Posts Tagged ‘yoga course’

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

There comes a day when each of us “takes up the torch” from the preceding generation. For some of us, this event may happen in our family life, at work, with the passing of one’s Guru, or after a Yoga teacher training course has concluded. We learn valuable lessons from the generation ahead of us. Then, we initially tend to copy the ways of our teachers, before we become creative Yoga teachers.

Build a Yogic Foundation

It is good to have a solid foundation of knowledge before we become innovators. On the other hand, some restless souls cannot wait to “reinvent the wheel.” Creativity is a wonderful thing, but who wants to spend years creating something that was created hundreds of years ago? For this reason, each Yoga teacher should spend time researching the classic texts.

Let the Gurus of the past be your guides, through their writings and your independent research. Let the written works, and videos of today’s most innovative Yoga teachers, be your path toward becoming the best you can be. There is no need to travel the teaching path alone or to recreate what has already been created.

Remember the saying: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” Why should any of us spend time creating a solution to something that has been solved years ago? This is why education, research, and building a foundation of Yogic knowledge, is so important for all Yoga instructors. Yet, there are many written works by Yoga teachers from the past and present. In fact, the book shelves contain more literature than a lifetime of reading could consume.

Social Networks for Yoga Teachers

At this time, there is no need to teach Yoga without peer support, unless you choose to. There was a time when teachers visited their Guru, and it was a great journey. It may have required a pilgrimage, mountain climbing skills, or traveling by ship half way around the world. At his point in time, we have teacher networks, air travel, and Internet Yoga teacher communities.

If you live on a secluded island, but have Internet access, you can trade ideas with Yoga instructors from any part of the world. When answers cannot be found within, it is time to look outside for fresh ideas. At the same time, it should be noted that not every new idea may be applicable to your classes or students. Each Yoga school is unique, and the same can be said for the students within a given school.

It is always best to test new methods and see which methods are a good fit for the greater body of students. When absorbing and testing new methods in your Yoga classes, it never hurts to network with related fields. Chiropractors, physicians, nurses, holistic healers, physical therapists, and personal trainers have practical knowledge in regard to safety and methods from within their professions.

© 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

How do you define “finding yourself” and what does this phrase mean? Would becoming a Yoga instructor help one find himself or herself? There are many people, who struggle with their direction and purpose in life, but how can intensive Yoga training help?

When we say: “I need time to find myself,” what are we really saying? We feel lost, our sense of direction is off, and we may wonder why we are here. During times like these, we are spiritually, emotionally, and mentally vulnerable to outside suggestions.

Our belief system can be fragile, or unstable, due to sudden circumstances of our childhood. To find our direction and purpose in life, we should be able to look within – but what if we find no answers? In such cases, further study from reliable outside sources is required.

The traditional answer to finding oneself might be military service, academic education, technical education, religious education, or finding yourself on the job. Yet, for some of us, finding oneself may be a life long journey. The problem being – there is no “one size fits all” solution to finding one’s life purpose.

The traditional Yogic approach has been to become an under study to a Guru. If we have found a true Guru, we would hear the truth (sravana) from his or her teachings. However, faith in another human being may be limited. The typical Yoga teacher training may be more about exercise (asana) than finding oneself.

At the same time, online Yoga teacher course options have grown. An Internet- based Yoga certification course offers flexibility and little or no dogma. This allows a teacher or student the ability to find answers from a variety of sources.

This also reveals that there is often more than one possible answer to a question. Finding answers to the puzzles of life can be a challenge. Training the mind to seek rational solutions, ultimately, makes each of us a “finder” instead of a seeker.

To become a finder, one must open his or her perception (samjnana). There is no guarantee that any of us can find our life purpose, unless we begin to find the answers from within. True awareness (samvid) comes from within.

The best Yoga teacher in the world can only live so long, and carry us only so far. At some point in life, we must find answers and solutions on our own. This quality we know as “innovation” makes us teachers in our own right.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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

Yoga Certification Courses

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

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Taking an intensive Yoga course is a great way to take control of your life, direction, and destiny. Not everyone wants to teach Yoga classes, but an intensive course will instill inner confidence and reveal many methods for establishing self-mastery.

Intensives often reveal hidden facets of Yoga practice. These are not usually covered in regular classes, due to the revolving door of new students. It is easy for most students to become side-tracked during class time, in pursuit of physical mastery, but that is only one preliminary step toward mastering oneself.

The mind sits in the “driver’s seat” of the body. To develop a trained mind, through study, meditation, transformation, self-analysis, and self-realization is true self-mastery. To be in control, when surrounded by criticism and pessimism, is pure inner strength.

How often have you seen an elite athlete lose concentration during a competitive event? In a sporting event, the difference between victory and defeat is often related to the competitor’s frame of mind. Just the slightest lack of focus can become a major difference in the outcome during contests between professional athletes.

Many of us are so addicted to thinking that physical prowess is the final answer to everything; we often forget the mind is the driving force behind our physical actions. We see many people who display control, compassion, grace, awareness, and fortitude into their senior years.

Yet, seniors are often under appreciated, when engaging in conversations with their grandchildren. Who holds a grandchild’s attention longer – the cell phone or the good conversation with Grandma? If the cell phone rings off, most grandchildren will answer, even though they are in the middle of a conversation with a grandparent.

There is no need to say, “Excuse me” anymore. Do we blame society, parents, or technology? This is not the time for blaming anyone, or anything. It is time to realize that the power of the mind is being ignored by too many people. Technology has leaped so far forward that we are losing touch with ourselves.

It is often said that we are losing touch with nature. While this is true for a great many, it is also true that many of us run on auto pilot. Sometimes, children grow and nobody notices, until they move out. Sometimes, people consume two or three thousand calories during their commutes to work, without giving it a thought.

What could a Yoga teacher training course do to change this rapid pace of life? It depends on the subject matter covered, but you can easily find out by researching the course online or over the phone. You may want to inquire about the objectives, benefits, and requirements of a Yoga teacher course.

Recently, a friend of mine mentioned that the top requirement for all teacher interns, to graduate, was to stand on their head, at one of the Yoga intensives she attended. That is such a silly, ludicrous, and superficial requirement, that I could not contain my laughter.

Most children, who are 10 years of age, can easily pass the test; but if you have eye problems, have had a previous stroke, high blood pressure, heart problems, neck problems, sinus problems, or epilepsy – you would be wise to avoid performing a headstand.

Therefore, do your research about courses before taking one. Yoga is much more than a gymnastic event. Yoga instructors are human too. Many good teachers have eye problems, have had a previous stroke, high blood pressure, heart problems, neck problems, sinus problems, or epilepsy.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Yoga Teacher Training. FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.” http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

On-Site or Online Yoga Teacher Training Courses

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