Range Of Motion

yoganerdmd:realityofhealthy:“When you stretch your body...

yoganerdmd:realityofhealthy:“When you stretch your body properly, and strengthen opposing muscle groups in balance, you increase your range of motion, and can move more quickly through space. For example, the space between the start and finish lines.The yoga breath has been shown to increase endurance in marathoners by twice the distance in just one session!”SourcePhotocreditThe crazy thing is, I personally have found this to be true! Yoga FTW!This will be handy for me if I ever do decide to start running again. read more..

Yoga

Favorite yoga ish related blogs? :)

I can’t just pick a few to post. Healthysoul is definitely one of my favorites. But these are some (or all, I don’t know which) of the blogs that I follow that post Yoga stuff and who are talented yogi’s.

• http://healthysoul.tumblr.com/
• http://odolnost.tumblr.com/
• http://yogillama.tumblr.com/
• http://yogachild.tumblr.com/
• http://happyhealthysoul.tumblr.com/
• http://liliezencoach.tumblr.com/
• http://yogacrazy.tumblr.com/
• http://selfloveandhealth.tumblr.com/
• http://fuckyeahyoga.tumblr.com/
• http://arilumiere.tumblr.com/
• http://theyogiway.tumblr.com/
• http://365daysyoga.tumblr.com/
• http://dharmakicks.tumblr.com/
• http://balancepath.tumblr.com/
• http://eatyogalove.tumblr.com/
• http://yogaprivatelessons.tumblr.com/

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Middle School-Rollerblade-Fitness-Yoga

myfitspirations:yoga-body:now-do-it-fitspo:The KEY to...

myfitspirations:yoga-body:now-do-it-fitspo:The KEY to fitness :)You’ll never get off the couch to run if you don’t like running. Find something you like - that’s why I do yoga and rollerblade.I did this too. See, I thought I hated running, but figured I’d give it a try. Turns out I love it. I also love rollerblading, but I’m bad at it so that makes it less fun… especially when you keep coming home scraped up xDI used to roller blade a lot when I was younger. Went to the roller rink weekly during middle school and learned how to skate backwards and I was better at it than going frontwards. I’m going to have to invest in a new pair of blades. It was always fun, especially while falling. read more..

Healthy Food

Promo! First 50 to 'like'

The first 50 to ‘like’ this will either be in the promo or considered to be promoted. I’m not too sure how I’m going to do this yet. Please be following me (I’m sure you already are if you see this) and healthy blogs only. Health, yoga, fitness, Healthy Food, recovery, etc. (:Edit: I will be leaving soon and I’m sure there will be enough likes by the time I get home tonight so I will either post it or start going through the blogs when I am home (: read more..

Your blog is so stunning and so are you! I find your posts really informing and I have learnt so much. You have also inspired me to start yoga again and I've now realized how much I've missed it.

Your blog is so stunning and so are you! I find your posts really informing and I have learnt so much. You have also inspired me to start yoga again and I've now realized how much I've missed it.

Aw thank you! I am glad that the things on my blog are teaching others just as well as teaching myself. That is great! I love hearing things like this. Makes me happy (: read more..

Morning Workout

leanmeanworkoutmachine:Reasons to exercise aloneYou can work...

leanmeanworkoutmachine:Reasons to exercise alone

• You can work out whenever you want and when it best fits your schedule. Plus you never have to deal with someone being late.
• You can skip the chitchat and focus on your breath and inner thoughts. It’s a great time to make mental to-do lists, brainstorm for work, or daydream about weekend plans. Going solo means it’s really “me” time.
• The type and intensity of the workout is up to you, whether you feel like going for a run in your neighborhood, hitting a Zumba class, or following a gentle yoga video.
• You can stuff your ears with headphones and rock out to that new cardio mix you made.
• It’s OK to wear the same outfit you wore yesterday, even if you didn’t wash it. There’s no one to make a comment or complain about a little stink.
• Your workout will be completed in less time. You know when you exercise with someone else, a lot of time is wasted waiting for the person to show up, then chatting about what you want to do, and then after the workout, you can’t help but chat some more. You’ll easily save 10 to 20 minutes by exercising on your own.
• You’re your own motivation. Sometimes when I have a fitness date with a buddy and they bail, I’m more likely to skip out, too. But if it’s just me planning on a morning workout, there’s no one to persuade me to ditch, so I’m more likely to stay committed. Plus when you’re used to exercising alone, you’ll get into the habit and won’t need to rely on someone else to get your workouts in.
• It’s easier to stick to training schedules or goals since there’s no one else’s agenda to cater to but your own.
• If you’re under the weather and don’t feel like getting your sweat on, no one will give you lip for it.

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Bethenny Frankel-Beautiful Body-Yoga

Have you tried fast yoga? Comment...Bethenny wants to know what you think!

Have you tried fast Yoga? Comment...Bethenny wants to know what you think!
Bethenny's Beautiful Body Secret: Fast Yoga
We’ve got one more reason to love Bethenny Frankel: This supercharged yoga routine you can knock off in 15 minutes flat. read more..

source:health.com

Stand Up Paddle Boarding-Group Fitness Classes-Calisthenics

Surf's down? Time for paddleboard yoga!

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Paddle boarding, an ancient form of surfing, is gaining popularity as a high-intensity, low-impact platform for group fitness classes from calisthenics to yoga. Experts say it may feel like walking on water because paddle boarding works on the flat water of a lake or pond and doesn't involve waves. "Paddle boarding is a form of surfing. A paddle board is basically a surfboard that's thicker, more buoyant, so it can hold you standing up in flat water," said Scott Bumbalough, founder of Maui B's Stand Up Paddle Boarding, which is based in Florida. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/HKy50l

Chaturanga Dandasana-Surya Namaskara-Sun Salutation

lifeyogakingston:We often practice Surya Namaskara (Sun...

lifeyogakingston:We often practice Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) in a yoga class; however, Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) - one of the positions in the Sun Salutation sequence - is often misunderstood by students. Some don’t even see it as an asana itself, but flow through it in transition from Plank Pose to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog). Others perform some version of a push-up. This challenging pose can take time to master as you build strength in the arms, wrists, and abdomen. Keeping the integrity of the pose from the start to the end of our yoga practice is important to avoid injury and benefit from the work it takes to master Chaturanga Dandasana. Here’s how it’s done:  

1. Beginning in Plank Pose, and on an exhalation, slowly lower your torso and legs to a few inches above and parallel to the floor. There’s a tendency in this pose for the lower back to sway toward the floor and the tailbone to poke up toward the ceiling (as in Figure One). 
2. Throughout your stay in this position, keep the tailbone firmly in place and the legs very active and turned slightly inward. Draw the pubis toward the navel.
3. Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. Don’t let the elbows splay out to the sides (as in Figure Two); hold them in by the sides of the torso and push them back toward the heels. 
4. Press the bases of the index fingers firmly to the floor. Lift the top of the sternum and your head to look forward.

The completed form of Chaturanga Dandasana (as in Figure Three) is quite difficult to perform at first, until your arms, back, and legs are strong enough to support you. You can get a feel for this challenging position by practicing it standing upright. Stand and face a wall, a few inches away from the wall. Press your hands against the wall, slightly lower than the level of your shoulders. Imagine that you are trying to push yourself away from the wall, but the firmness of your shoulder blades against the back prevents any movement. Lengthen your tailbone into your heels and lift the top of your sternum toward the ceiling.You can also modify this pose by lowering your knees to the floor from Plank Pose and then, with an exhalation, lower your sternum to within an inch or two from the floor. To make this pose more challenging, if possible, slowly roll over the balls of your feet onto the tops of your feet and shift the torso slightly forward. This will bring the hands back beside your waist and increase the challenge of the position. Practice with pose for anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds. Release with an exhalation. Either lay yourself lightly down onto the floor or push strongly back to Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog), lifting through the top thighs and the tailbone.I enjoy this pose. I hated it when I couldn’t do it but when I discovered that I could some months later (hadn’t done it at all in between that time), I liked it. read more..

Meal Plans

I have been studying for finals and do not have the time currently to work out or do any yoga; can you give a small meal plan that won't let me really over eat while maintaining my weight. xx

Hm. I can try but I’m not too good with Meal Plans. One thing I suggest is to start a food journal and keep a track of your calories, even just an estimation of about how many you are consuming. You can use myfitnesspal for that or just do it in your journal. This will help you to know what, how often, and how much you are eating, and to make sure that you are getting enough calories, but not getting too many. If you put your weight, height, and how much you exercise into myfitnesspal, it should tell you how any calories, carbs, protein, and fats you should get daily. Also try to eat 3 small meals, and 3 snacks throughout the day. Writing your meal plan ahead of time will help a lot.As far as what you eat… I don’t know what you have or what you like to determine this. For breakfast - a cup of whole grain cereal with fruit, 2 small whole wheat pancakes with fruit, 1/2 cup oatmeal with fruit, a piece of toast with fruit, things like that. Lunch and dinner - a sandwich on whole wheat or whole grain with tomato, spinach or lettuce, a few slices of avocado, and maybe your choice of lean meat or just leave it. Maybe with some fruit on the side. a cup of whole wheat pasta or quinoa with marinara sauce, spinach or kale, diced tomato if not already in sauce, and your choice of protein whether that be beans on the side, shred some chicken in your pasta, or a lean ground meat like turkey or vegetarian ground ‘meat’. You could do a lot with squash. As said in previous asks… slice it length wise and add some veggies inside or slice it width wise and mix it up with some veggies. As far as snacks go, fruit always works, veggies and hummus, a small handful of trail mix, air popped pop corn. Buy it plain and if you want butter and/or salt, add a tiny but of sea salt and use a small bit of Earth Balance natural spreads. I hope this was at least of a little help. read more..

Yoga Photos-Facebook

New facebook banner! Old(er) yoga photos of myself come in...

New facebook banner! Old(er) yoga photos of myself come in handy. I originally made the banner for a new post coming up but I thought this was also work as the banner (I just replaced the text). Until the post is complete, go like my fan page! (:http://www.facebook.com/yogihealthhttp://www.facebook.com/yogihealth read more..

Would yoga help strengthen my muscles, like in my back and arms? Or is that just Pilates?

Would yoga help strengthen my muscles, like in my back and arms? Or is that just Pilates?

Yes, it will. Especially if you are doing poses that focus more on those area’s. Chaturanga and plank are two more simple, easy poses that will help you to build strength in those area’s. Then once you gain enough strength, you can move on to other poses… crow for example. If you want to, (girl) push ups and tricep dips will also help. read more..

Core Strength-Yoga

Hey, was wondering how long did it take you to build up arm and core strength. Im just starting yoga and am struggaling with some poses, like even the crow because arms arnt strong enough. Is this normal? thank you xxx

I’m actually still building a lot of strength. I think some of my followers might think I’m more strong than I really am. I don’t work out as much as I should/want to. And yes, that is normal! It will take time to build up the strength to do certain poses. If you want to build the strength a little faster, work out as well as do Yoga. (Girl) push ups, tricep dips, forearm and full planks, lift 5-8lb dumbbells. You said you are just starting out with yoga so you will probably not master everything now. My advice is to just focus on the practice. You will build your patience, balance, flexibility, and strength with time. (: read more..

Yoga Instructor-Body Strength-Core Strength-Ballet Dancer-Car Accident

Do I need core strength in order to fully strengthen my legs when I try the yoga headstand? I'm trying to attempt it, but I feel like my core isn't strong enough to support my lower body up.

Yes! It’s more of a total body strength pose. You need strong arms, shoulders, back, core, and your legs. Here is an article on Livestrong about strength in handstands (which also goes with headstands) read more..

hey lovely! I want to start by saying I absolutely love your blog! I was wondering though if you could help me with something I used to be a ballet dancer but I got into a car accident about 3 years ago and hurt my back (slipped disc in my lower spine) and had to quit. recently I got into yoga but found that a lot of the twisting/backbend poses really hurt! any suggestions on how to improve flexib

Hello! Thank you! I really like yours as well. The only advice that I can give you is to take it slow and listen to your body. If it hurts, don’t go so far or do that specific pose. There are also ways to modify some poses. But I am not (yet) a yoga instructor and can not tell you much besides that. I don’t want to be at fault for advising you to do something that is unsafe and can harm you. I’m sure if you e-mail, visit a local instructor, or talk to yours if you have one, they will help you out (: Good luck! read more..

Android-Yoga

do you think 2-3 hours of yoga a day are too much?

Wow! Go you! Haha. That’s a lot of Yoga but if you are listening to your body and not hurting it, then no… I think it’s fine. (: read more..

Instagram: deidreelliott

It was just released for Android so I am still trying to figure it out and stuff but I’m sure I will post some yoga and/or food pictures and stuff so feel free to follow (; read more..

Strength Training

do you prefer to practice in the AM or PM? i like running and strength training as well, so i was thinking about incorporating yoga in the early morning. what time of day do you think is best? thanks! love your blog

I like to practice in the morning because of the atmosphere and it helps wake me up and feel good early on, but you can practice in the morning, mid-day, or evening if you’d like.. it doesn’t matter. I think that would be great to do! You could also do some relaxing, deep stretching yoga after your running and workouts to help stretch your muscles out instead of just basic stretching. That’s what I like to do as well. And thank you! (: I like yours as well. read more..