Yoga Back Bender

Yoga back bender has two different curves on each side a steady arch at one end and a steep arch on the other end. The steep arch is meant for yoga practitioners who are more flexible.

* It helps to open the front body, shoulders and chest.

* It provides support for quieter restorative practice.

* It helps in supporting back, which otherwise gets hurt.

* Besides, it also enhances the final relaxation poses.

* Forward Bender 

Forward bender is helpful to perform difficult forward bends. It is a triangle shaped prop with several open slots along its curvature that looks like a curved ladder. It extends forward stretch into the calf muscles, so that the spine is fully expanded and straightened. Forward bender can be used for 1 and 2-legged forward bends. It effectively stretches hamstrings, calf muscles and achilles tendons.

* Whale Back Bender 

Whale back bender is a popular back bender among people. It's wide enough to support your entire back, while offering comfort to your spine as you perform a stretch. It looks like the regular back bender, but actually it is much broader than the regular ones. It helps in tractioning your spine without stressing other joints.

* Foldaway Back Bender 

As the name suggests, Foldaway Back Bender is a prop that can be folded, or can be separated to make two new props. It can be used to practice drop-backs and forward bends. It occupies less storage space, making itself the most versatile and innovative back bench.

Benefit Of Yoga For Back Pain

But if you have been suffering from back pain, you might reconsider. Pain relief is just one of the benefits of practicing yoga. You might also experience an improvement in your mental and emotional health that causes you to be relaxed and focused for the demands of your busy life.

* Fists Forward Bend 

Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Bend your knees and release your torso over your legs until your belly touches your thighs (or as close as you can get). Make two fists and place them in the opposite elbow creases. Relax your back, neck and head, and squeeze fists actively. Fists and bent elbows together are a central nervous system trigger that causes your back muscles to open. You’ll feel it after just a few breaths! Take 10-20 breaths here, releasing more tension from the back with every exhale.

* Wall Plank 

Stand in front of a wall at arm’s length. Reach forward from your shoulders and plant your palms on the wall, fingers wide, middle fingers pointing straight at the ceiling. Firm your fingers into the wall and draw your navel back as you lengthen the tailbone towards the floor.

Lift your ribs from the pelvis. You want to work with a natural lower back curve but an active belly. Keep length in your spine as you begin to walk the legs back, folding at the waist, and walking your hands down the wall.

Eventually you’ll come to an L-shape as seen here. If you can’t get there today without feeling pain or rounding in the lower back, bend your knees and maintain the proper spinal alignment.

As you lift the navel and lower ribs into the body, reach long through the tailbone and legs into the floor while reaching the spine, arms and head towards the wall. Repeat for 10-20 breaths, then fold into Fists Forward Fold once again. Move to the next pose after a few breaths.

* Downward-Facing Dog 

If done properly, this tried-and true asana can be excellent for spinal traction and back health. Move into the pose with feet hip-distance apart [did you know that’s only two fists-width or so?] and hands shoulder-distance apart. It’s important not to let your back arch too much, which pressurizes the shoulder joints and over-contracts the back muscles. Instead, think of lifting the navel and front ribs, providing a buoyancy in the shoulders and back.

Carve the tailbone towards the heels and press back through the inner and outer legs equally. This provides a root, a backward grounding from which you can pull and grow your spine and head forward towards the space between your hands. Even as you move the shoulders down the back and wrap your outer shoulder blades towards your armpits slightly, press long through the arms and fingers, providing a whole-body realignment and stretch. Take 5-10 breaths here, then proceed to the next pose.

* Pigeon 

We should call this pose “Angel of Mercy” for what it can do to rescue your poor aching back. It’s genius at opening the lower body muscles like hamstrings, hip rotators and the iliopsoas muscles, all which can contribute to back pain, without putting too much torque on the already tight back muscles.

This releases them by springing open the muscles beneath. It’s a must-do in my yoga sequencing. From Downward-Facing Dog, bring your right knee behind the right wrist, foot either touching the left hip crease or slightly forward.

Stretch the left leg out long behind you, knee and top of the foot facing the floor. Center your hips in space even if they don’t touch the floor.

Press your palms into the floor or a yoga block, ground your legs into the mat, and allow your legs to stretch while you let your low back curve and lift up. Draw your navel and pelvic floor muscles in and send your heart to the sky. To deepen this pose, move your front knee wider and back and creep the back leg longer. Take 5-10 breaths here, then fold forward, forearms on a block or the floor for a full-body stretch to counterpose. Return to Downward-Facing Dog, then repeat on the other side.

* Back Traction Pose 

After your last Pigeon, swing your back leg around and come onto your back, knees bent, feet under knees as if to prepare for a Bridge Pose. Grab your yoga block or if you don’t have one, a firmly-rolled yoga mat will do. Lift your hips, and place the block in the center of your hips (not low back).

The block should be the skinny way, in the same direction as your spine, not wide across the hips like your pants line. Place your hips on the block and gently walk your feet wide. Knock your knees in towards one another for one minute to stretch across the sacrum, and then walk feet and knees together.

Lift your knees over your hips until you can relax them but still stay suspended in the air. This pose will release your iliopsoas muscles even as it detoxes you and provides traction for the low back spine. After about 30 seconds or so, scoot your head further from the shoulders and rest for another 30 seconds. Return to the first variation, feet wide on the floor, knees closer, for a few breaths. To release, walk the feet under the knees at hip distance.

Engage your navel, lift your hips off the block and remove it to the side. Roll slowly down the spine inch by inch and enjoy your new spacious lower back curve and sacrum!

* Child’s Pose 

Roll over and take Child’s Pose for one minute or more. Try knees wide, big toes closer, but end with knees together for a neutral spinal stretch. If your head doesn’t touch the floor, place a yoga block or fists under your forehead so you can relax completely. Breathe slowly into your back body, expanding more nourishing energy and space on the inhale, and on the exhales, let ever more tension dissolve.

Purna Yoga Benefits

Purna Yoga gives Yoga a positive and dynamic form. It suggests three levels of integration- the integration of the inner, the integration of the human psyche with its external environment and the integration of the psyche with its ultimate spiritual Ground.

It not just brings optimism and positive energies to the body but also to the world at large. It is this united spirituality that proficiently combines self-transcendence with love, sympathy, and reverence for all living beings. It puts together the varied aspects of yoga, needed for transformation and healing.

* Many of us have different activities that we practice in order to promote good health. To get stronger we may lift weights, for cardiovascular exercise we may do an aerobic activity, for balance and harmony we may use tai-chi, for flexibility we stretch out and meditation to find peace of mind and relax.

• Does it all- It supports the mind, body, emotions and your Spirit

• It creates both strength and flexibility

• Promotes good cardiovascular health

• Helps to create mental clarity and will relieve stress

• Will create an emotional balance

• Connects you awareness to your intuition and wisdom within

• This style is safe for all ages and body types

• Promotes healing from injuries

• Promotes an overall sense of wellness.

* Purna Yoga Benefits Purna

Yoga is the style of yoga which teaches alignment-based asana, healthy living and heart-centered meditation to help people achieve a wholeness, fulfillment and healing to life’s purpose. Purna yoga teacher training creates a way to have a life changing experience and through practice meeting the needs of today’s world.

Yoga For Great Hair

Yoga for good hair growth there are many yoga asanas which are proved to be beneficial for hair growth.

Did you know that Yoga is good for your hair? Yes from Yoga you can get lots of good benefits and have a great mind and body. You can start with some breathing exercises to keep your hair in perfect condition.

Taking care of your hair is equally important as you do Yoga along with it. Some beauty regimen and good diet is important for you to have your hair in great shape.

Digestive imbalance and hormonal misbalance can create problems in your body system as well as have affects on your mental health.

Proper blood circulation is good for your scalp and keeps your hair good and luscious. Some asanas which keeps your blood circulation in head in proper condition are as follows: Sirsasana, Sarvanasana, and Ustrasana. But you should take expert advice to do these asanas properly.

Healthy Foods for Strong Bones

Bones form the basis of our skeletal system, protect our vital organs and define our body shape and size frame. The bones found in our body are alive just like us; they keep on growing, changing in shape, size as we grow old, in fact our height and weight depends on our bones. We have 206 bones in our body, with the spine being made up of 26 bones alone!

Food is needed so that we have the energy or efficiency to perform our bodily actions such as walking, sleeping, running, breathing etc.To maintain healthy and strong bones, it is necessary that we provide proper nutrition to them, following is a list of foods that will help us maintain good healthy and strong bones.

Milk

Regularly drinking milk during the growing years is associated with greater height, bone size and bone mineralization. Milk contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, proteins, fat, sugars, and vitamins A and D, what some call the "perfect package” for bone health.

Yogurt 

If your body doesn't have enough calcium to replace what is removed, your bones can become weak and break easy. Yogurt is a good source of calcium, according to the National Institute of Health Yogurt providing 300 milligrams in a six ounce cup.

Chinese Cabbage

 Chinese cabbage contains plentiful of calcium, whereas vegetables such as turnip greens, broccoli, and spinach provide us with good amount of calcium.

Soy

Soy is the best source of plant nutrients called isoflavones. Along with protein and other vitamins and minerals, isoflavones may combat bone loss as we age.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are anyways loaded with essential nutrients and vitamins. They are highly beneficial to nourish our body. Sunflower seeds, pistachios, and almonds are rich source of calcium, while flax seeds and walnuts are packed with omega- 3 fatty acids, Almonds and peanuts consists good amount of potassium that prevents the loss of calcium through urine. The proteins and nutrients that are present in nuts, helps to construct strong bones.

Sunlight

The sun is technically not a food. However, the sun contains many nutrients found in some foods. In response to sunlight, the body will produce vitamin D. Without vitamin D, your body will not absorb calcium properly. Although milk is often fortified with vitamin D, but there are still not enough to maximize calcium absorption.

Salt water fish

If you want to have healthy bones you should have salt water fish once in a week, Most fish are known to contain high levels of vitamin D, which is required by bones to absorb calcium.

While these are important food items needed to keep our bones healthy, one should not just rely on them wholly, when it comes to the maintenance and health of our bones. Moderate to heavy exercise should complement our bone friendly diet, if we are to have healthy bones!