Yoga exercises help you strengthen your body, make it more flexible, calm your mind and give you energy. Yoga sessions are designed for people of all ages worldwide, for helping promote harmony and balance of the body and mind, where you learn to recognize when one side is stronger or more flexible than the other.

The practice of yoga offers plenty for everyone. You can modify positions and systems easily to meet your needs as well as physical conditions, using a variety of props around you like cushions, chairs, walls, floor mats or other items. A yoga practice can even be customized just for you. Note that with yoga, you do not compete with yourself or others, as yoga is a stress-free albeit powerful way to exercise.

Here are a couple of yoga sessions to try:

1) Cat-Stretch Pose aka Marjari-asana – Kneel, then lean forward, placing your hands on the floor below your shoulders, with your fingers facing forward. Have your hands in line with your knees, your arms and thighs at right angles to the floor with your knees slightly separated.

Raise your head and drop your spine so that your back is concave. Take a deep breath to fill your lungs and hold for three seconds. While you exhale, lower your head and stretch out your spine in an upwards direction. When you finish your breath, pull in your buttocks, contract your stomach muscles and then place your head between your arms. Repeat 5 times.

2) Mountain Pose aka Parvatasana – To help strengthens your muscles and nerves in your legs and arms, and improve the circulation in your upper spine, try this yoga session.

Kneel down on your raised heels and reach out with your arms, stretching them forward so that your forehead is on the floor. Breathe in deeply and relax for a little while. Then lift yourself up on your hands and knees. Tuck your toes under and keep your back flat.

Inhale and then push yourself up on to your toes. Next, lift your buttocks up while lowering your head between your arms. Position your back and legs so that they form two sides of a triangle.

Then exhale, resting your feet back on the floor. Try to touch the floor with the top of your head and hold this position for 10 seconds.

There are many yoga exercises for you to try. Learn more and find exercise sessions to suit your needs and help improve your own lifestyle.

Check out these great beginner DVDs:

Easy Yoga DVD
The true yoga beginner now has the perfect starting place, as renowned yoga instructor Suzanne Deason introduces students to basic poses in a 30-minute workout that takes a gentle approach to yoga. Students of all fitness levels can ease into postures at a comfortable pace.

AM/PM Yoga For Beginners DVD
Face your day with more focus and calm after a gentle yet energizing workout with Rodney Yee. Then in the P.M., release stress and tension under a spectacular Death Valley sunset with Patricia Walden. 40 minutes. Video clip samples A.M. Yoga for Beginners.

Yoga For Beginners DVD
Shape magazine’s review sums up this essential practice DVD guided by Patricia Walden. Yoga for Beginners (100 min.) is the program over 2 million people have chosen to help them begin their yoga practice. Patricia gently introduces you to a full range of poses for strength, flexibility and relaxation. This award-winning program includes an on-screen pose guide and instructor interviews. Recommended props: mat, strap and brick.

If you’re like me, you’re probably not a really big fan of sit ups and crunches. They’re awkward, show mediocre results, and if your don’t do them properly, they can cause severe strain to your neck and back. But if you want strong, toned abs, you have to do crunches, right? That used to be true, but now you have several options that don’t involve any stressful, painful crunches. You can use Yoga, Pilates, or both to have sleek, toned abs, plus strong back muscles and a totally healthy overall physique.

Yoga operates on several levels to help tone your abs, along with the rest of your body. The basic concept of Yoga is to hold yourself in poses. Holding these poses requires maintaining a correct posture. Just being in a good posture can strengthen your abdominal muscles. They are part of the core muscles that help you achieve and maintain proper posture. Even though you can’t feel it, these muscles are constantly making tiny adjustments and getting a great workout.

In Yoga, the poses are held for extended periods of time. Slow even movements and long poses give your core muscles an even better workout and help develop stamina through muscle strength. You’ll probably be able to notice a visible difference in your abs, but even if you can’t, you’ll know they’re stronger when you can maintain better balance for longer periods of time.

Another major part of Yoga is focused deep breathing that allows your body to relax as you pose. This deep breathing involves using your abdominal muscles instead of your shoulders to help inhale and exhale. In addition to your abs helping you maintain balance, you also exercise them even more simply by breathing.

Pilates is similar to your abs with the benefits it offers. Pilates requires use of your abdominal muscles for proper posture and for breathing, just as Yoga does; however, instead of remaining stable, you move your arms and legs around. This is actually just as beneficial for your abs because you have to use them to keep your body still while your arms and legs are in motion. Natural movement would have your torso move, but your abs and back muscles work to keep it stable.

Even though Yoga and Pilates and constantly working your abdominal muscles, there are specific exercises you can do to target these areas, especially in Pilates. These will give you the extra boost you need for more drastic results.

Neither Yoga or Pilates can be learned overnight; however, once you begin to master one of both or these arts, you will get an abs workout like never before without even thinking about crunches.

Click to check out these great yoga/ab DVD workouts:

Abs Yoga For Beginners DVD
Today, in fitness centers across the country, one of the most emphasized body parts is the abdominals. Here is a revolutionary way to look and feel fantastic — with powerful yoga poses designed to give you a firmer, more supple stomach in Abs Yoga for Beginners. Acclaimed yoga teacher Rodney Yee offers a complete workout that can build powerful and attractive abs.

Abs Conditioning DVD
Tighten abs, strengthen spine and improve posture with the new Abs Conditioning DVD: Yoga, BalanceBall®, Pilates program, with yoga led by Rodney Yee, Pilates with Ana Caban, and BalanceBall® with Suzanne Deason. DVD includes instructor interview. 130 minutes.

Express Workout Belly, Butt and Thighs DVD
Belly, Butt & Thighs DVD provides a body-slimming lifestyle change that’s easy to commit to. Burn calories and tone muscles in three key areas with the acclaimed Express Workout from Prevention magazine. You’ll effectively shape, slim and tighten those challenging areas, each in less than 10 minutes a day. Bonus segment featuring easy, do-anywhere yoga moves and deep breathing exercises for stress relief. (32 minutes). Recommended prop: yoga mat.

Whether you practice yoga or meditation, they both compliment each other to maximize inner peace, mental acuity, and physical balance.

While meditation utilizes the mind it brings about inner balance within your body and mind. Yoga utilizes slow movements to bring the body to a strong and flexible state.

For example, in order to practice meditation correctly, a proper posture is important. While some may sit on the floor with their legs crossed, others may find it more comfortable to sit in a straight-backed chair. In either case, both are acceptable. Once seated, it is important to sit very still so that minimum energy is used.

In addition, one should have a seat that is neither too soft nor too hard. The waist, chest, neck, and head should be held in a straight line. The diaphragm should support the body. A tip is to pretend that a string is attached to the top of your head. Once you pull it, you will maintain a proper posture.

In yoga, a series of movements are designed to bring the body to a flexible position while, at the same time, allows the body to heal pain associated with sciatica or backaches, and leaves you feeling energized and able to exert more power.

Meditation and yoga practices have been practiced in India for centuries. According to Hindu thought, there are three benefits to be derived from deep breathing, which is practiced through meditation. The physical body becomes stronger with each breath; the psychological effect of deep breathing restores the mind to a state of calm; and the spiritual effect increases the force that sustains the body, mind, and soul.

Both yoga and meditation either practiced separately or apart can an inner peace as well as the enhancement of the body’s physical energy brought about by consistent and daily application.

The word ‘yoga’ is originally from the Sanskrit language and began in India some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. By definition, yoga means, to integrate, to become a union or to join.

Some say that the practice of yoga began as part of the philosophical system of India. However, not everyone practiced yoga. Nor was yoga ever a religion.

In the United States alone, roughly some 5 million people practice some form of yoga. As examples, stretching exercise classes and some dance classes often incorporate portions and pieces in their routines that directly are derived from some form of yoga. Plus physical therapists also often advise clients to practice types of therapeutic exercises that contain yoga postures.

There are a variety of types of yoga. Some yoga most often shown on television and at local gyms and YMCA centers plus even at adult education classes is the type called hatha yoga, also known as physical yoga. Others call this type yoga for health, as this same type of basic yoga is also often taught hospital and other medical settings, and many health professionals believe that yoga can be part of a healthy treatment plan today.

This popular form of yoga, hatha yoga, contains three main parts: a series of movements or exercises known as asana, also poses or postures in English, breathing techniques of a variety of types plus relaxation.

How to Get Started with Yoga

Head to the public library, bookstore or online store for audio or video tapes that can offer breathing instruction and relaxation techniques. Or you may consult with a yoga instructor in your area or online. Note that although yoga instructors do not have to be certified, many are through various programs.

Yoga can be invigorating, fun, healthy and relaxing. It is considered by many as a ‘wise way’ handed down throughout many thousands of years. So most find little if any danger in yoga. In fact, most find that with at least a little progress, it brings them freedom and peace of mind.

Lower Body Conditioning DVD
Three powerful workouts - yoga, Pilates and BalanceBall® - give you three highly effective options to tone your lower body and awaken your mind. Lower Body Conditioning DVD includes lower body yoga and a BalanceBall lower body workout with acclaimed yoga instructor Suzanne Deason, and the Pilates lower body workout is guided by certified fitness instructor and master Pilates trainer Jillian Hessel. These extraordinary workouts are designed to sculpt lean and flexible hips, buttocks, abs and legs. Total Running Time: 130 Minutes

Establishing yoga goals is the first step towards reaching them. And since successful people in major niches across the board remind us regularly in inspirational articles, videos and other information products, ‘If you fail to plan, plan to fail.’ So let’s dig in with yoga goals by learning more about goal setting with yoga in mind so that you can establish – and successfully reach - your yoga goals.

Goal Setting Benefits

Think of all the incentives you have for goal setting. You get all the healthy benefits of yoga, to begin with: improved mental focus, relaxation, unity of body and mind, strengthening, and calmness. And once you complete your yoga goals, you will have another success notch on your belt. You will raise your self-confidence level because you strived to do something, persevered and accomplished it. Yes! That translates into pride and self satisfaction in a task well accomplished. Plus you improve your life and have a new achievement to chalk up.

And let the facts speak here, too: effective goal setters have more self-confidence, concentration and focus, and less stress and anxiety. In addition, they lead more productive lives and are much happier.

Goal Setting Steps

Listing goals that represent unplanned steps is not in your best interest. It’s sort of like baking a cake from scratch with no recipe and no idea what you’re doing. It’s a recipe for failure.

Instead, seek knowledge first, as effective goals begin with education. Learn more about yoga, the different types out there, which types might work best for you, how to take lessons, who teaches courses, what equipment you may need, etc. Then afterwards, you can establish steps to get you where you want to go, measurable steps to make keep you on track to completion.

Research

Jump-start your yoga education by looking for books, DVDs, downloadable mp3s and other resources about yoga. You can look for information in popular print magazines, too, like Yoga Journal, and Shape and Fitness. During this preliminary stage, also check in you’re your doctor for advice and approval before committing to anything, to make sure it fits in with your personal health plan.

Also check out yoga instructors and their classes in your area. Look for convenience of location from your home or office, type of exercises involved and equipment, price and other important factors. Then when you’re finished with all your research, begin writing down positive yoga goals as well as steps to reach them, based upon your research. For example, if you seek improved breathing for asthma with yoga sessions, goals might be first to check with your doctor, then learn yoga and monitor your progress and growth, checking to see if yoga helps when you have your next wheezing attacks.

Lower Body Conditioning DVD
Three powerful workouts - yoga, Pilates and BalanceBall® - give you three highly effective options to tone your lower body and awaken your mind. Lower Body Conditioning DVD includes lower body yoga and a BalanceBall lower body workout with acclaimed yoga instructor Suzanne Deason, and the Pilates lower body workout is guided by certified fitness instructor and master Pilates trainer Jillian Hessel. These extraordinary workouts are designed to sculpt lean and flexible hips, buttocks, abs and legs. Total Running Time: 130 Minutes