Yoga as we know is a wonderful way to connect to the energy that is in the body as well as to connect to the energy that surrounds the body. The ability to perform the exercises that make up the practice of Yoga can be difficult for many people because of injuries, pregnancy or weight gain. This art of expression has turned into a multi-million dollar business venture for many people, who want to assist in spreading Yoga’s benefits throughout the world. There are many products on the market that assist people who want to practice Yoga, but have difficulty performing the poses without help. Yoga blocks have been designed for those who need assistance.

Yoga blocks are used by people who aren’t flexible or are in the mid to late stages of pregnancy or have injuries. Yoga blocks align the body and help support the weight so various poses can be performed. A Yoga Block can be used under the heels in the Mountain Pose, so the spine is aligned properly. A Yoga block can support the sacrum and lift the pelvis by sitting on a block when performing twists. The Half Moon pose and the Triangle Pose can be performed if Yoga blocks are used as lifts for the hands, so that the full pose can be achieved. If you’re pregnant or injured, squats can also be performed using a Yoga Block by placing it on the ground on its side, so it can be used to support your weight and keep your balance. A Yoga Block can be placed under the head while meditating or while doing abdominal exercises.

The use for Yoga Blocks doesn’t end there. The bridge pose can be performed using two blocks. Yoga blocks help correct posture and they modify poses in the standing and seated position. Yoga Blocks can be used for a variety of poses depending on your physical condition.

Yoga has opened the door for a variety of Yoga Block designs. There is a cork block, a foam block, a handcrafted wooden block and wood Probrick block and all of them offer comfort, versatility and support while doing different poses. The typical size of a Yoga Block is 9 x 6”x 4” and weight about 2 pounds. They have beveled edges, so they can be packed and stored easily. Yoga Blocks generally cost around $7 each depending on the material and come in several different colors. SunShineYoga.com is a great store to buy Yoga Blocks and Yoga Products at a discount.

When practicing restorative yoga, one or more yoga blankets are employed as props, to be used under the neck, and/or under the knees. Some poses may call for several yoga blankets, folded in thirds, to raise one up high enough to sit upon, with the feet on the floor. Yoga blankets are an integral part of restorative yoga.

There are several properties one looks for in the ideal yoga blanket. When practicing yoga, especially a long held pose, one does not want to be distracted by an itchy blanket, or a blanket that is bunched up under us. Look for a blanket that is soft, with no extending fibers. Many people find a cotton Mexican style blanket is ideal. Find a blanket made of soft, absorbable cloth, one that is easily washable. Look for pliability – a cloth that will hold its shape when folded. Finally, try to find a blanket that won’t slide about when placed on the floor.

Learn to fold your yoga blanket. The yoga instructor can show you how, or you can search online for yoga blanket folding videos. The trick lies in folding the blanket so it is smooth and wrinkle free, and maintains its shape while being used. Start the fold, being sure to have each end meet evenly. A two or three fold method is used, depending on the use. For a pranayama fold, start with a blanket folded in half. Starting at the long end, fold the blanket 3-4 times, draping it into an accordion style fold, making the bottom layer the widest. With each layer, make the fold a bit narrower, so the blanket is wide at the bottom, and narrower at the top.

When finished, if the blanket does not need to be washed, the storage fold is employed. Open up the blanket, and fold it in half. Fold in half again, ensuring there are no creases, and the ends are even. Fold in half one more time, short end to short end. With this fold, several blankets can be stacked on a shelf, neatly and without tumbling over. You can find an excellent selection of Yoga Blankets at SunShineYoga.com.

Many people practice yoga to feel more at peace, relaxed, rejuvenated and of course healthy. Unfortunately, your yoga mat may be working against you. Shared and communal yoga mats found at most yoga studios are filled with germs and bacteria that get passed from one yoga participant to another.

It is common courtesy at most gyms to spray down and clean off exercise equipment between uses, however exercise and yoga mats are often overlooked in this practice. The health risk of using an unsanitized yoga mat is great. Since yoga is done barefoot there is an increased risk of catching athletes’ foot or planter’s warts.

Your feet are not the only body part that comes into contact with your yoga mat, your arms, back and any other bare part of skin are likely to come into contact with your yoga mat during a yoga session. This means you can easily catch any skin disease or rash that the previous user of your yoga mat may have been infected with.

Using a shared yoga mat also means an increased health risk of catching the cold and flu germs. A sick yoga participant’s face comes into close contact with their yoga mat which easily spreads the cold and flu bugs to the yoga mat. The next person to use that mat will be exposed to their germs and has an increased risk of sickness, especially if yoga mat cleaner was not used between yoga sessions.

Cleaning the yoga mats between uses can help reduce the health risk of spreading the germs and bacteria from person to person. However, in order to effectively sanitize the yoga mats they must be cleaned with a strong chemical solution and must be wet enough to stay moist for over thirty seconds. Using yoga mat cleaner can help sanitize the yoga mats between uses but yoga mat cleaner can often be expensive and hard to use.

Since the cost of cleaning all the mats between yoga sessions is high, many yoga studios and gyms forgo the process in favor of daily or weekly cleanings. This means that if the studio has multiple classes during the day the yoga mats are remaining unsanitized. Some studios leave the cleaning between yoga sessions up to the users of the mats. Unfortunately, many people either neglect to clean the maps or clean them ineffectively.

The best way to protect yourself from the unwanted spread of germs and bacteria during yoga is to buy your own personal yoga mat. Having your own personal yoga mat means you will not be coming into intimate contact with another person’s germs and bacteria during your yoga session. The purchase of your own yoga mat can also save you money over the long run since many yoga studios charge yoga mat rental fees. Buying yoga mat cleaner can also be expensive and not as effective as using your own yoga mat.

Sunshineyoga.com offers a variety of personal yoga mats and cleaners that can help reduce the health risk of contracting a disease during your next yoga session.

Yoga is an ancient practice that imparts multiple benefits to those who experience it, uniting the mind, body and spirit. Everyone can practice yoga, and it requires nothing special in the way of equipment or clothing. Yoga enthusiasts note that their yoga practice results in increased energy, improved posture, more flexibility, increased circulation, and an inner sense of calm and fulfillment.

Holding a series of yoga postures, also known as yoga asanas, is the basic method of practicing yoga. Historically, yoga asanas served to create a stable position for prolonged meditation, which is probably why modern-day yoga has such a deep link to the mind and spirit. Asanas serve to stretch the muscles and joints of the body while opening the energy channels and chakras within the body. Classical yoga advises that asanas should be comfortable and steady, and the body should be firm, yet relaxed.

A yoga session starts with slow and deep breathing to prepare the body for the asanas. This is the time to concentrate on breathing and calming and centering the mind. Next, basic stretching poses start to warm the body and prepare for more rigorous postures. Some excellent poses for the beginning of a session are cat pose, cow pose, cobra pose, downward dog pose, and forward fold pose. As the body begins to warm up and the muscles start to stretch, a series of sun salutations incorporate many of these postures and a few more.

Moving further into the yoga session after the body is prepared, many yoga practitioners like to introduce more challenging postures, but only to the extent of their physical capabilities. It is recommended to move into each pose to the point where there is a good feeling of stretch and a slight resistance, but never pain. Postures introduced at this point in the practice can include balancing poses, bending poses, twisting poses, prone poses, seated poses, inversions, and standing poses.

Ending a yoga session is usually accomplished with a gradual slowing of the poses and a focus on stretching and breathing. The final pose is almost always Shavasana, or corpse pose, and is deeply relaxing. Most practitioners spend five to fifteen minutes at the end of their session in Shavasana.

Yoga can be an effective form of exercise for the body, mind, and spirit for those with any level of fitness. The basic yoga poses and breathing techniques help to promote radiant health, as well as inner peace.

Yoga for Beginners

Yoga is one of the best activities for someone who is concerned about both physical fitness and mental clarity. If you’re taking your first step to understand this varied and rewarding discipline, there’s a couple things you should ask yourself when choosing how to practice.

Just like any other fitness discipline, yoga builds upon its own principles, and there are several different types of yoga to choose from. Once you’ve found a style and venue that you like, there are a couple pointers that will allow you to make the most of your time.

What to Bring
Make sure you wear form-fitting but flexible clothing. Anything too tight could rip during certain positions, but anything too loose could cause slips or trips during some of the movements. Make sure you have a water bottle handy – just like any other physical activity, it’s important to stay hydrated. Finally, you’ll probably want to practice yoga barefoot. While you’ll likely have a yoga mat, socks can still slip if your feet are being supported by other parts of your body, and shoes are too bulky to allow you to reach some of the poses easily.

Be Comfortable
Many of the poses your instructor does may not be attainable by the average beginner. Never try to force your body to do anything that causes pain or high level of discomfort. However, the point of yoga, like any discipline, is to train your body to become stronger and more flexible. So during any hold times during a position, try to hold your body on the brink of comfort and discomfort. Sometimes an instructor will prompt you to “push” for the next couple of seconds, or you can prompt yourself – during the last 5 seconds of a position, push your body so that a level of slight discomfort is reached. Nothing should ever cause pain, but you should feel yourself stretching muscles you may have never paid any attention to in the past.

Remember to Breath
Many beginners are so concerned about trying to achieve the given position that they forget that one of the tenants of yoga is mental clarity. You are working out, but you’re also focusing your mind. Listen to your instructor when they explain how to breath during the class. While the breathing may seem arbitrary at first, practicing the correct time to inhale and exhale can help you perform the position better in the future as the movement of the lungs corresponds to the movements of the body.