Written By Melanie Elzholz
Introduction
Yoga with and for Children is not only fun, but very beneficial in many ways. Yoga keeps Children healthy, makes them strong, builds self-confidence, increases attention span and flexibility, and offers them a variety of self-help instructions they can use and practice on their own to calm down, to avoid stress, to increase concentration, and to vitalize. The following Essay will describe and explain more detailed just how yoga is able to help children develop all these skills.
At first the circumstances under which children today grow up will be outlined. Then the importance of exercise, relaxation and breathing exercises, three important components of yoga will be discussed, already mentioning their importance and relation to health. Hereupon the benefits (of yoga) and the teachings of yoga will be explained, dealing with how yoga helps children to stay healthy. Important things to keep in mind when practicing yoga will be mentioned followed by a short description of my personal experience with yoga and children with special needs. A conclusion will end this essay and show, how yoga is good for every child, starting in early childhood, continuing to adolescence, for both genders, and for those children with special needs.
Children Today
The society and the things people do in their spare time have changed. Actually one could say, that spare time has become rare these days. People live busy lives, unfortunately not only adults hurry from one appointment to the next, but children also have their own schedules which lead them through one busy week after another. “Our children live in a hurry-up world of busy parents, school pressures, incessant lessons, video games, malls, and competitive sports.
We usually don’t think of these influences as stressful for our kids, but often they are” (Sethi). We know today, that stress is harmful to the body and mind of each individual. Many adults attend lots of seminars and workshops to learn how to cope with their stress and busy lifestyle. The children however are often left alone, maybe because they cannot put into words, that they are overwhelmed which is causing them to feel exhausted or aggressive, maybe even sick. “Unfortunately, children aren’t taught to manage stress the way adults are, and this untreated stress can result in mood swings, fatigue and even illness” (Russell).
Children do not have the opportunities to be active in their environment as much as they used to have (Thiel, 2002). As a result children do not know their own body, they have trouble coordinating their own movements. Many children suffer from being overweight, having a weak immune system, having perception disorders and being hyper active.
They spend a lot of time sitting in front of the TV or the Computer, staring at the monitors. Children are overwhelmed and inactive at the same time. They often have no feeling for their own body as their lives seem to take place in TV series or Computer games. Overweight children tend to grow up to be overweight adults, who are vulnerable to many diseases like heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure. Children often develop wrong breathing rhythms or suffer from wrong body posture, many have sleeping disorders and headaches (Christophidou).
Hurrelmann believes that one of the main reasons for the above mentioned health problems is the lack of exercise and action. Furthermore he states, that exercise is not only important for a child’s physical development but also for their psychological development (Hurrelmann, 2003). The next paragraph deals with exercise, breathing, and relaxation and their relation to health.
Exercise, Breathing, and Relaxation
Exercise is important for the growth and development of children (Beigel, 2002). Through exercise children get to know their own body and its boundaries, learn how to express emotions through movement and get in contact with each other (Oppolzer, 2006). Children need exercise and action for their spiritual development, for their learning ability, for their health and their future (Paulsen, 2007).
But not only exercise is important for a child’s development. Whereas some kids are overweight and do not get enough, if any, exercise, other children are stressed out, running from one class, lesson, sports group etc. to the next and are “overbooked” (Tiernon). That is why relaxation is equally important and necessary for our biorhythmic system (Salzberg-Ludwig, 2002).
Relaxation is to arise emotions of well-being, of calmness, and of loosening up. A relaxed body, relaxed breathing and relaxed heart rate are the basis for health, happiness and capability (Salzberg-Ludwig, 2002). Relaxation is like a fuel for energy (Prossowsky, 1996). Exercise and relaxation are two pieces of a puzzle. They complement one another. Whereas exercises challenge the body and stimulate the senses, relaxation calms the body and fills up on energy.
The next paragraph shows how Yoga combines exercise, breathing techniques and relaxation in one programme which is so multi-sided that it suits every child individually to meet every child´s needs.
Yoga: Asanas, Pranayama, Relaxation
Yoga is one possibility to exercise the whole body and to activate concentration. “Yoga is a great way for all children to learn to enjoy movement, to increase body awareness and self esteem, and empower them to take responsibility for their overall health” (Christophidou).
The alteration of exercise and relaxation is characteristic for Yoga. Hatha-Yoga, which is the most practised and best known Yoga in the western world consists of Asanas (postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation (relaxation).
Children naturally love to move and are very active and curious. Yoga postures and exercises meet the childrens´ needs for action and movement and teach them the pleasure of stillness at the same time (Gibbs, 2003 and Bannenberg 2005). “Yoga poses for kids stimulate their sensory motors and help balance their inner souls. Yoga for kids helps them channel out impulses in a positive way” (Nicholson).
Asanas teach children a good feeling for their own body, and challenge them in a manageable way without any sort of competition. “Competition is everywhere, but there is no need for it in Yoga or any form of Mind and Body health maintenance” (Jerard, 3). Every asana is performed with calmness and concentration leading to attentiveness and awareness of physical boundaries which should be accepted (Kragh, 2003). The combination of Pranayama, Asanas and relaxation leads to a healthy and strong body and mind.
Asanas stretch and relax, have positive effects on concentration, endurance and capability. Relaxation, which is usually practised at the beginning and at the end of a yoga session, supports the senses and the cognition. Breathing or Pranayama is especially important in Yoga. Breathing is essential for life. In Yoga Pranayama is the life force, the energy, which we fill our body with. The exchange of old air and new air takes place within each breath. Conscious breathing benefits the diaphragm, the lungs, the abdomen, the ribcage, and the inner organs, and the body alignment as a whole (Gibbs, 2003).
Yoga leads to an understanding of the importance of breathing consciously and deeply. Breathing consciously means to breathe deeply, fully and rhythmically. Breath can then be used to relax and calm down as well as to energize and fight fatigue (Prossowsky, 1996). “Most importantly, the breathing focus will eventually allow the child to stay calm and in control in stressful situations” (Moore). And to stay calm in stressful situations is a gift in these busy times. “With the increasing demands of our society, it is important for today’s children to have a sense of balance of mind, body and spirit” (Nicholoson).
Benefits of Yoga
Some of the benefits of Yoga are getting to know the own body, and developing a good body awareness, enhancing concentration, flexibility and the ability to coordinate own movements. All of these factors cultivate integral learning (Prossowsky, 1996). Moreover, Yoga helps to bundle Senses, Thoughts and Attention. Asanas strengthen willpower, stability, the ability to memorize and remember and to concentrate.
Yoga is also training for the brain. The movements in asanas build connections between different brain areas. The better different areas of the brain are connected, the easier one can think and learn. Yoga helps to build these networks (Bannenberg, 2005). Yoga benefits the physical, psychological or spiritual and emotional development. It also benefits the immune system. “Kids and yoga seem like a natural match. It can be therapeutic for those who need it. Kids can develop healthy bodies at an early age and also healthy habits” (Christophidou).
Since it is fun to practice, because of “lots of moving, singing, playing and mime or imitating things” (Moore) children get everything they need. It even helps to build self-esteem and confidence. For example the lion posture builds up courage, the cobra posture helps to become flexible and limber, the mountain posture builds up confidence (Bannenberg, 2005). “Some yoga poses are more suited for children than others. Kids tend to respond well to the warrior and tree positions. Both of these poses help to infuse kids with calm, confidence and a sense of inner balance” (Russell).
Teaching Yoga Philosophy to children offers another long list of benefits and character building skills, which also help to keep the body and mind healthy, like “Integrity, patience, tolerance, respect, and compassion, [...]” (Jerard, 4). Feelings also affect the health of our children in many ways. “Feelings of fun, gratification, kindness, happiness, and forgiveness, are just plain healthy. The opposite feelings will cut our life spans short” (Jerard, 4).
“And yoga encourages their creativity to flow; their fears, anger, and sadness to release; their trust in the inner self to shine; their minds and hearts to be in synch. Yoga postures have therapeutic power” (Christophidou). So Yoga offers benefits for the body as well as for the mind and spirit of a child. Yoga helps build the character of a child including all the good things, positive feelings, and creativity. Children with strong characters will find their way in life. The next paragraph deals with how yoga affects health more specifically.
Teachings of Yoga
Yoga is based on knowledge about the human body, it also teaches this knowledge and helps to feel the own body, to understand and control it. Every Yoga session is well structured. Usually the programme stays the same for a month or even half a year before the programme changes. That offers children not only structure but also security. Children need structure, friendship, challenge and choices that keep them away from the TV and computer games.
In this respect, Paul Jerard declares: “Within their Yoga training, they find structure, discipline, and the ability to pursue their goals”; “Yoga gives children a positive way to burn calories, and socialize with quality friends, in a safe setting. Kids Yoga also keeps them away from the television” (Jerard, 2). Group activities and sharing are taught as well as self-reflection and insight abilities (Schweitzer). Moore also lists the increase of flexibility, good listening skills, self control, power of observation, the development of language skills, and the increase of coordination skills (Moore). Yoga also teaches social skills and social interaction as well as goal setting. “Social skills, (like good manners), eye contact, and public speaking, are developed in each Yoga lesson” (Jerard, 2).
Seeing that many asanas refer to the nature, to animals and the environment, it also draws the kids´ attention towards our environment and makes them aware of all the good things around them and also of the fact, that our environment needs protection. By protecting the environment they protect themselves and take an important step towards a healthy life, which will be discussed more detailed within the next paragraph.
Yoga affects Health
The previous paragraphs already pointed out how yoga helps children to stay healthy and develop healthy habits. Yoga philosophy also deals with nutrition and keeping a healthy diet. But even if a child is sick or has special needs, yoga can help to get well again or to feel better respectively. Studies have proven the positive effects on the physical organism and Yoga has become a preventative and intervenient therapy for physical and psychological illnesses (Heidmann, 2007). Paul Jerard, too, describes Yoga as a “preventative medicine” (Jerard, 1).
Other studies showed, that kids, who practice yoga are more physically fit than their peers, they are self-confident and feel good about themselves (Schweitzer). Yoga also helps children with attention deficits and those who are hyperactive. Sethi mentions this in her article about Yoga and its relation to health and children´s health: “Yoga has also been shown to help the hyperactive and attention-deficit child. These children crave movement and sensory/motor stimulus. Yoga helps channel these impulses in a positive way” (Sethi).
Getting into a Yoga Routine
Practicing Yoga is always beneficial. Practicing it as often and as regularly as possible should be the goal. The importance is to not let it become another task on the “to do” list that adds stress to a child’s day. Yoga should be the time to calm down, to relax, to unwind and to recharge the body and mind with energy. Whether it is practiced in the morning or before going to bed at night, whether it is practiced daily or once a week, whether it is practiced ten minutes at school or half an hour or even a whole hour a day, yoga benefits children in every possible way.
“Teaching the child how to unwind their bodies at the end of the day or recharge them in the mornings through meditation, breathing and exercises will be very beneficial to them and help them throughout their life” (Sethi). After a while of practice it is almost as if your body and mind are craving for their practice. The body becomes more flexible, the mind more focused, the breathing becomes a tool to help to relax, to concentrate or to vitalize, whichever is needed in a given situation.
To start a yoga programme with a child it is best to stick with one set of asanas, breathing techniques and relaxation time for four to six weeks up to half a year. It helps children to get used to the routine, it offers them security and structure, and it makes it easier for them to practice on their own if they want to, because after some time, they will know the programme plan by heart, which also adds fluidity to the practice.
My personal experience of teaching yoga to children with special needs
Before I came to the United States I was a special education teacher in Germany. I had a class of six students with all kinds of different special needs. One girl was autistic, another girl sat in her wheelchair and was barely able to move any muscle by herself, another boy suffered from a paralysis. Two boys with down-syndrome and a girl were always on the move and very active.
When I introduced yoga to them, they all reacted differently to it in the beginning. The girl with autism and the girl in the wheelchair (she had a special assistant who moved her body parts for her) immediately relaxed and calmed down and seemed to enjoy it. The boy with the paralysis was happy to finally be able to participate in the movements at his own pace rather than being frustrated because of all the things his body cannot do, which usually happened during sports lessons. The active boys and the hyperactive girl had their difficulties to wind down at first, but learned to give in to the yoga programme over time.
Once they knew the routine it was easier to let go of the tension and really relax. I put the yoga programme into a story and they enjoyed listening to it and doing the postures, breathing exercises and the relaxation at the end of every session over and over again. When I started to teach a yoga class here in the U.S. to my son and some other four and five year olds, the experiences and reactions were quite similar.
The children do not calm down as much as the students of my former class but they still have a lot of fun practicing the postures and the breathing techniques. I encourage them to try to relax, too. Sometimes they do relax for a minute at most. They enjoy the flow of the postures, being silly in one posture and concentrate in another. It is impressive how fast they learn to keep balance in the tree posture or how far they can bend doing the cobra. They like imitating animals and the way they do it and add their own special note to it gives me new ideas of how to improve my teaching to them.
Conclusion
There are many reasons to start practicing and living yoga early in life. Developing healthy habits, gaining control over the own body and mind and learning skills to calm oneself down as well as to energize oneself are generally spoken the most important ones. Yoga is far more than a sport or a hobby. It is a way of life, a way of thinking, feeling, breathing, acting and doing things right. “Yoga is a lifestyle and the earlier you expose children to good health habits, the better your child’s health will be” (Jerard).
Nicholson also outlines, that the benefits of teaching yoga to kids last a lifetime: “Teaching people young on how to deal with life’s stress is something that will pay dividends time and time again” (Nicholson). Russell points out which domains in life benefit from yoga: “Children who are taught yoga at a young age tend to be more relaxed at home, more focused at school and more likely to engage in healthy, positive relationships” (Russell).
My personal experience with children practicing yoga is overwhelming. Both the children with special needs I taught at school and my four year old son and his friends love doing yoga together. It is half an hour of playful fun for everyone, including myself. Children are full of creativity and fantasy and I am thankful for every minute they let me take part in their journey of life.
Literature
Bannenberg, T.: Yoga fuer Kinder. GU Ratgeber fuer Kinder. 2005.
Beigel, D./Steinbauer, W./Zinke, K.: Das bewegte Klassenzimmer.
Kirchzarten bei Freiburg: VAK Verlag. 2002.
Christophidou, Yioulika: Yoga And Its Relation To Children´s Health Issues
Gibbs, B.: Yoga fuer Kinder. Stuttgart: Urania. 2003.
Hurrelmann, K.: Aus dem Rhythmus geraten. In: Erziehung und Wissenschaft. Heft 12, 2003.
Heidmann, Chr.: Zu Hause bei den Meistern des Yoga. In: Geo Wissen: Sport und Gesundheit, Nr.39, 2007.
Jerard, Paul (1): Yoga for Kids: The Holistic Approach to the Health of our Children
Jerard, Paul (2): Yoga: Giving Children Skills for a Lifetime
Jerard, Paul (3): Kids Yoga: Stress Management Sessions for Children
Jerard, Paul (4): The Purpose of Yoga: Character
Moore, Yardley: Why Yoga For Kids is Good
Nicholson, Bob A.: Yoga for Kids – Teaching Our Young Ones How to Deal with Stress
Oppolzer, Ursula: Bewegte Schueler lernen leichter. Basel: Borgmann, 2004.
Prossowsky, P.: Kinder entspannen mit Yoga. Muelheim: Verlag an der Ruhr. 1996.
Russell, Sarah: Yoga for Children
Schweitzer, Kate: Generation Zen: Yoga for Youngsters
Sethi, Mona: Yoga and its relation to our health and Kids health
Tiernon, Anne Marie: Yoga for Kids. In: Eyewitness News
Melanie Elzholz is a Kids Yoga teacher and an Aura Graduate who teaches in the El Paso, TX area.
Written By Melissa Mazza
Yoga is a comprehensive system for achieving total health. It calms and focuses the mind, strengthens and heals the body, and can even lead to spiritual fulfillment. The asanas of yoga are much gentler on the body than traditional aggressive physical exercise.
For these reasons, yoga is ideal for keeping mother and fetus healthy during pregnancy. A regular yoga practice will prevent back pain, excessive weight gain, and will make delivery easier. Pregnancy yoga is a huge topic, much too broad to be adequately covered in a three page essay, but this treatment can be considered a jumping-off point toward further study.
A regular yoga practice will not only prepare the mother for birth, it will also provide a loving environment for the child from the very beginning of its gestation. Physical fitness will lead to an easier delivery, and yoga not only can make you fit, but will also provide the ability to remain calm and in control of the situation during labor.
A regular practice of pranayama and meditation teaches the yogi to live in the moment, embracing the present and all its effects. This is especially important for pregnant mothers, who will no doubt fear their upcoming labor and subsequent sleepless nights. Meditation especially is known to keep fear and discomfort at bay, so the meditator is able to face any eventuality with calm and equanimity. It is easy to see that regular meditation can make one a better mother.
Yoga can be helpful during pregnancy for the seasoned practitioner or the beginner. In fact, the more adept yogini may notice improvement in her asana form during pregnancy. This is because a hormone called relaxin is being secreted at this time, which loosens the muscles and ligaments (3).
Because she may be more flexible than before, the yogini may try to push herself further than she should, which can lead to soreness and injury. It is best to work with a knowledgeable teacher who will guide the yogini in the poses appropriate for her condition. Relaxin continues to surge in the body for about three months after the birth, so the yogini must continue to be vigilant not to over-stretch even then (1).
Injuries from overstretching can lead to inflammation of the joints that may never really go away. One of the most basic rules of yoga is to avoid over-exertion, and this is especially true for pregnant women. Bikram and other “hot yogas” are to be avoided because of the risks of dehydration and overheating (3).
Pregnancy is a time of rapid change in the body, and different asanas become appropriate as the body changes. If there is a high risk of miscarriage, asana may have to be avoided altogether. Pranayama and meditation can and should still be practiced, but pregnant women are advised to avoid kumbhaka, or breath retention, as well as rapid breathing such as Kapalabhati or Bhastrika (1).
Slow, steady breathing is best, as the surge of prana is beneficial and the slow pace will slow the heart rate. After the first trimester, the yogini should avoid poses which require lying on the back or belly. Backbends stretch the linea alba, a fibrous structure separating the rectus muscles of the abdomen, which is already being stretched by pregnancy (3).
Lying on the belly will become more uncomfortable as pregnancy goes on, so side-reclining variations of asanas should be adapted. Also to be avoided after the first trimester are vigorous twists as well as forward bends with the legs close together, which puts pressure on the uterus (3).
Standing forward bends should be practiced with a concave back to avoid bringing the lower ribs too close to the uterus (1). In the second and third trimesters, sitting poses gain critical importance because they help open the pelvis to prepare for the birth. Padmasana, Sukhasana, and wide-legged forward bends are all beneficial (3).
Standing poses and all poses that strengthen the legs are helpful as well because a strong foundation becomes vital as the baby grows. Having strong legs will enable the mother to carry the fetus in as much comfort as possible (1).
Perineal exercises will tone and create elasticity in the pelvic floor, helping the muscles stretch fully during birth and return easily to their previous position. To tone the pelvic floor, the yogini can lie down and clench the muscles of the thighs and buttocks with the lower back pressed into the floor (3).
Alternately, she can perform the mula bandha, or root lock, in which the muscles of the anus are squeezed for a few seconds then relaxed (3). After the perineal exercises, the yogini should do a gentle squatting pose to open the pelvis. Women in countries where squatting and sitting on the floor are more common tend to have easier births because squatting opens the pelvic area and strengthens the legs (3).
The further into pregnancy one goes, the more cumbersome she will feel. Poses will have to be modified to accommodate the extra weight and special concerns pregnancy brings. As previously mentioned, the legs should be wide apart in forward bends. The hands can be used to maintain balance; for example, pressing the hands into the lower back during Surya Namaskar instead of raising them in Urdvha Hastasana, or leaning the arms on the front leg in Crescent Pose (1).
Instead of leg raises to strengthen the abdomen, pregnancy sit-ups can be performed. To do them, one lies on the back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, elbows behind the head, and crunches the left elbow toward the right knee, lowers down, then switches sides. This will keep the abdominals strong throughout pregnancy and hold the baby in proper position (3).
Inversions are only recommended during pregnancy if the yogini is already used to practicing them. Modified shoulderstand against a wall or a half-headstand, with the knees bent and feet on the ground, can be performed instead of their more vigorous counterparts. These poses rest the lower back and legs, and ensure the womb reverts to its proper position after birth (3).
Again, inversions should only be practiced if one is already familiar with them, and only as long as they are comfortable. It will be nearly impossible to perform headstand or shoulderstand in the latter stages of the third trimester.
Supta Badha Konasana is also valuable for opening the pelvis, and can be modified by either lying back with the feet together, lifted a few inches from the ground, against a wall, or, alternately, props such as bolsters and pillows can be used to keep the upper body at an incline. This prevents compression of the vena cava, a vein that runs on the right side of the body and delivers blood back to the heart (3).
Side Savasana is the pregnancy modification of Savasana. It is done by lying on the left side (again to reduce compression of the vena cava) with a pillow or bolster between the legs (1). A pillow under the head will add to the relaxing effect of this pose.
Pregnancy is over within nine months, and those nine months are a time of challenge-the challenge of the ever-changing body, physical discomfort, mood swings, and fatigue. At the end is the biggest challenge of all, the actual labor. The person who practices yoga has the tools to deal with challenge, and can handle these nine months with assurance and calm. Even if she is unable for some reason to practice asana, the mother will benefit from a program of pranayama (2).
Pranayama will bring prana to the baby and steady the mind of the mother (1). The breath is considered in yoga to be the link between body and soul, and it is in pranayama that this link is clearly demonstrated. Slow, steady breathing lowers the heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, suppressing the “fight or flight” response (2).
Even those unfamiliar with yoga will know that breath control techniques are helpful during labor. The Lamaze Technique is a well known method that doctors teach women to take advantage of the breath as the link between mind and body to reduce pain during labor.
Pranayama is not just helpful during labor. It can be used to calm the mind during pregnancy and after, and is prescribed to help with everything from uterine prolapse to constipation (3).
Meditation is a critical component of yoga and exponentially beneficial during and after pregnancy. A disciplined commitment to meditation will help keep the body’s internal clock regular, ensuring the new mother gets the sleep she needs and is awake and energized when her child needs her.
Meditation turns the mind inward, making the meditator acutely aware of her flow of thoughts, enabling her to get rid of destructive or unwanted thoughts (2). Regular meditation can also balance hormones, lowering levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
This has the effect of lowering stress and connecting mother to her unborn baby (1). Because meditation has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure (Murphy and Donovan, The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation, IONS, 1999), it can potentially lower the risk of pre-enclampsia and preterm brain damage (4).
Meditation’s most enticing benefit as the due date approaches is it’s ability to “switch on” the brain’s natural painkillers. According to Deepak Chopra, “the brain [and nervous system in general] produces narcotics up to 200 times stronger than anything you can buy . . . with the added boon that our own pain-killers are nonaddictive.”
Morphine and endorphines both block pain by filling a certain receptor on the neuron and preventing other chemicals that carry the message of pain from coming in, without which there can be no sensation of pain, no matter how much physical provocation is present (4).
A regular meditation practice during pregnancy will keep the mother calm and heighten her pain tolerance for labor. After childbirth, the new mother should continue to meditate, which will keep her hormones balanced, staving off insomnia and depression (4).
On a psychological level, meditation brings mindfulness to everyday life, “off the mat” (2). The ability to be present with each moment will bring a sense of fulfillment and appreciation, allowing the new mother to enjoy the brief period that her child is dependent on her.
Pregnancy is a special time and soon over. Yoga enables the pregnant mother to nurture her body and mind and create a supportive environment for the fetus. By incorporating yoga into her life, the pregnant yogini not only takes care of herself, but sets a good habit for life for herself and her child. In fact, children benefit from yoga too and are usually enthusiastic, so the yogini should introduce yoga to her children as soon as possible.
There are even Mommy & Me classes for mothers and infants that facilitate parent-child bonding. Classes are especially beneficial because the student can meet other new mothers or pregnant women who will be a source of support.
As previously stated, this essay is by no means comprehensive, but will hopefully have stated adequately just how useful yoga can be. A program of asana, meditation, and pranayama will advance the quality of life for both mother and child.
1. McCall, Timothy. Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing. New York NY: Random House, 2007.
2. Swami Vishnu-Devananda.The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. New York, NY: Julian Press, Inc, 1988.
3. Swami Vishnu-Devananda. The Sivananda Companion to Yoga. New York, NY: Gaia Books Unlimited, 2000.
4. Chamberlain, David. Benefits of Childbirth Meditation http://www.calmbirth.org/benefits.html May 21 2009.
Melissa Mazza is an Aura graduate, who teaches in th Tinton Falls, New Jersey area.
By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Iyengar, Bikram, and Sivananda may be common styles where you live, but they are sub-styles of Hatha Yoga. Hatha may be the most popular form of Yoga outside of India, but within India are many jewels. Now, let’s take a closer look at the first three of the nine main styles from the birthplace of Yoga.
Bhakti Yoga: Union through love and devotion. This is one of the four main branches of Yoga. Bhakti is the spiritual path of love, devotion, and worship. All of this devotion and love focuses on God, a specific deity, or one’s guru. The most popular form of Yoga, in India, is Bhakti Yoga, which uses mantra, japa, prayer, and songs of praise.
Hatha Yoga: The word “Hatha” originates from two root words, “ha,” which means sun, and “tha,” which means moon. Hatha Yoga can easily be seen as balancing opposing energies, such as male and female or yin and yang. Hatha makes use of Pranayama, asana, kriyas, meditation, and more.
All Hatha techniques work toward the complete health of mind, muscles, vital organs, skeleton, and nervous system. The body benefits with focus on asana and pranayama. The mind receives calming and increased concentration from the practice of meditation and relaxation techniques.
Hatha is often viewed as beginner’s preparation for Raja (royal) Yoga. There are many aspects of Hatha, such as yama, niyama, mantra, bandhas, Yoga nidra, mudras, doshas, and koshas, but many Hatha teachers focus only on physical mastery, because it is popular and it fills classrooms.
Jnana Yoga: Sometimes, this is referred to as the Yoga of Wisdom. Jnana is one of the four main branches of Yoga. Jnana is an ancient discipline of self-knowledge that can trace its roots back to the Vedas.
This Yogic discipline requires the use of intelligence, knowledge, self-study, and meditation, to find one’s true nature. This Yogic path is suited to intellectual temperaments, because it focuses on spiritual knowledge, wisdom, meditation, and the quest for truth.
© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Yoga Teacher Certification. FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.” http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/
On-Site or Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses
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
By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Could it be possible that Yoga for weight loss is just a marketing strategy? How could Yoga help you burn sufficient calories to lose weight? Is the public being taken for a “sleigh ride,” with a holistic approach to weight control? Let’s take a deeper look and get to the bottom of an issue that has puzzled researchers.
1. Could it be possible that Yoga for weight loss is just a marketing strategy? To be honest, anything is possible, when it comes down to marketing services and products. Why should Yoga be different? The most common style of Yoga, taught outside of India, is Hatha and its many sub-styles.
On the surface, Hatha Yoga practice doesn’t seem like it would burn the necessary calories to lose weight – let alone control it. Hatha Yoga was not created to be a solution for an inactive population that suffers systematic complications from obesity. When Yoga, in its physical form, came about – people still performed their fair share of physical labor.
Therefore, it is possible that exaggerated claims could happen, but Yoga is a great addition to a completely healthy lifestyle. It’s not the calories burned on the mat, as much as the reinforced behavior from eating right and performing other beneficial physical activities throughout the day.
2. How could Yoga help you burn sufficient calories to lose weight? Every time this subject is brought up, Yogis from everywhere refer to the 2005 study conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, in Seattle, Washington, in the United States.
With the aid of funding from the National Cancer Institute, medical researcher and Yoga practitioner, Alan Kristal, performed a medical study on the weight reducing effects of Yoga. The findings were positive, for those who feel that Yoga is a good adjunct to a weight control strategy.
Yet, science and medicine do not come to conclusions on the basis of one study, and questions about the calorie burning properties of Yoga practice abound. Even, if you have the temperature of a room increased to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and run through faster sequences of postures, physical Yoga practice is still low-impact movement.
Claims about calories burned can range from 200 to 650 calories per hour, depending on the sequence of movements and the temperature of the room. One snack could easily surpass the number of calories burned, so there is more to this mystery than calories burned.
Long-term Yoga practice opens an awareness that runs contrary to unconscious eating. In other words: If you are conscious of what you eat, you will consume better food, and you will consume less, during the day.
3. Is the public being taken for a “sleigh ride” with a holistic approach to weight control? Actually, the answer is “no.” Weight control is not easy, especially during middle age, but Hatha Yoga does have solutions in the Yoga diet, postures, and living a healthy lifestyle. The problem is: The public demands a magic bullet for weight loss; namely, pills that will temporarily reduce weight, but can have serious side effects and even cause death.
Yoga is part of a logical solution toward managing body weight. Eating less, wise eating choices, drinking clean water, walking, weight resistance, and other physical activities are also part of the solution. One point to consider about the intake of calories is sugar, or salt, hidden in drinks and processed food.
Yoga practice alone will help manage weight, but the practice of living healthy must be with us throughout the day.
© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Yoga Teacher Certification. FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/
On-Site or Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses
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
By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Have you been considering an affordable Yoga teacher training course? Many people would like to advance themselves in life, but they see a “road block” ahead. Fortunately, life’s obstacles can also be new doors to many different opportunities.
Sometimes, an obvious solution to continuing education is not well known. Online and correspondence education programs have been in place at many universities worldwide. There is no need for anyone to turn their life upside down to advance their education.
In fact, there is no need to pay large sums of money for education. Instructional television training programs, for teachers, have been around for decades. In the Chicago area, these programs started in the 1960s. Accredited universities have also offered college courses, with the help of local public television stations.
If you can earn a degree from an accredited college online, you can also earn a Yoga teacher diploma. Online study, to become a yoga instructor, is flexible and allows you to study at your own pace. There is no extended travel, and you do not have to put yourself in debt in order to earn your Yoga teacher’s diploma.
You could study for your certification anywhere a Wi-Fi network is set up and you could do all of your studies within your own home. However, if possible, it is always good to network with local Yoga teachers. By learning from local teachers, while studying to become a Yoga teacher, you will gain much knowledge from the experience.
At the same time, anyone considering a correspondence course in advanced Yoga studies, should also realize the importance of self-motivation. A self-starter has a big advantage – when finishing assignments pertaining to Yoga certification.
© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Yoga Teacher Certification. FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.” http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/
On-Site or Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses
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
