...loor on the outside of your feet, bend your legs, and push one leg back as far as possible. Your back will naturally arch, but you should raise your chin as much as possible, for maximum arch. Push your forward foot back and set it aside your rear foot, at the same time raising your rear end as high as possible and keeping your hands in place.

Bring your chest down to the floor, between your hands, and continue moving it forward and up. At the same time, pull your rear end down. Your arms will naturally bend as your chest approaches the floor, and will naturally extend as your chest is pushed up and out. Reverse this move, so that your chest is dragged back across the floor and back up. Again, your arms will naturally bend and extend as your chest moves along its arc. Push your read end up again as high as possible. You are back in the position described in the last paragraph.

Remember the leg you pushed BACK, 2 paragraphs ago? Bring the OTHER leg forward, bending the knee, and place the foot between your hands. Your back will naturally bend. Your arms will bend slightly as your leg comes forward, and will extend when the leg reaches its destination.

Bring your rear foot forward, and place it beside your front foot. Your hands are outside yo...more

yoga Pilates Basics

...sitive impact in your physical as well as mental life. After some days of practice you will find that your bodys flexibility is enhanced. The stretching that is involved in Pilate yoga helps in lessening the threat of injuries.

One of the biggest benefits of Pilates exercises is that your bodys balance is improved. With the passage of time, your body aches will reduce to a great extent as well. With regular exercise, the muscles are strengthened, resulting in the stimulation of your endurance, stamina and your energy level.

One great thing that you will experience as a result of Pilates yoga is that you will find that your body and mind is much more relaxed compared to how you felt before. Pilates yoga involves certain breathing patterns that help a person to calm down and relax, resulting in sounder sleep.

Now d...more

Teaching Hatha yoga: Prana and Pranayama

...t is full of open space at the atomic level. Electrons are flying around in many open spaces within your yoga mat.

On the other hand, we are born, live, and die, on planet Earth, a moving object, which does not appear to be moving at all. The universe is infinitely vast and infinitely small, at the same time. Prana is the power behind the perpetual movement of the universe. We now know that the universe is moving at every level.

Within Prasna Upinshad, Chapter 2, Verse 5, Prana is described in this way: It burns as fire. It is the sun, rain, Indra, wind, earth, and it is food. It is the luminous god. It is being and non-being. It is immortality. To go a...more

Raja yoga The Royal Science of meditation

.... Heart ceases to beat, there will be no breathing and all the functions of body come to a stand still but the person continues to be alive. This may sound strange for many people but is true.

It is important to remember that one cannot experience the highest state of yoga within a short period. Though the technique of Kriya yoga is not complicated it takes several years of constant practice to experience the results.

It is equally important to understand that in order to progress spiritually one has to lead a moral and disciplined life. If anyone thinks that he can commit all sorts of crimes and indulge in immoral activities but still benefit from Kriya yoga he is completely mistaken. Those who are serious about their spiritual progress should eschew alcoholic drinks and smoking not to mention any drug of addiction. It is highly desirable to be a pure vegetarian. Consumption of meat causes certain biochemical changes in the blood making it difficult to control the mind.

Raja yoga is a scientific method of controlling the mind, reversing the flow of life force and experiencing our true nature. It is the greatest gift India has given to...more

Yoga Books Publishers