Pilates Yoga Exercise

Firstly, a Yoga student, who has such a serious ailment, should get their doctor's permission before starting to practice Yoga with a teacher. If possible, get a doctor's referral to a particular Yoga teacher, who is more knowledgeable in this area. Many doctors often network with local Yoga teachers, studios, and ashrams, for the benefit of their patients. Chair Yoga classes may be advisable in some instances. Yoga postures practiced during chair Yoga classes will not put pressure on the neck. It is also wise to find a teacher who has been thoroughly trained in the use of props, modifications, and completely understands your ailment. Find a Yoga teacher who is understanding, gentle, and knowledgeable. At that point, set up an interview with your prospective Yoga teacher, and explain your ailment in detail. The methods, personalities, knowledge, and patience, of instructors who are teaching Yoga, will vary. Some of the poses that I would not recommend would be: Sirsasana (Headstand); Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand); Halasana (Plow Posture); or any other posture that could cause severe compression on the cervical vertebrae (neck). Also, your doctor should be made aware of any "risky" movements and positions performed in a Yoga class, such as, chin locks, neck rolls, and fingers clasped behind the neck. You will find it is important not to do any exercises or postures that hurt, even a little bit. Pain is your body's way of telling you, "not to do that" and "stop now." The Yoga exercises, that will help you the most, are those where you will feel a smooth and gentle stretch. If you don't feel a gentle stretch, I suspect those Yoga poses are not doing you much good. If any Yoga exercises hurt at all, stop doing them immediately. I have yet to see a student, patient, or client, benefit from doing any Yoga pose that caused pain. To continue further on this point: Any treatment, of any kind, (Chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, or Yoga), should be with the goal of less pain. Why do it, at all, if you are going to be in more pain? Leaing Yoga for a serious condition, such as a neck ailment, should be practiced under maximum supervision of a competent Yoga teacher. I would suggest at least one private lesson before trying a group Yoga class. A Yoga teacher may suggest, at least, a few private Yoga sessions, so that the student understands all the safety guidelines. As educational as Yoga videos are, they are no substitution for the guidance of a competent Yoga instructor. � Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

We all know the girl. Every time you see her, she has a different color hair. One week it might be streaked with blond highlights, the next it is vibrant red. And so it goes until the day you see her with an extremely short cut or worse yet, a ball cap. When you ask what happened, she blames it on a color disaster. She got a hold of a box of color that had something wrong with it or some similar excuse. But you've seen it coming. I mean, how many times can you actually color your hair without it falling out? To avoid the same mistake, there are a few simple rules that you should follow. No, you don't have to be relegated to wearing the same hair color all of the time. You can change your look every now and then. The key to it, though, is to know when and when not to color your hair to avoid hair color bu out. Before you color your hair, you should always check it to see if it is strong enough to withstand another coloring. There are a few ways that you should do this. First, shampoo your hair and feel it for overall dryness before you add conditioner. If your hair feels like straw or something other than hair, you should not color. You can also take an individual hair strand and test it for breakage. Simply apply tension to the hair strand until it breaks. If it breaks easily without stretching, you definitely cannot color. Another thing to look for is fading color. If you have been coloring your hair only to have the color fade out within a few weeks, your hair is in no condition for further coloring. In addition to checking your hair to see if it can be colored, you should also avoid certain color combinations to eliminate or reduce damage. When making hair color changes, avoid drastic differences. For example: Do not lighten your dark brown hair to platinum blond only to put deep red on it and then try to lighten it again. What you will end up with is mush. You should also wait a good while in between hair colors. Wait at least 6 to 8 weeks between root touchups. If you want to change your hair color completely, you should use the following time guidelines: Going darker - wait 4 weeks after last color. Going lighter - wait 8 weeks after last color. And always check to see if your hair is strong enough to withstand the service. If in doubt, ask a professional.