Yes. In yoga, you have an opportunity to completely challenge your entire body physically. It can be a great physical and mental workout. We are moving our bodies in ways that work our muscles, tendons, and ligaments while massaging our internal organs and cleansing our body of toxins.

Your workout is designed based upon your health history, your goals, any current limitations and your time available for exercise. Our focus is to educate you on all of the essential components of good health: flexibility, stamina, endurance, strength and weight reduction, and of course, take you through well developed training sessions. Clients generally start to feel better, physically and mentally, the first week they begin their training. See similar questions...

Yoga practices vary widely, from gentle, meditative practices, all the way to strong, challenging classes that will leave you sweating. See our class descriptions to find a class that's right for you. See similar questions...

Like anything benefits come from consistency. A regular yoga practice will help you lose weight three ways. First yoga helps to regulate the metabolism, second long stretching of the muscles squeezes out the cellulite, and third your burning calories as you work the body. Yoga also teaches you to honor and respect your body. You will want to be healthier and start to make choices in your eating habits that will promote weight loss. See similar questions...

Anything we sell on our web site is a great gift for a Yoga enthusiast! Some items might be better gifts than others depending on the type of Yoga your friend, colleague or family member practices. For Astanga and Bikram students - or any Yogis who do a heat-building or "sweatier" practice - the Mysore Practice Rug™ makes a great gift, even if they already have one. See similar questions...

Here are some questions you should ask yourself before starting yoga (plus always check with your doctor to make sure you have no health condition to prevent you from doing yoga). See similar questions...

There are hundreds on the market now, all different levels and styles of yoga. I'm partial to Yoga Mind Body produced by Ali McGraw. The yoga instructor is Erich Schiffman (one of my teachers). He is truly gifted and walks the talk. The video is a very clear, well-rounded 40-minute sequence. You can also go to your local library and check out many yoga videos or New Renaissance in NW Portland and rent them. See similar questions...

The intensity of the workout is very dependent on the current status of your injury as well as your motivation. You can get a superb workout if your effort level is high. One's heart rate will remain lower in the water than that on land as the effects of gravity are eliminated. Regardless, the cardiovascular benefits are just as great as those on land with little to no impact See similar questions...

Yes, absolutely! The word aerobic literally means "with oxygen" or "in the presence of oxygen". Aerobic activity trains the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to every part of the body by elevating the heart rate during exercise to its target level. As the heart muscle becomes stronger and more efficient, a larger amount of blood can be pumped with each stroke. See similar questions...

Yes, practising Bikram Yoga with sufficient intensity can create aerobic effect. No matter what your fitness level, you will find Bikram Yoga very challenging. The Bikram Method works your whole body inside out. With persistence, patience, and dedication, you can lose inches, and develop muscle tone and strength that might never come from other forms of exercise. Each Bikram Yoga class can help burn up to 600 calories. See similar questions...

Yoga can be done be anyone regardless of creed, belief or religion. It is universal to humanity. It is true that it was created by the Hindus thousands of years ago in India, and they used yoga to reach spiritual enlightenment. But, it didn't have anything to do with Hinduism, and it is now used all over the world to not only reach spiritual enlightenment but also reach physical benefits. See similar questions...

Yes. Western science has been studying Yoga for nearly 50 years, and the evidence shows numerous physical and psychological benefits from Yoga. Interestingly, there seems to be something about Yoga -- vs. exercise and controlled breathing -- that is beneficial. For example, a recent study with heart patients showed that those who followed a stress reduction program that included many Yoga practices did better than patients who exercised or did nothing. See similar questions...

Ultimately, yoga is one of many paths towards enlightenment. To reach enlightenment, however, requires serious commitment. Therefore, the immediate benefits we receive are steady-mind, proper breathing, better posture, the release of toxins, stress reduction, clarity, and physical and mental flexibility, strength, and balance, to name a few. WARNING: You should consult your physician before engaging in any physical activities, including yoga. See similar questions...

Pilates is a musculo-skeletal conditioning program. In combination with some kind of cardiovascular exercise (walking, running, aerobics, aqua fitness, etc.), it's all you need. For people who reach advanced levels, they can actually elevate their heart rate with pilates workouts. See similar questions...

In our world of constant use of medications, more and more people are discovering that prescription medications aren't always necessarily the only answer to their tension headaches. There are now people who are searching for convincing solutions that are drug free. Yoga offers a powerful solution to a lot of ailments, including certain types of headaches, particularly, tension and migraine headaches. See similar questions...

Twelve outside classes are included for the training, there will also be classes within each training weekend. The course of study includes a variety of topics outside the physical practice, but you can expect to be practicing yoga on the mat every day of the training. See similar questions...

Yes, it is. The Moksha series incorporates many challenging postures that sustain an elevated heart rate. See similar questions...