WHY RUNNERS NEED BIKRAM YOGA

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I spent my high school years running indoor track and cross-country, and while I was never very fast, I loved running because it was something I could do anywhere, anytime, and all I needed was my sneakers.

Running could be social time where I would chat away with my friends or it could be more of a reflective opportunity for me to be alone with my thoughts.

And no matter what, it always gave me a great workout.

From the time I was five-years-old, I watched the Boston Marathon every spring. The runners would race through my hometown en route to Boston, and the energy from the crowds, year after year, rain or shine, helped carry them to the finish line.

The Boston Marathon + my high school running days was the perfect equation to make me want to run a marathon…

And want I did. During my junior year in college I started following a marathon training plan. I logged a lot of miles that fall, and sadly never made it to any starting line due to a stress fracture in my tibia.

Major bummer.

This injury was frustrating, because I wasn’t in a cast and I didn’t feel super hurt, but I was and running would hurt me more.

The next year, I got my act together and applied to raise money for a Boston charity in exchange for a number to run the Boston Marathon. I was official! And I’d be damned if I was going to get hurt again.

It was during this time that one of my college roommates invited me to attend my first Bikram Yoga class. I was intrigued, especially because she said it was the best[……]

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Bhakti Yoga: Origin, benefits & practices about divine healing

Bhakti yoga is a spiritual practice that emphasizes the devotion and love of an individual towards God. It is one of the four main paths of yoga, along with karma yoga, jnana yoga, and raja yoga. Bhakti yoga is considered to be the easiest and most natural path to achieve spiritual enlightenment. In this blog, we will explore the concept of bhakti yoga, its history, practices, benefits, and how it can be integrated into daily life.

What are the origins of bhakti yoga?

Bhakti Yoga is a spiritual path in Hinduism that emphasizes the devotion and love towards a personal God or goddess. It is believed to have originated in ancient India and has been practiced for thousands of years.

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The roots of Bhakti Yoga can be traced back to the Vedas, which are among the oldest Hindu scriptures. The Vedas contain hymns and mantras that express devotion to various deities. In the Bhagavad Gita, an important text in Hinduism, Krishna teaches Arjuna about the importance of devotion and surrender to God, which forms the basis of Bhakti Yoga.

Bhakti Yoga became more prominent during the medieval period in India, when various saints and mystics began to spread its teachings. One of the most influential figures in the history of Bhakti Yoga was the 12th-century poet and saint, Jayadeva. He is credited with composing the Gita Govinda, a devotional poem that celebrates the love between the Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha.

Other famous saints and poets who contributed to the development of Bh[……]

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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VINYASA FLOW AND ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA

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WHAT’S THE MEANING OF “ASHTANGA”?

The word Ashtanga itself means “the eight limbs (branches)” of yoga which according to the ancient knowledge. There are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Pattabhi Jois and T. Krishnamacharya established Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in Mysore (South India) in the 20th century. These branches are meant to expand the whole discipline into other fields to:

learn different techniques to control your breathing and vital energy.

improve your concentration and knowledge

have a better control of your senses

learn different methods of inner and outer purification and of course to balance the mind within the physical body: yoga asana.

Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is a dynamic, flowing style that connects the movement of the body with a specific technique of breath called “ujjai ”. The importance of this yoga asana practice relies on the daily practice of a sequence series of postures. According to the progress of the yoga practitioner, there are six series of Ashtanga yoga sequences where the level of the asanas as well as the level of concentration in the mind increase.

Check here: 200 hour yoga teacher training in Rishike

Mysore style of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga classes means that the students have to memorize each asana sequence, develop it individually, but setting the energy together and get adjustments from the teacher supporting the class. They should master each posture in the sequence they are working before they move on[……]

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ANUSARA YOGA LISTEN TO YOUR HEART AND FLOW

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DISCOVER WHAT ANUSARA YOGA MEAN (AND WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF YOGA THERE ARE), WHAT THESE YOGA CLASSES ARE LIKE, THEIR BENEFITS AND THE ESSENTIAL POSTURES

I made this post with the help of Sara García Cacho, anatomy teacher in THECLASSyoga training and founder of Shensara Salud where she helps people manage their own health (on Instagram, @shensarasalud). With this information you will have a clear foundation on anusara yoga to build your practice on.

Anusara yoga is a hatha yoga system that unifies 5 biomechanical principles of alignment that can be applied to all physical positions and postures, along with a non-dual tantric philosophy.

discover what dharma yoga is with your yoga teacher

WHAT DOES ANUSARA MEAN?

Anusara means, among others, “the soul that flows with the universe.” It is a type of yoga that is based on hatha yoga, but with an important philosophical and intentional component.

ANUSARA: go with the flow |follow what your heart dictates

Anusara is a hatha yoga method that is based on 3 pillars:

1- The universal principles of alignment that are precise actions based on the natural biomechanics of the human body making the practice elegant and therapeutic.

2- Non-dual tantric philosophy, which is a celebration of life since it considers that the entire Universe is a manifestation of the Divine, both light and darkness, from the most gross or unpleasant to the most subtle or luminous. Unlike classical or Vedanta philosophy, it does not aim to transcend real[……]

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Take a swing at aerial yoga at home

Over the past decade, aerial yoga classes with names like “anti-gravity,” “flying” and “acrobat” yoga have appeared on studio schedules – and with names like those, there’s an intimidation factor.

But many people don’t realize that if you’re capable of sitting on a playground swing or lying on a hammock, you’re actually capable of doing aerial yoga.

Despite its sexy appearance, aerial yoga isn’t just about the spectacle of hanging from a silk swing. Like traditional yoga, it actually has many stress- and pain-relieving benefits. In fact, being able to invert with the swing’s support can decrease spinal compression in the same manner as inversion tables used by physical therapists and chiropractors. Personally, I find that supported inversions in a yoga swing ease pressure and release my low back in a satisfying way no other technique ever has. Because of this, I was inspired to hang one in my garage gym and recommend it to anyone who gets relief from low-back decompression or simply wants to add a fun tool to their health and wellness arsenal at home.

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Courtesy D. SantasYou can find numerous yoga swings online with prices ranging from $50 to $150. Although swings are generally made of silk or silk-like fabric in a consistent hammock size (I refer to the U-shaped section of the swing as the “hammock”), there are variety of handle styles available. Some swings feature only drapes of fabric as holds on either side, while others have single, double or triple sets of handles. My s[……]

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EVERYTHING YOU’VE WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ACROYOGA

You’ve probably heard about Acroyoga or you might have witnessed group of people doing acroyoga in Bondi or in Sydney and wonder what is it really? Read on to learn everything you’ve wanted to know about acro yoga?

1. What do I love about Acro Yoga?

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One thing that Acro Yoga gives is that connection between two people. I’ve read lots of studies about the benefits of touch, and without a doubt with the right partner the and bond you get with Acro Yoga is just sensational!

What many people love about Acro Yoga is how much fun it is! Without a doubt, there are so many health benefits of Acro Yoga too, just like practicing normal yoga. I’m just so thankful to be able to do Acro Yoga at Bondi – the world’s best beach!

2. What is Acro Yoga – how is it different to yoga?

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In Acro Yoga, any areas you need to develop (strength, flexibility, coordination etc) becomes immediately noticeable. Why? Because you have a partner relying on you. Can this be scary? Absolutely, however I truly believe this is a safe environment to look honestly at yourself, find where you need to develop and take the path to self-improvement in a really supportive group setting. There’s a beautiful exchange that occurs in Acro Yoga where you work with your partner to strengthen and develop each other for the benefit of the partnership. One of my greatest joys teaching Acro Yoga at Bondi is seeing my class grow together – it’s such a beautiful thing!

3. What are the practical differences between yoga and Acro Yog[……]

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