Archive for July, 2012

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Yoga Teacher Training: Blood Pressure

Monday, July 30th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Faye Martins 

During yoga teacher training, there is so much talk about asanas being contraindicated because of high blood pressure that it leaves some interns in a state of confusion.  High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects millions of people. When you suffer from high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder than normal just to pump blood throughout the body to stay alive. This can lead to other heart complications, like hardening of the arteries or heart failure.

High blood pressure can be a hereditary condition, but eating a poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, stress and old age can also cause it. Some people turn to medication to help correct this condition. Medications can be costly and not without additional side effects. People who are looking for a more natural way to treat and prevent high blood pressure often turn to yoga training. 

When stress is the cause of hypertension, yoga can help. Yoga is typically practiced in a quiet, calm environment that allows people to take a break from their busy, stressful lives. Yoga training allows you to release the stress from the day in a positive way. It isn’t healthy to let stress and anxiety build up in the mind and body. Practicing a series of yoga postures encourages negative thoughts and stress to flee the mind while the body is working to get rid of muscle tension. People who practice regularly feel a sense of release each time. 

Most yogic practices incorporate breathing exercises, which will also help relieve hypertension. Breathing deeply brings oxygen to the cells that carry blood throughout the body. The more oxygen taken in, the more efficient the blood can flow. Organs in the body crave oxygen just as we do, but it’s too easy to breath just enough to stay alive and not enough to gain the benefits it can provide. Yogic exercise allows you to take the time for long, deep breaths that fill up the entire abdomen and chest cavity. The more you practice deep, deliberate breaths, the easier and more natural they become. Those who suffer from hypertension can benefit from the reduced heart rate that results from deep breathing. 

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

As you may already have learned, during your foundational yoga teacher training, meditation has also been proven to be an effective way to relieve the stress and anxiety that can cause high blood pressure. You can start small, by taking just five minutes a day to sit quietly, breathe and reflect on positive thoughts and well-being. As you gain more experience, you will most likely want to lengthen your meditative sessions to 10 minutes or longer. You might even incorporate some easy asanas with the meditation to give your student’s muscles a chance to release.

© 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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Yoga Teacher Training: Anxiety Disorders

Sunday, July 29th, 2012

yoga teacherBy Faye Martins

If you practice and teach Yoga daily, you probably have a handle on anxiety.  One intern in a Yoga teacher training intensive had entered the course to master a method that would reduce or eliminate his anxiety.  A few years later, he let us know that it had worked for him.  His objective was self-mastery first and possibly to teach Yoga classes down the road. 

Depending on our outlooks and our life styles, we all have some degree of stress in our lives. Some people, however, are so afraid or anxious that these feelings hardly ever go away. Around 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders like panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and phobias every year. According to the April 2009 edition of the “Harvard Mental Health Newsletter,” Yogic exercise helps us to master these conditions.

Regardless of its cause, every real or imagined threat we encounter activates a series of physiological changes in the body, most of which occur simultaneously.

• The brain signals the adrenal glands to release harmful hormones into the bloodstream, preparing the body to flee or to fight.

• Breathing speeds up, and the body releases fats and glucose to supply energy to fend off the danger.

• The heart beats up to five times faster than usual, and blood pressure rises.

• Blood vessels constrict and direct blood and oxygen away from the organs and to the muscles and brain.

• Muscles contract as they prepare for action.

Anyone familiar with Yogic methodology will notice that the body’s reaction to stress is exactly opposite of its reaction to deep breathing, meditation, and asana. While medication and psychotherapy are a vital part of care for some people who suffer from anxiety disorders, Yoga can be an important complement to traditional treatment. It may even reduce the need for medication, but no one should stop taking medication without consulting a professional.

Any pose that calms the nervous system, relaxes muscles, or improves circulation will also reduce tension. While a regular Yoga training is always the best option, there are specific poses that reduce anxiety.

15 Asanas for Anxiety Disorders

1. Easy Pose

2. Bridge Pose

3. Child’s Pose

4. Staff Pose

5. Bow Pose

6. Cat Pose

7. Camel Poses

8. Cow Pose

9. Fish Poses

10. Downward-Facing Dog Pose

11. Extended Triangle Pose

12. Head-to-Knee Forward Bend

13. Seated Forward Bend

14. Half Moon Pose

15. Prayer Pose

In 2007, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine conducted brain scans of participants immediately following Yoga training sessions and found elevated levels of a feel-good neurotransmitter called GABA. Since a shortage of GABA is linked with depression and anxiety, results look promising for the use of Yogic methodology as an effective intervention for anxiety disorders.

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

Although one Yoga teacher training course may be enough for one person, it should be noted that our students need to understand that daily practice is the real key.  Even the most emotionally stable people can become overwhelmed by anxiety if they don’t have a solution for dealing with it.

© 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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Yoga Teacher Training: Neck Pain

Saturday, July 28th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Faye Martins

Anatomy is such an important part of hatha yoga instructor training.  As you learn in Yoga teacher training, the neck is the most fragile part of the spine.  The neck supports the weight of the head during the hours we are awake.  When you consider our skeletal structure, it’s a wonder that many of us are lucky enough to have pain free days.  Luckily, you have learned enough about Yoga to help others have many more pain free days.

Causes of Pain

If you’ve ever slept in an awkward position, craned your neck to view a show or experienced trauma to the neck, you know how debilitating neck pain can be. Chronic pain can take over every aspect of your life, making daily routines and responsibilities difficult. When the pain takes over, it can be hard to focus on anything else. There are a number of therapeutic yoga poses that can relieve neck pain or even prevent it from coming back.

Neck pain can also be the result of poor posture. As people spend increasing amounts of time in front of computers, sitting at desks or driving, the head and shoulders tend to fall forward and the shoulders become rounded, causing strain in the back and cervical spine. When we sit with a straight spine and aligned hips and shoulders, the body distributes the weight evenly and none of the muscles become strained. Yoga helps to improve posture and alignment, which can then eliminate or lessen neck pain.

Deep Breathing Pranayama

Many of us forget how important breathing is to the body because it happens naturally. However, when we don’t put any conscious effort into our breath, the result can be quick, shallow breaths that contract the neck muscles instead of the diaphragm. To release neck tension, sit in a comfortable position and take a deep breath through the nose. Allow the entire abdomen and chest cavity to balloon out with air. Keep the shoulders down and the spine straight. Exhale slowly through the mouth by pulling the belly button in toward the spine.

Arms Overhead with Strap

Stand tall with your feet hip width apart. Raise your arms above your head, holding a strap between both hands. Make sure your palms are facing out. Keep your arms about shoulder width apart or wider if your elbows are not straight. Pull the chin toward the chest and hold for six deep breaths.

Controlled Neck Rolls

Slowly work the tension out of the cervical spine by dropping one ear to the shoulder. Inhale deeply, then exhale as you roll the head down and up again to the opposite side. Continue by slowly rolling the head forward and over to the side you started on. Continue in the same direction for several slow rolls, and then change direction like a pendulum. Create a rhythm with your breath by exhaling when the chin is pointing toward the chest and inhaling when the chin points up on the left or right side.

Neck Roll Precaution

Never practice neck rolls with the head tilted backward.  This puts vertebrae in a compressed position, which locks them in place and grinds them back and forth.  Needless to say, this can cause premature wear of your cervical spine.

Notes for Yoga Teachers

As many of you learned in yoga teacher training – do not physically adjust the neck.  Chiropractors physically adjust necks, but a yoga instructor can give verbal correction.  Help Yoga students warm up or extend the cervical spine, but do not speculate as to the cause of discomfort.  Always advise Yoga students to see a physician.

© 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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Posted in Yoga for Pain Management, Yoga Teacher Issues, Yoga Teacher Training | 1 Comment »

Yoga Teacher Training: Mindfulness

Friday, July 27th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Faye Martins

When sitting through a lecture in yoga teacher training, one intern raised a hand and said: “I never knew there was mindfulness in yoga.”  Over the years, a few fitness yoga teachers have said the same.  In Sanskrit: smrti or smiriti means mindfulness.  When a yoga teacher asks the class to focus on the present or to be present for class that is also the state of mindfulness (awareness).  

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of yoga teacher training is that of mastering mindfulness. It can be easy to overlook all the aspects of your life that awareness improves. The process of connecting your mind with your body is really the heart of what yogic philosophy. Ancient practices of yoga training were centered on meditation, and improving the mind to body connection. The perfect yoga class will have students engaging in that same practice.

Benefits of Being More Mindful

As yoga is practiced on a daily basis, your body begins to change. You become more aware not just of your body but of your surroundings and how they affect your day to day activity. You realize all the things you may be doing to sabotage your health, and make the changes necessary to become more completely healthy. Mindful individuals are less stressed as they approach obstacles with ease and conquer them with much less effort.  Additionally, intuition is enhanced as you begin to see signs that may not be so apparent to the average person.  Developing  a higher level of awareness and intuition can save you much grief in life.

Yogic Practice

When it comes to the actual practice of mindfulness, it is important to focus on the meditative side of the spectrum. It is amazing what the mind and body can accomplish when pushed to their limits. Combining the physical and the mental in a yogic routine is basically giving us complete holistic health. For an advanced practitioner, it is possible be mindful and concentrate on multiple subjects at the same time, allowing focus on objects, emotions, sensations, and thought patterns all at once. This may not be suggested for everyone, but in this day and age who doesn’t multitask?  There are three skills to teach when it comes to mastering mindfulness. They are non-attachment, focus, and expansion. Students should focus on the movements, let go of stray thoughts, and be willing to open their minds to new levels of consciousness.  

Notes for Yoga Teachers

One point Marie Jerard made me aware of was to see the obvious in subtle actions people make.  This is a method to practice for expanding your consciousness for practical use.  Paul often says: “She is my eyes and ears.”  The truth is: Both of them have equally explained non-attachment, focus, and expansion in detail.  We have our limits when faced with non-attachment, because most of us are attached to someone or something.  Paul often explains the advantage of  non-attachment to outcome, because it gives us mental clarity to see the many possibilities and the ability to be prepared for changes regardless of the exact outcome.  

Many public and private schools are beginning to implement yoga training in the school curriculum to promote mindfulness. They’ve noticed improvement in imagination, empathy, self-awareness, and self-esteem. Studies show that practicing mindfulness led to a decrease in overall anxiety. It just goes to show it is never too early, or too late to practice yoga training and improve your overall health and well-being. Yogic methods truly changes lives and makes us better individuals and perhaps, better citizens.

© 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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Yoga Teacher Training: Addiction

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

yoga teacherBy Faye Martins

Imagine my surprise when one of my first teaching assignments was at a drug rehabilitation clinic.  Yoga teacher training hadn’t prepared me for this one and I had no idea which drug did what!  I contacted Paul for some advice, which was very encouraging.  Although we learned many pranayama techniques during yoga instructor training, I hadn’t considered the state of euphoria we take for granted could be so effective in drug rehabilitation.  Additionally, there is much more of this experience for me to share with you.

Anyone Can Become an Addict 

Addiction can happen to anyone. They may not even realize they have what is classified as an addiction. It can be to drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. These are the first things that come to mind when someone says addiction. However, people are also addicted to food, hoarding, shopping, gambling and many other similar things. Addiction is extremely hard to overcome and it’s true that traditional therapy methods can work; but many are discovering that implementing yoga into their schedule plays a major role in helping them overcome their addictions. It is the mind-body approach that helps people who are suffering from addiction realize how strong their body really is. Replacing their addiction with yoga can be extremely difficult, but in turn it helps them kick the addiction, and begin a path to recovery.

How it Works

Addiction is a lifestyle that is run on complete impulse. The impulse to grab some fast food, or smoke a cigarette, or do whatever it takes that provides immediate satisfaction and calms the desire that created that impulse. Yoga students who are trying to overcome addiction realize that through a bit of strain and discomfort their mind and body are focused on something else, and the impulse is controlled. The satisfaction that is achieved through yoga training and using the mind as well as the body is equal to or greater than the satisfaction they would have gained from giving into their addiction. Yogic methods can prevent addiction by switching a good habit for a bad one and the impulse is controlled, because yoga causes euphoria with no bad side effects.

Kundalini and Hatha are two yoga styles that are perfect for those struggling with addiction. They both practice slow movements and controlled breathing (pranayama) along with engaging the mind to achieve a peaceful state of being. Kundalini incorporates more meditation and chanting of mantras to build spiritual awareness. Certain breathing patterns have proven to release endorphins. Endorphins create feelings of pleasure, which help replace those that were brought on by the addiction.

In addition to the practice of yoga training, the sense of community and togetherness can create a safe haven for those who are recovering from addiction. They may feel they are not alone, and feel like their yoga instructor and classmates are there for them, and know where they are coming from. That combined with the peacefulness that yoga training methods bring about can become the perfect marriage of elements on the journey to complete well-being.

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

If you’ve never been addicted to anything – good for you.  However, your strength is what addicts need to learn to master.  There is no better role model for an addict than someone who has recovered or someone who has a gateway to an alternative lifestyle.  It’s easy enough to find a local counselor who can point out  rehabilitation centers and clinics.

© 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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Yoga Teacher Training: Attention Deficit Disorders

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Faye Martins

There are many reasons why people attend a Yoga teacher training.  Some people obviously attend to learn how to become a Yoga instructor, but that’s not the same goal for every intern.  One of my classmates was there for a spiritual quest, while another wanted to learn how Yoga teachers master focusing mental energy.  In this world of texting while driving, some people forget the virtual world isn’t reality.  Multi-tasking has turned some of us into zombies.  At the same time, adults and children are having difficulty reading, because they scan words instead of reading them.  The reason: Too many messages enter the mind at one time and people don’t have the tools to mentally focus.

The Yogic Method for ADHD

Can Yoga training help with attention deficit disorder? Does the disorder really exist? One of the most controversial topics of the last decade has been the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. From one extreme decrying the use of any kind of drugs at all to the other belittling the use of any form of energy work, the discussion has often deteriorated into blame and criticism on both ends. Rarely is there one simple answer for any dilemma, and ADHD certainly falls into that category.

Expert, author and psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell recommends a variety of approaches, including exercises that stimulate the cerebellum, and says that Kundalini Yoga helps with his own ADHD. For those who question the ADHD diagnosis, Dr. Hallowell uses the following analogy: “Sadness is to depression what wandering of attention is to ADD.”

Yoga and ADHD: Pranayama, Meditation, and Asana

• A study by Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York recently released data suggesting that asthma frequently accompanies attention deficit disorder. Regardless of whether breathing problems are associated with the condition, deep breathing techniques help to manage its symptoms. According to the department of psychiatry at Columbia University, breathing at a regular, rhythmic rate balances the autonomic nervous system. This improves attention and lessens anxiety.

• Meditation not only calms the mind; it also modifies brain cells so that they work more efficiently. Simple visualizations, when combined with deep breathing, can change attitudes and behavior. For some people with ADHD, active styles of meditation like Yoga or Qigong may be easier than passive, sitting meditations.

• Exercise elevates the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, three neurotransmitters linked to ADHD, and boosts the supply of stress-reducing endorphins. Neuropsychiatrist Dr. Teresa Cirule says that the brains of people with attention deficit disorder are less active in the frontal lobe, interior gyrus and basal ganglia, areas of the brain used for self-control and executive planning. Simple asanas activate these areas, improving concentration and reducing impulsivity.

Three common restorative asanas are recommended for the relief of ADHD symptoms: Forward Bends for lengthening and deepening exhalations, Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose for slowing heart beat and calming the nervous system and Corpse Pose for total relaxation. A regular Yoga practice builds confidence, teaches skills for coping with stressful events and improves general well-being. It also encourages a healthy life style.

Side Notes for Yoga Instructors

It goes without saying: As a Yoga teacher or guru, you provide a safe haven for students to get away from multi-tasking.  Studio and ashram owners should consider specialized workshops for students or specialized masters classes (Yoga teacher training) for the purpose of helping adults and children to focus.  Sadly, technology is one of the culprits and there is no end to new gadgets being developed.  Children have no problems mastering a smartphone at an early age, but as they become multi-tasking teens learning Yoga training could save their sanity and their lives.

© 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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Posted in Yoga for Mental Health, Yoga Teacher Issues, Yoga Teacher Training | No Comments »

Yoga Instructor Training: Weight Loss

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

become a yoga teacherBy Faye Martins

Sometimes, statistics seem worthless. If your watch a political debate, you will see both sides turn statistics upside down. In yoga teacher training, we hardly discuss weight loss, but when you start teaching prospective students will gather around you to learn ancient yogic weight loss secrets.  Yoga instructors often point to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which put yogic exercise in a favorable light in relation to weigh reduction.  Yet, yoga instructor training courses don’t really encourage us to go around bragging about yogic exercise for losing unwanted pounds.

Yoga can be a wonderful addition to any weight loss plan. Not many consider yoga when figuring out a weight loss plan. Great news, flowing asana sessions are cardiovascular exercise! Power Yoga is a much more intense form of yogic exercise that many do not know about. The movements and flow between them is much faster yet the poses are held longer to build more muscle strength. When combined with proper breathing it offers all the benefits of traditional cardiovascular exercises. In addition, when implemented correctly it helps tone the body, which is important when losing a lot of weight fast.

If you read conservative statistics, the average person will burn about 150 calories in an hour of traditional Ashtanga or Vinyasa yoga. This is about half the burn one would get from a brisk walk. During power yoga training, some have burned up to 200 calories in an hour. Perhaps one of the most important elements to weight loss success during classes is a yoga instructor that challenges his or her students. The heart rate needs to be elevated through the entire routine.

The Mental Benefit

Combined with the other types of exercise, practicing yogic fitness in a weekly workout routine provides a better overall workout. It’s been proven that losing weight only happens when all the right elements come together. A flowing asana session should be practiced four to five times a week for about 90 minutes in order for it to have any visible effects on the body. Practice should also be combined with a healthy diet that includes plenty of organic fruits, vegetables, and lean meats along with water. It’s important to exercise not only your body, but your mind as well. Scientists believe it is the mind to body connection that yogic exercise provides that helped either drop weight or keep people from gaining. 

Again, the best part of using yoga to shed unwanted pounds is that it trains students to connect with their mind, and creates discipline. This is an element, which is lacking in many weight loss plans. Awareness created through yoga practice will make those who practice more aware of what they are doing to sabotage their health. They will make healthier choices when it comes to not only what they eat but also how much they eat.

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

We have to be honest with our students at all times.  If we want to point out studies, it is best to have a prepared handout.  One point that Paul often brings up is the healthy lifestyle change that leads to gradual weight control.  This doesn’t sound as exciting as magically losing 500 calories in an hour, but it’s truthful to admit that people who are conscious of eating more raw, natural, and balanced food will eventually gain control over the battle with one’s mid-section.  During yoga teacher training, you might practice asana routines twice to four times per day.  If our students practice one time per day, that adds up to a conservative loss of 1050 calories per week.  The objective is to get them to practice often and encourage a yogic diet, without preaching.  Therefore, leave handouts around, have a seasonal workshop, and walk the talk. 

© 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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Yoga Teacher Training: Knee Pain

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

yoga teariningBy Faye Martins

When attending a yoga teacher training intensive, Paul gave a lecture about pain that I could never forget.  Basically, he said: “We usually take life for granted, when we are healthy, but when we are in pain, we can think of nothing else.”  Yogic science directly addresses suffering and does its best to let us enjoy a pain free life.  As you know, there are no guarantees in life, but we can be proactive toward living the best possible life during each precious moment. 

A regular yoga practice is one of the best remedies for knee pain. Not only do physical therapists utilize certain yogic practices in their rehabilitation routines, but also physical, occupational, and yoga therapists have been recommending poses and series based on yogic techniques for decades.

Common Causes of Knee Pain

Knee pain occurs for a variety of reasons. Often, it is the result of old injuries such as torn ligaments or meniscus that have healed improperly or incompletely. Another common cause of knee pain is tendonitis, which can result from overuse of the patellar tendon. Some younger patients suffer from chondromalacia, which is caused by softened cartilage under the kneecap. Older patients may suffer joint pain in the knee as a result of arthritis, and sometimes scar tissue can build up around the knee from old muscular injuries, causing pain as well.

Common Methods to Remediate Knee Pain

With some of the more common causes of knee pain, the best treatment is to ice and rest until acute inflammation has subsided, and then begin a consistent physical therapy program to promote strength and mobility. What physical therapy does is to strengthen and tone the muscles around the joint or site of injury, preventing compensation by or overburdening of the knee, promoting proper physical alignment within the leg and protecting the joint from stress placed on it by weak or under-performing muscles.

Why Yoga for Knee Pain Works

A daily or regular yoga practice can reduce or eliminate knee pain because some of the physical benefits of practice accomplish the same purpose that physical therapy does. The physical yoga poses aim to stretch, strengthen and align the body properly so that practitioners can enhance their mind-body connections. Thus, the strengthening and stretching of leg muscles during poses, especially of the muscles surrounding the hips and knees, can target knee pain particularly well.

There are some well-trained yoga instructors who will be able to put together a series of poses to reduce or eliminate knee pain, but be very careful. It is best to see a yoga therapist, who has been certified in using yogic exercise as therapy and should have additional training, or to ask a physical therapist what poses can help and what can hinder the healing process.

Although the maxim, “No pain, no gain,” may have traction with either you or your students, remember that knee pain can be a sign that you have gone too far. The purpose of yoga is to get you in tune with your body, and that includes listening to your body’s pain signals.

Side Notes for Teachers

Therapy is complex and requires each of us to enter into the world of continuing education.  Whether you choose to take additional courses in specialist yoga teacher training or some form of therapy, you want to make sure any advice you give to students is within your qualifications to give.  Additionally, instructors should know when to tell a student to back off from pain.  As many of us have learned: Pushing on a skeletal joint will result in a permanent injury.

© 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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Yoga Teacher Training: Tailbone Pain

Sunday, July 22nd, 2012

how to become a yoga instructorBy Bhavan Kumar

Like many other conditions we learn about in Yoga teacher training, pain in the tailbone can be both helped and aggravated by exercise. Although some asanas present problems, others alleviate pain and relieve inflammation. The key to success is knowing your own body and finding a good yoga instructor.

Pain in the coccyx, or tailbone, is a common condition that affects five times as many women as men. Although the disorder stems from a variety of causes ranging from falls to pregnancy, an unstable coccyx is frequently the culprit. Discomfort varies from mild to acute and is usually aggravated by sitting.

Located in the root chakra at the tip of the spine, the tailbone is closely related to the sacroiliac, or S-I, joint. Misalignment of the spine in this area can lead to emotional concerns related to the first chakra and physical pain caused by instability and stress. Difficult to diagnose and to treat, the condition can become chronic if not properly managed.

In “Yoga Journal,” author and pioneering Restorative Yoga instructor Judith Lasater recommends several practices to eliminate stress on the S-I joint and reduce tailbone pain. Among these are the following:

• Strengthen the S-I joint and backbone with standing poses and simple backbends.

• Be aware of forward bends and other poses that stress or unlock the S-I joint.

• Don’t sit cross-legged.

• Evenly distribute weight between both legs.

• Keep feet hip-width apart in poses like Tree Pose or Warrior I.

• When doing twists, move the sacrum and pelvis together.

• Avoid poses that stretch the piriformis muscle and exercise caution with standing twists.

• Line front heel with the back heel instead of the arch when doing poses like Warrior II or Triangle.

The following Yoga postures may help to relieve discomfort and restore mobility to the sacroiliac joint.

• Root Lock

• Child’s Pose

• Cow Pose

• Cat Pose

• Cobra Pose

• Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose

• Bridge Pose

• Spinal Twist (lying on floor with knees bent)

Any asana that aggravates or worsens pain should be avoided or practiced with modifications and supervision. Some poses can be approached gradually with the help of a well-trained Yoga instructor; others may need to be avoided altogether. Moderation is the key.

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

Understanding basic body mechanics is something we should have learned in our foundational Yoga teacher training.  If the skeletal body was not covered. we must enhance our knowledge through continuing education that is specifically designed for a Yoga instructor.

© 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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Posted in yoga for ailments, Yoga for Spiritual Health, Yoga Teacher Training | No Comments »

Yoga Teacher Training: Grief

Saturday, July 21st, 2012

yoga teacherBy Faye Martins

There are many healing methods learned during yoga teacher training, but some the most puzzling problems humans face are emotional in nature.  Grief touches everyone at some point in their life. The loss of a loved one is a devastating blow for some, while career setbacks such as firing or layoffs can send others into a tailspin of sadness. Grief is generally caused by loss, which is sometimes as concrete as a person or as abstract as our beliefs about ourselves or our expectations about our life. We must experience deep feelings like grief for them to pass through us and dissipate, but the pain they generate makes us reluctant to do this.

Our human nature is one of action and power; we expect to control our lives and when things don’t go our way we see it as a failure. This makes it even harder for us to accept loss and the grief that comes with it.  When you push away grief it must go somewhere. Unresolved grief usually stores in the body. For some people it creates physical pain, such as the feeling of pinching or stabbing in the chest area or a stiffness in the shoulder area as if their body tries to curl into itself and protect the heart.

Many people develop chronic fatigue or digestive problems following a deep loss. The curious thing about these complaints is that many people never understand that there is a connection between their emotional situation and their physical ailments. With yoga, the mind and body connection becomes clearer and people usually find that as they move through the asanas their body will release some of the tension and grief it is holding for the mind. Yoga class is a safe place for people to let their feelings arise and watch them dissipate. It is not unusual to see yoga practitioners tearing up or openly crying during a class as feelings and emotions can arise unexpectedly for us all.

Yoga is a path toward acceptance and understanding of all parts of your life, including loss and grief. Yogic philosophy has a less personal take on loss; for some people life is full of suffering and our attachment to people and things will certainly compound that suffering.  After attending retreats and yoga teacher training intensives regarding detachment, I can honestly admit it is not possible for most of us to remain unattached.  Living a life of love and joy, engaged with the world and the people in it will naturally lead to loss and grief. Rather than reject life altogether, we can take solace that it is not our failure but rather the inevitable nature of things that has caused this outcome.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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