Power Yoga - The Popular Power Workout

By Chris Ramos and Lucas Rockwood

Power Yoga is derived from the Ashtanga, an old form of yoga from India. As the name implies, Power Yoga offers a total body workout while also fostering mental balance. Its vigorous, fitness-based exercises can be physically demanding, but it is also this attribute that has made it more accessible to many practitioners in the West who also saw yoga as a form of calisthenics.

What is the Ashtanga?

The historic origins of the Ashtanga are somewhat hazy. What survive today are compilations of ancient Hindu texts that describe the philosophy and procedures of the practice. These texts, and the early teachers who used them, have had a significant role in shaping the more modern types of yoga currently in practice.

It is a known fact that many Ashtanga exercises have been incorporated into the training of wrestlers and gymnasts in different countries-in both the East and West. It wasn't so different during the early times. The Ashtanga was found to be highly suitable for the young because they were fit and energetic. The hyperactivity of mind and body was directed towards the attainment of inner strength and calm.

The Advent

Power Yoga emerged into Western consciousness through Beryl Bender Birch's book, "Power Yoga: The Practice." Birch is generally accredited for coining the term. Also associated with the introduction of Power Yoga are the names Bryan Kest and Baron Baptiste. Not surprisingly, Birch and Kest had the same Ashtanga master. Baptiste, on the other hand, developed a distinct method of his own.

These pioneers gained a large and immediate following because they opened up new, exciting possibilities. People were quick to notice. Power Yoga was unlike the gentle motions and placid contemplation which was what most Westerners thought of yoga. It was more intense and physical, and felt just like working out at the gym. In a sense, Power Yoga helped tear down cultural barriers.

Not for Everybody

Many benefits can be drawn from Power Yoga. It boosts your strength and stamina and tones your body properly. It's a great way for getting rid of toxins-you will sweat when you do this type of yoga. And it's perfect for stress-release.

Due to its rigorous executions, however, Power Yoga requires a certain level of fitness before a practitioner can fully experience the rewards. This is why it is ideal for athletes. Another thing to remember is that it's not all physical exertion. You have to work on your breathing and concentration, too, to carry out the poses correctly.

Truth is your body can get sore at first. You're going to have to contort every limb and stretch every muscle. But if you've been exercising regularly and don't tire easily, you should be qualified to start now and able to keep up with the rest of the class.

Learn Ashtanga Yoga For Strength And Flexibility

By Rebecca Prescott

Ashtanga yoga is a more physically intense form of yoga than most, which is one of the reasons for its' immense popularity. This can make it more challenging to learn however. There are two main ways it is taught - a more traditional approach pioneered by Pattabhi Jois in India, and an adapted form of the primary series developed by teachers here. One of the questions many beginners may have, is do they actually need a class to learn this style anyway? An associated question is what makes it so different? By addressing these issues, it is much easier to learn ashtanga in a way that promotes true benefits, as well as avoiding some of the frustrations that beginners may face.

Pattabhi Jois was a lifelong student of Krishnamacharya, one of the most well known Indian yoga teachers this century. Krishnamacharya may have developed the system of ashtanga, but it was Jois who adopted it as his own. Through Jois' patronage, ashtanga became popular in India and the West. When students traveled to Jois' school in Mysore, India, they were taught as much as they could do of the Primary Series at a time.

The Primary Series is the first series of asanas. There are later, more advanced series, but everyone starts with this one. However, because of its' dynamic and athletic nature, the Primary Series is generally too much for a beginner to learn in one session. So, Jois would teach one, or a few, poses, and once a student had mastered those, he would give them another. Thus, new asanas were gradually introduced, until the whole series was completed.

This was a somewhat slow way to learn ashtanga, and perhaps influenced by the way other styles of yoga are taught, many Western teachers taught beginners a different way. They maintained the essence of the series, but left out some of the more challenging poses until later, and included adaptations of some poses so beginners could do them. Thus, they were able to give beginners both standing and floor postures in one abridged session, all linked by the characteristic vinyasa flow.

In many ways, this approach is actually more true to the way Jois' teacher, Krishnamacharya, taught. Krishnamacharya had a great belief in the principle that yoga was not a 'one size fits all' proposition. He tailored it to people's individual needs and circumstances. Indeed, the reason he created the ashtanga practice to start with was because it was intended for adolescent boys for whom the more introspective hatha yoga practice would be unsuitable due to their energy and teenage distractibility.

Though ashtanga is different to hatha in a number of ways, it would be a mistake to think that it did not develop introspection. The asanas may not be held for as long, but they still require practice and focus. The acrobatic nature of some of ashtanga actually requires a certain degree of coordination, focus and strength. Though beginners may find these aspects challenging initially, if the practice is modified in the way many local teachers do, then these qualities can be developed gradually. In this way, all the benefits can be enjoyed as we learn ashtanga yoga.

Finding a teacher is highly recommended. It is very difficult to describe the way the vinyasa sequence is done, even more so when explaining the use of the bandhas (also called a 'root lock'). Even with the visual aid of a DVD, nothing can quite replace the way a beginners class or workshop provides the opportunity for feedback and corrections with postures. For those more experienced students however, DVD's are perfect.

Ashtanga is an energetic sequence that provides many of the benefits of a traditional fitness program. By approaching it in a way that takes into account any personal injuries, and initial limitations with strength, it is possible to learn ashtanga and enjoy every minute of it.

10-Minute Power Yoga

By Denise Austin, Prevention

Everyone I speak with feels fantastic after doing yoga. This great form of exercise stretches and strengthens your muscles simultaneously. Adding in the ball and band allows beginners and advanced students alike to explore yoga postures in a new way. I've incorporated the ball and band into my favorite yoga postures such as the Warrior, the Balancing Stick, the Mermaid, and more.

The exercises run in a flow sequence, and you can do the entire sequence as a 10-minute routine, holding each move for up to 1 minute. You can also deepen and hold each pose longer for added benefits—a great alternative when you have more than 10 minutes for your routine.

Pose of the Dancer

• Firms and flattens your lower belly


• Tones your inner thighs


• Improves your balance


• Strengthens and tones your legs


• Improves core strength

The ball will help you to gain your balance in this challenging posture.

Stand with the ball about 2 feet in front of you. Place your right palm against the top of the ball. Shift your body weight over your right foot. Exhale as you lift your left foot in toward your buttocks and grasp your left ankle with your left hand. Inhale as you reach back through your left leg, deepening the posture. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally, and then release and repeat on the other side.


Warrior

• Tones your thighs


• Strengthens your core


• Stretches your chest, hips, groin, abs, and shoulders

Many people allow their torsos to collapse forward in the Warrior pose. Holding the ball overhead will help you keep your torso upright and your chest open, allowing you to feel a deeper stretch in the front of your hips, your abdomen, and your chest.

Stand with your feet under your hips. Hold the ball overhead. Exhale as you step forward with your left leg. Inhale and lift your right heel and move it inward so that your rear foot is at a 45-degree angle.

Exhale as you bend your left leg and sink into a deep lunge, as shown. Keep your upper arms in line with your head and reach up and into the ball, as if you were Atlas holding up the world. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally. Inhale as you rise to the starting position and then repeat on the other side.

Balancing Stick

• Improves balance and coordination


• Tones your abdomen, back, waistline, and legs

The Balancing Stick ranks as one of the more challenging postures in yoga. Adding the ball as a prop will help you to hold the posture longer and bring your body into proper alignment.

Stand with the ball about 2 feet in front of you. Exhale as you bend forward from your hips, placing your hands against the ball. Raise and extend your left leg.

Lift and extend your right arm. Reach out through your right fingertips and left toes to lengthen your spine. Keep your tummy firm as you balance, breathing normally. Keep your head in a neutral position, with your gaze at the floor. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally, and then release and repeat on the other side.

Triangle

• Stretches your sides, chest, and inner thighs


• Tones your legs, arms, and torso

Beginner yoga students often allow their top shoulders to collapse downward in the Triangle, reducing the stretch along the sides of their torso. Using the ball, beginners can easily move into the pose.

Stand with your feet about 3 feet apart. Place the ball underneath your right thigh. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and slide your left heel back slightly. Extend your arms from your shoulders.

Exhale as you bend to the right, sliding your right hand down your leg as you bend. Extend your left hand toward the ceiling and slightly behind your torso. Turn your head to look up toward the ceiling. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally. Inhale as you rise and then repeat on the other side.

Mermaid

• Stretches your sides, chest, neck, and shoulders


• Strengthens your abdomen


• Improves your balance

When you sit on the ball to stretch into the Mermaid, you activate your abdominal muscles as they work to keep you stable. The band will help to keep your top shoulder from dropping forward, allowing you to feel a deeper stretch.

Sit on the ball with the band between your hips and the ball and with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Grasp one end of the band in your right hand, securing it by your side. Grasp the other end of the band in your left hand, extending your left arm overhead.

Exhale as you reach up and over to the right, as shown, feeling the stretch along the left side of your torso. Keep both hips equally planted on the ball. Turn your head to look up. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally. Inhale as you rise and then repeat on the other side.

Cobra

• Strengthens your back


• Improves your posture


• Stretches your chest

The ball helps keep your lower back and hips in proper alignment, preventing tightness or pinching in your spine as you extend into the pose. Placing your palms against the front of the ball helps you to extend your spine, allowing you to stretch more deeply.

Lie with your tummy on the ball, your legs extended, and the balls of your feet on the floor. Rest your palms on the ball for support.

Inhale as you reach through the crown of your head to lengthen your spine as you lift your upper back, neck, and head toward the ceiling. Press your hands into the ball to help lengthen your spine. Hold for 1 minute, breathing normally, and then release.

Bridge

• Tones your hips, buttocks, thighs, back, and abdomen

Doing the Bridge against the ball is a completely different experience than doing it on the floor. With the ball, you'll really feel your hips and buttocks working to keep your torso stable.

Sit on the ball with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Place your palms on the ball for support and slowly walk your feet forward, allowing your back to slide forward along the ball.

Release your hands toward the floor and continue to walk your feet out until the ball rests under your shoulders, as shown, supporting your shoulders, neck, and head. Reach your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for 1 minute, breathing normally. Inhale as you walk your feet back in and rise to the starting position.

Forward Bend

Stretches the backs of your thighs and your back

The Forward Bend is a perfect complement to the Wheel, as it brings your spine into the opposite position. Doing it while seated on the ball helps you to tip your pelvis forward as you bend.

Sit on the ball. Extend your legs, with your feet about hip-distance apart.

Exhale as you bend forward from your hips and slide your hands down your legs (to your feet, if possible). Try to keep your back long and flat. Hold for 1 minute, breathing normally. Inhale as you rise.

Wheel

• Stretches your thighs, hips, abdomen, chest, and shoulders


• Tones your legs and back

You'll love doing this back bend over the ball. The ball fits snugly into your back, giving you the support you need to extend into the Wheel and feel the wonderful, deep stretch along the front of your body. The curve of the ball helps bring your spine into the correct position, preventing pinching between your vertebrae.

To bend into the Wheel, start by sitting on your ball. Walk your feet forward and bend your knees until your lower back comes in contact with the ball.

Extend your legs. Place your palms against the ball for support as you lower your entire torso and head onto the ball. Once your torso is in position, reach back with your hands, as shown, placing your palms on the floor. Hold for 1 minute, breathing normally. Inhale as you release.

Knee Sway

• Stretches your spine, lower back, hips, and chest

The ball will help create more of a twist in your spine.

Lie on your back with your knees in toward your chest. Grasp the ball and extend your arms from your chest.

Exhale as you lower your knees to the floor to your left and the ball to the floor to the right. Hold for 30 seconds, breathing normally. Inhale as you rise and exhale as you repeat on the opposite side.

The Benefits of Power Yoga

By Jeanette Pollock

Today's power yoga basically branched out from the Ashtanga Yoga of the Hindu tradition and religion of India.

Power yoga is emphasizing the development of one’s flexibility and the nurture of the desire for a vigorous whole body workout. The activity most of all facilitates for concentration and mental stability.

There are various reasons why power yoga classes abound everywhere. Nowadays, different and major gyms all over the world are offering power yoga classes.

No wonder. That is because those who have already immersed in the activity openly acknowledge the benefits and health effects to them.

Power yoga classes have become popular for various reasons. Not just vogue, more and more people are getting into the activity because of the proven benefits the exercise can do to them.

Bodily gains from the Power Yoga

First of all, the power yoga promoted overall well-being of the body. Because power yoga also involves physical activities that are sometimes stretching and working out muscles, power yoga is sometimes made as alternatives to ordinary and daily workout routines.

There are several significant benefits of doing the power yoga to one’s body. Among these benefits are the following:

- Power yoga bolsters flexibility, stamina and strength.

- Power yoga promotes improvement of one person’s ability and capability to focus and concentrate.

- Power yoga helps people release the distracting anxiety and overall tension.

- Power yoga helps one person develop and maintain good and proper posture.

- Power yoga tones the body in a way that is neither hard nor stressful.

- Bodily toxins are removed from the physical or body system through the sweat the body excretes during power yoga session.

- Power yoga also serves as a great warm up or training activity for all sorts and types of athletes.

- Power yoga, when done regularly would help improve an athlete’s overall performance especially in demanding sports like golf, football, cycling an of course, swimming.

Health clubs

Various and numerous health clubs all over the world are now offering different power yoga classes because the popularity of the exercise is truly rising.

Power yoga practitioners frequent health clubs that offer power yoga training and classes because they know and attest that power yoga help them attain physical improvement, mental power as well as spiritual enlightening.

Touching on the mental and spiritual facets of one’s overall personality is one attribute of the power yoga that is significantly missing and left out in all other forms and kinds of exercises.

Health clubs nowadays appreciate this fact. That is why most of them are trying and aiming to offer their members with such classes and offerings.

The spiritual and mental facet

The spiritual and mental facet of one individual is hard to tap, develop or nourish. That is why when power yoga started becoming popular, it became the venue and task on how people touch on their spiritual and mental aspects.

Overall relaxation and well-being is improved by becoming attached and involved in power yoga activities and exercises.

It is important to know about power yoga if you want to start doing the activity regularly. You will be surely surprised how much more benefits can be offered and provided by the activity or exercise.

Do the power yoga now and experience its benefits yourself.

Discover the 3 Most Popular Forms of Yoga

By Veronica Volk

Everyday life can be hectic with all that there is to deal with, such as jobs, families, and relationships. Therefore, it is important to find a way to get rid of the built up tension and stress within the body; it is not healthy for you. Yoga is known to help to relieve body stress, but it also provides other benefits.

For beginners to yoga, here is a short and quick overview of the 3 most popular Yoga types that many people choose as a starting point:

1) Hatha Yoga - This is the most popular and commonly practiced form of Yoga, and it's a combination of asanas synced with a balanced breathing. It combines meditation, pranayama (lengthening of the breath), and relaxation techniques. This make Hatha Yoga perfect for de-stressing the body and bringing a sense of peace of mind.

2) Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga - This form of Yoga helps to build strength and power; it is widely practiced among athletes and those looking to get more from their physical workouts. The focus here is to build a strong level of stamina from within and internally improve the body's health. Ashtanga Yoga is comprised of many different postures where bandas (seals) and ujjayi (victory) are used as a means of raising the body heat to cleanse to the body of toxins.

3) Kundalini Yoga - This type of Yoga is commonly known as the "Yoga of Awareness" because it helps to awaken blocked energy. It is a combination of physical and meditative balance, which improves the mind-body connection; it helps a person to become one body, mind, and spirit as it helps an individual awaken the unused or blocked energy. This deep state of relaxation results from a carefully structured combination of asanas, mantra chanting and pranyama.

You might want to spend a week practicing Yoga at a retreat center to make your experience more fulfilling. You need to be somewhere peaceful so that the calmness around you can surround you, and take your mind and body to a new higher level.

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Today's World

By Manu Bhoir

Written centuries BC, Yoga Sutras by Patanjali is known as the greatest scriptural text from the yogic Indian philosophy. The characteristics of these "threads" are intensely brief, mentioning succinctly and often precisely, important points or techniques. Initially these wisdoms were oral, were made clear and construed by remarks from a teacher directing the student.

This meditative obedience of liberation is known as Raja - Royal yoga or the yoga of the eight limbs that are described below:

1. Restraint: nonviolence, not lying, not stealing, not lusting, and nonattachment
2. Observances: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study, and surrender to the Supreme God
3. Posture or physical exercises
4. Breath control
5. Sublimation or withdrawal from the senses
6. Attention
7. Concentration
8. Meditation

Yoga can explained as Union, yoga is also an effort to educate the yogi, the one who practices yoga and how to attain union with the Supreme consciousness we call god. Yoga trains us to overcome the thought that our 'self' identity is a false impression and our soul is the real us.

The aim of these sutras is not to show how to do the asanas correctly or the best way to sit for a meditation. It was presumed that the students would have already been taught by their teacher the essentials and the basics of the meditative techniques and asanas before practicing the principles.

These sutras are organized in four parts (padas).

1. Samadhi Pada I: Contemplation and Meditation
2. Sadhana Pada II: The Steps to Union
3. Vibhuti Pada III: Union Achieved and Its Results
4. Kaivalya Pada IV: Illumination and Freedom

The Yoga Sutra gives a most outstanding cohort for those who would use meditation (dhyana) and other additional yoga practices as a realistic spiritual passage to rouse and self liberate. Yoga Sutras can be utilized like any instructional book, or industry manual ensuring that the genuine educator within is to be woken up through their own practice. Some translators recommend reading a little then practicing it, the read more and practice further and that way the practice can be improved. So to train our beliefs we must experience yoga and the only way to reveal its true nature is to practice it. Our beliefs must match to "truth", not vice versa.

An open heart divulges Yoga Sutras as the experiential workbook, it is also misunderstood as viewpoint of a religious book that could be used to study and intellect or common mind. The complete universe as well as the true character of mind is the laboratory. Finding the knowledge and the instrument of knowledge is finding the field of knowing and experiencing that is freedom in this very life. Wisdom is trans-rational and trans-conceptual by character; it also is larger than any synthetic notion, technology, or created thought wave. To completely map the gyred spirals of the holographic universe a human intellect and its five senses are inadequate, but yet Patanjali everywhere authenticates that this Holographic Reality can be closely experienced should we let go of our prejudice and predetermined outlooks and false impressions.

According to Patanjali, insight as well as the intellect (buddhi) comes from a native source-less wisdom of the universal infinite mind and that is the ever available clear light inhabiting behind the awareness also called as the param purusha. It is always available but only if we choose to look for it. Patanjali says that when the common linear thinking ends and disbands, the meditation starts to bear its fruitful results; and conclusion of the meditation might as well be Samadhi (complete incorporation). Yoga practice here should be the verb, the performance and the process. An unconditioned natural true self should be the objectless goal. Therefore an ultimate liberty can be attained through the uncultivated samadhi. Only practice can help you succeed in yoga. Just by reading about it in a book and quoting from it or talking about it isn't going to help. Having said that this book still holds a significant value when it is used in combination with yoga practice.

Thus Patanjali reiterates the warning against the uselessness of advancing meditation via the intellect; instead advises that the fruits of yoga are to be experienced such as attaining trans-conceptual wisdom. Therefore liberation becomes reliant upon throwing away conception structures and belief systems. The initial indications of achievement in the experience of meditation are the releasing of such boundaries and immediately realizing them as obstructions. To understand the sutras in a deeper level one has to practice meditation, this will permit one to look at the sutras from their own perception and meditative experience. So to accumulate the real and permanent advantage one has to reflect on the sutras in a much deeper occurrence and living wisdom of the impartial heart. The aim is not to learn the Yoga Sutras as a conclusion in itself or as an outer entity that can be understood, but to utilize it as a combined effort to the practices, and that merged in an authentically poised manner induces wisdom and liberation which patents in our day by day lives.

Ashtanga Yoga is a Demanding Style of Yoga

By Anne Clarke

If you have performed different types of yoga, you may think that you should make an easy transition to Ashtanga yoga, but this is not necessarily true. The fact is that Ashtanga is a much more difficult and physically demanding type of yoga than you might be used to.

Because this is such a physically demanding type of yoga, it is recommended that you do not try to do this type of yoga on your own. Those who achieve best results usually are able to find a teacher, class or workshop so that they can learn the proper forms and postures that they need to know in order to do this type of yoga properly.

The reason why Ashtanga is designed to be such an intense form of yoga is because its developers felt that if there is intense heat created inside a person's body, then this heat would work to help eliminate toxins and other impure things inside a human body. The desired result from doing this kind of yoga is a clear mind as well as a clear body.

In order to properly learn how to do this kind of yoga, the following steps should be followed:

Learn the poses - This sounds simple enough, but it can be much more difficult than it sounds. Ashtanga yoga is made up of a series of different poses. The poses are designed to promote the body's flexibility and strength. It is also hoped that this type of yoga is able to improve the circulation of blood and the function of some internal organs.

Breathe - Yes, we know this sounds self explanatory, but there are certain ways that you need to breath in order to properly complete this kind of yoga. In yoga, the breathing techniques are referred to as "pranayama." This process is what is said to purify the energy that flows through the body. Each pose that a person makes must be coordinated to go along with a certain kind of breathing in order to do this yoga properly.

Meditate - Meditation is a big part of any kind of yoga. This is true for Ashtanga as well. Meditation is used to help the person doing yoga relax their mind and get in tune with what it is that they are doing. Even when you are not performing yoga, meditation can help change the way you react to different situations. It can result in a more stable self that is calmer and more inspired to make proper choices.

Practice - You probably will not completely grasp hold of Ashtanga yoga the first time you do it. It can be difficult because it is an intense workout that still requires you to be able to control your breathing in a certain way. For some people, it takes a fair amount of practice to get this technique down. There is no reason why you should get discouraged if you at first feel like a fish out of water. Simply practicing this type of yoga and the breathing that accompanies it can help you understand what you need to do in no time.

How To Lose Weight With Yoga - Melt Away The Fat

By Tracy Boseman

Yoga is an extremely healthy form of exercise to practice, but many people wonder if yoga can help them to lose weight. The answer to this, is yes. Weight loss with yoga is possible, and you can use yoga to not only lose pounds, but help maintain your weight as well. There is however, a bit of a catch if you are considering using yoga as a form of weight control.

Yoga itself is a great strength building form of exercise. It is also good for maintaining flexibility to your body. Given the nature of yoga however, it can often be difficult to obtain the raised heart rate that is necessary in order to actually burn calories and melt away fat.

If you want to practice yoga for weight control, it is important to note that you will need to perform a vigorous form of yoga, at least 90-minutes three times a week. Fortunately, there are various forms of yoga that you can try that are vigorous enough, including Ashtanga yoga and power yoga. You can also do your yoga routines in a hot room, such as a sauna, which will induce more of a sweat and raise your heart rate.

Once you decide to give yoga a try, there are different options available to you. You can try to locate a yoga studio in your area that offers yoga classes, or you can find a private instructor that will teach you the yoga style you are interested in. If there are no yoga studios or instructors in your area, or you are uncomfortable trying yoga in front of other people, you can also find yoga videos that you can play right in your very own home, which will teach you all that you need to know in order to successfully lose weight with yoga.

Can Yoga Prevent Middle-Age Sspread? Yes

A study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight.

The study - the first of its kind to measure the effects of yoga on weight - appears in the July/August issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the study involved 15,500 healthy, middle-aged men and women who were asked to complete a written survey recalling their physical activity (including yoga) and weight history between the ages 45 and 55. The study measured the impact of yoga with weight change, independent of other factors such as diet or other types of physical activity.

The researchers found that between the ages of 45 and 55, most people gained about a pound a year, which is a common pattern as people age and do not adjust their caloric intake to their declining energy needs. "However, men and women who were of normal weight at age 45 and regularly practiced yoga gained about 3 fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn't practice yoga," said Alan R. Kristal, Dr.P.H., the study's lead author. For the study, regular yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years.

But the researchers noted the greatest effect of regular yoga practice was among people who were overweight. "Men and women who were overweight and practiced yoga lost about 5 pounds, while those who did not practice yoga gained about 14 pounds in that 10-year period," said Kristal, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

What accounts for yoga's apparent fat-fighting potential? Kristal, himself a longtime yoga student, suspects it has more to do with increased body awareness than the physical activity itself.

"During a very vigorous yoga practice you can burn enough calories to lose weight, but most people don't practice that kind of yoga," he said. "From my experience, I think it has to do with the way that yoga makes you more aware of your body. So when you've eaten enough food, you're sensitive to the feeling of being full, and this makes it much easier to stop eating before you've eaten too much."

Study co-author Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts, agrees. "Most people practice yoga in a way that's not aerobic enough to burn a lot of calories, so it has to be some other reason."

One reason, she speculates, could be that yoga cultivates a form of gentle inner strength. "When we practice yoga, although it may look easy, there is some mild discomfort. You bring your body to a physical edge that's just a little bit challenging. And people who regularly practice yoga develop the inner resources to stay with a little bit of discomfort. They develop a softness inside and an ability to stay mindful. So that when you go home after yoga class and open up the fridge and see a chocolate cake, you have the resources to stay with the discomfort of not eating that chocolate cake."

Whatever the reason behind the apparent impact of yoga on weight maintenance and loss, Kristal stresses that these findings need to be replicated.

"I think it's time now to do a carefully controlled, randomized clinical trial to see if adding yoga to a standard weight-loss program can help people lose more weight or keep it off longer. The other message, particularly to people who might be overweight, is that yoga is a noncompetitive activity. It's something that everybody can do. It brings so many benefits, and if one of the clinical benefits is that it can help you control your weight, then that's a great thing."

The participants in the yoga study were part of a larger ongoing Hutchinson Center study involving more than 75,000 residents of western Washington called the Vitamins and Lifestyle, or VITAL, study. This $4.2 million project, which began in 2000, aims to determine whether vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements reduce the risk of cancer.

YOGA TIPS THAT MAY ENCOURAGE WEIGHT MAINTENANCE OR LOSS

Study co-author and yoga teacher Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts, offers the following suggestions for enhancing one's yoga practice. These tips may be particularly helpful for those who wish to maintain or lose weight:

1. Practice in a room without mirrors, and pay more attention to your internal experience than to your outer performance.

2. Learn to feel sensations more and more subtly, so that you become deeply involved in and curious about small movements, sometimes called micro-movements.

3. In your poses, find an edge for yourself where you are challenged but not overwhelmed. At this edge, practice maintaining a clear, open and accepting mental state.

4. Give yourself permission to rest when you feel overworked.

5. Pay close attention to what you are saying to yourself as you practice, and make an intentional effort to appreciate your own efforts and innate goodness.

6. Go to class faithfully, arrive early, and talk to a few people in your class before class begins.

7. Buy your own yoga mat and bring it to class.

8. Realize that the development of qualities like patience, discipline, wisdom, right effort, kindness, gratitude and many others will arise from your yoga practice. These qualities create a steady and soft mind.

9. Find a teacher who offers a balance of gentleness and firmness and whose teaching inspires you to practice from your highest self.

10. Recognize that simply attending class is a major statement of courage, self-care, and positive momentum. Realize that you are inspiring others as you become more true to your deepest desires.

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit http://www.fhcrc.org.

Kristen Lidke Woodward

What Is Ashtanga Yoga? Understanding the Methods

By Rebecca Prescott

Ashtanga yoga, also known as power yoga, is quickly gaining popularity among practitioners. So what is Ashtanga yoga? It is the form of yoga most used by athletes and those interested in quickly increasing strength and stamina. Because of that, Ashtanga yoga postures have a higher degree of difficulty than those in other styles. Additionally, they are done as part of series.

Usually, students doing Ashtanga yoga postures will move quickly from one to the other to maintain that focus on strength. That is in opposition to many other forms of yoga where the emphasis is on breathing, relaxation, and flexibility.

Who Should Practice Ashtanga Yoga?

Ashtanga yoga poses are for most anyone who is in decent shape. If you are new to exercise, this is probably not the form of yoga with which you should start. Even the very easiest of Ashtanga poses are very demanding on the body, especially since you will even start with a body warming routine that is designed to activate your muscles. Overall, Ashtanga yoga can provide you with a build up of strength, stamina, and even some flexibility which explains its popularity with those involved in athletics.

If you decide to give Ashtanga a try, you should expect things to progress quickly. You will likely start right off with a sequence of yoga poses. Those will be practiced until the teacher feels you have mastered it fairly well and have complete understanding of its fundamentals. Then, you will move on to another series and a higher level of difficulty. Overall, it is a very fast moving form of yoga.

Ashtanga Poses

As for the Ashtanga yoga poses, they range widely in terms of positioning. You will find yourself moving from standing, backbent, inverted, balancing, seated, and even twisting poses. In power yoga, the sun salutation sequence of poses is very popular as well, so you will often use standing forward bend, upward dog, downward dog, and many other poses sprinkled in as well.

Though much of the focus in Ashtanga yoga poses is on the development of stamina and strength, you will also, as with any yoga, be focusing. You will be asked to focus your eyes on a point as you move through the poses given out by your instructor. In order to get the full effect and benefit of Ashtanga, you should make sure that your muscles and perhaps even the rooms are very warm. This ensures maximum flexibility and minimal injury as you work through the demanding postures.

If you are into athletics, exercise, or just want a new physical challenge, perhaps you should consider giving Ashtanga yoga a try. The clear choice of athletes and an increasingly popular form in general, it is perfect for those that are in decent shape and want to increase their strength, stamina, and flexibility. Power yoga is a series of poses taken in a quick and free flowing sequence. Even the classes move quickly with teachers adding more difficult sequences every time one is fairly well mastered. So if you learn fast, like to work hard, and think you are up to the challenge of power yoga, then you may benefit greatly from Ashtanga yoga poses.