What is the layman's image of yoga?  How could it be improved?
919302
Well since my partner and I have taken up Yoga we have altered our way of eating and become much more disciplined in exercising, Not to mention our flexibility is astounding compared to what we were like  before.\n\nAll age groups attend sessions, from the (well frail n aged) to mid lifers to the young....everyone at a different level , it is strange how yoga is perceived to be a Gay pursuit ,usually from the un-informed.\n\nIt works out certain vital organs in our bodies which in turn helps us ward off illnesses  and makes us much fitter in process, so to me I feel it should be taught  in schools as a subject.....
119420
Exercise, yoga, proper nutrition, medication.
412014
hi. allow me to share with you a couple of  highly effective yoga techniques which a am sure will do u a whole lot of good. \nthe logic behind this is that they increse the efficiency of your lungs and strengtehn the lungs ,the stomach and all other internal organs.\nthe two exercices or "PRANAYAM" as they r widely known, not only cures respiratory illnesses but also takes care of exceessive weigt gain, eyesight and also heart ailments in many patients. people have understood the benefits within weeks of starting these exercises, and i beleive u will 2.\n\n1. sit with an erct posture on the ground. both legs crossed. this is the common position in all yogic asanas. then take a deep breath. this should then be forcefully expelled from your nose by applying force on your stomach. follow this action continuously @ 2/sec. in the beginning do only 30 reps at a stretch. then rest for a while. restart and repeat the cyle for 5-10 times. do not exert yourself. you will succeed gradually. as ur capacity increases do these sets for 10-15 mins daily, increasing the reps and sets accrdng 2 ur convinience\n\n2. after the first exercise, relax. and do this one slowly. inhale air deeply from left nostril while holding the other closed with the thumb of the right hand. after completing the inhalation close the left nostril with right mid finger and exale slowly from the right nostril. follow this with an  inhale from the right and exale from the left using fingers as mentioned. do this task for 10-15 mmins daily.\n\nnote. these exercises need to be done on an empty stomach. so it is important that u havent eaten anything 3-4 hrs prior to doing these exercise. hence early morning is the best time to perform yoga. 1/2 na hour will put u enroute to a life of healthy living
289352
The books are good if you already have the basic mechanics down but, if you're a novice a really good idea is to buy a dvd instead. In a book its, see figure 10a, see figure 10c, etc. You're not really seeing a fluid movement which is integral in yoga! It's all about the fluidity of your movement. With a dvd you can watch it through a couple of times to really see what you're supposed to be doing. There are some really good ones out there, and they're less expensive than a good book too! I'd recommend anything with Sara Ivanhoe as the instructor.
30724
I am a conscientious but nondenominational exerciser, and coming to Bikram (a.k.a. "Hot") Yoga began more as a scheduling convenience than devotion to its unvarying regimen of 26 poses (asanas), each performed twice and held for what can seem like forever over the course of the nearly two-hour class. \n\nYoga comes in almost as many guises as there are yoga instructors, but most classes build on the same basic foundation of poses performed sitting, standing and lying down. Although some, like the Sun Salutation, consist of a progression of steps, more often the goal is to work gradually toward a single ideal shape: the bow, the triangle, the cobra. My needs are simple: I want supervised, intensive stretching, and every yoga class I've ever attended offers at least that. \n\nThe truth is, I hated this Bikram class when I started. At first I returned only because I was desperate — the victim of a muscle-kinking bout of business travel (cramped airline seats and strange beds). Our teacher, Leah Weisman, seemed to talk incessantly. The room was always full, from 30 to 50 people. And the space was intentionally overheated. \n\nTrue Hot Yoga requires a room temperature as high as 105°F, supposedly so muscles warm up quickly and stretch more easily. This gym's drafty old studio achieves only Balmy Yoga — about 81°F — which is just as well. I've experienced optimal Bikram temperatures just once, and frankly, that's way too much bodily fluid shared and dripped and flicked around among a bunch of people who know one another in anything less than a biblical fashion. \n\nBut the thing I hated most about the class was that at the very end, while everyone was resting for a few minutes in the stillness of Shavasana, the corpse pose (designed to quiet the mind), Leah broke into song. Classroom scuttlebutt is that she has been known to sing On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever, but I've only heard her sing verses from New Age-y folk tunes that mention planets spinning around the sun and the Earth Mother calling her children home. \n\nWhy torture myself so? Simple: love triumphs over hate. As it turns out, Leah is an excellent teacher. Week after week she goes through the same routine without ever falling into autopilot. She is very "present in the moment," as she might describe it. Leah offers cautions about overexertion, suggestions on how to do each pose at various levels of challenge, and great good humor. Last week she talked about a meditation seminar she had attended and called the impromptu lecture her "sermon on the mat." \n\nAs a gasping heater blows lukewarm air around the room, she intersperses practical instruction ("Pull up your quads as you pull down your hamstrings") with abstract concepts ("Remember, you're burning new neurological pathways") that I take or leave, depending on my mood. \n\nLeah wanders among the students, propelling the class forward even as she stops to adjust an arm angle here or perform a thyroid-massaging chin tuck there. She urges noncompetition, with oneself ("However you do the posture today is how you should do the posture") and with others ("How can you compare yourself to your neighbor? You don't have the same body!"). Her monologue becomes a mantra, returning my oft-wandering focus back to the pose I'm attempting. Where is my center of balance? Can I feel my spine stretch if I imagine my head and tailbone pulling in opposite directions? How does my alignment shift when I turn my foot three degrees to the right? \n\nSome people criticize Bikram for being too arduous, but as with all yoga, much of the responsibility falls to the individual. I welcome this opportunity to eschew faster, higher and stronger in favor of deeper. In this regard, the simplicity of Bikram's poses is one more way to avoid being distracted from myself. \n\nTo spend this much time slowly and gently stretching is a luxu
758824
Not only his in general any Yoga would help.\n\nCheck this: \n\nThe benefits of yoga - Yoga for all\n\nhttp://www.boredcorner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1379
486059
There has also been a steady rise in yoga-related injuries. Experts attribute the increased injuries to three major factors: \n\n1.  Yoga’s increased popularity and greater participation \n2.  Inexperienced and poorly trained yoga instructors teaching new ‘hybrid’ forms of yoga \n3.  Individuals simply pushing themselves too hard and not listening to their bodies\n\n\nHow to Prevent Yoga Injuries\n\nFind a Qualified Instructor \nThis is the most important safety tip, so read the previous section one more time. \n\nProgress slowly \nIf you are new to yoga, it’s important to start slowly and learn the basics. Take a beginners class and learn what to expect and move through the poses cautiously for the first couple of weeks. If you feel that your instructor is pushing you too far or isn’t focused on your safety, find a new class. Video tapes are also a good way to learn if yoga is right for you, but be careful because without an instructor, you could easily perform the poses incorrectly and not even know it. \n\nDon't Compete \nMany yoga students get hurt while trying to keep up with the instructor or other students. Yoga is not a competition so don’t let yourself get pressured to compete with anyone else. It is better to practice a partial pose with good form than a full pose with poor form. Try to focus on your breathing rather than how far you stretch. \n\nSet Personal Goals \nYou are unique and should make your goals unique as well. You should determine your own baseline and work (slowly) from there. It helps to set small, specific goals for each yoga session. Don't be swayed by what the instructor or others in the class can do. You are there for your own personal health and fitness. Don't allow your instructor or a partner to push you deeper into a pose if you don't feel ready. \n\nListen to Your Body \nPain is your body’s way to let you know something is wrong. Listen to it and back off. Your strength, flexibility and mental attention can vary slightly from day to day, so allow for some variation without getting concerned. \n\nAsk Questions\nIf you are unsure of a position or movement, stop and ask your instructor for more explanation. If you have any injuries, chronic conditions of other limitations or medical conditions, let you instructor know before class. You should also check with you doctor about any movements or poses you should avoid.
471501
Yoga is incredible, great for the body and the soul. It improves circulation, flexibility, breathing and muscular tone. Its low impact so its great for joints too!
110579
Yoga postures and basic meditation exercises are simple enough to learn, even for a child. The major problem with most yoga 'drop outs' is not getting the techniques right, as most people have aligned their minds to believe, but the ability to establish the habit of following the practices through on a regular basis. For detail tips, check out the source below.
198534
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/index.cfm?ctsrc=welcome
275005
why dont you make one?? that would be a lot more personal than buying one. and when people ask, "cute, whered you get that?" you can prodly reply, "i made it!" then theyre all like, "really! its so nice!" and then you feel great about yourself, hense the idea behind yoga. but this requires less body manipulations! lol
41154
http://www.caitanya.com/YogaLadder/index.html
658892
Pilates focuses on core strength; making the core body muscles (such as the psoas) stronger.  it is more "exercise-like" than yoga with repetitions.  There is usually not a strong mediative component.  Pilates will get you in shape and make you strong in a good way - not the surface way like aerobics.\n\nYoga is more about body awareness.  It has a meditative component and is much much older.  Yoga will change your life and who you are permanently for the better.\n\nI recommend dunya (dianne mcpherson) yoga DVDs.\nyou can buy three of her yoga DVDS at www.dancemeditation.org\nshe is my teacher and it changed my life for the better.
9211
Ayurvedic Medicine is great, I especially love all the uses of natural ingredients.  There are a ton of great book sout there for you to look at.  I would recomment doing that.  \n\nI don't know much about yoga, I have taken a class in it, but I have an Ayurvedic Medicine woman, and she is great.
1126583
Scientists aren't exactly sure why yoga has physiological benefits, but at least some of its success can be attributed to stress reduction, the relaxation response and "exercise" element with benefits that parallel traditional exercise.
664822
Yoga is a great way to stretch but it is sooo much more. It builds strength, balance, and spiritual connection. Yoga is the fountain of youth. There are different types of yoga depending on your goals. There are yoga styles with a heated studio like Bikram and Ashtanga which allow you to go really deep into the poses because you are already warmed up. The style I practice is called Anusara which is focused on alignment so the chances of injury are very little. Check with your local studio and make sure your instructor knows about your ability level and any injuries. \nJust to add to the other comments, Pilates is about strengthening your core more than about flexibility. Yoga is better for flexibility.\nNamaste!
1005525
Yoga means union, or linking oneself to the surpreme.  if you want the whole story we need to sit down and talk as it took me six years of intense study, and i'm sorry, but i'm not prepared to sit here and type it all out at the moment.\n\non the other hand your question is the first step.  and now i will give you the second step.\n\ngo here:  http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/patanjal/patanyog.htm\n\nnamaste