Archive for May, 2012

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Is Vinyasa Yoga Good for Children?

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

distance learning yoga certificationBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yogic exercise is a very popular activity in many communities, as people increasingly come to recognize the myriad benefits it has to offer our bodies, minds, and lives. Yoga teacher training programs that specialize in training instructors for teaching children are also becoming quite prevalent, but what sort of classes should kids participate in?

Happily, most teachers of children’s Yoga classes know a good deal about what makes kids tick and have designed their classes accordingly. Who can help but be delighted by the idea that we name asanas after animals? Most children love learning the animal poses and will eagerly supply all the proper sound effects, too. Yoga games, stories, and songs are also really effective ways to teach children asanas and breathing. The key to teaching Yoga to kids is to keep it fun and stress-free. Children usually come to class, without the self-consciousness and ego, which many adults have. These feelings are frequently a great hindrance to adults in their practice; but because children are generally more open and accepting, both of the class and of their own abilities, they flourish.

The benefits of Yogic exercise for children are many. Children must sit still and pay attention for long periods at increasingly younger ages, and this can cause them great stress; but Yogic exercise gives them a method for releasing pent-up energy in a productive way. Yoga can help kids maintain their natural flexibility, as the rest of the world grows rigid, and it can help them keep viewing their bodies as a positive and powerful force in the universe.

About Vinyasa for Children

Vinyasa is a very enjoyable and effective form of Yogic exercise for many adults, but is it a good fit for most children? As many of you already know, Vinyasa is a sequence of asanas, connected to breath in a flow. Vinyasa flow might be a leisurely series or a quick-paced routine, depending on the style, studio, and Yoga instructor; and it might also be practiced in a heated studio. Most classes are an intense and physically challenging experience.

This makes Vinyasa classes perfect for adults looking for a challenge. However, young children might not usually respond well to this type of class – a child’s imaginative spirits and love of variety point towards something less serious and more fun.

Vinyasa Yoga is not an ideal choice for young a child, but a youth program, designed just for kids, is an excellent way to introduce Yogic life skills to a new generation of practitioners.

Conclusion 

While the case has been made that Vinyasa style classes may not be ideal for young children, teaching teenagers in athletic leagues is a different story. As a form of cross training for teenage athletes, many Yoga teachers have seen rapid changes for the best. Teenage athletes, who participate in flowing style Yoga classes, gain strength, balance, flexibility, stamina, self-confidence, and a deeper knowledge of one’s self. These valuable life skills serve teenagers well, at a time when peer pressure is at its height.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free Report, Newsletter, Videos, Podcasts, and e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio manager, 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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Teaching Yoga to Prevent Knee Injuries

Sunday, May 27th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Narendra Maheshri

Yoga teacher training courses prepare us for working with a diversified population. Some graduates quickly forget that our mission as yoga instructors is to maintain a safe atmosphere in the classroom. Even more proactive action on our parts is prevention of student injuries. I am in agreement with the direction of Aura yoga’s doctrine of absolute safety for all students at all times.

People who suffer from knee pain and injuries are increasingly turning to Yoga as an alternative treatment rather than resorting to surgery and other intensive medical interventions. It has been shown through scientific studies that by strengthening the muscles that surround the knee, which are known as stabilizing muscles, yoga can end knee pain that has plagued practitioners for years.

How Yoga Prevents Knee Injuries

Although weightlifting and strength training offer the same advantages as yoga does when it comes to strengthening the knee’s stabilizer muscles, these disciplines often lack a focus on balance and flexibility in favor of an emphasis on dynamic movement and quick-twitch muscles. The result is often tight, weaker muscles in one area of the leg, such as the inner quadriceps, while naturally stronger muscles like the outer quadriceps get stronger and over compensate for the weaker side. This can lead to an over-rotation of the knee joint during flexion and impact activities, causing knee pain and increasing the risk of more severe injuries like torn ligaments and sprains.

Balancing asanas and deep stretching allow the muscles of the leg to strengthen in balance with each other. Balancing poses increase stability, and they do so to such an extent that physical therapists actually use modifications of balance poses as therapy for knee and ankle injuries. Thus, more and more athletes are becoming steady yoga practitioners in order to prevent these injuries.

Tips for Teaching Yoga to Prevent Knee Injuries

A focus on strengthening the body in balance is one of the most promising ways to prevent injuries. Practitioners should consider proper alignment, starting with the toes, as the most important thing to strive for during a session.

Emphasize to students that they should pay attention to any discomfort in the knee, since knee pain indicates internal damage of some sort. With tight muscles, students can get away with a little pain, but since the knee joint itself is made up of ligaments and bone, pain is generally considered a red flag.

Yoga Instructors who want to give students the ability to prevent knee injuries should really focus on training balance poses, as these are important to building strength and stability.

At the same time, if a student has a pre-existing knee injury, placing all of the body’s weight on a knee that needs time to heal is not recommended. Therefore, a cautious recovery from a pre-existing injury is more important than building strength.

During asana practice, practitioners should take care not to hyper-extend the knee as this can lead to premature wear and knee pain.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free Report, Newsletter, Videos, Podcasts, and e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio manager, 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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What Should a Yoga Teacher Know About Asana Adjustments?

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins

Students come to yoga class for a number of reasons. Some want to stretch and relax, some are looking to lose weight or tone muscles, and still others want to grow deeper into a yogic practice. This can make the instructor’s job a bit tricky, since not all students or asanas (poses) are one-size-fits-all. As you encounter a class full of students of various ages at various levels, keep in mind that your job is to keep your students safe and happy. When it comes to adjusting students for each asana, give concise instructions and gentle guidance, but don’t force anyone into a posture they aren’t quite comfortable with.

Know the Students

Yoga instructors should know their students’ medical limitations and injury backgrounds. When a specific pose will affect a student, you must let them know what type of modification would be appropriate. You can address the issue by making a general statement to the entire class, or go to the specific student and let them know in a low voice. Many people have back trouble, knee issues, or weak wrists and ankles. Instructors should be aware of which poses can irritate these areas, and then warn their students accordingly.

Stop Expecting Perfection

Model each pose for students, then walk around and make minor adjustments as you see fit. If someone is experiencing great difficulty, adjust the main problem, but don’t expect perfection. Inexperienced students will often adjust their selves over time as they become more familiar with the poses. Be careful not to turn students off by adjusting every little part of the pose. As long as a student isn’t in danger of injuring him or herself, let the minor mistakes go.

Tell Students to Do What Feels Right

The best yoga instructors reiterate to the students over and over again, “If it doesn’t feel right, adjust,” or, “Do what feels right for you.” Although commonly practiced in a group, yoga is an individualized, personal activity. The students will get out of it what they put into it, but it’s not necessarily the instructor’s job to push them too far. Instructors can encourage students to work to the best of their abilities, and to push their selves a bit further each time. But, since everyone in the class might be at varying levels, the instructor shouldn’t feel the need to push everyone into the same posture for the same amount of time.

Conclusion

Most 200 hour Yoga teacher training courses spend more than half of that time covering all the technical aspects of asana, modifications, adjustments, and how to create a lesson plan. With so much time devoted to asana, you might think we should be ready for everything. The truth is: Yoga teachers never stop learning. Each student is unique in many ways. No Yoga certification course can show you everything. At best one yoga instructor training course can build a strong and safe foundation of knowledge. That’s the reason why we continue to learn at workshops, camps, seminars, intensives and with each yoga student we meet.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free Report, Newsletter, Videos, Podcasts, and e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio manager, 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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Teaching Yogic Meditation for Cancer Recovery

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

how to become a yoga instructor By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Sometimes, the subjects we teach in a Yoga class make us feel much better about what we do. When one decides to become a Yoga instructor, he or she usually does not appreciate the complete package of benefits one gains from meditating. With age comes appreciation, and sometimes wisdom grows from within. So, if you are a Yoga instructor, please remember that everything you present in classes is a valuable life skill. The new Yoga practitioners do usually not appreciate meditation and pranayama, but they are of extreme value.

The mere thought of cancer causes most of us to tense up, and undergoing tests is even more traumatic. If you have never been through it, imagine how scary a diagnosis must be, and that is only the beginning. Surgery, treatments, and uncertainty often lead to anxiety, depression, and negative emotions, which also affect the outcomes of all chronic diseases.

How Does This Help Cancer Patients?

Clinical studies show that meditating is an effective complementary therapy in the fight against cancer. Not only does it reduce discomfort and improve mood, but also evidence suggests that it boosts immunity and possibly improves prognosis. This is likely due to its effect on the autonomic nervous system.

Responsible for involuntary actions such as breathing, sweating, heartbeat, and digestion, the autonomic nervous system serves two functions. One part, the sympathetic nervous system, prepares the body for emergencies by increasing heart rate and restricting blood flow. The other part, known as the parasympathetic nervous system, slows heart rate, increases blood flow, and releases beneficial digestive enzymes.

As a result, this reduces toxic cortisol levels and boosts the release of feel-good endorphins into the bloodstream. It also increases the level of activity in the regions of the brain associated with positive emotions and compassion.

How Do Students Learn to Meditate?

There are many different kinds of meditation. For anyone who is dealing with cancer, there are many options. Many people like learning from meditation or Yoga teachers in private or public sessions. Those who want to practice with others who are dealing with cancer may prefer specialized classes offered at many medical centers. For those who want to meditate at home or alone, the following techniques are good choices:

• Guided meditations are available as both digital downloads and CDs, and some are designed especially for cancer patients.

• Breath awareness meditation brings the focus inward, returning attention to each individual breath when the mind wanders.

• Moving meditations, such as Yoga, Tai Chi, or Qigong, offer active options for restless practitioners. They also prepare the mind and body for other kinds of meditation.

• Mantra meditation concentrates on particular vibrations or phrases, such as the “AUM” sound or a mindfulness affirmation, such as: “May I be at peace.”

Conclusion

The demand for Yoga in oncology departments is growing. As research confirms the benefits of meditation for the management and recovery of cancer, its practice will likely become a part of standard medical care. Who knows where the future will lead us? Meditating is part of every Yoga teacher training course. Perhaps meditation has been under appreciated recently, but its future as an adjunct therapy looks very bright.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free Report, Newsletter, Videos, Podcasts and Bonus e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio manager, 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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Teaching Yoga to Protect the Knees

Saturday, May 19th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

It is not uncommon to hear about former students, who dismiss the practice, due to the knee pain they experienced during a complex pose.  At the same time, it is not uncommon to encounter devoted students, who point to Yoga practice as a therapy and practical cure for the knee pain they once experienced, prior to beginning practice. As a result of these two conflicting ideas, people might wonder what is the truth.

Just like anything in life, the truth about Yogic exercise, and knees, is both simple and complex. It is simply true that some asanas (postures) place strain on the knees, and that incorrect form can lead to knee pain or injury. It is also true that good therapeutic Yoga sessions can effectively end years of knee pain and debilitation.

This is where the complexity comes in: Practicing correctly can be difficult for many students because poses are often complex and challenging. Padmasana (lotus pose) looks easy enough, but an adult from a chair-sitting culture may cause harm to the knees or hips by trying to get into the posture. For this reason, new Yoga instructors should be aware that students would be better off working with Ardha Padmasana (half lotus posture) as a warm-up to Padmasana. It is possible for a student to attempt Padmasana for life and not be able to master this posture. Rather than frustrate our students, half lotus or Sukasana (easy posture) are viable options.

How Does Yoga Protect Knees?

Knee injuries occur under a variety of circumstances. Often, knee pain is a result of torn or strained ligaments or of a worn down meniscus, which is the cartilage within the knees meant to provide padding and cushion during movement and impact activity. Knee pain can also be caused by osteoarthritis in the knee or by misalignment of the kneecap.

In many cases, these knee injuries are related to a sudden injury (auto accidents, sports-related injuries, etc.) or a muscular imbalance. In the case of a muscular imbalance, quadriceps that, in their strength, over-compensate for weaker hamstrings, can cause an over-rotation of the knee, which results, over time, in pain and higher risk for tears, sprains, and osteoarthritis.

Therapeutic Yoga protects the knees by strengthening the knee and bringing stabilizer muscles in balance with each other, which aids in correct knee alignment and a more equal muscle strength distribution.

Tips for Teaching Yoga to Protect the Knees

1. In order to avoid the risk of knee injury inherent in some poses, a Yoga instructor must emphasize that students not force themselves into high risk poses that strain the knee. Often, these poses require flexibility that takes time to acquire, and students need to be reminded that this is a practice in patience and mastery rather than quick progression.

2. Yoga students, recovering from knee injuries, should also avoid quick transitions from pose to pose, as more abrupt movements, especially in complicated poses, can cause injury.

3. Yoga teachers should emphasize that some stretching sensations are necessary to improve flexibility, but practitioners should back off if knee pain flares up, regardless of the perceived level of expertise.

4. Legs should be thoroughly warmed up and stretched before a student launches into a pose, such as Padmasana, which can put pressure on the knee. Yoga instructors should consider modifying poses for students with persistent knee pain, ailments, or injuries.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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What Should a Yoga Teacher Know About Meditation?

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Sanjeev Patel

Meditation is the process of calming and focusing the mind. It can effectively relieve anxiety, stress, or depression. Many people use it every day to calm and refresh the mind. There are many positions to take upon meditation, but we often think of the image of a person sitting with his or her legs crossed, hands resting on the knees, and eyes closed.

Modern Yoga and Meditation

Most basic Hatha yoga classes include some type of meditative aspect, but it usually is not the central focus of the class. New Yoga instructors don’t need to be experts on meditation, but they should know how to teach basic meditative practices and they should continue to study and practice in order to become the best possible guide.

In some Yoga training sessions, meditation is at the beginning and end of the session. In a typical Hatha Yoga class, meditation takes place at the end of the session. The instructor normally cools the students down with some floor poses, and then eases them into a meditative pose, such as corpse pose. As the students lie there feeling any new sensations in their bodies, the instructor leads them in a short meditation session.

Stage-by-stage Relaxation

Although, relaxation is not meditation, it is a valuable building block toward meditating and focusing. A relaxed mind is more willing to meditate than an over-stimulated mind. As a Yoga teacher, you want to direct your class by giving cues to relax each body part, from the toes to the tip of the head. The students are usually asked to breath deeply and focus their thoughts on their breath, while letting other thoughts flow through the mind without dwelling upon them. After about 10 minutes, the instructor gently eases students back into the world by asking them to wiggle their hands and feet, arms and legs, and then come to a sitting position.

Mudras

Yoga teachers, at the 200 hour level, should know a few basic hand gestures, or mudras. Mudras help focus energy to specific parts of the body, and can aid in healing. To perform the Guyan mudra, place the tips of the thumb and forefinger together, while leaving the other three fingers straight. Guyan mudra can relieve stress, insomnia, anger, laziness, and indecisiveness.

Another common mudra is Varun. Perform Varun by resting the thumb on top of the smallest finger, while the other three fingers remain idle. It can help cure skin problems, dehydration, blood disorders, wrinkles, and excessive body heat.

Hold the tips of the thumb and middle finger together to perform Aakash mudra. Aakash should not be performed while walking. It will help improve bone strength and result in improvements in overall body weakness.

Asanas

Basic meditation postures include easy pose, corpse pose, or half lotus. Most importantly, yoga instructors should teach students to sit in a posture that is comfortable for them. If an asana is not comfortable, the student will focus on his or her discomfort instead of meditating.  With that said, some your Yoga students may need to sit in a chair or on a cushion.

Breath Awareness Meditation

The basics of meditation begin by focusing within.  To ask our students to observe the breath seems easy for us, but try to remember how hard it was to suppress that little monkey that runs rampant within the mind.  Paulji may find monkeys comical, but I know, first hand, they are trouble.  Breath awareness may keep the monkey quiet for a while.

Mindfulness Meditation

This could be mindfulness of breath, an object, or a function like walking.  Mindfulness is similar to breath awareness because your students learn to observe and appreciate.  This is much different than controlling and judging.  Teaching yoga students to let go and relax through mindfulness is a challenge, but it has many rewards.

Many More Techniques

Mantra, Tratak, and Yantra meditation are worth the effort.  For Yoga teacher training interns, these techniques can be challenging.  One point to remember: Practice, study, and practice again.  When we become a certified yoga instructor, this is the first step of a life-long journey.  Every yoga instructor invests time in intensive studies and all aspects of the yogic way of life.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Laughter Yoga for Cancer Patients

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins 

Laughter Yoga – are you serious?  Many Yoga teachers don’t even consider it.  Yoga is a serious art, science, and way of life.  Should we make it into a joke?  Paul Jerard often says, “we have to learn to laugh at ourselves.”  In fact, taking life too seriously could kill us.  Next time you think about adding a new class to the schedule, you might want to smile while you’re doing it.

Evidently, laughter really is the best medicine. M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, known for its innovative research and cutting-edge technology, recently added an unexpected weapon to its arsenal of complementary care alternatives. Laughter Yoga, a technique developed by an Indian doctor in 1995, provides a light-hearted, healthy break from the grueling pace of medical procedures and offers patients a chance to play and connect with each other.

Already growing in popularity, the use of laughing Yoga in the medical field gives additional credibility and exposure to a practice that can potentially help cancer patients deal with anxiety and find support. Consisting of three techniques, laughing Yoga engages practitioners with chanting and clapping, laughter, and meditation.

A study based on results from 20 people at the University of Maryland suggests that laughter might be as effective as aerobic exercise in keeping arteries healthy. According to “Psychology Today,” humor has far-reaching emotional and physical benefits:

• It increases creativity and problem-solving abilities.

• It creates a sense of connection and synchronizes brains within a group setting.

• It increases pain tolerance.

• It lowers blood sugar levels.

• It increases the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain.

• It strengthens immunity and regulates blood flow.

• It provides support by bringing people together.

“Science Daily” reported in 2008 that health care workers who care for terminally ill patients say that constructive wit is the key to coping on a daily basis, and evidence shows that students learn more quickly when humor is part of the lesson. At Swedish Cancer Hospital in Chicago, laughter Yoga accompanies chemotherapy, potentially helping patients and caregivers at the same time.

Although researchers are not sure exactly how laughter works, some theorize that it may increase feel-good endorphins or stimulate the production of nitric oxide in the walls of arteries. Clinical studies conducted in India, Austria, Bangalore, and the United States, however, claim their studies offer proof that Laughter Yoga lowers levels of stress hormones and decreases the likelihood of helplessness and depression.

People who have cancer live with stress and uncertainty, states that foster negative feelings. Laughing offers emotional and physical relief that can improve the quality of their lives and possibly allow them to live longer.  Sometimes, Yoga instructors need to have a sense of humor.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga to Balance Emotional Flow

Monday, May 14th, 2012

online yoga teacher coursesBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga students come to our classes seeking practical solutions to life’s daily problems. If one becomes overwhelmed by negative emotional energy, this can cause chronic stress, anxiety attacks, and many more health problems.  When we decided to become a Yoga instructor, we realized that many people need help to reach optimum health. In the holistic sense, health is physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.  Yoga is one of the oldest and most effective means of balancing the daily flow of emotions, and its benefits extend far beyond the mat or the meditation cushion.

Imagine the following scenario.

You are stuck in traffic, and you were supposed to pick up the kids at soccer practice ten minutes ago. To make it to tonight’s seven o’clock meeting and see that the homework is done, you are going to have to grab fast food on the way. You tense your muscles and hold your breath as negative thoughts race through your mind. You get angry and then you feel guilty. By now, you probably have an aching head and tight shoulders, and you still have not moved your car.

There is not much we can do to change our fast-paced lifestyles, but we can alter the way we react to stressful situations. Contemporary energy medicine is finally recognizing what swamis knew thousands of years ago. Our thoughts and feelings do one of two things: create blockages or enable the flow of energy throughout our bodies. It all depends on our reactions.

When faced with negative emotions, our first impulse is usually to suppress or deny them, but not expressing positive feelings can create problems, as well. Regardless of whether it is joy, fear, anger, or bliss, holding feelings inside makes it difficult to fully live in the present moment.

The Yogic Solution

Yoga training addresses this problem by synchronizing breath and motion. Flow Yoga, also known as Vinyasa, sometimes encompasses several Yoga styles and concentrates on accompanying each movement with either an inhalation or exhalation. Focusing on the breath also helps to gauge the length of time spent in each asana, or pose, and creates a dance-like synchronization of movements that prepares the mind and body for meditation.

Our mental, emotional, and physical health, are intricately connected to our breath. Our reactions to what we see, feel, and hear, are reflected by the rhythm of our breathing. We cannot disconnect our breathing from our senses, but we can use this to our advantage. When teaching Yoga classes, emphasize the power that pranayama and everyday breathing have over one’s emotions.

The answer to emotional distress does not comes through detachment, but through allowing and observing emotions. To become the observer, allows one to seek a rational solution, rather than be buried by waves of emotion. Through Yoga meditation, we can become witnesses to our thoughts and actions, allowing our emotions and our lives to flow more freely.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free Yoga report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teaching Yoga to Build Strength

Friday, May 11th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins

When you decided to become a yoga instructor, did you think you would get so many different requests? Many women and men want to gain strength without gaining size. As we know, more size is stressful on the leg joints and the heart. As a yoga instructor your mission is to help people maintain a long and healthy life.

As most lifelong yogis will explain, the original purpose of yoga training was not physical fitness or weight loss; rather, it is a spiritual discipline that uses increased connection with the physical body to achieve personal transcendence. Since the rapid proliferation of studios all over the world over the last two decades, however, yoga has undergone a modernization wherein some of the most popular forms of yoga are practiced as exercise, rather than as a spiritual practice.

The reasons why a spiritual discipline has been transformed into a mostly physical one are numerous, but it is nearly certain that yoga probably would not have become so popular if it were not for advantages of firming the body, strength building, increased flexibility and aerobic improvements. Yoga instructors soon realized that advocating a yogic lifestyle as a tool for better health and fitness would attract a variety of practitioners.

Asana practice does build strength. As beginners know, many of the poses are difficult to hold and muscles can begin to quake early on in a session. As muscles fatigue and continue to work, they undergo a process where they are broken down and then built back up during rest periods. This makes the body stronger.

Tips for Teaching Asana to Build Strength

1. Remind students to be patient. While weight training typically isolates muscle groups and allows individuals to bulk up and see results relatively quickly, asana practice builds strength via body weight lifts and holds. In other words, the weight a student lifts is his or her own, and this can take longer than a typical weight lifting routine to build strength because it is a slower approach designed to improve physical health over time.

2. Keep the flow fast so muscles will have less time to recover after a challenging pose. This will ensure that muscle groups tire quicker and thus have to work harder in yoga training.

3. As students progress in practice, instructors can adapt a series of movements by encouraging students to hold poses longer and do more repetitions. Doing more repetitions means that practitioners will work the same muscle groups harder during a single session, building more strength and endurance than they would with fewer repetitions.

4. Focus on balance, inversion and standing poses to build the most strength. Remember that a yogic series should strengthen the body in balance instead of isolating legs one day and doing arms the next, which is the standard practice of weight-lifting routines.

Conclusion

As a teacher, you may be asked about yoga for sciatica, headaches, and thyroid. We customize private lessons for students all the time. Yet, we could easily start a workshop that addresses building strength. If it becomes popular, you have a new or seasonal class on the schedule. Becoming a yoga instructor requires creativity, consistency, study, and a lot of practice.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Yoga teacher training and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

Free report, newsletter, videos, podcasts, and e-Book: “Yoga in Practice.”

If you are a Yoga Teacher, studio owner, 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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Teach Yoga Students to Manage Back Pain

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

When you teach yoga classes, how often do students ask about techniques to reduce back pain?  Study after study shows that yogic exercise helps significantly with managing back pain in conjunction with medical treatment. Yoga strengthens and balances the body while it grants students more control of their minds. Each of these factors alone become huge benefits, when dealing with back pain, but together, they feel like a miracle. Participants of one study reported a decrease in pain,  functional disability, and depression. Sixty-eight percent of the participants of that study assigned to practice yoga training also continued to practice the art after the study concluded. Even though chronic back pain can be one of the hardest common conditions to live with and treat, yogic exercise can significantly improve the quality of life of back pain sufferers.

One form of yoga commonly practiced to deal with back pain is Restorative yoga; it has specifically been shown to improve mood as well as lessen the pain. Restorative is a therapeutic form of yoga. It strengthens muscles and brings the body into alignment. It is exercise, and like any exercise, it releases dopamine, which vastly improves the mood of the person exercising. This effect is so strong that exercise has been found in scientific studies to be a more effective treatment for depression than drugs in all but the most extreme cases. It is the ultimate mood-booster and promoter of well-being.

Restorative is a contemporary form of yoga specifically developed for therapeutic purposes and many studies have reported excellent results with its use. Viniyoga and Iyengar yoga, are also used to treat back pain, these methods place emphasis on proper technique and form in order to bring the body into alignment. By bringing the spine specifically into proper alignment, many symptoms of back pain can be relieved. Certain branches of chiropractic medicine also believe that bringing the spine into alignment can solve other health problems. According to these philosophies, because there are energy meridians or channels running along the spine, proper alignment allows for optimal flow — and therefore, ideal health — in all areas of life and the body.

Yogic methodology’s strong emphasis on not just the body, but the mind, is also theorized to be a huge help in the treatment of back pain. By quieting and controlling the mind, many things are possible. First, relaxation is widely known to have an impact on pain. Anxiety causes tension, and tension causes pain. Secondly, a conscious control of the mind can help greatly in managing pain by directing attention elsewhere. The pain may still be there, but you don’t necessarily have to focus on it. Some have even claimed greater control of the mind has helped them consciously harness the placebo effect to help alleviate their pain.

Continuing education courses for yoga teachers have many directions to venture into.  When considering the direction of one’s education, it might be worth considering your student’s needs.  When we encounter so many people with back pain, it might be prudent to learn more yoga techniques that can help them.

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