With articles about physical fitness, yoga, and Pilates going viral on the Internet, the central processing unit of our body is apparently left out. Where to work out our minds to attain the much-coveted saint like balance and equilibrium? Well, don’t worry , we are not sending you on a long journey in the forests of the Himalayas in search of moksha or enlightenment. We at www.comfortinstylemag.com realize the dynamics of today’s world and bring to you the most beneficial techniques from the recesses of the ancient world applicable in the modern world. This time it is just “MEDITATION”.  Our mind is the central unit, which governs all our physical actions, social and emotional responses. From making life saving decisions in high-octane situations to switching off the body into complete repose at night, the mind is constantly at work. We take vacations to ease out ourselves of the professional and domestic pressures, but do not realize that the poor mind is still at work. Therefore the practice of meditation is or rather should be an imperative part of our lives.

What is meditation? The historical journey maybe too much for us to understand and grasp and to an extent unnecessary too. In the simplest terms possible meditation is nothing more than a self reflexive exercise calling forth hidden and subdued energies from within us to look for balance and equilibrium. Contrary to popular belief meditation is not an exercise to switch off the mind but rather an inquiry into things that we do not get the time to think about on a daily basis. To help our readers we have a small analogy to help them understand the concept of meditation. Ok, lets imagine the mind to be like a flowing river. Our daily schedules, our monotonous timetables etc. are nothing more than dams and embankments trying to subdue the river. But the art of meditation is an exercise allowing the river to flow freely helping is destroy negative energy centers and give birth to positivity by energizing the centers of fertile imagination and at the same time becoming aware of its own power and potential. 5-10 minutes a day with your eyes closed in a dark room or in an open space like a garden or a place with fresh air, is all that you need to start reaping the benefits of meditation. Here is how you do it:

1. Turn off the lights if you wish to meditate inside a closed space. The purpose of doing so is to minimize the influence of outer forces on your body so as to allow complete mental concentration.
2. Start by breathing in lightly , holding it for a few seconds and then releasing it through your mouth, only to repeat the same cycle for  the time decided upon by you.
3. It is important to sit with your legs crossed and your upper torso absolutely straight so as to allow free flow of oxygen allowing for complete rejuvenation.
4. At any point in time if you feel that your concentration is dwindling, you can stop the exercise. To further aid your concentration we suggest the use of rhythmic meditation, wherein you can play any chanting in the background and match the pace of your breathing with the chant. Websites like YouTube have more than enough tracks to help you out. Just type chant in the search box.

By allowing meditation to bring in some semblance of balance in our daily lives we are on track of attaining the magical mix of physical fitness coupled with the advantages of mental harmony.

Life is full of lows and highs!!

It is important to be alone and meditate with closed eyes!!

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

Photo credit : http: to HaPe_Gera on flickr.com

As unconventional as it sounds it is slowly making serious inroads into the mainstream fitness industry because of a wide range of health benefits it brings to its practitioners. Just imagine practicing yoga in a pool of water. What do you think the differences will be? Firstly and most importantly it reduces the risk of conventional yoga related fatigue and injuries. By practicing yoga postures in water which serves as an environment acting as a perfect shock absorbers not allowing any extra pressure to trickle down to out joints and muscles. Secondly, it allows people suffering from osteoporosis and arthritis to reap the benefits of yoga without the risk of further degeneration. Water Yoga is becoming very popular among the elderly and the overweight sections of the society. By controlling the movements and postures in water these people can attain much needed strength and lose the stubborn fat respectively. Unlike yoga done on the mat and floor, Water Yoga is a boon for pregnant women, who can do it without any risk of harm to the baby and themselves. But one needs to take care that Water Yoga needs to be performed with certain precautions which are as follows:

1. Session length: an average water yoga lesion should last for about 45-55 minutes.
2. Water temperature: too hot or too cold water is not conducive for Water Yoga. Temperatures should vary between 82-86 degrees.
3. Water Type: the water in the yoga pool should be free from chlorine and at a later stage can be saturated with extra minerals and even oxygen to promote absorption of the same.
4. Non swimmers: Non swimmers can also do water yoga under specialized supervision and to begin with, in shallow pools
5. Weekly dose of original yoga: we suggest you to do conventional floor yoga at least once a week to continue understanding and reaping the true benefits of Water Yoga as well.

But there is an ancient weapon that can help us demolish the walls dividing us all. This weapon is not of mass destruction but what we at www.comfortinstylemag.com call “The weapon of mass construction” and that is YOGA. It is only recently that yoga has entered into the personal spaces of our balconies and bedrooms, which is rather deflating to see because by bringing yoga to our personal spaces we are unable to reap the benefits of the many adjunct advantages that come associated with it. Since its inception Yoga has been a group activity promoting a spirit of togetherness. By performing yoga in a group, you too can inculcate certain values which are the moorings for a balanced future. It not only teaches you physical and mental balance but infuses in you a spirit of respect and ability to understand people around you. But most importantly by helping each other attain the perfect balance by being a part of the same space you not only influence others but also become more receptive towards seeking and receiving help from others, making you a socially more responsible person. Whether it is a complex series Asanas or a plain simple breathing exercise, by doing it together in a rhythm you learn to follow a pattern becoming harmonious people in this rhythm lost world.

Being fed by each others’ energies you can learn the essentials of team spirit thus becoming more confident individuals ready to accept new challenges everyday and working together with people to overcome them. This may sound too ambitious to a lot of people who would say “dear friend, life doesn’t run that way”. But our answer to them is “dear friends, take care of the small things, and the big ones will fall into place.”So we urge you all to take some time off of your busy schedules and take yoga out of your bedrooms to a more social plane in order to understand and absorb the true essence of the art.

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

Photo credits: Matt J. Olsen (www.flickr.com)

A perfect amalgamation of the age old practice of yoga, which was born inIndiaand the modern miracle developed by the German Joseph Pilates, Yogilates is a rage among the new age fitness freaks. Despite being criticized by the so called purist groups who believe in the sanctity of the two different forms of exercise Yogilates is fast emerging as the first choice fitness mantra. Now, what makes this a revolution and how is it different from Yoga and Pilates individually? Do not worry. The vast amount of data on the internet can be rather confusing. We bring it to you in a simple step by step point form. Here it goes:-

1. Yogilates comprises of the essential elements of yoga and Pilates, as the name suggest.
2. Using the posture techniques from the Yogi school and the muscle building techniques from the Pilates school it blends the two very similar activities together.
3. It borrows the aim of strengthening the core of the body i.e. the spine, abs, pelvic muscles and those of lower back without bulking them up.
4. It promotes muscle strength without compromising on the flexibility of the body, which it promotes through various yogic practices.
5. Since yoga does not pay much attention to specific muscle groups, yogilates uses various elements from Pilates to concentrate on specific muscle groups.
6. Most importantly , what allows this perfect fusion are the basic principles on which the two activities are grounded i.e. those of breathing and concentration
7. Both Pilates and yoga believe in the power of the mind to affect changes in and on the body.

Now most of you must be thinking that why did we talk about water fire and wind. Well that is because Yoga is not just an isolated entity which can come of great use without deep understanding the other pieces of the vast jigsaw puzzle.

After glancing through the basic historical context of Yoga in our previous article “Understanding yoga: Part 1” where we gave our readers a gist of the ancient texts -Sanskrit. Now it is the time to shift our attention to the second set of pointers to focus on. Imagine this set of articles as a tree, the first one being the understanding of the roots. We are gradually moving up towards the trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Keeping this analogy in mind Yoga assumes the role of the fruit which ripens if the tree is healthy.

So to begin, it becomes very critical to understand the 4 basic elements that yoga and the entire process of union is loosely arrayed around. According to Hindu mythology and its texts, the dynamics of the earth, humans and in fact the entire universe are controlled by 4 basic elements of nature namely:

*before you begin reading the list of elements we request you to try and remember the terms in their original language for better understanding. (p.s.: it is always fun to show off a couple of words from an ancient language)

1.  1. Vaayu (air): this element is generally associated with motion and dynamics. The gusts of wind help us cool down but more importantly we live because air gives us the most important aspect of our existence i.e. oxygen. The masters believed that air and wind controlled and influenced the movements of our body. From the movement of the diaphragm to the twitching of the muscles everything is said to be controlled by “ Vaayu”
2.  2. Agni (fire): now, as an element we associate fire with destruction but forget to understand that fire is the source of all life. The sun keeps us warm, our body functions at a specific temperature. Even in destruction, there is a hidden aspect of construction or rather creation. The best example is the forest fire which burns the forest only to pave way for new life that hibernates below the surface. Heat is essential for all bodily functions from digestion to excretion
3. Jal (water): needless to say one can survive without food for 3 weeks but without water one cannot last for more than three days. If you wish to know more about the magic of water you can read our article on the same titled “Simply water”. For the record our body is 70% water.
4. Prithvi (earth): all the matter in this world is constituted from this element called earth. Modern science believes that everything in this world is made up of carbon. Ancient gurus just had a different name. We arise from this earth and end up in it too. Our hair, skin and nails are all composed of this element.

These were the 4 basic elements that the entire world is centered around but there is another element which is generally not mentioned while discussing the aforementioned components as it is not as tangible as the others. Space is the supreme part as all the above mentioned elements come together to find union in space.

Keep in mind, that yoga cannot be fully understood with a petty and typical “weight loss” or “I want to remain fit” motive. The process of exploration includes many stages, one of which is the comprehension of all important parts. The ancient masters believed that the elements discussed in the article are not just around but inside of us and understanding our relationship with the outer world was not as important as understanding our relationship with ourselves. In the coming articles we will give you secret one line mantras to explore the sweetest part of Yoga.  Come back for more!

Yoga mantra: TO BEGIN KNOW YOURSELF FROM WITHIN!!!

Read “Understanding Yoga: Part 1”

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

Photo  credits: PaddyMurphy ( www.flickr.com)

1. Where did yoga come from?
2. What is the meaning of the word yoga?
3. Which is the text that deals with the earliest elements of yoga?
4. Which language is the text written in?
5. How old do you think is yoga as a practice?

~Terri Guillemets

If there is one word that has become an important part of the modern day dictionary, it is “option”. The 21^st century offers to us an unending list of choices. These options whether in the areas of business, sports or even something as trivial as social networking have evolved with scintillating pace over the last decade due to creative pioneers in every field. One of those fields that have been revamped by the very pioneers aforementioned is yoga.

With facebook replacing football, our priorities and affiliations have changed over the last decade. We see many young people fighting the same old battle of survival. What have changed are the magnitude and the rules of the game. Unlike our grandparents we do not have the time to sit and introspect and try and foresee life plans for the next ten years. Today’s life is a receptacle of extremes which can be seen from the fat salary packages to the even fatter hospital bills. What we have learnt is the art of managing these extremes by finding the calmer waters of yoga and meditation.

“YOGA” or “YOG” is not just an ancient Indian practice confined to the jungles of ancient India but one of the most cosmopolitan forms of workout routines which can be seen in the plush lanes of Manhattan. Contrary to popular interpretations yoga is not just a practice of body postures known as “asana” but an ideology in itself, which strives towards helping a person attain total mental, physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Ancient Indian gurus commonly known as “yogis” (someone who knows a lot about yoga) considered man’s journey to eternal bliss a 3 fold process. They believed that happiness had a hierarchy too with mental being at the apex followed by emotional and physical. This comes as revelation for those people who till now believed that “Yoga” or “yog” was just a physically oriented practice. But despite it spreading like wildfire to almost each and every country in the world within a very short period of time, it has started to lose its sheen. The reason for the same can be seen in the words of many young people practicing it. They often snub it as “boring”. And yes, sitting in front of an instructor badgering you with multiple instructions on how to do “surya namaskar” (greeting the sun), the right way can be physically rejuvenating but sometimes mentally tiresome. This is how a new wave of yoga called “HIP- HOP” yoga has been developed over the last 5 or 6 years. It contains all the quintessential elements of yoga as a whole but with a modern twist. This form has done away with the concept of silent absorption of instructions. On the contrary by giving yoga and its students a rhythmic structure to follow HIP-HOP yoga has eliminated the word “boring” from the yogic dictionary.

With live DJs replacing accompanying the wise old yogi to class at a nightclub at 1 Leicester square in London, HIP- HOP yoga has revolutionized the concept of yoga as a whole. Unlike its elder brother which attracted middle aged and elderly men and women, the registers of a HIP-HOP yoga center are filled with the names of young and enthusiastic dancers who leave the streets and give their talent a more definite shape. By associating a set of peppy beats with the existing values of yoga, the efficiency of the process increases. But when these two forms are combined their calorie busting powers also unite to give us some shocking results, a glimpse of which can be seen in the table below:

TYPE OF EXERCISE:                      CALORIES BURNT (PER H)

YOGA (AVG OF ALL FORMS)                         496

HIP-HOP (AVG OF ALL FORMS)                   450

HIP-HOP YOGA                                                   623

Thus this new age hybrid yoga, with a twist of modern hip-hop and the benefits of flexibility, strength, focus, expression and most importantly inner balance is nothing less than a dream car with the speed of Ferrari and the strength of an old school American muscle car. It burns calories and increases flexibility with an added element called “FUN”.

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

Photo credits: aquababe on flickr.

Yoga meets the needs of a person looking for a low-impact, body toning fitness exercise that improves balance and flexibility along with, the tranquility, relaxation and balance of mind, body and spirit. Yoga will definitely help you stay fit, be more energetic, happier and peaceful in your overall life. If you’re looking for a dynamic workout sans the spirituality, then Pilates is just the thing for you. With core focus on strengthening muscles, improving posture, stabilizing and lengthening the spine, Pilates is an overall vigorous workout and fitness routine.

However to get the best of both worlds you can always combine the two with the new modern blend of the two known as “PiYo”. Pilates Yoga gives you the best of both practices – the stretch from yoga, the strength from pilates, the breathing techniques from yoga with the cardio workout from pilates and finally the relaxing tranquility from yoga meditation together forms a well rounded fitness regime unlike anything else. You can really have it all!

The two practices although different in principle, have some similarities as  creator Joseph Pilates, was somewhat influenced by the ancient yoga practice. However, his techniques adopted the purely physical aspect of yoga and the postures and exercises he developed are centered around the abdominal muscles, lower back and buttocks referred to as ‘The Powerhouse’. Pilates teaches six principles – concentration, control, centering, breathing, flow and precision. They are aimed at optimizing a full body workout without putting strain on the body itself, with the help of specialized equipment.  Whereas on the other hand, yoga aims at uniting the mind, the body and the spirit through a philosophical and spiritual focus. The physical aspect of yoga, i.e the poses, stretches and  postures are only one of the 8 parts of yoga. Combining the two is a good way of getting more out of both practices.

PiYo classes are conducted in one of two ways:

• By starting the session with pilates exercises to warm up the muscles and strengthening the core in preparation for a yoga asana practice followed by a relaxing meditation session; or
• By incorporating the pilates principles for a workout in the form of modified yoga asanas and sequences. For example, scooping the abdomen inward and out before settling into Paschimottanasana, or Seated Forward Bend.

The combination of the two practices is truly a match made in heaven, as they both compliment each other perfectly. The blend of pilates and yoga is well rounded and helps bring about a balance of body, mind and spirit which most other practices can’t achieve on their own. So, if you haven’t already your local yoga studio or gym for Pilates Yoga classes, sometimes called Piyo or Pi-yo.

*Photo credits: photos by myyogaonline, FitnessOrlando on flickr

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

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

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