Wednesday, January 20, 2010

How Do Yoga Hot Yoga Benefit The Body?

By Adriana Noton

The physical and mental disciplines of yoga have been practiced for centuries. Some histories even date the start of yoga practices as far back as 5,000 years. What's known today is that yoga hot yoga benefit the body in many ways.

There are many forms of yoga, the general term for this physical and mental discipline. The most common form is hatha yoga, which refers to the physical postures that people practice for flexibility, muscle strength, better breathing and mental calm. These postures are called "asanas" as a group, and each specific pose has a name of its own that describes its movement or the form it represents.

Another kind is Ashtanga Yoga, a form that involves very intense postures to build up strength. This form is sometimes called "power yoga."

Among one of yoga forms growing in interest today is known as hot yoga. This variation is performed in a heated room where the temperature ranges from 95 to 100 degrees. Naturally working out in such an environment causes the body to perspire profusely. This profuse perspiration is a goal of this form, because sweat flushes impurities from the body.

For instance, consider how Hot yoga improves flexibility. Yoga poses stretch a body in new ways that bring better range of motion to joints and muscles. This especially improves the flexibility in hips, shoulders, back and the crucial hamstring tendons along the back of the legs.

It's important to distinguish between generic hot yoga and a form called "Bikram Yoga." Not all hot yoga is Bikram Yoga; in fact, Bikram Yoga is very tightly regulated by its founder, yoga master Bikram Choudhury. He created the 26 poses that are performed during this type of yoga, which is taught only by certified instructors who have studied at Choudhury's Yoga College of India located in Beverly Hills, CA. Anyone who wishes to study Bikram Yoga specifically should research potential schools and instructors thoroughly to be sure they are properly certified in this specific form.

Intense exercise right before bedtime isn't recommended, but a few gentle yoga stretches can release stress and help promote sleep. Among the poses recommended in the evening, both of which can be done lying in bed, are:

' "Happy Baby, " in which the practitioner brings the knees to the chest, and then opens them out toward the armpits to stretch the hips;

Those who have such chronic illnesses or physical problems still can engage in less challenging forms of yoga. In fact, many people who suffer chronic pain often are encouraged to practice yoga regularly because it has been shown to be quite effective in pain management. The postures practiced in Hatha Yoga, for instance, serve to loosen and strengthen cramped muscles, ligaments and tendons and increase flexibility. Both these yoga benefits reduce physical pain.

Yoga practice also helps to release endorphins, the chemicals that are the body's natural pain relievers and mood boosters. This endorphin release results not only from physical movement, but from the deep breathing and meditation practices that are integral to the discipline. - 15440

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