Yoga A Part Of The American Health Quest For Decades

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It might surprise many people to learn that yoga has a long history in the United States. For a lot of Americans, their knowledge of yoga may only date back to the 1960s, when the concepts of spiritualism and meditation were embraced by the countrys counterculture.

But it might surprise you to learn that yoga has a far longer history in the U.S., dating back to the late 1800s.

In 1883, the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago welcomed Swami Vivekananda, who received a standing ovation when he greeted his “sisters and brothers in America” in the audience. His idea that all of the religions of the world are merely separate parts of a larger religion was a new concept to those hearing him speak about the mind, body and spirit.

Swami Vivekananda was followed by Yogendra Mastamani, also from India, who arrived in the U.S. and settled on Long Island, N.Y. in 1919 and established the American version of Kaivalyadhama, an Indian organization that made major strides in the scientific exploration of yoga. Mastamani introduced Hatha Yoga to the United States.

A year later, Paramahansa Yogananda, of one the most well-known yogis in the U.S., settled in Boston and brought kriya yoga to the United States. He created the Self-Realization Fellowship, which now has its headquarters in Los Angeles. Yogananda also wrote the world-famous best seller, “Autobiography of a Yogi”, a book that is still an inspirational resource for many yoga instructors and students.

In the 1930s, Jiddu Krishnamurti brought the yogi to new level of awareness in the U.S. thanks to this popular, eloquent speeches on Jnana-Yoga yoga, which is the yoga of discernment. His enlightening talks brought him attention from a number of celebrities, including actors Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo and writers Aldous Huxley and George Bernard Shaw.

In 1924, the U.S. imposed a restriction on the number of Indians it would allow to move to the U.S., meaning students who sought the teachings of yogis had to travel to India. One of these students was Theos Bernard, who traveled to India and came back in 1947 to write the book “Hatha Yoga: The Report of a Personal Experience”, an influential book which is still widely today.

The same year that Bernard penned his examination of Hatha Yoga, Russian-born yogi Indra Devi opened one of the first Hatha Yoga studios in Hollywood and earned the title First Lady of Yoga. In addition to housewives across the nation, Devi counted among her fans Hollywood stars Gloria Swanson, Robert Ryan and Jennifer Jones. Devi passed away in her Buenos Ares home in 2002.

But the man who is generally credited with introducing yoga to middle America is not even a native of India. Richard Hittleman, who studied in India for a number of years and returned to the States in 1950 to become a yoga instructor in New York, introduced a non-spiritual-based yoga to the United States and forever changed the way yoga was thought of and taught in America. It was Hittleman who placed emphasis on the physical side of yoga, letting a Western audience focus on the bodily aspects of yoga and not just the mind. Hittleman’s goal was to teach American students to gradually embrace the spiritual side of yoga, which many people have.

While Hittleman was expanding the influence of yoga on the East Coast, Walt and Magana Baptiste were building yogas reputation as a viable study on the West Coast with their San Francisco studio established in the mid 1950s. Both of the Baptistes were students of Yogananda and Walt brought the influence of Vivekananda to the practice, creating an entirely new approach to yoga. Their yoga influence is being continued by their daughter and son, Sherri and Baron.

Also in San Francisco, Swami Vishnu-devananda, arrived from India in 1958 and, with sponsorship from famed artist Peter Max, created the landmark book, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. It became an essential guide for yoga instructors and practitioners. Vishu-devananga would later go on to create the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta yoga centers, which has become one of most prominent yoga school franchises in the entire world.

As the 1960s embrace of counterculture got into full swing, more and more people began to investigate the spirituality of yoga and possibly the most famous group of yoga practitioners were The Beatles, whose association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi made him one of the most famous yogis in the world. He created the Transcendental Meditation school of yoga that today employs more than 40,000 instructors and approximately 4 million followers worldwide.

In the late 1960, Harvard professor Richard Alpert left on a journey through India and returned as Ram Dass, who captured the imagination of the young people of America and sparked their interest in the potential of yoga with his 1970 college tour to support his book, Be Here Now. It implanted the idea of taking a spiritual quest as a dream of many young people.

In the 1970s, yoga continued to grow as studios began popping up all over the nation. Mount Madonna, founded by Baba Hari Dass, brought residential yoga instruction to Santa Cruz, California. Shrila Prabhubada began the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which led to the international spiritual study of Bhakti Yoga. In the mid-70s, Pattabhi Jois came to the U.S. and brought Ashtanga-vinyasa Yoga to the masses At Woodstock, Swami Satchitananda was probably the most popular non-musician to appear there. Swami Sivananda Radha is the female yogi credited with first investigating the link between the spirituality and psychology of yoga. And the teachings of Swamii Chidananda, who himself was a student of yoga master Swami Sivananda, were delivered to the world by one of his former students, instructor Liliias Folan through her landmark PBS television series “Lilias, Yoga and You” which aired on the network from 1970 to 1979 and made yoga available in every home in the U.S.

Yoga has continued its influence across America with classes and studios in cities all over, from the smallest town to the major metro areas. In addition, the advent of digital media, including CDs, DVDs and streaming Internet video, yoga can go anywhere, further giving it a foothold in the United States.

Yoga Pants A Style For Everyone

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Every modern woman has at least one pair of yoga pants. Why wouldnt we? They are versatile, sexy, fun and comfortable all in one article of clothing. With so many different styles of yoga pants out there it, the key in finding the right one is to learn about some of the most popular choices. And believe me, there are a many! Check out some of the most popular trends, like the cargo yoga pants, the V slit Capri yoga pants and the foldover yoga pantshere are the top three a little more in depth.

Cargo Yoga Pants
They offer the sexy tightness of your average yoga pant, but with an added flair cargo pockets. Cargo yoga pants are great for the girl on the go. Cargo yoga pants allow you to carry your iPod, license, keys, and money whatever you need all with you. No purse, gym bag or tote needed! Cargo yoga pants are an easy breezy way to meld comfort with utility.

V Slit Capri Yoga Pants
The sexy V slit gives you the chance to show off a little leg, and the capri cut give you a cool comfort that makes it easy to workout, run errands or just go about your day. V slit capri yoga pants are flattering, fun and multipurpose. V slit capri yoga pants can be found in a variety of colors and styles, so they can be dressed up to go out to lunch or down to go to the gym. It all depends on styling.

Foldover Yoga Pants
Created by Hard Tail clothing decades ago, these babies are meant specifically to flatter EVERY woman. Foldover yoga pants are the hottest trend right now. Every woman should have more than one!. Foldover yoga pants feature an adjustable rollover waist that can be moved to wherever will most flatter its wearer. Theyre comfortable, versatile and always flattering. You can wear them to yoga class, the gym, out and about or as pajamas. Theyre even great as maternity pants! Foldover yoga pants are a style staple you cant afford to not have in your closet.
Theyre classic, sexy and fun pieces that add both comfort and versatility to your wardrobe. These hot styles of yoga pants can be seen on women in just about any mall, gym or salon anywhere you go.

Whether you choose capri yoga pants, v slit capri yoga pants or foldover yoga pants, you can be certain you will feel in style and amazing!

Yoga Benefits For Anxiety Relief

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Stressed out individuals carry a great deal of physical tension in their bodies. In these cases the natural unblocking effected by yoga postures are helpful. When one rests between postures, abdominal tension is released from the body promoting deep breathing. The benefits of yoga postures (asana), breathing (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana) include increased body awareness, release of muscular tension and increased coordination between mind-and body. It helps in better management of stress and ensures an overall feeling of well being.

Yoga is an ancient practice of controlling body and mind which originated in India a few thousand years ago. It is a practice by which there occurs a physical and mental harmony. The Yoga that is practiced all over the world is actually called ‘Hath Yoga’ a component of the wholesome Yogic practices. There are many sections in yogic practices which have got different implications.

Yoga has considered internal purification of the human body in depth. The shuddhikriyas (Cleansing Process) have been planned with a view to have total purification of the body before various samskaras are made thereon for baking the body in the fire named Yoga so as to turn the body into a ripe vehicle. The organs where there can be a lot of impurities require these shuddhikriyas. The internal organs, which come into contact with the external matters regularly, need to be purified.

If you are pregnant, you are very likely to suffer from occasional depression, anxiety disorders or panic attacks They should let you move freely in different yoga poses by telling you the benefits and also the dangers.

Supported Bridge Pose (you may want to place a folded blanket under your shoulders to give your neck some extra support and protection):

Lying flat on the floor, belly up, bend your knees so that your feet are as close to your buttocks as possible. Make sure your feet are placed firmly on the ground. Inhale and on the exhale lift your pelvis and buttocks up, off the floor. Your thighs and inner feet should stay parallel to each other. Move your arms underneath you for extra support and clasp your hands together. Lift your pelvis and buttocks up until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees are directly above your heels.

Lifestyle changes can help you control your anxiety. Identify all the things that may be contributing to the problem. Some causes may be in our control to remove others may not. Meditate for a deep detachment from everything external. This will reduce the suffering of anxiety. Meditating on oneness with everything will reduce fear and bring solitude and comfort.

Here are a few simple and basic asanas that help relieve stress:

Savasana:

It is also known as the corpse pose and is happens to be a a stress reliever.

Makarasana:

Makara means crocodile. While performing this asana the body assumes the shape of a crocodile. It is as effective as Savasana.

Balasana:

This is also known as the child’s pose. While doing this asana you have to bend forward in such a way that your back is gently rounded.

Female Hair Loss Treatment

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It is a natural tendency for women to focus more on their beauty as it is a combination of many factors ranging from their complexion, dresses, and hair style. When they face the problem of hair loss and dandruff, they can spend any amount of money to cure the problem. There are medicated treatments which can help women grow their hair back but some of these treatments have risky side effects. A natural female hair loss treatment can be just effective and cost a lot less.

1. One of the effective tips to grow hair faster naturally is to get your hair and scalp massaged every week. You can even undertake head massages on your own at home itself. All you have to do is to take any of the good quality essential oils for hair growth such as coconut oil or olive oil and warm it a bit. Next, using your finger tips, massage your scalp with the oil. Follow this up by wrapping your head with a towel soaked in hot water and later wriggled, for fifteen minutes so that the hair can get some steam. Leave the oil overnight and in the morning wash it as usual.

2. Aloe vera is nothing short of a miracle plant. It soothes sunburn, moisturizes skin, and even cleanses the body when taken internally. It should come as no surprise, then, that aloe is also touted for its hair-regrowth properties. The gel helps to stimulate the hair follicles and sooth the scalp, encouraging new hair growth.

3. Take some garlic cloves and drop them into one cup of milk and let it sit for one hour. This will allow the sulphur from the cloves to be released into the milk. It will also help eliminate some of the smell from the garlic. Apply the mixture onto your scalp and let it stay on for about 15 minutes and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.

4. As tension and anxiety have become a part of all our lives, we should learn to keep them under control by learning yoga and meditation as they are good stress-busters. High stress levels trigger hair fall thus learning to manage stress is very important.

5. An easy hair mask recipe is to mix two egg yolks in two tablespoons of yogurt and massage the scalp with this mixture. Leave it on for half an hour and then wash off. Another hair mask that is very beneficial for hair is made by mixing a cup of milk and a tablespoon of honey. For getting rid of dandruff, an effective hair mask is made by grinding fenugreek seeds which have been soaked overnight and leaving the paste on the scalp and hair, every time before shampooing for half an hour.

6. If you can stand the smell, apply onion or garlic juice before going to bed, and sleep on it. Slice a clove of garlic in half, and rub it on any balding areas. Squeeze juice from an onion, and do the same. For sensitive scalps, you may want to leave the treatment on for a half hour before shampooing. Always apply the garlic or onion with deep massaging motions to increase scalp circulation.

7. An African tea called rooibos which contains a large number of antioxidants can fight free radicals and also prevent hair loss. Green tea is another good antioxidant which can be applied on the scalp to prevent hair loss. It also has anti inflammatory qualities.

Yoga – 5 Yoga Habits To Better Health

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Yoga is of the mind as ayurveda is of the body. As the mind is being constantly bombarded with information and going through thoughts, we have created many more diseases which we have to contend with. To live a happier existance and understand ones purpose in this life time, the mind needs to be calm and come under the control of the individual. The mind and body need to be fully connected and functioning together to be able to live in harmony and be disease free. Here are a few simple discipilines which if followed will have a major affect on a person’s whole being.

1- Practice some postures on a daily or weekly basis to help the body stay igile and flexable. As the body consumes more physically and mentally, stiffness and rigidity set into the bones and muscle. Yoga postures will keep the body supple so you will be able to sit quietly for meditation. In today’s age this is a fundemental necessity to be flexable.

2- Concentrate on your breathing to see what kind of rhythm is ‘normal’ to you. Do you take short breaths or do you stop breathing at times? Start to take a full breath as your stomach protrudes and your chest expands. When exhaling the chest relaxes and the stomach is sucked in a little. The breath should be through the nostrils and in a calm, deep and meditative manner to bring balance to the male/female or the hot/cold energy in our being. Breath is life so watch your breathing at all times.

3-Avoid overloading the senses by excessive behaviour and habits. Once the senses are over stimulated with too much food, drink and thoughts they disrupt the balance and harmony of the mind/body where a person finds it difficult to function naturally. The best way to control the senses is to avoid any excess and to also refrain from indulging in all activities, talk or desires which come to mind or are presented by others. This will cultivate discipline and help lower a person’s ego mind and out of control desire of ‘wanting.’

4- Be in silence some part of the day without noise or talking. Once the environment is quiet the mind will be more alert to what is going on in the body. Silence is necessary for us to be able to digest food and to digest information which comes invisibly through higher awareness. We connect to a higher level of consciousness once the noise pollution has been lowered. This is wonderful also for the nervous system which controls most of the body and mind.

5- During the day periodically watch your thoughts to identify what is entering your mind and which thoughts are more dominant and repetitive. Once you see a pattern, think back to the origin where and from whom this way of thinking came about. Move away from any judgement or expectations and just observe each thought to see its origin. Through the practices mentioned above the mind and thoughts will eventually be under your command.

Start to practice as no one can do this for you. A yogi or guru can guide but can never do the work which is up to each individual. The change you are looking for is in your control but first through choice one must take action.