NORTH ANDOVER Last June, 16-year-old Jennifer Ziel was looking for an exercise to take up her free time in the summer.

School sports had ended and it was too hot for her to run outside. She turned to something she had never tried before yoga.

Little did she know, that decision would lead her to compete against the best the country has to offer.

The North Andover resident is involved in the grueling sport of competitive yoga. After placing at the regional championships in January, she will be traveling to New York City to compete in the National Championships on Saturday.

"I didn't even know there was competitive yoga when I first started," Ziel said

She trains at Bikram Yoga Merrimack Valley in North Andover. When she started, she had little idea she would be able to hang with the beginners, let alone compete.

Ziel watched as a fellow competitor did a pose called the guillotine, where the person bends while moving their hands behind their thighs, until their head emerges through their legs. She initially thought there was no way she would be able to do it.

"I saw a picture of it and I didn't understand how it was possible for someone to do that," she said.

But with flexibility from previous dance and gymnastics experience, it only took Ziel a few weeks before she knew she had what it took to succeed.

She is one of five Bikram Yoga members who have moved on to the competitive level.

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North Andover teen take yoga to competitive stage

Think yoga is more meditative than fat burning or muscle building? CorePower Yogas Calorie Blast Yoga DVD offers a three-phase workout that incorporates all of the above in a challenging 60-minute routine.

Developed by the popular yoga studio CorePower Yoga, each 20-minute segment has a distinctly different approach, allowing you to break it up into three sessions or one full (and intense) hour-long workout.

The first segment uses a high-energy flow with a refreshingly fast pace for the practice that those who bore easily will appreciate. It burns calories while still focusing on core strengthening and gets you nice and sweaty without making you breathless like comparable cardio-heavy routines.

The second segment switches gears, focusing instead on strengthening and lengthening the body. For regular yoga practitioners, this phase will feel familiar, with clear emphasis on breathing and paying attention to how the body works as a unit.

The last segment emphasizes sculpting the body by toning each major muscle group. Incorporating the option of free weights, it allows users to customize their level of burn. This gives a new spin on yoga, which rarely uses weights as props. Its great for regular yoga lovers who want an extra kick or for individuals new to the practice.

Price is $14.99. Preorder at Amazon.ca. Release date is March 5.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

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Yoga DVD produces challenging workouts

London, March 2 -- After pop singer Madonna and tennis ace Andy Murray, yoga has another devotee in Manchester United star Ryan Giggs, who says the Indian fitness regime is behind his longevity which has left him one short of a sensational 1,000 appearances. Only flecks of grey mark out the brilliant Welshman as a 39-year-old, who made his Man-U debut as a substitute in 1991. Since then he has made a club record 931 appearances, scoring 168 goals. With his international appearances for Wales and Britain in the Olympics added, his tally is a breathtaking 999.

Giggs says he owes it all to yoga.

"The yoga has definitely helped me. It helps me train every day because it gives me the flexibility and the strength, not only to play the game but to train as well," he said. "I rarely miss a training session, even (if I do) a little less than the younger players I still go out and train."

Man-U legend Dennis Irwin said Giggs began practicing yoga in his 20s when he had hamstring problems, adding: "That sorted it out".

Giggs, the most decorated player in English soccer with 12 Premier League winners' medals, isn't about to hang up his boots. On Friday, Man-U manager Alex Ferguson, who is a big fan of Giggs, said the player had signed a contract to carry on playing next season.

"He still retains that wonderful youthfulness in the way he plays, he still has great balance and a change of pace," Ferguson said. "He still has his fitness and he still gets you a goal.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.

Excerpt from:
Yoga is the secret of Giggs's energy and longevity

Betsy Reid, 52, is a professional when it comes to relaxation. As she leads her childrens yoga class to Shavasana, which is a period of relaxation, she is reminded that life is at its best when experienced in the spirit of peace.

I tell my kids they cant control whats going on around them but they can control how they react, said Reid.

A childrens librarian, Reid has been hosting a free Friendship Yoga class on Saturday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 at Gloucesters Sawyer Free Library for children ages 6 to 10, and will be leading a class for middle schoolers at OMaley Middle School in May. She also leads classes at the Peabody Essex Institute in Peabody.

Incorporating stories, poems and songs, Reids classes contain both traditional yoga exercises and upbeat activities to keep the kids engaged.

According to Carol Bender, a childrens librarian at the Peabody Essex Institute, she encouraged Reid to start a yoga program for children. Its a perfect fit for her, said Bender. She is great at what she does.

Thrilled by the opportunity to share her passion for yoga and health, Reid said she was first certified to teach 3- to 5-year-olds. After recognizing a growing interest in the program, she went back and was recertified as an instructor for older children.

I lead my class in a series of relaxing poses and teach them how to breathe deep, said Reid. I remind them to breathe in school if they get a bad grade on a test or if their friends are making them mad. Breathing helps kids make better decisions when presented with challenges.

At Sawyer Free Library, the four-week sessions have been full today marks the final week of the four.

Were very fortunate we have a special fund, the Constance T. Rhinelander Performance Fund, that we use to fund childrens activities at the library, said Christy Rosso, the childrens librarian. Theres been a lot of interest, and a lot of the kids took part.

The Sawyer Free Library is not the only one with childrens yoga. In fact, the movement began five years at the Peabody Essex Institute and spread to Brown Elementary School in Peabody. The programming may eventually be integrated into other local elementary schools health class curriculums.

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Kids' yoga programs gain traction