Savasana is from the Sanskrit word "shava," which means "corpse." To do this pose, lie on your back, close your eyes, and spread your arms and legs apart. Keep your eyes closed. Your palms should face upwards. Savasana brings closure to your yoga practice, promotes deep relaxation, and helps your body and mind assimilate the previous yoga poses so you can reap their many benefits.

Modifications
Usually Savasana is performed with the legs turned out. Sometimes though, after a long practice or for those who have lower back problems, it may feel good to do this pose with the legs bent and knees touching (as seen in the smaller picture above). You may also wish to use a yoga strap. Take a strap and make a small loop. Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent and slip the loop over your big toes. Lie back and turn your thighs inward, sliding your heels apart. The loop will help maintain the inward turn of the legs.

Caution:
·If you have any back injuries or discomfort: Do this pose with your knees bent and your feet on the floor (as seen in the picture), hip-distance apart; or support the bent knees on a bolster or pillow.
·Pregnancy: Raise your head and chest on a bolster.

Yoga can be a spiritual as well as a physical practice and therefore is beneficial at any time of the day. However, there times that are better for our own practice depending upon schedule, body and personality type. A morning person may need the stimulating effects of certain asanas to start the day, while someone who is slow to wake may be warmed up and ready to practice by sunset.

Morning Yoga:
Early morning before sunrise is considered a spiritually charged time of the day in the Vedic tradition and is therefore ideal for yoga. Morning yoga will ease you into gentle movements shortly after you awaken in the morning. Sun Salutations are great for waking up the body, and after lots of movement and balancing, you can ease into some gentle inversions and heart openers. If your hips and spine are feeling open at this point – dive into the heart openers, like camel, bridge and wheel. These postures will leave you feeling awake and rejuvenated – maybe even more than your morning cup of coffee! Also, indulge in an extra-long headstand or shoulder stand to send fresh oxygen into your head. This will also allow you to feel ready to face your day.

Evening Yoga:
Yoga before bed can be relaxing and contribute to a restful sleep. The perfect evening yoga practice should soothe and relax you after a long day. If you’re practicing later in the evening however (within a few hours of going to bed), you’ll want to resist moving into big heart openers and energizing inversions. You may want to practice soothing surrender postures like half pigeon and seated forward fold. Twists are also incredibly relaxing in the evening as well. Focus on breathing in positions such as Child’s pose, which stretches the back muscles and aids digestion. Just be aware how you feel and what you need.

Tips
There is no time of day that is “perfect” for everyone when it comes to yoga practice. The best rule to follow is the one of no distraction. Choose to practice at a time when you are least likely to be interrupted, whether it be early morning or late at night. The most benefits are yielded when fully conscious of each movement.
​
Consistency is also key in yoga practice perhaps even more than when you choose to practice. The more you do the same poses regularly, the more you will notice how your practice is producing change within your body and your life. The time of day we practice yoga should determine what postures we practice, and being aware of which postures are energizing and which ones are soothing.
 
Pay attention to which postures affect your energy levels at which time of day, and this will empower you to practice exactly when your body needs it. Remember – you are your best teacher!

Camel Pose (Ustrasana) is a backbend that stretches the whole front of the body. It’s the deepest backbend and is frequently incorporated into vinyasa practices with several different modifications. Camel Pose, and backbends like it, can be physically challenging and beneficial. Ustrasana is a great, deep backbend that is accessible for most students because it requires less strength and more spinal flexibility.

Known as a “heart opening” yoga pose, Ustrasana stimulates and balances both the fourth and fifth chakras, located at the heart and throat centers. For many yoga practitioners, the heart and throat centers are often closed off and protected; some examples of this would be slouching and poor posture. For this reason, practicing Ustrasana can sometimes stir up emotions more than other poses. It is important to keep a calm awareness of your feelings when practicing this pose; fear of your emotions can create stiffness in the body and may lead to injury.
 
*Caution:  Do not practice this pose if you are currently experiencing high or low blood pressure, insomnia, or a migraine. Also avoid this pose if you have any neck injuries. Never to force your body into the pose. Practice a modified version until you have increased flexibility and strength you need to safely go deeper.  Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. Always talk with your doctor before starting any yoga regimen.

At BookYogaRetreats.com, they conducted a survey to help us get to know yoga practitioners a little better. They were curious to know how yogis perceive the practice and how they relate yoga to spirituality and religion. 

The results got us thinking… Is there any connection between yoga and religion and what exactly makes up a yoga lifestyle? There is certainly plenty of room for debate, but for now, we thought you might like to sneak a peek at the results of our survey on yoga and spirituality.

As 69 percent of our respondents agree, yoga is a practice that connects the body, mind and soul. If you consider yoga to be nothing more than a physical practice, then you’re missing out on its essential aspects. There’s no denying that yoga and spirituality have a deep connection. You might not realize it, but with each pose that you maintain you are training your mind to be present regardless of what is happening around you at the moment and in your life in general. That does inevitably lead to spiritual upliftment. Each of us understands spirituality differently, and there lies the beauty of it – it all comes down to perception.

​Octavia Drughi is a travel writer for BookYogaRetreats.com. A wanderer, yogi and adventure lover, Octavia’s number one addiction is rock climbing, which she embraces as a form of self-expression. To her, climbing and yoga are the dance of life itself.

One good thing about yoga is that it can be practiced almost anywhere, at any time of day by all people of all ages. Most people prior to beginning any sort of yoga practice often wonder what type of yoga equipment they need. You don’t need anything hi-tech or fancy to start practicing yoga. All you need is the desire and a good attitude to get started. But this doesn't eliminate the need for some yoga equipment, especially if it helps you do your postures properly.
 
Most yoga equipment is built to help you achieve proper alignment and balance as well as make the pose a bit easier to do, especially for beginners. Here are a few ways yoga equipment can help those who are beginners or those who have prior injuries or mobility issues:
 
- It lessens the stress and strain on your body from doing
certain yoga positions.
 
- It helps support your muscles and protects you from injury.
 
- It helps save energy by exerting less effort on a pose.
 
Here are some of the more basic types of yoga equipment:
 
Proper Clothes
While opinions vary when it comes to the proper yoga attire ultimately the choice is up to you, however it's a good idea not to wear tight fitting clothes. Loose-fitting, comfortable and easy to move in clothing will make your practice much more enjoyable.
 
Mats
A good yoga mat provides cushioning on a hard floor, this is especially needed if your yoga studio floor is made of cement or hard wood, it can also provide traction for your hands and feet thus preventing you from slipping or sliding when you’re doing your postures.
 
Towel
There are special towels that are made for yoga. You may find super- absorbent towels that will be quite helpful if you sweat. You can also buy a skid-less towel that you can use on your mat to help absorb sweat.
 
A Bag
If you buy a lot of yoga accessories or want to carry with you your cell phone, a water bottle, or a yoga towel, you may want to buy a special bag to carry them. They look like duffel bags, and are often made of nylon. They can range in size and price, so make sure to find one that fits your specific needs.
 
Bolsters
They provide support for your spine, abdomen and legs in several different poses. Yoga bolsters can help you achieve better results overall.
 
Blocks
Like blankets, yoga blocks are props that help you make yourself more comfortable and improve your alignment. Blocks are great for standing poses in which your hands don't reach the floor. Blocks can be made of foam bricks, bamboo, cork or wood. These also vary in price.
 
Wedges
Yoga wedges can be used in many ways to add support and length for many different postures, especially under your heels, tail bone, or knees when practicing downward-facing dog to make it easier to place your hands flat on the floor without compromising correct form and posture.
 
Blankets
They can help you feel relaxed and comfortable which is essential in the practice of yoga. Not only do they help keep the chill off, the folded blankets can be used as props or to sit and lie on during class, especially at the end of class for Savasana.
 
Yoga Straps
These are most commonly made from cotton or nylon and allow you to grasp body part which you cannot reach effectively. Yoga straps also give you added flexibility and help you hold your poses a little bit longer. They are particularly useful for bound poses if your hands do not reach each other, and for poses where you need to hold onto your feet but cannot reach them.
 
Yoga Kits
For beginning yoga students, a yoga kit may be the solution to all their problems. A basic yoga kit contains everything you need to get started practicing the art of yoga right away. A good kit can help you avoid confusion and the extra expense often spent on individual and unnecessary items.
 
For the most part yoga equipment is made to provide support to help you feel relaxed and move deeper into the poses. Tomorrow, I will be talking about how yoga can be used to help control your blood pressure and relieve stress.

Yoga helps promote good balance by elongating, and aligning your spine as well as the muscles in your back. It also strengthens other parts of your body, including your abdominal muscles, which helps guard you back from injury. Good yoga posture teaches every part of your body to bear its own weight as an alternative of relying on other muscles to carry the load.
 
Yoga poses function and perform differently. Each pose is designed to develop one’s flexibility and strength. Here are some common yoga poses to practice:
 
Standing Poses
Standing is one of the important yoga poses. This type of pose is helpful in aligning your body and your feet. This is also very useful in improving and maintaining a good posture. It is an advantage because if you have a bad posture, your backbones can be stretched and straightened without noticing it. Standing poses helps in giving strength to your legs and at the same time increase elasticity in your legs and hips because they are all connected to each other.
 
Seated Poses
These types of yoga poses increase your lower back and hip’s flexibility. This also strengthens your back. This adds suppleness to your knees, groin, ankle and most especially your spine. Another advantage is that it helps you to breathe in deep which gives you that calm and peaceful feeling.
 
Forward Bends
This type helps you in stretching the hamstrings and your lower back also strengthening it. This lessens the tension found in your neck, shoulder, back and increase flexibility in your spine. Calmness is also achieved in this type of pose.
 
Back Bends
Back bends like bridge pose are amazingly helpful in opening your chest, hips and even the rib cage. This is helpful in strengthening and making your arms shoulders stronger. At the same time, it simultaneously increases your flexibility and elasticity in your shoulders. The great thing is that it helps to relieve the tension from the front of your body up to your hips and it
increases your spinal ability. Your spinal cord is one thing that is important in your body so you need to take good care of it.
 
Balance
Balance poses are very challenging because they require leg strength and upper body flexibility in addition to the ability to balance on one leg. The real challenge comes as you move from pose to pose while keeping one leg lifted off the floor the entire time. Tough but worth it!
 
By practicing these basic poses on a regular basis, it will help you build strength, flexibility and stamina. Don't worry if you can't perform them correctly at first, just keep trying and as your strength increases you will be available to perform them more easily.
 
Tomorrow, I will be talking about some of the different types of yoga equipment and what it can do for you.
 

With so many different types of yoga to choose from it can be a little bit confusing for beginners. Before deciding on which type of yoga is best for you it's a good idea to consider the different types of yoga, your level of fitness, physical and spiritual goals, as well as, your overall health condition.

Below are the most common types of yoga to help you determine which type will work best for your lifestyle.
 
Iyengar yoga is considered one of the most common types of yoga focuses on alignment, breathing and performing precise poses. This type of yoga often incorporates props such as straps or blocks to help beginners. Props help new students relax and become more comfortable while holding various positions.
 
Ashtanga yoga is known for its powerful movements which focus on building stamina and strength, as well as, coordinating the breath with movement. This challenging form of yoga builds better balance and concentration.
 
Bhakti Yoga is a more spiritual form of yoga that teaches its practitioners respect for life nature and creation as well as the importance of treating others with kindness and generosity.
 
Hatha Yoga, another common form of yoga especially in the United States emphasizes physical postures or exercises, known as asanas, with the goal of creating balance in one's life.
 
Jnana Yoga, involves the practice of deep contemplation and a quest for wisdom through meditation. With the goal of being one with God.
 
Karma Yoga, is based on the philosophy that "yesterday's actions determine today's circumstances." Practitioners of Karma yoga make a conscious decision to perform selfless acts of kindness. By making today's actions positive, they hope they can improve tomorrow's circumstances for both themselves and others.
 
Raja Yoga, known in India as road to reintegration, blends the four layers of self; the body, individual consciousness, individual sub consciousness, and the universal infinite consciousness. The focus of this type of yoga is on the mind and spirit with emphasis on meditation.
 
Tantra Yoga, like Hatha yoga involves practitioners to seek balance in their lives and to break free from the six enemies; physical longing, anger, greed, vanity, obsession, jealousy as well as the eight fetters; hatred, apprehension, fear, shyness, hypocrisy, pride of ancestry, vanity of culture, egotism, by using discipline, training, and
rituals.
 
Bikram yoga, often referred to as hot yoga, involves practicing yoga postures in rooms heated to over 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius). The belief behind this type of yoga is that postures are easier to attain and hold. Another benefit is that warm muscles help reduce the risk of injury. If you have a health condition, be sure to check with your health-care provider before attempting this form of yoga.
 
Kundalini yoga, the premise behind this type of yoga is that becoming aware of your breath is a key. Practitioners learn to use their breathing abilities in different ways, along with chants, meditation, and postures designed to awaken energy at your spine’s base and drawing it upward through the seven chakras.
 
Viniyoga, this is perhaps the most individualized form of yoga, and involves working closely with an instructor, who will customize your yoga practice based upon your needs.
 
Regardless of what type of yoga you decide to practice, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider first to see if there are any special considerations or restrictions you should follow. For example, people who suffer from hypertension may need to avoid certain poses, while women who are pregnant may have other limitations.
 
Tomorrow, I will be talking about the practice of good yoga posture.