By Patrick A. Jones
Bikram Yoga, or hot yoga is something I have been doing on and off for quite a long time. Actually I started before my chronic back pain began. Before I get into a discussion of whether or not Bikram Yoga has had a curative effect on my back pain, I will spend a couple of sentences describing this particular type of Yoga for the benefit of those who may not have come across it before. Bikram Yoga was developed by a fellow called Bikram Choudhury in Los Angeles in the 1970s but it is only in the last ten years or so that it has exploded in popularity. He was a weight lifter who had some kind of accident that crushed his knees (I am not sure if he dropped his bar bell on them or if it was some other misfortune that befell him). Told he would never walk again, Bikram decided to turn to Yoga to fix his problems. He had been practicing Yoga since a young age so he returned to his old mentor to devise a series of yoga postures to fix his knee. The result was the 26-posture series that is taught in the same way in every 90 minute Bikram Yoga class all over the world. Bikram Yoga is performed in a room heated to 105 degrees F (42 degrees C) and it is the heat that really separates this yoga from others. It is maintained that the heat warms up the fascia in the body allowing one to get deeper into the postures and thereby reap bigger benefits. I first tried Bikram Yoga about nine years ago and immediately became addicted to it. Although the ninety minute classes are extremely tough (this can not be over stated) the feeling you have in the days after a class are truly amazing. You do indeed feel full of energy, more alert and stronger. Bikram asserts that his Yoga series is a holy grail for health and that by practicing his series you will live a longer, more healthy life. He appears to be quite a bombastic character who maintains a tight grip on his yoga franchises around the world, reportedly suing those studio owners who deviate from his teaching or open competitive "hot yoga" studios. Despite all this somewhat anti-yogi behaviour, I have seen many examples of people transforming their bodies over the course of regular practice. The purpose of this article though is to answer whether or not Bikram Yoga cured my chronic back pain. When I first spoke to my yoga teacher about my bad back, she explained that I should be focussing on the back bends in the class and being more cautious in the forward bends to begin with. Apparently it is all the forward bending we do that causes the most damage to our backs. This combined with a flabby tummy (or a week core as it is tactfully referred to by yoga teachers) is a sure-fire recipe for back pain. So during the next few months I did as instructed and worked really hard on the back bend postures in the class. This was, at first quite scary because as you are bending backwards you keep expecting to hear a terrible cracking noise and find yourself lying in a heap with a slipped disc. The reality is that this doesn't happen, indeed I have never seen anyone injured in a Bikram Yoga class (I have seen a few people run out to be sick but the usual problem is that they have not drunk enough water prior to class - you sweat a huge amount over the ninety minutes so pre-hydration is critical). The following are the postures that I focussed on for several months and are excellent for the back. 1) Half Moon Pose. In this posture you stretch up with you arms locked behind your ears and slowly bend to the right, hold it for a minute and then reverse. As part of this posture you also lean backwards with your arms in that same locked position. This creates a very deep (and initially very scary) back bend. 2) Standing Bow. In this posture you hold a foot behind you and kick backwards, at the same time reaching forward with the opposite hand and bringing the body down into a horizontal position. This creates a deep back stretch in the spine. 3) Triangle Pose. This posture is billed as the "master posture of the standing series" (half the class are standing postures and half are lying down postures). 4) Cobra Pose. This posture is performed lying on your stomach with your hands palm-down in line with the tops of your shoulders. The goal is to arch your upper body off the floor using only your lower back strength (not your arms). 5) Locust Pose. This posture is https://www.gullutube.pk/watch/1e2pDKZHNaI performed lying on your front with your arms palm down underneath your body. You first raise your right leg behind you, then your left leg and then finally both (!) legs together. At first you may only be able to lift your feet an inch off the floor, but as your back gets stronger, you will be able to lift them higher. I can get my legs almost vertical these days but patience is key with this posture. 6) Full Locust Pose. In this posture you are again lying on your front but this time your arms are out to the side (like aeroplane wings). The goal is to lift your arms and your legs at the same time giving a big stretch to your middle back. 7) Floor Bow. In this posture, again lying on your front you grip your ankles and kick upwards so you look a bit like a rain drop from the side. Again this is a very deep back bend. 8 ) Camel Pose. This is the deepest back bend you will do in the class. You stand on your knees and grip your heels while bending deeply backwards. You can feel very strange after releasing from this one - it tends to stir up some emotions! These are the 8 postures out of the 26 in the series that I paid most attention to. The other postures are a mixture of forward bends, balancing poses and breathing exercises. The forward bends should not be ignored as they complement the back bends but if you have back problems you should take care with them and always suck in your abs as tightly as possible during each set. Your instructor will be able to tell you how to adjust things as required to protect your back. So did Bikram Yoga cure my chronic lower back pain. The short answer is not yet. However it has greatly improved things. I think the key to success with this yoga is regular practice. I tend to go in 3 month bursts then take a break. One problem for me is that it is a ninety minute class so you need about two and a half hours in total depending on how far away you live from the studio. This can be difficult to fit into a busy schedule. I do know that after I have been going regularly for a few weeks, my back feels much better; looser and pain free. However when I stop going, the pain does tend to creep back. I do know plenty of people at my local studio who have reported dramatic changes to their back health after regular practice but I think this yoga is something you just need to incorporate into your daily routine to get the maximum benefits. Another good thing about Bikram Yoga is how widely it is available and how consistent it is. Because Bikram enforces the exact same teaching dialogue in every studio, wherever you are in the world you can be sure you will get the same class. I have taken Bikram classes in the US, the UK, The Netherlands, Norway and New Zealand and all the classes were exactly the same. So in summary, I do recommend Bikram Yoga as something that can certainly help with your back pain. Just focus on the back bends and tell your instructor about you condition. Most studios offer a 10 class unlimited introductory offer and I would suggest that if you give this yoga a try, to go every day for the ten days. You will see a big difference in your general well being. As to whether this yoga can cure back pain, for me, the jury is still out. http://www.selfgrowth.com/print/2830466
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lenovo
(HKSE:0992) (ADR: LNVGY) today unveiled the new YOGA 700, a premium Windows® 10 convertible laptop with four usage modes (laptop, stand, tent, tablet) designed for performance and portability. Avid travelers who need a thin and light option will find the 11-inch YOGA 700 as the ideal travel companion, while the 14-inch option packs powerful performance for those who need additional speed and reliability. Both options come with a responsive 10-point multitouch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display and Dolby® DS1.0 Home Theater® certified stereo speakers, allowing users to enjoy crisp visuals and clear sound whether working in a café or streaming a favorite show at home. Maximizing Portability at 11-inches Ultra portable, the 11-inch YOGA 700 weighs only 1.1 kg and measures 15.8 mm thin. With up to seven1 hours of battery life, the YOGA 700 allows travelers to work or play their way: watch a movie in stand mode, give a business pitch in tent mode, or navigate a map in tablet mode. Suited for movie buffs and social gamers, the YOGA 700 offers a vibrant 10-point multitouch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS http://ritascribner.weebly.com/blog/bikram-yoga-full-90-minute-workout-with-maggie-grove4345318 display with Dolby DS1.0 Home Theater certified stereo speakers. Whether at home or in transit, the convertible lets users enjoy sharper visuals and clearer sound without paying more for a premium multimedia experience. Designed for Enhanced Portability at 14-inches With up to Intel's latest 6th Gen Core i7 processor, optional NVIDIA GeForce 940M graphics card and up to 8 GB DDR3L memory, the 14-inch YOGA 700 packs powerful performance for enhanced productivity. The 14-inch convertible laptop has up to 256 GB SSD storage so that users can launch apps and transfer files faster, focus on work with reduced noise and better recover their files even if they drop or knock the laptop. The YOGA 700 also comes with an ergonomically designed AccuType backlit keyboard that makes typing more comfortable, accurate and easier on the eyes in dim environments. From switching between writing a report to editing high-res images in Photoshop® software, the 14-inch YOGA 700 has the power and battery life to help users power through their work without interruption. Quote "We know fast performance, easy portability, and rich sound and display are features consumers expect in a laptop today," said Johnson Jia, senior vice president, PC Business Group, Lenovo. "That's why we made the new YOGA 700 thinner and more powerful than ever with Windows 10 and Intel's latest processor. We also added a Full HD IPS display and Dolby stereo speakers as part of its standard features so that consumers can get a premium quality convertible laptop for work and travel, at the price of a standard laptop." Price and Availability* All the new Lenovo products are available on www.lenovo.com starting October. Lenovo YOGA 700 11-inch and 14-inch convertible laptops start at US $649 and US $799 respectively. *Prices do not include tax or shipping or options and are subject to change without notice; additional terms and conditions apply. Reseller prices may vary. On-shelf dates may vary by geography and products or options may only be available in selected markets. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings, features and specifications at any time without notice. About Lenovo Lenovo (HKSE:0992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $46 billion global Fortune 500 company and a leader in providing innovative consumer, commercial, and enterprise technology. Our portfolio of high-quality, secure products and services covers PCs (including the legendary Think and multimode YOGA brands), workstations, servers, storage, smart TVs and a family of mobile products like smartphones (including the Motorola brand), tablets and apps. Join us on LinkedIn, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@Lenovo) or visit us at www.lenovo.com. LENOVO and YOGA are trademarks of Lenovo. Intel and Core are trademarks of Intel. NVIDIA and GeForce are trademarks of Nvidia. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft. Dolby and DS1.0 Home Theater is a trademark of Dolby. Photoshop is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2015, Lenovo Group Limited. 1 Battery test is based on MobileMark 2012. Battery life (and recharge times) are approximate and will vary based on various factors including system settings, features selected and usage. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151029005932/en/Lenovo-YOGA-700-Offers-Options-Performance-Portability Byline: Daily News
PALMDALE - A.V. Yoga Spa, Antelope Valley's first yoga spa, has opened in Palmdale. Beginning, intermediate and advanced students can study with yoga instructors and personal trainers from professional fields including medicine, dance, fitness, massage, education, Eastern and Western yoga disciplines, counseling, modeling and aquatics, owner-operator Rita Allington said. ``We have adapted the Eastern art of yoga for the American lifestyle. The student does not need to embrace a belief system or practice that feels unnatural,'' Allington said. Mats, blankets, books, oils, shoes and clothing line the walls of the reception area. The Yoga Room has a wall-to-wall yoga mat, mirrored walls and recessed lighting. Many of the classes are held by candlelight with soothing music. Classes include Big and Beautiful, designed to build flexibility for people who consider themselves overweight, muscle conditioning and core training for high school athletes, and a senior citizen class that focuses on posture and stretching. Fees range from $5 to $10 per class. The spa and its instructors are aligned with Yoga Fit Inc., a national yoga training facility, and the American Yoga Alliance. For information regarding classes, or to schedule a tour, call (661) 272-9333 or visit the Web site at www.avyogaspa.com. The spa is located in the Albertsons Shopping Center at 38745 Tierra Subida (10th Street West) Suite 115. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Instructor Collen Percy, in black outfit https://freeyogavideosonline.wordpress.com/2016/03/07/power-yoga-workout-contest-win-free-threads-for-thought-yoga-pants/ at right, leads a beginning level yoga class at A.V. Yoga Spa. The new spa offers classes to all levels of exercisers. (2 -- color) Rita Allington, owner-operator of the new A.V. Yoga Spa, demonstrates an intermediate level yoga pose. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/ATWISTONFITNESSA.V'SFIRSTYOGASPAOPENSTOPATRONS.(News)-a079571076 PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading digital health company Provata
Health announced the launch of Provata VR, a virtual reality (VR) guided meditation app available on the App Store. The app signifies the Portland startup's aim to pioneer a new category of digital health: Virtual Reality Preventive Care. With Provata VR, users escape to a variety of stunning locations around the world, including tropical waterfalls, secluded beaches, dazzling Northern Lights and even underwater coral reefs. Selecting from a collection of guided meditation exercises, users train their mind to positively impact their productivity and mood in immersive, idyllic settings. The app also introduces meditation biofeedback, a patent-pending system that leverages advances in physiological monitoring to enhance the meditation experience. Users can sync popular wearable devices, such as Apple Watch, to visualize the effects of their meditation sessions on their heart rate. Through smart feedback, Provata VR yoga workout for women helps users better understand which meditation exercises, locations, and times of day have the greatest impact on their heart rate. "Virtual Reality presents an opportunity to expand digital health to new frontiers," said Alex Goldberg, CEO of Provata Health. "The typical guided meditation approach--an audio recording instructing you how to meditate--hasn't advanced much technologically in decades. Combining VR with mindfulness meditation and biofeedback monitoring lets users transport themselves to relaxing environments while seamlessly tracking their progress, bringing new dimensions to the meditation experience." As mindfulness meditation grows in popularity, scientific research reveals its benefits are widespread, including increased productivity, lower stress, as well as improved focus, cognitive skills and memory. The effects extend to physiological measures as studies indicate that meditation can help to lower risk of strokes and heart attacks. Studies suggest mindfulness meditation may even alleviate chronic pain by activating brain regions associated with pain control. Provata Health provides the first commercial digital health program proven to improve both the physical and mental health of participants in a peer-reviewed medical journal. "Given the mounting evidence of the positive effects of meditation on our mental and physical health, Provata VR truly embodies our emphasis on providing holistic digital health solutions that address our total health," Goldberg explained. Currently the fastest-growing private tech and healthcare company in Oregon, Provata Health partners with employers, health plans, and hospital systems to provide evidence-based programs proven to improve the health of employees and lower medical costs. Provata VR marks the company's first product available to both employers and consumers alike. Anyone can download the app for free and upgrade to the premium version, which will be available at no cost to employees participating in Provata digital health programs through their employer or health plan. Provata VR is now available on the App Store! To learn more, visit Provatahealth.com/vr-health http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161122005302/en/Provata-Health-Launches-Groundbreaking-Virtual-Reality-Guided iYogaClub - Active Lifestyle and SpiritualityVisit the most vibrant, dynamic, Yoga website around. Yoga is good for balance, health, weight loss, self-exploration, stress-relief, rejuvenation, fitness and Spiritual Perfection. It is also a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people and explore new ideas. Sha
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Views: 93 Average: Your rating: None Average: 2.8 (24 votes) * Hover over the stars and click to rate this Yoga website. The Divine Feminine Institute's website Discover the yoga mystery of the feminine - an evolving creative, dynamic spiritual aspect of aliveness, beauty, power, joy, wonder and passion. A synergy of Tantric, Taoist arts, yoga, communication. Restore erotic innocence and awaken spiritual power and succulent pleasure. Views: 92 Average: Your rating: None Average: 2.9 (23 votes) * Hover over the stars and click to rate this Yoga website. Laughter Yoga USA Life coaching, self growth, Laughter Yoga, Art, Creativity, Imagination and Magic Views: 79 Average: Your rating: None Average: 2.8 (22 votes) * Hover over the stars and click to rate this Yoga website. http://www.selfgrowth.com/yoga.html |
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