I have been taking yoga for a few years now, and I love everything about it.  I love that it allows me to really stretch, to focus on my body and breath, and it gives me a real sense of accomplishment.  During one of my regular yoga classes offered at my gym there is also another type of class going on.  It is called Zumba.  It could not be further from yoga from what I figured, but I was intrigued.  I took the class, and I really enjoyed it.  So now I add in some Zumba here and there to spice things up a bit, but I still keep my yoga as the two are really different.  Here’s my yoga vs. zumba comparison for those of you who want to choose the best option for you.

Calories Burned:

• Yoga does burn calories, but it does vary based on the type of yoga you are performing and the pace of it.  In a typical hour long class I will burn anywhere from 250 to 500 calories.  I know that is a big difference, but like I said it does vary based on certain factors.
• Zumba is known for its ability to blast calories.  The amount you burn in this class also depends on a lot of factors, but as for me I can scorch close to 600 calories in an hour.  Some people burn more than that!  Woo hoo!

Atmosphere:

• Yoga is a relaxed and easy atmosphere that encourages you to really focus on your technique and breathing in a comfortable pace.  You will find that most yoga classes have the lights off or use natural lighting.  The music is calming and often without words.
• Zumba is a fast-paced fitness party.  You are jamming and Latin grooving to current hit songs and it is loud, real loud.

So which one is the best choice for you?  Well, you can always be indecisive like me and choose both, or if you are looking for a challenging yet relaxing workout go with yoga.  If you like to party, Zumba might be your best option.

Yoga, when practiced by a devout Catholic, is seen not as a meditative function of religious expression, nor are any of the New Age aspects of the practice involved. A Catholic views Yoga merely as exercise for the body, and its mind-body-spirit connection as philosophical rather than religious.  This is perfectly okay for Catholics.  Where things get tricky is when a Catholic delves into the eastern mystical traditions that are associated with yoga.  Often a yoga instructor is going to encourage the practice of some of the eastern mystical meditative forms alongside the exercise aspect.  This is where the Catholic must learn to ignore and not “go there.”  None of this “Namaste” stuff is going to go well with Catholic faith.  There is not going to be any sort of search for the inner divine, etc… because a Catholic relies on the prayer forms of the Church for meditation, and only on God to reveal his or her true identity to themselves.

So, in a nutshell, Christians would be wise to draw the line when practicing yoga, being sure that they are not conflicting with their own traditions while still maintaining the attitude that yoga as physical exercise and philosophy is acceptable, but engaging in any of the aspects that are directly related to the religions to which yoga is intimately associated is not.

Each summer in Tahoe, California music lovers, yoga lovers, and the like come out for a weekend filled with not only the greatest yoga taught by the best instructors, but musical acts, DJs, and some seriously amazing natural scenery.  There are numerous classes and workshops that will allow you to get the very best out of your yoga experience.  Along with yoga, there are meditation instructors and wellness experts that offer lectures to give you insight on living a balanced life.  The music comes to life on two different stages that offer concerts and more at night.

If you are ready to experience yoga and music like never before, then Wanderlust is definitely for you.  Check out the videos below for a better taste of what can be expected at this incredible festival.

While yoga came to us from India, many people do not realize that it is a sacred practice performed by practitioners of the Hindu faith. Yoga outside of, or detached from, spirituality is unknown in the land from which it came. To remove the spiritual aspects of yoga from its physical performance, say many practitioners, is to miss the point of yoga. The benefits that come from its practice outside of faith are much less than if they were practiced holistically.

Below, enjoy a video presentation on the history of yoga.  To learn even more, go and select from the most comprehensive direct tv packages available today to view programming on yoga and thousands of other subjects.

Some music for yoga can seem to create a sleepy feeling and calm, which is great for some days.  The two songs below though are more uplifting than anything else.  They both have interesting beats that you can feel as you go through your poses and sets.  In the second song I love how even when the tempo slows it is still strong.  Next time you practice yoga, choose one of these tracks as your music.

If you are looking to get started with yoga in your area, then it is probably easier than you think.  All over the nation yoga studios are popping up, and many fitness centers and gyms are offering yoga classes to its members.

Interesting Facts About Yoga:

1. The typical person who practices yoga is married.
2. Of those who practice, 38% are vegetarians.
3. Half of those who practice primarily focus of meditating.

Frequently described as a happier version of Imogen Heap, (closer to her “Goodnight and Go” than “Sweet Religion” or “Hide and Seek”), Lemon Jelly’s critically acclaimed second LP Lost Horizons is quite possibly their best work ever. “Space Walk” and “Nice Weather for Ducks” were both nominated for BRIT Awards and the entire album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Both of these songs were used widely in UK advertisements, but it’s tracks like “Ramblin’ Man”, using a political persona to list countries and locations he’d like to “visit”, or the subtle jazz horn in “Return to Patagonia” that introduces the male choir, that really separate the album from anything else they’ve done.

But in the past six years, they really haven’t done much. Both Nick Franglen and Fred Deakin have pursued their own individual interests, the most recent being Deakin’s collaboration with another Brit-band-dropout to release a new album this year entitled To The Victor- The Spoils! Both Franglen and Deakin claim they are still good friends and will work together again sometime in the future, but neither have shown any signs of this happening anytime soon, as their website still reads “Not Dead, Just Sleeping”.

Other than making great bubbly-yet-not-cheesy music, another reason we want to see Lemon Jelly re-unite is for their innovative live acts. Instead of mailing tickets to attendees, Lemon Jelly mailed limited edition t-shirts in different colors that fans had to wear to gain admission rather than showing a ticket stub. Inside the venue, instead of enlisting a supporting opening act, Lemon Jelly enlisted the entire audience to play a giant game of bingo. This, among other creative and outside-the-box concert ideas, which always revolved around happy, festival-like activities, made Lemon Jelly’s live act one of the best in London’s electronic and trance scene. This duo may be “sleeping” for now, but we think its time for them to wake up again pretty soon.

On a second thought, yoga can be considered as a kind of medication; the only difference is that it involves more physical activities than the usual. It does help in toning the body but the medication part helps relaxing the soul and clearing off the air from your mind. To create the perfect ambience to practice yoga and to make your body flow with music you must choose any soft music that is relaxing as well. You could also selects some sounds that offer peace to your mind and soul like the birds chirping in early morning, rains or the sounds of the ebb and flow of the waves. Music plays a very important role while exercising and after it.

Medication helps to drain out the emotion drain out of a person’s mind and when performed with music it enlightens your spirit as well. The music sets the atmosphere helping you to introspect and calming your senses. The yoga music helps one to connect between the mind and body to achieve a better level of reflection.

Since music plays such an important part, one must select the music wisely. There are a plethora of options available that suit the meditation and yoga. The kind of music you should opt for also depends on your focus for the yoga session. If you aim to relax and calm yourself then soft music and music containing natural sounds will be the best background music. If you practice yoga to achieve a deeper level of meditation then focusing your mind is really important that could be achieved with the help of chanting music. You could also opt for classical, Celtic and world music.

There are many different styles of Yoga music that are selected to achieve the purpose of the Yoga session. The more you practice yoga the more you will come to know about the music. In fact there are many stores opening up that offer only Yoga music from all over the world. You could also search over the internet to find about the different Yoga music styles and actually listen to some samples as well. No matter what kind of music you choose ultimately it should serve the purpose and you must be able to relax, enjoy yourself and make the best out of it.

Yoga is a world traveled exercise that helps condition the body into a temple for change and relaxation. It does not stress or strain the body in fact it does the opposite. Yoga treats the body as if it is finally being itself.

Meditation, relaxation, calming places, natural formation all relate to the art of Yoga and the music that is used with this art should be just as calming and natural. Trying different types of music with yoga to find just the right pitch or sound or hold pattern could mean the difference between finishing in a better place and finishing in a worse place.

Trying the classics like Brahms, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff, can have an unusually mind-clearing effect on the body. Helping the body to relax through these classical artists of the past might be the best way to begin a yoga regiment.

Perhaps other music that soothes the mind and body like jazz, the blues or even rock can have another kind of calming effect in clearing out the cobwebs from the mind. Yoga is an experiment in clearing out the day’s events so listening to certain kinds of music can help keep the negative part of the day in check.

Gently flowing music that instructors use can help make the yoga experience a rewarding one. It is also a way to connect with others of like-mind who want to experience the wonder and peace of yoga.

There are yoga playlists that can be obtained from the internet or purchased from a retail store. From waterfalls to rainy day melodies, yoga music comes in disc form and CD.

Try recording your own melodies of a mixture of music that can be played on a regular basis – an eclectic genre can do as much for the libido as a specific waltz. The important thing is to find the kind of music that fits your mood and demeanor during the yoga exercises.

Going online to find different kinds of yoga music can be a plus for the avid fan of yoga. Some of the music is free or can be purchased for a very low fee. The good news is that this music can be used over and over again and passed along for someone just getting into yoga. Once they see how it is used and appreciated they themselves may have a better yoga experience listening to it. Also, another place you’ve probably never thought of is cable tv. Most of them have “Nature Sounds” music channels and such.

Not all music is good for yoga exercises but finding just the right combination or selection of yoga music can make all the difference in the world. Becoming and staying calm and relaxed time and time again can become permanent and an asset in today’s busy life styles. Using yoga to get and stay in balance helps more than just the yoga master – it helps everyone around them.

There are many ways to learn yoga. A person can go to a yoga school and sign up for lessons. An individual can buy a book and with the pictures imitate movement with little or no corrections. A person can hire a Yogi teacher to go to his home and teach him yoga. A person can always use the internet to watch videos and books about yoga and its music.

Music is the second most direct way to stimulate your body first being the touch. Yoga music can be very relaxing, and it can stimulate a person’s body. Yoga music and exercises will relaxes the muscles of your complete body. Yoga Music also reduces stress. The Yoga exercises plus the music helps people go into another dimension of self awareness. Yoga also has slow breathing exercises as well as slow paced movements that are meant to be hold for a few seconds to stimulate lubrication in the joints.

Part of Yoga is meditation and it is greatly stimulated by using Yoga Music. Power yoga uses music to make powerful yoga moves, stands and salutations. For example one the most famous pose is called salutation of the sun mix this with a music that alerts your holistic sensors and a person could go into deep meditation. Meditation increases awareness and helps the brains relax when you add yoga music this states can be achieve faster. As a person sits in a meditation position by keeping the back straight and the legs folded he or she can control the breathing by a mantra (a special repetitive word used in meditation) listening to an indian flute that increases your awareness.

Yoga and its music has healing properties. Natural healing can be achieved by practicing yoga and listening to yoga music. Most people report the back pain is gone when practicing yoga. Yoga helps the body heals better according to some studies. Yoga music performed at higher vibrations that allow the body to heal quickly. For a yoga instructor, the music that accompanies a routine is a personal extension of his or her yoga philosophy. Yoga also helps to tone muscle and balancing of the nervous system. Yoga also helps in body detoxification.

There are many different types of Yoga music for example active, serene, kirtan, and mellow this will affect relaxation of the mind and body, meditation to achieve greater levels of awareness, healing quickly of the body and stress relieve. Also, I recently purchased a security alarm, which has allowed me to relax even more.