Personal Experience: Deeply Committed Practitioner Of Yoga

The athletic apparel industry has shown a large increase in popularity. Global sales of sport clothing have increased from 146.1 billion US dollars in 2007 to 162 billion US dollars in 2012(Global Participative Sport as Consumption). Particularly in the United States, sales of sport apparel have increased by 7% from 2013 to 2014 (Wingus). There has been a large trend in healthy living, as “activewear accounted for $33.7 billion in sales and made up 16 percent of the apparel market” (Wingus). The industry is booming, as sportswear, specifically yoga pants, has transformed into people’s daily apparel. (Refer to Appendix Table 1) Huffington post noted, “people are wearing trendy workout clothes all day, every

Nobody likes feeling like the outsider, whether it be the third wheel at the movies, looking physically different than everyone else, or in my case being the only one at a yoga class that doesn’t know what on earth is going on. While at SDSU, I decided I wanted to branch out and take as many opportunities as possible and try something new. There are many different activities that students can be apart of at SDSU, and a yoga class is one of them. Why not take a yoga class where I can feel physically active and good about myself for trying to not gain the freshman fifteen? Why not try something new and exciting that I have never done before? Why not make a fool of myself feeling like everyone is staring at me saying, “What is she doing?” Well, after taking the class I could find a few reasons why it may have been a poor decision; however, there are a lot of reasons why it was a great new experience that I would definitely try again.

Lululemon is one of the Canada’s best retailers of technical athletic yoga apparel. Lululemon’s yoga inspired apparel is marketed under the two brand names Lululemon Athletica for more mature women and Ivivva Athletica for younger girls. Lululemon primary target customers are educated and hard working women, who understand the importance of healthy and active lifestyle. Majority of these women are Caucasian who are mainly urban and have higher income, since Lululemon is an expensive brand .Most of their products are design to offer fit, performance and comfort while incorporating both style and function. On another hand, American Apparel

Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a

Materials such as wool, silk, and cotton had been used to manufacture uniforms for the servicemen and measures were taken to ration clothing for civilians. Women were more creative by showing their sense of style without expense or waste. Contrastingly, the highly competitive fashion industry today constantly drives to encourage and entice consumers to visit stores more frequently by aggressively merchandising fashion, indicating a shorter life cycle and higher profit margins from the sale of fast selling merchandise. Consumers today are more focused and demanding, forcing fashion retailers to instantly deliver the right product at the right time. Money worries, job-related challenges, and pressures about body image are concerns that directly impact fashion choices

Before choosing this article for my critique I used several factors to determine its value to this assignment. I had first had to determine if the content of the article would have value in the clinical world of counseling. This article is written by Stacie Stukin, a yoga instructor who writes contributing articles for Yoga Journal and yoga instructor Annalisa Cunningham who has also written Healing Addiction with Yoga. Both clearly believe and have witnessed firsthand the benefits that yoga can contribute to addiction recovery. The article explains that a yoga practice will help the recovery process on two fronts.

products and believe that by buying that particular brand of clothing we will look better

Previously discussed was a study centered on professionals using yoga as a technique for improving relationships with their patients, but this study emphasizes the importance of having compassion for yourself. In Newsome et. al (2012) study, thirty-one college students about to enter helping professions, including counseling, nursing, teaching, etc., attended a 6 week long mindfulness group which included mindful yoga. This research showed that after 6 weeks, the students' perceived stress levels had decreased and their mindfulness and self-compassion significantly increased. After the intervention, participants' feelings and thoughts pertaining to the impact of mindful yoga were recorded. One student claimed, "I am beginning to have more

Balanced Bodies is a yoga studio situated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its founder is Shelby Williams. She is a nationally certified massage therapist and an internationally certified yoga teacher. Their other staff is Katy Ellington, a certified yoga instructor. Balanced Bodies is the only place in Tulsa that includes full body wellness and awareness with a proven self-defense and sport martial art. Balanced Bodies specializes in yoga, jiu-jitsu, and therapeutic massage services.

The origins of yoga date back to India over 5,000 years ago. The Vedas, holy writings that are the foundation for Hinduism, possess ancient yoga teachings known as Vedic Yoga. Individuals became reliant on Vedic yoga to live their life in divine harmony.

Yoga is a practical aid, not a religion. Yoga is an ancient art based on a harmonizing system of development for the body, mind, and spirit. The continued practice of yoga will lead you to a sense of peace and well-being, and also a feeling of being at one with their environment. This is a simple definition.

The benefits of Yoga are endless. It effects the human mind and body in a variety of ways. Roughly 15 million Americans practice yoga, annually there is an expected increase of twenty percent in participants in the United States ("Yoga Statistics"). While Yoga is often thought of as a practice that involves circus like poses and seemingly impossible flexibility; it not. Even bedridden patients can gain benefit from imagining themselves going through the poses and practicing breathing techniques that are appropriate to them (Dickenson 24-25). Yoga is not something that you do at the studio and leave behind. It becomes a way of life; leading to healthier habits, improving psychological health, and encouraging spiritual growth. An article on

and fashion is progressively obscuring the difference between leisure and active sports apparel. Women in particular have demonstrated a desire for fashionable workout clothing with an increased emphasis on versatility, convenience, fashion, comfort and style appeal

My yoga story began in 2004 when I was first introduced to hot yoga by a very good friend of mine. He thought that yoga would be a good way for me to hone in my focus, and help me to tame my hyperactivity. After my first yoga class I was filled with a sense of well being, as well as direction. I felt a fire within myself that energized me in an entirely different way than I had ever felt before. For the first time in my life I was able to bring together the energy that pulsed through my body, connect it to the pace that my mind would run at, and create a balance between the two. I felt like I was practicing a full body meditation, balance between mind and body. I was intrigued, and I was ready for the stability that practicing asana was bringing

This is not a book about how to practise yoga postures but rather an approach as to how to include a search for consciousness in every aspect of yoga. Our yoga journey is the tool for understanding.