There are as many different forms of yoga as there are stars in the sky, but none as bizarre as these....
From animals to #fitspos, it can often seem like Instagram is a minefield of varied hashtag trends. But the latest thing to do might just be the most unusual to date - meet the naked Instagram posters.
A yoga instructor shares the best yoga poses for beginners to build strength, balance, and confidence. Try out these yoga poses for beginners at home.
Flickr is nothing without you, our community. We want to make sure this community continues to thrive, grow, and inspire, so we've made some big changes.
Recently I've been thinking a lot about aging. Let's face it: none of us are getting any younger, we are only getting older. Sooner or later you reach the age that you've always thought of as "old". I always thought that age was about 40 until I realized I was fast approaching this mark. The times I feel it the most is when I come to a pole class and realize that I'm the oldest person in the room. Like someone said: I always feel like I am in my 20's until I see an actual 20 year old. And I must admit that sometimes I secretly envy those 20 year-olds who don't have to work as hard as me to gain their strength and flexibility as they are at the peak of their physical abilities. However, the fact that I can still keep up with girls who are 10 or 15 years younger then me, and sometimes even be better than them, makes me feel kind of smug: look, the old lady's still got it! Just kidding :) I'm only in my mid-thirties but still I often wonder why aren't there more women my age and older pole dancing? When I want to convince some of my friends or colleagues to try pole dance/aerial dance their usual excuse is: it's too difficult for me, I don't have any strength, I'm afraid of injuries, etc. It's true that as you get older you become more cautious and afraid of trying new things. But I believe that you also gain some general wisdom and become more reasonable when it comes to assessing your physical abilities. At this point you just know yourself better and you learn to listen to your body more. I know exactly what my physical limitations are and how much is too much for me. I'm also not afraid to tell the instructor: I'm sorry but this trick just feels wrong at the moment. Maybe, I'll try it next time. The thing is that I don't want to feel pain for the rest of my life just because one day I tried to do some trick in a pole class that I was not ready for. It's not that I don't want to push myself or make progress because I think do make quite steady progress in the end. I just don't feel the need to rush things. And I know damn well that jumping into a handspring when my back and core muscles are not strong enough yet to hold me up there cannot end well. I'm terrified when I see younger girls throwing themselves at tricks that are obviously too advanced for them because they can't wait to do them, or coming to class when they have still not recovered from an injury and thinking nothing of it. Their carelessness is just shocking to me. Maybe I am getting old after all. :) All I know is that I need take good care of my body because I would like to be able to pole dance as long as possible. And I think I'm not alone in this. Even some competitions nowadays are introducing special categories for 40+ or even 50+ dancers. Not that I ever plan on competing but I think that's a great idea to acknowledge the dancers who fall into this age category. So today, I'd like to take a little inspiration from some amazing pole dancers over 40: Greta Pontarelli is a 62 year-old former nationally competing gymnast and martial artist from the USA. She's only been pole dancing since 2010. She actually found pole dancing when she was looking for a form of fitness that would help prevent osteoporosis! I can believe the things she does on the pole. Even though as a former gymnast she definitely has an advantage but still you need to admire her for her strength and dedication. Many people would simply give up at that age. And to think that she is almost the same age as my mother and I can't imagine my mother doing any of that! Greta is definitely an inspiration for all the pole dancers. She's an example that with passion, dedication and perseverance you can overcome all obstacles. It comes as no suprise than that she also runs a life coaching business helping to empower others and inspire them not to let age keep them from living their dreams. Here is Greta's winning performance at World Pole Sports Championships 2013. Joanna Littlewood-Johnson is a 43 year-old mother of two and a pilates instructor from Australia. Joanna has studied classical, contemporary, jazz, tap and Spanish dance and performed with a ballet company and professional dance and musical theatre around Australia. She has won many pole dance titles, including the 2nd Runner Up of Australian Pole Dance Championships 2012. If you watch her performance at Australia's Got Talent you will also see how passionate she is about pole dancing and how much joy she gets out of it, even though she has to juggle pole and family life. And last but not least, I have to mention Joanna Derybowska - Polish Pole Dance Champion 2012 and my instructor :). She comes from a professional dance background and has taken part in many dance ventures both in Poland and abroad. She's been practicing pole dancing for three years and is now the owner and instructor of a PoleArt Studio in Warsaw. Her goal is to promote this particular kind of dance as a new form of fitness among society. I have to add that not only is Joanna a great dancer but also a great instructor with a particular gift for passing down knowledge and explaining the mechanics of moves. Here is my favourite video of her dancing with her husband who is also a professional dancer and a pole dance champion. All of these three great ladies will be competing on November 30th, 2013 in the 5th International Pole Championship in Singapore in the Masters Division so I'll make sure to follow all of them. Pole dancers over 40 rule!
Yoga hasn't been popular in western culture for very long, but it isn't a new thing. In fact, the origins of yoga may date back to pre-vedic Indian traditions — the earliest accounts of yoga were recorded in 400 CE. In light of Throwback Thursday, I thought it w
Un photographe russe a pris en photo des femmes de manière absolument superbe. Anton Belovodchenko, un photographe russe, a décidé d'honorer le corps de...
Un nouveau compte Instagram est en train de faire un tabac. Il s’agit de celui d’une femme photographe anonyme de 25 ans qui enchaîne les pauses de yoga,...
These 18 vintage yoga photos prove that asana captured on camera has always looked cool.
Emilija Wellbrock and Alina Wellbrock are the muses of this latest C-Heads exlusive realized by Hamburg based photographer and graphic designer Carsten Thun.
Crear
When you're trying to find a yoga class, the choice of styles can be overwhelming. The...
Nude Yoga Girl has over 54,000 followers who love her beautifully-shot nude yoga poses. The 25-year-old makes sure her 'intimate parts' are hidden with good angles and dark shadows.
If you are wondering how to stay in control while relaxing and keeping your work-life balance intact, then considering yoga for good health is a wise choice.
