Bikram Yoga Revelation

by AT

Bikram Yoga:

Bikram Yoga, commonly known as hot yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional yoga techniques and popularized beginning in the early 1970s. Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class runs approximately 90 minutes, incorporates a series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, and is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%.

Bikram yoga aims toward general wellness and claims the heated studio facilitates deeper stretching, injury prevention, and stress and tension relief. Bikram yoga is claimed to systematically stimulate and restore health to every muscle, joint, and organ of the body. There are two complementary aspects of the 26 exercises, asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises), though many other branches of yoga also use these methods. According to Choudhury, many people only use up to 50 percent of their lung capacity; the lungs must be stretched in order to (through practice) withstand holding more oxygen. When one is practicing pranayama s/he will eventually be able to enhance oxygen conversion and absorption, as well as improve blood circulation. (Choudhury, 2007) This is true of any cardiovascular activity.

Choudhury claims that blood circulation is affected immensely during Bikram Yoga because of two processes called extension and compression. These two dynamics are said to work together to deliver fresh oxygen to every joint, muscle, and organ within the human body. While performing a specific asana (pose), the body is stretching or compressing a certain part of the body, thus cutting off circulation temporarily. This restriction of circulation causes the heart to pump more blood in reaction to the shortage. The pumping of excess, fresh blood is called extension. Once the asana is complete and the individual comes out of the posture, the new oxygenated blood is able to rejuvenate the arteries that were being compressed. Because of the volume change and influx of fresh blood, it is said that infection, bacteria, and toxins can be released through this process. (2007)

So far, I completed about 7 classes, and I can already feel that I’m less stressed, more flexible. I no longer feel like I need to eat so much, and I feel more energetic. The sweating effect is pretty amazing in addition to the mental challenge that the class poses to all students (no matter the level of advancement). The worst part is your first 3 classes. You may feel dizzy and very nauseous. On the top of that, you may be among people that have to sit on the towel, because they just can’t take themselves through the next pose. BUT!!! Just like anything else in life - if you practice, you will get better at it and you will start feeling the benefits. Bikram says that you need to do at least ten 90-minute classes a month to really get the benefits of Hatha Yoga…

American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity - A MUST SEE EVENT

American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity is the first Costume Institute exhibition drawn from the newly established Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Met. It explores developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940 and how they have affected the way American women are seen today. Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition reveals how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation. “Gibson Girls,” “Bohemians,” and “Screen Sirens,” among others, helped lay the foundation for today’s American woman.

The fancy displays are more than a piece of American history. They are a lesson for young American women of all ethnic backgrounds. A lesson that teaches respect, tolerance, wisdom and shows how much our grandmothers and great grandmothers had to struggle to vote, wear pants, smoke cigarettes, work meaningful jobs and raise children in the meantime!!! This exhibit is a display of fascinating historical metamorphosis as well as an inspiration for the future generations to understand the struggle of women form a political and sociological perspective. I’d also hope that to those of you who go see it, it will be an opportunity to think about your own womanhood… What’s a modern woman like to you? How much has changed and how much has stayed the same…?

7 Tips on How to Find a Date Online

by David Kamau

The stigma of online dating has virtually died out, and many people are now comfortable in letting the internet play cupid for them. But amazingly, how to find a date online is still one of the most frequently asked questions out there. Here are a few tips to find a mate on the internet:

1. Know what you want. This seems a little simplistic, but there are many people who cannot answer the question as to what they really want beyond “a date”. What type of relationship are you looking for? What type of person? Do you have children or would you date someone who has children? Is location a big factor or are you okay with a long distance relationship? How about religion and ethnicity?

2. Avoid a laundry list of wants. If there is a place where you could meet virtually any type of person you can imagine, it’s in online dating sites. However, this does not meet that you should demand that your potential date be something like what you read in romance fantasy novels. You need to come down closer to real planet earth, where flaws not only exist, they are expected.

3. Post a smashing personal profile. Of all tips on how to find a date online, this is perhaps the most important one. Your personal profile, also known as your personal ad is your bait; make it appealing. Don’t make the mistake of writing your ad while on the dating site. Write or type it on separate document and then transfer it on to the site. Be specific and don’t lie. Honestly describe who you are (without giving away personal information) and what you’re looking for. Tips on this one aspect alone can actually fill a book chapter.

4. Create a good handle. Also known as screen name, alias, ID, and User ID among a other terms, your handle is another vital piece of your dating ad. While most dating sites will generate a handle for you, it will usually be as bland as beach sand. Brainstorm handles using your personality traits (positive ones!), hobbies or passions. This will help not only make your handle meaningful, but also give a hint about the person behind the profile.

5. Post a photograph. There are people who do not post a picture with their personal profile for fear of being recognized. Well, the chances of someone that knows you stumbling on your profile are really slim. And what would they be doing on the dating site themselves in the first place? Profiles without photos get far fewer responses than those that do. To maximize your chances of finding a date online, post a good (and recent) picture of yourself.

6. Choose the right dating site. Of all tips on how to find a date online, this is perhaps the one that most people get wrong. The right dating site is the one that best fits your interests. Basically, those seeking serious or long-term relationships and marriage are better served in matchmaking sites. Those seeking a relationship that may or may not become long-term, or are not sure exactly what relationship they want would be better served in popular (general) dating sites. For those seeking sensual encounters and escapades, head to adult dating sites.

7. Get a free trial period. Most dating sites offer a free trial period. You will typically either get a short period with virtually all the features the site has to offer or a longer (even indefinite) period but with limited features. Use this to test the site and feel if it is a good fit for you. In fact, you should sign up for a free trial with more than one site so that you can compare them.

To increase your chances of finding love online you should sign up with the right dating service. Download free books full of useful online dating tips now. David Kamau is an Internet dating expert who writes articles and reviews online dating services