How Yoga Blocks Can Enhance your Practice
Unfortunately, on occasion before a beginner can start to experience the benefits to mind and body that yoga provides, discomfort in trying to do one or two of the yoga poses will make them turn away from a beneficial yoga practice. Yoga blocks can aid in improving your alignment and, in the process, make you more relaxed during your yoga practice. For instance, when a standing pose includes one hand being on the floor, flexibility issues emerge. In other words, the floor can seem a long way down for a beginner. Think of a yoga block as elongating your arm. While a novice is in the process of developing flexibility, he or she will still be able to do the standing poses accurately by placing a hand on a block that’s been set appropriately on the floor. A yoga block is a wonderful transitional aid. Plus, some sitting poses specifically require a yoga block. Yoga blocks assist with balance, poise, and stability. Who could ask for more from something so “square.” Yoga blocks come in a fairly wide range of materials. To name a few: Foam blocks are durable and lightweight, an easy add to your yoga bag! Wooden blocks are also lightweight and hollow, yet basically indestructible (even Fido would find one hard to destroy!). Lastly, there is the eco-friendly cork block. An added bonus is that the natural makeup of the cork gives a bit extra traction. Yoga blocks are usually sold separately but, for adaptability, you’ll no doubt want to buy several.
Technorati Tags: yoga accessories, yoga block, yoga blocks
The Benefits of Yoga with a Strap: A yoga strap is one of the most helpful yoga props you can have to give you additional help as a beginner or to enhance your regular routine. An increase in flexibility is valuable in yoga practice. A rationalization for some people staying away from practicing yoga is that they think that they’re not flexible enough. That’s where a yoga strap can help a lot. It is by far the most serviceable yoga accessory for increasing flexibility. In fact, without a yoga strap, some beginners will find certain poses impossible.
A yoga strap allows you to grip your limbs (the ones you can’t otherwise reach) or to hold a pose longer. You can use a yoga strap for a variety of poses. For example, a yoga strap can make a hamstring stretch far more gainful if you hook it around your foot while your leg is held straight. Then as you lean forward and pull on the strap, you will get a far better hamstring stretch. If your hands are not able to naturally clasp each other, bound poses, like cow face or Gomukhasana are difficult to do without a yoga strap. A yoga strap can also be used to hold your leg in a Trikosana, to stretch your shoulder in the Shoulder Stretch Exercise, and a lot of other yoga postures.
Yoga straps are generally available in fabrics such as nylon and hemp, and often have buckles on the end to help in storage and transportation.
Technorati Tags: yoga props, yoga strap, yoga straps
A yoga towel does more than you might think! Most often, when you think of a towel, you think about absorbency, especially all you hot yoga (think Bikram) enthusiasts. The ability to wick away moisture (and sweat!) after a especially energizing routine is beneficial, and there are a number of super-aborbent yoga towels manufactured with microfibers that do just that. Plus they dry quicker than cotton towels. Most are colored with organic dyes and can easily be washed and dried safely. A mat-size yoga towel places a hygienic layer between you and your yoga mat.
Absorbency, however, is not all your yoga towel has to offer. Many yoga towels are designed expressly to prevent slipping while you practice your yoga poses. A few yoga towels have “silicone eco nubs” on one side, others have clear rubber dots, still others have a latex-free “gripping” agent. When placed face down, the nubs or dots, or a similar gripping agent, grip your yoga mat (or the floor if you’ve forgotten to buy a yoga mat and there isn’t one available!). The gripping action actually begins as you distribute your weight in a yoga posture. If you want a steadier, more stable practice, a yoga towel is essential.
Yoga towels come in handy as a top layer for your yoga mat, as a yoga mat substitute if you’ve forgotten your mat, or as suggested above, while doing “hot” yoga, such as Bikram. Because most yoga towels are of super-absorbent components, they work better than a regular towel. The same size as a average yoga mat, the towel is somewhat fashionable and very effective.
Most yoga towels come in earth tone shades from tan to deep gray, green, and dusty purple.
Technorati Tags: yoga props, yoga towel, yoga towels
What better way to protect and haul around your yoga mat and yoga accessories then in a hefty yoga mat bag in the exact size for you? There is a small yoga mat bag, sized only slightly larger than your mat, that is just great if you tote only a few things with you to your yoga class. But, if you’re a person who just has to “take it all” with you, there are roomy, duffel-style mat bags that can hold extra accessories like yoga blocks, towels, water bottles, extra clothing, etc.
If you’re the creative type, there are many great websites that give instructions on how you can make your own yoga mat bag out of silk or other fabrics. Off the rack yoga mat bags are usually manufactured from nylon, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp. What better way to protect and haul around your yoga mat and yoga accessories then in a hefty yoga mat bag in the exact size for you? There is a small yoga mat bag, sized only slightly larger than your mat, that is just great if you tote only a few things with you to your yoga class. But, if you’re a person who just has to “take it all” with you, there are roomy, duffel-style mat bags that can hold extra accessories like yoga blocks, towels, water bottles, extra clothing, etc.
If you’re the creative type, there are many great websites that give instructions on how you can make your own yoga mat bag out of silk or other fabrics. Off the rack yoga mat bags are usually manufactured from nylon, cotton, organic cotton, or hemp.
Technorati Tags: yoga mat, yoga mat bags, yoga props
Arthritis is generally confusing to most patients.When some people hear this word they envision a future with crippled and twisted joints. However “arthritis” is generic word that includes many different conditions from the benign to the severe. For our purposes we will restrict this discussion to the most common forms of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis and Chiropractic Care
Osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD) are the labels for the most common form of arthritis, which is also called, spondylosis, if it occurs in the spine. Basically, the condition is due to the erosion of the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces, and it is found not only in humans, but also in all mammals. Degenerative changes in the joint takes place when joint cartilage is injured and causes stress to the sensitive bone tissue that is ordinarily guarded by the cartilage. Sometimes the bone around the joint will proliferate and make osteophytes, or what are more commonly called bone spurs. These spurs can create painful irritation to other tissues around the joint, in this way complicating the already hurtful condition.
Usually the areas of the body that develop degenerative joints are in the spine, especially in the lower neck and lower back, the knees, the hips and the fingers. Previous trauma, certain occupations and activities, weight, diet, and heredity all appear to impact both the onset and severity of DJD.
The symptoms of DJD invariably involve some degree of pain and/or stiffness in the body part involved. If the weight-bearing joints, such as the hips or knees are involved, ones mobility can be affected particularly in the more advanced stages of the condition. As a last resort joints can be surgically replaced with synthetic devices. This should be done only in severe cases where the joint is appreciably worn and movement is impossible without severe pain.
Prevention is unquestionably the best option, beginning at an early age.
* One should always be certain that, especially when young, all injuries to joints are properly managed to insure proper healing to avoid future disability.
* Shoes with good support and shock absorption should be worn by those whose jobs necessitate extended periods of standing or walking.
* Weight loss through proper diet will help to decrease stress on weight-bearing body joints.
* Care should be taken to protect knees from pain aad strain when kneeling on hard surfaces.
* Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables as they include natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are essential for the health of the joints, as well as the rest of the body.
Recent studies have shown that long-term use of the nutritional supplement, Glucosamine, can not only assist with DJD symptoms, but can possibly help to rebuild joint cartilage.
Chiropractic adjustments are not only a smart idea, but an effectual treatment for arthritis, and can aid in the restoration of proper mobility and function to the spinal joints, thereby giving patients great relief. Your Chicago chiropractor has many of years of training in helping people with arthritis pain. Other forms of chiropractic care may include joint mobilization, massage, ultrasound, cold laser, or electro-therapy, all of which may be helpful in the relief of painful and stiff joints. On occasion a brace is required to help stabilize the joint in an attempt to alleviate pain. Movement is vital to the maintenance of arthritic joints. A chiropractor often suggests gentle, mobilizing activities such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi can be beneficial.
Gout
Gouty arthritis is produced by high levels of uric acid in the blood and the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. The most common joints are the big toes, the knees, ankles and wrists, and is often characterized by severe pain and swelling. Many people who develop gout are predisposed through heredity, though episodes are more often than not brought on by binge eating of the wrong foods, when dehydrated or fasting, or after a major surgery or illness. Foods that need to be avoided have a natural substance called Purines that are metabolized in the liver to form uric acid. Those with this condition cannot effectively metabolize uric acid, thus the buildup in the bloodstream and the subsequent joint problems. The foods most associated with high purine content are: red meat especially organ meat, certain seafood, legumes, mushrooms and other foods as well. There are other dietary restrictions that must be followed including refraining from drinking alcohol.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease, is systemic in nature and thought to be created by immune system dysfunction. The most common joints affected are the small joints of the hands and fingers, the feet, knees, and shoulder, although other areas of the body can be affected as well. Morning stiffness aggravated by movement is generally associated with the disease. Further symptoms can include general malaise and fatigue, and in its more advanced stages other systems of the body may be affected. There are particularized blood tests to help identify Rheumatoid arthritis that can be easily run. Though, currently, there is no cure, in addition to medication and vitamin and diet therapy, treatment should include chiropractic adjustments to mobilize joints and help to relieve the pain and stiffness prevalent in this disease. Additional modalities such as ultrasound, heat, electro-therapy, and massage may also be valuable. Your Chicago chiropractor is dedicated to supporting people in getting relief from the pain and suffering associated with arthritis.
Technorati Tags: arthritis, chiropractor, joint pain, joint swelling, pain relief
Great post on my2bits about yoga and balance. Here’s the reprint.
As a Colorado Springs Chiropractor and Posture and Balance specialist
I always recommend a trial of yoga for my patients with balance challenges.
One of the major benefits of practicing yoga is improving your balance.
Improved balance is not just about your strong physical synchronization
but also about the balance between the left and right, front and back as
well as the high and low characteristics of your body. Not many of us
can claim perfect body balance, as it is relatively common for a person
to have both one side that is weaker counterbalanced by the other that
has ore strength. For example, it might be possible to turn your head or
twist your spine in a different or in more ways compared to another
individual. You can bend forward with ease but the same cannot be
done backwards.
This asymmetry and lack of balance in different parts of the body
causes stresses and strains, often leading to injury, pain, discomfort
and uneasiness. Yoga helps in generating balance and synchronization
in the body. Yoga promotes a natural symmetry throughout your body,
which in turn helps you to remain both strong and flexible whilst also
obviously being more balanced. Yoga also aids you when you try to set
the mental desire to push and be self-confident against the need to
surrender to life whilst also submitting to life and remaining passive. In
this manner, yoga helps you to achieve a balanced attitudinal symmetry
and stability as well.
Technorati Tags: balance, chiropractic, yoga
Today’s parents are more concerned than ever about the adverse effects medications have on their children. Moms and dads want to know if there is anything else that they can do for their child than to give them prescription drugs.
Many children’s pharmaceuticals often not only mask a child’s symptoms, but can cause negative side effects. Their desire to maintain a state of true health for their children has inspired parents to look for health care alternatives that support their child’s own inherent ability to be healthy.
Yoga helps keep the spine in good alignment and that helps the nervous system function better.
Chiropractic care is that option because it aids a child’s nervous system in functioning at peak performance. When the nervous system is fully functioning, the immune system, which is directed by the nervous system, is able to do what it’s intended to do, which is keep your child healthy. As far as a child’s health is concerned, “the best offense is a good defense.” Children are exposed to such an abundance of health-endangering illnesses every day that it would be inconceivable to immunize them against them all, even if there were such immunization available. Your Camarillo Chiropractor well-informed and has years of expertise when it comes to colds, sore throats, ear infections, fevers, colic, asthma, tonsillitis, allergies, bed-wetting, infections, pains, falls, stomach-aches, and the hundred and one little (and big) things children go through as they are growing up.
The majority of illnesses that affect children are avoidable. The function of chiropractic manipulation is to remove interferences to the natural healing power running through the body. When that power is freed, the changes that take place many times appear to be profound.
Yoga is also a way to help the spine function more effectivly. Furthermore, a child is less inclined to be injured at play or in sports when his or her spine is in alignment. In addition, children who receive regular chiropactic care don’t appear to experience as many “growing pains” as other children.
Lately, we are finding that more and more parents are bringing their children to us for everyday childhood health concerns. All children are entitled to express their entire potential. Chiropractic adjustments for children at your Camarillo Chiropractor is safe, gentle and effective.
Technorati Tags: children's health, chiropractic, chiropractor, yoga
This is a common question. When you are just starting out a 4 inch yoga block is advised, as it helps a bit more with stability. As you progress in your yoga practice, you may want to move to a 3″ block. This affords the user a bit less stability and helps to work on balance.
Technorati Tags: yoga block, yoga prop
