If you’ve been putting off developing a home yoga practice, you’re missing out on lots of benefits.

Practicing your yoga at home will help you to fight stress, lose weight, and stay limber. If you’re using your yoga practice to manage a condition like RSI, a home practice is essential.

Creating your own home yoga practice

How much time do you have? Few people have an hour a day they can spend on yoga, but everyone has five to ten minutes, and yes, even five minutes a day is a fine practice that has mental and physical benefits.

If you have half an hour or more to practice, you can ask your yoga teacher to recommend a list of poses, or you can create a routine yourself.

For a short, daily practice that will take no longer than five minutes, consider doing Sun Salutations. Depending on how quickly you move through the poses, Sun Salutations can take from 30 seconds to five minutes. Or, just choose a couple of poses that you want to practice, and after a brief warmup stretch, focus on those poses.

[tags]yoga, asanas, yoga poses, home[/tags]

Yoga @ Your Desk

If you don’t have much time to do your yoga, desktop yoga can be the answer for you.

Desktop yoga is great if you have Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) from too much computer work, or arm/ hand tendonitis.

These free yoga movies from Marcia Langenberg are wonderful. Download them, and experience the relaxation of yoga today. These ten-minute sessions will make your coffee breaks re-energizing, as well as relaxing, and they’ll keep stress at bay.

From the site:

People who work at their desks all day tend to stay in one position for a long time. The exercises in these videos are designed to counter the effects of sitting at your desk.

We suggest that you start with Part 1 below and then move on to Parts 2 and 3. Each video is about the length of your coffee break.

[tags]yoga, desktop yoga, yoga exercises, movies, RSI, tendonitis[/tags]

The ancient practices of yoga are now enjoyed by many different people who have little or no understanding of the ancient culture in which its based.

People practice yoga positions (known as asanas) that were a part of the philosophy of the Hindu religion. This ancient set of rituals can help people become more flexible and more mentally calm. The yoga positions help people feel a great sense of serenity. There are many different positions in yoga, and most beginners will start by performing a limited number of these yoga positions.

Yoga positions are dedicated to helping people stretch their spine for better balance, posture and fitness. The positions in yoga often have strange names including dog and cobra. The yoga positions can be first demonstrated by an instructor in a studio or on a videotape. The people who practice yoga positions under the guidance of an instructor in person have the advantage of guidance from the instruction throughout the session. The yoga positions have a large range of complexity. One position calls for a headstand which is best left until the student has made significant progress.

Tip: never force yourself. Yoga aims to bring your body and mind into balance. As you perform the asanas, you’ll gradually become more limber. Take it slowly.

Yoga Positions Provide For Gradual Success

None of the yoga positions should be forced. Students do not want injuries so slow and steady progress is important. Each student should never do a yoga position that causes pain. Many instructors will encourage the students to work slowly and carefully. The beneficial effects of yoga are not noticed over night. The positions often get better constantly, but there is always more progress to be made in yoga. Most people who practice the positions required in a yoga session are very enthusiastic about the results. Yoga students are usually stronger, more flexible and content after a number of yoga sessions.

Each and every position in yoga is done for specific benefits. There are positions that are specifically for the spine. The yoga exercises work to strengthen the spine for better overall health. Other positions are used to improve balance and stability for each person. There are positions that increase the strength of those in each session. Yoga provides exercises for physical fitness, but there are also yoga practices to improve the state of the mind. Fortunately, the yoga exercises often help people feel more self-confident because the yoga has helped them.

[tags]yoga positions, asanas, stretches, poses[/tags]