What is Yoga

Yoga can be practiced by anyone of any shape, age, gender and flexible abilities. There are different levels to suit the needs of the individual. Just like Tai Chi, many of the movements or postures formed in Yoga are named after animals. The word Yoga derives from the root yuj which also means to yoke or to join, or the Union of individual spirits. Considered a systematic art, which includes discipline-using techniques for the mastery of the bodily organism, to render it healthy. Yoga is an art that is defined as a cultural system for perfecting or finely tuning the human body and for its efficiency. Practicing Yoga can help eliminate diseases and defects of the body, mind and spirit, to achieve happiness, for creating a healthy mental balance, enabling intelligence, finding true inner peace. A sound level of overall health and psychological consolidation must be achieved before the deeper aspects of yoga can be accomplished. Practising Yoga on a regular basis can help to overcome total physical end mental relaxation at its simplest level. Yoga is union with all. Yoga is a practical aid, not a religion, and it's techniques may be practised by buddhists, christians, muslims, jews, hindus and atheists alike.
If you would like to read more please visit the yoga page

Yoga and Chakra.

What are chakras?

'Chakra' originates from a Sanskrit word which means 'wheel'. If you work with them you can see them as individual primary chakra's as a rotating vortex or a wheel of energy, each one relating to the others. The energy spinning inwards towards the center point of that charkra on the front of the body then spinning outwards from the back at the same point as the front. There are hundreds of secondary chakras located throughout the body otherwise known as meridians which are used for acupuncture but there are seven primary chakra points. Just for your information, the Kundalini is a coil of energy and is fixed at the base of the spinal column. There are references of the word in the old testament where there are clues of Moses using the practice and its effects, the burning of the bush is one metaphor.
There are numerous religious metaphors for the process as the serpent energy is raised to the head.

Where are the Chakras?

They start from the base of the spine, each with its own colour, in a line, moving up the spinal column up through and onto the head on the Kundalini.


Base chakra which is red found at the base of the spine. Is deeply rooted, its the grounding force allowing us to connect to the energies of the earth filling us with empowerment. The adrenal glands and anus are related to the root chakra, In order to function properly and effectively, the root chakra needs to be grounded, without this you are spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically clumsy. Grounding on a daily basis enhances effective functioning.
Root/Base chakra stones: Ruby and red coral.
Root/Base chakra foods: food rich in protein, Root vegetables and hot peppery spices.



Sacral chakra which is Orange found in the lower abdomen. when functioning correctly can help balance the yin-yang. This is where an individuals creativity side is centered, it is also primarily thought of as the center for the sexual energy. also connected to the sacral chakra are sexual energy in general, emotions, vitality, reproduction, and fertility, if you are having any difficulties with these areas, then this chakra needs to be unblocked, this can be achieved by physical transmission of rhythmic energy.
Sacral Chakra stones: Tigers eye, Garnet, Moonstone and carnelian.
Sacral Chakra foods: Nuts, Honey, spices such as Vanilla, Carob, Caraway seeds,
Sesame seeds, Cinnamon and sweet paprika. Sweet fruits such as coconuts, oranges, Mango's, Melons, and more.


Solar Plexus chakra which is yellow found in the naval area and is related to our self esteem. During puberty and the development of the ego is found here. This is where you delve into the self to find your inner balance and boundary point. from here you find who you are and how to control your thoughts, your inner understanding of the physical world. relating to the digestive system, the solar plexus chakra is associated with action, empowerment, assertiveness and the ego. The life force or chi is found here if not functioning correctly can lead you to feeling tired, with drawn and powerless.
Solar Plexus chakra stones: Citrine, jasper and Topaz.
Solar Plexus chakra foods: carbohydrate, whole foods.


Heart chakra which is Green or Pink found in the heart area, the heart chakra is viewed as the love centre of the energy system. also associated with
Fear,Love,Pain,Grief,Heartbreak and other emotions intensely felt in this energy center, this is where the art of positive thinking comes in to play, by loving the self and believing in the self is a healthy form of therapy to build on balancing the heart chakra it is the purest form of healing. Placed where the unconditional love is based, it is a creative and powerful energy often leading and guiding us through unsettled times, it is constantly there and only needs our attention in order to free us from our limitations and fears. always try not to judge, but understand and accept. always try to love instead of hate. As long as we maintain a positive and loving thinking pattern creates a safe happy space for our selves.
Heart chakra stones: Rose quartz and rhodonite.
Heart chakra foods: Vegetables which are leafy, peas, avocados, kiwi fruit, green peppers, green apples, green grapes, and broccoli.


Throat chakra which is sky Blue found in the throat area, the center of our voice, here we are able to express ourselves, the point of communications.
In order to maintain a healthy throat chakra we must express ourselves honestly and openly, by telling untruths or by deception to others only blocks the throat chakras by energetically polluting it, it not only violates the ears of the listener but also our own bodies and spirits are harmed. Laryngitis, strep throat and speech impediments are the cause of imbalance caused if we fail to express our true feelings or try to evade our true words.Tell the truth with out being harsh, try to be humble, open and receptive, when judgement impales your thought, try to look inside and find the truth, when we look inside for the truth, we trust our own intuitive.
Throat chakra stones:Aquamarine, Chrysocolla, Sapphire, Lapis, Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, and blue topaz
Throat chakra foods: Blue cabbage, Blueberries and eggplant.



Brow/Third eye chakra which is Indigo found on the brow, also known as the third eye chakra, related to our mental calculations and thought process. through the third eye chakra,
we are able to assess our past experiences our life patterns putting them all into perspective. Through the third eye chakra we are able to separate fantasy from
reality enabling us to understand what we see physically and mentally. A receptive brow chakra that auric hues and other visual insights are intuited clairvoyant.
This chakra is related to inner vision, imagination and physical abilities also to the pituitary gland as is a link between the inner and outer world of our
being. When the brow chakra is not functioning correctly, there can be problems with headaches and eye tension.
Brow/Third eye chakra stones:Blue Obsidian, Celestine, Blue Tourmaline, Amethyst, Lavender Quartz, Garnet, and Lepidolite.
Brow/Third eye chakra foods: Grapes, brinjals and Asparagus.


Crown chakra which is Violet or White found on the top of the head, when functioning correctly this chakra allows the inner communication between the spiritual nature to
take place. once opened the crown chakra acts as a pathway for the universal life force to enter our bodies, travelling down into the other chakras. Often
considered as the lotus flower, its petals are seen as a spiritual awakening, The Crown chakra, like a bottomless well,is where intuitive knowledge is drawn from.
The crown chrakra is related to the pineal gland. When you are able to connect to the Christ consciousness is said that we are able to release all that is negative
which are born from old past negative influences. Our fear turns to courage, and guilt turns to acceptance.
Crown chakra stones: Golden Beryl, Howlite, Lavender Quartz, Amethyst, Ametrine, and Diamonds.
Crown chakra foods: Endives, Mushrooms, soy beans and olives.

I hope this has been of some use. to learn more about yoga please see our yoga book or listen to our yoga cd If your company wishes to learn yoga as a group then visit our corporate yoga page to learn more.

yoga and diet.

Yoga and Diet

Eating the right food to coincide with the other four principles of yoga is essential to a healthier body and lifestyle, a healthy diet compliments your yoga exercises, breathing, relaxation and meditation. It is important to eat a well balanced diet, you will notice the benefits by feeling fitter and quicker. Although yoga diet is not your average diet, you can lose weight eating healthier foods, if you don't wish to become a vegetarian, just following the basic yoga diet plan will make you that much fitter.

Fasting

Yoga diet is not always about what you eat, it's also about fasting also, this is a form of physical cleansing, purification. By fasting we are giving our digestive systems a chance to rest, on average, we make our digestive organs work three times a day, that is OK if the right foods are consumed but a rest is always good. Fasting helps our body to rest from over indulgence, also to free us from toxin. We must be careful on how to fast. simple guide lines must be taken.

• Always go one day at a time, this will give you a feel on how fasting can feel and how you cope with it, if you do one day at a time this makes going for longer periods in the future, you will adjust easier.
  

• If you are someone who eats three full meals a day and have a habit of snacking in between meals, then fasting will not be easy for you. maybe if you try eating one healthy meal a day with vegetables and grains for lunch and instead of snacking on food, drink fresh juices and water instead, not only will this be beneficial to your health, it will also make fasting one day at a time easier for when you are ready.
  

• There are different types of fasting, water, fruit juices or vegetable juices, when you have decided which one suits you best, stick to it, sip slowly, it is advisable to take around seven glasses a day whilst fasting.
  

• The idea of fasting is to try and proceed to increasing the amount of days in which to fast. some people can go for 5 days fasting but if you find it difficult, try snacking on days in between on light foods such as vegetables, soups, fruits or juices then fast the following day, eventually, your body will become adapted to fasting easier.
  

The right foods

• A proper yoga diet comprises of the following
• Wholemeal bread
• cereals
• Yogurt
• fresh fruit
• fresh veg
• pastas, potatoes and rice
• fruit juices
• milk
• seeds
• nuts and lintels
• cheese
• butter
• herbs
• honey
• wholemeal foods.

Despite beliefs and suspicions from meat eaters, vegetarians actually have a better balance diet than if they were meat eaters themselves. Everything a vegetarian eats has all the vital ingredients, not all vegetarian food is uninteresting, bland or dull. compared to meat eaters, vegetarians have a lower track record of heart diseases, cancer, kidney diseases and stroke, their Resistance to such diseases are stronger also, cases of obesity is lower in vegetarians than meat eaters.

I hope this has been of use to you. If you wish to know more please visit our web page on the yoga book or if you would like your company or a group to get involved with yoga then go see our corporate page. also have a look at the yoga CD

Yoga and relaxation.

Yoga and relaxation

Relaxation is one of the five main principles in Yoga and is as vital as the other four, when practiced properly the effects are rewarding. There are three areas in which to concentrate on becoming completely relaxed, I will go a little more into depth explaining their effects shortly. They are physical relaxation, mental relaxation and Spiritual relaxation, all are obtainable and very beneficial for a healthier, happier mind, body and spirit.

Many people have forgotten the importance of relaxing, it is natures way of recharging the bodies batteries. Watching T.V. or reading the News paper, drinking a cup of tea or hot chocolate maybe even listening to music, these are ways to relax physically but what about the mind? Is it racing with thoughts flitting in and out? When the mind is restless the body is unable to ease, free your thoughts to quiet the mind. Are you spiritually at ease? Like the mind, if your thoughts are unsettled or ugly, the body cannot obtain complete peace. To be truly relaxed you need to have the ability to practice all three areas.

Here are a few tips on how to practice towards better relaxation.

Physical relaxation: This exercise is known as the corpse pose. Lie on your back, steady your breathing, make it regular, slow and deep,imagine if you can a wave of relaxation starting off in the toes, imagine they are warm and heavy. Allow this feeling to slowly spread up and throughout the feet, ankles, the shins and into the knees. Let the sensation sink deep into the skin and further still into the bones. Allow the feeling to continue up into the thighs, hips waist and stomach, the lower half of your body should be feeling totally relaxed and heavy, this is good. Continue to spread this wave of relaxation up, around and throughout the upper part of the body, slowly, concentrating on your breathing, focusing on the body parts you want to relax. You may find that by the time you have reached your arms,
there is a sense of peaceful numbness in your lower half, this is what you want. Now allow your thoughts to concentrate on your right hand and arm, moving slowly up
and across the shoulders into the left hand and arm, feel the tingling in your fingers as they rest. Focus on the tension flowing away from your body as you continue to breath deep and slow, feel the warmth travel into your neck, your face, the back and finally onto the top of your head. feel your body as it lies safe on the ground. When you have finished you will not find any tension, you will be completely relaxed.

Mental relaxation: It is almost impossible to relax if your mental state is unstable or uneasy. The mind can become overloaded because of a variety of stimulants.
The mind when troubled, or worried can cause physical fatigue, by worrying we use a lot of energy, but it is not the kind of energy that results on relaxation, it is an energy that drains us, often leading to tension which uses more energy than physical work. It is important each day to set aside a little time to release tension, to allow the mind to unwind. In times of mental stress, try to concentrate on your breathing, breath slow and rhythmically just for several minutes, this breathing method will require conscious effort, but enable you to home in on your thought patterns to calm your busy mind, leading to an inner peace which coincides with the physical relaxation.

Spiritual relaxation: When I mention spiritual relaxation, I am referring to the inner self at ease, which is often followed by finely tuning physical and mental relaxation. To me, reaching a spiritual relaxation is realizing that true happiness comes from within, that you and you alone can bring peace to your soul through your own spiritual beliefs and feelings.

I hope this has been of some use to you.

You can find more about how to relaxation correctly for a healthier mind and body in the book "The Sivananda Yoga Training Manual". A comprehensive booklet outlining the five principles of yoga. You will find the Yoga book

If your workforce could do with healthier lifestyles you may consider Corporate Yoga for your workplace. Also take a look at the Yoga CD

Yoga and Exercise

Yoga and exercise.

The basics.

How easy is it to get started? Very, all you need is a positive attitude, loose fitting clothes, a willingness to open yourself to learning, to enlightenment. It is normally advisable to practice yoga on an empty stomach.

There are Yoga poses to partake in and they are as followed:

• Warm up Poses: This is a general warm up to loosen tight muscles, each level of yoga can offer different levels of warm ups.

• standing Poses: Again it all depends on what level yoga sessions you attend or practice, in general this covers hands to feet Pose, triangle Pose, sun salutation, Tree Pose, Stretch Pose, Warrior Pose and Stand spread leg forward fold.
  

• Seated Poses: These are exercises whilst seated, it is normal practice to use a yoga mat. The poses from this position again, according to the level you are on. Child Pose, Hero Pose, Spread leg forward fold, and seated forward bend.
  

• Supine Poses: This means exercise on your back, face up. Leg pulls, Leg raises, loctus Pose, Leg reclining Lunge and wind relieving Pose.

• Twist Poses: These exercises are wonderful for strengthening the back also for massaging the abdominal regions and improving the digestive system. The half spinal twist and sage twist.
  

• Back bends: These exercises are good for strengthening the arms, legs and abdomen and Offering flexibility in the spine.

• Inverted Postures,Balance Poses: These exercises are for increasing circulation, improving glandular system functioning, stimulating the brain and abdominal pressure relief. Plough, Headstand and Shoulder stand.
  

• Finishing Poses: These are as the title states, a relaxation for the end of a session.The final Corpse, The Corpse Pose or Savasana.
  

Yoga exercises are set in place to maintain a healthy mind as well as body, if you persevere with all the yoga pose the benefits are very rewarding, for mind, body and spirit. The beauty about Yoga practice is that you can practice at home or the office or any place you feel comfortable, it is always advisable not to exceed your limits, never go beyond your comfort zone unless you know what your are doing. You can book into a class where a professional Yoga teacher can offer you sound advice also teach you new techniques.

If you want to know more about yoga exercises and the other main principles then you may want to take a look at our yoga book. If you are looking towards
practicing corporate yoga and it's benefits then you may want to visit our corporate yoga page. Please take a look at our Yoga CD page

I hope this information has been of some use to you.

SEO and keyword/phrases

SEO and Keyword/Phrases

Keyword and/or keyword phrases are one of the most important Assets in the search engine optimisation business, it is important because it is what a prospective customer or visitor to your site may be looking for.

The keyword/phrase tool I find most effective which I use all the time is Google Adwords, it would be a good idea to create a google account, this will enable you access to this useful keyword tool. Once you have been granted access. Click on Advertising Programmes, next, click on Google Adwords, this will bring you to a page with a green bar, click on opportunities, about half way down on the next page on the left hand side you will come across the header 'Tools', click on Keyword Tool, this should bring you to the Keyword tool page.

There is a box in the centre of the page just below where it states 'Enter one keyword or phrase per line'. In that box type in your preferred keyword or keyphrase, if you are unaware of the differences between keyword and keyphrase search, 'keyword' is a single word search and a 'keyphrase' comprises of two words or more. Here's an example of what to do. In the box I typed the word 'jumprope' then pressed the 'Get keyword button', immediately below this button
there is a button titled 'Choose columns to be displayed', hit the down arrow symbol, in this incident I have opted for the 'Advertiser Competition' and also for 'The Local search volume'. The advertiser competition option lets you see the competition for how high or low the competition is for your chosen keyword/phrase, and the local search volume option gives you the figures as to how many searches were made on your keyword/phrase search.

When I hit the 'get keyword ideas' button the results show that the competition for the word 'jumprope' is pretty high this is indicated by a small oblong shaped box, the more blue, the higher the competition. Ideally you need the competition to be as low as possible in order to give you a better chance to get your website to the first page of the search engine. On the left, you will notice a list of additional keywords to be considered, it would be beneficial to you if you take a look, there are often some hidden gems just waiting to be found. For example 'wooden skipping rope' shows there is less competition and there are more people searching for that particular keyphrase.

I also like to use another solution for finding keyword/phrase traffic by opening another browser window, in the search engine I type in the desired keyword/phrase this is the Result, 1 - 10 of about 2,900,000 for jumprope. This is the figure of how many websites/people are using jumprope as their keyword. This is not especially good as there are only 480 Local searches. Try using another suggested keyword/phrase on the Adwords page. When investigation further, I came across the keyphrase , as mentioned earlier 'Wooden skipping rope' the results told another story, showing an 880 local search volume, the competition Results 1 - 10 of about 163,000 for wooden skipping rope. The difference is staggering and can make for a successful business if the website had 'wooden skipping rope' in the title.

The secret to finding the perfect keyword/phrase is to keep thinking of varied ways of phrasing or sometimes miss-spelling a word works well.

If you want to know more about SEO then please visit Oneklick

I hope this information has been of some use to you.

Meditation and yoga.

Yoga and meditation.


What is meditation?

Meditation derives from the latin words Mederi and meditari. Mederi meaning is to heal and meditari meaning is to think. Relaxation for the brain.

Meditation means awareness. meditation takes its form in many ways, being aware of your breathing, lying in darkness listening to rian falling, sitting outdoors listening to the birds, infact it can be anything that eases you, anything that does not distract your mind from the moment, it
occurs when you are only aware of the moment you feel free, when the mind is scatter free, true inner peace. Meditation is a way of life, it is not prayer.

Meditation has become popular in the modern world with a variety of people. Although there are many beneficial aspects in meditating, it still has to be properly understood.

In yoga, meditation is one of the 5 principles to a healthier being, it can be truely attained by going through several stages, your personal state of mind, your posture, and your breathing, what follows is the relaxation and then your mind and body moves into the advanced stages
of meditation. The advanced stages are deeper concentration, reflection, and total immersion. You don't have to be able to perfect one of these stages in order to move on to the next, effectively meditation works using all of the stages integrated. There are instructors who will concentrate on one stage rather than all, but whichever works for you, use it.


If you want to learn more about meditation or the 5 principles of yoga, then click on the yoga book link. You can buy "The sivinanda yoga training manual".
from the shiva yoga for all website. You may also be interested in taking a look at corporate yoga
Please take a look at our yoga CD page.

I hope this information has been of some use to you.