13
Apr 12

More NBA players are turning to yoga’s self healing techniques

More NBA players are turning to yoga's self healing techniques.

More NBA players are turning to yoga's self healing techniques.

When sports fans think of NBA players performing exercises for durability, they may think of jogging or other cardio activities. But if the most recent trends are any indication, these basketball stars are turning to the self healing techniques of yoga more often than not.

Why would professional athletes who play one of the most fast-paced sports take up a regimen that is so slow and low-impact? According to instructor Kent Katich, endurance is a major factor. All the running and jumping required of basketball can cause muscles in the glutes, quads and ankles to get hard and tight. Yoga can help reduce injuries by keeping these muscles loose and relaxed.

"Staying loose and healthy and staying limber – you can tell a difference when your muscles are tight or when you're stretched out and completely relaxed. I've heard from a lot of guys that flexibility is the key to longevity in this league," said NBA player Blake Griffin, a student of Katich. "For those guys who want to play a long time, I think it's important."

Furthermore, yoga can help improve mood and stress management, which may sharpen the focus and concentration that are needed for the game.

If your interest is piqued, consider visiting Dahn Yoga centers!


06
Apr 12

Natural, holistic self healing techniques could alleviate depression and anxiety

Natural, holistic self healing techniques could alleviate depression and anxiety.

Natural, holistic self healing techniques could alleviate depression and anxiety.

Everybody experiences a bout of the blues – work is hard, relationships can test our patience – that's the nature of life. But what happens when someone is down, and it goes beyond the level of ordinary sadness? A case of depression and anxiety can really make everyday functioning difficult. Fortunately, PsychCentral offers seven holistic self healing techniques for people who want to approach these issues conservatively.

1. Eat a well-balanced diet. Nutrient-rich food may provide some protection against poor mood.

2. Get plenty of exercise. Physical activity can ramp up the body's production of opioids and endorphins while giving the nervous system a healthy workout.

3. Learn to shift your focus from the external world to your internal feelings. This can promote regulation of your emotions.

4. Manage stress in a positive manner.

5. Try practicing a little optimism in everyday life.

6. Engage in activities that enhance mindfulness and meditation.

7. Value the close relationships in your life as opportunities to grow, learn and love.

Do these tips sound familiar? They should – most of them are things you can learn in Dahn Yoga Centers! So feel free to drop in and meet a caring, supportive community of people who need healing, just like you.


29
Mar 12

Hawaii yoga classes really make the grade

Besides being a great way to get to know folks in your community, these classes help people all around the Aloha State capital get fit, get energized and get going!

Besides being a great way to get to know folks in your community, these classes help people all around the Aloha State capital get fit, get energized and get going!

Why enroll in beginners yoga classes in Honolulu? There are quite a few reasons, actually. Besides being a great way to get to know folks in your community, these classes help people all around the Aloha State capital get fit, get energized and get going!

The key to yoga's benefits – or really, one of the many keys – is its use of deep, guided meditation. This simple yet powerful tool is what makes the holistic healing system so effective.

Essentially, yoga and meditation are part of a larger whole. Each practice complements the other, much like the yin cannot exist without the yang. Thus, yoga without meditation is just stretching and posing; meditation without yoga is simply deep, relaxed thought.

It is together, then, that this mind-body duo leads to such unmistakable benefits!

By enrolling in Hawaii yoga classes and trying out some basic meditation techniques, you may find that your sense of self expands, your stress levels drop and your inner peace grows without limit.

It's no wonder the founder of Dahn Yoga was recently presented with a series of honors from Hawaii's Amy Agbayani, the chief advisor of the state governor, and from Representative Joey Manahan of the Hawaii State Legislature. The awards recognized Dahn Yoga's commitment to peace, relaxation and mind-body connection.


22
Mar 12

James Cameron uses self healing techniques of yoga to prepare for dive

James Cameron uses self healing techniques of yoga to prepare for dive.

James Cameron uses self healing techniques of yoga to prepare for dive.

Hollywood director James Cameron introduced the world to Terminators, Avatars and a resurrected Titanic. Now, he hopes to board a submersible to dive 36,070 feet down the Mariana Trench to the point known as Challenger Deep, where he can explore the lowest point on the ocean floor. Oh, and did we mention this submersible is only 43 inches wide at the nose? Fortunately, the 6-foot-2 Cameron has been using the self healing techniques of yoga to prepare!

"When you're making a movie, everybody's read the script and they know what's going to happen next. When you're on an expedition, nature hasn’t read the script, the ocean hasn't read the script and no one knows what's going to happen next," Cameron told The Daily Beast.

The descent will take about two hours, while the ascent will take up another hour. Cameron is using yoga to increase both his lung capacity and oxygen efficiency. And after having to keep his arms and legs bent and practically immobile for three hours, he'll probably be thankful to have a stretching regimen to turn to later!

If this is what yoga can do for a big-shot director trying to explore the final frontiers of Earth, imagine what it could do for people who are just trying to stay flexible. Or tone the muscles. Or relieve stress.

On second thought, you don't have to imagine. Just visit your local Dahn Yoga centers!


14
Mar 12

Surfer offers tips on adjusting yoga’s self healing techniques during illness

Surfer offers tips on adjusting yoga's self healing techniques during illness.

Surfer offers tips on adjusting yoga's self healing techniques during illness.

A lot of surfing enthusiasts have figured out that yoga's self healing techniques can help maximize their enjoyment of their sport. It helps them maintain balance, coordination, strength and mind-body awareness. However, like everyone else, surfers can fall victim to middle back pain, low energy and a case of the sniffles – all of which can keep someone off the water.

As enthusiast Ryan Huxley writes in the Drift Surfing blog, yoga can help someone stay active when these things keep an individual landbound. The key is to make adjustments so as to gain energy instead of losing it.

Huxley offered four tips:

1. Take it easy on the strength work, which can require more energy than you have. Instead, focus on flexibility exercises. Strength exercises can be reintroduced as your strength comes back.

2. Perform poses that open up the neck, shoulders, ribs, middle and lower back.

3. In order to avoid tightening of the thigh from extended lying or sitting, remember to include exercises that open up this area of the body.

4. Tension can build up if the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is restricted. "Slow flowing movements that open the chest or heart space and arch and round the spine maintain movement of the CSF, thus reducing spinal aches and pains," Huxley said.


07
Mar 12

Scientists have theory on how yoga treats lower back pain

Scientists have theory on how yoga treats lower back pain.

Scientists have theory on how yoga treats lower back pain.

Among the most common health problems afflicting Americans is back pain. According to the National Institutes of Health, 80 percent of people will experience this condition at least once in their lifetime! However, several studies have suggested that the self healing techniques of yoga can help alleviate problems such as lower back pain.

Now, scientists have developed a theory about the mechanisms underlying this healing process.

In a review of previous studies, Chris Streeter, M.D., and his colleagues concluded that yoga corrects imbalances in the nervous system, particularly for levels of the neurotransmitter GABA. Low levels of this chemical messenger are associated with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy and chronic pain.

One study in the review involved patients with chronic low back pain. Subjects were divided into two groups: one underwent a yoga regimen for 12 weeks while the other had standard care. Results showed that those in the former group experienced greater increases in the neurotransmitter GABA as well as reductions in pain.

Another experiment compared yoga to walking exercises among patients struggling with anxiety. Similar to the other trial, those who practiced yoga produced more GABA and experienced less anxiety after 12 weeks.

"This paper provides a theory, based on neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, to understand how yoga helps patients feel better by relieving symptoms in many common disorders," Streeter said.

The researchers hope that their study, published in Medical Hypotheses, will support the use of yoga as a complementary therapy.


24
Feb 12

Self healing meditation is as easy as NOT thinking

It may sound counterintuitive, but for beginners, all the effort of really effective meditation typically goes into not doing any work at all.

It may sound counterintuitive, but for beginners, all the effort of really effective meditation typically goes into not doing any work at all.

To outsiders, self healing meditation can look complicated or nuanced, almost as if you have to be a member of some secret society just to "get" it. But once you get through a few Dahn Yoga community classes, you'll realize that it's no sweat. In fact, truly healthy meditation technically takes no work at all.

It may sound counterintuitive, but for beginners, all the effort of really effective meditation typically goes into not doing any work at all. It might sound like a bit of a paradox, even though it really isn't one.

Think of it this way: Is a prompted action ever freely done? For instance, say someone tells you, "Be spontaneous!" Is there anything you could do in response that would be sincerely uncontrolled and unplanned?

What if someone said, "Don't think stressful thoughts"? A similar principle applies, in that you immediately start visualizing what makes you anxious. This is the illogical – but ultimately, totally rational – basis of meditation.

With a little practice, you'll find that you can empty your mind at will. By deeply breathing and gradually exploring the furthest reaches of your mind, you'll discover a peace and tranquility that you never thought possible.

See? The secrets of self healing are no secret at all!


21
Feb 12

Self healing techniques of yoga may help athletes on anti-seizure drug

Self healing techniques of yoga may help athletes on anti-seizure drug.

Self healing techniques of yoga may help athletes on anti-seizure drug.

People who have seizures may take certain medications to help control their symptoms. The drug clonazepam can help some patients, but it may also cause side effects such as dizziness, muscle pain, drowsiness or problems with coordination, according to the National Library of Medicine. Furthermore, athletes could experience changes in their metabolism, as well as other symptoms, that make them less willing to exercise. Thankfully, the self healing techniques of yoga can help athletes stay physically active.

"An athlete should choose yoga poses that do not require him or her to stand for very long, especially if he or she is experiencing dizziness. An athlete should focus his or her yoga routine on poses that are done sitting down, and poses that are not very stressful on the body," Jeanne Rose, a hospital dietary clerk and certified nursing assistant, wrote in Yahoo! Sports.

Such poses can help boost both energy and metabolism. Beginners may want to practice with a partner nearby until they have a better idea of how their medication affects the way they perform yoga. The community members of Dahn Yoga classes may be willing to help.

In addition to yoga, Rose also suggested that patients who take clonazepam may benefit from a stationary bicycle or indoor jogging.


13
Feb 12

Hawaii yoga classes are central to surf legend’s philosophy

Hawaii yoga classes are central to surf legend's philosophy.

Hawaii yoga classes are central to surf legend's philosophy.

An Australian crowd of surf enthusiasts were in for a treat when they listened to a speech delivered by Hawaiian surf legend Gerry Lopez, as reported by The Age. According to fellow star athlete Wayne Lynch, Lopez was one of the first genuinely good "tube riders" before such a term even existed. So what was the key that helped Lopez look like such a natural? Hawaii yoga classes, of course!

''A Zen-like mind that is empty of thoughts allows a stronger connection with the wave,'' Lopez wrote in his autobiography, "SURF is where you find it," as quoted by the news source. ''A surfer needs to be in touch with the wave as opposed to being apart from it. This allows things to happen in slow motion … although in real time the process is moving very swiftly.''

Lopez took up yoga at the age of 19. The mind-body regimen taught him diet, discipline, exercise and balance, he said. Now 63, he lives in Oregon, and combines regular surf trips with snowboarding, according to the news source.

It's no wonder that yoga was so useful to Lopez's practice. The holistic healing technique is known to improve physical fitness, flexibility, mood and stress management, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

If any surfers are interested in hanging ten at a yoga studio, they should look into their local Dahn Yoga centers!


07
Feb 12

Yoga movie screening chronicles women’s knowledge of the secrets of self healing

Yoga movie screening chronicles women's knowledge of the secrets of self healing.

Yoga movie screening chronicles women's knowledge of the secrets of self healing.

The Maui Film Festival will screen the documentary "Yogawoman" on Wednesday, February 8, as reported by Maui Now. The movie chronicles the history of yoga's secrets of self healing, and how women have come to not only appreciate the mind-body regimen, but also to contribute their own wisdom to it.

"The film is not trying to claim that men cannot receive the same benefits from yoga as women, nor that men have not contributed to the growth of yoga as a global practice. It only illuminates another historical shift that women have naturally influenced," Madeline Ziecker wrote in her summary of the movie.

"Yogawoman" was produced, directed and written by Kate Clere McIntire and Saraswati Clere. Academy Award-nominated actress Annette Bening narrates. The screening will raise funds for Women Helping Women, an anti-domestic violence group.

Event hosts are also planning a pre-screening yoga session at the A&B Amphitheater from 6 to 7 p.m., in an attempt to set a record for the largest Hawaiian yoga class, according to the news source.

Anyone interested in checking out the holistic healing technique after the festival should look into their local Dahn Yoga centers. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, health benefits of yoga include improved physical fitness and stress management.


Referrer Plugin made by Open Office.