Is Yoga best done in the beginning of the day or in the evening?

really, any time of day is best – the important thing is to actually do it – in an ideal world you would do certain positions in the morning and then others in the evening and then suppliment that with 4-6 hour of breathing and other yogic practices – but that is not practical – that is only for hard core yogis of which there are very few in the world

So, my best advice would be to do what you can, when you can. That will produce the desired result over time.

You will see alot of am/pm yoga videos because they sell – alot of people can only do yoga before or after work – so they are poplular -

I am using the Gaiam AM/PM yoga for beginners. I hope to get something that will make me burn more calories. Is there anywhere in Singapore i buy yoga dvds cheap?

hey, why not take yoga classes?well, at least there will be someone to coach u, btw, i’ve been searching for yoga classes too, and found this local site where they have lists of yoga classes…

http://www.88db.com.sg

If you were going to recommend to a yoga BEGINNER just three poses (no more) to do before bedtime as a way to stretch and unwind, what would they be?

I highly recommend the following because these three easy yet effective poses. It will rest the heart, the mind and calm the nerves.

1. Uttanasana / Standing forward bend

Stand with you feet hip witdth apart (about 1 foot). With an inhlataion raise your arms, clasp your elbows and take your body forward and down. Keep your knees straight and engage your thighs. Maintain holding your elbows, relax the head and neck and take 20-30 slow and deep breaths. Afterwards, release the arms and with an inhalation slowly stand up.

2. Paschimottanasana / Seated forward bend

Sit on the floor or mat with your legs stretched out in front of you. Flex your feet by pointing your toes towards the ceiling or towards yourself. With an inhalation, raise your arms up and exhale take your body forward and down, Take hold of the sides of your legs or your feet if you can reach them. Relax your neck and place your head down. You can place a big cushion or pillow to rest your head. Focus your breathing, close your eyes and stay here for 1 minute.

3. Viparita Karani / Legs-up-the-wall pose

Place your mat vertically against the wall. Sit sideways and with an exhalation, swing your legs up onto the wall and lie your back and head on the floor. You may shift your buttocks closer to the wall if you’re more flexible. You may place your hands either resting on your abdomen, or just simply resting on your sides with your palms facing up. Keeping your back flat on the floor, relax your body and legs. Close your eyes. Stay from 5-10 minutes. To come out of the pose, bend your knees and roll to your side.

This will feel incredibly relaxing and you will be ready to hit the hay afterwards

Namaste!

Try Yoga Journal’s yoga for beginners and Yoga for Beginners 2 with Patricia Walden. They both offer clear step-by-step instructions and a booklet explaining each pose. Since Particia Walden is Iyengar-trained, she uses props such as chairs, belts and cushions for inflexible people to come into the pose with more ease. While they are both excellent DVD’s, you might want to try the newer one (Yoga for Beginners 2) since it has a more beautiful production of music and scenic background.

To see more about this DVD please click on these links:

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/91-0184

http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/91-0216

I want to do yoga and pilates as a morning exercise to get my body working. I’ve heard a lot about each practice, but I can’t take a class. I have a book and I am going to start reading it after I learn more about it. What are the benefits and how do I know what moves to do???

Do some research online on both. I’ve limited experience with pilates and although I don’t dislike it, I love (iyengar) yoga so I do that much more often.

You can get videos or DVDs for either (you can get some less expensive ones on eBay or Amazon used), that will teach you the moves and form…that would be much more helpful than a book. You might even be able to find videos online (try youtube).

Yoga tones the muscles and internal organs, improves flexibility and balance, and is a mental exercise as well…pilates is for lengthening/stretching the muscles and strengthening your core primarily…used by a lot of dancers.

Whatever you choose, enjoy!

For those of you that do yoga, do you really see a difference? And what do you notice that has improved physically, mentally, or spiritually?

You definitely receive benefits. Spiritually, mentally… I wasn’t anxious for everything anymore, no stress at all! And i faced the world more positively. These were the most important for me. I dunno how it happened, but it helped me a lot. <3

My aunt is looking for a self-help book on practising yoga at beginner level for middle-aged folks. Book must contain photos and easy to follow step-by-step instructions. Please recommend book by providing full title, author & ISBN for easy search for the correct publication. Thank you.

While Light on Yoga is considered the most authoritative guide to yoga, majority of the poses are for the more advanced practitioner.

I would highly recommend Iyengar yoga for beginners from the same author, B.K.S. Iyengar. It contains multi-angle views of each pose, step-by-step clear instructions, plus it contains the benefits of each pose.

Full title: Iyengar Yoga for Beginners
Author: B.K.S. Iyengar
ISBN: 1405317388
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd (August 3, 2006)

Available online at amazon.com

you do each pose? and how many seconds do you hold each pose?
is there any book or dvd you would recommend for a beginner?

I’m not sure on the posing part I would think you would hold it for 3 seconds then breathe out.

Look at this site it might help you out.

http://www.yogajournal.com/

I understand that others have asked similar questions but I didn’t find an answer to help. My doctor recommended that I start Yoga for some of my health concerns.

I looked into classes and can’t afford any right now. I was looking at trying a combination of a book and a DVD. Are there any specific books and/or DVD’s someone can recommend for beginner Yoga?

I am also looking into Pilates. Are there any specific books and/or DVD’s someone can recommend for beginner Pilates?

I’m going to start with Pilates recommendations, since that discipline isn’t as wide and varying.
For books, Brooke Siler’s The Pilates Body and anything by Alycea Ungaro are excellent.
In terms of videos, you might want to look at Pilates for Dummies; beginning or basics videos by Hilary Burnett, Ana Caban, Moira Stott, and Mari Winsor; and Rael 7 Pilates.
Once you’ve done some working through at least one of these more instructional videos, you might want to look into these slightly more beginner / intermediate videos that still provide good instruction on form, etc.: AM Pilates, the Crunch Pilates videos (like Pick Your Spot Pilates), Quick Fix Pilates (but not Quick Fix Pilates Abs – that one’s more intermediate), You Can Do Pilates, Prevention Flatten Your Belly with Pilates, The Quick and Dirty Guide to Pilates, and videos by Denise Austin and Kathy Smith.
(As much as I enjoy the 10 Minute Solution Pilates videos, they do not provide enough form and breath instruction for a true beginner, nor does the second one, Rapid Results Pilates, in particular offer enough modifications for those without sufficient strength and/or flexibility to perform the exercises fully).

I find yoga more difficult to recommend material for because there are so many different styles, but here are some ideas to get you started.
For books, you might want to browse Yoga Journal’s Yoga Basics, The American Yoga Association Beginner’s Manual, Miriam Austin’s Cool Yoga Tricks, Judith Lasater’s 30 Essential Yoga Poses (or any book by her), Mark Ansari and Liz Lark’s yoga for beginners, even Yoga for Dummies and the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga are all right. If you’re tolerant of discussions of yogic meditation, I love Erich Schiffmann’s The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness.
For videos, you might find this thread from VideoFitness.com’s forum as one place to start: http://forum.videofitness.com/showthread.php?t=12669.

If you’re looking for more information on Pilates and yoga videos and books, I highly recommend CollageVideo.com, where you can see previews of the videos they have in stock and read customer reviews; VideoFitness.com, where you can read consumer reviews of a ton of videos and some books as well as ask questions on their forum; and YourExerciseDVDs.com, where you can read professional reviews of a number of videos.

Good luck as you begin your yoga and Pilates practices! If you possibly can save up for one live class in each discipline early on, I highly recommend that. If you can’t, at least enlist someone to check your form every once in a while, as it can make a huge difference in the safety and enjoyment of both practices.

Most of the time, prospective Yoga teachers have a very strong foundation in Yoga; but sometimes, they originally come from a related-field, such as Martial Arts, Pilates, Dance, Gymnastics, or Fitness. This is fine, but be prepared for a “learning curve” and do not expect to learn all about Yoga in one Yoga teacher training intensive course. Even if you “lock yourself up” in an ashram for months, you should realize that learning Yoga is a life-long journey and not a race.

Now, if you come from a related field – you have a lot more mental work to do than a long-time student of Yoga. Hatha Yoga is a physical form of Yoga, but being athletic is not as important as the knowledge a Yoga teacher should possess. So, what should you know in order to become a Yoga teacher? Below is a list of what a Hatha Yoga teacher should know in order to successfully teach Yoga classes.

Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology should always be covered during a Yoga teacher training session. Yoga student safety is especially an important issue for those who will be teaching Yoga. Students are always physically different, and Hatha Yoga practice can be made to adapt to anyone – regardless of age or physical ability. Anyone who desires to teach Yoga should have a complete understanding of how the physical body works.

Asanas are the postures held during Yoga practice. Hatha Yoga teachers do not have to know hundreds of Asanas to teach a Yoga class, but they should be very familiar with 26 to 100 different Yoga postures – depending upon the style of Yoga. Yoga teachers should be able to design a lesson plan using these postures, their variations, and the many other aspects of Hatha Yoga teaching.

Yoga teachers should know how to give Asana modifications to their students. Sometimes, this could be advising a Yoga student to use a block, strap, bolster, chair, ball, blanket, or any other prop for proper alignment and safety. Other times, this might be giving a Yoga student an alternative variation of an Asana.

Yoga teachers should be familiar with contraindications for Asanas; which are cautions that can be related to a specific Yoga posture. This is very important when working with Yoga students who are pregnant, have high blood pressure, or have a specific ailment.

Yoga teachers should take the time to be familiar with each student and his or her particular health condition. This means researching health conditions that Yoga students have and staying on top of your own continuing education. After becoming familiar with an ailment; learn how you can help, but never give medical advice.

No Yoga teacher should ever put a student at risk. The body of a Yoga student cannot be forced into a position that a Yoga teacher feels is correct. Instead, the body is gently guided to its natural limits, without pain and little discomfort.

Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

anonymous
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