Teaching Yoga for Teen Stress Management

Teens will respond to a Yoga class, with their peers, above all other age groups. Unless they have a nurturing personality, teens are not usually a good fit in a kids Yoga class. Sometimes, after-school activities, in high schools or junior high schools, will have Yoga as a choice. If there is no demand for teen Yoga classes in your area, adult classes will be the next best thing.

Over the years, it has been observed that concerned parents are puzzled by the sudden lack of communication with teens at home. This is usually a critical point in human life, as teens look over the horizon, toward adulthood. Suddenly, the "happy go lucky" attitude changes to a serious drone.

Many parents feel as if their teen has become a stranger. What can parents do to help their teens? One solution is to find joint activities, for parents and children, long before they become teens. This reinforces bonds during critical points in the lives of both parent and child.

Yoga is one such activity, but there are many more. Some families go hiking, skiing, biking, or participate in a variety of sports, together. There is no limit to the number of activities, but parents should make a concerted effort to resist the role of a demanding coach. 5B0 Turning a fun activity, into a pressure situation, is one sure way to force someone to drop out of it.

This is why Yoga is such a nice fit for the parent / child relationship. If you throw competition out the window, Yoga is an individual learning process. The rewards of a family practice are good health and re-establishing family ties.

Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA - http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com - He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Be the Tortoise Not the Hare

Yoga, as a discipline, can lead to the rejuvenation of your spirit and this in itself is a worthwhile pursuit. However, this is only the beginning and through the practice of developing basic yoga exercise positions and postures (and then advanced yoga positions) it is possible to achieve a fusion of spirit, body and mind. This all takes time, however, and there are no short cuts. If you are new to yoga, you must start out slowly and learn basic yoga positions for beginners before you attempt to strengthen your body or try more advanced practices such as improving blood flow throughout your system. Start slowly and avoid the temptation to run before you can walk. Slow practise of these different yoga positions for beginners, however, can provide immediate spiritual, mental and physical benefits.

Be like the tortoise, not the hare!

Yoga exercise positions can take some getting used to. Don't forget that when you first start trying out the various yoga positions, your body will be relatively inflexible and so vulnerable to injury if you attempt too much, too soon. Speed up later on, but get the basics right from the outset. Trust me, your body will thank you for the patience! You will need to learn the correct stretching postures from the outset and also develop the correct mental skills - remember, yoga is good for the whole system. Be realistic, you WILL feel slightly awkward at first, but this is natural and is not a reason to quit. Gradually, the wonderful physical and mental benefits will start to manifest in all areas of your life. Isn't that worth waiting for?

So, what can you expect?

Well, these different yoga positions for beginners include such positions/poses as standing and sitting. Sounds simple, doesn't it? However, these basic positions are essential in correcting any imbalance in your posture and must be mastered before moving on to more advanced yoga positions. These first, basic steps also help to strengthen the entire back and hips. Balance is also very important and so you will need to perfect a series of forward and backward bends. Again, they aren't particularly difficult, but these poses also have the added benefit of developing flexibility in your body and will enable you to release tension from your entire system.

Essentially, you must learn to 'listen' to what your body is telling you; don't push too hard for too long. Your capabilities WILL impr10F8ove over time but if you initially attempt too much then injury could result and this will set you back even further. A yoga instructor is necessary to provide a daily routine for you to follow. Yes, yoga books have their place, but you simply can't make as much progress as with the guiding hand of an experienced practitioner of the art. Join a class, see what problems and benefits other beginners are experiencing and then go for it.

Remember, yoga positions for beginners are simply that - a stepping stone to more advanced techniques which will yield even greater physical and mental benefits.

Here's to speedy progress!

Yardley Moore invites you to discover more about the great benefits of yoga by visiting http://www.YourYogaTips.com where you will find lots of information and advice about yoga positions for beginners.

Using Yoga to Reverse Aging

Yoga has become quite a popular exercise for people of all ages, but especially for the seniors. Yoga exercise for elderly people can help reverse the aging process and provide a wide range of positive benefits even if practiced on a moderate basis. There are many styles of yoga ranging in degree of difficulty. However, the basic moves and positions can be utilized by any age group. It is all about how you approach your exercise program that makes the difference. Since everyone is unique, it is always advisable to see your doctor before beginning any type of exercise program.

The Benefits of Yoga Yoga can provide positive health benefits for anyone but can be especially helpful for those more mature adults. The three main areas of development would be balance, stretching, and strength. Balancing exercises strengthen leg muscles and help to prevent falling. Every year in the U.S. there are tens of thousands of patients admitted for broken hips and usually some type of fall is the reason for the bone fractures. Balancing exercises can also help you avoid disabilities that may result from falling.

Beginning Yoga Exercises
Stretching exercises can increase your range of motion and allow you to do more of the things you need and want to do. Stretching by itself is not designed to enhance strength or endurance, however keeping ones muscles more flexible can also reduce strains and may improve circulation as well. Flexibility exercises, such as stretching, might help keep your body and joints limbered up, which could help prevent injuries and falling. It sometimes can speed up a recovery from an injury. Exercises for strength help bu5B4ild muscle as well as increasing your metabolic rate. This stabilizes blood sugar which and helps you maintain a healthier weight. By having stronger muscles, you will be less likely to need frequent assistance in doing your normal routines.

The Mental Benefits of Yoga
Besides the physical attributes of yoga, there are several mental benefits seniors can enjoy. By definition, yoga means union; therefore it is no surprise that one of the main underlying concepts is to achieve greater peace and harmony by better uniting the body and spirit. Perspectives on life and ourselves tend to change as we advance in age. The spiritual side of the world receives more importance as we grow older - this forms an excellent foundation for elderly people to start practicing yoga.

Proper Warm-ups for Seniors
It is recommended for seniors to begin their yoga exercise with slow, controlled motions. This phase can last for several weeks or longer depending on the individual. It is especially important in the earlier stages to avoid muscle sprains and strains. That will make the experience more enjoyable and safer while reducing the chances for injury. Even while using this slow gradual approach, many retirees can still benefit from improved circulation, range of motion and vitality.

Improve Your Circulation
Another benefit of yoga 58Ethat most seniors can experience is improved circulation. This helps to better utilize the oxygen in their blood vessels resulting in improved memory and concentration. Many elderly people experience losses in these areas as the age increases and yoga can help reduce or reverse some of these effects. Seniors have many options for keeping fit through various forms of light exercise. One of the most important and often overlooked keys to staying healthy is proper breathing. That happens to be one of the foundations of yoga. Air feeds our bodies just as much as food and water does. Slow, deep breathing through the nose helps to cleanse the body on many different levels.

Just Get Started
Contrary to popular belief, yoga does not require years of practice to attain many positive results. In fact many elderly people really look forward to their yoga exercise sessions not only for the increased vitality also opportunities or social contacts if done in a group situation. The biggest key to succeeding is just get started.

Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or web site, as long as you include the resource box and the active link to my website. Please notify me when it is used. Barry Craft is the owner and webmaster of 301http://www.Yoga-Exercise-Help.com.

For more inspiring and useful tips about the benefits of yoga, please visit our web site.

Brahmacharya

This indicates a complete absence of sex desire. It is held with very high esteem in the yoga texts. For example. it is described in the Mats)'a pttrana as the highest austerity. Sex urge is one of the very strong urges. It causes great uneasiness whenever it remains unfulfilled.It is perhaps a need which is next in importance only to the vital needs of air, water and food. Desire for sex enjoyment equally overtakes the laymen as well as the learned. Celibacy involves absence not of the sex act alone, but rather a total absence of any thoughts about sex also. It may be said to indicate a complete cessation of what may be called the 'sex complex'. This sex complex has been described in the Katharudropanishad by saying that the sex act has eight aspects, all of which must be avoided by an aspirant of yoga.

This means that abandoning merely the physical act of sex does not serve any useful purpose, because having an urge to watch the members of the opposite sex, or to talk to them whenever an opportunity arises, or to go on thinking about them by engaging the mind in thoughts concerning them, is also often observed to create disturbance and tension in one's mind. But it is a fact of experience that it is almost impossible for an average human individual to keep away sex-enjoyment for all times. In religious literature we find many stories of great rishis (who wanted to obtain the title of Indra), who were deceived and distracted from the rigorous discipline necessary for reaching their goal, when Indra sent one or more beautiful damsels to allure them. It is said in the Manusmriti that women can allure the ignorant as well as the highly educated, and throw them away from the path of mukti. It is, therefore, that the individual who can keep the sex urge well under control, has been praised highly in traditional texts.

It may be argued that an average individual need not abandon sex altogether. It is not a sane attitude to condemn sex as something bad or harmful. Sex has a very important place in the life of an individual, and it should not be denied its proper place. But the overwhelming effect of sex on the minds of modern youth,caused by the world of cinema and advertisement, is definitely posing a serious problem today. Proper training concerning the working of sex, and proper social atmosphere in which the sex urge can be modified by some other useful and strong urge, are the two things which will help a great deal in solving the tremendous problems of sex in the life of modern youth.

A jivanmukta completely overcomes all passions and desires, and with them, the sex urge, too. He is ever free as described by Jnanadeo, (Anubhavamrita) of any tension or disturbance produced by sex.But all other students of yoga. have to struggle with themselves to greater or smaller extent, according to the extent of vairagya in their minds, with a view to overcome the disturbance created by the sex urge. Brahmacharya is no doubt a very arduous but paying aspect of vairagya. As declared by patanjali (Yoga Sutra) it increases tremendously the mental strength (veerya) of an individual which is very useful in silencing the mind.

Read more on Yoga for weight loss. Check out for folding treadmills and arthritis treatment.

How to Successfully Implement a New Year's Resolution

The idea of celebrating the New Year began about four thousand years ago in ancient Babylon. This celebration coincided with the start of spring and the planting season. Babylon was also the birthplace of the New Years Resolution. The idea was to give people who had borrowed farm equipment from their neighbor a chance to remember what they had done and return it before planting began. Most of todays New Years Resolutions follow in that tradition. They are ideas, goals and challenges designed to make practical and positive changes to our lives during the coming year.

There is a school of thought that says most people either love or hate the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years, with no middle ground. Most people who take a definitive position on the Holidays probably also fall into the optimistic glass is half full or pessimistic glass is half empty measurement of personal outlook. Surprisingly, thats not a bad thing.

People who take a positive or negative position on life are great candidates for change. If youre lost in some desert or jungle, the hardest part of that experience is finding out where you are. If you already know where you are, mapping out the journey to somewhere else is much easier. The same is true in life.

Almost everyone chooses some positive change as a New Years Resolution. Such change usually involves weight loss, quitting smoking, attitude adjustment, moving to a more comfortable dwelling, getting a better job, finding a soul mate or making more money. People start thinking a lot about change as a New Year approaches. From a practical standpoint, this is probably the worst time to alter your life. From an emotional standpoint, its the one time of year when people are willing to put forth serious effort to change. It would be unwise to waste that kind of an opportunity, even if it means merely laying the groundwork for serious life modification.

Ill spare you the usual happy talk about goal setting and get down to the nitty gritty of what it takes to make any New Years Resolutions you have in mind come true. Im assuming that youve already given much thought to the changes you want to make. The most successful Resolutions involve issues that have been tugging at a person for some time. Theyve already considered the pros and cons are ready to take action.

The end result of any New Years Resolution should be personal growth in a positive direction. Given that, it might be wise to wait before calling the divorce attorney or telling off your Boss on January 2nd. What seems like a terrific idea during the Holidays may turn out to be a real nightmare in the emotional doldrums that often follow the glittery holiday season. Some changes are better left to times when cooler heads prevail and less alcohol is consumed.

If youre ready to move your life in a positive direction, you will have to create a good support structure to complete the change. People who want to lose weight, quit smoking, drinking or some other habit can really benefit from having others around who are trying to do the same thing. Beyond the paid weight loss, quit smoking and addictive substance services, there are a number of free support groups and non-profit organizations willing to help. Most people who try to lose weight or quit a habit without a support structure tend to fail. In many cases, inspiration can also come from within. The idea is to make a conscious decision to change and follow through with a strong force of will. Its the follow through part that gets most of us. Thats because were unwilling to actually take the plunge when we have the chance to do so.

There is no substitute fo5B4r action. Positive thinking is good, goal setting helps, but action rules! That means making time to act on the changes you wish to make in your life and following through. Write down a long list of things required to make changes. Consider each item, and then turn your long list into a short list. Make your list very personal. While people can help you by providing support, its imperative that you become the main source of inspiration and support for change in your life.

Part of creating a short list is being realistic. Make sure its a daily, not long-term list. Its always easiest to focus in on and accomplish small tasks on a daily basis that will help you create the kind of change you desire in your life. While long-term goals are always beneficial, short-term tasks are usually required to reach them. The idea is not to overwhelm yourself with unrealistic expectations and impossible deadlines. Take it one-step at a time.

If you want to lose 100 pounds, start by deciding to eat just one meal each day. Be sure that meal is in the morning and, based on your own metabolism, doesnt exceed your bodys ability to process what you intake and still burn off fat. Diet programs tend to be designed for people who can eat three or more small meals a day and still lose weight. Most people who are seriously overweight do not fall into that category. For them, a slice of low fat lunchmeat, a couple of tomato slices and one5B4 slice of bread with low fat margarine or mayonnaise are about all that can be eaten most days in order to lose the weight. Hunger pains can often be handled by drinking black coffee or low calorie beverages. The idea is to lower the hunger threshold, rather then eating to feed the fat.

Any change requires progressive implementation. A person who is seriously overweight cannot really get the exercise they need until after losing enough pounds to make that kind of bodily strain safe. Smokers are in the same boat. They need to cut down on smoking until reaching a point where they have the breath needed to take long walks, jog or do other exercises designed to clear out their lungs and help satisfy cravings.

People who want to further their education and havent been to school for a while might want to seriously assess their ability to return to the culture of education before they leap in. Being technically perceptive and able to study is part of that preparation. If you havent yet mastered simple computer or internet skills, take on that challenge before you do anything else. Email has become an important part of the student and teacher communication process. Assignments and class information is often communicated to students via internet. Your ability to study and complete assignments will require time. Have you set aside that time? What about your reading and comprehensive skills?

If a new job or career is on you5B4r New Years Resolution list, but sure your ready to take the leap. Get your resume and letters of recommendation in order. Assemble some good Resume Stuffers. These are certificates of training or achievement, which always look good to perspective employers. They tell a future employer that you are willing to learn, grow and improve your skills. Most require little more then attending a seminar or short series of classes. Without those items, youre telling a prospective boss that you know everything you want to know and are unwilling to learn more. You are saying that you will not easily accept new situations, methods or supervision. That is not what most employers want to hear.

Relationship changes are hard. Most involve one party telling the other to get lost. No one is going to take that news very well. Its also true that the person delivering that ultimatum may not always realize the full ramifications of it. Relationship changes can seriously affect us on social, religious and personal levels. People often decide to opt out of a relationship for all the wrong reasons and without good cause.

Before you tear up those photos of you and your intimate partner on that skiing trip or posing with the Knights at Medieval Times, make sure that you are physically, emotionally and socially ready for such a drastic change. I regularly receive emails from people who end up back in relationships, for better or worse, because 5B4they had not considered their next move before walking out. Things sometimes get bitter between people, but thats not always a good reason to break up.

Any good relationship involves work. Both parties have to be willing to give and take as those opportunities present themselves. If you are unwilling to work at a relationship, stay out of them altogether. There is simply no magical formula to create the perfect love affair. Everyone has faults and, eventually, those faults will make themselves known in a loud and clear way. Love often means being willing to accept those faults in lieu of a good relationship with long-term promise.

Part of making a successful change to your life is understanding the concept of self-esteem. People with low self-esteem rarely admit they are wrong. They make decisions and assign blame based on self-gratification and emotional highs or lows. People with high self-esteem are able to look themselves in the mirror and make a rational assessment of whats right and wrong with their life. How is your self-esteem?

The first step to good self-esteem is understanding that you are the one responsible for everything you think, feel and do. If you smoke, its a choice you made even if your parents had a six-pack a day habit. If youre overweight, its up to you to assess your ability to process food and eat accordingly, even if both your parents and all your relatives are overweight. If you46Br partner makes you feel bad, youre the one who allows them to influence you in a negative or positive way.

Developing good self-esteem is vital to making positive changes in your life. Part of that development is deciding where you stand on important life choices. Are you honest? Are you sincere? What do others say about you? Do you inspire people? Whether we like it or not, these are all considerations that affect our self-esteem.

In the end, making and following through with a New Years Resolution means having the desire and strength of will to make good choices that will cause a positive change in your life, without causing undue pain to others. Those choices must be based on good self-esteem, an ethical sense of doing whats right and moving forward in a personal, financial and spiritual sense.

Author: Bill Knell Author's Email: billknell@cox.net Author's Website: http://www.bil576lknell.com

Terms To Use Article: Permission is granted to use this article for free online or in print. Please add a link to or print my website address of http://www.billknell.com

A native New Yorker now living in Arizona, Bill Knell is a forty-something guy with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He's written hundreds of articles offer advice on a wide variety of subjects. A popular Speaker, Bill Knell presents seminars on a number of topics that entertain, train and teach. A popular radio and television show Guest, you've heard Bill on thousands of top-rated shows in all formats and seen him on local, national and international television programs.

Effective Goal Setting Requires Planning

You'll never accomplish anything in life without paying a cost for it. To build a business will require you to work longer hours in the beginning. You may have to get up early or stay up later. You may have to banish your TV for the next year. If you want to save more money, you may have to quit going out to eat so often. You may have to cut out some of your shopping budget.

If you plan to study and learn new subjects for your personal growth, you may have to turn off the radio station and listen to training CDs on the way to work. Anything you do will cost a price. It may be not as high of a price as you would think, but it will cost you something.

For example, anyone can become an expert in virtually any subject in just onA78e hour a day study over a year to two year period. That is a lot easier than most people would think, but it is still an hour which has to be invested everyday.

Count the cost for your goals or eliminating pain in your life. Make a plan. You should never start a new business without a plan, and you'll never reach your goals without a plan either.

You may want to weigh 30 pounds less than you do right now, but how do you plan to accomplish this? When will you schedule to exercise and what kind of exercise will you do? How will you change your eating habits to cut your daily calories? How can you get your friends or family to help you on this goal?

You can pick up dozens of books at any bookstore on the subject of losing weight. The hidden little secret is that the majority of them work, because you simply need to exercise more and cut the number and type of calories you eat. So you don't have to starve yourself or go on any crazy fad diet. Just make a plan that includes both exercise and healthy eating.

Make your plan by breaking down the goal into elements or steps. What kinds of steps will you have to take to reach your goal? The number of steps you use will be based on how complicated of a goal you have.

If you're starting a new business, you may have dozens of steps to prepare. You need to study the marketplace, visit competitors, do customer research, etc. Then you need to apply for licenses, setup a legal business form such as corporation, and possibly apply for business loans based on a business plan you've written.

If your long-term plan is to build your current business to $1,000,000 a year in net profits, then you may have one year goal and plan for $100,000 increase. For that plan, you may make a list of asking customers why they buy from you, writing new ads, testing your ads, and checking around to find joint venture partners who may be able to offer more items to your current customers.

You can break down these plans into many more steps than what I've listed here. The planning stage should be broken down into easy to accomplish daily and weekly goals. When I said write a new ad above, that could be broken down into individual steps as well.

You may design 3 ads to test, so you first decide on the "offer" for each one...what will make it unique and exciting to your customers. Then you decide on headlines. Then you write the rough draft of one ad. Then you edit it. Then you test it. Then you see if you can improve on it or test out one of the other possible offers you come up with.

The other important element that comes in while making plans is to make deadlines that 5A8are practical. You may want to lose 30 pounds, but doing that in 30 days is not practical. You will not reach that goal and do it in a healthy fashion.

The healthiest way to lose weight is 1 to 2 pounds per week. You hate the extra 30 pounds you're carrying and want to eliminate it in the next 6 months. You can break that down further and say you would like to lose 5 pounds this month. You didn't gain 30 pounds in a month, and you won't be losing it in one month either. So make shorter term goals such as losing 5 pounds per month.

If the most you've ever made in your life is $30,000 per year, then having a goal of making one million this year is not a realistic goal.

Making one million a year 5 years from now isn't that difficult, but you'd be better off setting a goal of $100,000 or so for your business the first year. You then would need to come up with all the steps required for you to reach this.

If it's a brand new business you're starting, there will be a lot of steps involved. Pick up several books that talk about starting new businesses to help you write down all the steps you'll need to take. Then get busy and start taking one step at a time.

One of the key principles here is you want your goals to be something you can really have faith in. You are only limited by what you can believe, but you won't be able to believe with your heart that you're worth the one million dollar income if yo5B3u've only been making $30,000. You're going to have to grow into it. You'll have to build up to the point where you truly believe you're worth that much money.

Most people set their one year goals too high and their 5 year goals too low. You can experience multiplied growth every year of your life, so your goals for 5 years out should be a whole lot bigger than your goals for this year alone. You can build the life you dream about, but you have to be willing to put in both the time and energy required to get there. You have a lot of learning and growing to do.

Look at potential roadblocks which may come up in the pursuit of your goal. What kind of obstacles are likely to come against you? This is part of counting the cost. You may have friends who won't want to be around you anymore. People who are set in their ways and satisfied with mediocre life don't usually accept those who want to strive for excellence. If you want to soar with the eagles, you might not be close friends with the turkeys anymore. You may have opposition from your family.

Terry Dean invites business owners to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life. Receive his Special report, "10 Key Strategies for Any Business Owner to Earn More, Work Less, and Enjoy Life" along with having access to his blog where he posts articles 2 to 3 times per week at: 2E8http://www.terrydean.org

Why Vitamin C Increases Muscle Gains

Do you sometimes feel your intensity and/or energy levels are going down? Your diet is good, you drink enough water, all other things seams to be perfect but for some reason you lack energy you had just recently. Symptoms of weakness and tiredness are very disturbing but worse of all, very much destructive for all building muscle mass attempts we may have. Good news here! Vitamin C is the answer. Muscle weakness is a common symptom of vitamin C deficiency.

Research showed valuable data. Functions of ascorbic acid indicate that any strength athlete needs to be consuming more than the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) because it has several functions that are important for building strength and muscle mass. Vitamin C is needed for maintaining the strength of tendons and ligaments but also it is essential for the adrenaline synthesis (the hormone crucial for intense training).

Physical training increases oxidative damage to cells in muscle tissue in our body. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that reduces the amount of oxidative damage caused by exercise. Proper amount of vitamin C ensures a lower release of cortisol. Why this cortisol thing is important? Being a catabolic hormone it does serve in other ways but its presence in the muscles promote excessive breakdown of muscle tissue. Therefore, lower secretion of this hormone should provide faster 5ADrecovery and better performance. But here is a problem: vitamin C is not of the stable structure and it can not be stored it in our bodies. Therefore we need sufficient amounts of vitamin C everyday. You may know that RDA for vitamin C is 60mg/day. However, recent studies in people that are not athletes suggest that a good intake is more likely to be around 200mg/day. And if you saw ours (or any other good) nutrition calculator you already know it is not too difficult to arrange. 8-ounce glass of orange juice will provide you with around 100mgs of vitamin C.

But it is very difficult to know the right amount your body will need. I must say it wouldn't hurt to supplement with an additional 250-500mgs a couple of times a day particularly if you are already feeling the "down phase" symptoms. I always take an extra 500mg dose with breakfast and before I train just to be sure. To conclude, vitamin C isn't advertised and glorified as so many "big" supplement labels. Smart and complete exercise - diet program contains perfect balance of all important elements for muscular development like Vitamin C. Fresh sources of the vitamin C like orange juice or lemonade are best in the sense. Adding extra vitamin C by supplementing your diet for most of us is necessary but not so effective without complete approach.

You can build up Massive and Strong Body fast, without risking your health. Sasa's advices saved time, money and good health to many Athletes. His dedication, profound experience and personal example are causing the difference. Feel free to visit his web page , claim your Free e-Book's and Video's and learn more on Fast Massive Muscle Building.