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Archive for January, 2010

Your Guide to Health-ier Restaurant Eating From Men’s Health

Posted in Nutrition, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 31, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapists, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

So you are in a hurry and want to grab a quick bite. What’s your best bet calorie for dollar? Men’s Health magazine does such a  great job of explaining which fast food meal selections are better for you with their “Eat This Not That “column. They now made it into a  book.

A sample of the trade off between a few extra cents or bucks and the increase to your fat and calorie consumption from the Men’s Health article, “4 Must-Know Restaurant Secret’s,” By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding –  here.

Here’s exactly how expensive it really is whenever you go for the “bargain”:

  • 7-Eleven: Gulp to Double Gulp Coca-Cola Classic: 37 cents extra buys 450 more calories.
  • Cinnabon: Minibon to Classic Cinnabon: 48 more cents buys 370 more calories.
  • Movie theater: Small to medium unbuttered popcorn: 71 additional cents buys you 500 more calories.
  • Convenience store: Regular to “The Big One” Snickers: 33 more cents packs on 230 more calories.
  • McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder with Cheese to Medium Quarter Pounder with Cheese Extra Value Meal: An additional $1.41 gets you 660 more calories.
  • Subway: 6-inch to 12-inch Tuna Sub: $1.53 more buys 420 more calories.
  • Wendy’s: Classic Double with Cheese to Classic Double with Cheese Old Fashioned Combo Meal: $1.57 extra buys you 600 more calories.
  • Baskin Robbins: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Kids’ Scoop, to Double Scoop: For another $1.62, you’ve added 390 calories.

Want the Eat This, Not That info but don’t want to carry around a book. Men’s Health has a solution for you: the new Eat This, Not That iphone app. Check it out here.

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Grab a Map and Find Your Way to Fitness and Fun with Orienteering

Posted in Fitness, Stress Management, tagged , , , on January 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

An orienteer about to "punch" at a c...
Image via Wikipedia

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Some  of my clients are active outdoorsmen and women. They hike, they backpack, they climb mountains. Now you can join them in a fun activity called Orienteering. In Chicago, the Chicago Area Orienteering is an active group whose members combine mental exercise with physical exercise. (Information below is from the Chicago Area Orienteering website here.)

What is Orienteering?

Orienteering is a sport that gets you off the roads and into the forest preserves in the Chicago area. It has been popular in Europe for many years and is just starting to be popular here in the US.

For a nominal fee ($10) you are given a detailed 5-color map of the forest preserve that is made by our club. You copy one of the five offered courses onto your map and pick up a Punch Card and a Clue Sheet. The Clue Sheet tells you exactly what natural feature you’re to look for inside each of the 100m diameter circles you’ve drawn on your map. You report to the start table for a start time and then you’re off into the woods, trying to find each of the control features of your chosen course where you punch your card, and return to the finish line in as short a time period as possible.

It’s a fast treasure hunt! Sometimes a compass is nice to use, but usually you can navigate using the features marked on the map, just as you would a street map.

Who Can Participate in Orienteering?

Orienteering is often called the “thinking sport” because it involves map reading and decision-making in addition to a great workout. Orienteering is a sport for everyone, regardless of age or experience. The competitive athlete can experience the exhilaration of running through the woods at top speed, while the non-competitive orienteer can enjoy the forest at a more leisurely pace. If you love maps, exploring, and the great outdoors, try orienteering.

Sounds Like Fun. How Do I Try Orienteering?

Just show up at one of the events. The Chicago Area Orienteering group always offers a free beginner’s clinic that will teach you what you need to know.

Are There Good Books on Orienteering?

A good beginner’s book is Orienteering: The Sport of Navigating with Map and Compass by Steven Boga. You can sometimes find copies at outdoor outfitters such as REI, or Dick’s Sporting Goods. It is also available at Amazon.com. Other orienteering books can be found there, and at orienteering suppliers such as GO Orienteering. But really, there is no need to do any prior study.  Just come to a meet. The best way to learn is by doing.

When Does the Orienteering  Day Begin

Most local meets begin at 9:30 a.m. on respective Sundays with a Beginners’ Clinic for first-timers. Master maps and registration are available too, so orienteers can be ready to go by the time first starts are handed out at 10 a.m. Meet fees are a reasonable $10 per person (and only $7 for CAOC members). Make sure you bring a whistle for emergencies.

Read more at the Introduction to Orienteering Page here.

2010 Schedule of Local Orienteering Events here.

Upcoming Orienteering events in February and March 2010:

Saturday February 20, 2010: Snowgaine! event info here.
Mississippi Palisades State Park

March 21 Madnaess #3, Country Lane Woods

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Wellness at Work Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

Posted in Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , , , , , on January 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

From time to time I come across a blog that is well written, has great info and coves areas of wellness that pertain to my readers. Recently I came across the blog, Life-Sized Business written by Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin.  I liked one of her posts so much I want to share it with you (with her permission and proper credit to her blog of course!) Enjoy!

Small Business Strategies: Starting a workplace wellness program might be easier than you think

By Elizabeth Baskin

What can you do in the new year to improve employee morale and productivity without spending a ton of money?
Easy answer: start some level of wellness program in your office. If you’ve ever considered doing something like that, this might be the perfect time.

Wellness programs allow you to give employees something they find meaningful without handing out big pay raises.
Many small companies froze salary increases last year. In others, employees watched people in their company lose their jobs, and were understandably meek about pushing for their own salary reviews. But don’t think that means they’re not thinking about what they give the company for what they get. A workplace wellness program can be a very good way to let employees know you value their contributions.

Of course, it’s also the beginning of a new year.
The perfect time for fresh starts, healthy new habits and lifestyle improvements. Your employees are probably already thinking about what they can do in 2010 to be healthier. A wellness program can help support them in their individual goals. It’s also a powerful way to bring new energy into the workplace.

How do you do it?
You don’t have to build a company gym or pay for an on-site spa chef (although you could). Think in terms of providing flexibility (time) or resources (access). You can pick one element of wellness, like fitness or stress management or healthy eating and focus your program around that area. Or you can put together a small smorgasbord of wellness offerings. Here are a few examples:

• Allow employees extra time for lunch two or three days a week so they can fit in a walk or a run.
At Tribe, we tell employees they can put up to three hours a week on their time sheets for exercise during the workday. We’ve found that whenever someone manages to fit in a workout or  yoga class during the day, they’re likely to come back to the office with a good idea or solution for something they’re working on. If nothing else, their energy level is higher that when they left.

• Use one of those empty offices for a meditation room.
Move the desk out and put a small couch or a comfortable armchair in there instead. Or just put out a few yoga mats or some big floor pillows.  Add a few meditation CDs and a CD player, and you’re good to go. If employees feel comfortable spending 20 minutes meditating in the middle of the day, alone or with a coworker, that can go a long way towards reducing stress levels.

• Put a bowl of fresh fruit in the break room, and stock it weekly.
When employees hit that pre-lunch or mid-afternoon slump, being able to skip the vending machine and grab an apple or banana instead can be a highly appreciated perk. Supporting wellness in the office can actually come down to some very simple (and inexpensive) changes.

The biggest thing employees are looking for in a wellness program is a way for the workplace to support them in living a good life.
As a business owner, you do that by providing meaningful work and fair compensation. But lately, many companies have been asking employees to work harder without the hope of a big, fat salary increase. Especially in this economic environment, one of the best things you can do for your employees is to provide the flexibility and resources for them to take care of their own health.

Read Elizabeth’s Live Sized Business blog here.

Workplace Massage
Of course, an easy and cost-effective way to show your staff you care about their health and well being AND give your company a productivity boast, is to offer workplace massage. Working Well Massage provides massage to corporate clients in and around the Chicago area. Contact us today for a customer proposal for your workplace.

Who is Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin and Why Should We Listen to Her?

Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin is the CEO and Creative Director of Tribe, Inc., a branding company working with national and global clients like UPS, Chick-fil-A and Coca-Cola Enterprises.

She also developed the Starter Cards deck titled “Start Your Own Company,” which takes the gigantic task of launching a business and breaks it down into 52 manageable steps, one step per card. (You can read a recent news story on the cards here.)

She is the author of “Hell Yes! Two Little Words for a Simpler, Happier, Life,” and of a book on women entrepreneurs titled “How to Run Your Business Like a Girl: Successful Strategies from Entrepreneurial Women Who Made It Happen.”

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Tomorrow’s Doctors More Open to Alternative Healing Practices

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, tagged , , , on January 27, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Basic Acupuncture.
Image via Wikipedia

According to Jenny Dubowsky at Acupuncture Blog Chicago, “A national survey, published online in the journal Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that three-quarters of the med students (future physicians) surveyed believe that conventional Western medicine would be improved by integrating more complementary treatments such as: massage, herbal medicine, yoga, acupuncture and meditation.

The data was gathered by researchers at UCLA and UC San Diego from 1,770 surveys received from students at 126 medical schools throughout the United States. There was some hesitation however and students wanted more scientific evidence about the effectiveness of the treatments, not surprising since their training is based on Western studies.”

Read her entire post here.

Now we need the insurance companies to catch up! (Sadly, in the state of Illinois, most insurance companies will not cover massage therapy as a treatment for injuries or chronic muscle tension conditions. However, in Washington State, my fellow massage therapists are able to bill insurance companies directly. )

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Beat the Winter Workout Blues with Wii Fit Plus

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , on January 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Wii Fit Plus
Image via Wikipedia

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I’ve been using the Wii Fit on and off for the past year. I like the exercises overall. They combine video games with a little “Mii” avatar you design yourself.  The Wii Fit consists of a Balance Board which monitors your balance and weight, and a DVD of the Fit program. The Wii itself comes with the Wii Controller and Nunkucks which you use in some of the games.

Now Wii Fit Plus is out and I have to say it is an improvement over the original Wii. Wii Fit Plus includes all the same exercises, yoga, strength training, aerobic activities and balance games. PLUS it includes a set of about 20 new games and adds about 3 new exercises to the yoga, strength training and aerobic activities.

The strength training activities are well done. You get a “personal trainer” avatar that demos each exercise and counts out each set with you. The trainer offers encouragement and tips with each set you do.  As you progress through the program increasing levels of difficulty are unlocked.

The yoga poses are great and the balance board gives you a good indication of where your balance is off and how you need to move your body to be in better balance. While this does not substitute for live instructor as far as having someone watch you and correct subtle deficiencies in your form, the Balance Board does tell you when you are putting too much pressure on one leg over another or when you are leaning too far to one side.

The balance games are fun and silly. In one you are dressed as a penguin and you have to balance on an ice berg and jump up to eat fish as they fly overhead. Sounds silly, right? Well, it is, but it’s also fun. It really works your legs and teaches you to balance as you slide across the iceberg.

The Wii Fit also keeps track of your workouts. Wii uses a timer to let you know how many minutes of each workout you complete.  Some exercises take 1 minute, others like the stepping routine may take 5-6 minutes. Put em all together and you can design your own 30-60 minute workout. It also has a “locker room” in this new version of the game along with a program to let you customize your fitness routines and monitor your progress.

If you are a marathon runner or a serious athlete, you may think Wii Fit will be too easy for you. The aerobic portion may be. But since Wii does such a  good job of monitoring your posture and balance, even the most serious athlete can benefit from the feedback Wii Fit provides. PLUS, even serious athletes need to have fun and the Balance games are a nice break in your running routine.

Some of the new games I like are the Snowball fight where you throw snowballs at friend Miis and they fight back. The Rhythm Kung Fu game which is a step game that incorporates “Kung Fu” moves with a nice rhythm music background. The Island Cycling game is a game where you “bicycle” around the “island,” a course with flags you must ride by for points. You bicycle by stepping on the Balance Board. (This gives you a great calf workout!) The Bird’s Eye Bulls Eye is a fun “arm flapping” exercise. You squat and flap your arms up and down to control your “bird” as he/she flies over the sea and drops down on posts that have bulls eyes painted on them. A great exercise for computer users. If you feel silly doing this game then you aren’t flapping your arms fast enough!
Overall, Wii Fit Plus is a great indoor fitness game for those of you that say you don’t have time to workout. You can use Wii Fit in as little as 10 minutes and get some movement in your day. (Although ideally you want to get 30 minutes of exercise a day!

Check out some of the new games here.

Suggestions for Improvements for The Wii Fit Plus here.

Buy your Wii Fit Plus here at Amazon for $19.99 (Wii sold separately.)

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Massage at Work Helps Staff Work More Productively

Posted in Massage Therapy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on January 25, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Yet another study now shows that massage improves productivity, reduces absenteeism and reduces doctors visits due to injury/illness! Read more from The Open Press:

(OPENPRESS) January 21, 2010 — The manufacturing marketing research division of TR Cutler, Inc., (www.trcutlerinc.com) sponsored the national survey of more than one hundred U.S. manufacturers; all show that massage improved bottom line of employers. The study found that after twelve weeks, 269 employees who had once-weekly, 45-minute massages in the manufacturing workplace had dramatically better productivity, reduced absenteeism, included far fewer doctor visits, than a control group of 250 employees who did not receive the massage therapy. The massaged group experienced reduced stress and improved performance, while the control group did not.

Nearly three-fourths (74%) of manufacturing workers reported in a national survey that their job is very stressful. Stress is the leading cause of disability in the manufacturing workplace, costing employers billions of dollars a year in lost productivity and healthcare costs.

The results of regular massages at the workplace provides quantifiable and immediate results — the employees experience stress reduction and greater satisfaction with their jobs.

By triggering a stress free response there is an improvement in immune system function, which reduces absenteeism, one of the most measurable economic impacts on the manufacturing sector. In the national survey, absenteeism was reduced by more than 50% among those receiving weekly massages. The savings to the manufacturing organization was 1000% greater than the actual cost of the massages, which averaged less than $4000 per month.

Read the entire article at The Open Press here.

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Learn to Give Back Rubs Without Hurting Your Hands

Posted in Massage Therapy, Stress Management, tagged , , , , , , on January 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Most people like to receive a good back rub but they hate giving them. I hear complaints from, “giving  back rubs hurts my hands, giving back rubs hurts hurts my back,” to “I don’t want to hurt her/him.” I also hear, from the back rub recipients, that their partners don’t use enough pressure, or use too much pressure or don’t massage them long enough.

I’ve been an instructor at the Wellness Massage Training Institute since 2000 and I’ve taught many laypeople to give better massages without hurting themselves.  Now in February, Whole Foods Lincoln Park is graciously allowing me to pass on some of my massage wisdom to a few lucky students in a short form couples massage class.  Class details:

Free Couples Massage Class with
Working Well Massage

Thursday, February 11th
From 5:30pm-6:30pm
Whole Foods Market Lincoln Park Cooking Classroom
1550 N. Kingsbury
Free parking!

Join Sue Shekut from Working Well Massage as she teaches you simple techniques for you and your partner to relax body and mind.  To register, please stop by the Whole Foods Lincoln Park customer service desk or call 312 587 0648 and ask to register for the class. Class size is limited to 14 (or 7 couples) so sign up early!

A couple can be two friends or a mother and daughter or father and son as well. The techniques I teach will cover good body mechanics, the best way to perform simple compressions and gliding strokes. I will also have samples of some the best creams and lotions from Whole Body at the class.

Note: Yes, I am engaging in a little shameless self promotion. But since the class is free, I don’t feel bad about it. I love to share my knowledge with others and help others learn how to take better care of themselves and their loved ones. If I can teach 7 couples how to give each other great mini-massages, I will be very happy.

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Get Up and Move Your Body Now to Prevent Disease!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , , , , on January 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

The Walkstation
Image by Scoobyfoo via Flickr

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

It’s all over the web today…too much seat time can hurt your heart, increase your risk for cancer, obesity and diabetes, according to a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Assn. Doctors from the Karolinska Institute and the Swedish School of Sport and Health conducted a study that shows that sitting too long, not just lack of exercise, can contribute to heart disease and other life threatening diseases.

Journalist, Michelle Fay Cortez, writes in “Sitting Is a Silent Killer, Swedish Medics Warn Couch Potatoes” from Bloomberg.com, “The more time people spend in a completely sedentary state, independent of the exercise they get at other times, the higher their risk of becoming obese, and developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer, the doctors wrote in an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The dangers are greater still for people who do little exercise as it is, the authors wrote.

While many people think of being sedentary as lacking in exercise, this is more accurately described as the time when the body’s muscles get no activity, the doctors said. They cited an Australian study showing that each extra hour women spent watching television boosted their risk of developing a group of heart complications known as metabolic syndrome by 26 percent, regardless of what exercise they took.”

Read entire article at Bloomberg here.

Unfortunately, most people I know, especially “knowledge workers” have jobs that require us to sit for hours behind a computer.  So, what do you do? Tell your boss, hey, my job is killing me? Not likely. However, many workplaces are responding to such studies with Walk at Work programs. Or allowing staff to go to yoga or other workout classes at lunch. Or providing yoga classes or personal training sessions at work. Some companies provide employees with desks that move up and down to allow for standing. Some very progressive companies use Walk Stations for employees to walk while they work on their computers. Other companies provide regular massage to help increase circulation to your muscles. Massage therapists also provide stretches for sedentary employees.

How to Add More Movement to Your Work Day

You can incorporate more movement and less sitting into your workday yourself with these simple ideas:

1. Take the stairs when you can versus an elevator.

2. Walk up or down a few flights of stairs for a 5-minute break every few hours.

3. Do jumping jacks at your desk or, if that embarrasses you, in the restroom.

4. Do squats at your desk. Simply stand up, then barely sit, then stand, then barely sit. Repeat 5 or 10 times.

5. Do side bends at your desk. Do 3 sets on each side and hold each “bend” for 15 seconds.

6. Stand up, take a few deep breathes, then reach for the ceiling, inhale, exhale and sit down again.

7. Stand up and do arm circles.

8. Walk around the office-take a few laps!

9. Stand at your desk when you are on the phone. March in place for extra points!

10. Drink water at your desk in a sport bottle to keep the water cool and prevent spills. If you drink about 20 ounces every few hours your bladder will create a natural timer for you to get up and take a break!

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Where to Find Yoga Classes in Chicago

Posted in Fitness, Stress Management, Yoga, tagged , , , , on January 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach,  ACSM Personal Trainer

Yoga Journal

I took my very first yoga class about 15 years ago at my local YMCA in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Yoga was not as popular at that time and when I moved to Chicago, I relied on fliers and word of mouth to find a yoga class I enjoyed. Now, like most things, the internet makes it so easy to find a yoga class!

If you are a yoga novice looking for your first class, or if you are new to Chicago and want to find a yoga group that fits your practice, check out Yoga Chicago. Yoga Chicago is a local magazine that has a complete directory of yoga classes in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. They also post articles and info about upcoming workshops and yoga oriented trips.

To view a list of classes in your area, click on this link here.

Read one of the interesting articles in the current issue of Yoga Journal, “Neuroscience, Hatha Yoga and Creativity: A New Paradigm for Teaching” by By Michael McColly. Click here to read his article.

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What Type of Yoga Should I Take?

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Yoga, tagged , , , , , on January 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

An Artistic yoga class in session
Image via Wikipedia

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

So you decided to take the plunge and try a yoga class. Then you find out that there are different kinds of yoga. How do you know what kind of yoga to take? And what if you are not flexible? Do not despair!  Yoga is really for people that are not flexible. Unfortunately, many yoga teachers or studios advertise their classes by showing a very highly trained yoga teacher doing an extremely advanced pose that few other people can do.  No worries, most beginning classes teach you simple poses to elongate your body and relax. “Pretzel” yoga is for the very very advanced, not the novice.

If you’ve tried a yoga class and found it either too difficult, too easy or too boring, it may not be yoga that’s the problem, it may  be  the type of yoga you tried or that particular teacher. (Think about it, if you get  a bad hair cut, do you think hair cuts are not for you or do you go to a different barber/hair dressor?!?)

So what type of yoga class should you attend?  Here are some tips from http://www.yoga.orz.nz:

Yoga Styles Overview

Iyengar – A softer -on-the-body classical style of yoga, Iyengar is perfect for beginners and those who haven’t exercised in a while. It uses props such as chairs, straps, blocks and pillows, and even sandbags, to compensate for a lack of flexibility, which is helpful for anyone with back or joint problems.

Iyengar is the most widely recognized approach to Hatha Yoga, it was created by B. K. S. Iyengar. Iyengar yoga is characterized by attention to detail within poses and the aid of the props. The props assist all sorts of people to be able to do the poses comfortably.

Each pose is held for a longer amount of time than in most other yoga styles, developing a state of focused calm. Benefits include toning muscles, eliminating tension and easing chronic pain.

Practicing Iyengar yoga will give you a good knowledge of classic yoga poses so that whatever other style you practice, you will have the basic fundamentals of how to do each posture. The teacher focuses on alignment and inner awareness.

Sue’s Note: Some Iyengar teachers tend to take a militaristic approach and may push your body beyond what you are capable of doing. Don’t let them! Many Iyengar teachers are wonderful and gentle. But if you find a teacher that is dogmatic in his/her approach or tells you to try a pose even if it hurts you, avoid this class and find someone that is more compassionate–or risk serious injury!

Ashtanga (Power Yoga) the preferred choice for athletes, Ashtanga yoga is light on meditation but heavy on developing strength and stamina. The poses are more difficult than those performed in other styles, students move quickly from one pose to another in an effort to build strength and flexibility.

This style is suitable for anyone in reasonable physical condition but should be avoided by those who are new to exercise. Even the “beginners” routines are a physically demanding workout.

Students move from one pose to another in a continual flow and combine the inhale and exhale of the breath with movements. This physically demanding yoga was developed to build strength, flexibility, and stamina.

The series of poses involves weaving in a combination of standing, seated, backbends, inversions, balancing, and twisting poses into sun salutation poses which include a standing forward bend, upward dog, downward dog, and other poses.

Sue’s Note: Ashtanga or “power” yoga is popular in the West.  Westerners tend to move at a hectic pace even in yoga. However, proper form is even more important when you move through poses quickly. Potential for injury or overstretching/tearing of ligaments is greater in the faster paced styles of yoga. Take care when you try this style of yoga and make sure your yoga teacher is aware of any injuries or limitations before the class begins.

Bikram done in a hot room that is 38C or higher (to replicate the temperature of yoga’s birthplace in India); this style of yoga focuses on 26 postures that are performed in a certain order. The exercises are very physical and the intensity is high.

The Bikram series is warm and stretches muscles, ligaments and tendons in the order in which they should be stretched. Heat and yoga makes for a tough workout. This style is recommended for yoga veterans and extremely fit individuals only.

Sue’s Note: If you have high blood pressure or tend to overheat easily, you may want to avoid Bikram yoga especially in summer heat!

Hatha: This mellow form of yoga focuses on simple poses that flow from one to the other at a very comfortable pace. Participants are encouraged to go at their own pace, taking time to focus on the breathing and meditation in their practice. This yoga is ideal for winding down at the end of a tough day.

Sue’s Note: Hatha yoga may feel too slow for you if you like fast paced moment and cardio classes. But be patient and let yourself be bored a bit sot hat you can take the time to learn the proper form for you poses. It’s also a  way to sneak a little relaxation into your hectic week.

Kundalini, which incorporates mantras (chanting), meditations, visualizations, and guided relaxation. It focuses on healing and “purifying” the mind, body, and emotions. Kundalini yoga is designed to activate the kundalini energy in the spine.

This is achieved with poses, breath control, chanting, and meditation. Kundalini yoga is beneficial in dealing with addictions, and many people find it a natural way of releasing endorphins just by breathing and doing the poses.

Kundalini yoga consists of poses combined with breath control, hand and finger gestures, body locks, chanting and meditation.

Kripalu, which is more spontaneous, flowing, and meditation orientated. Kripalu yoga starts with the first stage, postural alignment and intertwining of breath and movement, and the poses are held a short time.

The student progresses to the second stage with meditation included and poses held for longer. Finally, the practice of poses becomes a spontaneous dynamic movement. The essence of Kripalu yoga is experienced through a continuous flow of postures whilst meditating, for gentle yet dynamic yoga.

Sivananda Yoga has a series of 12 poses, with the Sun Salutation, breathing exercises, relaxation, and mantra chanting as the basis.

Viniyoga, a slower more individualized form of yoga. This form develops strength, balance and healing, make it ideal for beginners, seniors, people with chronic pain or who are in rehabilitation from injury or disease.

Read the entire article on Type of Yoga at http://www.yoga.org.nz here.

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