The Rules of Good Yoga Etiquette

Yoga Class Do's and Don'ts for Beginners

Common sense and common courtesy are the cornerstones of good etiquette in any situation. Add in a healthy dose of respect for the people and places around you and a smidge of kindness and that about covers it, right?

Right, but if you’re nervous about starting yoga, knowing more about a few issues that are specific to yoga classes and studios can go a long way toward making you feel more comfortable.

So read up and then head over to your local yoga studio with confidence.

#1 - Remove Your Shoes:

Most yoga studios have a place for your shoes right by the front door. Since people will be walking around the studio barefoot, it is most hygienic if everyone takes off their outdoor shoes first thing. If you're taking yoga at a gym, remove your shoes before you enter the yoga room.

#2 - Silence Your Cell Phone:

Make a habit of doing this as soon as you get to yoga class. You will be quite embarrassed if your phone rings during class. If this happens (and it has even happened to me), I advocate owning up and going to turn the ringer off immediately. Some teachers prefer may that it just be ignored and will let you know of their preference. Never ever answer the phone or send texts during class.

#3 - Arrive On Time:

Arrive at least 10 minutes before the class is scheduled to start so you have time to check in, put down your mat, and go to the bathroom of necessary.

If you do arrive late, don't enter a class more than 10 minutes late if it has already started. Wait for the next class or another day.

#4 - Respect Others' Mat Spaces:

When we asked yoga students what their biggest pet peeves were, "people stepping on my mat" was the top answer. Yes, it's a pretty small thing and sometimes it's difficult in a really crowded room, but do your best to avoid stepping on other students' mats as you make your way through the room.

A lot of people see their yoga mat as a special, almost sacred place. Plus, they want to keep it clean.

If you attend a class that is usually crowded, place your mat pretty close to the person next to you so that there will be enough space for everyone. And always be willing to move your mat to make room for another student.

#5 - Respect the Teacher:

When you enter a yoga class, you sign on to respect the teacher for the next hour and a half. You may discover halfway through the class that you don't care for this teacher, playlist, or hour of the day. But you still should continue with the class, follow the teacher's instructions, take your Savasana, and chalk it up to experience. Walking out mid-class is only ok in rare circumstances.

#6 - Keep Variations Appropriate:

Keep in mind the level of the class you are attending. If it is an advanced class and some of the poses are too hard, it is fine to take a more basic variation of the poses being taught. Usually, the teacher will offer this option. If you are attending a basic class, stick to the basic versions of the poses so you don't confuse new students. The teacher will offer you the option to take a more advanced variation when appropriate. If you are adapting poses because of an injury, always be sure to let the teacher know.

When it comes time to take a vinyasa, always feel free to take either knees, chest, and chin and cobra or chaturanga and updog.

#7 - Go to the Bathroom During Resting Poses:

It is fine to leave class for a few minutes to go to the bathroom: There is no need to ask the teacher's permission. The best time to go is when there is a period of rest, either in child's pose or downward dog. You will not earn your teacher's respect if you routinely dodge out during difficult poses or skip part of savasana.

#8 - Don't Skip Savasana!:

Your final relaxation in savasana is an important part of your practice. Don't plan to leave class early.

If you must, tell the teacher in advance and take a short Savasana before you go. Don't make a habit of this.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.verywellfit.com/yoga-etiquette-3566740

5 Fueling Tips to Transition From the Gym to the Outdoors

Spring brings warmer weather, sunnier days and the opportunity to take your workout outside. Transitioning training sessions from the gym to the great outdoors comes with several considerations: where to go, what to wear, when to go and how to fuel.

Before you get outside, make sure your performance nutrition plan is ready for the new training environment.

These are the top five things to consider in terms of your nutrition when transitioning your workouts outside this spring:

#1 - Experiment Indoors

The gym is a great place to experiment with eating different types of fuel due to the close proximity to a restroom. When outside, consuming the wrong thing can leave you in the nearest bush taking an undesired ‘nature break.’ To prevent GI issues, make sure your fueling methods are tried and true before taking them outside. For best results, start with what you know works and slowly add new things to the routine as you adapt and progress.

#2 - Stash It

Inside, workouts are largely stationary, so you can keep your fuel nearby. When on-the-go outside, you’ll need to carry it with you. There are a few options for this: Stash it on your person (inside pockets or spandex), use a pack (water bottle with pouch, waist belt, backpack) or hide it along your route if you’re doing an out-and-back or lap-style course.

#3 - Element Exposure

Food being brought outside is subjected to the elements. Make sure the ingredients hold up to rising temperatures without melting (sorry, chocolate) and/or spoiling. If you drop food at a location along your route, make sure the ants won’t get to it before you do. If carrying food on your person, make sure it won’t get overly bruised or smashed. When driving to a destination workout such as a tennis court, group ride or trail, pack a cooler with ice to keep things fresh while you work out.

#4 - Ramp Up

Spring season can lead to a significant ramp up in activity level — temps are nicer, days get longer, races near and more friends want to get outside. Make sure your fueling practices match your increase in activity. Workouts lasting 90 minutes or longer need to be fueled with 30–60 grams of carbs an hour along with recovery fuel to replenish your body’s stores.

Also Read: How Energy Drinks Affect Your Body Within 24 Hours

#5 - Make It Social, Within Reason

Group workouts are a great motivator for getting outside, but make sure to keep the focus on the training, not the food. Many groups meet at a local café or coffee shop, promoting the purchase of a beverage, snack or meal. Some training groups even end with a social happy hour. While fun, these stops can work against you. Wherever your fuel source is coming from, make sure that it supports the effort you’re putting in — along with your lifestyle and health goals.

Overall, transitioning from winter indoor workouts to sunny outside training can be, well, a breath of fresh air! With a little extra thought to your nutrition strategy, you can keep your body fueled to match your spring fitness goals.

Content & Image Courtesy: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/5-fueling-tips-to-transition-from-gym-to-outdoors/

The Third Eye or Ajna Chakra in Yoga

Let's be clear: doing yoga or meditating is not going to cause you to suddenly sprout another eye. The third eye is part of what is called "the subtle body," which means that while it can't be seen, it's an important force in governing how prana (energy) moves within the body. Some yoga practitioners choose to embrace the idea of the subtle body and find that it helps them stay balanced, healthy, and happy.

Other people find that this approach doesn't make sense to them or is too esoteric. Both types of yoga students can still benefit a lot from the physical practice of yoga, even though they may come to it from different angles.

So Where Is This Third Eye?

Your third eye is located in the center of your forehead. It is the site of the ajna chakra, which is associated with light, perception, and intuition. Chakras can become unbalanced when they are blocked, which may cause a person to feel like the areas influenced by that chakra are not working properly.

Meditation and yoga are prescribed to remove the blockage. When meditating, make the third eye your focal point. You can use it as a drishti by turning your eyeballs toward it with the eyes open or closed. Or you can just concentrate on the center of the forehead while repeating the mantra "om" (the seed syllable associated with the ajna chakra) either in your mind or out loud.

Poses for the Third Eye:

Yoga poses that stimulate the forehead can also be useful. Child's pose is a good choice because it is done with the forehead on the floor. Because it's a resting position, you can stay in it for several minutes if you want to. The forward bending variation of pigeon is also a pose where you can stay for a while.

If your forehead doesn't come to the floor, put a block under it so that it has something to rest on. Ajna chakra also comes into contact with the floor when you are preparing for prone positions like low cobra and locust. Though these preparatory positions are usually transitory, you can choose to linger in them if you want to.

Seated forward bends also offer the opportunity to bring the third eye to the floor. If your forehead doesn't quite make it there, use a block under it for support. Try upavistha konasana and baddha konasana this way. In paschimottanasana, put the block on your legs.

For standing poses, try eagle, in which you can bring your thumb to your third eye as you forward bend. In fact, you can bring the arm position from eagle into a number of other poses. It works well and allows you to make contact with the third eye in warrior III, humble warrior, and cow face pose, for example.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-the-third-eye-3566789

6 Simple Tips for Running Uphill Strong

If you’re planning to tackle a trail race this summer — like one of the Under Armour Mountain Running Series races — going uphill is a necessary evil. Trail runs, by nature, are almost never flat and most involve pretty intense ups and downs. So prepping for a race means adding hills to your routine, even if that means your average minutes-per-mile drops to accommodate those climbs.

Former track star and current Under Armour athlete Sarah Cotton made the switch to ultra-running only a couple of years ago and had a lot to learn about flowing up and down trails after already running for hours. “Running uphill is the number 1 best cardiovascular exercise or workout that you can get for your body without impacting your muscles a ton for recovery. It’s so good for that,” says Kaci Lickteig, a former Western States 100-miler winner and ultra-running physical therapist. Check out top tips from her and Cotton for uphill success.

#1 - Slow Your Breathing

“When I started running a lot more in the mountains, the biggest thing that I noticed is that your heart rate elevates a ton when you run uphill and that can make you start to panic,” says Cotton. “You’re going up a hill, your heart rate shoots up and you’re thinking you shouldn’t be breathing that hard. So the biggest thing is to try to calm your breathing down as much as possible, but be OK with your heart rate going up and not letting that panic you. Trying to stay calm is the biggest thing.”

#2 - Take a Hike

If you’re new to running, uphills can be extremely challenging, and it may be impossible to keep your breathing calm and heart rate in a reasonable zone. So rather than pushing beyond your limits, add hiking into your regular runs. Do a normal mile or two run to get to an extremely uphill trail and then hike the trail. Each time you go up, try to get a bit faster, pushing the pace on any flatter sections. Gradually, you’ll build to running, but when it comes to hills, take your time easing into the practice.

#3 - Add Step-Ups To Your Gym Route

You should be strength training, especially if you’re a trail runner, since you’re often using more muscle to make it over obstacles than you might as a road runner. So, when you’re hitting the gym, incorporate heavy lifts like squats (Lickteig’s favorite) but also incorporate box step-ups into your routine to make getting over obstacles on the trail easier. Use a roughly knee-height step or box, and just run through a series of step-ups, focusing on lifting your leg straight up to make the step, versus turning your hip out to the side. (If you need to twist at the hip, your hips are likely too tight — add some mobility to your daily routine!)

#4 - Practice Good Posture

“Make sure you’re not collapsing your chest: Maintain a good, upright posture. Keep your eyes looking up toward the top of the hill and emphasize driving your knees and your arms,” says Lickteig. “You really want to focus on doing that, and it will lead you into a good hip/knee posture and gait.”

Also Read: Closed Chain Exercise For Legs and Knees

#5 - Run, Repeat

Sadly, you’re going to have to get a little boring by adding hill repeat workouts to your routine. Once a week, find a local hill — preferably on a trail — and do a few reps up and down. “Get out and do hill repeats: That’s the only way to get better and more efficient at going uphill,” says Cotton. And practice good form!”

#6 - … But Don't Do Up- And Down Hill Repeats Together

Lickteig cautions against using your uphill and downhill repeats at the same time. Because downhill running is a heavy load on your muscles, you should avoid doing both in the same workout. Use the downhills as recovery, either running slowly and carefully or even walking down. Your best strategy might be to find a tough uphill that’s looped with a gradual downhill — often, that looks like a straight up-and-down hill, and then a switchback-filled trail to make it back down.

Content & Image Courtesy: http://blog.mapmyrun.com/6-simple-tips-for-running-uphill-strong/

The Meaning of Om and How It Is Used in Yoga

Om is a very simple sound with a complex meaning. Om is the whole universe coalesced into a single word, representing the union of mind, body, and spirit that is at the heart of yoga. Often chanted three times at the start and finish of a yoga session, the sound of om is actually three syllables - a, u, and m.

The Power of Om:

Om is an ancient mantra that is used in Hinduism and Buddhism, among other faiths.

In the Hindu tradition, the sound om is said to contain the entire universe. It is the first sound from the beginning of time, as well encompassing the present and the future. As such, its importance and power are difficult to overstate. It is also a seed syllable, used as a building block for other mantras. In the chakra system, it is connected to ajna chakra, the third eye, which represents intuition and self-knowledge. 

Om in Yoga:

In a yoga setting, the chanting of om at the beginning of class ushers practitioners into the time and space that is about to be spent on the mat or in meditation. Likewise, an om at the end of class signifies that your physical practice has ended and it is time to reenter society. Chanting with a group of people also serves to unify the group and create a sense of community. As you feel the vibration of the chant and lose the sound of your own voice amongst those of your classmates, it's possible to feel at one with other people and even with the universe.

The Science of Om:

Scientists have begun to research the effects on the brain of the vibrations created by chanting. A small 2011 study specifically evaluated the effects of using om as a mantra by taking functional MRI scans of the brains of participants as they chanted om and also the sound "ssss" as a control.

The brain activity the researchers observed during the om periods was similar to that created by vagus nerve stimulation, which is used to treat depression and epilepsy. Although these results are considered preliminary, they still offer scientific support for the positive effects many people experience from chanting om. 

The Om Symbol in Yoga:

The om symbol has become the unofficial logo of yoga. You'll see it on mats and tee shirts, painted on studio walls and tattooed onto the bodies of yogis. It's such a ubiquitous image in the yoga world that it's easy to forget that its significance goes beyond proclaiming your love for all things yoga. The origin of the symbol is not known, but it is said to represent four states of consciousness: deep sleep (unconsciousness), dreaming, wakefulness, and bliss (samadhi).

Pronunciation:

Sometimes om is taught with a long o sound followed by a vibrating m. Others prefer to separate the a and u sounds, so it's more of an ah-oo-mm.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.verywellfit.com/the-meaning-of-om-3566806

8 Common Side Effects of Weight Loss Nobody Talks About

When we begin a weight-loss journey, we often have a vision of what our body and life will be like when we reach our goal weight. But the reality is typically different.

“Weight loss is something that, for people who need it, can make a huge positive impact in their lives, physically and psychologically. But weight is such a complicated and publicly visible matter that sometimes weight loss is a mixed blessing,” says Patrick O’Neil, PhD, director of the Medical University of South Carolina Health Weight Management Center.

Here is how to handle eight typical consequences of losing weight that nobody tells you about:

#1 - Excess Skin

Dropping a lot of weight can lead to loose skin. “If you’re losing a significant amount of body fat, that body fat has been under your skin protruding and helping to keep the skin taut,” O’Neil explains. Depending on your genes, age and how much weight you lost, your skin will recover somewhat, he adds. Resistance training to build muscle can help some, so try that first. You may also choose to talk to a plastic surgeon about surgery to remove the skin.

#2 - Living In Your Old Body

When you grow up being teased for being heavier, “you incorporate that as part of your self image,” says Sofia Rydin-Gray, PhD, behavioral health director at Duke Diet and Fitness Center. “When you lose weight, unless you develop a realistic image of yourself, you may continue to think of yourself as a bigger person.” Movement is a great way to help tune into your body, she adds. Or consider keeping one piece of larger clothing and putting it on to see how much bigger it is now. Looking at photos of you at your starting weight may also help you see the changes in your body.

#3 - Comments From Friends & Family

“Often weight plays more of a role in some relationships than we might appreciate at first,” O’Neil says. Your friends and family may not always be supportive of your weight loss. If someone questions why you’re no longer eating certain foods or always going to the gym, explain why losing weight is important to you. If a friend says you’re getting too skinny, say, “Thanks for your concern, but I’ve spoken to my doctor, and I’m at a healthy weight for me.”

#4 - Attention From Strangers

Often when women lose weight, they find they get more attention from men. If this is discomforting, you feel vulnerable or you fear relationships and intimacy, speak to a therapist. “Clients sometimes say the fat has been a protection,” O’Neil says. “Oftentimes there are other issues bound up in that. In some cases, there may be a history of sexual abuse.” It’s important to work through those things with a professional.

#5 - Realizing Life isn't that Different

When researchers studied 1,979 overweight and obese adults over four years, they discovered weight loss was associated with a reduction in health risks but not with psychological benefits. “When you’re in the active weight-loss phase, it’s the honeymoon period where you are seeing results and gaining confidence,” Rydin-Gray explains. “When you are in maintenance, you’re not getting that regular feedback.” And you may not land that job or have your girlfriend propose like you thought you would. Think back to why you wanted to lose weight — what were your deeper motivations? It can help to explore what you feel is missing in your life and the barriers to achieving those things with a therapist.

Also Read: 9 Foods You Should Never Eat

#6 - Worry That It's "Not Real"

When you have lost weight in the past and later regained it, you may think you “can’t” lose weight. If you think your current weight loss isn’t real, listen to your self-talk and come up with counterpoints, O’Neil suggests. Pretend the weight loss is real — how would you behave differently? Why not do that now? Remember, too, that you have tools and skills you have used to lose the weight. Keep using those and it will be real, Rydin-Gray adds.

#7 - Marriage Conflict

Shedding pounds after the wedding can cause your partner to feel threatened and insecure, leading to tension in your marriage, according to a study in the journal Health Communication. Talk to your partner if you sense this may be happening. Ask what their concerns are and talk together about how to address those concerns. If you think it’s best, see a couple’s therapist together.

#8 - You Still Need to Work

“Losing weight is one challenge; keeping it off is a whole new challenge,” O’Neil says. By now many of the skills you adopted in order to lose weight are habits, so keep them up. And be prepared to face setbacks. Identify the most critical pieces of your weight-control program that you can do if your weight starts to trend upward.

Content & Image Courtesy: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-common-side-effects-weight-loss-nobody-talks-about/