more specific-

• Seated postures are used to treat constipation, diabetes, arthritis, and genital diseases.
• Standing poses are beneficial for improving your posture, strengthening your muscles and opening the hips.
• Balancing poses are great for improving balance and strengthen specific body parts, for example shoulders and back.
• Back bends which shouldn’t be done unsupervised, helps people with back problems, pain or injury, improves spinal flexibility and strengthens the back. It also benefits the abdominal organs, energizes the heart and soul by opening the chest.
• Inverted yoga poses are beneficial for women to normalize their menstruation cycles as corrects the displacement of the fallopian tubes or uterus if any. It also rejuvenates pituitary and thyroid glands and stimulates the nervous centers of your brain. Inverted poses can proven an effective tool in preventing as well as treating varicose veins.
• Forward bends keep your spine strong, release tension and soothe the nervous system.
• Finally, relaxation and restorative poses are also useful when you are sick, stressed or recovering from childbirth.

Some people say they feel worse for up to two weeks after starting practicing yoga. The reason for this is elimination of toxins from your body. After this initial period of body cleansing, the way you feel will considerably improve. The change you’ll feel in terms of health and vitality will be the most fulfilling, you’ll see.

*Image credits: photos by rivieramaya26, Jason Verwey on flickr

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Don’t Hibernate From Your Yoga Practice This Winter

As tempting as it is to laze around in front of a blazing fire and do nothing but cozy up in a warm blanket and sip on some hot cocoa, winter is not the time you should be skipping out on your Yoga practice.

The cold winter weather brings with it the ‘winter blues’ as some call it. Depression, seasonal affect disorder, feeling lethargic and simply down are part and parcel of the heaviness of winter weighing on the mind and moods. Yoga exercises and the holistic teachings of yoga that brings about a complete balance of the mind, body and spirit can uplift your moods and help keep the blues at bay.

The drop in temperatures in the winter season is cause for a number of health related issues too. Immunity levels a lower than usual with our body’s burning more energy on keeping warm. You’ll notice that you’re more susceptible to colds, the flu, fevers and similar illnesses in the winter months, more so than in other seasons. People with asthma an respiratory problems find that this season brings on the worsening of their conditions. But, with Yoga’s deep breathing techniques you can help decrease your respiratory rate, which in turn maximizes the absorption of oxygen-rich air for your body which will greatly help reduce respiratory related health problems like asthma, bronchitis and clear the nasal passage and sinuses. It also makes the digestive and endocrine systems much more effective and strengthens the immune system.

In the cold, the body’s joints tend to stiffen. Anyone suffering from arthritis will testify, to the winter being the hardest for them. Tight hips, hamstrings and lower backs have often been identified as the problem areas in the cold months of winter. There’s nothing better than yoga stretches, poses and sequences to help you keep fit in this season. You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your homes to keep with your practice.

A warm room, preferably infront of a crackling fireplace, a yoga mat and a willingness to practice is all you need. True practice of yoga needs none of the other ‘bells and whistles’. Just remember like we’ve said before…. Yoga is a Lifestyle, Yoga is Everywhere, Yoga is You!

*Photo credits: photo by Gare and Kitty on flickr

The Health Benefits of Yoga

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More Extreme Yoga Poses

With the hit of our previous Extreme Yoga Poses posts (click here if you missed them), we decided to bring you even more advanced yoga poses that look a little extreme, yet make yoga so damn cool-

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by lululemon athletica on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by Luke Robinson on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by YoGeek Mami on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by Alicia J. Rose on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by theloushe on flickr

See more:

Extreme Yoga Poses
Extreme Yoga Poses- 2

Make Yoga Your Lifestyle Not Just A Workout Session

One of the great things about yoga is whoever you are- young or old, fit or out of shape, working or stay at home, man, woman or child, you can make it a lifestyle rather than just a one hour session in your day. Yoga isn’t something that has to only take place at certain locations and certain times. Part of the joy and benefits of yoga is that you can apply it to make your daily life easier, more pleasurable and stress-free where ever you are and what ever you are doing.

It’s easy to fall for the notion that you need the right yoga props, the fancy yoga apparel and the perfect atmosphere to practice yoga. But that shouldn’t be the case at all.  True practice of yoga needs none of the ‘bells and whistles’ it is always portrayed with. All it needs is a sense of willingness and openness and some basic knowledge of its techniques and poses.

Stressed at work?
- It’s probably inappropriate for you to kick your shoes off, lay down your yoga mat and attempt a full-fledged yoga session at your work place. However, a few simple stretches and some controlled breathing can restore your equilibrium and help ease your stresses of the working day. Several simple warm-up exercises from your yoga class, like head & neck rolls, shoulder shrugging, stretching the arms and flexing the fingers and feet, are perfect for the workplace and can easily be done sitting in your office chair or standing up.  A simple forward bend using your chair back, to relieve a stiff back from sitting or standing for a long time is a good and fairly discreet yoga pose, that will also help boost your circulation and re-energize a sluggish body and mind. Yoga eye exercises too can help rest your eyes especially if you spend long hours in front of a computer screen.

Applying yoga to your everyday life will automatically improve your posture when you sit and in turn help in reducing those tiresome aches and pains. Soon after you make it a habit, you won’t even be consciously putting  the effort into practicing stretches, sitting correctly and breathing relaxed where ever you are.

Are you a mother overwhelmed at home?
- If you’re a stay at home mom or a working one doing the whole multi-tasking with managing the kids, home and not to forget husband…then it does happen to get overwhelming at times.  I find that after a busy morning of getting everything going with breakfast, packing the kids’ lunches, getting them ready and off to school, I need a few moments for myself. I put my mat in the middle of the living room or in the backyard if the weather is good and lay down for a good 10 minutes just relaxing and clearing my mind. After a few yoga stretches and I find myself forgetting about everything but my yoga poses. I usually spend an hour doing this regularly and feel my mind is completely calm, my body refreshed and  re-energized, ready to take on the rest of the day.  Whenever something in the day starts getting to me, I take a minute – do my yoga breathing  or a stretch and suddenly I have the patience to cope with my two year old’s temper tantrum in a busy supermarket.

Don’t let “I don’t have enough time” become your theme song. Make the time  and if you can’t do it at home, join a class and trust me it’ll give you the serenity of mind to cope with the wear and tear of daily life.

Going on a trip?
- Yoga on the move! Ease the tension in your back and shoulders with a few roadside yoga stretches, on your long roadtrip. Or try a few travelers twists after sitting in a cramped aircraft for a while. Whether you are on the move or on a vacation, take a few minutes to practice a little yoga, maybe even just sit quiet and try and find that inner peace within yourself and you’ll see just how much a difference it can make in your life.

Yoga is a Lifestyle, Yoga is Everywhere, Yoga is You!

Related Posts:
Enhance Your Creativity With Your Yogic Practice
Boost Your Energy with Yoga
Nourishing Yoga: Body, Mind and Spirit
Yogic Eating- Food For the Body, That Nourishes the Soul
The Health Benefits of Yoga

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

*Image credits: photos by Jenica26, myyogaonline and lululemon athletica on flickr

5 Yoga Poses for Better Arms

Get lean, strong arms with yoga.

As well as balancing the body, mind and spirit, the toning and strengthening aspects of yoga asanas are evident. Many poses will help you to build strong and lean arms with defined muscle tone. The arm stretches and arm balances shown below will give you a great arm workout and bring desirable results.

Cowface pose or Gomukhasana

A challenging seated pose which opens up the shoulders and chest and stretches the arms.

• Starting in Dandasana (Staff Pose), cross right leg over left leg keeping both knees in line, stacked over each other.
• Extend your right hand back over your shoulder and simultaneously grasp the right hand with your left. The fingers of both hands must be clasped together.
• Hold and breathe. Relax and repeat the entire sequence with the other leg and hand.

Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana

Increases the flexibility of the shoulders and the strength of the arms.

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Spread your palms, curl your toes in and push back raising the hips and straightening the legs.
• At first your knees will be slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor
• Press your tailbone into your pubis and stretch your heels into the floor. Keep your head between your arms and try lowering your shoulder blades and broaden the collarbone. Look at your stomach.
• Straighten your knees but be careful not to lock them.
• Hold and breathe.

Plank Pose and Side Plank Pose

This upper body workout is excellent for strengthening the arms and spine, and has major toning benefits.

• Starting in downward facing dog, inhale and draw your torso forward until the arms are perpendicular to the floor and the shoulders are directly over the wrists.
• Tuck in your tailbone and firm your shoulder blades against your back. It should feel like the beginning of a push-up.
• Hold and breathe.

• From Plank Pose, shift your weight onto your right arm as you roll onto the outside of your right foot.
• Keeping the both feet flexed, stack the left foot on top of the right with the legs very straight.
• Bring the left arm up to the ceiling and the gaze upwards.
• Hold and breathe.

Upward Plank Pose or Purvottanasana
This inclined plank is an intense stretch and arm balance, providing natural resistance to tone the arms.

• From dandasana, with the arms behind your hips and the fingers pointed either towards or away from your body, begin to lean into the palms.
• Press your inner feet and hands down against the floor, and lift your hips until your torso is at a natural incline but parallel to the floor with arms perpendicular.
• Engage your shoulder blades to support your chest. Your body should be in a straight line. Drop the head back, hold and breathe.
• To release, slowly exhale the hips back to the floor.

*Image credits by Kelly Loves Whales, myyogaonline, lululemon athletica, tarnalberry on flickr

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

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