Written By Glen Wood

Yoga is a wonderful way to find relief from everyday aches and back pains. And developing such symptoms from working out is quite different from the discomfort that results from sitting at a desk. If you get lower back pain after working out, you’re probably tightening the muscles in your back during your exercise routine and neglecting to stretch them. A simple Cat-Cow Stretch will help create space in the spine and release tight, post-workout, muscles.

Kneel on your hands and knees and spread your fingertips, making sure your wrists are directly beneath your shoulders. Place your knees underneath your hips, hip distance apart, with your toes pointed back. Inhale, with your face reaching up to the ceiling. Allow your waist/belly to drop and look up. Exhale, tucking your tailbone under and arching your back like a cat; gaze toward your navel. You can make this pose stronger by using your breath and adjusting the pose accordingly.

This exercise is to contract your back muscles is common in most back strengthening and back pain reduction programs.

Lie facedown; hands at your sides and off the floor. As you exhale, gently lift your upper body an inch from the floor. This is called back extension. Don’t tilt your head back, just keep your head in line with your body. If it is easy try a bit higher, without forcing. Then lower to the floor. If it’s too much try it again but lower, remembering not to force. Start with one or two lifts. Feel your back muscles working, but nothing should “pinch” or grind. See how you feel the next day. Gradually lift more and move your arms from your sides to overhead. Increase to at least ten every day and your on your way to be back pain free.

With repetition, or if great force is applied as in heavy lifting, the ligaments weaken and may “bulge” like a bubble in the wall of a tire. Or the ligaments may tear, allowing the gel-like inner disc to leak out, resulting in a herniated disc. The bulging or herniated disc may cause lower back pain, or if it is pressing on an adjacent nerve, pain can be referred into the hip and leg. Bulging and herniated discs may be treated conservatively, with physical therapy, exercise, and other non invasive treatments, but a badly herniated disc is a serious medical problem which may require surgery and a lengthy recovery period.

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Shoulder and Neck Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE “Yoga and You” report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

Written By Glen Wood

Posture, balance and body alignment through yoga. The yoga poses are meant to train the body to be healthy and supple. Consistent practice and application will result in improved posture, and an increased sense of balance, with head, shoulders and pelvis in proper alignment. Additionally, unlike many other forms of exercise, yoga helps stretch and strengthens both sides of the body equally.

Of utmost importance when using yoga to treat back pain is finding suitable instruction. First you need to find a school that teaches the right kind of yoga. Many yoga schools in the west teach a dynamic or flowing form of yoga known as Vinyasa.

The constant movement of this type of yoga means that you enter and exit poses very quickly which is not really suitable for the lower back pain sufferer. Ashtanga, Power yoga, Viniyoga and Bikram yoga are all types of flowing Vinyasa yoga and may not be suitable for the effective treatment of back pain.

Yoga practice provides time and mental space for you to develop intuition and understanding about your body. While in this deep stretch to the legs, hips and lower spinal muscles, notice where your body holds pain as well as excess tension, which can amplify pain and discomfort. As you remain in the pose, see if your body can let go of tension and holding.

Christensen says yoga also can be tremendously helpful to people with back pain, as long as they follow the yoga principles of stretching slowly and only as far as the body wants to go. And she says it may help people with arthritis as well. Though there are few studies linking yoga and arthritis, Christensen says many of her students with common age-related arthritis report feeling more flexible and in less pain after starting a yoga class.

Christensen warns, though, that people with bone-crippling rheumatoid arthritis should not attempt yoga exercise when their joints are swollen and painful.

Repetitive forward bending may also occur in exercise routines, including yoga. These routines can be particularly risky for people with tight hamstrings, the muscles extending from hip to knee on the back of the thigh that receive much of the stretch in forward bends. Being back pain free will come listen to your body.

The hamstrings attach to the sitting bones – the two large bones at the base of the buttocks (called the ischial tuberosities). In a sitting forward bend, the pull of tight hamstrings keeps the pelvis from rotating forward over the legs. In fact, tight hamstrings encourage the pelvis to rotate backward, in a position called “posterior tilt.” If your pelvis is held in a posterior tilt and you reach toward your toes, all the forward movement occurs by hinging through the lower back.

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Shoulder and Neck Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE “Yoga and You” report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

Written By Glen Wood

Yoga plays an effective role in managing several stress related disorders and ailments. It is effective for all conditions that are the result of lack of exercise and a sedentary life style. Yoga is a special domain of action that does not clash with other treatment of disorders and is well suited to deal with back pain.

You should practice techniques of yoga for back pain regularly, and low-impact exercises like walking, swimming a day can enhance muscle strength and flexibility. Yoga for back pain helps in enlarging and strengthening muscles and also improves postures.

Many who suffer from lower back pain have heard or read that strong abdominals are the key to pain relief. It is true that the abdominals are important support muscles for the lower back, especially for problems like arthritis and swayback.

Many of the postures in yoga for back pain gently strengthen and stretch the back muscles, which will help to lengthen the spine and create more space for the discs between your vertebrae. When these muscles are well conditioned, posture is often improved and back pain can be greatly reduced or avoided.

Over time, when a muscle imbalance develops: The abdominals become stronger and tighter, while the back becomes relatively weaker and overstretched. Unfortunately, many current exercise routines emphasize several types of abdominal strengthening, and a series of sitting forward bends to stretch the legs. The end result of years of this type of exercise will be a rounded, slumped posture with a weak and vulnerable lower back leading to back pain.

In addition, yoga for back pain helps to increase blood flow, allowing nutrients to flow in, toxins to flow out, and overall nourishment of the muscles and soft tissues in the lower back. This is especially nourishing to the spongy discs between the vertebrae and spinal muscles.

In theory, yoga helps people concentrate their energy on breathing and maintaining posture. The methodical breathing increases oxygen flow to the brain and sets a rhythm within the body and mind. This action coupled with the poses and sometimes meditation is said to dissipate stress and anxiety, therefore, relieving back pain caused by psychological and emotional factors.

A simple test. Standing with a chair in front of you with the seat towards you, stand with your feet together and body square to the chair. Raise the right foot onto the chair seat. if you find that balance is an issue have your standing foot (left) turned out to 45 degrees.

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back, Shoulder and Neck Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE “Yoga and You” report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

Sacred Tree Announces Summer Solstice Retreat
“Earth Cycles: A Pathway To Healing” June 19-22

NEW event to kick-off signature series of wellness retreat workshops

May 29, 2008 (Breckenridge, CO) – Sacred Tree, a holistic health and wellness center in Breckenridge, announced today that it will launch a line of signature health and wellness retreats beginning with a summer solstice celebration, Earth Cycles: A Pathway to Healing – June 19-22, 2008 in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Participants in Earth Cycles will discover the meaning and significance of the four winds and the four directions, which are interrelated to the birth, growth, dissolution, regeneration, and returning of life on the earth. The experience will also include Qigong and Yoga, interactive presentations, indigenous ceremonies, outdoor nature activities, organic breakfast and lunch. The foundation for the retreat celebrates the four seasons, marked by the solstices of winter and summer and the equinoxes of fall and spring.

Joel Proctor, Dipl. L.Ac & CH, founder of Mystic Warrior School for Martial and Cultivation Arts, Practitioner of Indigenous Healing and Traditional Pipe Carrier, and Brigette Schabdach, owner and founder of Sacred Tree, along with additional practitioners, will present and lead these wellness health spa retreats. Both Proctor and Schabdach have been integral in the development and growth of Sacred Tree since its opening in June, 2003.

“A retreat or getaway allows people time away from their daily routines and spheres of influence,” says Proctor. “They are able to find deeper levels of relaxation for their bodies, more clarity for their minds, more time to nourish and rejuvenate their spirits,” he adds.

More than 15 wellness health spa retreats are currently offered within the next six months. Earth Cycles (Summer Solstice and also Fall Equinox) is one of two featured signature retreats, with the second being Return to Spirit: Transformational Healing Session. Future destinations include Breckenridge, Aspen and Tulum, Mexico. Visit sacredtree.com for an ongoing schedule of wellness retreat workshops, such as Female Health and Vitality, Family Wellness and Qigong Retreats.

“We invite you to join us in our discovery of the body’s natural, inherent and powerful capacity for restoration, regeneration and vibrant, energetic health,” says Brigette Schabdach, owner and founder of Sacred Tree.

Registration for Earth Cycles is open, and availability is limited. The fee to attend this signature four-day retreat is: $550. Discounted spa services and lodging rates are available for all participants. All ceremonies are offered freely under traditional perspectives of spiritual responsibilities and reciprocal agreements. For more information surrounding Sacred Tree retreats and for registration information, visit: www.sacredtree.com or call 970-389-9968.

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About Sacred Tree: Sacred Tree is a holistic health and wellness center founded in Breckenridge by Brigette Schabdach in 2003. The center supports an integrative approach to health and wellness, addressing the physical, psychological, social and spiritual components of well-being. Skilled practitioners help people of all ages and fitness levels live healthy lifestyles, reduce health risks and grow personally, with the ultimate goal of Sacred Tree being a place of protection, peace, relaxation, nourishment, contemplation and centering.

The center offers acupuncture, massage therapy, natural skincare, chiropractic and naturopathic medicine, Rolf Methodology, iridology, ear candling, thermographic scans, ionic cleanse, nutritional counseling, women’s exams, skin cancer screenings and body treatments, free wellness talks, yoga, tai chi, qigong and kung fu programs. Sacred Tree features two Breckenridge locations with an on-staff naturopathic doctor, chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapists and Rolf Method practitioners.

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Have you ever wondered what studio owners are evaluating, when they hire a Yoga instructor? What can you expect at an interview for a Yoga teaching position? Let’s look into the minds of Yoga studio owners, to get a better idea of which qualities they seek in teachers, before hiring them.

One of the first aspects to consider is the type of Yoga teaching position available. For example: If an advertisement states that a Yoga studio is seeking a prenatal Yoga teacher, an instructor, without prenatal experience, is wasting his or her time.

There are too many safety concerns, liability restrictions, and required certification issues for a “general practitioner” to walk in, and train, pregnant students. On top of this, the students are, most likely, in different trimesters. Finding your teaching niche is a matter of matching your skills, training, and certification, to the specific needs of the prospective Yoga studio.

In general, it is wise to send out resumes, with a cover letter, to prospective Yoga studios in your area. Initiating contact over the phone, before sending information to the studio is a “cold calling” method, and will lower your success rate.

However, if you are strong on telephone skills, and still want to pursue this method, do not put your prospect on call waiting. Before you laugh – I know of an instance, when a Yoga teacher made a phone call, reached the studio owner, gave a presentation, and had an “audition” scheduled.

She put her future employer on hold, because she had to take an “important call.” As a result, the studio owner hung up, but she admitted, that up to that point, she would have been eager to hire that particular Yoga teacher. Needless to say, confidence is worth something, but good manners are also a major value.

What is an audition? Some studio owners will schedule new teachers, into the class schedule, as a substitute for a regular class. Your performance is evaluated, on a trial basis, by the owner, director, or chief Yoga teacher. This trial basis could last for one class, or a series of Yoga classes. Therefore, if you have an audition scheduled, be completely prepared to teach your Yoga class.

Is a particular certification or registration seen as superior to all the rest? Not really, a small number of studio owners might think this way, but they are few, and far between. Certification is a key, which opens doors to teaching opportunities, but a Yoga instructor’s performance secures the teaching position.

With that said, you should acquire a Yoga teacher certification, have good manners, seek interviews, prepare for auditions, show compassion to your students, and be safety oriented. If you have the complete package, you will have no difficulty finding, and keeping, Yoga teacher positions.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Teacher Certification
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
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Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
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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
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Written By Karina Sinclair

Becoming a yoga teacher is a very rewarding career. Not only will you help people become more supple and fit but it is also a spiritual exercise that brings a lot of peace to millions of students worldwide.

In days gone by schools were the only option. This often meant having to give up gainful employment to attend or to take large blocks of leave. Both of these options can have many drawbacks including lack of income or even — at worse — the loss of a job.

There are a number of home study programs that specialize in teaching men and women to become fully certified yoga teachers. However, they are not all equal.

Below I will discuss some of the options available.

Weekend workshops are a common way that people learn about becoming a yoga instructor, however, i don’t recommend these workshops at all if it is your only education. A weekend of training will not give you all that you need to know to teach the subject, to prevent injuries, to be able to cater to all socio economic groups like seniors, children, pregnant women, etc. Nor will it cover insurance and liability and how to actively market yourself in this booming market.

It is best to choose the online course that provides a minimum of 200 hours of yoga classes as this is a criterion that has to be met for one to become a certified yoga instructor. Regardless of your age, you can start your own yoga classes, once you find a suitable place to begin the lessons.

Basically, the best course will be one that prepares you for numerous classical yoga asanas, pranayama and powerful meditation techniques. If you opt for online teacher courses, choose the course that offers a minimum of 200 hours of lessons. This is because you need a minimum of 200 hours to master the art of yoga so that you can teach it others. It is always better to choose a training course that is accredited.

In the United States, as an example, you can charge anything from $35 to $150 per hour, depending on your expertise and knowledge. Many factors ultimately determine yoga instructor rates including demograhics and demand. So if there are more people in your area wanting to learn yoga, you can charge more as they are more than willing to pay your fees. Additionally, if you can get in with a select group of people, celebrities, movie stars, you can pretty much charge what you like if you give them the sculpted results that they are after!

If you choose to become a certified teacher not only will you spend your life doing something you love — but you will be also be teaching other people throughout the world to enjoy the many spiritual and health benefits of yoga also.

Yoga teacher training schools are no longer the only option for teacher certification. To save you time I have spent hours researching the range of instructor certification courses available and have announced my number one choice at my yoga training website. Yoga Master With 5000 Hours Of Training Under His Belt Teaches Future Yoga Instructors How They Can Earn $150.00 Per Hour As A Professional Yoga Instructor And Be Certified Within Just 3 Months In His World Class Yoga Teacher Training Course Online. Start your certification today at http://www.yogainstructorscoursecertification.com

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Anyone who decides to become a Yoga teacher gives quite a bit back to the local or world community, through selfless service. In fact, giving is very rewarding when you have the ability, or the time, to contribute to a student’s well-being or give to a worthy cause. You can be so caught up in other peoples’ lives that you tend to forget about your own well-being.

From the outside, looking in, Yoga teachers might appear self-absorbed. The student, who becomes a teacher of Yoga, has taken the practice to a different level; and sometimes, places physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development, on the “back burner.”

It is important to stop, “smell the flowers,” and take time for self-reflection, once in awhile. It is difficult to “pull your head out of the books.” Many Yoga teachers are researching, finding solutions for their students, or reading scriptures. These are valuable contributions, but we must also find balance in our lives.

After all, we talk to our students about the importance of balancing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We are supposed to “walk the talk,” but we are still human. Yet, the time you take for self-analysis and proper direction is valuable.

This reminds me of a story my grandfather used to tell me about a carpenter who never had time to repair his own house. He was always busy making money repairing somebody else’s house. His wife had a list of home repairs, but he was still too busy giving estimates at night. Finally, she hires a handyman to repair her house and falls in love with him.

My grandfather was a jovial general contractor, so he enjoyed telling a joke or story as much as we enjoyed listening. Now, what does this have to do with Yoga? Life is a matter of priorities. You might say, “This sounds like a time management problem to me.”

To be honest, improper time management causes a lot of stress and anxiety. To manage time correctly, you need a system, but you also have to plan “free time” for yourself. You will need to balance time for family, friends, work, co-workers, and students.

One simple method is to plan the day ahead on the night before. This gives you a short-term view of the upcoming day. I still like to write it down with a pen on paper, because I can still envision the handwritten list in my mind later on. However, a lap top, personal digital assistant, or PC will also do.

Another method is to go to bed an hour early, and then wake up an hour earlier. If you are a “morning person,” you can get so much done in the morning, while the world is at rest.

Now, if you become very successful at planning and completing your daily tasks, please do not fill your day with work. Allow some time for family, friends, students, personal Yoga practice, and a little free time to smell the flowers.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

——————————————–
Yoga Teacher Certification
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
——————————————–
Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
——————————————–
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
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Written By Glen Wood

Jean started practicing yoga in 1990, in part, to relieve back pain that she had since the age of 11. Yoga gave temporary relief, but the pain always returned. She also tried massage, chiropractic and physical therapy, with no lasting results. In 2002, she walked, into the Balance Centre for the first time and experienced immediate relief from her chronic low back pain. Jean was hooked and stayed on to take classes, eventually completing the 2 years Teachers’ Training program. She now teaches Foundations, yoga, privates and is the CEO for the Balance Centre.

Sarno proposes that TMS (Tension Myositis Syndrome) is the major cause of pain in the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, and limbs, and that it is caused not by structural abnormalities but by the mind’s effort to repress emotions. Not that the pain is all in your head, but rather that your mind is generating a real physical disorder that may affect muscles, nerves, tendons, or ligaments. An injury may trigger the disorder, but isn’t the true cause of the the resulting pain. The mind refocuses its repressed emotion into the body generating pain in your muscles, nerves, tendons, or ligaments.

In these pages you will find all the information you need to reduce lower back pain with special yoga exercises for back problems. Perhaps even heal your lower back completely.

Not sure if your posture is on point? Check it out by standing in front of a full-length mirror, and assume your usual stance. Don’t be surprised if your shoulders round and fall forward as your pelvis rotates back. If you pull your shoulders back and tuck your pelvis forward, you will immediately add one inch to your height. Turn sideways and repeat. Ideally, there should be a straight line from the ear, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. You can also obtain a high-tech posture analysis at a physical therapy and spine centre for about $200.

Remember most important rule in practicing yoga posture is that any slightest pain is indication from you body that something is wrong and come out of it. If starting yoga practice, it is strongly recommended that you begin in presence of qualified yoga teacher and do listen to your doctor’s advice. Some health care professionals are really open to yoga, some are not, so keep an open mind.

Treatments for Scoliosis include the use of braces or sometimes, surgery. Others try electrical muscle stimulation, chiropractic manipulation and exercise. Though exercise cannot stop Scoliosis alone but it can help in promoting overall health and well-being.

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE “Yoga and You” report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

Written By Glen Wood

Components of relaxation therapy can include visualization techniques, breathing exercises or meditation. With this in mind, yoga is an effective practice for managing and relieving back pain as the physical and mental components are addressed in yoga: postures, breathing and relaxation.

Yoga can also help chronic pain by preventing it in the first place. One debilitating condition, back pain, can be helped with yoga which boosts strength to the back’s major muscle groups. With constant repetition of these positions, it can work your abdominal muscles as well. When abdominal and back muscles are concentrated on at the same time, it works towards strengthening your muscular framework, your inner core, which means better posture that leads to reduced back pain.

Try yoga for back pain prevention and pain relief. Yoga is often helpful for back pain sufferers, as performing a variety of different types of postures generally help to stretch and strengthen all of the body’s major muscles groups.

The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook was very helpful because it has a whole chapter called Hip, Thigh and Knee Pain. Plus, it has many detailed diagrams of the muscles inside of your leg that show where common trigger points are in these muscles, where pain is referred to when these trigger points are activated, and detailed instructions on how to release these contractions using some simple massage tools and self massage techniques.

Back pain is a problem which affects many people, and there are many causes of it ranging from bad posture, to weak abdominal and back muscles. Yoga postures will help to stretch the tight muscles and strengthen weak muscles which can create back pain.

It is best to do your yoga exercise for low back pain under the supervision of a certified yoga instructor, and if you encounter any problems with these poses, you should consult an expert. Even just one or two sessions with a yoga instructor can help, as an instructor will help you with your form and posture during poses.

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE “Yoga and You” report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com

Written By Glen Wood

You should set up a specific goal for the day and try to attain it, however much it hurts (within reason). A beginning goal might be to walk half a block a day and increase the distance gradually over time. Doctors and physical therapists can help determine safe and effective ways to recondition your bodies. Initially, it will hurt. The muscles have not been used for a long time. The pain signifies that the muscle being exercised has been weakened by lack of use. Gentle stretching exercises such as yoga are very useful, this will help your knee and back pain.

With knee pain, over a period of time the lower back will also begin to suffer. As the pressure of relieving the ‘weak’ knee is transferred to the other, which in turn puts pressure on the lower back.

You may not notice this shift as the body is really good at compensating and with the imbalance now in place, this now becomes the ‘norm’ as the body tries to re-balance itself. Sometimes back pain will be felt, not always.

Even if you do practice yoga, it is always a good idea to have your body/spine checked for imbalances by your healthcare professional. Visiting your osteopath, spinal therapist, chiropractor, massage therapist every now and again will help you to be more aware of your body and to take steps to rectify any imbalances.

The researchers say that exercise has previously been shown to relieve chronic low back pain, but this is the first study to suggest yoga may be superior to other forms of exercise. “Yoga may be beneficial for back pain because it involves physical movement, but it may also exert benefits through its effects on mental focus,” they write. This focus could help patients “increase their awareness of how they had been moving and positioning their body in maladaptive ways, to relax tense muscles, and to relieve mental stress.”

Glen Wood – The Yoga Teacher, dedicated to unlocking the Real Secrets of Back and Shoulder Pain.

To help you further with your shoulder/back pain you need to sign up for your FREE “Yoga and You” report at http://www.YogaTeachingwithGlen.com