Archive by category 'Washington DC Yoga'

Washington DC Yoga

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28
Dec 11

Washington, DC yoga classes are packed with 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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9
May 11

Even in its choice of attire, Dahn Yoga puts the Earth first

For most people who are at least somewhat aware of today's yoga trends, the mental picture that the phrase "yoga outfit" conjures up can be predicted with relative regularity. The restrictive synthetic fabrics that form the basis of much of this attire are common, as are the discomfort caused by this apparel.

The irritation caused by tight yoga attire is a problem that Dahn Yoga clothing can ameliorate. Unlike typical yoga outfits, the style worn by practitioners of this holistic mind-body system is exemplified by a loose-fitted, two-piece outfit made with natural fibers.

The trend toward natural materials – or alternatively, toward synthetic materials that happen to be biodegradable – shows that many yoga enthusiasts want to care for the Earth as much as they care for themselves.

An example is a line of recyclable yoga bags created by the Denver-based company, Recycle Fashionably. These bags are not all-natural but instead are created using all recycled materials – cotton, nylon and cords that would otherwise occupy a landfill.

These products, and the growing number of biodegradable yoga shirts and pants, are a step in the right direction, but what is simplest is often best. Dahn Yoga uses only light, breathable cotton to make its long-sleeved yoga clothing.

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4
May 11

Studies show that yoga may be effective complementary therapy for autism

While many people are aware that the postures, stretches and breathing exercises of yoga can put a person's mind and body at ease, few know what yoga can do for children with autism. However, that trend is starting to shift, as more and more studies appear touting the benefits of the regimen for people with the condition.

Research published in the International Journal of Yoga found that regular participation in one-on-one yoga can help children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) learn to imitate facial expression, gestures and body language.

Similarly, a pair of studies appearing in the International Journal of Yoga Studies found that several proprietary forms of the exercise may help kids with autism shake off the stress and confusion caused by the hours spent in a hectic school environment.

The first report found that giving students with ASDs a quiet space in which to meditate can help them release tension, maintain physical fitness and even work on improving their sense of independence.

In the second, researchers noted that the physical, mental and social stimulation of yoga instruction can help kids with ASDs, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, dyspraxia and other physical or cognitive deficits.

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13
Apr 11

Yoga boosts productivity in workplace, software salesman says

Taking a moment to stretch, breathe deeply, redirect one's energy flow or even try a little Dahn Yoga meditation at work can dramatically reduce a person's stress levels over the course of the day. This principle is behind the move by one Canadian software firm to integrate yoga into its routine.

Salesman Trevor Westerlund recently started an employee yoga program at Atimi Software, according to the Vancouver Sun.

He founded his company's yoga system after noticing that its large boardroom was empty much of the time. Westerlund told the news source that it hit him that he could utilize the space, as well as his impending yoga instructor certification, to help his coworkers relax.

"Being computer guys, we all sit at our desks for long, long hours, especially when we are on the push for a project," he said, quoted by the newspaper. "[Yoga] is a help for stress, for sure, and builds camaraderie."

By practicing tai chi, yoga, meridian channeling or moving meditation during one's break, overtaxed employees may be able to decompress while re-energizing themselves. 

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28
Mar 11

Spring yoga contributes to weight loss, stress relief

After a long winter of staying in and eating heavy meals, a little yoga might be in order, both for its ability to facilitate weight loss and its stress-reducing qualities. By practicing Dahn Yoga, health and wellness may be restored as the days get longer and the leaves return.

While it may not be as taxing as other forms of exercise, yoga can help those who do it regularly lose weight, according to Kirkland Patch in Washington State.

The news source recently recommended that individuals who are looking to slim their waistlines may want to try Dahn Yoga, which has a center near Kirkland's PCC Natural Markets grocery store.

Unlike other forms of physical activity, yoga often does not push the muscles to extremes or leave them cramped or sore afterward. In part, this is due to the significant amount of stretching that yoga practitioners engage in.

Also, Dahn Yoga health experts say that deep breathing cleanses the body, helping the muscle tissue remove lactic acid, which is responsible for sore muscles and joints.

Now that the cold season is on the decline, using yoga to address the winter weight one may have put on can be a good way to improve physical health and shrug off the winter blues.

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23
Mar 11

Internet, video technology brings yoga to the home

Dahn Yoga DVDs serve two purposes in that they spread information about the basics of Dahn Yoga and bring the mind-body system into the home, where individuals may practice it at their leisure. Video and internet technology have increasingly allowed yoga routines to go nearly anywhere, facilitating physical and personal change all over the U.S.

For instance, one yoga instructor in New York City uses Skype, the internet-based video calling system, to instruct elderly practitioners on the basics of yoga, WCBS 880 reports.

Mike Mancini, who has a number of students across the city, told the news source that yoga helps senior citizens manage their aches and pains, and that doing so via Skype saves them a long, taxing commute. Gentle, home-based movement routines are his answer to the discomforts of old age.

"The arthritis, your pain in your hands or whatever, by moving you can actually relieve that stress and pain," he told the news source.

Watching Dahn Yoga DVDs may be similarly beneficial for people of all ages. These discs, whose programs typically last for about an hour, offer viewers a chance to slow down, stretch away their tension and relax in the comfort of their own homes.

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18
Mar 11

Tai chi makes interconnectedness personal, growth possible

More than one Dahn Yoga book has explored the benefits of tai chi, an ancient, so-called "soft" martial art that harnesses the body's energy in the pursuit of mental and spiritual peace. Those who utilize tai chi may discover that their capacity for intellectual and personal development has expanded beyond their expectations.

Tai chi was first practiced in Asia thousands of years ago as a complement to martial arts. Unlike, say, judo or karate, tai chi was not meant to harden the body or prepare it for physical skirmishes.

Instead, the pursuit was created to help realign the body and mind by focusing inward on one's natural energy and purposefulness.

Today, many forms of the exercise exist, such as Qigong, which may be considered a close relative of tai chi, the Baltimore Sun reports. However, these techniques have long since shed any martial trappings they might once have had.

Dahn Yoga tai chi involves slow, gentle movements of the body, accompanied by serene reflection on one's connection to all things. Taking even a few minutes to practice tai chi puts a practitioner in a position of physical and mental repose.

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9
Mar 11

Yoga videos bring peace into the home

The beauty of tai chi DVDs, online meditation clips and Dahn Yoga videos is that they allow those in need of relaxation, a deep breath or a little exercise the chance to pursue their goals in the comfort of their own home. Yoga videos may be found in a wealth of outlets, and KRCG Columbia recently profiled one.

Lynn Rossy, a University of Missouri health psychologist, told the news source that she uses yoga videos as part of her yearly wellness curriculum.

Rossy said that she believes that breathing exercises are the key to health and vitality, since daily routines rarely encourage the proper inhalation and exhalation of air.

Yoga helps the individual concentrate on the proper management of aspiration, which studies have suggested may lower blood pressure and reduce the extent of body pain.

"It's not about pushing yourself into postures or getting your leg behind your head,” Rossy told the news channel. "It is not mystical, not magical. It is just simply breathing, which is something we already do."

She offers a number of videos online that explain proper breathing. Similarly, Dahn Yoga videos can instruct people of any age on how best to modulate their air intake to as to maintain maximum energy and minimum stress.

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9
Mar 11

Yoga appears in medical research more often

A discipline practiced by hundreds of thousands of members of Dahn Yoga, meditation has been employed for centuries as a way to soothe the body and calm the mind. Now, researchers are increasingly turning to yoga's meditation practices to see whether improving one's state of mind can supplement mainstream medical practices.

A review published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute states that more large, randomized trials of breathing techniques, yoga and meditation are underway than ever before.

Linda Sutton, the medical director of the Duke Oncology Network, is quoted in the article as saying that many physicians are not against the use of yoga and its nebula of mind-body practices. Rather, they are waiting for further studies to specify which patients will benefit from which techniques, she added.

Studies have already associated meditation with the decreased prevalence of anxiety, depression and various aches and pains.

By participating in Dahn Yoga's meditation groups, individuals who are recovering from illness may be able to find what their peers are already discovering in the program – a renewed sense of the connection between the physical and mental self.

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23
Feb 11

Meditating, using yoga may help ease chronic pain

Popping in a Dahn Yoga DVD and spending an hour or two exploring oneself can be a delightful way to experience a little personal growth, not to mention a method for turning down the volume of the everyday pains of adult life. Underlying metaphysical pains, though, can be plain old persistent physical pain, and a new research review suggests that practicing yoga may ease chronic body aches.

A group of medical professionals from Duke University recently published a meta-study of 13 previous investigations into yoga's effect on persistent pain. Their results, which were published in the aptly titled journal Pain, showed that most of the studies detected a yoga-related reduction in pain, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety or depression.

The team concluded that the ancient art of practicing yoga for pain management is showing more and more promise as a modern tool for relaxing and assuages body aches of all kinds.

Likewise, enrolling in a yoga class or using a Dahn Yoga DVD may help individuals undergo some much-needed personal growth or mental and spiritual cultivation.

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