Articles by Jez Heath

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By Jez HeathApr 5, 20091 topic

Sirsasana (Headstand) â The Queen of Yoga Poses

Sirsasana meaning headstand is considered to be one of the most important yoga poses. Sirsasana is known as "the queen of poses", and the reason relates to the effect it has on the brain and mind. The inversion of this pose causes increased and unrestricted blood flow to the brain. This brings increased oxygen, nutrient and vitality providing energy to the mind, clarity of thought and ease of concentration. nnThe increased blood flow to the head stimulates the pituitary gland

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathSep 21, 20071 topic

What Is Pranayama

nAs we become more familiar with yoga and the Indian tradition of the 8 limbs of Hatha yoga, we are likely to hear of Pranayama or yoga breathing and practice some of the techniques in this limb of yoga. While some styles of yoga encourage the combination of asana and Pranayama (primarily ujjayi breathing), Pranayama is a separate limb of yoga and is usually practiced separately to yoga asana.nnPranayama is comprised of the root words "Prana" meaning breath or life force, "ya

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathMar 21, 20071 topic

Discover How a Commitment to Yoga Can Change Your Life Forever

While itâs true that youâll get out of your practice only as much as youâre willing or able to put into it, a committed approach to your practice can help you in ways that youâve never expected. Indeed practicing yoga could be the platform and motivation you need to completely transform your life.nnThe basic benefits of yoga are widely documented and have been extensively researched. Research into the more controversial benefits of yoga continue â at the time of wri

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathMar 21, 20071 topic

Recharge And Relax At Work With These Simple Techniques

Our busy lifestyles and work demands mean that we often find it difficult to exercise our bodies as frequently as we should. This leads to tiredness, stress and reduced work performance.nnHowever taking a short break to complete a few simple yoga postures at your desk can help to relieve stress and tiredness and refresh you for another work session.nnTo help you reduce the effects of working long hours at a desk or in front of a computer, Total.Yoga.Practice suggests you peri

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathMar 21, 20071 topic

Give Yourself A Boost At Work With These Simple, Refreshing Tips

Continued concentration over long periods required in the modern workplace can be demanding on your mind and your body. The stress and fatigue felt by many of us can impact our work performance â and lead to ongoing stress and exhaustion when you get home.nnHowever taking a short break to complete a few simple yoga postures at your desk can help to relieve stress and tiredness and refresh you for another work session.nnTo help you reduce the effects of working long hours at

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathAug 23, 20071 topic

Yoga as an Effective Treatment for Back Pain

About 90% of us will suffer from some for of lower back pain during our adult lives. When this happens many of us as back pain sufferers will be given treatment advice that doesn't really treat the underlying causes of our back pain, focusing instead on simply trying to manage the symptoms with painkillers and other drugs. nn But clinical studies have found that most forms of low back pain respond well to conservative (non-surgical) treatments. These simple treatments can rea

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathJul 13, 20071 topic

What is Yoga Asana

Regardless of what particular school or type of yoga we practice, it is unlikely that many of us are really practicing yoga. Rather we are more likely to focus on only 1 of the 8 limbs of yoga - yoga asana.n n Yoga asana are the physical positions and postures of yoga that started were really only starting to develop in importance with the development of Hatha Yoga. While exact dates are not well established, yoga has existed for a lot longer than the practice of modern asana

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathJun 10, 20071 topic

The Stratospheric Rise of Yoga Brings Opportunities and Challenges

Over the last 20 years, the popularity of yoga has increased from nearly no interest to being one of the most popular exercise regimes around. To match the increasing demand for yoga, more and more yoga centers are opening all the time. For those of us looking for something new, or just starting out for the first time, the choices can be daunting.nnThere are many different schools and styles of yoga including Iyengar, Ashtanga, power yoga, Bikram (hot), Kundilini, Viniyoga to

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathMar 7, 20071 topic

Benefiting from the unbearable - Pain in our yoga practice

Pain is without doubt an integral part of yoga practice. But is it really something that should be avoided at all costs? Of course pain is our body's way of telling us that it's not comfortable with the posture we're holding. Throughout our practice we should be conscious and listen to our body's messages. To really start gaining the benefits of yoga we need to practice to make the unbearable bearable.nn There’s pain and then there’s PAIN nBefore going any further

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathApr 1, 20071 topic

Finding inspiration - can other students improve your yoga?

Many of us that regularly go to yoga classes will have heard the instructor telling us not to look at others in the room, but instead to think about our own practice. There is no doubt about the truth of this advice. When making these comments, the instructors are reminding us to practice yoga without the ego and pride that can lead us to try to compete with our neighbours or make us feel inadequate if we are unable to achieve a posture.nnn Learning from ourselves nnYoga is a

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathFeb 27, 20071 topic

If youâre serious about being healthy, get in front of a computer

Marketing companies are constantly inventing new and expensive fads to help us exercise, lose weight and get healthy. But if weâre really going to get results, itâs probably just best to do more and more of the things we already enjoy. Frankly there arenât any shortcuts to good health and fitness, the only real way to be healthy is through a good diet and good exercise. nTo get results, we need to commit to a regular schedule, ideally we should be doing something every

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathMay 7, 20071 topic

Learning to Love the Yoga We All Hate

Listen in to conversations after any yoga session, and we’re almost guaranteed to hear someone discussing this or that yoga pose that they hate and wish they never need to do again – ever.nnBut why is it that there are certain yoga poses that we just dread? We can feel them coming, and start to hope the instructor isn’t going to do it this time. Then we inwardly cringe when the instructor even mentions that posture’s name. Simply recognising our reacti

Primary topic: Yoga

Yoga

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By Jez HeathApr 13, 20091 topic

What to Never Ever Eat After Exercise

Weâve all been there, feeling a bit worn down, low energy and tired after a work-out. If weâve been doing weight resisting exercise such as yoga, our arms and legs can sometimes tremble and feel weak as well. At these times, we tend to think that eating will help to replenish our energy levels. A quick search on the internet shows that nutritional advice almost unanimously favors "carb-loading" after a workout to help to refuel the muscles. The period immediately after ex

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

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