Posts Tagged ‘Yoga Teacher Training’

By Samantha Grayson, CYT

There is much more to Hatha Yoga than asana practice.  Every competent Yoga teacher training graduate knows about the major, minor, and lesser chakras.  Every Yoga certification course worth its weight teaches graduates about the subtle body of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine.

There are many different beliefs regarding the number of major chakras in the Yogic subtle body. It seems the most common theory is seven or eight major chakras or nerve centers in the subtle body. Each chakra is described with a color, flower with a specific number of petals, personality characteristics, a corresponding part of the body and an element.

Not all Yoga systems or Gurus completely agree on the exact characteristics of the seven major chakras.  Each chakra also has a corresponding mantra sound to awaken it. In Kundalini yoga there is a serpent (the Kundalini) at the first chakra and the serpent can be awakened as it moves through the seven main chakras. As the chakras are balanced, under the guidance of a competent Guru, a Yoga practitioner can reach deeper levels of consciousness.

1. First Chakra, Muladhara - this is a yellow chakra with four petals. Its element is earth and its mantra sound is LAM. The body part associated with this charka is the base or root. Its is associated with being grounded and balanced characteristics are roundedness, physical health, being comfortable with your body, stability, safety, prosperity and being present in the here and now.

2. Second chakra, Swahisthana – this is a white chakra with 6 petals. Its element is water and its mantra is VAM. The body part associated with this chakra is the abdomen and reproduction. It is associated with moving and its balancing characteristics are gracefulness, ability to embrace change , emotional intelligence, being nurturing, ability to set boundaries and enjoy pleasure, passion and sexual satisfaction

3. Third chakra, Manipura – This is the red chakra with 10 petals. Its element is fire and its mantra is RAM. It is associated with Directing. The part of the body associated with this chakra is the solar plexus. Balancing characteristics are Full voice, good communication and listening skills, good sense of timing and rhythm.

4. Fourth chakra, Anahata – This is a green chakra and has 12 petals, its element is air and its mantra is Yam. It is associated with loving and is associated with the lungs, heart, pericardium upper ribs, inner arms and hands, Balancing characteristics are caring, compassion, empathy, acceptance, self loving peaceful centered and contentment.

5. Fifth Chakra, Vishuddha – This is the sea-blue chakra that has 16 petals. Its element is ether and it mantra is Ham. It is associated with expression and is referred to as the throat chakra connecting the neck, shoulders, mouth and jaw and related to the thyroid gland. Balancing characteristics are full voice, communicates and listens well, good sense of timing and rhythm and creativity.

6. Sixth chakra – Ajna – This snow white chakra has two petals. OM mantra is OM. This chakra is about seeing both internally and externally, It is associated with the eyes The balancing characteristics are strong intuition, insight, imagination, memory, dream recall, visualization and has a guiding vision for life.

7. Seventh chakra – Sahasrara – The thousand petal chakra corresponds to the Absolute. When the serpent, kundalini reaches the seventh chakra the yogi attains Samadhi or super consciousness. The crown charka is the most important it is the consciousness of all other chakra. It is associated spiritual connection, wisdom and mastery, intelligence, being open minded, ability to question, assimilate and analyze information.

Samantha Grayson is a certified Yoga teacher.

We are accepting recycled Yoga course materials in exchange for store credits. If you are interested in recycling your old Yoga teacher training course, please feel free to contact us.

Please do not send Hi-8 or Mini DV video tapes. As we have mentioned in the past, US Government scanning equipment de-magnetizes and erases these video formats. DVDs are fine and many Yoga teacher interns are sending streaming videos through www.yousendit.com

Currently, Yoga teacher exam turn around times are two to three weeks.

By Samantha Grayson, CYT

Many Yoga certification courses outside of India omit the Eight Limbs of Yoga in their training. Some of these graduates may not learn anything about meditation, yama, niyama, pranayama or Patanjali. You may learn 20 to 30 asanas and become a Yoga teacher.

After spending a lot of money with one yoga teacher training facility, I learned just 28 postures and nothing else. To skip by pranayama and meditation is not Yoga. It is a stretch exercise class only.

About Pranayama: When we are born we breathe deeply naturally, but as we grow into adults our breathing becomes shallow and we cannot purify our body through breath. Breathing is one of the ways the body receives prana and cleans the body. Small shallow breaths don’t allow the body to receive and store prana or remove toxins from the body.

The four stages of breathing are Inhalation or puraka, Pause in breathing called kumbhaka, exhalation or rechaka and again a pause in breathing with empty lungs, bahya kumbhaka. All stages should be continuous and evenly controlled. Special attention should be made during rechaka to be sure all the air is expelled form the body during exhalation.

If old air is left in the body the ability to take in new air during puraka is severely hampered. Pranayama is a method for using these four stages in controlling your breathing to a rhythm, instead of working on autopilot. Control is the key to learning to make manual breathing slow, comfortable and receive the maximum benefit. In time, with practice breathing with four parts can calm the nervous system free a person from anxiety, fear and negative emotions. This tranquility can be carried in yoga poses and also into daily life.

According to Dr. Behanan: The chief purpose of yogic breathing is – to increase the consumption of oxygen with the minimum of physical exertion, under conditions probably favorable for the storage of oxygen. James Hewitt, the author of “The Complete Yoga Book,” found this explanation so important that he used italics to emphasize his point. Breathing in Yoga varies from other forms of exercise in that it increases consumption of oxygen and therefore creates energy without large amounts of physical exercise or use of that energy.

Pranayama can also be practiced for healing. Much like a battery that has been depleted, the body running on little, or no, energy cannot renew cells, or fight disease. A body that is a fully charged can renew itself better and disease doesn’t have a chance to take root. Also a fully charged body in an experienced yogi can transfer some of their prana to another in need. This allows the Yoga practitioner to recover more quickly and heal faster.

Samantha Grayson is a certified Yoga teacher.

By Sanjeev Patel

According to many experienced Yoga teachers, meditation is the ultimate end of a Yoga class. That may be, but how does a Yoga teacher show beginner students how to calm their minds? The answer is: Teach your students to relax before breath observance or awareness meditation session. Here is how I learned to practice this form of relaxation, while training at Aura Wellness Center.

Stage by state relaxation is a sequence which begins by lying on your back in Shivasana, or Corpse pose. The breath is observed for a few minutes, with no aim of controlling it. This is followed by two deep inhalations and exhalations, letting the abdomen swell out on the inhalations and drawing it in towards the backbone on the exhalations. After two breaths, let the abdominal wall relax completely. Now observe the breathing until it becomes quiet and smooth, then let your attention move over the body in the following sequence, looking for tension in each part and releasing any tension so the muscles rest with all their weight.

Careful attention should be noted as to the feeling of tension, and the feeling of relaxation. The sequence is: left foot, left calf, left thigh, front and rear; right foot, right calf, right thigh, front and rear; pelvis; abdomen; lower back; chest; upper back; left hand; left forearm; left upper arm, front and rear; left shoulder; right hand; right forearm, right upper arm, front and rear, right shoulder; throat; neck; jaw; lips; tongue; eyes; brow; scalp. Remember to relax fingers and toes so they feel limp, when relaxing the hands and feet. After going over the entire body, return to observing the breath for several minutes.

Now begin the sequence again, from feet to head, and continue for fifteen to thirty minutes. The entire body should be relaxed, and free of tension, and the mind should be peaceful.

This is what I learned while studying with Paulji. I also learned many more forms of relaxation and even more forms of meditation, while training at Aura. The modern mindset has become much like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or AD/HD), which is a common neurobehavioral developmental disorder of the 21st century.

Knowing this, every Yoga teacher training course should break down the meditation process for teaching beginners with mind calming building blocks. This enables teachers to take the average person from relaxation and transcend into higher forms of meditation as each stage of training the mind is mastered. It’s one thing for interns to understand how to clam their minds. It’s quite another matter to take people off the street and enable them to train their minds.

© Copyright 2010 – Sanjeev Patel / 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

Who fits the profile of a future Hatha Yoga instructor? Do you envision a perennial spiritual seeker, a specific body type, or an athlete for life? Yoga teachers come from all walks of life, with a variety of life experiences and the desire to help others. The three following examples are not the most likely, and their names have been changed for their privacy.

Joe the Yoga Teacher

This is not “Joe the Plumber” from the 2008 US Presidential Election. Joe had a challenging childhood, grew up in poverty, and fell through “the cracks of society.” In his teens, he became a homeless drug addict. After years on the city streets, he became acquainted with Hatha Yoga, while going through drug rehabilitation.

Joe states: “Up to the point where I began to study Yoga, I never considered having anything like a life purpose. My life was full of painful memories and all I wanted was my next fix.” The change from drug abuse to Yoga enthusiast was not instant; but during this visit to drug rehabilitation, his life direction changed. Now, Joe teaches Yoga to people in his old neighborhood, who are seeking a better life.

Jayne the Yoga Instructor

Jayne is a single mother of three, who was exposed to Yoga in a corporate fitness center. She began to practice independently with books, magazines, DVDs, and while searching the Internet for more information. Although she has limited funds, she found affordable methods for studying and for obtaining her Yoga certification.

At the same time, she also taught her children Yogic values. Jayne said, “Meals are healthy, we eat together, we practice together, and we study together. My children are able to prioritize, see improvements now, and look to a brighter future.” Not surprisingly, on nights when Jayne teaches, Jayne’s children can be found in a Yoga class or studying in the waiting area.

Ben the Yoga Instructor

Ben lived a middle-class childhood, went directly to college from high school; his parents will have their 50th wedding anniversary next year. Ben worked in business management after college, continued to attend college part-time during evening hours, and life seemed like a stream of financial success. Suddenly, the 21st century arrived, and the job market squeezed him into unemployment four times in eight years.

Ben practiced for 16 years, with three different teachers, but never considered Yoga teacher training. He states: “I was always too busy with my job, working toward my master’s degree, or spending time with my family, to think about teaching Yoga classes.” The last time Ben found himself unemployed, he decided to become a Yoga instructor. Now, he teaches full time as an independent contractor.

Who really fits the profile of a Yoga teacher? It all depends on where we are in life, and what we consider to be important. One common thread is that, every person who teaches Yoga classes, has the desire to make a difference - by helping others become aware of a better way of living.

© 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

AOL Delivery

It has come to our attention that more than 90% of our AOL subscribers did not receive last week’s newsletter. Aura has been in contact with AOL; however, AOL has stated that there is no block on our newsletters. Our suggestion is if you have an alternate Email, such as Gmail, Yahoo, etc., please switch your subscription preferences to use that address. This problem is unique only to AOL and no other ISP/ Email provider.

If you keep your newsletter preferences (with AOL being your Email address), you will most likely receive the newsletters, but the delivery will be sporadic; you may not receive updated information about the latest news, articles, video, and offers.

I am also an AOL member, and my newsletters are being blocked, as well. This does create a situation, where my mail is being screened, without my permission. Many Yoga Teacher Training Interns contact me at my AOL address. While this will continue, I will be adding an alternate Email address for student support. The reasoning being – that I want to ensure you are able to reach me, and I am able to reach you, without interruption. My new Email address will be paul@yoga-teacher-training.org

Although my AOL address will still be active, I encourage all of our Yoga Teacher Training Interns to contact me at the new address.  General questions can still be answered, by replying to the newsletter, or contacting info@yoga-teacher-training.org directly.

Exams

Unfortunately, no matter how many exams we grade per day, we can never complete the grading of them all. Typically, 5 – 9 exams arrive each day, which has kept our turnaround time at about 3 weeks. There are a number of issues that will help us improve the time it takes to process exams. Please enter your name, address, Email, and telephone number to the heading of any written work. When submitting your DVDs, please enter all of your contact information, on the DVD, or on the case.

From this day forward, exams submitted without contact information, will not be graded. The time it takes to research our files, and make an educated guess, as to which exam belongs to which student, has taken a large segment of time that could be put to better use by grading exams. We are confident this will be an effective solution to help reduce our turnaround times.

2010 Yoga Back Care Intensive at Aura Wellness Center in Attleboro, Massachusetts

With Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Aura will be hosting a specialized summer intensive, “Yoga for Back Care.” This intensive will begin on Friday, July 30, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. and conclude on Sunday, August 1, 2010, at 12:00 noon.

Some of the subjects covered will be, but are not limited to:

• What structures make up the back?

• What are the common causes of back pain?

• What conditions are associated with back pain?

• How Hatha Yoga is effective for back pain.

• How Hatha Yoga can prevent back pain.

• Quick Yoga tips for a healthier back.

• Back pain research.

Classes will meet at the following times:

Friday, July 30, 2010, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 31, 2010, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (We will break for lunch at 1:00 p.m.) *

Sunday, August 1, 2010, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

*A Saturday lunch will be catered by Panera Bread (Included).

Accommodations are not included. For details about lodging in the Attleboro area, please visit the following link:

http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/yoga-teacher-training-intensive.htm

Some of our visitors stay in the Providence, RI area – which is close to tourist attractions and the TF Green International Airport.

Upon completion of this intensive, you will receive a Yoga Back Care Certificate and Reference Letter, stating that you have completed 14 contact hours.

The cost of this intensive is $750 (USD) per person.

If payment, in full, is made by May 15, 2010, the Early Registration Fee is $650 (USD).

To sign up, please visit: http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Yoga-for-Back-Care-Intensive.html

To save $100, please use discount coupon code is: EBDISCOUNT

Registration must be submitted by July 01, 2010. Late Registrations will not be accepted. The course has a limited number of participants, therefore, please reserve by July 01, 2010.

Note: This intensive is subject to cancellation if the above requirement for minimum participation is not met.

You must be 18 years of age, or older, to participate in this Intensive.

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

The more we know, the more we realize how much more there is to learn. In Yoga, and in life, each day is a new lesson. Some interns think that, the material they learn in a 200 hour Yoga teacher training will be the “end all” to their education.

After a month into teaching, most of us of us develop a method for expanding our continuing education. The following five tips will help any Yoga teacher gradually reach maximum potential, while living a multi-faceted life.

1. Determine your exact direction. This may depend on the needs of your students or your own quest for personal growth. Whether you are considering training toward the 500 hour level, or becoming a Yoga teacher specialist, you want to draw up a plan to stay on course – without getting “side tracked.”

2. Move forward with purpose. Do you think you can make a habit of studying Yoga for one hour per day? It seems reasonable enough. Imagine how much you could learn in one year. After one year, you will have 365 hours of independent study – in a direction that you can apply toward your student’s needs, your personal growth, or both.

3. Take a realistic look at the pace of your progress. Even when we have a deep passion for Yoga, we must realize that independent study is not a race. Not everyone can study for seven hours per week. Some will study more, but most will study less. It is best to set a steady pace and enjoy life along the way.

4. Reflect back on your progress. It is easy to start a journey, but many can become discouraged along the path. Stop to think about how much you have accomplished. If we invest just four hours of study per week, we have 52 hours of study after three months. Your own continuing education program is a big help to students who depend on your knowledge.

5. Make continuing education a regular part of life. Education, in a subject that we find fascinating, is stimulating, and makes life worth living. As Yoga teachers, we realize that we are students for life. There are many benefits that come with a Yoga teaching position. The lifestyle is healthy. The continuing education stimulates your mind. Your students adopt a less stressful lifestyle. You feel the rewards of watching your students improve their lives.

© 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