Yoga and Meditation — No comments
30
Jan 12

In DC, folks do yoga and meditation exercises in all sorts of places

Whether they're meditating in a public park or blissing out in Washington, DC yoga classes, enthusiasts can be seen practicing the mind-body regimen almost anywhere!

Whether they're meditating in a public park or blissing out in Washington, DC yoga classes, enthusiasts can be seen practicing the mind-body regimen almost anywhere!

If you're a resident of the nation's capital, you may have noticed that people in "the District" absolutely love their yoga! Whether they're meditating in a public park or blissing out in Washington, DC yoga classes, enthusiasts can be seen practicing the mind-body regimen almost anywhere!

Recently, reporters at the Washington Post snapped pics of people doing yoga all across DC, both indoors and out. The photos can be viewed in a dedicated slide show on the newspaper's website. Among other things, they depict:

- Hundreds of people participating in "Yoga in the Park," an autumnal event held at Dupont Circle

- An all-men's yoga class held just off the Circle in a cozy studio

- A football player for the University of Maryland performing a headstand as part of his team's off-season workout regimen

- A group of men and women meditating in a Petworth-area yoga session

The news source notes that some people are unsure "whether yoga belongs to the spiritual or physical realm." At Dahn Yoga, we simply say that the holistic system is good for the body, mind and soul!

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Yoga and Meditation — No comments
19
Jan 12

Yoga and meditation benefits include anxiety relief, study finds

Researchers found that GAD patients tended to respond favorably to weekly yoga sessions, often displaying fewer physical symptoms of anxiety or even going into temporary remission.

Researchers found that GAD patients tended to respond favorably to weekly yoga sessions, often displaying fewer physical symptoms of anxiety or even going into temporary remission.

If you've always suspected that your mental tension recedes after a day (or even an hour) spent doing Dahn Yoga and meditation, you may be right on the money. According to research published in the International Journal of Yoga, the mind-body system can be used as a complementary treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Scientists have previously demonstrated that the practice of yoga and meditation benefits patients with depression or anxiety, but this is one of the first studies to specifically address the potential uses of holistic healing for GAD.

What is GAD? Simply put, it's the inability to stop worrying about everyday problems. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that these aren't your average fretting fits, since GAD patients are typically diagnosed after at least six straight months of constant anxiety.

The condition is no small problem in the U.S. According to the NIMH, nearly 6 percent of Americans suffer from GAD in a lifetime.

In the new study, researchers found that GAD patients tended to respond favorably to weekly yoga sessions, often displaying fewer physical symptoms of anxiety or even going into temporary remission.

It makes sense. After all, the National Library of Medicine notes that people with GAD can treat anxiety attacks by learning physical methods for relaxing and managing stress.

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Body Meridians — 1 comment
10
Jan 12

Legally blind masseuse uses yoga, body meridians massage to relax clients

By age 9, Ricks was legally blind. Still, she has not let this stop her from becoming a yoga fan and a top-notch massage therapist.

By age 9, Ricks was legally blind. Still, she has not let this stop her from becoming a yoga fan and a top-notch massage therapist.

Jillian Ricks is a licensed massage therapist. She's a passionate fan of yoga and belly dancing, too. She is also legally blind, a fact of life that han't kept her from becoming one of Chattanooga's most celebrated healing experts, adept at delivering soothing body meridians massages.

Ricks was recently interviewed by the city's Times-Free Press about her dedication to yoga and meditation exercises, her experience with massage therapy and her struggle to overcome her particular form of eye trouble, called Stargardt disease.

According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, this inherited condition affects about 25,000 people in the U.S., occurring in an estimated one in 10,000 kids. Beginning in childhood, Stargardt disease starts to cause eyesight to degrade rapidly.

By age 9, Ricks was legally blind. Still, she has not let this stop her from becoming a yoga fan and a top-notch massage therapist.

"I do not think it affects me at all," she told the news source. "I have the tools needed so I may run a business just like everyone else. I also have a loving husband and family who help me in any way I may need."

Ricks serves as inspiration for all yoga lovers who do not let their physical limitations get in the way of their dreams.

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Yoga and Meditation — No comments
05
Jan 12

Here’s how to choose the best yoga and meditation retreats

Here are a few tips for choosing a top-notch yoga program.

Here are a few tips for choosing a top-notch yoga program.

When picking out a good yoga and meditation retreat, where do you start? Do you look for centers in your area? Do you try searching online? And what makes a retreat the "best," anyway? Well, here are a few tips for choosing a top-notch yoga program.

- Think about weather and geography. Where is a yoga retreat held? Is it somewhere mountainous, that might be best for the summer months? Or is it located in a drier, more desert-like region, which is perfect for autumn and winter? Try choosing a program that fits the climate you're naturally comfortable in.

- Research online. Most quality yoga and meditation retreats have their own dedicated websites. Pick through these to see what classes and amenities they offer. But don't stop there. For some outside opinions, check out independent review sites to see what people are saying about the experience of a certain retreat.

- If it's in your area, visit. If it doesn't require a plane flight, you might consider dropping in on a retreat center, where you can meet students and staff, look in on classes and check out the facilities.

- Finally, try to feel out the community atmosphere. No one goes on a yoga retreat to be isolated from others. Try gauging the sense of togetherness in any program you consider. The Dahn Yoga community is a good example – it's close-knit, welcoming, friendly and accepting.

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Washington DC Yoga — No comments
28
Dec 11

Washington, DC yoga classes are packed with men

According to a survey conducted by the Yoga Journal, 28 percent of the country's 16 million yoga enthusiasts are men.

According to a survey conducted by the Yoga Journal, 28 percent of the country's 16 million yoga enthusiasts are men.

Not so long ago in the U.S., yoga was thought to be an almost exclusively female pursuit. In the 1950s and 1960s, very few men took the holistic healing system seriously. But today, things have changed – Washington, DC yoga classes attract more males than ever before.

In part, this is just indicative of a nationwide shift in attitudes toward yoga. According to a survey conducted by the Yoga Journal, 28 percent of the country's 16 million yoga enthusiasts are men, a figure much increased from just a few years prior.

Likewise, millions of males who do not practice yoga are considering it, the news source added.

In the Abilene Reporter-News, writer Trish Choate summed up the current situation in four words: "Dudes are doing yoga."

She noted that at her Washington, DC yoga studio, dozens of men show up to stretch, breathe deeply, meditate, trace their body meridians' lines and engage in tai chi. For male readers that might be excited to try yoga but are hesitant to give it a whirl, Choate had some advice.

"Don't worry about whether you look bloated from drinking beer and eating pizza while watching the game," she wrote in her article. "It's yoga practice, not yoga perfect."

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Yoga and Meditation — No comments
21
Dec 11

To make yoga and meditation benefits last through the holidays, consider making an exercise routine

It is easy to let fitness regimens go to pot, especially during Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's. These holidays often revolve around large meals that typically involve alcohol, desserts and sweetened beverages.

It is easy to let fitness regimens go to pot, especially during Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's. These holidays often revolve around large meals that typically involve alcohol, desserts and sweetened beverages.

Yoga enthusiasts have been doing the regimen for thousands of years, and for good reason – the holistic mind-body regimen is both relaxing and invigorating, good for the muscles as well as the mind. Now, Reuters has published a story explaining how to keep your yoga and meditation benefits rolling through the long holiday season.

It is easy to let fitness regimens go to pot, especially during Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's. These holidays often revolve around large meals that typically involve alcohol, desserts and sweetened beverages.

Even a few such meals can bust your belt buckle and your diet at the same time. However, it's not always feasible to expect to eat nothing but healthy heart foods over the holidays.

Instead, it may be best to plan a daily fitness regimen, one that you can stick to even during the laziest of holiday afternoons.

Exercise instructor Stacey Lei Krauss told Reuters that fitness routines like running or yoga are all about controlling your appetittes, particularly when the holidays have them running wild.

"It's expected. It's family time; but giving back to yourself is just as important," she told the news source. "Willpower leads to self-confidence. Willpower is self-control: the ability to manage yourself, regardless of what's happening around you. "

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Yoga and Meditation — No comments
09
Dec 11

Where is the strangest place you’ve ever done yoga and meditation exercises?

Experts recommend doing yoga in all sorts of places, from your living room to your cubicle to the great outdoors.

Experts recommend doing yoga in all sorts of places, from your living room to your cubicle to the great outdoors.

People who first try yoga and meditation for beginners may not realize just how adaptable the regimen is. Experts recommend doing yoga in all sorts of places, from your living room to your cubicle to the great outdoors. Recently, we asked some local practitioners about the strangest places where they've done yoga and meditation exercises.

Check out some of the answers we received!

"The bathroom at work. Whenever I need a break, I take five minutes to stretch, deep breathe and do some standing positions, usually in the larger stall. It does wonders!" -Becky, Columbia Heights, DC

"When I summited Mt. McKinley in 1997, I had to take a breather at the top. I have a photo of me doing yoga there. Couldn't have had a better view of the Denali National Park than from 20,000 feet in the lotus position." -Emmanuel, Georgetown, DC

"In an airplane bathroom. Alone, mind you." – Julie, Logan Circle, DC

"Once, I did a few yoga poses during a visualization exercise in class. Everyone had their eyes closed, so I silently got out of my chair did a few sun salutes!" Partrycja, Chevy Chase, DC

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Yoga and Meditation — No comments
05
Dec 11

What yoga and meditation exercises do kids learn at school?

Across the U.S., millions of children and teens practice yoga and meditation for beginners.

Across the U.S., millions of children and teens practice yoga and meditation for beginners.

Across the U.S., millions of children and teens practice yoga and meditation for beginners. In fact, so many youths get into the ancient mind-body practice in school that a researcher from Temple University recently conducted a nationwide survey of kids' yoga curricula.

The results indicated that even though the teaching of yoga in schools isn't particularly standardized, the self-healing regimen seems to improve relaxation, self-awareness, cognition and physical health in kids of all ages.

The study author, PhD candidate Robin Lowry, reviewed the curricula of dozens of school-based yoga programs and surveyed hundreds of students and physical education (PE) teachers. She found that most yoga and meditation exercises were non-competitive, often resembling other PE games.

Lowry noted that most yoga programs were modified to fit local PE requirements, but that otherwise the yoga curricula had few standards in common.

Still, the author concluded that youth yoga classes usually entailed physical, mental and spiritual benefits for all involved, despite the variations between different standards.

In its own nationwide survey, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that approximately 4.5 million children and young adults practice yoga each year.

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Body Meridians — No comments
28
Nov 11

Ki energy, body meridians and health are all connected

While they may sound inaccessible or metaphysical, things like ki energy and chakras are quite real, and scientists have spent considerable energy studying the effects of ki energy training on physical health and well-being.

While they may sound inaccessible or metaphysical, things like ki energy and chakras are quite real, and scientists have spent considerable energy studying the effects of ki energy training on physical health and well-being.

Body meridians, chakras, ki energy: what are these things? Where do our body meridians and health coincide? These are common questions about the body's mind-body connection, which is a delicate balance of ethereal forces that pervade your being.

While they may sound inaccessible or metaphysical, things like ki energy and chakras are quite real, and scientists have spent considerable energy studying the effects of ki energy training on physical health and well-being. Here are some of the conclusions they've come to.

- Individuals with anxiety can have trouble decompressing and shaking of the source of their tension. However, a study published in the journal Stress and Health found that ki training helped participants significantly reduce their anxiety levels over the course of a one-hour session. The authors noted that the ki-based intervention appeared to reduce blood levels of cortisol, which is a hormone linked to stress.

- A report appearing in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine announced that qigong exercises helped a number of female volunteers reduce their symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, which included aches, water retention and negative emotions.

- Another paper published in the same journal argued that ki techniques may be able to help fibromyalgia patients reduce pain and stiffness.

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Healthy Heart — No comments
18
Nov 11

U.S. population may soon be in need of healthy heart diet, yoga exercises

If American eating habits don't change, by 2020, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women will be either overweight or obese.

If American eating habits don't change, by 2020, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women will be either overweight or obese.

Americans know the value of a healthy heart diet, which is why so many of us eat right and exercise, right? Wrong, said a public health expert at Northwestern University.

According to Mark Huffman, who is a professor of preventative medicine and cardiology, if American eating habits don't change, by 2020, 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women will be either overweight or obese.

Already, 72 percent of males and 63 percent of females fall into these categories. Without a radical restructuring of the way we take care of our hearts and metabolic functioning, we may be headed for a crisis, Huffman stated.

He estimated that at their current rate of increase, overweight- and obesity-related healthcare costs will top $1.1 trillion by 2030.

Yikes! It sounds like it's time for adults to begin spending more time attending to their whole-body health. Such an effort may be the better for including a healthy heart diet. Likewise, yoga and meditation benefits cardiac function, pulmonary health and holistic well-being.

If you're looking to shed a few pounds and keep your heart healthy, try looking into the yoga options in the DC area.

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