... not exhaust the body and nervous system.

For this reason, survivors might initially want to stay away from Kundalini Yoga or Bikram Yoga, both of which offer intense workouts. kundalini Yoga aims to awaken dormant energy potential, which sounds like a good thing for TBI survivors. Indeed, it can help tremendously--once neurons have stopped misfiring and "short-circuiting." Most survivors inaccurately gage their stamina, though, easily over-stimulating themselves. Kundalini Yoga works powerfully on subtle levels, making energy levels more difficult to monitor. Sometimes the rapidly awakened kundalini proves too much for a sensitive TBI survivor. Bikram Yoga takes place in a very hot room, moving rapidly through poses that encourage the sweating of toxins. As with Kundalini, adherents of Bikram rave about its benefits. For a hypersensitive survivor, though, the excessive heat, body odor, and physicality of Bikram make it a less safe option. In the beginning, look instead for class titles like: "restorative," "Beginner," "Iyengar," "kripalu" and "Gentle."

Yoga Journal offers many DVD's, in case survivors prefer to learn in the comfort of their homes. Start with short sessions to build up mental and physical stamina. Twenty minute DVD's allow survivors a sense of accomplishment, without the potential fatigue caused by hour or hour and a half long in-person classes. Downward dog Productions with Sarah Bates also offers accessible yoga DVD workouts designed especially for people with disabilities. At-home yoga workouts take most of the expense out of learning yoga, too, since survivors can invest in one or two DVD's to practice every day, rather than paying for class each time. On the other hand, a good yoga teacher can personalize...more

Yoga: Three Reasons You Should Not Do Yoga Posture Reclining Hero Posture

...ople, the Reclining Hero posture can become a resting pose, not a stretching pose though it takes some practice and time to get to that point.

Important: To protect the lower back in this posture, it is important to avoid over-arching it during the descent.

The Reclining Hero posture (Supta Virasana) has many benefits for the practitioner. However, in three health conditions it should not be performed.

Three important reasons not to do the Reclining Hero posture:

1) If you have any problems with your back avoid thi...more

Benefits of Yoga Therapy

...mprove your flexibility which will keep your joints lubricated and this will slow the catabolic process which is the deterioration of the cells. While yoga will not reverse the aging process it will slow it down.

Practicing yoga on a regular basis can help alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, and digestive disorders, arthritis, chronic fatigue, asthma and heart conditions to name a few. This has been scientifically proven with laboratory tests showing that yogis (people that practice yoga) have an increased ability to consciously control their body's involuntary functions such as their body tempe...more

Understanding the Different Types of Yoga

...f the asanas (poses). Like all types of Yoga, Hatha Yoga aims to unite the mind, body and spirit.

Ashtanga Yoga - this is the type of Yoga that I practice on a regular basis and means eight limbs in Sanskrit. It's a fast moving, intense style of Yoga practice and is based on a progressive set sequence of asanas, synchronized with the breath. Ashtanga Yoga can be quite physically demanding as you constantly move from one asana in the sequence to the next, so you'll find that it will improve your stamina as well as your flexibility and strength..

power Yoga - this is a western interpretation of Yoga and is based on Ashtanga Yoga. A power Yoga class may not necessarily stick to the exact sequence of poses like Ashtanga Yo...more

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