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Monday, April 14, 2008

The Power Behind Yoga - See How Practicing Yoga Heals the Human Body

Practicing yoga is one of the best physical and emotional healers available. Anyone can practice yoga and benefit from it and there are some very basic reasons why. Besides the obvious physical benefits of a yoga workout, you also reap many positive emotional rewards. Stress is a leading cause of physical problems, such as cardio-vascular diseases, arthritis, reproductive problems, depression, anxiety and autoimmune diseases. Yoga has such a powerful effect on our stress levels that our general physical health improves.

Yogic exercises improve breathing and blood circulation. Your muscles gently stretch and relax. You gain physical strength, which helps your body stay healthy and heal. Strong bodies will help us be resilient and bounce back from stress-related illness.

Yoga helps us relax by using proper breathing techniques and gentle, but strong poses. These poses act on our parasympathetic nervous system, which often needs help processing the damage that constant stress can cause. A sudden increase in heart rate, blood pressure, shallow breathing, muscle tensing and excessive sweating are signs that a natural stress reaction is in full-swing! Our bodies, through our nervous system, can handle some of the stress easily and naturally, but many of us (most of us) are on overload -- we can be under so much stress that we have forgotten what "normal" feels like. Thats when our natural coping mechanism begins to become overwhelmed and sickness occurs. Yoga helps with that stress; it helps us return to a healthy balance.

Continuous stress increases levels of cortisol in our body, which in turn suppresses the immune system resulting in serious health problems like those mentioned above and other symptoms like sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite. Stress can cause wear and tear on organs as well, a symptom that might not be immediately apparent, but takes its toll in the long run.

Practicing yoga regularly lowers your respiration and heart rates, and your blood pressure. It stimulates and aids in digestion and helps regulate blood flow to all of your important organs and systems: digestive, reproductive, glandular, circulatory and immune! Yoga boosts our well-being and keeps us healthy.

Yogas asanas (physical poses) enhance blood and fluid circulation. Breathing exercises strengthen the lungs and help us regain peace of mind. Often people who regularly practice yoga reduce their dependence on medicines or other therapies.

However, do not simply toss your medication as soon as you begin practicing yoga. You do not become unwell overnight and you will likely not heal overnight, but positive effects will come. By decreasing cortisol and reducing stress levels in the body, yoga will physically make you feel better than you ever have. Its strengthening postures will give you strength and endurance that you may not have before experienced. Yoga will also help you put worldly problems into perspective, which will bring you a great sense of peace.

To learn more about the health benefits of yoga please visit Hot-Yoga-Tips.info where you will find life enhancing information on yoga for elders, yoga for men, yoga for women and the many different branches of yoga that are being practiced by thousands of yoga enthusiasts.

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Never Let Go of Your Dreams or Goals: Compliments are Kryptonite, Doubters are Fuel

Have you ever had someone doubt your abilities? Even subtly?

A friend, family member, a work mate and yes, maybe even someone you look up to.

The winter after my senior season I had one of these experiences I'll never forget. A conversation with my college linebacker coach, Steve Telander is a good example.

Ever since I was a young chap, I always wanted to play professional football.

In a discussion with T (as I called him) regarding playing at the next level he felt it his duty, to sit me down and have a talk. I wasn't getting the calls I expected from pro teams to play professionally. He felt it was his duty to break the news to me in a soft way by telling me a story. Story telling was one of 'T's' favorite ways of teaching.

Essentially, he was easing me down from perch of playing at the next level. and maybe to hang up my cleats and move on with my life.

You know, soften the blow a bit. Little did he know; he did the opposite.

Here's the story he shared with me.

There were three micro-organisms clinging to a rock in the middle of the Amazon river.

One day one micro organism said to the others. "Where we currently live is great but I want to explore new lands and live somewhere else. I hear just down the way is a wonderful place to live filled with lush vegetation and beautiful life forms."

When the other two heard this, they were appalled. No one ever left their rock - ever.

In anger one responded by saying, "Why would you ever leave this place? We have it so well. A beautiful view of the Amazon seeing for thousands of millimeters in all directions, a good source of food everywhere. Plus, let's say you let go of the rock, I heard there are several plankton and other horrible creatures that will eat you up. If you get past them, their is a terrible waterfall that you are surely not to survive if you go over."

The adventurous micro said, "Well those are the chances I'll just have to take."

Night fell and a few days went by. Nothing more was said regarding the subject. Then one morning the two micros looked around and didn't see the third. He had let go of the rock.

Cut to the adventurous micro floating down the river. Yes, he had let go and let the current take him down the river.

What he discovered as the current quickly moved him down the river was a plush new greenery. The color was vibrant and new. He passed by beautiful coral colored fish.

There were nothing up the food chain that devoured him, no water fall. He was so happy he had let go of the rock and instantly began enjoying his new life.

"Vince," Coach T said, "Maybe it's time to let go of the rock?"

"Rock, rock, rock..." I can still hear those words in my head today and they send chills down my spine.

This shook my foundation because here I looked up to T and respected him greatly. This was the last person I thought I'd hear it from.

At that very moment, I discovered something about myself I never knew.

This talk energized me. I don't know how you are with people doubting you but when I hear someone doubt my goals, it stirs something inside.

It's fuel for my fire. Compliments are the opposite they're like Kryptonite for me.

I smiled at T and thank him for all his help over the last year.

That summer I got a call (out of the blue) to play professionally over in Germany.

Unlike the advice given to me I HELD on to my vision of playing after college and ironically similar to that micro-organism, I discovered new lands both internally and externally. Plus, I met exotic and interesting people and ate delicious new foods. And made a great living doing so.

It was a defining part of my development.

Let people doubt you. It's okay. Make it your fuel for your fire. Les Brown says, "I make no my vitamin."

When you have this kind of attitude you become a man or woman on a mission.

This is easy to do when you hold a vision in your head so clear you could vividly pull it up on your radar screen- literally and figuratively.

If you think and imagine a new life this builds your foundation for success.

Silence the critics and go after your dream - even if they are people you trust and respect.

Then one day you can write an email about them and you'll enjoy typing every word in your message.

Conceive, Believe Achieve,

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