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Gratitude is something we often forget about on a day to day basis. Sure, we try to maintain it, appreciating that we have things that we want, like good jobs, and grateful that we dont have things that we dont want, like bird flu. But, no matter how hard we try to have it, in every day life its easy to lose; gratitude often falls through the cracks like the ease of car keys becoming lost in the cushions of a couch.

Gratitude is a virtue or law that manifests gratefulness, appreciation, and thankfulness. It is thought of as the first law of attraction, the springboard from which a pathway towards moment to moment self awareness gains momentum. It is what allows us, as human beings, to grow.

When it comes to yoga, some may assume that gratitude means tipping your instructor at the end of class. However, gratitude and yoga actually go hand in hand, with each affecting the other. This actually makes a lot of sense, considering both gratitude and yoga are strong advocates of self awareness and mindfulness - they on are the same team, coaching each of us on how to ease into the flow of life, rather than bumping up against life and losing sight of what we are thankful for.

Yoga promotes a persons emotional and physical well being. And, as studies have shown, so does gratitude. Its as if both are vitamins for the soul. Yoga and gratitude both improve a persons ability to handle stress (which directly impacts physical health) and improve the way a person interacts with others. Both also rid the body of negative emotions, replacing them ...more

Personal Trainer for Weight Loss? Try Yoga Instead

...motion - an extra edge for the tennis court, golf course, football field or hiking trail.

4. Your personal trainer may "pump you up" to work out in an excited state, spurred by the fight-or-flight stress response.

A skilled yoga teacher can achieve the same cardiovascular training by having you hold poses, flow through a series of non-impact postures, or even through simple breathing techniques - all while in a relaxed state.

5. Personal training sessions can sometimes be mind-numbing and repetitive.

Yoga, on the other hand, requires concentration to keep balance in the poses, building focus and poise in all aspects of life and at any age.

6. Personal training targets only the physical aspect of your wellbeing.

Yoga is a technology thousands of years old developed to bring optimum performance and balance...more

The Purpose of Yoga - Empowerment with Yoga

...soul searching too. Do you feel in your heart that a decision is right? How will it affect your integrity? Will others benefit from your decision? Will someone be hurt by your decision?

Yoga teaches us to look at lifes situations objectively. In the end, you must make morally-just decisions that you can live with.

Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publicationsmore

Yoga For Men

...Yoga is becoming more popular among men, and for good reason. Besides getting rid of stress and increasing flexibility, it may lower the risk of heart disease, depression, and high blood pressure.

Everyone experiences stress almost everyday, and men are not exempt from this reality. The contemporary man is expected to be physically and mentally strong and fit to cope with stress and to meet the demands of everyday life, together with sports activities. They usually see the...more

...gh your body and allows maximum oxygen to reach your child. This keeps both of you healthy and in top shape for birth. Youll find that you can easily control your breathing during your yoga routine, and this will come back to you as you give birth.

In addition the benefits of prenatal yoga during pregnancy and childbirth, prenatal yoga will help you to bounce back from birth more quickly. Your muscles will already be toned and your body in good shape. You can also use your yoga breathing to relax you throughout those early weeks with your new baby - and a relaxed mama helps make a relaxed baby!more

Learn The History Of Yoga

...nough, takes place on a battlefield. This location is often interpreted as a metaphor for the many distractions present in our turbulent world. Prince Arjuna had put himself in a difficult position, where he must fight parts of his family and friends.

Symbolically speaking, this frustration conveys that prince Arjuna wanted some advice on how to fight the bonds that tie him to the material world, in order to set himself and his soul free. Krishna explained that it was Arjuna's destiny and task to face this situation. He then moved on to explaining to Arjuna how he could emerge from the battle victorious, by outlining a detailed yogic path for the prince to follow; Through devotion (bhakti Yoga), a keen mind (jnana Yoga) and by giving up the ego (karma Yoga), spiritual freedom (moksha) could be attained.

Needless to say, the Bhagavad Gita is a complex work, and is meant to be studied, pondered upon and then studied some more. It is interesting reading in order to learn the history of Yoga though.more

Yoga for Fun and Profit

...Stress levels around the world are on the rise. In order to deal with this, relaxation and stress reduction therapies have sprung up from everywhere. Yoga instruction is no longer just a fringe population idea. It is now a mainstream fitness methodology. Yoga certifications are now available from many places in north America. As a result of this, yoga instructors are now available everywhere. Each gym now offers yoga classes from certified yoga instructors. Its time we understood what this is all about and where we are going with respect to the fitness industry.

The word yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning joining or union. What are we joining? The human being consists of several entities commonly referred to as body-mind-spirit. An integrated human being is the goal of yoga. We are joining the different pieces of the human being to make an integrated, holistic being that is attuned to one goal. The body, mind and spirit are all integrated with a common attitude and viewpoint. This is different from the state of being where the body wants to satisfy one need and the mind another and the spirit yet a third. This is the state during which mental storms occur and the body responds in turn with a manifestation of that mental vortex.

Yoga seeks to align the human being using its own tool of breathing. When we breathe rhythmically, our body is more in tune with itself. We function better as an integrated being in a holistic way. Yoga w...more

Yoga And Balance? Yoga Teaches About Balance

...d will naturally still. This is the same concept as Zen meditations "Just sitting."

Emotions are energy in emotion. Yoga teaches that emotions become balanced when the mind becomes balanced. As the mind becomes balanced forgotten suppressed emotions arise into perception. These repressed emotions naturally balance themselves in a balanced mind. A practice called stopping demonstrates this principle. To practice this technique get mad then totally stop all body movement and remain perfectly still. Emotions are dependent on the body's movement. When the body is held completely still anger is impossible. This is different then lying about emotions and repres...more