Archive for March, 2008

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Almost everyone has had some sort of back pain during the course of their lives. For most, it eventually goes away. For some, however, back pain never goes away. Yoga could be the answer to back pain. Recent studies show that regular yoga practice can have an extraordinary effect on relieving the stiffness and agony of chronic back pain.

Yoga provides relief from back pain in several different ways. This has to do with the way the spine is affected by the alignment and function of all the parts of the body. The condition of the legs, hips, pelvis, shoulders and even the buttocks influence the condition of the back. Due to this, as you improve strength and flexibility throughout the body, your back is in better shape.

The vast majority of people do not pay terribly close attention to the way they move and hold their bodies, throughout the day. Sometimes we hold ourselves in ways that harm rather than support our frame. Often we entertain poor posture or sit awkwardly most of the day in an office chair, allowing stress and tension to overtake our muscles and mind.

Studies reveal that yoga is better than conventional exercise because of this very element. Yoga involves a great deal of mental focus and a purposeful mindset. While performing poses, yoga students are instructed to pay close attention to their breath. Meditation and visualization create a direct link between the movements of the body and breathing. These interconnecting elements trigger high degrees of body awareness.

The result is that even when people are not doing yoga, they will still become aware of how they may have been moving and positioning their bodies in unhealthy ways. In turn, people who practice yoga make better and healthier choices in movement, consciously and unconsciously. They experience a higher degree of flexibility and range of movement. Not only that, yoga reduces overall muscle tension, which is a big cause of back pain.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Teacher Training
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga, and Ayurveda, classifies food into three categories: Rajasic, Satvic, and Tamasic. Let’s discuss two of those three categories.

Rajasic foods are stimulating and provide energy. Too much of these foods, which are sometimes high fat, can cause restlessness and weight gain. However, in moderation, they can be used in the yogic diet to perform their purpose. Foods in this category are sour or pungent foods, like onions, garlic, curry, meat, and beverages, such as coffee and teas.

The foods to focus, on including in your diet, are sattvic foods. These are the purest foods that promote health and provide an even energy. Honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, lentils, yogurt and other dairy, make up much of these foods.

Rice and grains are also in this category, providing fiber and assisting digestion. Little, to no preparation, is done to the foods before consumption. In this way, nutrition goes undisturbed with foods which are served raw or lightly cooked. These foods provide the highest degree of benefits and nourish the body. Sattvic foods keep the body balanced and are the most thoroughly absorbed and incorporated.

Impure, highly processed, and synthetic foods, not only isolate the nourishing benefits of foods – they also cause imbalanced conditions. These conditions cause discomfort, obesity, and disease. Most diseases are linked to diet in a major way. Seek to create balance in your body through your diet.

Any change in diet is difficult because it is a lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes are the only way to see long-term benefits. This is why fad diets are so terrible for the body. The more widely the pendulum swings, the less equilibrium you will experience.

Ancient yogis very much understood this and sought to balance their body, mind, and spirit, in all ways. While you will find great improvement through regular yoga practice, without intentional eating, it will be limited. Make the effort to create a new life balance for yourself through the yoga diet.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Diet Course – Yoga Teacher Certification
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Anyone can practice yoga and not eat a specific diet. Yet, devoted yogis have paid close attention to their diet, as a part of yoga practice, for centuries. For the whole health benefit of yoga, one must pay close attention to nutrition.

Discussions about yoga, and yoga benefits, are mostly centered on the movements of the practice. The focus on holistic nutrition is often swept aside. Yet, this is an essential element of whole body health. In a society where pre-packaged foods are easier to find than fresh vegetables and fruit, no wonder we have the health problems we do.

Paying attention to what you put into your body helps you listen to your body as well. The foods that are encouraged in yoga nutrition are whole foods, mainly of lacto-vegetarian origin. Whole foods are those that are as close to their natural state as possible. No alterations or pre-processing has been done to them.

Basically, they are the simplest, most natural form, of the food available. Whole foods should be eaten close to their original source, and in season, when possible. Buy foods in their natural form, not packaged. Know the source of your food, and make sure it is as chemical and additive-free as possible.

These processed, packaged, and “spoiled,” are classified in the yoga diet as tamasic. Foods that contain excessive spices, or salt, are also classified as tamasic. These foods cause lethargy, laziness, and an intolerant temper. Sound familiar?

Have you ever felt this way after eating a meal high in salt and preservatives? You did so for good reason. These foods do not support the body’s functions or the mind’s balance. They do the exact opposite. Reason becomes foggy and emotions grow dark. Eating too much, which is nearly encouraged in our society, is also classified as tamasic. Isn’t your well-being reason enough to look at a different way of eating?

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Diet – Yoga Certification
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FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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By Paul Jerard, E- RYT 500

Pranayama, or yoga breathing, focuses on specific breathing exercises that invoke relaxation and enhance optimum recovery. Yoga instruction often employs guided relaxation, meditation, breath awareness, visualization techniques, and guided breathing exercises.

Students are guided to find a peaceful place, where they release their anxiety and pain. Pranayama techniques also have an extremely beneficial impact on the nervous system. Focused breathing brings calm to the mind and body, allowing for healing. Stress is the number one enemy to effective healing.

As with many ailments, yoga students, recovering from cancer, often suffer from decreased range of movement. Along with increasing muscle strength, yoga postures improve range of movement and flexibility. Posture is also improved, allowing proper body alignment and balance. With freer movement and mobility, cancer survivors will begin to grow lighter in spirit and feel more independent.

Yoga for cancer recovery should focus on providing the most benefit possible. This means patients should not push past the point of pain. The important thing for anyone to remember, who has been through a serious medical procedure, is to begin slowly. Perform the yoga poses in a way that is comfortably challenging. There will be some discomfort on the road to recovery. Steadily press forward, and find the internal limits, but avoid approaching the pain threshold.

Yoga instructors need to remember that yoga therapy requires adapting yoga practice to individual needs. Each student’s case will be different. Each class period will be different. Teachers must also learn to be healers and “go the extra mile” for any student recovering from cancer.

Those recovering from cancer, who choose yoga practice to assist their healing, will benefit greatly across the board. In addition to regular yoga practice, pay close attention to diet and nutrition. Yoga nutrition focuses on natural, whole foods that support the body’s functions. Support your body in every possible way to make a complete recovery when healing from cancer.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Instructor Training – Yoga Therapy
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FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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By Paul Jerard, E- RYT 500

Yoga cannot replace the medical treatment that cancer survivors must experience. Yet, gentle, restorative yoga speeds the recovery process and provides therapeutic healing to a ravaged body.

Cancer does not discriminate and strikes young and old with impunity. The good thing about yoga is that it is offers an appropriate therapy, exercise program, and even life path, for anyone young, old or in between. The benefits go far beyond improved flexibility and relaxation. Yoga sets cancer survivors on the road to healing with a life-centered focus and a real way to cope.

Health care facilities around the world are now incorporating yoga therapy into their cancer recovery centers. Medical professionals are beginning to recognize the extraordinary benefits yoga provides to patients. The difficult road of recovery back from cancer is not always lit well enough within basic clinical care. Yoga focuses on the union of mind, body, breath, emotion, and spirit to finally give cancer survivors a holistic leg to stand on.

People recovering from most types of cancer share at least a few maladies. Fatigue is the most common. Any time the body is subjected to high stress situations like surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy and pain, fatigue is an obvious result.

As part of the recovery process – The body has been fighting a disease and then fighting to heal. Regular yoga practice will increase energy levels and allow those recovering from cancer to feel able again. Yoga postures strengthen and tone core muscles in the body. This low-impact movement also improves circulation and mobility.

The particular postures and yoga routine that will help someone recovering from cancer will be prescribed on an individual basis. There are many types of cancers, and what may benefit one recovery, or individual, may not be as effective in the case of another.

That is why highly trained and expert yoga teachers and therapists are so important for therapeutic yoga and cancer recovery. Knowledge of particular healing or therapeutic properties of each posture, breathing method, and other yogic healing aspects is indispensable.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Become a Yoga Instructor
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FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
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FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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Written By Ashish Bhattacharya

The ancient science of Ayurveda and Yoga offer the knowledge and wisdom to individuals to live in complete holistic health. When combined together for the prevention and treatment they compliment conventional medical therapies excellently and can play an invaluable role for healing and rebalancing the physiological, energetic, and psychological patterns that underlie its development.

Ayurveda- Ayurveda is the ancient art of healing; originating in India it has been in practice for over thousands of years. Ayurveda aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This balance is believed to lead to contentment and health, and to help prevent illness. According to Ayurveda all the ailments and sufferings are due to the disharmony and disequilibrium of the doshas.

Ayurveda views a person as a unique individual made up of five primary elements. The elements are ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. When any of these elements are present in the environment, they will in turn have an influence on us. These primary elements combine to create various physiological functions.

Ether and air combine to form what is known in Ayurveda as the Vata dosha.

Fire and water are the elements that combine to form the Pitta dosha.

The water and earth elements combine to form the Kapha dosha.

According to Auyurveda we are all made up of unique proportions of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These ratios of the doshas vary in each individual; and because of this, Ayurveda sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our diversity.

Yoga-Yoga’s history has many places of anonymity and ambiguity due to its oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. But the roots of Yoga can be traced back to more than 5000 years.

Literally meaning union, yoga seeks to unite the individual soul with the Universal Soul not through any religious rites but through a sustained effort to control one’s mental and physical faculties.

Yoga is about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the pose.

Physically yoga helps in cleansing the body of toxins, muscle toning, improving blood circulation, correct body posture and the like, at the intellectual level it is said to help the practitioner transcend the unrealities of a worldly life and be in communion with the Supreme Being.

The Relationship Between Ayurveda and Yoga

Yoga and Ayurveda are two paths intertwined in a close relationship. Ayurveda, which means “knowledge of life,” is the ancient art and science of keeping the body and mind balanced and healthy. Yoga is the ancient art and science of preparing the body and mind for the eventual liberation and enlightenment of the soul.

Ayurveda and Yoga have their origin in the Vedas, and thus share the same fundamental philosophical aims. Ayurveda’s predominant current aim is the treatment of disease, whilst Yoga has aimed at spiritual development. For communities following these lifestyles, the diet and lifestyle regimen propounded by Ayurveda was, and to some extent still is, the foundation for an all round sense of well-being. Yoga too was traditionally practiced in the context of an Ayurveda lifestyle. Besides sharing a philosophical foundation, both systems have many similarities in relation to attitude, nutrition, diet, hygiene, exercise, cleansing practices, as well as spiritual practices.

Ayurveda and yoga not only complement each other but both sciences actually embrace each other as they share similarities and fundamental principles on many levels. Ayurveda and yoga should go together to achieve optimal health, peace, and longevity.

Training Programs-Ayurveda yoga teacher training Programs consist of

A study of the building blocks of yoga: asana, pranayama, pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation) along with the study of Yoga Sutras.

Learning and developing the ability to concentrate and stilling of the mind through meditative practices

Knowledge of how to use Yoga & Ayurveda for symptoms of “disease”, chronic illness, injury as well as psychological states

In-depth study of the healing art of Ayurveda

Adjustments to the more subtle mental and spiritual energies utilize tools such as yoga, meditation, and mantra.

Focuses on diet, daily routines, the use of herbs, and natural cleansing protocols

Approach to intention, intuitive awareness, attentiveness to energy, and yogic stances and breathing

The principles and practices of massage therapy, develop an authentic healing presence

Ashish Bhattacharya is an exponent of Destination Spa Mauritius gives expert advice on yoga,ayurveda and is specialist in Ayurvedic Spa Mauritius.

Written By Karen Wheeler Hall

In 1996 Kerrie Hamner was shocked to learn that a harmless-looking mole on her left thigh was actually melanoma. After surgery to remove a large area around the melanoma, the doctor assured Kerrie that she was now cancer-free. But two years later, when she was just 25 years old, Kerrie learned that the cancer was back and had probably spread throughout her entire body. For the next three months, Kerrie underwent intensive bio-chemotherapy treatment that ultimately wiped out the cancer, but also left her physically debilitated.

But sometimes adversity brings with it the most incredible revelations. During the treatment Kerrie watched her body deteriorate, but inside her heart, mind and soul were growing and opening in leaps and bounds. Kerrie was being prepared to make what would be a life-changing discovery for her – yoga.

After her treatment ended, Kerrie took a yoga class and began practicing yoga at home. Still incredibly weak, Kerrie was only able to practice yoga for five minutes a day. But she stuck with it and gradually got stronger. Soon Kerrie was strong enough to take an Ashtanga class at Yoga Yoga in Austin, Texas, where she especially relished the after-class inspirational readings about the eternal nature of our souls. Kerrie continued her rapid progress and became an instructor at Yoga Yoga.

Kerrie credits yoga with bringing numerous benefits into her life, such as awareness and control of the breath, which helped her to control her state of mind and stay in the present moment. Yoga brought out Kerrie’s innate strength and self-discipline, both mentally and physically, and helped to make her whole again. Yoga has been a tremendous healing light in Kerrie’s life, one that she would never have found had it not been for the cancer.

Kerrie recently passed an important milestone – cancer-free for five years! She willingly shares her experiences with other cancer patients, offering healing words of hope and encouraging them to stay positive. Kerrie’s inspiring story reminds us that devastating circumstances can actually be the catalyst for profound and positive changes in our lives.

© Karen Wheeler Hall – All Rights Reserved

Read the full story of how Kerrie beat cancer and discovered yoga in Illumination – Inspiring Stories about Finding the Silver Lining by Karen Wheeler Hall, available from http://www.FindMoreJoy.com/ Download your copy of Karen’s FREE eBook Positively Incredible! by visiting http://www.FindMoreJoy.com/

Written By Sherri Nickols

Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.

–B.K.S. Iyengar

When I was going thru the emotional rollercoaster of my divorce the number one thing that brought me peace and sanity, besides loving and supportive friends, was yoga. I found it helped me bring forth my feminine essence and true inner beauty.

Although I am in a much better place today I still rely on my practice to take out the trash in my mind and connect me with the purity of my soul.

My yoga guru, Govindas, explains the meaning of yoga to be the total balance of mind, body and spirit. Well no wonder this is the absolute best fix for a woman going thru any mind mania – especially divorce where you tend to feel like your life is spiraling out of control and you desperately need something to hang onto and anchor your spin-out.

The seven greatest benefits of yoga are as follows:

” Peace – getting into a quiet environment and staying present for the length of the class will guarantee a peaceful mind. Staying focused eclipses all negative thoughts. Thank the Lord!

” Connection – this is an opportunity to connect with your spirit and feel your power. Realizing your inner strength is very empowering.

” Balance – the aggressive thoughts and actions that come into play with divorce are masculine drivers. Yoga allows you to align with your feminine energy and let go of your masculine energy creating blissful balance.

” Strength – every pose requires physical strength, which in turn gives you emotional strength.

” Flexibility – many of the poses offer the opportunity to stretch and gain flexibility in your body – which again benefits your mind. If you carry rigid beliefs, or are hard on yourself, yoga seeks to awaken a far more gentle approach with yourself.

” Centeredness – dynamic breathing and its ability to bring mind, body and spirit into alignment is the #1 gift of a yoga practice.

” Clarity – all that focus and breathing clears out the garbage, freeing your mind of confusion. Set your intention to have clarity and you will have solutions to the problems that plagued you prior to your practice.

So if you find yourself in need of some mental cleansing and inner balancing get yourself to a mat today – don’t wait to give yourself the gift of this discipline.

You are valuable. Honor yourself and start living fully in your true power now.

And now I invite you to join my online community of women, Diamond Power Now (sm), for free weekly teleseminars where I teach you how to rebuild your life after the loss of a loved one. Whether divorced or widowed I will help you re-invent yourself and discover your inner strength, brilliance, beauty, sparkle and value. This is the home of women helping women become better women. Http://www.diamondpowernow.com

If you would like to learn more about yoga and balancing of mind, body and spirit please visit http://yogaempowersnow.com

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Have you been looking at different options to become certified to teach Yoga? Maybe some of the prices have caused you to take a step back. One of the first ideas that comes to mind; is how long it will take to pay off a six to ten thousand dollar loan. How many hours will you teach before “breaking even?”

The truth about education is it requires some financing, unless you have ten thousand dollars lying around in an old shoe box. This means that most people borrow the money and there is some interest to be paid. Over time, the interest could come close to doubling your tuition expenses.

For example, if you borrow ten thousand dollars at a fifteen percent interest rate, your interest cost, for one year, is approximately $1500.00. This is assuming that you can pay ten thousand dollars back in one year. Now, let’s look at an inexpensive option for teacher training.

Have you considered a self-paced, online, correspondence, or distance learning course to become a Yoga teacher? The total cost is a fraction of an on-site intensive course. In fact, at much less than one thousand dollars, you may not have to borrow the tuition or finance your education for years to come.

You will not have to travel or take time off from work. You will not have to talk to your employer about why you need to take four weeks off for a $10,000 on-site Yoga teacher training intensive.

After all, would your employer really understand about taking time off and planning to become a Yoga instructor, during your vacation time? You know your employer best, so you can draw your own conclusions.

However, when considering an online, correspondence, or distance learning course; you could easily pay any borrowed money back by teaching five to twelve lessons, depending upon the rate you charge and the clientele you train.

After you have become certified and recovered your educational investment, in “short time;” you can decide which direction you want to go in.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Become a Yoga Teacher
——————————————–
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
——————————————–
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga, in itself, has always been therapy – in every shape and form. If you look at a promising athletic child, or a student in a wheel chair, you will clearly see healthy results, which are mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual, in nature.

After observing martial artists, gymnasts, dancers, and competitive athletes closely, Yoga practice is much more than a form of cross training. Many of them learned to work around pre-existing injuries and ailments, as a result of practicing Yoga on a therapeutic level.

In the case of children learning proper breathing techniques (pranayama), postures (asanas), proper diet, meditation, and deep relaxation -Yogic methods become a natural form of therapy, and give them valuable life skills. Children need to have the skills to deal with stress, peer pressure, and finding their way throughout life.

The most common form of contemporary Yogic therapy has been relief from an existing ailment. The list of potential ailments seems to be endless. We may naturally think of using a combination of standard medical practices and Yoga therapy for neurological disorders, such as: Multiple Sclerosis, Stroke, Ataxia, and Parkinson’s disease. Yet, there are many more neurological disorders, diseases, and ailments.

Students and clients are seeing good results and improvements in their lives. Yogic therapy and medicine can work in harmony to treat any ailment. In the case of postures (asanas): They can be modified for anyone, even if the student is in a hospital bed.

There are so many breathing techniques (pranayama) to choose from; they can also be modified for the particular student. Pranayama and asana are just two aspects of a huge and evolving therapeutic field.

© Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

——————————————–
Yoga Teacher Training
——————————————–
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter.
Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
Visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
Affiliates: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/signup.html
Sister Blog: http://yoga-teacher-training.blogspot.com/
On-Site Training: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com
——————————————–
FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles) – Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste
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