Year 2006 is 5,055th year of Kaliyuga. As per Hindu mythology the present era is Kaliyuga and it is considered as a dark age for mankind.

According to this belief every face is wearing a mask- mask of artificiality. Shirking responsibilities and buttering people have become the way of life, the way to get some quick gains!

Job satisfaction is linked to the bulge of the pay packet. Who talks about that real man-making education now?

You may wonder what Ashtanga Yoga has to do with the above observations. Well, it has got everything to do!

Astanga Yoga is concerned with humanity and divinity of the individual.

Humanity has gone astray. Can he be called a human being, living in a brutal, materialistic culture, dehumanizing and deprived of deep inner divinity? Who, now thinks about individual sense of awareness and cosmic sense of awareness? To talk about permanent happiness and permanent satisfaction is considered tomfoolery!

About 2100 years ago, matters were so confused in the human society, that even the system of yoga became distorted in many aspects. Therefore, an effort was made by Sage Patanjali then. He worked to reclassify and codify the human techniques which he termed as Ashtanga Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga means eight limbs. Later, Swami Vivekananda called it Raja Yoga.

To attain equanimity of the mind is no ordinary achievement. To think appropriate to the occasion and act according to the requirements of the occasion requires a high degree of mental discipline. That can be achieved according to Ashtanga Yoga, by Yama-controlled conduct with others and Niyama- regulation of one’s personal habits.

Yama has 5 parts: Ahimsa-non harm in thought, deed and activity; Satya-benovelent truthfulness; Asteya-non-stealing; Brahmacharya-universal thinking; and Aparigraha- simple living. Niyama has 5m parts: Shaoca- purity of mind and cleanliness of body; Santosa-mental ease and contentment; Tapah-social service; Svadhyaya-inspirational thinking; and Ishvara pranidhana- to meditate on the cosmic consciousness.

Ashtavakra, a great saint named “Ashtanga Yoga” as “Rajadhiraja Yoga”- the yoga of kings of kings. Saga Patanjali used this text of Ashtavakra as the base for his subsequent classification of the yoga techniques. He made it more relevant to the modern day requirements and changed human psychology.

So practice and follow the principles enunciated in the Ashtanga Yoga for a total life. It is required to live in harmony and attain spiritual bliss which is the ultimate goal of human life. Only such perfect individuals can hope to attain the much cherished concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family).

They also say that we must strive to make the concept of global village into a reality! Ashtanga Yoga has given you the ways and means to achieve it, 2000 years ago!

Many Yoga articles are available at Ashtanga Yoga & http://www.therealyoga.com/

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Many Ashtanga Yoga articles are available at http://www.therealyoga.com/ for Yoga.

Depression is a mental ailment affecting several people in spite of the side effects of most depression medications. Consequently, it may be best to seek alternative methods of depression treatment. One stand-out is Yoga and it has gotten my vote.

Friends, research has shown that some form of depression treatment medication is offered to over 20 million Americans annually.

Nonetheless, effective as they may be for a while, it’s been noted that these depression drugs have several side effects which may include nausea, fatigue, insomnia and some sexual dysfunctions.

That stated, it is no wonder that several drug-free fraternities seek out alternate methods of healing for the plethora of human ailment and for depression specifically, Yoga is often recommended.

Why is this so? Well, first of all, with Yoga and its gentle movements and poses, Alpha waves (relaxation) and Theta waves (unconscious memory, dreams and emotions) tend to increase significantly after its execution.

Moreover, after its use, alpha waves increases in the right temporal region of the brain as other studies have shown that people with depression tend to have more alpha activity in the left frontal-temporal region, while optimistic, extroverted people have more alpha activity on the right.

Perhaps a simpler illustration of how Yoga works effectively for depression treatment may be that it exercises the motor centers of the brain, making the blood flow away from the emotional activity center; consequently one becomes more receptive to positive thoughts.

Although this can be accomplished by the use of several Yoga poses, there are some specific standouts.

1. The Sun Salutations: The sun exercises stimulates and balances all systems of the body including the endocrine and nervous systems that have marked effects on our emotions, furthermore they induce deep breathing, which has been known over the ages to help alleviate many a stressful situation. Although they are usually a warm up to other Yoga poses, they can stand on their own as a Yoga session so you may not have to spend too much time to reap Yoga’s benefits as an alternative treatment for depression.

2. The Shoulder- Stand: In spite of what its name may suggest, this pose is indeed very easy to execute and is the one pose that both old and new Yoga Instructors and writers view as near panacea for most human ailments including depression.

3. The Relaxation Pose: As the name suggests; it involves lying motionless on one’s back with emphasis on deep, even breathing and meditation. It is usually performed for several minutes to alleviate stress and mental tension and positive affirmations such as helpful verses from religious books could be mentally repeated during its execution.

It must be noted that poses alone DO NOT constitute Yoga. Breathing exercises (known as pranayama), Meditation, (which could be rooted in your religious or spiritual beliefs) and a proper diet-all being important limbs of Yoga, should be used in your use of Yoga for depression treatment.

So remember dear friend for Depression Treatment, there is a Helping Hand in Yoga and You Are Not Alone.

In Friendship,

Foras Aje,

About the Author

Foras Aje is an independent researcher and co-founder of BodyHealthSoul LLC. He invites you to visit his blog for more tips on Depression Treatment and Self-Help Today.

In the modern age, yoga has come to mean basically ?Hatha Yoga,? ?Ha? meaning sun and ?Tha? meaning moon unites in Hatha Yoga. It is the symbolic union of active and passive energies, the opposites. The Hatha Yoga aims to unite harmoniously the body, mind and spirit, and create a healthy, supple and strong body and a relaxed, stress free mind.

In the late 19th century, T. Krishnamacharya, a yoga teacher in Mysore Palace in south India, was the source of most modern Hatha Yoga. His disciples B.K.S. Iyengar, K.Pattabhi Jois and Indira Devi, and his son T.K.V. Desikachar, were instrumental in setting up their schools and spreading Yoga throughout the world, particularly in America.

Each one has its own name, but it is only a matter of stress rather than substance. They are Ashtanga Yoga of Pattabhi Jois, Iyengar Yoga of B.K.S. Iyengar, Vishnu Yoga of T.K.V. Desikachar, Bikram Yoga of Bikram Choudhry, Sivananda Yoga of Vishnu Sivandandam, Integral Yoga of Swami Sachidananda and Ananda Yoga of Swami Kiriananda.

Yoga as an exercise is vastly different from calisthenics or aerobics. In yoga the body does not do any movement, but holds different postures that are designed to direct the life energy to all parts of the body. The respiratory and pulse rate drops. The endocrine system increases activity.

The benefits of yoga are many. It helps in managing many illnesses for which there are no cures. It helps in building a supple and strong body. But its major contribution is in relaxing the body and mind, relieving stress and rejuvenating the energy level. Positive thinking and feel-good factors increase amongst practitioners of yoga. The degree of concentration in yoga students is very high.

With some amount of commitment and regular practice of Hatha Yoga, there will be a substantial difference to the quality of life in the modern age.

Bikram Yoga provides detailed information on Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Pilates Yoga and more. Bikram Yoga is affiliated with Cheap Yoga Mats.

The main features of a good yoga mat are: durability, strength, softness, and ability to stay firm without crumpling. It should also grip the floor effectively and not allow the user to slide across the floor on the mat. Yoga mats are very easy to maintain. They just need once-in-a-while washing with a mild detergent, either in a machine or by hand.

A yoga mat is the only investment required for yoga. A good-quality mat can range from $20 to $45 or $50. However, there are cheaper mats available for as low as $10. These are made of regular cotton, without too many frills.

Cheap yoga mats are available in various styles, patterns and colors. Traditional mats were made of cotton or jute, but these days, many other materials are being used for yoga mats. Yoga mats are generally 4-5mm thick, since these mats can be stiff enough not to crease on the floor while being flexible enough to be rolled up, carried and washed. Cheap yoga mats should also handle repeated washing. Some yoga mats these days are also non-toxic and eco-friendly. Other different kinds of cheap yoga mats are: sticky mats, travel mats, foldable mats, lightweight mats and others. These mats are available in plain colors as well as interesting colors and patterns.

Cheap yoga mats can be found at exclusive yoga stores. The best source for finding a good, cheap yoga mat is the internet. There are websites that host the best deals on Yoga Mats, which can be compared as well as ordered online. Some suppliers also give discounts on yoga mats, like 50% off or 30% off. Such deals can be seen on the internet.

Yoga Mats provides detailed information on Yoga Mats, Yoga Mat Bags, Cheap Yoga Mats, Patterned Yoga Mats and more. Yoga Mats is affliated with Hatha Yoga.

When performing yoga it is important to keep up a good yoga posture and this is all that it will take for you keep up with good yoga practice.

Yoga can help a person in many different ways, a few of the benefits of yoga are that it will help you to achieve find balance, teach you a way of developing how to be calm and will also make your body elastic enough to be able to move to its maximum ability. A good yoga posture can also help you to build inner strength.

Fighting the cobra yoga posture

This posture will help to relieve slight pain in your back and will also tone your abs.

Step one: You will need to stretch out on your stomach with your legs and feet joined in together. Plant your palms on the floor below your shoulders with the fingers facing onwards.

Step two: Next you will then need to lift the upper body by gradually lifting the head and chest, just remember to make sure that you keep your shoulders down. Your pelvis and thighs should never leave the yoga mat.

Final Step: Hold your pose for about twenty five seconds then as you breathe make sure that it is in even breaths all the way through your nose. Then go back to your starting location and do it all over again.

The yoga posture to strengthens your abs

First step: In this first yoga posture, you should place yourself in a standing position with your legs and hip width separately, holding your arms directly ahead with the palms facing down.

Second step: Twist your knees and squat it will be as if you’re about to sit in a chair. Make sure that your center weight is in your heels, then lock it and don’t bring the hips lower than the level that your knees are at.

Third step: Then you should reach forward, center your eyes in a straight line ahead while breathing in and breathing through the nose. Hold this yoga posture for about twenty seconds. Then you should slowly go back to standing position. Once you are at the starting position you can release your arms.

The wind relieving yoga posture

The following yoga posture will stretch your spine and will help the digestion of the stomach. It is always a positive aspect to have a good stomach so that you’ll always feel lively.

First step: Recline on your back, Then as you breathe in you should drag the right knee near to your chest. Your left leg should be in a straight line on the ground.

Second step: Push your shoulders and the rear side of your neck into the ground while at the same time holding your knee. Then breath for ten seconds only. This may appear to be to quick but when performing this yoga posture it will seem a lot longer.

Third step: Repeat the first two step except change the sides You will then finish the set by hugging both of your knees to your chest and holding it for another ten seconds. Keeping repeating the set.

The upward boat yoga posture

This will help to strengthen your abs, help your digestion and improve your balancing ability.

First step: Sit on the floor. Bend your knees and place feet flat on the floor.

Second step: Breathe in, bend back and raise heels off the ground, straightening your legs as possible as you can.

Expand your arms with palms facing downward. If you find this difficult to perform, you can also rest your hands beneath your knees for support. This is difficult yoga posture to perform but after practising it a few times you will have less difficulty in carrying it out.

Third step: while you hold the pose for thirty seconds, you should also keep your back in a straight line as possible, and make sure your abs are doing all the work.

Make sure that you practice a yoga posture on a regular basis. Any time you have spare time you should practice these yoga postures as not only can they improve your health but will also help your backbone and improve your digestive system.

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Get your hands on five free yoga lessons that will to teach you new yoga postures, to get these five free yoga lessons visit best free yoga positions

Shavasana is more about being than doing, and as such it touches on the fundamentals of what yoga is trying to achieve. The sequence of asanas beforehand has helped train the body and mind for this period of relaxation, and in the corpse pose we integrate the experience we have just had with yoga into our conscious and subconscious mind.

There are many restorative postures, or variations in yoga, but shavasana allows the most relaxation. Its benefits include:

* increase our energy levels
* great for stress
* good for normalizing blood pressure after exercise
* good for stress symptoms in breast cancer and prostate cancer sufferers
* good for people who don’t get enough sleep, or who suffer insomnia

Corpse pose should be done lying flat, but still providing some support to the lumbar and cervical areas of the spine. Some people use a narrow, flat pillow for their head, whereas others just lie on the yoga mat without any props - do what feels most comfortable for you.

If the floor slopes, you should lie with your head in the downward sloping area, to facilitate blood supply to the brain. Your feet should be spread a little apart, with the arms and thighs slightly spread out, in an open and relaxed manner. Your palms and forearms should face up.

Try and start shavasana with your body mildly stretched out, so you feel elongated. This is recommended because the muscles of the torso, arms, and legs lengthen when they relax. The aim of shavasana is not to move until you are ready to get up. This helps quieten the motor neurons of the brain, and induces a feeling of greater relaxation, or ‘letting go’. If you are positioned well, with enough space to allow your torso to relax and lengthen, you won’t need to move until you finish.

You can either breathe through the abdomen or through the diaphragm. It is recommended that you practice abdominal breathing unless you are either an intermediate or advanced student of yoga. Breathing through the abdomen is the most relaxing, and diaphragmatic breathing is more of an energizing technique. It uses the chest and abdomen without interrupting the relaxation of the rest of the body. If you tend to breathe through your chest habitually, you should avoid this type of breathing, as you will tend to have a restricted type of thoracic breathing that is counterproductive to the aims of yoga generally, and corpse pose particularly.

Breathing through the abdomen during shavasana should not be forced. It should be relaxed and natural. But start ‘where you are’, and let your breathing settle as the experience of the posture deepens. The rate of breathing will slow down the more you become relaxed.

Try not to fall asleep during corpse pose. When we sleep, the motor neurons in the nervous system become more active, and the idea with the relaxation postures is to quieten them.

Start practicing shavasana for 3 to 5 minutes, then build up to 15 as your personal limits allow.

Come out of the corpse pose slowly, wiggling your toes and fingers, bringing the arms overhead to stretch them, and stretching down to your toes. Then roll over to one side, and slowly sit up when you’re ready. If you have low blood pressure, you may need to turn onto the left side first before sitting up to avoid dizziness or fainting.

References: H.D.Coulter, Anatomy Of Hatha Yoga

Corpse pose is one of the restorative yoga poses. Learn more about them here. Rebecca runs this yoga site with information on asanas and more.

The Triangle - (Trikonasana)

Trikanasana is also known as The Triangle pose. The Sanskrit word ‘tri’ means three and ‘kona’ means corner or angle, hence the name. When you look at this pose you can easily notice why this name has been given to this asana. From the completed posture the body forms three angles; the legs form one, the arm extended down and the body forms another, and the arm extended upward and the head and neck form the third.

In our ordinary day-to-day life the side stretch is the least common movement. We twist, we bend back or forward, but except that we do not often bend our spine to the side, and that’s why the Triangle is one of the most important postures in yoga practice.

The Triangle gives an excellent lateral stretch to the spine, toning the spinal nerves and improving balance and concentration. The muscles of the thighs, calves, hamstring, knees and ankles are stretched, promoting flexibility in the hips and legs.

This asana strengthens the pelvic area and tones the reproductive organs. It massages and strengthens the thyroid glands, kidneys and the adrenal glands to function in a better way. It stimulates the abdominal organs and improves digestion.

Regular practice of Triangle will help reduce waistline fat.

Important: Do not let your hip tilt outward or forward or you will lose the valuable stretch.

The Triangle pose practiced safely is a very beneficial asana; however, there are some health conditions in which this posture should be avoided.

Three important reasons not to do Triangle:

1) Anyone suffering from back condition should not practice this pose.

2) If you are having headaches avoid doing this asana.

3) In case of having diarrhea do not attempt this pose.

Caution: Always check with your doctor if you have any doubts or concerns regarding the suitability of this pose for you.

For Beginners: As a beginner you most probably will support the weight of the torso with one of your arm, forearm and the hand and the torso can remain relaxed. The importance of this pose is to learn how to come out of it without hurting yourself. When you decide to come up the weight of your upper body will have to be supported only by your internal muscles, which may not be ready for the effort. That’s why the safe way to come out of the Triangle is by tightening the muscles of your legs, thighs and hips, which will recruit more muscles in the pelvis and torso.

Issued in the interest of people practicing Hatha Yoga by Subodh Gupta, Yoga Expert based in London.

For reaching to Subodh Gupta Yoga website http://www.subodhgupta.com/ and for Subodh Gupta Corporate yoga webpage http://www.subodhgupta.com/corporateyoga.html

About the Author

Mr.Subodh Gupta, a Corporate Yoga Trainer has conducted more than 500 workshops on Yoga and Stress Management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels in India and London.

Is substantial any surprise models are wrapping their wrists in mala beads, fashion designers are heading off to India for yoga retreats and there’s a new line of active wear that takes its name from the Sanskrit mantra om.

To the uninitiated, yoga is pretzel - corresponding poses and a dim mind’s eye of the Beatles visiting the Maharishi in the 1960s.

Gurmukh Kaur, the Bull’s eye for Breathing’s white - turbaned founder, travels by limo - - in a affectation of camera strobes - - with one of her students, singer Courtney Love.

What she does is kundalini yoga, Ms. Delight told a reporter covering the bash for fashion - bible Women’s Wear Daily. Legitimate’s better for me than Prozac - - and the apparel are nice, highly.

Ms. Love is infrequently the only daredevil singing the praises of yoga - - or helping to ballista the 5, 000 - year - old practice onto the cutting edge.

Yoga Segment, a hip New York yoga studio with a half - juncture appearance weekdays on cable’s Health Network, has an entire catalog dedicated to the joy of yoga. In addition to the predictable range of videotapes, nonslip mats and meditation cushions, there are multiple pages of clothing and accessories.

Cotton - Lycra hipsters are the direct Yoga Zone look for practice and beyond. Spaghetti - strap camisoles and halter tops with subtle embroidered logos come in black, slate, garnet, moss unfledged and other soundless but current colors.

Trimmed the jewelry has a fashion angle: Pendant necklaces with the Chinese symbol for clarity or the Sanskrit original for om are crafted by the tropical initiate duo Me & Ro.

For more information, please visit http://yoga.digitalexcellent.com

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Yoga Joins Individual With Devine

The word Yoga belongs to Sanskrit language. It is derived from the root word, ‘Yuj’ which means “to join”. Probably this is what the Yoga Practices in the present century suggests to. That is to join the individual with the divine!

Yoga has several definitions. Its functions and character can be defined in hundreds of ways. One of the short and meaningful definitions of yoga is “Efficiency in work is yoga.”

As for the action-oriented explanation of yoga, any action that you do with the motivated desire is not yoga because its results are impermanent! Action done with a pure mind, with total surrender, without worrying over the fruits of actions is yoga.

Every action has a reaction. And the intensity of the reaction is in proportion to the intensity of the action! Even the scientists agree on this principle. One of the rare agreements between the scientists and the spiritualists! Normally, the two opposing forces- the two contending forces!

When you understand this fundamental principle, why worry over the results of your actions? Why worry over the matter, over which you should not worry at all!

Patanjali, one of the most revered Sages of India, is the father of Yoga. He wrote the immortal book, based on his practical experiences and the divine vision! His writings and practice have found worldwide acceptance now! He wrote the book about 2500 years ago!

Yoga has the body aspect, the mind aspect and the beyond the mind aspect, which is also known as the transcendental level! This level could only be experienced by an individual. It can’t be explained by words!

Sage Patanjali has mentioned eight sutras: They are: Yama, Niyama,Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhui.

The asanas refer to various physical postures. This aspect of Patanjali’s yoga has become very popular in India as well as abroad! According to the claims, there is no disease that can not be cured by practicing these asanas. If you practice some specific asanas, no disease will ever come near to you.

The last sutra, Samadhi is the supreme goal of the individual. There is nothing beyond to achieve for a human being. It is “be all and end all.”

You need to learn these asanas from a qualified teacher. Some of the asanas are difficult physical postures, and if done without proper knowledge about their intricacies may cause more damage. Start slowly, and do the asanas in accordance with your physical capacity!

All your problems of the modern industrialized civilization such as stress, tension, confusion, blood pressure and all negative tendencies will leave from the back door, once you come into the thick of yoga! They will never return, they will go for ever!

“Yoga is what yoga does!”

Many Yoga articles are available at Yoga & http://www.therealyoga.com/

About the Author

Many Yoga articles are available at http://www.therealyoga.com/ for Yoga.

The Bridge - (Setu Bandhasana)

The Bridge pose is also known as Setu Bandhasana, which means construction of a bridge. In this posture, the whole body forms an arch which is supported at one end by the crown of the head and at the other on the feet, hence the name.

When the Bridge is performed immediately after the Plough pose it acts as a gentle counter pose to complement the benefits of Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) and the Plough (Halasana). It releases any tension that may have built up in the thoracic (part from the neck to waist) and lumbar (lower part of the back) regions of the spine while practicing the two previous asanas.

Tightness in the back and spine results from poor posture, stress and a sedentary lifestyle. This pose is a wonderful way to ease tension in the shoulders, upper and in the lower back. The Bridge can reverse the strain of sitting at a desk or computer all day. It will help to pull back the shoulders, which may tend to roll forward while sitting.

Unlike many backbends, this asana can be hold for longer period of time without risking injury to the lower back, because the back is protected by the working of strong leg muscles.

This asana strengthen the back, arms, shoulders, buttocks and thighs, promoting flexibility of the spine. It strengthens arches of the feet, ankles, hamstrings (tendon behind the knee) and triceps (large muscle at the back of the upper arm) and it rejuvenates tired legs. The Bridge stretches the chest and the neck. It opens the heart and lungs, stimulates the abdominal organs and regulates the thyroid and endocrine system. It increases blood circulation.

Note: The Bridge is a good preparatory posture for the Wheel pose.

Although the Bridge posture is a safe and excellent asana with huge benefits, there are some health conditions in which this pose should not be practice.

Three important reasons (out of many) not to do the Bridge:

1) If you have any problem with your knees avoid practicing this pose as it is places a lot of tension on the knees.

2) In case of neck, shoulder or spinal injury this pose should be avoided.

3) Not advised in a last trimester of a pregnancy (6-9 months).

Caution: Always check with your doctor if you have any doubts or concerns regarding the suitability of this pose for you.

Issued in the interest of people practicing Hatha Yoga by Subodh Gupta, Yoga Expert based in London.

For reaching to Subodh Gupta Yoga website http://www.subodhgupta.com/ and for Subodh Gupta Corporate yoga webpage http://www.subodhgupta.com/corporateyoga.html

About the Author

Mr.Subodh Gupta, a Corporate Yoga Trainer has conducted more than 500 workshops on Yoga and Stress Management. He has been interviewed by various TV channels in India and London.