Special features of yoga clothing

You need to wear comfortable clothes while practicing yoga. Wearing proper clothes while practicing yoga will help you to practice yoga comfortably. When you will practice yoga comfortably you will reap maximum benefits of practicing yoga. Read on to know how to buy right clothes for practicing yoga.

Practicing yoga regularly keeps you hale and hearty. It is very important that you wear comfortable clothes during yoga exercise. There are clothing specifically designed for practicing yoga but they may be very costly than other outfits that are created for workout. So if you want to buy reasonable yoga cloths you need to do some research and look for discounts that can be on Internet as well as in the stores in your locale too.

Yoga is not only a workout technique; it is actually a spiritual practice. It is believed that practising yoga daily unites mind, body and soul. It rejuvenates your inner self and the exercises along with parnayamas and meditation, helps in harmonizing your life.  

The most important feature in yoga clothing is that it should be loose and comfortable and should be made of breathable fabrics. The clothing should be such that helps the person perform the poses with perfection.

The most preferred fabric is cotton as its natural fibers help the person flex and stretch, as he wants to.


Another feature is that the yoga clothing should absorb sweat and should never cling to the body.


Colour is also very important in yoga clothing. Usually the yoga clothing is preferred to be white or off white in colour. The main intention is to keep your mind and body peaceful while you are performing yoga. White colour helps you in achieving your goal faster.


The clothes that you choose should be made of natural fiber and should be good for psyche as well as the nervous system.


Along with comfort, the yoga clothing should help in proper blood circulation of the practitioner.


Yoga clothing is different for men and women. You can have the style of clothing of your choice when you visit a specialized store.

Surya Namaskar

Do you want to be fit for life? Yoga is the way to go. Start out by doing the Surya Namaskar every morning.

Yoga has hit the mainstream, and is the next cool thing on the block. Ever since Madonna's started talking about it, the entire world is queuing up for
their first headstand. More and more people all around the world are discovering its health and spiritual benefits. So isn't it about time you gave this fantastic practice a shot?


What you will need

A quiet room, an uncarpeted floor, a towel, sheet, mat or chatai.


When should you do it

The earlier, the better. It's best if you do it the first thing in the morning, after attending to your daily rituals. Do the Surya Namaskar before eating
anything though, or you'll be sorry!!


The Steps



Stand at the top of your mat or towel with your feet together and your hands in the Namaste position, in front of your chest.


Breathing IN, extend your hands straight above your head. Arch your back slightly till you feel the stretch in your spine.


Breathing OUT, bend down as far as possible. Try to touch your toes without bending your knees.


Breathe IN. Bend your left knee and keeping your left foot in front, stretch your right leg out behind you. Keep the right knee on the floor. Lift your head and look straight ahead.


Hold your breath, straighten your left leg also behind you, so now both legs are stretched behind you. Lower yourself slightly, so you are in a push-up pose, with elbows straight.


Bend your elbows and lower yourself, keeping your stomach and butt off the floor. You can touch your chest and the rest of your body to the mat.


Lift yourself up chest-first, straightening your elbows.


Exhale. Lift yourself up keeping your hands on the floor, forming a V-shape with your body.


Inhale. Put your right foot in front with your left foot at the back, with the left knee on the floor. Look straight ahead.


As you exhale, bring your left foot forward in line with the right foot. Stand and bend forward, touching hands to your toes. If you can't touch your toes, don't worry. It's just a matter of time before you will be able to. And if you can touch them easily, try touching your head to your knees.


Inhale. Keep your feet together and lean back, stretching your arms behind you.


Exhale. Come back to the center with your arms at your sides.


Repeat the Surya Namskar about 5 to 7 times, and keep alternating your legs.

3 Quick Yoga Aasans

Here are some great yoga aasanas you can do while watching television without interrupting your time for leisure. Could anything be easier?


Padmasana

This is the classic lotus pose, in which one has to sit with both legs crossed, and ankles placed on the opposite thigh.

Keep your back straight, and your hands stretched out in front of you on both knees, without bending them at the ankles.


This pose is excellent for the spine, kidneys, abdomen and pelvis. In fact, it is supposed to be one of the most beneficial yogic poses. It also eases the pain of childbirth, so if you are planning a pregnancy, it makes sense to start doing the padmasan starting from now!
Don't overdo it all at once. The first day, sit in the pose for a few seconds - that may be all you can manage. The next time, try for a little longer. Keep increasing the duration till you can sustain the pose without feeling any strain. While you can definitely sit like this while watching the television, we recommend that you sit in a quiet room, and try to meditate. Concentrate on a word like "Om" or anything else that suits you, and keep repeating it mentally. This will calm your brain and relax your mind.

If you have suffered from a leg or thigh injury, do this pose under the guidance of a yoga instructor.


Vajrasan

This is a great pose that can be done any time of the day, irrespective of whether you have just eaten.




Sit on the mattress with your legs stretched out in front.

Bend your legs at the knees and bring them under you.

Sit on your heels.

Slowly flatten your feet, parting them slightly at the ankles, till your buttocks are resting on the underside of your feet.
Hold this pose for as long as possible - which will probably be just a few seconds the first time. Try again after a few minutes, and sit in this position for at least one minute. Slowly increase the duration everyday, till you can sit comfortably for half an hour in this position. It is excellent for digestion, so if you have any problems with gas, you should definitely give Vajrasan a shot.
Don't do this Aasan if you suffer from heart ailments or any leg/ankle injury, unless you are supervised by a yogic guruji.


Janu Sirsasana

The classic yoga stretches are excellent for the back as they stretch the spine. This pose also stretches the leg muscles and it simulates the liver, kidneys and groin. In addition, it calms the mind and simulates the brain.




Sit, keeping your legs stretched out straight in front of you.

Bend your left knee outward, bringing your left foot inward so it rests against your inner right thigh and groin.

Bend forward till you touch the toes of your right foot, without bending the right knee.

Keep stretching till you touch your head to your knees. This may not be possible initially, and would take a few days of practice.

Repeat with the left foot.

Once you've done this, you could try touching your head to your knees with both feet stretched out straight in front of you. This is even harder to achieve.

Stretch gradually. Don't jerk. This will only injure your ligaments defeating the purpose.

Yoga to Strengthen Eyes

Read on for some yogic eye exercises to strengthen eyes. They are easy to do and most of them can be performed any time of the day wherever you are.

Most of us do not exercise our eye muscles at all, but yet, we work them all the time, causing them to be under constant strain. The only time the eyes rest for more than a split second, is when we are asleep. Here are a few yogic eye exercises to strengthen eyes. They are easy to do, and most of them can be performed any time of the day, wherever you are.

Close your eyes as tight as possible, for around 5 seconds. Open them, and close them again. Do this 6 times.
Do you sit in front of the computer screen for hours at a time? Every half an hour, get up from in front of the screen and move around a bit. Get yourself a glass of water. Give your eyes a 2 minute break.
Shut your eyes and roll your eyeballs around for a minute.
Rub your palms together and gently cup them over your closed eyes for around a minute. This is known as palming and is very beneficial for the eyes. The eyes need darkness to rejuvenate themselves and this need is best served by palming. Palming should be done after every eye exercise, to relax the eyes and every now and then during the day.
Imagine that there is a huge clock in front of you. Look at the number 12 for around 10 seconds, and then move your gaze down to 6. Do this around 10 times, rapidly. Then, move your eyes horizontally, in the 3-9 position. Finally, move them diagonally (2-7 and 10-4).
Look up to the position in the middle of your eyebrows. Hold for a few seconds and then move your gaze downwards, towards your nose. This is called Sambhavi mudra.
Slowly, direct your gaze to the ceiling, as you inhale. Exhale, and move your gaze down in a straight line, towards the floor. Do this 6 times.
Any form of exercise, including walking, reduces pressure on the eyeballs and is beneficial for the eyes. So keep exercising.
We blink to lubricate the eyes. But sometimes, when we are concentrating hard, we tend to blink less. Make a conscious effort to blink more.
Dim the lights in your workplace. Bright lights increase eye strain.
Reduce the brightness on your computer. The eyes can adjust to dim light without much strain.
Strengthen the organ which adjusts the lens of the eye, by this exercise, and you may never need spectacles. Sit in a room by the window, and focus on a point in the distance. Hold your arm straight out in front of you, in the same direction as the point you are focusing on, with your thumb extended in a 'thumbs-up' position. Your thumb should be directly in the line of vision of the object you are focusing on in the distance. Now, keep shifting your focus from your thumb to the point in the distance. Do this around ten times, and at least once a day.

Practicing Vipassana

Vipassana meditation is a form of Yoga. It helps to manage stress, attain self- control, and increase concentration.

While you are extremely health conscious and pay a lot of attention to what goes inside your body, your mind may be full of clutter. Throughout the day and even when we sleep our mind is full of thoughts that keep running to and fro.

Stressful work at office as well as at home and mental tensions can leave you drained out. Problems in concentrating on work and losing temper for the smallest of things can be dangerous for your health and life. If you are finding it difficult to maintain a healthy mental balance then practicing Vipassana meditation can be helpful.

Out of the many different techniques of Yoga, Vipassana meditation can help make changes in life and live better. As we do physical exercise to keep our body healthy, Vipassana is used to develop a healthy mind. If you wish to practice Vipassana here's help at hand. You can easily develop a healthy mind with this unique form of Yoga.

What is Vipassana?

Vipassana is an ancient technique of meditation. Vipassana means an insight in Pali language. It was rediscovered and taught by Gautama Buddha as a technique of defeating universal ills and soon became an art of living. It is described as "the ability to see things as they really are, through a process of self-observation." According to Vipassana experts it is a process by which one can recognise and eliminate the course of suffering.

While you are on your way to discover Vipassana, understanding Yoga can let you make the most of the practice. "Yoga kameshu kaushalam" which means that when you do any activity with full concentration and devotion it becomes immortal and is liked by everyone. It is Yoga in its truest form. It can be writing a poem, cleaning your closet or even brushing your teeth. Any activity with complete concentration and focus is considered as Yoga. If you do any work through complete integration of your soul, mind, and heart it becomes Yoga. With a short insight to Yoga, here's what Vipassana meditation can do for you.
• Helps self transformation and self observation.
• Takes you through the common spot shared by your mind and body.
• Removes impurities of your mind
• Enables concentration on interrelations between your mind and body
• Helps understand the mental process
• Helps you to go deep within your self and discover yourself
• Helps you heal your sufferings

Instructions for practicing Vipassana

Before practicing Vipassana meditation, keeping a few instructions in mind can help. Follow them to a 'T' and you will be able to make the most of your Vipassana practice. Vipaasana can be practiced during any time of the day. Consult a Vipassana instructor or join a Vipassana Ashram if you are a beginner. Vipassana is so simple and beneficial that even children can practice it.
• Create a calm atmosphere of meditation around you. It will help you to concentrate better. For example, you can sit in a room with a dim light in a quiet environment
• Wear loose clothes to be comfortable while practicing Vipassana
• Avoid smoking, alcoholism and indulging in illicit behaviour while practicing Vipassana
• Concentrate on breathing from your nostrils
• Pay attention on different parts of your body from head to toe. For example, start from your forehead then come to eyebrows, then cheeks, then nose, lips and in this way continue till you reach your toes. Observe sensation of each part
• Avoid reacting to the sensations of your body and just observe them
• Avoid paying attention to any one part of your body for a longer time
• Try practicing this activity daily for 45 to 60 minutes
• Seek help of an instructor to guide you
• Avoid practicing this activity immediately after a meal. Take a half an hour break between a meal and Vipassana practice.

Benefits of Vipassana

Here's a quick look at the benefits that practicing Vipassana meditaion provides. Remember, it will only take you about half an hour everyday to get these benefits and live a better life.
• Practice of Vipassana regularly helps control greed
• Helps face tensions and problems
• Increases awareness and helps make peace with yourself
• Helps attain self-control
• Helps control or stop day dreaming
• Helps face fear
• Helpful for stress management and anger management
Each one of us might be facing some or the other problem while coping with our daily lives. So, to stop coping and start living, try practicing Vipassana meditation. Millions of people around the world have discovered the way of living life, through Vipassana. Are you ready to find yours?