Yoga Insight

Boosting Metabolism with Muscle

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:23:00 +0000

Gaining muscle (fat free mass) is a highly promoted concept for improving your metabolism and efficiency for losing body fat. Understanding this concept and some of the myths are important when working towards adding an exercise routine that builds fat free mass. First off, all tissues in the body require a constant flow of energy contributing to resting metabolic rate. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the energy that body consumes when the body is physically inactive - all basic processes used to maintain bodily functions (not including digestion). The higher our daily RMR is, the more overall calories we more effectively consume without the aid of exercise - basically, when we increase RMR, this is a bonus consumption of calories when we are trying to manage body composition.

Muscle consumes approximately 6-10 calories a day per pound with daily RMR. In comparison, the brain consumes 109 calories pound, the heart and kidneys each consume 200 calories per pound. Since organs can not be increased in size, our best option for increasing caloric consumption with RMR is by increasing muscle mass.

One popular myth is that muscle burns 50-100 calories a day per pound. Studies have indicated that increases in muscle mass add increased calorie burning with numbers ranging from 20-90 calories per pound per day. But questions have risen asking if the increase in calorie expenditure was because of the extra muscle alone or if other factors were involved. Experts then concluded that 10 calories per pound per day is a more reasonable estimate versus the 50-100 calories per pound.

By gaining even a small amount of extra muscle mass like 5 pounds can increase your daily calorie consumption automatically by about 50 calories. By the experts figures, this works out to 1500 calories extra a month. To lose a pound of fat requires a net loss of 3500 calories, therefore, this extra 1500 calories via muscle gain can be a very helpful method to reaching the 3500 calorie goal for fat loss.

Morale of the story: if you are working to improve your ability to manage your body composition or to loss weight, it is important to add some exercise activities that will increase your muscle mass. Dieting alone often results in an undesirable decrease in muscle mass and with little fat mass loss - when you exit a diet, your caloric burning capacity is diminished and you will likely gain even more body fat.

Will Yoga add muscle? Yoga can add muscle for those who have been sedentary and beginning a fitness program. Yoga will help maintain fat-free mass for those who are already well conditioned with fitness. Progressive and muscle loading postures will engage large muscle groups and contribute to improving muscular strength, endurance and toning. Here are some ideal Yoga poses that work large muscle groups:
*Warrior Poses (Virabhadrasana)
*Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
*Plank Pose / Push up transitions (Chaturanga Dandasana)
*Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
*Bridge Pose and Spinal Lift Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Another key myth especially for women is the fear of looking bulky and masculine with increased muscle mass. An addition of 5-10 pounds of lean muscle mass distributed over the entire body would be quite insignificant in terms of showing as bulk and for woman, this would be more represented as a more ‘toned’ image. Consider that 5 pounds of fat has a much greater volume than 5 pounds of muscle. By replacing 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle, you would effectively decrease your body size and enjoy a more toned physique.

Putting physical attributes aside, the gain in muscle mass will also be beneficial in generating more supportive tissue around joints thus balancing the increase in flexibility you gain from Yoga. Again, challenging another myth, increasing muscle will NOT decrease your range of motion and flexibility as long as you remain consistent in your Yoga practices and train without producing injuries or deep muscle soreness. Finally, increasing muscle mass likely involves generating weight bearing stress on the bones. This loading effect on the bones contributes to improved bone health and reduced development of osteoporosis.

Power of Positive Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:44:00 +0000

My Yoga Online has posted a new yoga article by Kreg Weiss titled, Energy of Positive Thinking: Empower Your Mental Wellness.

The concept of positive thinking and affirmations is a popular topic throughout the media and mainstream self-improvement channels. We will discuss how intentional modifications of thought processes actually help us to improve quality of living.

Thoughts can be viewed as a system of processing information and extracting neural data from our memory stores. For most people, very few thoughts actually coincide with the action that is occurring in the present. The mind is wandering and distracted by thoughts of the past or the future. These waves of irrelevant thoughts can be easily tainted with negative attributes fueled by the Ego: anger or resentment from past interactions, jealousy or envy from unfulfilled desires, worry or anxiety from future events.

By addressing these negative thought patterns and modifying the resulting manifestations, we can avert a cascade of negative energy on the body and mind.

Click Here to Read More

Preventive Yoga Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Health

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:34:00 +0000

My Yoga Online offers a new free Yoga video with Dr. Carla Cupido who demonstrates simple Yoga exercises that prevent the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. These Yoga exercises can quickly be performed at work, at home, or as part of your Yoga practice.

Asana Anatomy-Understanding the Sacroiliac Joint

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:02:00 +0000

The sacro-iliac joint can produce chronic issues for yoga practitioners. Through awareness and mindfulness, we can practice into this joint retaining its' health and function. Dr Robin Armstrong provides insight into the structure of the sacro-iliac joint and applications in our yoga practice.

"Controversy does not often strike the yoga community. Non-harming, truthfulness, and loving kindness are not very controversial concepts. Yet the poor, barely mobile, sacroiliac joint has become the center of a yoga debate – to square or not to square the hips. Ok, so it is not as racy as a celebrity feud, but it may affect your personal yoga practice.

Let’s dissect this joint.

The two sacroiliac joints (SI joint) are formed by three bones: the triangular sacrum bone, and the two wing like bones of the pelvis known as the ilium. Each iliac bone (one half of the ilium) comes in contact with one side of the sacrum, forming two SI joints. This connection is like three puzzle pieces fitting together known as form closure. Form closure creates stability, keeping the pelvis together in one unit. The SI joint itself is shaped like a boomerang with two arms at 90 degrees to each other. The upper portion lies in an up-and-down orientation and the lower portion lies in a front-to-back orientation. The surface of the joint is covered in coarse cartilage, adding friction and contributing to the force closure. Continue to READ MORE

Your Wrists Don't Need Pain in Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Even with proper technique and holistic intentions, many yoga participants endure discomfort with wrist-loading yoga postures, especially when these yoga poses are repetitive and lack rest periods. When one’s wrists chronically experience pain during and/ or after a yoga class, one should consider a new approach to what yoga poses should be performed along with the type of overall yoga practice. Learn More on how to modify and protect the wrists in yoga postures.

Tips for Modifying Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior1)

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:42:00 +0000

MyYogaOnline has a new article discussing tips and modifications for performing Virabhadrasana 1 or Warrior 1. Virabhadrasana 1 is a wonderful strengthening yoga pose that can be enjoyed in most hatha yoga practices when aligned mindfully. Yielding numerous benefits Warrior 1 pose strengthens the shoulders, arms, thighs, ankles and the muscles of the back; expands the chest, lungs and shoulders; stretches the hip flexors, abdomen, and ankles; develops stamina and endurance in thighs and core muscles; stimulates abdominal organs and digestion; improves balance, concentration, and core awareness. Click here to read more.

http://www.couponworm.com

Yoga Nutrition – Health Benefits of Nuts

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:03:00 +0000

MyYogaOnline offers a new article on the health benefits of nuts. This article "Health Benefits of Nuts" lists the top 4 nuts to consume.

Nuts are excellent sources of protein, minerals, healthy mono-unsaturated fats and other nutrients as well they’re good for promoting a healthy cardiovascular system. Consuming nuts has shown to lower the risk of heart disease, lower “LDL” (bad) cholesterol, and aids in reducing body fat and managing body composition. Consuming a small quantity of nuts between or prior to meals helps reduce hunger and increases the feeling of satiety, thus reducing the incidence of over eating.

Wrist Protection in Yoga Poses

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:54:00 +0000

Having the proper placement and understanding of how to manipulate the surface area of the hands can significantly reduce the incidence of wrist injuries in your Yoga practice. There are various Yoga equipment products that can aid in reducing wrist compression as well. But explore how you can change hand placement and energy applications. If possible, practice with only one mat and thinner cushioning under the hands. Be more aware of the surfaces you practice on and add additional care to protecting the wrists in loading Yoga poses. As our practice is life-long, we need to perform Yoga poses mindfully to sustain the vitality of joints.

MyYogaOnline offers a full article of alignment tips for the hands to protect against compression and injury. Read more...

Healing Chronic Neck and Shoulder Pain with Hatha Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:11:00 +0000

MyYogaOnline offers a new article “Hatha Yoga as Physical Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain” that offers great insight into the likely cause of chronic neck and shoulder pain in most people. This Yoga anatomy article explores alignment cues for your Yoga exercises and aids in bringing awareness to your overall posture in helping alleviate these chronic conditions.

Of particular importance, and well explained in this article, is the poor positioning of the head in relation to the cervical (neck) vertebrae, and how this poor positioning results in a cascade of negative effects on muscles and bone structures.

Twisting Yoga Poses

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:37:00 +0000

Learn some simple tips on how to create Twisting Yoga poses with space and vitality. Without awareness to spinal alignment, Yoga twists can do more harm than good. Learn more from My Yoga Online.

Stretching the Hamstrings with Correct Yoga Alignment

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:11:00 +0000

Moving into the hamstrings in Yoga poses requires attention to form and detail to properly target the muscles and attachment points. MyYogaOnline provides a new article with posture tips on preparing and aligning the body for forward bends that reach into the hamstrings. You can learn about other forward bending yoga poses in My Yoga Online's pose library.

Yoga Nidra - Exploring Yogic Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 18:39:00 +0000

Yoga Nidra is a powerful compliment to one's Yoga practice adding the ability to relax the body and nervous system while implanting healing affirmations into the subconscious.

A powerful technique from the Tantric Yoga tradition, Yoga Nidra creates an altered state of consciousness allowing the practitioner to enter the realm of subconscious and create effective and seemingly magical changes in their life. Yoga Nidra is a part of the Pratyahara limb of Raja Yoga, one of the eight limbs of yoga; the well known codification system of the Yogic practices by Patanjali. Pratyahara deals with the withdrawal of the senses and the influences of the mind which do not serve us on the path of enlightenment.

The yoga Nidra method is so inherently powerful that it has been kept secret for nearly 4000 years until the 1960’s when it reintroduced to western students by Parmahansa Stayananda Saraswati.

MyYogaOnline offers downloads and articles on practicing Yoga Nidra with guidance and effectiveness.

Yoga Back Bends - Creating Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 07:13:00 +0000

Read this new blog article on how to target the hip flexors while doing Yoga Back Bends. Create balance and vitality in the spine through safe and effective Yoga Back Bends. This article includes tips for protecting the lower back and reducing low back pain due to imbalanced muscle groups acting on the spine:My Yoga Online - Low Back Safety in Setu Bandhasana and Back Bending Yoga Exercises

Yoga on the Beach Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 18:38:00 +0000

Yoga on the Beach has become another success this year with Yoga classes running until September. Take advantage of the last few days of summer and enjoying the outdoors. Yoga classes are free, but donations graciously accepted for Doctors Without Borders.

For an updated Yoga class schedule and information on time, location, and how to prepare for the Yoga class, go to the Yoga on the Beach main page.

Power Yoga - Purposeful Quality and Integrity Away from Ego

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:52:00 +0000

Power Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga classes are beautiful explorations of more physically challenging Yoga flows. Within these more vigorous Yoga practices, we should continually guide ourselves back to the intention, grace, and definition of the asana (Yoga pose).

Power Yoga classes require us to send a great amount of attention and awareness into the physical in order to create and sustain integrity. Vigorous Yoga Postures like Virabhadrasana 1, Chaturanga, and Upward Facing Dog require substantial mental and physical energy to insure alignment and control are being applied. But we need to be careful that this shift to the physical does not take us into an attitude of “working out” and pull us away from the initial purpose of practicing asanas.

Asanas are often defined as a state of steadiness allowing for reflection, connection, and meditation. Asanas, in any type of Yoga class, are designed to break down blockages in tissues and energy channels, to cleanse organs and vital systems, to strengthen and to develop endurance, and to create a greater state of being grounded - all with the intention to open the mind to new levels of peaceful observance.

Learn more about keeping integrity and quality in Power Yoga practices.

Yoga Practice for Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:04:00 +0000

An important part of a balanced health and wellness program is managing your body composition and understanding what is a healthy body weight for your body type. A consistent Yoga practice, Yoga diet, and observance of Yoga principles and lifestyle habits can help you find this balance in managing your body weight.

Obesity is correlated to numerous health problems and diseases like heart disease, diabetes, musculo-skeletal disorders, digestive disorders, and high blood pressure. Obesity often shortens one’s life span. Excess body weight physical drains the body of vitality and energy.

This article from MyYogaOnline describes How Yoga Can Decrease Body Fat and Manage Body Weight?

What is Meditation?

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 15:10:00 +0000

Meditation is one of the 5 Principles of Yoga. Meditation is a practice that facilitates the ability to be more aware and observant of the present. The diverse meditation techniques and methods have a common theme- controlling the mind, relaxing the body, and bringing a state of calmness and mental clarity.

Meditation follows three basic concepts:

1. Withdrawing from the distractions of the senses and bringing the mind to a place of concentration. Focus is directed onto one element like the repetition of breathing, the repetition of a word, the connection with a bodily sensation, or an image or single thought.
2. Meditation is done without judgment and conclusions are not drawn from irrelevant thoughts. Wandering thoughts are placed in the background without struggle. Meditation does not mean to suppress outside thoughts, but rather to keep these thoughts from taking you away from the present.
3. During meditation, you remain aware of sensations, distractions, surroundings, and irrelevant thoughts, but discovering that they do not agitate or bring on stress. You meditate to develop the ability to exist in the moment with contentment and acceptance.

Meditation is applied in the yoga practice to allow observation of the mind and bring heightened awareness to the Self. The discovery of the Self and revelation your oneness with the universe is through stilling the mind with an uninterrupted flow of concentration. With a dedicated, regular practice, the deep connection with the Self and universe leads to Samadhi, the ultimate goal of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Raja Yoga). Samadhi is the state of enlightenment where complete peace and contentment are achieved, awareness to pure truth and knowledge are attained.

Health Benefits of Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 22:50:00 +0000

The yoga practice acts as a therapeutic tool to heal the body and the mind. When you practice regularly, the health benefits become apparent. The yoga poses (asanas), breathing (pranayama), and meditation come together to provide a large number of physiological and psychological changes:

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

* increases muscle flexibility and joint range of motion
* increases muscular strength, endurance, and joint stability
* improves posture, steadiness, coordination, and balance
* decreases joint and back pain
* increases immunity
* improves sleep and increases energy levels
* decreases heart rate and increase cardiovascular efficiency
* decreases respiratory rate and improves respiratory efficiency
* reduces high blood pressure
* improves digestion and normalizes gastrointestinal function
* improves excretory functions and reduces constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
* improves flow of lymphatic system, thus helps in removal of toxins
* normalizes endocrine (hormone) function
* normalizes weight and body composition
* increases bone density and decreases onset of osteoporosis
* decreases blood sugar levels
* decreases sodium
* decreases total cholesterol
* increases HDL (good) cholesterol /decreases LDL and VLDL (bad) cholesterol
* decreases triglycerides
* increases grip strength
* EEG - alpha brain waves increase leading to a restful mental state
* brings autonomic nervous system to stable equilibrium
* improves dexterity, reaction time, and depth perception
* increases Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

* improves concentration and attention
* decreases anxiety, internal stress and depression
* improves mood and sense of well-being
* increases self-acceptance and self-actualization
* improves learning efficiency and memory
* increases somatic and kinesthetic awareness (body/mind connection)
* decreases aggression and hostility
* increases social skills
* improves depth perception

Enjoy a Free Yoga Video

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Tue, 30 May 2006 03:09:00 +0000

Experience the beautiful practice of Yoga with MyYogaOnline.com.

CLICK HERE to start your FREE Yoga Video and your journey to wellness. Perfect way to revitalize the mind and body. Bring connection to your spirit and inspire your life with real, positive health and change.

What is Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Mon, 29 May 2006 23:44:00 +0000

Excerpt from My Yoga Online

Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago with classical techniques dating back more than 5,000 years. It is a science that systematically creates harmony of the entire body, mind and spirit. "Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit verb yuj, thus meaning to yoke or to unite. The practice of yoga brings union between one's consciousness and the universal consciousness. Yoga combines physical movements with breathing and meditation techniques to bring forward physiological and psychological Health Benefits. Yoga provides improved health and longevity, as well as creates a heightened level of self-understanding and awareness.

The yoga poses were designed to revitalize and bring balance to the musculoskeletal and glandular systems. The breathing techniques (pranayama) are based on the concept that breath is the source of life and energy (prana) in the body. The integration of yoga poses and breathing techniques helps one attain a steady, quiet mind and a strong, open body. The yoga poses and breathing techniques are also vital for preparing the body and mind for periods of meditation. The combination of yoga poses, breathing, and meditation makes one more readily able to free oneself from daily pressures and stresses. Yoga is a life-long practice that focuses not on goals and achievements, but rather on experiencing a journey towards inner peace and freedom.

Welcome to Yoga Insight

noreply@blogger.com (Kreg Weiss) — Sat, 27 May 2006 20:14:00 +0000

In a world focussed on material existence and acquisitions, one easily looses sense of what is real. What is real happiness? What are real relationships? What are real emotions? What is one's real purpose to existence?

Seeing the real truth within ourselves starts by simply sitting still and gazing inward. Observing without judgment. Seeing what is real in that moment and peeling away the complexities of desires, envy, and other weighting characteristics festering from ego.

Meditation and yoga are powerful tools to this inner gaze. Yoga opens and strengthens the body creating a healthy vehicle for energy and consciousness to reside. Meditation creates a clarity that no other practice can provide. All too often one lives with disconnection. Mind and body existing in separate realities. This disconnection often blocks one's inner gaze and the real truths become clouded and distorted.

Yoga and meditation re-establish connection of mind and body. They establish a renewed rhythm of breath along with healing energy and mental focus. As the body grows strong with yoga, the mind and soul grow steady with vitality seeing where one's life can be taken with joyfulness, contentment, and real truth.