India is rightly known as the World Capital of Yoga and the word yoga is from the Sanskrit language which means to unite or to attach. Yoga is widely believed to be in existence as old as civilization. Yoga poses are known to be found in stone seals from around 3000 B.C , although some believe that yoga was prevalent even before that and an other form of body postures ‘shamanism’ which was similar to Yoga. Yoga could be classified into four periods namely Vedic period, Pre-Classical Yoga, Classical Yoga and Post-Classical Yoga. Yoga restores balance and peace into our lives and helps in the physical, mental and psychological well being of an individual. India’s yoga retreats are very traditional and authentic in their treatment which follows the ancient teachings of ‘yoga asanas’. There are many yoga retreats packages that have come into existence through the length and breadth of India.

These yoga retreats emphasize on leading an ashram life and guests are treated very divinely and gracefully. They are instructed to undergo many practices such as meditation lessons, chanting classes, daily yoga etc and they are provided a very soothing environment as it is surrounded by farms and the guests could interact with the local population and get an insight into their lives. Guests are given practice in various facets of yoga for therapeutic guidance and they are also aided if they want to pursue aesthetic and a spiritual path in their lives. yoga thus has the tenacity to bring a change in our outlook towards life and turn us into more reformed beings. It is really a revelation to know that how the minute changes in the life style and dietary habits could bring a world of change in the overall well being of an individual.

These retreats also take special care in the culinary and dietary habits of the guests. It is pure Organic vegetarian food on a very strict time policy and a strict no- alcohol policy. The guests are even involved in the farming in the gardens with the morning sun and they could offer help in the cooking arena thus making their stay as close to home and warm as possible. The massages are performed in a very meticulous manner as the guest requirements vary from one another. They provide an environment to free all types of stress be it professional or personal and help in rejuvenating and reprising our lives to restart our lives on a refreshed note.

There are a number of specific Bikram yoga poses that you will need to learn and that have to be performed in a room that has a temperature of ninety to one hundred degrees Fahrenheit and where humidity levels are also high. Bikram yoga is named after the founder Bikram Choudhury who after years of studying yoga, under the well-known yogi Bishnu Ghosh, developed this unique form of yoga that has today gained in popularity, especially in the Western world.
Union of Mind and Body and Spirit
By performing Bikram yoga poses it is hoped that you will be able to unite your body with the mind and spirit, affect greater flexibility of the body while also increasing its strength. Part of the increased popularity of Bikram yoga lies in the fact that it enables a person to strengthen the muscles as well as the lymphatic, nervous and endocrine systems.
There are a total of twenty-six different Bikram yoga poses that need to be learned and mastered that must be performed in a room with desired level of heat and humidity. It must also be remembered that each of the twenty-six Bikram yoga poses should be performed twice in each session.
These different twenty-six Bikram yoga poses include those for standing, and for backward and forward bends and a number of twists. The advantage of performing Bikram yoga poses in a heated room lies in the fact that it has been proven that a practitioner will get the maximum benefits at a certain level of heat when the body becomes more flexible and less prone to injuries.
No doubt, many of the different Bikram yoga poses are challenging and not everyone will be comfortable performing them. Though with greater amount of heat in the room, the body increases its flexibility and so it becomes easier to practice the Bikram yoga poses, and in addition allows for reaching greater depth of each physical pose in a shorter period of time.
Because of the heat, the body will also sweat more and so lead to expelling of harmful toxins from the body and of course, as mentioned before, reduces the chance of injuring one. In any case, each of the twenty-six Bikram yoga poses are especially designed to enable the practitioner to strengthen their bodies and stretch muscles and joints as well as ligaments, and so leads to improved physical well being.
If you have thought about attending a Bikram yoga class, you will do well to follow your inclinations, as you will be getting an excellent opportunity to perform different Bikram yoga styles that will suit your needs. Though of course, to identify the proper style, you will have to make an effort and do your own research beforehand.
Though Bikram yoga poses are challenging and involve greater physical activity, there are various poses that can suit people of different abilities and so whether you are a novice or experienced you can pick the type of pose that you feel the most comfortable with and provided you can stand the heat, there will be nothing stopping you from achieving a better state of health and fitness.

This is the latest article in our yoga central series and today we will be looking at a pose known as cat cow pose and is the combination of two poses. We will look at how to properly carry out the pose, the benefits you can get from it and anything that you need to consider before beginning. Please read the entire article before trying the pose.

How to Carry Out the Pose

We have put together instructions on how to carry out the pose correctly however there are also a number of modifications that can be done to make the pose easier as well as deeper. These modifications will be found lower in the article.

1. Begin the pose by coming to your hands and knees. It is important that you make sure your knees are directly underneath your hips and are hip width apart. Your hands should also be directly under your shoulders and your wrists firm. Make sure your head is in a neutral position and that you are looking at the floor.

2. As you exhale round your spine towards the ceiling making sure that your hands and knees remain in their starting position. You should also lower your head towards the floor but not press your chin against your chest.

3. Now release the pose and go back through the starting position and arch your back. As in the previous step you should keep your hands and knees in their starting positions. The head should be lifted towards the ceiling but it important to keep your neck soft and not compress it and lift it too far.

4. You should then release this pose and go back to step 2. Continue through steps 2 and 3 for 4 or 5 times in order to get the maximum benefit.

5. On completion of the pose push back into child pose with your bottom on your feet and rest your head on the floor or on your hands whichever is most comfortable.

Tips and Precautions

This is a relatively easy pose to perform but there are a number of things you may want to do if you are new to it and lack flexibility. For example you may find it difficult to round your back for the cat part of the pose. If this is the case then you should get someone to place their hand above and between the shoulder blades in order to activate that area. For the cow part of the pose you can protect your neck by broadening the shoulder blades and drawing your shoulders down away from your ears.

If you suffer from a neck injury then it is a good idea to keep your neck in a neutral position for both sections of this pose combination. This will enable you to keep your neck safe but still get the desired benefits.

Benefits and Focus

Although this is the combination of both the cat pose and cow pose the benefits are the same for both of them which is part of the reason why they go so well together. Practising this pose on a regular basis will help to stretch out the back torso and the neck. It will also provide a gentle massage to both the spine and the abdominal organs. The main anatomical focus of this pose combination is on the uterus and therapeutically it will be very helpful for people suffering from stress. In addition, although it is not its main focus it may also be helpful for people who suffer from anxiety and depression as well as other similar conditions.

Newer studies to are conducted in the arena of speech and transmission are creation to agricultural show promising results on the decisive role of yoga classes in selection to overcome speech obstacles. It is impending present yoga classes as well as thought can solve the problem of how to stop stammering or stuttering. Intense the yoga and speculation techniques to are part of yoga classes largely take care of the emotional and brute balance of the character, these disciplines can help to promote a gradual treatment on behalf of how to stop stammering. Though it leave a portion of measure and patience to get it, how to stop stammering can be controlled with the help of regular meditative poses, breathing techniques and a selection of yoga classes postures’.

Yoga is definite on euphoric techniques – which teaches the character to breathe in a lengthy comportment and to derive in intensely. Almost live affected with speech impairment such as how to stop stammering or stuttering are bound to be stressed with anxiety and tension in social settings. Meditation therefore comes to the rescue by relaxing the mind and the body of the character. Meditation works as a form of cognitive conduct provided that the character an insight into his/her deportment, read-through on behalf of folks to are inherent and folks to can be controlled.

Concentrate on yogasana such as Sinhasana and Makarasan in build up to speech therapy as a compatible form of conduct.

The keys to resolving the problem of how to stop stammering is through the day after day performance of yoga classes and thought. The speculation asanas in yoga classes whelped to create a balance stuck between the emotional and intellect in the affected unwearied and with the help of these disciplines the character with affected speech patterns may perhaps catch much relief and may perhaps in addition be able to conquer the drawback of how to stop stammering. It is impending to range better control on top of the speech patterns with the help of yoga classes, especially concentrating on breathing techniques and on thought.

Meditation is of distinguished get to the mind as it helps the character to be still in a calm and tranquil comportment, in this manner selection to relieve tension and mental stress from the body. Almost folks unnatural with how to stop stammering are commonly stressful due to their constant awareness in their social repute. Hit the assistance of thought, outdoor stressors as well as in-house anxiety is agree to unfastened and calmed down, in this manner selection the character to acquire a better sustain of his or her speech patterns.

Yoga Therapy has been hailed the world over. Yuj means to unite and Yoga is Union with the Absolute Being.

Yoga is the Science of Man !

Know then thyself, presume not God to scan
The proper study of Mankind is Man !
Placed in the isthmus of a middle state
A being rudely great
With too much knowledge for the skeptic’s side
And too many weaknesses for the Stoic’s pride
He hangs between !

Yoga is a systematic study of man in his threefold aspect, as Mind, Body and Self. It is the Arts Artium or the Art of all arts and the
Scientia Scientiarum, the science of all sciences. It is based on hoary Indian wisdom and culture and is the art of living a
healthy, contented, balanced and peaceful life.

The Eightfold Path of Yoga is

Yama Conditional personal and social behaviour, according to Yogic Law
Niyama Attitutue under Yoga norms
Asana Physical Body discipline
Pranayama Breath Control
Pratyahara Senses control
Dharana Concentration
Dhyana Meditation
Samadhi Transcendental Consciousness

The first five are called Hatha Yoga, as it is culturing the physique. The last three are called Raja or Regal Yoga, as it deals with the culturing
of the psyche. The first Five represent the Psychosomatic Approach and are referred to External or Bahirangi Yoga. The latter three affects
the psyche and are known as Internal or Antaranga Yoga. It is to be noted that the Internal Yoga cannot be done without doing the External Yoga, as
purification of body is a prerequisite for Self Actualisation. ” Sareeram Adhyam Khalu Dharma Sadhanam”, the body is the vehicle for Redemption !

Yoga and TM trigger the Relaxation Response and relaxes you completely. Gone are the strains and the stresses of relativistic life.
The physical exercises called Asanas combats stress and keeps the body flexible.

The three physical states of Doing, Thinking and Being are highlighted in Yoga. All that we see is nothing but Universal Matter or Energy, the
Adhibouthika aspect of Relative Being. All minds together is the Universal Mind and this is the Adhi Daivata aspect of the Supreme. These are
all the manifestations of the Unmanifest and this is Brahman, the Absolute, transcending all relativities

The destructible aspect is called Adhibootha
He who tenants the body, the Purusha, is Adhi Daivata
Being Absolute is Brahman called
These three are the triune states of Being. ( The Song Celestial, the Geetha )

We can transcend all relativities and reach the Absolute Self, via this great Science of Cosmic Union. This is the union mystica, envisaged by the mystic traditions of all other countries

Some of the Yoga Centers in Kerala which you can visit on Kerala Tours are

Transcendental Meditation Center, Poonkunnam, Trichur

Atmadarshan Yoga-Dhama – Ayur Health Center Fort, Vanciyoour, Sreekaneteswaram & Taycaud in Trivandrum – Dr D Sreekantan Nair Email intyoga(at)yahoo.com

Yoga Holidays at Edakkad Beach Houses, Edakkad Village Beach, Kerala. Email pam(at) bodybalancefunction.co.uk

Hatha Vidya Gurukulam – Neernamukku, Vadakkethara, Pazhayannur, Trichur, Kerala.

International Vasishta Yoga Research Foundation – Calicut, Kerala, S India, 673010. vaiyoga(at) yahoo.co.in

Kaivalyam Retreat, Moolakada, Pallivasal, Munnar, Kerala, 685612

Kasi Yoga Anushtana Kendram, Tulasivanam, N Kurakkanni Jn, Varkala. kasiyoga(at) gmail.com

School of Shanti Yoga, TC 15/1572, M P Appan Road, Vazhuthacaud, Trivandrum 695 014, Kerala. santhischool(at) yahoo.co.in

Sivasoorya Divine School of Yoga, Surya, Vellayani PO, Kerala. info(at)sivasoorya.org

Thulasidalam School of Yoga, Tulasidalam Sree Rama Yogashram, Thelliyoor PO, Near Thiruvalla, Kerala. indiayoga(at)gmail.com

Yoga Vidya Peetham, Varkala Beach in Kerala during winters and Dharmasala during summers. info(at) hathayoga-meditation.com

Sivananada Yoga Vedanta Centre in Trivandrum;

Kollam Yoga Kendra, Uilyakoil, I

deal Yoga Centre Manaltheeram Yoga Centre,

Jawahar Balabhavan and Holistic Eastern Advance Research Temple (Heart) in Kollam;

Prajapathi Yoga center, Kacheripady,

Life Yoga Center, Edapally, Adithya Yoga Institute, Thrikkakara,

Pathanjali Naturopathy & Yoga Clinic, Kaloor

Kerala Yoga Centre, in Kochi, Kerala India.

You can visit these centers and feel the holistic positive energy. Enjoy the healing, divine touch of Yoga.