...Maybe your doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or best friend told you Yoga would be good for you. You have heard so much about Yoga; it seems that Yoga is a cure for almost anything. The more you hear, the more confusing it is to understand what Yoga is all about.

Should you go out and buy a Yoga book? What would be the best Yoga book to buy? If you visit the local book store, you see hundreds of Yoga books, CDs, DVDs, card decks, and kits. Should you buy a copy of the Yoga sutras by patanjali or buy one of the for dummies Yoga books?

Below is an overview of Yoga, which may help you decide your path of Yogic study. There is no right or wrong path of Yoga study, but be selective when you choose a Yoga teacher, Yoga book, or Yoga class..

You should first realize that there are many styles of Yoga. There are nine major styles of Yoga; many more styles exist, as well as many sub-styles. The nine major styles of Yoga are Bhakti, Hatha, Jnana, Karma, Kundalini, Mantra, Raja, tantra, and Yantr...more

The Qualities of a Great Yoga Teacher

...One of the questions I have heard a lot from people interested in yoga is I would like to know how I can find a good yoga teacher? And if your ready to begin practicing yoga and asking that question yourself, your smart to do so.

Having a good teacher is very important to your growth and progress on your yoga path. There are lots of things that occur along the way, changes associated with physical, energetic, and spiritual growth, and sometimes obstacles emerge. All of these things make a student of yoga curious, sometimes anxious, other times maybe even susceptible to a false sense of power (ego.) Having a teacher that can answer questions and provide reassurance at crucial moments, and the ability to help balance and adjust a students perspective when necessary, is crucial.

Since I truly believe I have one of the very best teachers of Hatha yoga on the planet, the most straightforward way I can think of to help answer the question above is to speak from experience about the qualities I have seen in my teacher, Shashi Pottatil.

1.Background and Training:
Shashi is a man in his 50s (although he could pass for late 30s) who has been a teacher of yoga for more than 30 years. He is from Kerala in the South of India, where he hails from what is known their as a yoga family. This means that for generations upon generations, his direct ancestors, including several of his uncles other current family members, were yoga teachers. In a sense, yoga is in his blood perhaps literally.

Currently he is one of the highest ranking certified teachers of the Yoga Alliance, the most prestigious yoga certification organization based here i...more

What can a Hatha Yoga Teacher Offer a middle-aged Student for Optimum Physical Health?

...en when done slowly, or with a chair as a prop. Just holding some Yoga postures (asanas) will raise the heart rate.

For those students who have had a heart attack, or who are at risk of having one, the heart could easily be monitored during practice. Heart rate monitors are the size of a wrist watch, and look like one. The cost of a heart rate monitor is affordable from $30 to $153 US dollars.

Therefore, Hatha Yoga teachers can offer improved strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. When we think of these physical health benefits, it is hard to remember that Hatha Yoga teaches us so much more.

Hatha Yoga also teaches us moderate dieting habits. I was interviewed by a local paper reporter, who did not care to hear about the three Gunas. Yoga teachers know that dieting is one of the most impor...more

Raja Yoga Gaining Complete Control of Mind for Deep Meditation

...Raja Yoga involves exact meditation techniques which lead to experiences of the truth and finally achieve liberation.

The basic breathing techniques of Raja yoga to gain control over the mind and experience deep meditation are outlined below.

Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, and Raja Yoga are considered the four main yogas, but there are many other types. (The word "yoga" from the Sanskrit root yuj ("to yoke") is generally translated as "union of the individual atma (loosely translated to mean soul) with Paramatma, the universal soul." This may be understood as union with the Divine by integration of body, mind, and spirit.

Raja Yoga involves exact meditation techniques which lead to experiences of the truth and finally achieve liberation, described in Hindu thought as moksha. ( or liberation from the cycle of birth and death).

Raja Yoga is a very practical guide for gaining control over the mind.

Raja Yoga getting control of the mind

Without this control, medita...more

Exercise And Yoga Mats