On Friday, January 8th, I watched Martha Stewart’s television show that was devoted to the subject of yoga. Her entire audience was dressed in yoga clothes, each on a mat as they demonstrated a variety of poses during the show. You can see this image on her website for this event.

I am in the process of creating some yoga based designs to post on Zazzle.com. I already have a lot of products on CafePress but Zazzle has postage you can buy with original designs. More on that later.

Several days ago I created 3 yoga postage designs.

Postage stamp designs have to be approved before they are available for purchase. Two designs were approved within 24 hours. I was waiting for the 3rd approval which was the first design and one I use on my logo header in this blog.  Right after viewing the Martha show I received the following email notifying me that my design was rejected because it was pornographic. WHAT?!

Also on the Martha Stewart show were some pretty wild poses, including this one shown below. Is this pornographic?

I would love to have reader’s input on this issue.

Meanwhile, if anyone would like this design you can find it on a variety of T-shirt styles, sizes and colors find it here by clicking on the image at the bottom of the page.

a

Related posts:

1. Free Astro Yoga Babe eBook
2. Yoga Inspiration contest!

Included below are some of these poses recommended. I have added one of my images to illustrate the pose along with instructions for how to do the pose.

You can read Chris Ramos full article by clicking on his name below.

Managing Back Pain With Yoga
By Chris Ramos

. . .  Most back problems are related to weak back muscles and absence of flexibility from the body, which causes even the smallest amount if pressure or strain on the back to cause pain in the area. In order to lead a healthy and pain free life, people suffering from either acute or mild back pain should learn to manage it with the help of yoga. Currently there are many forms of yoga practice that are easily available in all Western countries, so it is quite simple to change your lifestyle to incorporate yoga into it for a healthier life.

. . .  Hot yoga, Iyengar, Anusara, Ashtanga are all great examples of yoga forms that promote physical fitness as well as mental wellbeing. Most of the basic postures in all these types of yoga are the same, with few specialized changes in each.

Apart from injury invoked back pain, the most frequent causes of back related problems include bad posture, utilization of incorrect bending and lifting techniques, excessive weight gain, weak back muscles and stress which causes the neck and shoulders to spasm resulting in pain shooting throughout the back. . . . When a proper yoga exercise routine is followed, it gradually aids in achieving a good posture, strengthens the muscles, assists weight loss and relives stress. . . .

. . . For people who already follow a yoga system, they can substantially reduce and eventually eliminate back pain by incorporating the following asanas into your regular practice:

Corpse: As this pose relaxes the entire body it is beneficial in reducing stress and tension which causes back pain.

Instructions

1. Lying on your back, let the arms and legs drop open, with the arms about 45 degrees from the side of your body. Make sure you are warm and comfortable, if you need to place blankets under or over your body.
2. Close the eyes, and take slow deep breaths through the nose. Allow your whole body to become soft and heavy, letting it relax into the floor. As the body relaxes, feel the whole body rising and falling with each breath.
3. Scan the body from the toes to the fingers to the crown of the head, looking for tension, tightness and contracted muscles. Consciously release and relax any areas that you find. If you need to, rock or wiggl part sof your body from side to side to encourage further release.
4. Release all control of the breath, the mind, and the body. Let your body move deeper and deeper into a state of total relaxation.
5. Stay in Shavasana for 5 to 15 minutes.
6. To release: slowly deepen the breath, wiggle the fingers and toes, reach the arms over your head and stretch the whole body, exhale bend the knees into the chest and roll over to one side coming into a fetal position. When you are ready, slowly inhale up to a seated position.

The Corpse pose is essential to practice at the end of every yoga practice. This posture rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit while reducing stress and tension.

Cobra Pose: This is an important pose used for stretching and strengthening the entire length of the spine. It is very useful in developing back muscles and reducing pain.

Instructions

1. Lie on your belly, with the chin on the floor, palms flat on the floor under the shoulders and legs together.
2. Pull up the knee caps, squeeze the thighs and buttocks, engage mula bandha, and press the pubic bone down into the floor.
3. Without using the arms, inhale and lift the head and chest off of the floor, keeping the neck in line with the spine.
4. With the elbows close to your sides, press down into the palms and use the arms to lift you up even higher. Drop the shoulders down and back and press the chest forward. Keep the legs, buttocks, and mula bandha strong, and keep the pubic bone pressing down into the floor.
5. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths.
6. To release: exhale and slowly lower the chest and head to the floor. Turn the head to one side and rest, rock the hips from side to side to release any tension in the low back.

The Cobra posture opens the chest, strengthens the core body, aligns the spine and invigorates the kidneys and nervous system.

Cat Pose: This posture helps improve blood flow trough the spine, which could be a cause of the pain. Once the blood flow increases, it will reduce the pain in turn.

Instructions

1. From Table pose, exhale and tuck the tail bone under, round the spine and let the head drop down.
2. Press into the palms to drop the shoulders away from the ears and to reach the middle and upper back up towards the ceiling.
3. Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths, or vinyasa between cat pose and dog pose, inhaling into dog and exhaling into cat.
4. To release, inhale and flatten the back moving into Table.

Cat pose stretches the middle to upper back and shoulders.

Fish Pose: Strengthens the back and improves posture which is improves back problems.

Instructions

1. Lying on your back with the arms along side your body and the legs a few inches apart, slide the hands palms down under the tops of the thighs, just below the buttocks. Have the elbows slightly bent, next to the sides of your torso.
2. Pressing into the elbows, use the arms to lift the chest up, arching the spine, and rolling on to the crown of the head. Do not use the head or neck to support the posture, use the arms, torso, buttocks and legs to continue to lift the chest towards the ceiling. Little or no weight should be on the head.
3. Breathe and hold for 3-8 breaths.
4. To release: slowly remove all of the weight off of the head and gently lower the back of the head, the neck and then the spine back down to the floor. Remove the hands from under the legs.

Benefits: Fish pose deeply opens the chest and increases flexibility of the spine. Fish also stimulates the cardiovasc.

These are just a few poses that are beneficial for improving the back, but like all forms of exercise, caution should be used while practicing them and the body should not be pushed beyond its limits, in order to reap the maximum benefit of yoga for managing the back pain.

a

No related posts.

Cobra Yoga Pose Print, 11 X 17" - $10

The Cobra Pose

by Sherry Holistan

The Cobra pose is usually known as Bhujangasana in Eastern countries like India. “Bhujanga” means cobra in the Sanskrit language and hence the name which is widely accepted in the West.

The Cobra pose is greatly effective as it can relieve certain types of lower back aches as over time it strengthens the lower back.

In the pose or the Bhujangasana the body faces downwards where as the upper body is curled upwards. This allows the body to resemble a cobra which is ready to strike with its head raised. The cobra pose is usually the first to be practised in the series of backward bending poses which is usually followed by asanas like the Locust pose and bow postures.

The warm up of the muscles of the back is a must before a fully fledged performance of the yoga cobra pose as it requires powerful movement of the back bone muscles. The Cobra pose if practised without proper warm up, like any yoga pose or physical exercise, may result in strained muscles.

While performing it one should exercise caution not to push the physical limitations of one and one should only extend to the limit which is comfortable for oneself without straining one’s back. One of the tips to check if one is performing within the limits of ones strength is to remove the hands off the floor for a second so that the body will adjust to a height which is safe as well as comfortable.

The pose is highly beneficial for the lower back as it results in enhanced flexibility of the back. This is mainly because of the powerful backward stretch allowed by the Cobra pose. Spinal nerves are rejuvenated and strengthened by the regular practice of these types of positions. This posture is especially recommended for women as it relieves them from some menstrual problems as well as effectively tones the uterus as well as the ovaries. It also helps in achieving firm and strong buttocks. The traditional Indian texts are of the opinion that the pose increases internal heat of the body which boosts the immunity and fights diseases. They are also of the opinion that it is a helpful pose to awaken the kundalini.

People who have an injured back should not perform the yoga cobra pose. The cobra pose should be avoided by pregnant ladies as well. Also, the patients of hernia should not perform this pose, as it can aggravate the suffering. It is best to get instruction from a qualified instructor either in a class or from good yoga DVDs.

Sherry Holistan is a Hatha, Vinyasa and Bakti Yoga Practitioner.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Holistan

a

Related posts:

1. Yoga Babe Fairie does a Downward Dog to Warrior Pose
2. Prenatal Yoga and Its Many Benefits

Click on the image to find more Swine Flu help.

“The news which has dominated the world and made people forget about recession and other related issues has to do with swine flu. So what exactly is swine flu and why has it caused such an impact? Swine Flu also known as the H1N1 flu is one of the several kinds of swine influenza virus. It is predominantly found only in pigs. People with regular exposure to pigs are at more risk. The outbreak is due to a new strain and it has spread across the world causing loss of life and prompting the WHO (World Health Organization) to declare it as “public health emergency of international concern”. The vaccine that is used to treat it is known as Tami flu. This is the conventional form of treatment.

So how do you prevent the virus affecting you or your loved ones? It has been found that people with the least immune strength are the first to get affected. People with asthma as well as other respiratory problems are among the high risk groups. How does one strengthen the immune system and get rid of respiratory problems at the same time? The solution lies in the ancient and widely practiced form of science called Yoga.

Yoga has different types of asanas which strengthen the lungs and correct form of breathing has been found to effectively cure and prevent a number of diseases. Pranayama or the breathing exercise strengthens the internal organs, the nerves and glands of the body. The major types of Pranayama are Nadi Sodhana, Shitali Pranayama, Ujjayi Pranayama, Kapalbhati Pranayama and Digra Pranayama. Regular practice has been found to increase the immunity. An individual whose entire body is strong stands a better chance of fighting swine flu.

a

Related posts:

1. Virgo Yoga Babe Time

Taurus the bull is the sign of the builder. Taurus is an earth sign born from April 21st to May 21st. Your ruler is the planet Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Your colors are blue and mauve. Your gem is emerald. The body parts ruled by Taurus are the neck and throat. Your best quality is dependability. Among other things you are True, Tranquil, Tolerant, and Tactile, ruled by Venial Venus.

You can find a more detailed and interesting discussion on the sign of Taurus on one of my favorite blogs, Learning Curve on the Ecliptic.

The Lotus and The Stars site has a section called Astro-Yoga and has this to say about Taurus and Yoga:

Taurus epitomizes stamina and endurance, and this series builds both qualities. The downward-facing dog, at the heart of the series, enhances upper body strength while bringing more blood to the brain. The posture strengthens the abdominals and legs and energizes the body. The palms and the soles of the feet are grounded and connected with the earth. The counter posture, the cobra or upward-facing dog, tones the entire spine, corrects poor posture, and stretches the muscles from the lower back to the neck and shoulders. The posture also increases circulation to the spine and aids digestion.

For pictures go to the Astro-Yoga Taurus page.

A note about why I chose the pose of a seated meditation for the yoga position of Taurus is that Taurus is a fixed sign and that’s the image that came to me first. The downward-facing dog pose feels very appropriate as well.

By clicking on the clock image you will be taken to the Taurus YogaBabe shop.

a

Related posts:

1. Pisces Yoga Babe Time

a

Related posts:

1. New clothes for the Yoga Babe Fairie Warrior
2. Yoga Fairie Headstand
3. Yoga Babe and Her Cat Play Warrior

This illustrated Yoga pose is the beginning of a forthcoming series YogaBabe Fairie Stories. Stay tuned.

a

Related posts:

1. New clothes for the Yoga Babe Fairie Warrior
2. Greetings all Yoga Babes!
3. Yoga Babe Fairie does a Downward Dog to Warrior Pose

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDYIUkN94cM

a

Related posts:

1. More Yoga Face Exercises

Click on the image to download my FREE Astro Yoga Babe Catalog with all 12 signs of the Zodiac designs. This eBook will show you the poses for each sign in large full color format with a short description for each sign. Both the front and back of the designs are included along with smaller samples of what the design looks like on a few of the T-shirts. The eBook allows you to get a better idea of what the illustrations look like before ordering.

Even if you are not interested in buying an Astro Yoga Babe T-shirt at this time you will find the eBook of interest for Astrology Babes or would be Astro Yoga Babes.

While this Astro Yoga Babe eBook is free I would appreciate it if you would send me an email telling me that got the book and letting me know if you would like to receive my forthcoming eBooks which will be posted soon.

send email to adele@adeleart.com

I would also appreciate a comment posed here on any suggestions you may have.

a

Related posts:

1. It’s Scorpio Yoga Babe Time
2. Astro-Yoga for Astro YogaBabes
3. It’s Libra Yoga Babe Time!