TELEVISION
About
Today, millions of people practice yoga, from young to old, from the hyper-athletic to those dealing with chronic diseases. The 12 half-hour lectures of Yoga for a Healthy Mind and Body, taught by acclaimed yoga teacher Dr. Heidi Sormaz, are the ideal first step for a newcomer and a fascinating journey of discovery for those who already practice.
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Episodes
1. Western Yoga
30m
Explore the roots of hatha yoga, the form of yoga widely practiced in the West. Focus on the three principles of hatha yoga - breath exercises, physical postures (called asanas), and meditation - which promote a healthy mind and body. Get started with some simple yoga exercises.
2. Yoga Begins with the Breath
30m
The tension we accumulate every day tightens the muscles in the upper body, making it hard to breathe. Practice a mini yoga class that highlights mindful breathing to relieve this stress. Then add three new asanas to your yoga routine: warrior 2, bound angle, and downward facing dog.
3. Yoga and Pain Relief
30m
Consider some key tools used in yoga to address physical pain: attention to breath and sensation, release of chronic muscle contractions, and healthier movement patterns. Practice asanas for each of these pain reduction techniques - including a chest opener, yoga pushup, plank, and staff pose.
4. Yoga for a Healthy Heart
30m
Yoga can lead to a healthier heart by providing a transition from a more sedentary lifestyle to a more active one. Trace the steps that will help you gradually build your yoga practice. Learn two new breathing exercises together with asanas that include warrior 1, knee-to-chest, and bridge.
5. Yoga and Addictive Behavior
30m
Discover how yoga and attention to the body's sensations can aid in breaking the vicious cycle of addictive behaviors. Perform patterned breathing, side bends, cat/cow, downward dog, lunges, forward fold, and reclined twist. End with savasana, the traditional closing posture in a yoga practice.
6. Yoga for Depression and Anxiety
30m
Examine how mindful, moving yoga can help interrupt the physical and psychological habits that lead to depression. Focus on sun salutations, a series of movements and poses linked by one breath per move. Perform the classic sun salutation, and then Surya namaskar A and B.
7. Iyengar Yoga
30m
In the first of five lectures on different styles of yoga, experience a beginner sequence of Iyengar yoga. Named for pioneer yoga teacher B. K. S. Iyengar, this practice makes extensive use of props. Practice nine essential asanas, with optional props such as a wall, chair, strap, and blocks.
8. Power Yoga
30m
Transition to a more aerobic form of yoga - power vinyasa - in which a sequence of poses is strung together at an energetic pace. This is the form of yoga taught in many health clubs and gyms. Try a challenging flow, modifying the poses where appropriate for your level of fitness.
9. Yin Yoga
30m
Yin yoga is a complementary practice to a yang form, such as power yoga. The goal is very simple: Assume a shape with your body, relax with gravity, and rest in stillness. Unwind with yin poses that gently stretch your connective tissues, including tendons, ligaments, and fascia.
10. Anusara Yoga
30m
Explore the spiritual dimension of yoga through an Anusara practice, which combines the Iyengar system of alignment with elements of Hindu spirituality. After a Sanskrit invocation, follow a sequence of asanas that emphasizes awareness of energy flow and muscle action in your body.
Extended Details
- SeriesGreat Courses
- Closed CaptionsEnglish