Posted by Live Yoga Life in Updates, Yoga Therapy on October 15th, 2013
An article in The Art of Healing magazine explained the benefits of yoga from a very interesting perspective that we had not seen before.
It starts by accepting the scientific perspective that our heart has a set number of beats before it will just stop working. If that is the case, slowing down our breathing oxygenates our blood, meaning that the heart has less work to do.
It goes on to suggest that the yogis understood this principle and so developed more effective ways of breathing. They reduced the amount of toxins that were allowed to enter the bloodstream and practised a host of techniques, from meditation to yoga postures, practices that harmonised the peripheral nervous system and slowed the heart rate.
The article goes onto discuss the three phases of purification of the blood, rebalancing of the nervous system, and rejuvenation’ of the endocrine system.
Click here to read the full article on why yoga is one of the secrets to longevity.
Liveyogalife.com has a wide range of MP3 yoga classes available:
Posted by Live Yoga Life in Updates, Yoga Therapy on August 28th, 2013
We all know from our own experiences the many benefits of practising yoga regularly. So it can as no surprise when I read this article on the health benefits of practising yoga in the Art of Healing magazine providing evidence to support this.
For a great many people the benefits of yoga are obvious in light of its long history of over 5000 years. However in the Western world a higher level of proof is required in the form of randomised, controlled clinical trials before it is fully accepted within the conventional medical system. This is often referred to as the “scientism of medicine”. It largely dismisses anecdotal experience (learning from the experience of others) which is what the majority of the world uses to work out if something has value or is worth doing.
The article outlines a range of areas where yoga has found through trials to be highly effective in treating modern ailments such as:
Click here to read more on the health benefits of yoga.
Whether you are wanting relief for an ailment or just want to improve your health and well-being, yoga is an excellent form of exercise.
Liveyogalife.com is an online yoga studio offering MP3 yoga and meditation classes for a wide range of styles, interests and levels.
Posted by Live Yoga Life in Updates, Yoga Therapy on July 27th, 2013
We came across this article recently in the Sydney Morning Herald on the topic of “What Yoga can do for you” and thought it may be of interest.
The study was led by Dr Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, an associate professor with the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas and the findings were presented to the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology held in New Orleans in 2011.
The study focused on 49 patients with the heart rhythm disorder who had no physical limitations and no prior experience with yoga. Their episodes of irregular heartbeat were measured for a six-month period by researchers at the hospital.
The report said that “it appears yoga has a significant impact on helping to regulate patients’ heartbeat and improves the overall quality of life”. The report also cautioned “that larger studies are needed to bear out the findings of his study, and that patients should continue with standard medical therapy.”
For anyone who has practiced yoga regularly these conclusions will not be at all surprising!
Posted by Live Yoga Life in Meditation, Yoga for Seniors, Yoga Therapy on March 4th, 2012
We recently came across an article about meditation in the Sydney Morning Herald. The article centred around a new study that found that meditation was more effective than drugs.
The article stated that “This is the first study to show that only a little over an hour of meditation training can dramatically reduce both the experience of pain and pain-related brain activation … We found a big effect – about a 40 per cent reduction in pain intensity and a 57 per cent reduction in pain unpleasantness. Meditation produced a greater reduction in pain than even morphine or other pain-relieving drugs, which typically reduce pain ratings by about 25 per cent.”
Posted by Live Yoga Life in Yoga Events, Yoga Therapy on May 18th, 2011
The first ever major Yoga Therapy conference is being held in June, Australia in June 2011. This is very exciting as you get to listen to some of the best yoga therapists and researchers from Australia and overseas.
The focus of the conference is to explore the specific and profound ways Yoga can assist in maintaining good physical and mental health and in recovery from illness. It will also provides evidence-based research about the therapeutic benefits of Yoga.
The conference is from 11-12 June 2011 and is at the Vibe Hotel Sydney, 111 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
It is packed full of amazing speakers and will be an event not to be missed.
For more information and to register go to Australian Yoga Therapy Conference 2011.
Posted by Live Yoga Life in By Teachers, Yoga Therapy on March 10th, 2010
Written by Eve Grzybowski
Yoga Therapy, also referred to in the industry as “Remedial Yoga” or “Special Needs Yoga”, describes a specialised area of teaching or practice that offers a holistic approach to treating chronic or acute ailments.
What sort of treatment is offered?
A range of approaches are available – asanas (physical postures), breath work, relaxation techniques to reduce stress and release blocked energy, meditation, Ayurvedic (diet and lifestyle) remedies – some or all of these may be used for the purpose of creating or re-establishing balance in the body and harmony in the mind. Here below is an example of a propped yoga pose.
With consistent practice in the hands of a capable Yoga Therapist, one’s symptoms and even the causes of illnesses may be alleviated.
What is a Yoga Therapist?
A yoga therapist is usually a very experienced yoga teacher who, through years of teaching experience or consistent work with a range of different individuals of varying injuries and medical conditions, has developed the skills, and cultivated the knowledge and intuition to confidently work responsively with different conditions and body-types.
In consultation with the student, the Yoga Therapist designs appropriate practices for the student’s age, condition, and stage of life — in many ways providing the individual with a yoga prescription for special needs. The student can then practice this personalised sequence or set of sequences at home.
Ideally, the student will be inspired to keep up the consistent practice and maintain mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health as a way of life, on an ongoing basis.
The Yoga Therapist and student work together. The student is empowered by doing the yoga practice, and the Yoga Therapist assesses and refines the practice to create an optimum healing situation.
I can say personally that Yoga has assisted me therapeutically over the years dealing with symptoms of hip osteoarthritis. Yoga therapy practice also sped my successful recovery from major surgery after a total hysterectomy. Regular practice of yoga therapy routines assisted me to improve my body’s condition and general sense of well-being.
If you are looking for a practice to provide relief from hip arthritis or recuperation after hysterectomy (or other abdominal surgery), try out my Hip-Arthritis Routine and my Hysterectomy Routine available online here on LYL. These are both short, easy-to-do routines which I have specifically designed.
For yoga teachers – If you are interested in developing your skills in yoga therapy, you can train in Yoga Therapy in Australia. There are schools that run a courses offering a graduate certificate in the subject. You can also become a member of The Australian Association of Yoga Therapists, if you meet the organisation’s standards.
If you would like to participate in a Yoga Therapy Intensive, Byron Yoga Centre runs a 12-day course where I teach. This course is recognised by the U.S. Yoga Alliance.
