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In Honor of Yoga Month: Medicinal Powers of Yoga

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

All you yoga lovers out there and even the yoga curious, in case you hadn't heard, September is National Yoga Month. Sweet.

The purpose of this month dedicated to yoga is to educate people about the health benefits of yoga, and inspire people to live a healthy lifestyle. If you are interested in taking a holistic approach to healing rather than taking lots of meds, here's a list of some of the ways yoga can improve your health.

Yoga improves levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. In a study conducted in India, those practicing yoga had a 23 percent drop in cholesterol. It may have to do with how yoga can both decrease stress and help with weight loss, two factors that can affect cholesterol.
Improves the quality of life for cancer patients going through radiation. Researchers are also looking into how yoga may improve the immune systems of those with cancer.
Since yoga is all about controlling and slowing down your breath, it can improve the function of the respiratory system, and help alleviate asthma symptoms.
It's been shown to improve digestion. All that twisting and bending every which way helps to tone and strengthen your core muscles and keeps the organs underneath healthy by massaging them.

To learn about the other benefits of yoga read more.

Toning your core through yoga alleviates back, neck, and shoulder pain.
By stretching your muscles, you can help to prevent injury when doing other sports or activities like running or skiing.
It has emotional benefits as well, helping to alleviate depression, stress, anger, and anxiety. It can improve your memory, attention span, and improve your outlook on life. It's also been shown to boost self-confidence.

Do you feel the power of yoga? Share how you plan to celebrate National Yoga Month in the comments section below.
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September Means Free Yoga!

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:00:42 -0700

If you've always wanted to be able to stand on your head and do Downward Facing Dog, then September is your month. It's National Yoga Month, and to celebrate, over 750 yoga studios across the world are offering one week of free yoga. The hope is to inspire more people to try yoga so they can reap all the physical and emotional benefits of a regular practice.

All you have to do is check the list of participating yoga studios. Once you choose a studio, they'll email you a card. Just print it out and bring it to your chosen studio to get one free week of classes. How easy is that? The one clincher is that you can't use the pass to get free classes at a studio you've already been going to; it's only for new students. It's a great way to explore the benefits of yoga, or to try out a different studio.

In Honor of Yoga Month: Talk About Inspiration!

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:30:00 -0700

OK, OK, I know what you're thinking. This is some patchouli-smelling, long-haired, hippie-yoga dude who loves to practice shirtless. Try not to focus on that but watch what this amazingly strong and flexible man can do. See how he does Eight Crooked Limbs without even touching the ground, and then later gets himself into Hummingbird? This is two minutes of supreme yoga.

Tell me, does this inspire you to do more yoga, or do you feel like this is only possible for someone with a contortionist-like body?

Name That Yoga Pose

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:50:28 -0700

In honor of September being National Yoga Month, let's test what you know about some common and not-so-common yoga poses.

Question 1 of 8

What is this hip opener called?

Support Breast Cancer Awareness With Beyond Yoga

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:03 -0700

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Beyond Yoga, one of my favorite brands of fitness clothes, is offering some unique pink products. The company is donating 30 percent of the proceeds from the sale of these I Am Beyond . . . Hopeful water bottles ($36) and its Lift and Support Bra ($64) to the Women's Cancer Research Fund. Every sale will support research, education, and outreach for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of female cancers. A minimum of $4 will be donated for every water bottle sold, and a $10 donation will be made for every bra sold.

To hear more about these products and see some other photos, keep reading

Yoga For The Heart and Yoga From the Heart

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 03:05:17 -0800

Heart Health month will soon be over, but there is still more vital information to report. We've covered cholesterol, high blood pressure, triglycerides and preventative measures. Now I would like to talk a little bit about how yoga factors into heart health, and you all know I LOVE yoga.

Yoga for the heart:
Even though yoga is not considered cardio exercise it has been shown that it is beneficial to the heart. Practicing yoga also reduces chronic stress, which boosts immune system function and enhances cognitive ability. Practicing yoga and meditation 3 times a week can lower your blood pressure, pulse and decrease risk of heart disease. All those are good things.

Yoga from the heart:
Developed recently by John Friend, anusara yoga is described as heart-oriented, spiritually inspiring, yet grounded in a deep knowledge of outer- and inner-body alignment. "Anusara"means "flowing with Grace,” “going with the flow,” or “following your heart”. Each student's various abilities and limitations are deeply respected and honored, and in an Anusara class the instructor asks you to literally move from your heart. You can download an hour long class taught by Neesha Zollinger, an Anusara instructor, at Yoga Today. Why not do some yoga to celebrate your heart.

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:05:04 -0800

Revamp your belly in a month with these moves - Shape
Use your iPhone to find a yoga class near you - Social Workout
Two books to inspire the fit life. Win one with just a comment - Fit Bottomed Girls
Amy Winehouse's latest addiction is surprising - FitCeleb
Guess the most popular day to call in sick - Vitamin G
Wii Fit burns calories, but not as many as you think - Fresh Fitness Tips
It starts early even preschoolers affected by airbrushing - Never Say Diet

Gifts For the Fly Fisherman

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:04 -0800

Here at Sugar, holiday season is already in full swing - you better believe I've been making my list for who's been naughty and nice! To make gift shopping a breeze for you, we'll be offering up a bevy of gift ideas in the coming weeks for all the special fit folk in your life.

If you're like me, you have a man in your life that likes to fish. As a young girl, I always looked forward to weekend fishing trips with my dad, but I've since traded in my reel for a yoga mat and a day on the rocks. My dad is still going strong, though. Here are a few things I'm scoping out for him that may come in handy for the special fisherman in your life, too.

Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die ($16) Beautiful photographs and descriptions of the 50 best fly fishing spots in the world. This book gives the fish fanatic something to dream about, or inspiration for his next trip.
Tie-a-Fly ($22) Bob Henley's fly kits are an easy and inexpensive way to learn how to tie fly patterns. Each kit comes with enough material to tie 12 flies.
Gallatin Lanyard ($39) Every good fisherman needs to have his gear handy, and a lanyard is an easy way to keep the essentials within an arm's reach. It's padded with foam to keep the neck comfortable, and it has an adjustable length of nine to 27 inches.
Embroidered Clearwater Mesh Vest ($57) Even knee-deep in water, you still gotta look good! No fly fisherman is complete without his vest, and this one gets you remembered for the personal embroidered pocket.
Fly of the Month Club ($60-220) For three, six, or 12 months, the Fly of the Month Club will send that special someone premium flies right to their door.

Fit for September: Must Haves

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Now that Labor Day has passed us by, it's time to kiss the dog days of Summer good-bye. Just because you're putting away your bathing suit does not mean that you should also put away your motivation to stay fit. Being healthy is much more than looking good on the beach. Use my September Must Haves to welcome the first day of Fall, and of the rest of your life.

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Breast Cancer Patients Feel Better With Yoga

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:45:00 -0700

The one thing we can all agree on is that everyone can benefit from doing yoga. It strengthens our bodies inside and out, and makes us feel relaxed and happy.

A new study has found that special yoga classes, with more restorative poses, can also help women battling breast cancer, especially those not taking chemotherapy. The study included 128 women, and the researchers randomly assigned half to a 12-week yoga program, and the other half were in a control group waiting list.

The classes were offered three times a week, and patients were encouraged to take at least one class a week. This wasn't a typical yoga class. The sequencing of postures was designed specifically to benefit those with breast cancer. During the study, the women doing yoga showed improvement in their quality of life, and in their spiritual, emotional, and social well-being. The more classes they attended, the better they felt.

Yoga programs are increasingly being offered in hospitals and rehab centers to benefit cancer patients, as well as prisoners and women in recovery. Knowing that yoga benefits people in need motivates me to practice even more.

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