… Think about that stiff feeling you sometimes get after a long car ride, a trip in an airplane, or simply as long day sitting at your desk. Immobility in the body for an extended period of time creates this stiffness, and when we have an opportunity we usually stretch our bodies, in hopes of relieving stiff knees, hips, shoulders and back. We are seeking joint freedom. Joint freedom is the ability of each joint to move freely through its full range of motion without muscular stress or discomfort. Your activity level, sex, age weight, genetic postural imbalances, injuries, pain, body conditioning and emotional state will all impact your flexibility. Our optimal age for joint freedom is between 3-5 years old. The activities we engage in will have an impact on our joint freedom as we age. For example, running makes hamstrings tighter and stronger and reduces hip flexibility. People who are knock kneed will have less distance when opening the legs and drawing the hips away from each other. Depressed people often collapse forward, round the upper back and cave in the chest, tightening chest muscles and making it more difficult to pull the shoulders back. … Yoga is proving to have more and more significant effect on healthy joint function as certain poses promote release of fluids while strengthening the muscles supporting the joints. …
Accepting Fear: Yoga & Living Fearlessly ~ by Kristine Olmen Healy
This paper is a discussion on fear--the good and the bad. What is fear? How does it positively and negatively affect the human body? How can yoga help you recognize and manage it? Through my research and sharing of my personal story, I hope to answer these questions, as well as help you reconcile your fears, let go of those that are not serving you well, and step out of your “comfort zone.” (Mackler, 2014)
Eyes on Yoga ~ by Kathleen Stemplinski
… The benefits of eye yoga range from better vision to increased concentration and spiritual insight. In yoga we learn to focus our eyes with precision. We direct our gaze purposely at a drishti which can help direct the energy of the pose. In balances the dristi can keep you keep upright; in twists, it can help you turn further. In general it helps us stay mentally clear. …
The Pelvis ~ by Dena Jensen
Understanding and visualizing the way the body works can be an effective tool in self study. Self discovery and self study enhances the yogic experience. The inner workings of the body remain a mystery to most people. This paper will describe the bones and muscles of the pelvis in an effort to begin unraveling the mystery of this important part of the body. …