Yoga and Creativity

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Did you ever think to yourself: “I wish I could write, paint, act, sing, dance, garden, bake, create some specialty cuisine, etc.?” Well, the possibilities of what you can do are endless. That’s because they are there within you, but perhaps just hidden.

Yoga and Creativity

There are often many distractions or excuses for not activating your creative chakras. Yet there is no real reason for not being creative since everyone has the ability if the desire is there. However, one can often feel stuck, as if something is in the way of you “getting there”, or even just getting started.

HathaYogaLeeSalutationYoga can be a good friend to help you open up these closets of creativity. There isn’t one specific yoga exercise, or in Sanskrit “asana”, Continue reading →

Yoga and Meditation may help treat IBS and IBD

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Yoga and meditation score another point in the world of science and medicine!

A new pilot study conducted by the highly regarded MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) suggests that yoga and meditation can provide relief to those suffering from gastrointestinal disorders.

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The results of MGH’s clinical study showed that the practice of yoga and meditation had a significant positive impact on the symptoms related to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and Continue reading →

Yoga goes to the mat for your heart!

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For thousands of years, people have been practicing yoga for its obvious benefits to the mind, body and spirit. But what has not been so obvious is how to quantify its health benefits.

According to the Harvard Medical School, it turns out that Hatha Yoga may be just as beneficial to your heart as aerobic exercise. Based on 37 clinical trials, research showed that practicing yoga lowered blood pressure, heart rate, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and other cardiovascular risk factors, in amounts similar to those seen with cardio exercises.

HathaYoga Lee Yoga for the heart

Dr. Larry Phillips, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, told Reuters Health that yoga’s benefits had been long suspected. “I think what we’ve seen is with yoga and Continue reading →

Bentley the pig

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This story may not be directly related to Hatha Yoga, but is related to ahimsa, which is the yogic tradition of non-harm. It was too moving not to share.

Recently, Corinne DiLorenzo, founder of E.A.R.T.H. Animal Sanctuary, discovered her 9 month old rescued piglet, Bentley, in a post seizure state. It was determined he’d been afflicted with bacterial meningitis. He is currently being treated in the hospital, and has unfortunately lost his vision due to the illness. To help calm and comfort Bentley from all the noise in the hospital, Ms. DiLorenzo sang to him in her beautiful, opera trained voice. She posted the video and it went viral on her facebook page. Here’s the youtube version:

We hope the video and Bentley’s story help to raise awareness of how sweet and sensitive pigs are, and deserving of such care.

 

Proper Breathing, “The Breathing Book” Review

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Proper breathing. Although you’re supposed to do it automatically, you don’t always. Or at least you don’t always do it properly. Most people are not even aware of their poor breathing habits. And poor breathing can take its toll.

Breathing wears many hats

Proper breathing is one of those things most people take for granted. Of course you need to breathe in order stay alive. But as if keeping you alive weren’t enough, breathing has additional critical job responsibilities.

Proper breathing

According to Dr. Mladen Golubic, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative Medicine, breathing can have a major impact on many physical ailments and illnesses such as  Continue reading →

Yoga Anatomy – 2nd Edition review

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If you’d like to make the most of your physical yoga practice, it helps to know what your body is actually doing “on the inside” with each posture. Understanding how your body is anatomically reacting to each pose allows you to focus on the targeted muscles and increase the effectiveness of each move.

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Yoga Anatomy (2nd Edition), a book by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Mathews, is an incredible resource for this. In fact, if you Continue reading →

10 Minute Morning Yoga – Mini Yoga Lesson with Lee

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Good morning, Namaste. Before you go for that strong cup of coffee, try this brief eye opener mini yoga lesson. Afterwards you just may want to forget about the high-test and make it decaf because you no longer feel the need for the caffeine!

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You can keep your pj’s on…sure, keep them on! You will want to awaken slowly, no hurrying or rushing. Allow yourself to begin your day in a more Continue reading →

Mini Yoga Lesson with Lee – Breathing for Relaxation

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Breathing. The life force of our being. How we all take for granted the beautiful rhythm of our breath. When we are hurried or under stress, we tend to hold our breath and in turn lose vital energy. Let’s take a couple of moments to focus on our breath and hopefully find ourselves a little more relaxed, refreshed and energized.

You may want to sit in a Lotus position, seated on the floor cross legged, if you are able to. Or you can choose to lie down on a blanket, towel or mat. You can even practice the following if you are seated at your desk. You may also want to consider practicing this at bedtime to help you fall calmly to sleep.

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Ideally you will practice the following in a room that is comfortably warm, without any Continue reading →