Amaze Magazine» Fitness

Yoga for the Summer With Candace Morano

Amaze Magazine — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:00:39 +0000

With summer quickly approaching, many are working overtime at the gym and at home as they prepare for bikinis, short shorts, and strapless dresses. However, making time to incorporate exercise into an already hectic schedule is a huge deterrent for those who want to be fit but are short on time.

With this common issue in mind, certified yoga instructor and founder of Explore Vidya Yoga, Candace Morano recommends the top most effective yoga poses to get your body “summer ready!”

1. Downward Facing Dog Split

How to “Strike the Pose”:

a) Start in the normal Downward Facing Dog pose with your feet together and hands shoulder width apart (body should be the shape of a pyramid).

b) Inhale and lift the right leg up so that your body is a straight diagonal line from your arms to your toes.

c) Next, inhale again and stretch your right leg out to the right, keeping it as high as possible.

d) Exhale, bringing the right leg back to downward dog pose and repeat two more times.

e) Do the same with your left leg keeping the movement steady with an even breath.

Body Benefits: “Downward Facing Dog Split is an excellent pose to tone the hips, outer thighs and buttocks,” says Candace. “It also lengthens the spine and hamstrings while strengthen the arms, shoulders, thighs feet and ankles.”

2. Plank Pose (with a Twist)

How to “Strike the Pose”:

a) Coming from Downward Facing Dog Position, inhale and take your right knee towards your right elbow.

b) Exhale, staying lifted through your pelvis and hips while gently pushing your heart forward, keeping the right knee softly resting on or stretching toward your right elbow.

c) Repeat this pose two more times with a steady breath then repeat three times on the left side.

Body Benefits: “This is a more challenging version of Plank Pose that will do wonders when aiming to tone your core, arms and thighs,” says Candace.

3. Warrior II

How to “Strike the Pose”:

a) From Plank Position, inhale and move your right foot forward between your hands, engaging the core as in the last asana.

b) Exhale and place your right foot firmly onto the earth. Inhale and like a windmill, rise up into the standing position.

c) Exhale again, as you bend your right thigh parallel to the floor.

d) Inhale and ground your left foot 45 degrees into the earth. Feel your inner thighs widen and stretch.

e) Pressing the ball of your right foot, inhale and straighten your right leg. Exhale and bend the right thigh deeper extending the chest and keeping it over the hips and pelvis.

f) Repeat the pose two more times on this side and three times on the left side, feeling stronger and more length with each repetition.

Body Benefits: “This pose will tone and tighten your legs, arms while opening your hips,” says Candace.

4. Upward Facing Dog

How to “Strike the Pose”:

a) From the plank position, move slowly into the Upward Facing Dog position (similar to the Cobra pose, but using arms to lift the pelvis and thighs off of the earth). Lift the chest forwarded and up keeping your arms straight. “It’s important to bend the elbow slightly to avoid hyperextension of the joint,” advises Candace.

b) Exhale into the legs, tops of the feet pressed firmly into the floor, feeling the support of the earth rising up from the tops of your toes to the crown of your head.

c) Repeat the sequence of moving from Plank Position asana to Upward Facing Dog three times, allowing the breath to fuel the movement

Body Benefits: “The movements and transitions of this pose strengthen the arms, wrists and back of the legs all while stretching and toning the chest,” says Candace.

5. West Side Lunge

How to “Strike the Pose”:

a) Inhale from Upward Facing Dog and exhale to your hands and knees.

b) Inhale again, placing your right foot between your hands.

c) Exhale as you start to turn to the left coming into the pose keeping your hands on the earth, core engaged, chest lifted and spine long.

d) Inhale lifting up from the core and start to lift your hips as you shift to the right, coming into side lunge on the left side.

e) Repeat this side lunge movement from right to left then left to right ten times coordinating each movement with a breath.

Body Benefits: “This side lunge will tone your buttocks and inner thighs as well as open your hips.” Candace continues “this asana is a great way to prepare for your summer body as it will tone, tighten and create muscular balance around the knee joint.”

Meet Candace Morano

Candace Morano is a certified yoga teacher & educational kinesiologist based in New York. For the past seven years, she has brought together the teachings of yoga, kinesiology, psychotherapy, and aromatherapy to transform the lives of the adult, children, and disabled clients with whom she works.

Combining her degree as a social worker with yoga and educational kinesiologist, Candace began to work privately with children with Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and Autism. For three years, she taught the yoga program at the Cooke Center for Learning, working with a body of students with a wide range of special needs. Candace also works with adults. She has taught programs to the parents and teachers of theLearning Spring School and the Rebecca School both based in NYC, incorporating yoga, educational kinesiology, and stress reduction techniques. Candace’s practice incorporates the use of medicinal oils for injuries and aromatherapy in the private classes she runs throughoutNew York City.

Fitness Myths and Facts by Jenny Evans

Amaze Magazine — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:26:28 +0000

1. LONGER WORKOUTS AT A LOWER INTENSITY BURN MORE FAT.
Short and intense interval training sessions can improve whole body fat oxidation by 36% and may offer greater benefits than lengthy bouts of steady-state exercise. Interval training allows you to get more work done in the same amount of time because you can work at greater intensity levels than if you were doing steady state training. Your overall production (calories burned) will be greater despite the frequent breaks because you are able to work at a higher intensity.
Interval training also improves your level of fitness very quickly, typically in a matter of just a few weeks, and this improvement in fitness allows you to perform more work and burn more calories during an exercise session.

2. I SHOULD WORKOUT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH SO MY BODY WILL BURN FAT.
You must put glucose (food) in the system before you exercise. If you are exercising with no glucose in the system, it sends your body into Emergency Mode. Emergency Mode = hold on to body fat for as long as possible because it is valuable energy and will be necessary to survive. Instead of fat, your body will break down muscle tissue and use that as energy. It does this for two major reasons:

1) Muscle is metabolically active tissue. For this reason it’s viewed as costly when there is not enough energy coming in. Your body is “doing you a favor” by getting rid of really needy, high maintenance cells. Emergency Mode is all about energy conservation: Get rid of muscle, hold on to fat.

2) Losing muscle mass slows down your metabolism, which conserves energy. This is your body’s goal when you are in Emergency Mode.

If you are working out – or even physically active – and there is no glucose in the system, your primary fuel source is muscle, not fat. Get your body out of Emergency Mode by making sure to keep adequate glucose in the system by eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day.

3. IF I DON’T HAVE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES TO EXERCISE I SHOULD JUST SKIP IT BECAUSE I WON’T GET ANY BENEFIT.
Science has shown that you do not have to do long, continuous workouts to get benefit. Studies have taken two groups of exercisers and divided them in to ’30 minutes of continuous exercise done in one session’ and ’30 minutes done in 3 bouts of 10 minutes each, spread throughout the day’. Guess which group got more benefit? The second group that spread out their three 10 minutes sessions reaped more benefit, and here’s why: Every time you exercise, your metabolism increases. When you finish exercising, it takes a while for your metabolism to slow back down. This means free extra calories being burned! I like to think of this as the “Afterburner Effect”. The group that did 30 consecutive minutes got only one “afterburner effect”, whereas the second group got three!

Another benefit to splitting up your workouts is that it may be more do-able from a time management perspective. Finding a big block of time can be very challenging, but finding 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes mid-day and 10 minutes in the evening definitely has possibilities. Instead of bagging a workout because you don’t have 45 minutes or an hour, see how much you can accumulate throughout the day or week.

4. IF I STOP EXERCISING, ALL MY MUSCLE WILL TURN TO FAT.
Muscle cannot turn into fat. Molecularly the two are as different as oil and water. As you begin to exercise your muscle fibers hypertrophy (grow), causing your metabolism to increase. This increase in energy expenditure creates an energy deficit, and so your body uses stored energy from the fat cells causing them to shrink in size. When you stop exercising the muscle fibers atrophy (shrink), causing your metabolism to slow. This decrease in physical activity and energy expenditure coupled with eating the way you did when you were working out creates an energy surplus, which is stored in the fat cells and they grow larger. It is just a matter of taking up space, not turning into something else.

5. WORKING MY ABS ALL THE TIME WILL GET ME A SIX-PACK STOMACH.
Physical activity – including resistance training – will help reduce body fat, but not specifically or exclusively in the isolated muscle group being worked. Current theory shows that a reduction in calorie intake coupled with exercise results in fat reduction throughout the entire body, not in localized spots. You cannot “spot reduce” fat on specific areas of the body. Body fat decreases in an all over body sense – your body genetically decides where the fat goes to or comes from first and unfortunately you can’t control it. Reducing body fat is best accomplished through a combination of cardiovascular activity, resistance training, and a healthy diet.

6. I’M TOO OLD TO HAVE A FIRM STOMACH OR TONED LEGS.
Although studies indicate you may lose muscle mass as you become older, you can slow or even reverse the process through exercise. There is no reason why you cannot improve the strength, flexibility, and overall appearance of your body no matter how old you are. The old adage “Use it or lose it” applies here. Most people lose muscle mass because they stop exercising, not because they are old. They become sedentary. Depending on your present level of fitness, you can add muscle mass to some degree or another. You’re never too old to receive the health benefits of exercise and to look great!

Meet Jenny Evans, Stress/Exercise Physiologist & Founder of PowerHouse Performance Coaching

Jenny Evans is founder of PowerHouse Performance Coaching and the creator of PowerHouse Hit the Deck™, an innovate product that combats the Cortisol Crisis™, boosts your threshold for stress, improves your overall levels of energy and productivity, increases the quality of your sleep, and elevates your level of fitness. A sought after international speaker, her insightful and practical principles leave her audiences ready to take action! As an Executive Performance Coach & Human Catalyst, Jenny trains thousands of national and international corporate executives on the roles that stress, performance psychology, nutrition and exercise physiology play in managing their productivity both personally and professionally. She specializes in guiding and inspiring both large and small groups in the process of personal and professional transformation through keynotes and half day training sessions. She is also contributing author of the book The Corporate Athlete Advantage: The Science of Deepening Engagement. For the past fifteen years Jenny has been involved in educating and training the public on overall health and performance through radio, television, group, and personal instruction. In her spare time she competes in duathlons, does flying trapeze and is an aerial arts performer and coach.

For more information please visit www.powerhouseperformancecoaching.com

fitnessUwear Offers Banglz, a Stylish Weights to Make Fitness Fun!

Valery Amador — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:56:37 +0000

Stylish, fun, fashionable fitness… that’s what founders of fitnessUwear, Annie Ulichney and Kimberly Koelle, have achieved! (…and as a side note, my Mom’s physical therapist had suggested she use these to help her when writing to help ‘weight’ her wrist and keep her hand from shaking so much when writing…)

Offering “Fashionable Fitness You Can Wear Like Jewelry,” Kim and Annie are both busy moms who appreciate any type of product that makes their lives easier. Through that concept they invented Banglz, which are fashion ankle and wrist weights light enough to wear all day, yet substantial enough to feel the difference!

The Center for Disease Control & Prevention notes that even when at rest, one pound of muscle burns up to 30-50 more calories a day, compared to one pound of fat, which only burns 2-5 calories a day. “Everyone begins to lose muscle around age 25 if they are not proactive about their health. When you begin adding muscle back into the equation, you almost effortlessly lose fat and burn more calories!”

Banglz Wrist Weights
½ lb. weight bands that come in a variety of fashionable prints, allowing you to wear them like jewelry or be ahead of the crowd at the gym. They maximize upper body muscle tone and develop new, lean muscle during your regular day. By providing ongoing resistance, they help to strengthen arms, shoulders, chest and core. Price: $24.95

Banglz Ankle Weights
1 lb. weight bands available in fashionable prints that can be worn like anklets all day long. With each step, slight resistance helps to tone the legs, hips and glutes. They maximize low-impact exercise time and allow for exercise to be added into everyday activities to increase the number of calories burnt. Price: $27.95

Both Banglz Wrist Weights and Banglz Ankle Weights are safe to wear everyday. Annie suggests that women who have an already existing fitness routine can add them to optimize their workouts. For those who consider themselves inactive, Annie recommends a gradual addition of Banglz for everyday toning and muscle development. According to Annie, “physical inactivity has been noted as one of the greatest health concerns our country faces today. By adding Banglz, an inactive person can begin to live a healthy, fit lifestyle without the added burden of scheduling

For more information, visit www.banglz.com.

Is Your Child a Mini-Yogi? Candace Morano Sheds Some Light

Amaze Magazine — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:41:03 +0000

The sounds of “ohm” and “Namaste” are filling Gymboree classes, after school centers, and yoga studios. But the sounds and poses are not being made by your typical yoga enthusiasts (stressed-out power moms and Hollywood yogis). Today, terms like “Downward Facing Dog” and “the Lotus” have become a part of many kids’ daily vocabulary.

“The yoga-for-kids trend is huge, especially in metropolitan areas – perhaps because they are packed with yoga mommies whose pressurized, overscheduled children badly need calming down,” says Candace Morano, a certified yoga teacher & educational kinesiologist based in New York. “Today’s children are dealing with major issues – from obesity to everyday stresses such as homework, sports, and after school activities. Studies have even shown that the current economy is not only stressing out adults but kids are also affected by the recession. Of course, it’s not that kids are worried about Wall Street or foreclosures; they’re just soaking up the tension around them. All this stress and worry can overwhelm little minds and bodies.”

According to the 2009 Stress in America survey administered by the American Psychological Association, stress levels among children are significantly higher than they were a year ago. Many parents are taking note of yoga’s benefits and the positive effect it can have on kids, helping them to alleviate stress in addition to improving their attitudes about body image. Yoga has become a constructive outlet for kids of all ages, allowing them to release stress and tension in a controlled yet fun environment.

Candace continues, “Yoga is truly holistic. Children get physical, emotional and mental benefits from it. Sporty ones can improve their performance. Not-so-sporty children can find a flexibility they didn’t know they had. Yoga also has great benefits for children with special needs. It can help them to calm down, feel better and sleep better. In addition, the physical benefits include flexibility, motor skills, and coordination.”

Candace has been teaching yoga to children as young as infants in addition to adults for the past 8 years. “Establishing a healthy lifestyle at an early age is very important,” says Candace. “Through practicing yoga, children not only improve their strength and flexibility, they also learn to develop discipline in their bodies while having fun in a non-competitive environment,” she continues. With an academic and professional background in social work, Candace incorporates her expertise in working with adults and children with her knowledge and passion for yoga.

In addition to teaching yoga to kids, Candace has also established classes for adults and parents of students with special needs. As these parents often don’t have the opportunity to invest much time in themselves, Candace uses techniques of yoga and stress reduction to teach them ways to find a balance in their lives. Parents are also afforded the opportunity to educate themselves on ways to incorporate these techniques they are taught into their lives at home with their children.

Can Yoga Benefit Kids?
According to Candace, yoga can benefit children in many of the same ways it benefits adults, improving an overall sense of well being and balance while reducing anxiety and stress. “Children who practice yoga will find it easier to calm themselves in stressful situations by using controlled breathing exercises and simple poses,” says Candace. Teens may find these techniques useful before academic exams, important social events or athletic competitions.

Movements practiced in yoga can also assist with the learning capabilities of children. “Through incorporating yoga techniques with educational kinesiology, children’s ability to learn can also be enhanced,” according to Candace. “As we engage in specific movements, our bodies send messages through our nerves connecting to our brain, providing a clearer and more open flow of knowledge, breaking down barriers put up by stress.” This can be especially useful for children who suffer from learning disabilities.

As stress among kids continues to increase, parents may be able to notice warning signs through behavioral changes they exhibit including: a reduced appetite, trouble sleeping, headaches, stomach aches, and disciplinary issues at school. These symptoms of stress can be alleviated by incorporating yoga into their lives. Below, Candace offers her top breathing exercises and yoga poses for children:

Yoga Techniques for Kids

Lotus pose: Rest your palms on your thighs with thumb and first finger together. Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply through your nose. With your eyes closed, picture any thoughts that arise as if they were like clouds passing in the sky. Now bring your attention back to your breath and imagine it moving throughout your body. Imagine it is your favorite color and watch the color spread to every part of your body as you breathe deeper each time.
Benefits: Concentration, focus, empowerment, confidence and peace.
Breathe: Imagine you have a straw or physically hold one in your hand. Take the straw if you have it and place it in your mouth and start to breathe air into your body through the straw. If you do not have a straw, make the shape you would if you had a straw in your mouth as if you were drinking something and breathe through your mouth. Feel the coolness around your lips and hear the steadiness of your breath as you breathe in. Exhale the same way. Feel your body and mind letting go as you release your breath.

Cat’s stretch pose: Start on hands and knees. Imagine you are a curious kitty. You round your spine drawing chin into chest and feel your back full of space as you reach it to the sky. Arch your spine letting your heart open as you bring your head and tail closer together. Feel your lower back sink toward the floor. Feel your chest widen as you breathe deeply. Flow between rounding and arching with ten in and out breaths.
Benefits: Continues to develop spinal movements, improves flexibility of back, neck and shoulders strengthening wrists, arms, and abdominal muscles.
Engage in your surroundings: Smile at someone and notice how your body relaxes and your mental outlook shifts. Remember that simple generosity comes back ten fold and connects us back to our hearts.

Tree Pose: Feel your feet and legs root into the earth. Feel your spine rise tall from your feet. Take one foot off the floor and make your tree branch as you place that foot onto your standing leg gazing ahead on one fixed point. Bring your hands into prayer position at the midline of your body and breathe from your center outward. Hold for 5-7 breaths and bring your foot down and prepare for the other side.
Benefits: Balance, concentration, and strengthens legs.
Connect to your heart: Remember something or someone you are grateful for and send them a loving prayer or blessing. See the joy on their face as your prayer or blessing arrives. Remember that these very simple but profound experiences make our life beautiful and expansive.

Superman’s pose: Lie on your belly and breathe your belly into the floor. Draw your belly in and feel it become firm. As you breathe in, raise one leg and the opposite arm off the floor. Exhale and lower, switch sides. Now, after repeating on opposite side, lift both legs off the floor at the same time while keeping your belly firm and use your arms and chest as you press them into the floor to help lift your legs higher. As you continue breathing in and out, lift arms, head, chest and legs off floor as you feel your hip bones press down and keep belly firm.
Benefits: Helps stimulate organs, strengthens abdomen, back, arms and legs, stretches chest, improves circulation, and connects to center.
Breathe: Inhale through your nostrils. Give your breath a color. Envision and feel your breath moving down to your toes. Exhale and again envision your breath moving upward from your toes, through your pelvic floor and continuing up the spinal column and out the crown of your head. Do this 3 times slowly and feel calm, grounded and centered.

Child’s or mouse pose: Begin by kneeling with big toes touching, heels apart. Let your knees widen apart to create more space for your belly. As you breathe in stretch your hips to your heels and bring your hands to the floor. Exhale as you move your hands out away from your hips until you can rest your head down with your arms along side or stretched out in front of your body.
Benefits: Improves fatigue, concentration, stretches lower back, and creates a sense of privacy and feeling safe within one’s self.
Visualization: Imagine a rose. Put all your worries into the rose. Inhale through your nostrils keeping your attention on the rose. As you exhale, watch the rose petals explode and disintegrate the limitations that are created by our unwavering mind. Picture a blank canvas to create affirming statements or mantras, such as: “I fully embrace and accept the beauty and challenges this day brings.”

Meet Candace Morano
Candace Morano is a certified yoga teacher & educational kinesiologist based in New York. For the past seven years, she has brought together the teachings of yoga, kinesiology, psychotherapy, and aromatherapy to transform the lives of the adult, children, and disabled clients with whom she works.

Combining her degree as a social worker with yoga and educational kinesiologist, Candace began to work privately with children with Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and Autism. For three years, she taught the yoga program at the Cooke Center for Learning, working with a body of students with a wide range of special needs. Candace also works with adults. She has taught programs to the parents and teachers of the Learning Spring School and the Rebecca School both based in NYC, incorporating yoga, educational kinesiology, and stress reduction techniques. Candace’s practice incorporates the use of medicinal oils for injuries and aromatherapy in the private classes she runs throughout New York City.

Yoga Tips to Stay Motivated & Reduce Stress by Asha Praver

Amaze Magazine — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:34:51 +0000

Given the stress of life these days, if one can get healthier, and happier and stronger in all areas of oneself at the same time, it seems like a very good idea.

Since so many of our other investments have turned to dust, perhaps now is the time to invest in our own self-development — body, mind, spirit. Any effort in this direction will help give us the clarity, energy, and health we need to adapt to change, to respond to new opportunities, and to have courage in the face of challenges.

Here are 6 tips to stay motivated in your fitness goals while reducing stress and achieving balance during stressful times:

Not All Yoga is Created Equal: To get the maximum benefit from your yoga practice, look for a yoga style that calls itself “spiritual” or “inward awakening” or “meditative.” This is especially good if you are a beginner at yoga, or out of shape physically, because you can get benefit from this kind of yoga practice even if you can only bend in the general direction of the postures! The yoga postures are not arbitrary positions but are an expression of inner states of consciousness. Any effort to move in the general direction of a yoga posture, also moves mind and spirit in that same direction of useful attributes like happiness, calmness, contentment, or courage. Ananda Yoga is a gentle approach, suitable for all ages and physical conditions — including young, strong, and supple — with an emphasis on inner attunement, and building even physical strength from that inner core. If you can find a yoga style that includes some meditation, that will have the most overall benefit.

Pay Attention to the Long Rhythm: When asked once how to measure spiritual progress, the Dalai Lama said “Never think in terms of anything less than a decade. Who were you 10 years ago? Who are you now?” True change comes slowly. A human being is not a fixed reality, but a flow of energy. By the time you can measure something about yourself, it is, by definition, already behind you. The truest measure of who you are is where you are going. Your aspirations define your future. Your aspirations are who you are.

Keep the faith. It isn’t a question of what actions you commit, it is about what actions you are committed to. Even if you don’t — fill in the blank: meditate, eat healthy, act kindly, stay cheerful — every day, until it is something you do regularly. Even if that regularly is only once a week, or once a month, it is still who you are, and who you will become more and more.

Be of good cheer: Positive magnetism brings positive results. No matter how often you fall down, don’t ever think of yourself as a failure. Say rather, “I haven’t yet succeeded.”

Be honest with yourself: Don’t hide from the truth, rather include the whole truth. Perhaps, right now, you are not living up to your full potential. But all the power of the Infinite dwells within you. You are pure energy, pure joy. Success is guaranteed. It is only a matter of when. In the meantime, enjoy the ride. Sometimes in order to reach the base of the mountain for the final upward climb, you have to cross many hills and valleys. Keep your heart focused on the goal. You are pure Cosmic Energy and sooner or later you will figure out how to use that energy for your everlasting happiness and success.

Think directionally: In any situation, there is the best and the worst that you could do. If you can’t do the best (even the law of averages says no one can their best every time), then at least try not to do your worst. If it is a matter of exercise, even if you can’t walk the five miles you planned, go once around the block. If it is a matter of diet, and you know you might eat the whole box of chocolates, quickly pour five of them down the garbage disposal and turn it on. Then even if you finish all the rest, at least you didn’t eat those five! If it is a spiritual matter, and your one-hour of meditation has been frittered away to five minutes, then seize those five minutes and pray with all your heart for God’s grace to descend.

You’ll be amazed, if you just don’t do your worst, how much positive change will come! It doesn’t matter how fast you are moving toward your goal. It doesn’t even matter if you are treading water or not moving at all. The only thing that matters is that you don’t give up, and keep facing the right direction so when you finally do start moving you’ll be heading where you want to go.

Asha Praver is a lecturer, teacher, counselor, Spiritual Co-Director (with husband, David) of the Ananda Palo Alto Community, and author of Swami Kriyananda as We Have Known Him. Asha has been trained in yoga, meditation, and spiritual living by Swami Kriyananda, who was a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. Since 1969 Asha has been a disciple, a meditator, and an intentional community member. To learn more about the Ananda communities and teachings, visit the Ananda Palo Alto website at www.anandapaloalto.org. To learn more about Asha’s book, please visit www.aswehaveknownhim.org.

Yoga Fitness With Dana M. Layon

Dana Layon — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0000

What is fitness?
The state or condition of being fit.

What are your fitness goals?
To lose weight…
Eat better…
Reduce stress…
How do you plan to meet those goals?

Everyone’s needs are different. For some, we need someone to start us off on our path. We may need a friend to attend classes with us to keep us motivated. Anyone can join the gym, sign the papers and pay your money – but are you committed? Do the instructors or staff care if you show up? Are they guiding you along your path of health and longevity? We need inner strength to commit to our overall fitness intentions and follow through to completion. This is where yoga stands alone among all the other fitness routines we could choose.

Yoga is the cornerstone of any fitness routine. It is a unique science and is the most complete approach to a healthy lifestyle. It challenges our mind, body and the very nature of our being. Yoga is, perhaps, the only discipline through which an individual can truly experience inner balance. Let us try and understand the distinction between yoga and regular fitness programs with the help of the following table:

Regular Fitness Programs Yoga

Goal oriented Process oriented – always exploring

Improves physical element of the body only Improves physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being

Competitive Non-competitive, non-judgmental, personal

Physical exertion Physical exertion plus relaxation

Opportunity to fail when not meeting your goals Success is inevitable

Weight training builds muscle, creating a bulky look Yoga strengthens muscle tissue by toning them, creating a sleek and strong look

You may fee tired and burnt out You feel refreshed and rejuvenated

Added benefits of yoga

Relieves stress by slow, rhythmic breathing techniques. It can help you to stay healthy by bringing in more oxygen, increasing blood circulation and thereby increasing boosting our immunity naturally.

Yoga makes you physically strong. Down dog, plank, warrior poses, sun salutations – all these poses combined make you strong from the inside out.

Weight drops from yoga – by breathing, moving, stretching and focusing on the present moment – you are better equipped to make correct decisions about your food choices.

Healthy habits start from the inside out. You make a choice to be healthy. Once it’s made in your mind – you put a plan into action. Supportive guidance from a certified yoga instructor can help anyone follow the path to a more well-balanced life. It is important to remember that yoga does not always mean movement. It may be quiet and focused thought, slow and methodical breath, awareness and focus. When we quiet the mind, we hear the most.

Future longevity will combine wellness therapies for our health. Yoga, massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy and basic good eating habits are all a way to stay healthy and fit. Exploring natural alternative therapies as healing modalities.

Love Your Body… Yoga With Dana M. Layon

Amaze Magazine — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Too many times we look in the mirror and are discouraged by what we see. Our hair should be longer, our teeth whiter, our legs smaller our breasts bigger. And that’s just what I see when I look in the mirror! The point is: we all do it, even yoga instructors.

In our society, the media drives what we are supposed to look like. Thin bodies, flawless skin, shiny hair but they don’t ask us how we feel on the inside. Do any of us know? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and looked past your face – inside your eyes?

Yoga is for Everyone: A Look at the Benefits of Yoga With Dana M. Layon

Dana Layon — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:36:00 +0000

by Dana M. Layon

What is Yoga?
Yoga can be many things. It is first, an ancient philosophy originating 5,000 years ago in India. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “union”. Hatha Yoga means “yoga for health”, and is the physical aspect of the practice. It renews, invigorates and heals the body. Simply, yoga is a physical and psychological discipline seeking balance. In yoga we seek to balance the mind, body and spirit.

Is Yoga a Religion?
Yoga is in no way connected to religion. However, those who practice yoga have said to have found a stronger connection with their personal religion through their practice.

What Are the Benefits of Yoga?

Reduces Stress: Through slow, rhythmic breathing we can lower our heart rate and blood pressure; thereby reducing stress.

Increased Immunity: Through deep breathing and conscious movement, the amount of oxygen in our blood increases, the amount of carbon dioxide decreases, assisting the blood to flow more efficiently. This in turn increases our immunity functions

Improves Flexibility, Strength, Balance and Posture: Although yoga does improve flexibility, postures are also great for strength, balance, mental focus, awareness and concentration.

Pain, Anger and Depressions Decreases: Yoga can help to minimize chronic pain through specialized yoga postures. After continual practice, we notice an increase in vitality and an overall sense of well-being.

Weight Normalizes: Yoga is a wonderful complement to any other exercise regime. It can help keep weight off and balance your workout routine.

Do I Need to Be a Pretzel to Practice?
Absolutely not! Anyone who commits to a yoga practice can experience the health benefits. Classes can be modified to fit individual needs.

Supportive guidance from a certified yoga instructor can help anyone follow the path to a more well-balanced life. It is important to remember that yoga does not always mean movement. It may be quiet and focused thought, slow and methodical breath, awareness and focus. When we quiet the mind, we hear the most.

San Francisco’s Rock Solid Fitness Offers Outdoor Gym

Amaze Magazine — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Beautiful views of the San Francisco Gate Bridge, Sausalito, and Angel Island, mixed with intense workouts comprised with an exclusively female fitness program makes the hottest gym in the Bay Area. The always-outdoor Rock Solid integrates progressive cardiovascular exercise, effective strength training, stretching, and individual coaching in a spectacular setting.

Not only does the fresh air help make a workout seem like a treat, but Rock Solid provides other amazing services like personal training with specialties that include martial arts, stress and relaxation, pre and post natal, and classes for people with special needs such as obesity and other medical conditions.

Instead of a trendy, traditional gym with all the fancy equipment that is dirty and difficult to use, crowded machines and lack of guidance, Rock Solid Fitness aims to provide a personal trainer at every workout along with the much needed motivation and extra push to see results. Not only is this a workout, but Rock Solid offers guidance on overall nutrition and health including working with doctors and offering special courses to create not just a “gym,” but a lifestyle.

In order to actually have fun and workout at the same time, Rock Solid trainers creatively incorporate a variety of activities like boxing, dance, martial arts, yoga, stairs, hills, band-work, ball-work, free-weights, games and more. Being outdoors and smelling the fresh San Francisco air helps eliminate the stress of working out while each person goes at their own pace so everyone can keep up. Combining intensity-interval-cardio training, a technique designed for efficient fat-burning and effective fitness-building, and the motivation of a personal trainer, clients see results fast.

Aiming to instill life long fitness habits, Teresa Marchese, who started Rock Solid Fitness in 1998, inspires and empowers people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and circumstances to strive for and maintain optimal physical fitness. After getting sick of the same old routine with no results, Marchese studied effects of exercise, nutrition, and supplementation, developing an understanding of the combination that produces achievable and noticeable results. Teresa took this knowledge, received a certification from the American Council on Exercise, began training friends and teaching outdoor fitness classes, and Rock Solid Fitness was born.

Gaining upper and lower body strength while the waves crash up against the rocks is just a glimpse of what members see during their workout (besides a transformed body and mind). Members also look forward to special events such as the Beauty Cleanse, where Rock Solid focuses on beauty from the inside out by providing meals, exercise and beauty services.

For more information about Rock Solid Fitness, please visit www.rocksolidsf.com or call 415.412.3051.