Astrology in Kerala,

Astrology literally means "the Science of the Stars", from the Greek astrologia: astron (constellation; star) and logia. It contains both the idea of an organised body of knowledge of the cosmos, along with the way the stars "speak" to us, or give meaning to our lives. A person who practices astrology is called an astrologer. A very ancient, but still vital discipline, astrology seeks the meaning and application of the influences of the planets, stars and other celestial phenomena in our lives.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Astrology Gada Yoga

Gada Yoga
This Yoga is formed when all the seven planets occupy two successive angles. According to Muktavali, four kinds of Gada Yogas are formed when all the seven planets occupy successive angular houses. This means that all the planets should occupy the 1st and 4th houses, 4th and 7th houses, 7th and 10th houses or 10th and 1st house from Lagna. However, if all the planets occupy other successive angular houses, like the 2nd and 5th houses, 3rd and 6th houses and so on, then Gada Yoga also will be operative but the effects will be different.
Effects: The natives of Gada Yoga will put in concerted efforts to earn wealth, will perform sacrificial rites, will be skilful and efficient in the knowledge of Shastras and will be endowed with wealth, gold and precious stones. Such results are powerful if all planets are placed in houses in angles from the ascendant. I have already explained the reasons in my notes on Ashraya Yogas that the planets generate very powerful Yogas if placed in Kendra houses. Gada yoga natives earn wealth by fair means and by using their skill and putting in persistent hard work. The results will be modified according to whether the planets are placed in moveable, fixed or dual signs. This means that the results of Ashraya Yogas are to be correlated with the above effects. The placement of planets in auspicious or powerful houses will not over-ride the signification of the signs. Yogas give effects with the help of the planets, houses and signs, all put together. Gada Yoga has another interesting feature. Whenever all planets are placed in the adjacent angular houses from the ascendant, these planets will influence and aspect the remaining to angular houses. For an example, if planets occupies fourth house, the native will try to strengthen his physical existence and search for situation and people who can
offer material and moral security out of his role in the outside world (which symbolizes the 10th house). On the other hand, if planets are occupying the 10th house, the native will not only draw away from the concern of the family and home, but he will find solace and fulfillment in enhancing social status, career, profession and may seek honor from people of authority. Except in the case of Gada Yoga, when all the seven plants occupy two houses (signs), Parasara and other Jataka Granthas have mostly indicated mixed or bad results. Such yogas are the four Akriti Yogas namely Shakata, Vihaga, Sringataka and Hala and one sankhya-yoga namely Yupa.

Astrology Houses

Houses

There are 12 houses in astrology. Houses are also referred as Bhava or Ghar in Hindu astrology. Every house in astrology has been assigned certain significations by the sages. For example, 1st house is for self, health, 2nd house for family, finance, 3rd house for brother, courage, 4th house is for mother, conveyance and so on.

In the astrology, if a house is good, you will get good results related to the house. For example, if the 1st house is good in your horoscope, your health will be good. On the contrary, if the first house is bad, the health will be affected and one can even have a short life. Different systems of astrology like Hindu system, Western system etc. have different rules for judging the houses. In other words, all systems use somewhat different rules to identify whether you will get good results or bad results pertaining to a house in your life. Similarly, KP System also has different rules and we will be describing those rules in the following sections. Before that, let us have a look at what is generally assigned to each house by our sages -

First HouseBirth, head, physical body, limb, physical features, livelihood

Second HouseWealth, food, right eye, what one eats or drinks, face, eye, speech, family, property

Third HouseCourage, firmness, bad thoughts, breast, ear, especially right ear, prowess, brother or sister - younger one, heroism, mental strength

Fourth houseHouse, home, land, relation, mother, vehicle, happiness, water, learning

Fifth HouseIntellect, children, son, belly, traditional law, virtuous acts previously done

Sixth HouseDebt, wounds, disease, enemy, sin, a wicked act, fear, humiliation

Seventh HouseDesire, love, passion, cohabitation, partner, public, wife or husband, dowry

Eighth HouseLife, longevity, mental pain, defeat or insult, sorrow, scandal, ill-repute, death, impurity, obstacle, danger

Ninth HouseGuru or preceptor, father, auspicious, previous life , worship, penance, virtue, grandson, prayer, spiritual initiation, noble family, fortune

Tenth HouseLivelihood, kingdom, work, commerce, trade, business, rank or position, good conduct, honor, sacrifice, command, quality, wealth, occupation

Eleventh HouseProfit or gain, income, all kinds of receipts, acquisition, gain, desire, passion, fulfillment of one's desire, wealth or riches, brothers and sisters - elder one, friends

Twelfth HouseHouse of disappearance, bondage, loss, negation, bed, sin, poverty, penury, loss, decline, misery, left eye, leg, defect

Traditional Astrology Planets

Planets

As mentioned above, totally 12 planets are used in KP namely Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, Ketu, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. As Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are of comparatively recent discovery, usage of these planets is not as extensive as other 9 planets. Not all KP astrologers use all 12 planets, hence the usage of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto is up to the choice of a KP astrologer. In this tutorial, our emphasis will also be on original 9 planets only. Please note that Rahu and Ketu are not planets in terms of modern astronomy, as they don't have any physical existence. They are mere mathematical points. Due to this reason, they are also sometimes called as shadow planets. I'll not go into the astronomical details of Rahu and Ketu because it is not the objective of this tutorial.

Each planet owns certain signs and stars (nakshatras) as follows -

Planet Name	Sign(s) Owned by the Planet	Stars (Nakshatras) Owned by the Planet
Sun	Leo	Kritika, Uttaraphalguni, Uttarashadha
Moon	Cancer	Rohini, Hasta, Sravana
Mars	Aries, Scorpio	Mrigasira, Chitra, Dhanshita
Mercury	Gemini, Virgo	Aslesha, Jyehsta, Revati
Jupiter	Sagittarius, Pisces	Punarvasu, Visakha, Poorvabhadrapada
Venus	Taurus, Libra	Bharani, Poorvaphalguni, Poorvashadha
Saturn	Capricorn, Aquarius	Pushya, Anuradha, Uttarabhadrapada
Rahu		Aridra, Swati, Satabisha
Ketu		Aswini, Magha, Moola

From the above table you can see that Rahu and Ketu have not been allotted any sign ownership. You may also note that each of the nine planets have been given ownership of 3 stars.
As Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were not part of the ancient Hindu astrology, they have not been given ownership of any sign or any star. As per Western astrologers, Uranus owns Capricorn, Neptune owns Pisces and Pluto owns Scorpio.

Houses

Cusps

The point at which two houses meet is called a Cusp. Starting point of a house is called the cusp of that house. Sometimes terms 'cusp' and 'house' are used interchangeably. For example, lord of the cusp and lord of the house has the same meaning in KP.

The planet that owns the sign that falling on the cusp of a house is called the owner or the lord of the house. Please note that the terms 'owner of a house' and 'house lord' are used interchangeably in astrology. In the example chart, the cusp of the first house falls in sign Aries. Mars is the owner of the sign Aries. So we will say that first house lord is Mars. Similarly, cusps of the second and third house fall in Taurus sign which is owned by Venus. So we will say that the second house and third house are owned by Venus. Some of the astrologers from the classical astrology background will find this unusual that both second and third house are owned by Venus. This happens due to the fact that KP follows unequal house division. We will talk about the house division in details later.

Signs

The whole Universe is divided into 12 equal parts and each part is referred to as a sign. So there are 12 signs as follows -

Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces

There are various classification for the signs. These classifications are sometimes useful in predictions. Some of the important classifications are as follows -

Classification 1
Fiery Signs:           Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earthy Signs:         Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Airy Signs:             Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Watery Signs:        Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Classification 2Movable:                Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn
Fixed:                    Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius
Common:               Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

Monday, January 30, 2012

AGNI YOGA

1. They will ask, "Can the time of Maitreya create a New Era?"

Answer, "If the Crusades brought a new age, then truly the Era of Maitreya is a thousandfold more significant." In such consciousness should one proceed.

2. People do not realize the meaning of God or Bodhisattva. As though blind, they ask, "What is light?" But people even lack words to describe its properties, though daily they perceive light.

So wary are people of the unusual that they are confused about the boundaries of light and darkness. It is simpler for them to conceive of God inhabiting a palace upon the largest star. Otherwise their God would remain dwellingless. Their manifest lack of co-measurement impels them to demean what exists.

3. Often you wonder why I do not reply to a question. You must know that the arrows of thought often graze the subject of the answer. Imagine a traveler who is crossing an abyss upon a rope. Would it be wise to begin calling him? The call may disturb his balance. Therefore, one should pronounce names less often, reserving them for urgent need. The ability to use individual names is necessary, but uttering them should be like the blow of a hammer in space.

4. Regarding simpler words for simple people, one should remember that simple people need smaller doses of medicine. There is the identical law—as above, so below. Therefore simple people are the best disseminators.

5. The expansion of the blood vessels is characteristic of the growth of consciousness, and this process must be protected by physical means from the effect of the sun's pressure upon the solar plexus.

Let us not forget how the priestesses of antiquity were shielded from the sun. They wore breastplates of lithium, covered with wax, the melting of which indicated the danger line of temperature.

In addition to immersing the hands in water, immersing of the feet is permitted. But cold baths may be as harmful as the sun's rays.

6. One can visit different planets in one's mental body. Thus is indicated that future step when consciousness will not be confined to the one planet. As we now cross from one part of the world to another, the same principle will be applied in interplanetary crossings.

The Teacher bids you rejoice at each attainment of the spirit. The way to and from other planets is no more difficult than is the passage between the physical and astral bodies, no more complicated than understanding the process of thought and striving to the stars. Only in striving for the interplanetary can we be assured of the evolution of humanity.

7. The manifestation of new rays prompts beautiful additions to Our plans. The densification of the astral body is inconsequential in itself when compared with the conscious work of the mental body. For one's tasks on this planet the mental body need not be released from its shielded condition. But this highest body is needed for interplanetary activity.

The affirmation of new rays will permit one to retain consciousness in diverse spheres. Formerly only certain strata of the atmosphere permitted the retention of consciousness. But interceptions by gaseous currents were still possible. However, the new rays can penetrate these interceptions, creating open channels, and thus expanding the conscious activity.

Work on the utilization of these rays is underway at Our Community. Usually, they have no significant effect on the brain, but sometimes they can be quite dangerous.

8. One can point out why the Teachers of Knowledge experienced such suffering on departing Earth. Of course, this suffering was conscious and voluntarily chosen. Just as the host fills the guest's cup to the brim, so does the Teacher desire to impress this last sign of His Teaching.

The poisoning of Buddha spared Him from deification. The suffering and resurrection—or the transformation of matter—by Christ provided the attainment of the supreme earthly achievement. But no one knew about the disintegration of the body into the atomic state. People thought that His body had been stolen away by His disciples.

The slander of the old world is of no consequence. Each true achievement is needed for Cosmos. The creativity of podvig^{^[1]} is the same in every process of creation. In augmenting the profundity of the form we create an ageless crystal. The sense of perfection uplifts the spirit of creative manifestations. Christ, being a realist, desired that the phenomenon of transformation should be preceded by a podvig in complete consciousness.

One can point out two kinds of podvig, the supermundane and the earthly. As an instance of supermundane striving, one can mark a serene passing, such as that of the Great Pilgrim. Let us not attempt to judge acts of podvig, for the understanding of evolution is individual and voluntary.

9. Anyone who is able to observe human auras may witness a vivid play of the emanations of light. Plans of rational action can be based on observation of this cosmic flux. Each sign of atrophy is connected with the products of darkness. But where there are waves of Light, where the vital sparks interplay, there is Our Ray.

My Teaching can reveal the waves of the observed Akasha. Welcome the joy of the sparks. This is not a diversion but a deepening of the task. Only by manifesting Our Will can you approach. My wish is to preserve the beauty of spirit.

Each motion can be transformed into an achievement of the spirit. Commitment to the evolution of consciousness, and the onrushing whirlwind of events, will lead to a new turn of the cosmic spiral.

10. When alone, spurning possessions, standing firm and unperturbed, not bewailing his fate—only then does the daring one exult.

Thus shall We begin the translation of Our ancient Book of Daring.

When a child plays with a newborn kitten, his mother rejoices at his courage, loathe to note that the kitten is still blind. When a youth toys with the soul of his comrade, the spectators marvel at his daring, not seeing the shackles binding the wretched soul. When a man denounces an assembly of judges, the witnesses admire his courage, not knowing that the daring of his threat has been bought with the jingle of gold. When an aged man comforts himself by deriding death, his friends delight, unmindful that fear has fashioned his mask of derision.

True daring is often unnoticed by people, because in its essence it is unusual. But the heart will tremble in response to the unusual.

Where art thou who vanquished? Where art thou who transformed the tremor into a leap toward the light? Hear, thou who darest! In the deep of night I shall draw near to bless thy sandals. I shall strew thy pillow with sparks of light, for the sleep of the daring one is as the melting away of a lute, when the seven strings are bathed in mystery. The sleep of the daring one is as the calm before the whirlwind, when even the slenderest blades of grass are unstirred.

Does the roar of the lion set the worlds atremble? No. Daring is awakened and the royal lotus of spirit unfolds. Brothers, let us gather in the hall of joy! The flower has unfolded; raised is the great wheel. Our Joy descends to the nether worlds and rises to the Brothers in the Supermundane.

We sing to daring Our best song.

Yoga Online Education and Interaction

Online Education and Interaction

When online learning was first being developed and implemented, many educators believed that it could never be as effective as face-to-face learning because of the lack of interaction and tailored feedback. While many still believe this, there is now evidence that students learn just as much online as they do in a traditional classroom. (Swan, 2003) Online education provides learners with flexible and convenient methods of learning. Learners have the ability to work at their own pace as well as work from remote locations. A literature review performed by the DOE found that students who take all or part of their class online, performed better and spent more time on task than those students who are taking their courses only through face-to-face instruction. However online methods of delivery can lack face-to-face communication and the hands on aspect of traditional education. Participants who most prefer online delivery believe that the convenience is the most influential factor in their preference. (Donavant, 2007)

Computer based delivery systems can provide interaction with content, instructor, as well as peers to support learning. This interaction has been “widely cited as the defining characteristic of computing media” and can allow for immediate feedback for the learner. Interaction with instructors and peers can allow the participant to ask questions at their convenience. (Swan, 2003)

YOGA POSES LEARNING

LEARNING CORRECT YOGA POSES

Educational technology, as a field, has changed drastically since the first definition of the term was created in the early 1960’s. The field of educational technology has grown from being defined as a way of controlling learning to the most recent definition of the term which defines it as a “study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technology processes and resources. (Molenda, Robinson, 2004) While studies in early educational technology were mainly focused on learning that happened inside physical classrooms, the advent of distance learning enabled technology to aid in learning almost any topic from anywhere. It has also allowed for education to reach places and people who were not previously reached by traditional education. Multimedia modules allow for this learning to be easily created, modified, and distributed for interactive self-paced learning. This review of literature attempts to summarize current findings related to the potential for an online module in the self-paced learning of psychomotor skills, especially Yoga. Comfort level with technology, cost, motivation, and the challenges of teaching psychomotor skills to adult learners delivered with a multimedia module are evaluated as well.

Yoga and Injuries

The concept of Yoga has changed from being a path to spiritual enlightenment to more of an aerobic activity since it’s arrival from India to the United States in the early 1970’s. (Douglass, 2007) In the East, a student would have a private lesson with a Yogi, which could last for many hours per day. However in the West, students will most likely attend a 1-2 hour Yoga class lead by a single instructor a few times a week or practice at home with the aid of videotape. While videotapes have the benefit of being convenient, they lack the feedback necessary for any new participant to evaluate whether or not they are performing the poses properly. (Benjamin, 2008) Practicing in large groups can be a cost effective way to obtain a Yoga workout, but with this comes drawbacks. The ratio of students to teachers is often too high to get personal attention and there is very little time for explanation of the individual poses and the associated risks when the pose is done incorrectly. When done properly these poses can have many health benefits, but when they are done incorrectly they can lead to pain and long-term injuries. (Lamb, 2006) When a student is unsure of what they are doing or do not know the goal of performing Yoga, they can attempt to force themselves into positions that can actually do more harm than good. (Deas, 2005)

There are also safer alternative poses that can be performed in the event the participant has disabilities or other injuries. If a participant attempts a commonly taught pose before they are ready or they are not capable of doing properly, injuries can occur. For example, sitting cross-legged instead of performing full Lotus pose takes pressure off of the knee joints and can assist in the prevention of potential injury. If done incorrectly or before the participant is ready, performing Lotus can damage the knees. In addition to alternate poses, there are also training exercises, such as doing wrist curls to prepare for supporting ones body weight on their wrists for poses like Downward Facing Dog, that can be done independently. (Guthrie, 2005) These tips and alternatives are not often explained in classes due to the lack of time and to maintain the flow of the class during instruction. Classes are also taught to participants with varying skill levels, making it difficult to ensure the class is moving at the right pace for all of the participants.

Benefits of Exercise and Yoga

Daily exercise has been shown to help aid in weight control, stronger bones, lower blood pressure, and improved heart function. (Ward, 2006) In addition to providing these health benefits, when done correctly Yoga can provide many rehabilitative benefits. Yoga has been found to be effective in treating chronic back pain. Practicing Yoga over a 6-month period showed back-related function improved and less pain in patients who had previously had chronic back pain. (Sherman, Erro, etal, 2007) Practiced regularly over a period of time, Yoga has also been found to be helpful for people suffering from other serious medical conditions such as scoliosis, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. (Guthrie, 2005) While Yoga is not a substitute for conventional care it can provide tremendous benefits to people with debilitating diseases when practiced in addition to a doctors treatment plan. It is important to note that Yoga is not a quick fix and must be practiced regularly over a period of time to realize the benefits. (Guthrie, 2005)

Technology Introduction into Psychomotor Skills

Psychomotor skills are activities that you perform, such as tying your shoelaces or riding a bicycle. Typically these skills are taught by doing the task repeatedly until it is perfected. Psychomotor skills are not typically associated with technology mediated learning. Epstein, Beecher, Graf, and Roemmich (2007) maintain that when attempting to introduce technology into something that is not traditionally taught with the aid of technology it is important to note participants’ comfort and knowledge level of using devices such as computers and video. Benson and Mekolichick (2005) found that people who do not identify as technology users, tend to shy away from its use for either personal or professional uses.

One reason that people might not be familiar or comfortable using technology is because they cannot afford it. Atkinson, Billing, Desmond, Gold & Tournas-Hardt (2007) maintain that technology would be useful in educating a low-income population about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise. The low-income women who participated in this study indicated that they would like to have access to the Internet to help them make better nutrition and exercise decisions if it was affordable. Cost not only plays an important role in access to technology, but also plays an extremely important role in determining whether people get the proper guidance when they embark on learning a new skill. According to a website that lists information for average Yoga class costs, a typical group class can run from $12.00-$16.00 for a 1 -2 hour class. (Yoga Classes Cost, 2007) With the cost of classes being unaffordable for some, students may opt for a less expensive method of instruction such as videos; or stop practicing altogether losing the physical, psychological, and intrinsic value associated with daily exercise.

Motivation in Physical Exercise

Whether people choose to exercise, and continue to make exercise a part of their daily lives ultimately depends on the motivation of the subject themselves. Betker, Desai., Nett, Cristabel. Kapadia, & Szturm (2007) found that even when an exercise was presented to a person that can aid in the recovery after a serious injury; people will not necessarily follow through with doing the exercise correctly if they think of it as just a tedious task. People are much more likely to continue to do exercises that are challenging to them and are intrinsically motivated to do them. This is consistent with Epstein et. al. (2007) findings that people are more likely to participate in activities that, even while beneficial for them, are not perceived as exercise. Current research, however, has found that motivation is very difficult to understand and even more difficult to measure reliably. Ploncynski (2000) found in his research consisting of twenty-two published studies on exercise motivation that “a lack of accurate measurement has been identified as limiting the progress in the field of exercise research.”

Technology use in Psychomotor Skill Education

There has been a good deal of research showing that technology can be a positive aid in the learning process of exercise and other psychomotor skills. Gallaway and Lauzon (2006) found that video games, such as Dance Dance Revolution were extremely helpful in getting sedentary children to perform physical activity. The game, also used in research by Epstein et al. (2007) was found to be more effective than a stationary bicycle for getting children to exercise. These findings show the importance for the experience of exercising to be engaging in order for people to want to continue participation. A research study conducted by Salyers (2007) found that nursing students taking courses that taught psychomotor skills delivered on a web based system outperformed the students that did not have access to the web based tool. The study found the web based system to be more engaging and the participants found the material to be more interesting when presented in an online multimedia format. These participants were also better able to transfer the skills learned in the modules to real life situations better than students who were taught by the traditional lecture format.

Another study showing participants videotaped introductions to new exercises versus still images of the same exercises showed that the participants’ motivation and retention period and enjoyment was greater when the participant watched videos compared to the images. Using a dynamic model was found to be more effective than a static model when participants were asked which method would motivate them to perform these exercises on their own. (Weeks, Brubaker et al., 2002)

YOGA FITNESS

FITNESS

We begin our discussion looking at what is usually utmost on the minds of participants who take yoga at the local fitness facility or gym, “fitness.” The population most widely served by the YogaFit style may want to know, “will doing yoga make me fit?” Before we begin, let’s clarify some basic concepts.

WHAT IS FITNESS?

According to Dave Costill, PhD, Professor Emeritus at Ball State University, fitness is the “ability to live your life without feeling fatigued.”² An all-embracing definition from the American Council of Sports Medicine (ACSM) states that fitness is related not only to maintaining physical activity but also relating to your health, (for example, someone reducing their risk of heart disease by becoming more fit.) The ACSM describes fitness as consisting of the following: cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition. Experts have long recommended that we do at least three different types of activity to improve our fitness level. So, according to the latest studies, how does Hatha Yoga fit into today’s prescription for fitness?

Hatha Yoga: More than just stretching!

Does yoga increase fitness as well as other types of exercise do? The answer is yes, if done within certain parameters. For example, in a study conducted looking at physiological changes in adult women, researchers looked at the short-term effects of four weeks of intensive yoga practice in six healthy adult female volunteers measured using the maximal exercise treadmill test. Yoga practice involved daily morning and evening sessions of 90 minutes each. In this group, the maximal workout increased by 21%, oxygen consumption per unit of work decreased, demonstrating an increase in cardiorespiratory efficiency.³ In another study, a comparison was made between the effects of yoga and the effects of physical exercise in athletes. This inquest focused on the effect of pranayama (controlled breathing). This study was a well-done investigation which lasted for two years, examining a control group and an experimental group. The results showed that the subjects who practiced pranayama could achieve higher work rates with reduced oxygen consumption per unit work than the control group, and without an increase in blood lactate levels.⁴ In a study conducted which looked at aerobic capacity and perceived exertion after practice of Hatha yogic exercises, investigators found that the practice of Hatha yogic exercises along with games helps to improve aerobic capacity like the practice of conventional exercises (PT), along with games. The yoga group practiced yoga for one hour every morning (six days a week) for six months. Interestingly, the yoga group performed better than the PT group in terms of lower ratings of perceived exertion after exhaustive exercise⁵, bringing in the mind-body connection which is so unique to yoga.

What about the other parameters of fitness? In a study performed at the University of California at Davis, students performed eight weeks of yoga training after which muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition and lung function was tested. Each week, the students attended four sessions in which they performed 10 minutes of pranayama, 15 minutes of warm-up exercises, 50 minutes of asanas, and 10 minutes of meditation. Significant improvements were noted in muscular strength (31%), muscular endurance (57%), flexibility (up to 188%), and VO2max (7%). The VO2 increase was particularly interesting as this study lasted eight weeks while the ACSM recommends that exercise research last at least 15-20 weeks, in order to see VO2 max improvements.⁶ Other studies reviewed by our resources indicated increases in respiratory efficiency and competence, cardiovascular efficiency and competence, and decreases in oxygen consumption.

So, can we tell our participants if they just do yoga, they will be “fit?” Well, that depends. As one can note by looking at the few studies described above, these positive results came only after practicing yoga according to certain guidelines. Studies have included more than an hour of practice at least two to fours days a week. The yoga sessions included pranayama work in addition to the typical yoga poses. The asanas included Sun Salutations and challenging standing and balancing poses. The good news is that the content of the yoga described in the studies is inherent in the YogaFit style of yoga. In YogaFit, we are training the body to increase physical endurance by flowing through the poses. The mind also is being trained to stay focused for the duration of the class. We also use “vinyasas,” several poses linking together and flowing with the breath, in order to increase strength and endurance. Of course, the practitioner needs to practice several times a week, for at least 60 minute sessions, to incur the benefits proven so far by scientific studies. If one is able to do this, not surprisingly, the fitness benefits fall in line with the benefits achieved by other forms of exercise.

The content of the class must also be quite vigorous, again, for the YogaFit style, this is not a problem. Dee Ann Birkel, an emeritus professor at Ball State’s School of Physical Education, and others point out that the Sun Salutations and other continuous linked poses increase the heart rate, making the yoga aerobically challenging. Also, the sustained isometric contractions required of the large and small muscle groups in standing poses increase strength. The concentric and eccentric work required to move in and out of poses in a controlled manner lifting our own body weight and the weight of our limbs serves also to increase our strength.² Balance poses require co-activation of our core stabilizing muscles, increasing stability and strength throughout our trunk. So, we can tell our participants with confidence, that practicing yoga with the YogaFit style will increase their fitness levels, not unlike other forms of exercise as long as they practice yoga according to established fitness guidelines.