Hello everyone!  I'm back from my vacation and am on my regular schedule again now.  I had every intention of blogging more than I did last week but it just didn't work out that way for a variety of reasons. At any rate, I'm going to continue with the relaxation theme that I started last week, at least for the next couple of days.

One of the best ways to relax, in my opinion, is the practice of Hatha Yoga (the form that most westerners practice/are familiar with).  Hatha yoga  combines a series of poses (asanas) with a form of breath control called pranayama.  Not only does Hatha yoga relieve stress and provide relaxation of the mind and the muscles in the body, it is also a great way to tone up, increase your flexibility, and increase concentration and focus. It is possible to learn Hatha yoga online or from a book, but I think everyone should take a beginners class for for 6 weeks or so if possible, just to become familiar with all the asanas as well as the ways to modify the poses to suit your current level of flexibility.  There are several asanas that are especially good at for relieving stress and promoting relaxation, which I've linked to here.  My personal favorite, the Cat Pose, is illustrated in the picture at the beginning of today's blog.  If you haven't tried yoga, I hope that you will.  Chances are, you'll get hooked!  Until tomorrow, Namaste!