By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There are so many styles of Hatha Yoga and many instructor certifications to choose from, but how do you decide which Yoga course is the best for you? We often refer to all of these styles of Hatha Yoga as Yoga sub-styles because they are divisions of Hatha Yoga, which is just one of many Yoga styles.

You might think it is hard to find the right Yoga teacher training, but there are many options for aspiring Yoga instructors. Below are some of the many choices you should consider, when you are deciding to become a Yoga instructor.

Moderate Hatha Yoga: There are many styles to choose from, but earning a Yoga instructor certification in one these styles will enable you to teach a wide variety of students.

The age and condition of you’re your Yoga students should be taken into consideration, when deciding about which Yoga certification to join.
Traditional Hatha Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Sivananda Yoga are some examples of this classification.

Chair Yoga: This is a specialized Yoga instructor certification, but the global population is aging. When you consider how many people turn 50 every day; this Yoga specialist certification may be more mainstream 10 years from now.

Hot Yoga: There is a wide variety of student ages involved in this style, but Hot Yoga does attract a younger crowd. The 105 degree room temperature is not to be taken lightly, if your native climate is much lower. You must feel real passion for this classification of Yoga. Bikram Yoga and Hot Yoga are examples of this type of Hatha Yoga.

Vigorous: Flowing, or powerful, movements and asanas can reach a wide rage of student ages, but most of your Yoga students will be less than 40 years of age. Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and Power Yoga are examples of this classification.

There are other options for Yoga instructor training, as well. The number of study hours, for Yoga instructors, should be at least 200 hours. There is also the decision of whether you can attend Yoga training in person or take a Yoga instructor distance learning course.

On-site Yoga instructor training might be over the course of many weekends throughout five months, a year long Yoga training course, or the Yoga certification course may last years.

Obviously, time is a factor in your decision, but cost and the quality of the Yoga instructor training should be “weighed in the balance.” Yoga instructor intensive training should be in the range of 200 minimum hours of training.

Home study Yoga certification courses are for interns who cannot attend Yoga instructor intensives. The graduates of these programs have previous Yoga experience and must be self-starters. The type of person who takes “night school courses,” or home study courses, in any subject is self-motivated.

However, a minimum of 200 Yoga study hours is suggested for Yoga instructor interns.

© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul
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By Rebecca Prescott

Yoga really helps improve the experience of pregnancy, by helping the body cope with the strain of hormonal changes and weight increases. Many expectant mothers report that yoga helps reduce the common aches and discomforts associated with pregnancy. Only two 30 minute sessions of practice a week are needed.

1. Do yoga in the water. Water helps support the body during the poses. Joints and muscles move more freely as well. Aqua yoga is excellent for toning the body, and increasing the flexibility of the pelvic muscles. This is a good preparation for birthing.

2. Use extra props – including chairs and cushions!

3. Be gentle on yourself and don’t over stretch.

4. Instead of putting off yoga because you don’t have time to ‘go’ somewhere, start practising at home, with a good video or DVD. Do a few exercise each day, every day.

5. Don’t worry about buying expensive props. Whilst a yoga mat is excellent, most of the other props used for pregnancy yoga can be found around the house – chairs at different heights, blankets or a light throw for relaxation, a beanbag (this makes a great support to lean against), and cushions of different sizes (these are used to put under your knees, or behind your head, amongst other things)

6. When doing the meditation at the end, don’t be afraid to sit or lie in a different way. What feels comfortable will change during pregnancy, and will certainly be different to what felt comfortable when you weren’t pregnant. You don’t have to adopt a classical yoga pose here. The priority should be in feeling comfortable.

7. Pick some yoga poses that strengthen and lengthen the back muscles, the buttocks, thighs and abdominal muscles. These muscles are all important for maintaining good posture, and holding the pelvis in the right position. They help your posture adjust as your body changes during pregnancy.

8. If you’re doing aqua yoga, it’s best to pick a swimming pool. The water should ideally be chest height, but anywhere from waist to shoulder height is fine.

9. Props for aqua yoga would be foam noodles and some floats. They will help provide support for some exercises, and for the relaxation at the end.

10. Get some friends or other expectant Moms from the prenatal class together for regular aqua yoga sessions in a local pool. You might be able to economically book the pool when you all share the cost.

To find which prenatal yoga exercises are the best options, click here.
http://www.yogatohealth.com/What_Prenatal_Yoga_Exercises_and_Poses_Are_The_Best.html For information on bikram yoga and more, click here. http://www.yogatohealth.com/

How to Become a Yoga Teacher

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By Jennifer Jordan

Hatha Yoga is the yoga that most people know as simply, “yoga.” Practiced for emotional and physical health and wellness, Hatha Yoga focuses on both the purification of the mind and the body, aiming to pave a path to vitality and wholeness.

Hatha Yoga was introduced by a man named Yogi Swatmarama, a yoga sage in 15th and 16th century India. Known for calmness and peacefulness, Yogi Swatmarama is a name that has now become synonymous with delight, one who paved the way for an exercise that enhances the mind, body and spirit. He began with Hatha Yoga by writing the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a Sanskrit that was based on Swatmarama’s own experiences as well as the words of older Sanskrit texts. It details information about asanas, bandhas, kriyas, shakti, pranayama, and several other areas.

The book, as well as Hatha Yoga itself, is rich with hints of Hinduism. Perhaps the oldest religion in the world, Hinduism is a religion based on acceptance, building its foundation on a plethora of text and scriptures. It aims to teach people mystical truths, while providing guidance on how a person can grow to become morally, spiritually, and physically whole. Hinduism also believes the “Heaven on Earth” concept, noting it’s possible to achieve salvation while alive rather than only in death.

Part of this salvation is achieved through balance. Because the word “Hatha” is derived from Sanskrit words meaning sun (“Ha”) and moon (“Tha”) it only makes sense that Hatha Yoga places a lot of concept on the focus of balance. A type of yoga that teeters between two streams (the Ida (mental) and the Pingala (body) currents), Hatha Yoga uses the Shushumna Nadi (the current of the self) to open up various Chakras (cosmic points within the body that are awaiting release). Once this happens, a state of quieted thought and a still mind occurs while consciousness remains. This is called Samadhi and it is known as a stated of bliss.

Hatha Yoga is based on holistic principles, moral disciplines and physical exercise. It focuses greatly on poses (Asanas), breathing techniques (Pranayama) and meditation. Similar to the sun versus moon concept upon which its name is based, Hatha Yoga take energies that are in opposition – dark and light, yin and yang, fire and ice – and uses them to find a balance between the mind, body, spirit, and external forces of life.

A variety of breathing techniques, meditations, and poses all help to drive the person doing Hatha Yoga to a path of enlightenment. Among some of the most practiced poses are Bhujangasana, also known as the Cobra; the Eka Pada, also known as the one-legged king; the Halasana, also known as the Plow; the Padmasana, also known as the Lotus; and the Simhasana, also known as the Lion.

Hatha Yoga, like the word “yoga” itself, greatly uses the concept of unity, the unity between man and nature as well as the unity within each person: without unity between the mind and the body, it’s hard to accomplish anything. Depending on the individual, Hatha Yoga may be used to unite people with different things. For some, Hatha Yoga may be used to form a union with God, the Self, ones True Nature, or the Divine. For others, Hatha Yoga may be used to unite them with a much needed recovery from a stress in their life. Still for others, Hatha Yoga may be used simply as a way to unite them with themselves.

Hatha Yoga, having been around for hundreds of years, is rooted in principles that will never change, however as times are always changing these ancient principles can be evolved and applied to the 21st Century. Overall the roots of yoga teach people to obtain what everyone seeks: physical and emotional health, a clear mental state-of-mind, and a life driven not by worries, but simply by joy.

TWISTED is a medical yoga studio at the Center for Osteopathic Medicine in Boulder, Colorado. Twisted integrates osteopathic medicine, hatha yoga and mindfulness practices to teach optimal balance between physical, mental, and emotional health. It aims to educate and help people to live a healthy life from the inside out. Rehabilitation programs offer a comprehensive treatment regime for the whole being, empowering each person one breath at a time to stimulate the body’s natural healing potential.

Jennifer Jordan is senior editor of http://www.yogatwisted.com. Specializing in articles that not only teach yoga techniques, but also teach techniques on fulfillment and enrichment, she aims to educate students proudly enrolled in the school of life.

Become a Yoga Teacher

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On-Site Training: http://www.riyoga.com
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