Archive for the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ Category

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Q: I have a concern; a student, who has been studying with me for a while, came to me and said that she experiences pain on the inside of her knees when sitting cross-legged, also in Sukasana forward fold.

I have suggested to avoid this pose and switch to sitting on her heels instead. Was not sure, though, what could be the cause of this pain and what ideas I could give her to move away from this discomfort.

A: Hatha Yoga can be the remedy for pain, or the cause of it, in some cases. This student should see her family physician or a specialist. We can guess what the source of pain is, but an MRI will tell the real story. A good modification is preparation for Sukasana.

One leg remains straight, while the other leg is bent at an angle where the knee does not encounter pain. Obviously, if the knee is bent into a sharp angle, the student will experience pain in the preparation pose. Therefore, this preparation should be practiced carefully, with a wide angle on the bent knee. This same principle holds true for any asanas where the knees are bent.

Q: I have a query from a student who wants to attend my Yoga classes. She is an older women, in her late 50s, but she had a bunion removed about 5 months ago on her foot – would it be advisable to come to class?

Or, shall it be only private Yoga practice? Also, what would be your idea, in terms of therapeutic practices; and which asana would she need to avoid?

A: You might want to schedule a private session first – just to do an evaluation. You won’t know much until you see her.

Bunion surgery is usually the procedure to remove the bone of the big toe and foot. The procedure varies and recovery does as well. Bunion surgery reconstructs the big toe bone and may require screws and plates to be placed in the bone during recovery.

All that said: Any postures that put pressure on the big toe, or roll the big toe under the foot, should be practiced carefully, or avoided altogether.

She should be observed in private to see if she can modify them for regular classes with other students. Have her go easy and carefully.

Q: There is something I would like to find out from you. Many of my students, after class – as they are beginning Yoga (but some also that stick to the mat for a while) do say that they feel stiff, some even lightly sore. I do use intelligent sequencing and pay special detail to injuries and modifications.

What would be my best reply if they mention they are stiff afterwards (although it’s an antidote as they come to Yoga class to become more open and work on their flexibility)?

Beside that they are loving the classes, they do feel very relaxed and centered. I want to be in their best service, so I want to be able to explain to them what is actually happening to their bodies and the reason why they feel stiffer then beforehand.

A: My guess is they feel sore in the legs. This usually happens when students’ bodies are not prepared for a standing series. If they give Yoga a chance, the soreness will disappear in a week or two.

If they still feel pain, you may want to reduce the standing series practice time, and gradually increase it over a period of months. However, if students do not attend regularly, or practice at home, their bodies will never adapt to the standing series.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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

Q: I’ve been teaching yoga classes pretty steady. I’m on my second year of classes thru our local school(s) community education program, and I teach a separate class on my own. Three classes a week, run in six week sessions, with one week off, then we start the next session.

I’m somewhere near my 16th, 6 week session. It’s wonderfully fun. The issue is, I will get the new student here and there, but my core students have been the same from the very beginning. I don’t want them to get bored. When new students attend, I usually go over the same intro then spend the next couple of weeks learning basics (i.e. breathing, sun salutation, warm-ups, etc); always adding a new posture or two or specific routines (i.e. energizers, calming, restoring).

The regulars are quite happy to “start” over every session — but I worry about them and I have to admit, me, getting bored with basic beginner’s yoga. I’m 52 yrs old, not exactly like a pretzel anymore. I certainly could use some mentoring or ”advanced” Yoga experience.

I live in a rural area of mid-west North America (and work full time) so getting to any other Yoga classes or workshops has been very difficult. I realize I’m the one who has to grow and learn in order to share new things with my students — I was just wondering if you recommend any books, tapes, workshops, conferences, etc. that would help me stay fresh.

A: About books, tapes, workshops, conferences, and more: There is the Midwest Yoga Conference to consider. http://midwestyoga.com/teacher-training.php For online videos, visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/yoga-practice-videos.php – a paid membership is only $9.95 a month. The cost of a monthly membership is less than it would cost to buy one video; there is no need to store book cases full of DVDs.

Q: Also, I do all the postures and routines with everyone every time. They all follow me thru the poses and wait for my guidance by demonstrating. I guess I get exhausted and was wondering how I can get to a point where I just verbally guide (with returning students I suppose) or does a yoga teacher forever guide by doing all the time. I’m in really good shape and have plenty of strength, but sometimes I just want to sit and guide and not “do.” Sometimes I teach three Yoga classes in one day, and can’t tell you how tired I get sometimes. Do you have any ideas?

A: About classes and nearing burn out: There comes a time, when we have to practice Hatha Yoga in moderation. At the same time, all Yoga teachers should “work the room,” which means: observe your students by walking around the room, cue, and give timely assists when students need your help.

From what you have written, it seems like you feel guilty if you don’t participate in every technique. Remember: Only one person keeps you on the mat. Some Yoga teachers feel very comfortable on their own mat and fail to mentally connect with their students. Work the room, observe, and assist when you need to take a break. Your students will love you for the change. This brings to mind – there is a good book to read: “Yoga Posture Adjustments and Assisting,” by Stephanie Pappas; it is worth your time.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

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

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Do you wonder about the value of certifications earned on the Internet? How do you sort out who is reputable? When is a Yoga teacher correspondence course a viable option? How can anyone benefit from online certification? Will virtual training ever replace traditional face-to-face education of Yoga instructors? Let’s review these questions and sort through your options.

1. Is there a value in Yoga certifications or diplomas earned on the Internet? Many of the world’s Yoga registries, and Yoga certifying organizations, recognize the value of non-contact continuing education credits (CEUs).

Correspondence courses, and online courses, are a form of independent study in many fields, including Yoga. Distance learning credits may be applied toward re-certification or to keep a registration active.

2. How do you sort out which Yoga courses are reputable? If the certifying body specializes in Yoga, this is a major step. The certifying body should have a qualified Yoga teacher trainer on its staff. If the certifying body writes courses for aircraft mechanics and computer repair; you may want to shop around.

3. When is a Yoga teacher correspondence course a viable option? If a person is busy at work, has children at home, or has limited funds for a Yoga education, an online course may be the best option. If you live in a rural area or on an island, distance learning may be your only choice.

4. How can anyone benefit from online certification? Even a bad course would teach you more than you knew about Yoga. However, a well-rounded Yoga teacher course should give you new ideas, even if you have 10, 20, or 30 years of teaching experience.

5. Will virtual training ever completely replace traditional face-to-face education of Yoga instructors? Absolutely not. Yoga teacher education is an ongoing process. Over the years, teachers go through many stages of life. For example: The world economy will improve again. Instructors will have the funds for workshops, camps, and seminars in the future.

On the other hand, why turn away the chance for virtual online training? In comparison, it is much more cost effective than traditional face-to-face Yoga training. With the development of the Internet, and various forms of broadband technology, teacher trainers can now review interns, or established teachers, by streaming video.

This is only the beginning, because 3-D technology is about to make leaps forward within the next decade. Online Yoga teacher training will help instructors improve in an instant. Therefore, it will always be a valuable source of foundational training and continuing education.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Teacher Certification
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos.
Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
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On-Site or Online 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, Paul
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The Camp-in-a-Box

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There was a time, when we had one Yoga teacher training course. The original Camp in a Box was located on a five page website for years, but times change and we receive many requests from those who teach Yoga and those who want to teach in the future.

Yoga instructors often desire to reach out to specific groups of people. For this reason, we kept developing courses, which would help teachers who want to specialize. Below is a compound question related to our 200 and 240 hour Yoga certification courses.

Q: The style of Yoga I prefer is Vinyasa, I saw you also had an instructor’s training in this style. Now which do you recommend? You have the Camp in a Box, the Scratch and Dent sale, the Camp in a Box Basic, and the Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training Course. How do they differ?

A: People are guided by their passion for a subject. You stated: “The style of Yoga I prefer is Vinyasa.” With that said, will any other course honestly meet your needs? However, let’s review these four courses and compare them to each other.

The Camp in a Box and the Scratch and Dent sale: These two 240 hour Yoga teacher correspondence courses are the same course. The biggest difference is the Scratch and Dent sale materials have been used by an intern at our facility, or the materials arrived new, but were scuffed, scratched, or dented in transit to us. However, they have been inspected and are guaranteed to work.

The Camp in a Box, and the Scratch and Dent sale courses, are for teachers who want to reach the largest audience students. These courses are Hatha Yoga based. As a result, they focus on every aspect of Hatha Yoga.

The 200-hour Camp in a Box basic is a streamlined and slimmed down version of the original Camp in a Box. The foundational knowledge, which every Hatha Yoga teacher should know, is the bedrock of this course. There are two DVDs about marketing and business included as elective parts of the program.

The 240-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training Course is a specialist program for teachers who feel that they are going to teach active crowds that crave a lot of movement. If your heart calls you to Vinyasa, you may want to take a closer look to compare it with the other three Yoga courses.

All of these courses have the same foundational written exam and each one evolved as a result of requests from existing Yoga teachers and those who aspire to teach.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Yoga Teacher Certification
FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos.
Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”
On-Site Yoga 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, Paul