Yoga + Medical Journals
Trial Will Test Benefits of Yoga and Stretching Among People at Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease
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UCSF studied participants over one year of the health benefits of yoga and stretching among overweight adults with metabolic syndrome, after a 10-week pilot study yielded promising results.
The “Practicing Restorative Yoga or Stretching for Metabolic Syndrome,” or PRYSMS, study was conducted in partnership with UC San Diego and funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. It consisted of frequent group classes as well as at least three days per week of home practice, with half of the participants assigned to gentle yoga and the other half to active stretching.
Your LivingHealthy Guide to Yoga
With so many kinds of yoga classes offered around town or at your gym, it can be hard to choose the right one for you, especially if you aren’t well versed in the yogi language. For example, while Hot and Power Yoga focus on blasting calories, Yin and Taoist are more meditative, and Therapeutic is great for anyone suffering from a physical injury or trauma. In this informative slideshow, LivingHealthy expert and founder of Yoga Bloom, Cora Wen, breaks down 12 of the most popular types of yoga, explaining everything from what they’re about and what to expect in a class to what celebrities and personality types can be found bending, posing and chanting their way through classes. Namaste!
3 Poses For Women with Breast Cancer
IF YOU’RE COPING WITH A BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS, GOING THROUGH TREATMENT, OR HEALING AFTER SURGERY, TRY THESE 3 POSES TO CALM YOUR SYSTEM.
Parents rock their babies to soothe them; people stricken with grief or trauma often rock back and forth to comfort themselves. So it makes sense—and research backs this up—that rocking can calm the nervous system and assuage the fears of those coping with a breast cancer diagnosis, going through treatment, or healing postsurgery.
THE SLOPING EDGES OF THREE MINUTE EGGS PROVIDE A ROCKING MOTION THAT GIVES THE SPINE A SAFE WAY TO RELEASE.
This motion supports deep, conscious breathing and calms the nervous system so it can sort through—and make sense of—what’s going on. A body at rest is a body that can heal itself.
EXPLORING YOGA THERAPY WITH RENOWNED TEACHER CORA WEN
One of the fastest growing areas in the yoga world is the application of yoga as a therapeutic modality for a myriad of physical and emotional conditions. One of the most highly recognized and renowned leaders worldwide in this area is veteran yoga teacher and therapist Cora Wen. She recently shared with YogaBasics her outlook (and contagious enthusiasm) for the field of yoga therapy.
YogaBasics: What exactly is yoga therapy?
Cora Wen: There seems to be some confusion about yoga therapy. We understand that sports therapy is for the athlete and dance therapy is for dancer; physical therapy is for the dancer, the athlete and the general population, but yoga therapy is not just for yoga practitioners. Yoga therapy is the therapeutic application of yoga science and art that can be used in sports, dance, physical and occupational therapy and rehabilitation. Yoga therapy is a complimentary and alternative medicine. It’s for all.
Comfort and Joy -Yoga Practice to Refresh
Celebrating with family and friends is one of the treasured gifts of winter. One way to enjoy it all, amid shorter days and greater demands on your time, is to incorporate more rejuvenating sequences into your regular routine. Cora Wen, a yoga teacher based in San Francisco, designed the sequence, which will leave you feeling energized and refreshed.
Wen, who studied with Judith Hanson Lasater, travels the world teaching the fine art of restoration (or restorative yoga), but her sequence here is unique. “In restorative sequencing, the body may feel relaxed and rested, but you usually don’t want to do a lot of activity after,” Wen explains. If you want to calm and rejuvenate yourself before heading out for more activity, hold each pose for only 1 to 3 minutes, rather than what Wen describes as the typical restorative hold of 8 to 15 minutes—which might be more appropriate before bedtime.