Yoga Workouts

Yoga workouts are about toning the body, calming the mind, and reducing stress. It doesn’t take much time. Yoga just may be the perfect exercise for busy women. Yoga is flexible. All you need is comfortable clothing and the best yoga mat. Since the equipment is minimal, the routine can be performed at home, on vacation, or in a hotel room on a business trip. The main piece of equipment is your body and that goes with you everywhere.

Yoga has several health benefits for women. The poses work to increase flexibility in the muscles. Muscles that are more flexible resist injury. They also strengthen the body by engaging the core muscles in each movement. Muscle tone is increased through the practice of these poses which sculpts a longer leaner body.

The benefits of yoga workouts are many:

• Flexibility - moves use the full range of motion for your joints
• Strength - supports body weight in various poses
• Muscle tone - stretching moves promote longer leaner muscles

• Better breathing - breathing techniques use lungs fully to bring more oxygen to your body
• Mental calmness - meditation techniques to help you find your center
• Stress reduction - techniques to improve focus and filter out the "noise"
• Self and Body awareness - better posture and self-confidence

My favorite yoga DVDs and the ones that I recommend are:

• Yoga For Beginners


• Yoga For Weight Loss for Beginners
• Yoga for Stress Relief (With The Dalai Lama)

Yoga postures concentrate on proper alignment of the body. The pressure on the vertebra of the neck and back is reduced. Abdominal muscles are drawn in when the body is standing tall. Correct posture increases lung capacity and allows for deeper breathing.

A major part of yoga is breathing. These breathing techniques are called pranayama. Attention is paid to the movement of air into and out of the body. More air into the lungs means more oxygen throughout the body. Increased oxygenation to the brain aids in focus and mental acuity.

Yoga techniques reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Moms know how quickly the blood pressure can rise in a tense situation. Deeper breathing promotes mental calmness and stress reduction. Yoga helps women deal with stress without overtaxing their bodies.

Hand Yoga

Hand yoga gestures prevent the dissipation of the life force from the tips of the fingers. To facilitate this, one brings the fingers together in various ways, which creates certain subtle energy circuits. These circuits then channel the life force along particular pathways to affect the mind/body complex in specific ways.

Although the effects are subtle, the changes they produce can be sensed by those who have refined their self awareness.

We often forget that what we think can manifest itself in our bodies and not always for our good.
A hectic schedule can make you wish your body could go to the tropic place that your mind is imagining. Yoga emphasizes the mind-body connection. Over time, the poses become easier and the body relaxes in response to what you are asking it to do.

Yoga workouts can also be done by children. If childcare is an issue, include your kids in the workout. Even kids can benefit from decreased stress, increased flexibility, and muscle toning. You may be surprised at how much calmer and happier they are.

Yoga is a mind and body tool to keep busy women on the right track. The techniques promote balance in the body, which translates into a sense of balance and a happier, healthier life!

Return from Yoga Workouts to Workout Routines

Return from Yoga Workouts to Health and Fitness Source Home