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.

Asha Praver is a yoga and wellness expert who has provided us with some ideas on how to help us not worry, regardless of circumstances. Bad things do happen. But worry is not itself an event, person, or physical object. It is only the thoughts we spin around the remembered past or the imagined future.

Between intelligent discernment, practical preparation, and obsessive preoccupation, there is a wide and important difference…

“Worrisome obsession puts you on the wavelength of that which you fear and increases the likelihood that it will happen,” Praver says. “Thought influences circumstances in proportion to the power you put into those thoughts.”

Affirmative thinking, while no guarantee of safety, can at least mitigate troublesome karma. Even more importantly, it gives you the inner strength to deal with whatever comes.

Praver has provided a few ideas to help stop us from worrying:

Declare a state of emergency: Not over the things you worry about; worry itself is the emergency. It is a self-perpetuating habit: the more you do it now, the more you will do it in the future. If you were bitten by a poisonous snake you would act immediately to get its fangs out of your skin. Worry is a mental poison. Whenever you feel it flowing into you, act — forcefully and immediately — to pull those worry-fangs out of your mind.

Nature abhors a vacuum: You can’t replace something with nothing, especially something as seductive as the habit of worry. Introspect and find the kernel of what frightens you. Lack of money? Health? Your ability to cope? Loss or injury to self or loved ones? Zero in on the seed cause, then find or write an affirmation that counteracts it. Be careful, though, not to choose an affirmation greater than your belief. It should stretch you, but still be within your grasp. “Whatever happens, I can always take one step-at-a-time to resolve it,” may be better than “God is my Infinite Protector,” if you doubt that He or She will be there for you in the crunch. If, on the other hand, you know God is your Protector, by all means choose the top-of-the-line solution for whatever ails you.

Use your body: Fear and worry have a physiological component. Anxiety creates a chemical predisposition toward more fear and worry. Physical action and the right kind of sensory stimulation counteract that predisposition and restore your inner balance. Practice yoga, especially yoga with affirmations that draws you into a deeper state of consciousness. Or, if more drastic action is needed, throw yourself into the swimming pool, hit the sidewalk running, or dance hard, walk fast — anything that increases your heart rate and makes you breathe deep and rhythmically. At the same time, affirm loudly, or at least loudly in your own mind if speaking would be inappropriate. Smell a rose, burn incense, activate a positive olfactory memory. Picture in your mind, or stare at a photograph of a great soul, demanding that his or her consciousness come into you and banish worry. If you can’t do any of these things outwardly, then at least breathe consciously, affirm mentally, and visualize yourself doing everything else.

Pray, meditate, serve and give to others: Worry makes you feel like you don’t have enough time or energy for anything else. But in fact, worry itself is what takes up your time by sapping your energy. Redirect your energy in devotion and communion with God, and loving service to others. Learn actual techniques of meditation, ways of escaping the worry-tape in your mind. Do things that open your heart, like chanting and devotional singing. The best way to feel good about yourself is to forget yourself in the contemplation of the Divine and in giving yourself to others. It is our littleness that frightens us. Expand your sense of self to include the greater Self and the welfare of others and you’ll find worry ceases to trouble you.

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.

Times have changed when it comes to exercise guidelines during pregnancy. In the past, women were told to rest during their pregnancy. Thankfully, those days are over and today’s mom-to-be can look forward to less weight gain, less stress and more energy as a result of exercise.

For pregnant women, the benefits of practicing yoga are endless. Yoga increases strength and flexibility, promotes balance and coordination and develops deep breathing patterns aiding in relaxation.

Breathing and Focus
It’s a fact that slow rhythmic breathing can lower blood pressure, balance cortisol levels in the body and reduce stress. For prenatal women, this type of breathing can assist in the labor and birthing process by creating a sense of confidence.

Labor and birth pains are unpredictable. When we are in pain, experience fear, doubt or stress, the body produces adrenalin and shuts down the production of oxytocin, a hormone that makes labor progress. Breathing slowly can help manage pain and get through the process of labor and delivery with a sense of strength, confidence and empowerment.

Strength and Flexibility
Poses in a prenatal yoga class are designed to create all over body strength. Most traditional yoga postures can be modified, accommodating the growing body of a pregnant woman. During pregnancy, women experience an upper rounding of the thoracic spine (kyphosis) and an over extended lower back (lordosis). Bringing awareness to this, woman can perform poses that can counteract this adjustment in the spine.

Creating connection
Our lives are naturally busy and full of activities and obligations. With children, that aspect of life naturally increases. Yoga teaches us to be present in the moment we are experiencing as opposed to always multi-tasking.

Pregnancy and motherhood can be a time of isolation for some women. A specialized prenatal yoga class offers participants the opportunity to connect with women experiencing similar symptoms.

Quicker Recovery Time
Studies have indicated that women who engage in regular exercise programs before, during and after pregnancy have higher levels of self-esteem, which has been linked to a reduction in symptoms of postpartum depression.

A recommended time for returning to yoga or other fitness activities is after the participant’s postpartum doctor appointment, or six weeks after delivery.

Precautions during pregnancy
Exercise during pregnancy is highly encouraged, but it’s important to use caution and common sense when doing so. It is advisable to obtain physician consent prior to beginning any yoga class and to receive instruction from a qualified instructor specializing in prenatal fitness. If you cannot attend a specialized class for prenatal women, it is imperative to inform the instructor about any complications such as high blood pressure, bleeding, chest pain, leg cramps or continual fatigue.

A small list of what to avoid is:

Overstretching
During pregnancy, relaxin is secreted throughout the body making the ligaments and joints loose in order to accommodate birth of the baby. If these ligaments are overstretched during pregnancy, they have the potential to remain overstretched after birth.

Supine poses for extended periods
Resting on the vena cava nerve (adding the weight of the baby) could potentially create dizziness for mom and reduce blood flow to baby.

Prone positions
As a woman enters her second trimester, her belly swells to accommodate growth of the baby. At this time, it is unadvisable and uncomfortable to lie on the belly.

Backbends
Avoid positions that stretch the abdominal muscles too much, such as deep back bends and twists. Muscles can strain or tear because pregnancy hormones which allow the uterus to expand, also act on all connective tissue.
Good poses during pregnancy are basic standing postures, poses on hands and knees and seated positions.

Everyone is doing it – this thing called yoga.  Doctors are prescribing it as an alternative therapy to reduce stress; physical therapists are recommending it to help patients rehabilitate; personal trainers are suggesting it as a complementary activity to cardio and weight training and schools are offering it as an elective in physical education courses – learning to balance the mind, body and spirit.

Simply put, yoga means “union” – uniting breath and movement, uniting mind and body – being present in every moment – not thinking about the next.

Some of the most prominent women in sports practice yoga.

Tennis pros Venus & Serena Williams and Martina Hingis swear by their regular yoga practice.  Golf pro Annika Sorenstam, basketball star Lisa Leslie and the entire US Women’s Soccer team have admittedly improved their athletic performance through a regular yoga practice.

Benefits for Athletes
All athletes can benefit from a regular yoga practice – football players, swimmers, tri-athletes, cyclists and gymnasts to name a few.

Increased Awareness
It all starts with the breath.  Through slow, rhythmic breathing we become more aware of our surroundings and what is happening within our body.  The breath is the foundation of reducing performance anxiety and improving concentration.

Increased Muscle Flexibility, Range of Motion, Core Strength, and Balance
All of these things benefit athletes no matter what the sport.  All yoga poses require core strength and stability; routines are comprised of dynamic flowing poses lengthening and strengthening the muscles.  By relieving tension from the muscles we can increase our range of motion in our hips, shoulders and spine.

Injury Prevention
Probably the most important benefit of a regular yoga practice is injury prevention.  When we are more aware, more focused and strong through our core – we are less likely to get hurt.

Spirituality can be defined as a sense of connection to something greater than oneself, which includes an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence.  Equally important, spirituality influences physical and psychological health.

Cultural historian and yogi, William Irwin Thompson once said, “Religion is not identical with spirituality; rather religion is the form spirituality takes in civilization”.

Yoga is not a religion but it can be the most powerful spiritual journey you may ever take in your life.  It is a personal practice which brings us closer to our spirit, our inner guide, our intuition, our emotional and spiritual self.  By quieting the mind, we hear the most.

In its simplest form yoga means union:  to unite – bringing mind, body and spirit together.  To be present in every moment – whatever it is we are doing: walking our dog, or playing with our kids. Each of us arrives with different intentions: peace, empowerment, strength, guidance or just a great stretch.  We come to class, free of distraction and honor our personal intentions for one hour, ultimately connecting with our spirit.

Most often, we are too busy to unlock the potential of our mind and spirit.  How do we feel? What are we thinking?  What is important to us?  These thoughts can become overwhelming without deeper examination.  We come to yoga to slow down – to breathe deep and focus inward to evaluate.

Yoga can bring us closer to our religion through spiritual contemplation if that is our intention.  However, yoga can also create openness in our hamstrings that we have never felt before.  Yoga can introduce us to the people in our community – creating new relationships.  It can make us physically stronger through sun salutations, warrior poses, plank and downward facing dog.  Yoga can help reduce our stress and increase our immunity.  Yoga can help relieve all over body pain resulting from chronic illness such as arthritis, insomnia and fibormyalgia.  It can also help people going through cancer treatments, recovering from a stroke or dealing with cardio vascular issues.

In our Western World, we tend to dismiss these healing modalities that have been around for thousands of years. Yoga, massage, acupuncture, reiki, reflexology, meditation:  they all have merit in healing.  They have helped to heal the sick and comfort those with terminal illness.  They have helped people become stronger physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Come to yoga with your own personal intention.  Erase the misconception that is a religion. Accept that it can elevate your sense self through spiritual meditation.

View massage and acupuncture as a healing modality and not a luxury.  For those of you who already do this – hoorah for you!  You have found a key to spiritual and emotional health.

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.

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?

The majority of people who come to Satsang Yoga don’t have perfect bodies – there is a whole range of people – big and small, young and old, fit and not so fit.  They come to class with different body types and different intentions.  In one class, we had a lady 30 weeks pregnant and another gal who is training for a triathlon –that’s how diverse a class can be.

When I started yoga, I couldn’t touch my toes, I couldn’t find my breath, and I definitely couldn’t do any of the poses I do now.  From all the cardio and weight training I had done over the years, my muscles were strong but tight and it was difficult to take long, deep breaths.  Savasana (Final Relaxation) was the most difficult pose – five minutes seemed to go on forever!

After I had my babies, I found myself starting from the beginning.  My center was hard to find, my physical body had completely changed and my personal hurdle in each class was self-acceptance.  I had to accept that my body wasn’t as thin or as strong as it was before.  My yoga class took work – it didn’t come easily.  This time, Savasana was my favorite pose because I could sit in complete silence – treasuring each last minute.

We grow into our yoga practice.  Coming to class each time can bring us something different – we name our intention at the beginning of class and honor that intention throughout our practice.  We eliminate judging ourselves as each day is different.  We release any thought of competition or expectation of the class so we can be fully present and accepting of where we are in each pose.

When we quiet or mind during our deep breaths, we allow ourselves to look inside.  Yoga teaches us to look at ourselves from the inside out.  What inspires us; what makes us happy; what humbles us.  It also teaches us self-acceptance.

Yoga is not a destination to the perfect body it’s a journey of self-awareness and acceptance – being content with where we are right now in our bodies and in our life.

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.