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About Yoga for Cancer Recovery

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

become a certified restorative yoga instructorBy Faye Martins

Cancer touches all of us. Whether it’s us or someone we love, the trauma of diagnosis and the uncertainty of recovery make us anxious and vulnerable. When it comes to staying clear-headed and present, nothing beats Yoga. Now researchers agree; Yogic techniques can lessen stress, reduce side effects, and prolong survival of cancer patients.

The Benefits

• Yoga reduces anxiety, thereby improving emotional and physical health. Stress increases levels of toxic hormones in the bloodstream and puts the body in “fight or flight” mode. It also lowers levels of “feel-good” hormones. Yogic methods, on the other hand, elevates good hormones and lowers bad ones, reversing the harmful effects of stress.

• Yoga training improves circulation and floods the organs with a supply of freshly oxygenated blood. In addition to helping the organs work more efficiently, it reduces inflammation by getting rid of stagnant lymph.

• Yoga strengthens the immune system, making it easier for cancer patients to battle disease, recover from surgery, and overcome side effects.

• Asanas restore balance and energy. Patients sleep better and feel they can do something positive to keep their bodies healthy.

• Yogic methods lead to a sense of inner peace, quieting the mind and making it easier for patients to make wise decisions and live healthy lifestyles.

Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit. It is only fitting that poses, meditation, and breathing techniques work together to produce these benefits. Likewise, the benefits of a Yoga practice overlap. It’s hard to separate the mind, body, and soul; and it’s difficult to separate the immune system, the adrenaline system, and the nervous system. It all works together to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Teaching Yoga to Cancer Patients

Yoga for cancer patients usually consists of gentle, restorative poses, mild forms of pranayama, and relaxation techniques, which narrows the style selection to restorative, therapeutic, gentle, Viniyoga, Iyengar or Yoga Therapy. The teacher must be competent, compassionate, and understanding. If you are a prospective student, you do not need a pushy instructor. If you are an instructor, you should have the qualifications, experience, and understanding for the task. If not, refer your prospects to colleagues who can really help. Both teachers and students should consider the following:

• It is always a strongly advised to get medical approval before starting a new exercise program, and that includes Restorative Yoga.

• Students’ needs vary, especially when they are in recovery. Private lessons may be a good idea, at least in the beginning, to develop an appropriate regimen.

• Students should stop at the first sign of nausea or dizziness – or when something doesn’t feel comfortable. Self-trust is critical.

Although every student has specific goals and needs, all can benefit from some aspect of Yogic methodology. A well-trained teacher makes that happen.

Do you want to become a yoga teacher? See our selection of affordable 200 hour yoga teacher training intensive courses.

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Yoga Teacher Training: Diabetes

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

yoga certificationBy Gopi Rao

If you are considering a yoga certification course, you may want to understand diabetes and many other ailments. For those of us who already teach classes, all of the progress we have seen against diseases and suffering do not count in the eyes of scientific research. Science only recognizes its testing, studies and research as factual. At first, we might resent science for throwing out thousands of years of yogic research and claiming it is all biased information. For us to prove yogic methods work, yoga schools have to open the doors to medical and scientific scrutiny. We also have to be prepared to deliver proof and name sources of studies.

One Sample Diabetes Study

Source: Hegde SV, Adhikari P, Kotian S, et al. Effect of 3-month yoga on oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes with or without complications: a controlled clinical trial. Diabetes Care. 34(10):2208-10, 2011.

In 2011, researchers announced links between yogic practices and improved health amongst diabetes patients. While most yoga instructors can give anecdotal evidence that yogic exercise relieves diabetes symptoms, the research helped bolster the link between the two.

The 2011 study followed 123 students who were middle aged or older, and who participated in gentle or restorative forms of yoga. Participants reduced their BMI (Body Mass Index) by an average of four points, many of them from the cusp of what is considered to be obese to that of a healthy adult.

These students were able to lose an average of two to five pounds within a three month period, and experienced a drop in their blood sugar levels. The students added yoga to their existing forms of care, including regular exercise and healthy eating.

While the researchers were quick to point out that the classes did not give students a large change in weight or hip circumference, they also stated that the participants who did not add posture practice (asana) to their care, experienced no additional benefits whatsoever. The fact that yoga training had an even slight effect on weight and blood sugar levels gave researchers enough confidence to suggest that diabetes patients add it to a regular exercise practice.

The researchers were also quick to point out that some forms of yogic movement should be avoided by students who were not already regular practitioners. Ashtanga and power styles had the highest risk of injury for students who were not experienced in practicing asanas. Regardless of the type of postures a student practiced, the more vigorous poses should be avoided by most diabetes patients due to the risk of injury if they were improperly performed.

Some studios and diabetes treatment centers responded to the study by starting yoga training sessions that were tailored to meet the weight management and the specific health needs of diabetes patients. While prospective students are always cautioned to consult with a doctor before starting a program, these classes give novices a safe place to begin a practice under a yoga instructor’s watchful eye.

While gentler forms of yogic exercise do not offer the blood glucose management effects that aerobic exercise provides, asana practice as been proven to be an efficient way for students to manage their diabetes. Students who chose to start a practice will find yogic methods to be additional tools to manage their health while improving their overall well being.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our complete selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please feel free to visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Teacher-Courses/

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 for Diabetes Studies

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

After a new instructor’s first Yoga teacher training intensive, he or she may teach in many different atmospheres. When teaching in a corporate, medical, legal or academic setting, the person who initially hires you may ask for proof of Yogic methodology’s benefits.

You may be asked questions from people who want to know more, are pure skeptics, want to throw you off guard, or just don’t share our faith in a practice we’ve devoted decades to learn. Everything we say is anecdotal, unless we have proof in the form of studies, tests, and research. Let’s look at one serious condition and review how the therapeutic aspects of Yoga have help up during studies.

The Trouble with Diabetes

Diabetes is growing at alarming rates, and some of the latest research shows that Yoga can be a helpful intervention. Based on information from the “2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet,” over eight percent of children and adults in the United States have diabetes. Of these, seven million are undiagnosed, and additional 79 million are pre-diabetic.

Type 1 diabetes, commonly known as juvenile-onset diabetes, usually occurs in youth under the age of 20 and requires treatment with insulin injections or pumps. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is frequently diagnosed in adults who are in their 30s or older and overweight. While type 1 diabetics must follow strict diets and get plenty of exercise, type 2 diabetics are sometimes able to avoid medication by making lifestyle changes. They are the subject of research regarding Yoga and diabetes.

The Studies and Research

• The National Institutes of Health reviewed 73 summaries of studies done between 1985 and 2007 to evaluate the use of Yoga in the management of diabetes. They acknowledged the health benefits of the practice and validated its potential as a tool for preventing diabetes. They determined, however, that more study is needed to determine the most efficient way to offer training and to identify the kinds of practices that are the most helpful.

• In August 2011, “Diabetes Care” reported the results of a study involving 123 adults of middle age and above who added Yoga to their standard care for type 2 diabetes. Not only did they have modest weight loss over three months, but their average blood sugar levels remained steady, too. On the other hand, blood sugar levels rose in the “control” that did not practice Yoga.

• Shreelaxmi V. Hedge of the Srinivas Institute of Medical Science and Research Center in Mangalore, India, agrees that Yogic techniques can be helpful, but he says it will work better when the exercise regimen is more strenuous. At his institute, 60 participants practiced Yoga several times a week, and their body mass index, a measure of weight in relation to height, dropped from 25.9 to 25.4. A BMI over 25 is generally considered overweight.

As in any other illness, any change in treatment should be carefully discussed with medical professionals before implementing. However, it is common knowledge that a regular Yoga practice helps the adrenaline system, and the rest of the body, operate more smoothly. Since this is the same system affected by diabetes, it only stands to reason that Yoga training would help manage diabetes.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our complete selection of Yoga instructor training courses, please feel free to visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Teacher-Courses/

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: Prevention

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Faye Martins 

Yogic methodology is sometimes referred to as a solution to all problems, but with laws as they are, many yoga instructors are careful not to over promise. Yoga teacher training web sites constantly warn instructors about making unrealistic promises that we can’t deliver. What we can morally promise is reduced pain and prevention. 

The Common Mindset 

We sometimes put the cart before the horse. We wait until something goes wrong with our bodies, and then we try to fix them. Often that leads to expensive medical tests and medications and fails to address the cause of the problems in the first place. 

Yogic philosophy works the other way around, teaching people to live in ways that promote healthy mental, physical and emotional habits. Yoga was never designed to be quick solutions for workday stress, obesity or disc problems. Instead, it is a holistic discipline intended to pave the way to optimal health and spiritual well being. 

Western Perception 

Initially associated mostly with the young counter culture of the 1960s, Yoga slowly infiltrated mainstream global society throughout the 20th century. Today its practice takes place everywhere from traditional studios to medical centers. Scientific research validates its capacity to heal, and many doctors now recommend Yoga to patients as complementary therapy for everything from high blood pressure to cancer. 

While Yogic techniques make it easier to cope with existing ailments, most people underrate their capacity to prevent disease and maintain good health. For best results, a Yoga training session should be regular and comprehensive, but benefits can result from more limited routine, as well.

Ten Ways Yogic Methodology Promotes Good Health

• Reduces stress and lowers adrenaline levels

• Helps to control weight

• Alleviates pain

• Improves circulation

• Strengthens immune system

• Lowers blood pressure

• Improves digestion

• Increases levels of serotonin

• Contributes to mental alertness

• Relaxes muscles and nervous system

The importance of the mind, body and spirit connection is relatively new to modern medicine. Now that we know it is impossible to create changes in thinking or emotions without creating changes in the physical body, and vice versa, disciplines like Yoga become increasingly vital to our well-being.

Today, as many as four out of every five visits to doctors involve medical issues that are stress related. Yoga helps to prevent disease, manage existing ailments, and reduce stress. It also provides a sense of community and support for people undergoing similar challenges and stages of life, another factor shown by research to contribute to longer, happier lives.

© 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: Digestion

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

yoga trainingBy Sanjeev Patel 

Good digestion is something that many of us take for granted. For those who do not enjoy a stable and reliable digestive system, life is often very difficult. Frequent diarrhea makes you feel like a prisoner in your own bathroom, while frequent constipation is painful and distracting. We all want our digestion to work well so that we don’t even have to think about it, and for many people yoga is an important key that gets the digestive engine running smoothly again. 

Your system of digestion is a complex and amazing process. Digestive ailments sometimes occur when our system is out of balance. At times our diet is to blame, or lack of exercise, but other times the causes are not so clear-cut. Certainly stress and emotional distress cause digestive troubles for some people while for others the culprit is impossible to pinpoint. Happily, yoga training can help in many situations because it addresses a wide range of potential issues; it is a form of exercise but it also improves body imbalances and helps us release feelings of stress or anxiety. 

As many of us learn in yoga teacher training, asanas that are spinal twists massage and stimulate the abdominal area are excellent for helping to relieve gas and constipation. As a yoga teacher, you know that Cat and Cow are asanas that are normally done as a pair, and they effectively stimulate digestion while stretching out the spinal area to make sure there are no constrictions there to impede digestion. The Standing Forward Bend also stimulates the digestive system and Downward Facing Dog is an asana that relaxes the entire gastrointestinal system, but because these poses are inversions they are not recommended if you are experiencing nausea or heartburn. 

Deep pranayama from the belly also helps to regulate digestion. Breath is an unconscious activity for most of us, but if you notice your breath you may find it is quite weak. When you are breathing short and shallow, your body interprets this as being under attack and releases the stress hormones that interrupt normal body activities, readying your body for fight or flight. Deep breathing has a calming effect on the nervous system, which in turn calms the other systems in your body, allowing them to function normally instead of operating in a state of constant stress. Yoga breathing (pranayama) will calm your body during class and once you learn the techniques you can carry them over to your daily life, as well.

© 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: Aging

Sunday, September 2nd, 2012

yoga trainingBy Jenny Park

How many of your students participate in yoga training in order to age gracefully?  The first I became aware of this was during yoga instructor training, when students older than my mom looked about 10 years older than me.  In the public eye, anyone can pick a celebrity that they admire who seems as if they must have found the Fountain of Youth. I can guarantee that nine times out of ten, that celebrity practices yoga or pays huge bills for cosmetic surgery.

Many celebrities have made a point to say that yoga is a frequent practice for them. The effects of aging are many; there are the obvious signs, which include wrinkles, weakened or stiff limbs, and bad posture.  Then there are the internal issues that many develop like arthritis, and loss of body functions. Regardless, if you are in the public eye, or just the average Joe or Jane, aging is typically not much fun.  However, when students take up yoga, they keep the secret of agelessness in their pockets.  The best part of knowing, of course, is sharing.

Yoga training definitely fights the ailments of aging.  It strengthens the musculoskeletal system, improves the functions of every vital organ, and gives the body much more physical and mental strength as an added bonus to help deal with the roller coaster we call life.  No one wants to spend their later years in pain with every step they take, and by just practicing a simple yoga routine three times a week it can be avoided.

Studies Show

Studies have proven that yogic exercise can prevent or improve kyphosis or the syndrome that causes the elderly to hunch over, Rheumatoid Arthritis, menopausal symptoms and even Diabetes.  It seems the more studies that are done on yoga benefits; the more the simple practice seems like a preventative measure for almost everything that may burden you.  However, beyond the science of it there are millions of happy people who can rave the benefits of yoga training.

Advice for Beginners

Chances are if you ask around, a coworker, friend, or family member can attest to how yoga changed their life. The best part is that they will more than likely share their enthusiasm and help get you going to a better you! Support and a good yoga instructor are essential to your success. In addition, it’s long been known that being surrounded by like-minded individuals can also contribute to happiness and health.

Tips for Teachers

Here’s an idea for an introductory class: A yoga workshop with anti-aging information has potential.  I’m sure you can find one local salon or spa that would be interested in networking with you.  It’s that time of year to consider a pumpkin face mask!  Seed your studio and website with information.  Don’t forget to mention that reducing stress can add years to one’s life.

© 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: Glaucoma

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Faye Martins

After you become a yoga instructor, you come to the realization that some of your students should have their doctor’s permission before attending a class. Let’s face it, we constantly give warnings to students just like we were taught to in our 200-hour yoga teacher training courses, but do we understand every ailment and why we give the precautions? With that said, let’s review one of the most common eye problems and why students need to talk to their doctors.

Glaucoma is a diverse disease affecting the eyes. There are several different types of glaucoma, characterized by increased pressure within the eye and causing loss of peripheral vision or damage to the optic nerve. In extreme cases, glaucoma can lead to blindness. Those suffering from glaucoma have treatment options including laser surgery, traditional surgery or medication. 

Depending on the severity of the disease, some patients might find relief from this pressure by performing inverted poses. Contrarily, some inversions should be avoided altogether for glaucoma patients because the added pressure on the eyes can cause further damage. If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma, it is important to speak with your doctor about what yoga poses would be beneficial and which poses to avoid. If you are a yoga instructor teaching a student with glaucoma you should exercise the utmost caution. 

Yoga instructors should recommend a few easy adjustments for glaucoma patients while the rest of the class performs inversions. Glaucoma patients can use bolsters or a chair to rest the upper body on during forward bends or wide-legged forward bends. Students can also substitute reclining hero pose, reclining bound angle pose or bridge pose while the rest of the class performs inversions. Encourage these types of students to transition in and out of poses slowly and be sure to take deep breaths as they come in or out of the pose. Warn them to never hold their breath during transitions.

There is some debate over whether practicing mild inversions can be helpful or harmful for glaucoma patients. However, if one chooses to practice mild inversions it should be done under the watchful eye of a knowledgeable yoga instructor with the complete approval of the patient’s doctor. In this case glaucoma patients could go slowly into mild inversions like Downward Dog.  This sounds pretty radical and I don’t want my students to practice inversions at all. 

Whether you are a yoga teacher or a student, if you are experiencing doubt as to whether a posture is suitable, you should always exercise on the side of caution by not performing the asana. If you are a glaucoma patient and you experience pain during an asana, you should always come out of it immediately. The side effects of added pressure on the eye can have serious consequences.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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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: Eating Disorders

Saturday, August 11th, 2012

yoga teacher trainingBy Faye Martins

You might not find a specialized yoga instructor training course about eating disorders, but you’ll find yoga instructors reaching out to this group quite often.  The average yoga instructor is likely to have private clients or groups with a common need.  There are many types of eating disorders. We are probably most familiar with either Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa.

Anorexia involves depriving the body of food to the point of starvation, while Bulimia involves binging and purging food. The causes of the disorders are often hard to pinpoint, but they usually involve some type of mental and emotional stress. People suffering from eating disorders often have a poor body image, lack of confidence or other emotional or social problems. The eating disorder results as a coping mechanism to deal with other serious issues.

Yoga training can be a helpful form of therapy for those suffering with eating disorders because it encourages positive body awareness and dealing with various emotions instead of tamping them down or allowing the eating disorder to take over. Yoga can help release negative emotions while providing a way for the body to become strong, flexible and agile. Yoga training will allow patients to become familiar with and confident in their bodies over time.

Yogic philosophy is about accepting who you are and nurturing that person no matter what life throws at you. It means finding an inner peace that allows you to be confident and sure, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. Those with eating disorders can benefit from finding this inner peace that will encourage them to treat their bodies with respect and dignity, giving their selves the nourishment and sustenance they need to live healthy lives.

An disorder related to eating becomes a bandage for many different types of emotional issues. Perhaps the person with the disorder has been applying this bandage for so long they don’t even know what the source of the injury is anymore. Meditation and breathing exercises can help patients get to the root of the problem, which can ultimately be the first step toward wellness.

Other types of exercise focus on changing the body, losing weight or gaining muscle. Yoga training is different because the main focus is uniting the body with the mind and accepting your body as is. The healthful side effects can sometimes be weight loss or muscle gain, but those are not the goal of a yoga practice. That’s why yogic methodology can be helpful for those suffering with eating disorders. It teaches them to look at their bodies in a different way and to feel a higher level of respect and awe of their bodies and selves. Yogic practices will teach those with eating disorders to value inner peace and acceptance over outward appearances.

Side Notes for Yoga Teachers

Eating disorders are most common with children, teens, and young adults.  At this age, some guidance toward emotional stability is needed.  If you network with local counselors, it is well worth the time to find out if there are groups in your local community that could use your help.  At the same time, you may want to add this to your web site’s list of reasons why people or groups take private Yoga lessons.

© 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: Hangovers

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Gopi Rao

You might wonder what in the world hangovers would have to do with yoga teacher training.  After all, very few people in a yoga certification course would overindulge in alcohol consumption.  In fact, too much of anything tends to be unhealthy.  Paulji once mentioned how too much air (hyperventilating) can cause you to pass out and consuming too much water can cause your potassium levels to drop, which can put you at risk for a stroke.  Obviously, we aren’t going to push the limits, but many people do and alcohol consumption is more rampant than some of us care to admit.

Although I am not an avid drinker and have never personally suffered from a hangover, I have been surprised on occasion by students who regularly attend my classes while struggling through the after effects of a night’s overindulgence. Because I had always believed that physical activity makes hangover symptoms worse, I finally asked one of my students, who I’ll call Jamie, why she still came to class. Her answer surprised me.

Jamie regularly practiced yoga with me an average of four times a week, and attended my mid-day class on the weekends. More often than not, she’d walk in with her head down and sunglasses on. After awhile, I could tell when she had a hangover by how still she kept her body before we began.

When I asked her why she came to class even though she was clearly afraid her head was going to explode, Jamie laughed, grabbed her head with a cringe, and explained herself by moving her mouth as little as possible to avoid further jarring. “I am almost always tempted to stay in bed the day after,” she said, “but I’ve learned by experience that the hangover lasts much longer if I don’t practice yoga.”

Yoga for Hangovers

There are some excellent ways to use yoga to help relieve hangover symptoms. Although sun salutation series can be a good way to get your body warmed up in a low-impact way, sometimes it can be tough to do. After working with Jamie, I discovered that keeping your head raised above your heart during asana practice will prevent excessive and excessively painful blood flow to the head. Props like bolsters can be an effective way to keep the head raised.

Relaxation poses also tend to go over well for those with hangovers. Seated forward bends or the corpse pose can help relieve some of the symptoms, and there is little movement involved.

Some practitioners also recommend twists, which they say helps wring the poison out of the body a little faster. Twists are also gentle and low impact, which are definitely positives in a hangover situation.

Yoga Practices to Avoid

1. Avoid hot yoga training. When you have a hangover, your body is dehydrated and in need of replenishing fluids. This is why even the most avid Bikram enthusiasts stay away from the heated room after imbibing too much alcohol.

2. Avoid inversions. Lowering your head below your heart can increase throbbing, and inversion poses like head or shoulder stands can make this much worse, even prolonging the hangover’s symptoms.

3. Avoid berating yourself. Mindfulness in yoga necessarily means you have to be present in the present, rather than focused on the past or the future. So hone in on improving your technique or relieving neck tension or keeping your head from falling off, rather than running over last night’s events or making promises to yourself about next Friday night.

Opportunities for Yoga Instructors

Although there isn’t much specialized yoga instructor training for helping people with addictions or overindulgence, many yogic practices can help people recover from negative side effects and addiction.  In every community, there are rehabilitation clinics and the need for compassionate yoga teacher who are willing to help.

© 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 Education: Headaches

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

yoga teacher training courseBy Faye Martins

Yoga teachers learn to create lesson plans as prescriptions for ailments.  Among the common ailments, which nag at humans, are headaches.  Almost every person on this planet has experienced a mild or severe headache at one time or another.  Over the counter pain killers are a huge industry and their main use is for headaches.  Although this subject is not usually mentioned in a foundational 200-hour yoga teacher training, it should be.  The concept of a pain free day by practicing natural yogic techniques should be taught to the public.

A Global Problem

Many millions of people, around the world, suffer from headaches on a daily basis, which can make day-to-day activity nearly impossible. The majority turns to over the counter medicines for a quick cure, or even prescription drugs. However all the medicine does is mask the pain, and it does come back. No one wants to be a slave to medicines for the rest of their lives. The three main types are the tension, sinus, and the dreaded migraine. Basic symptoms include pain, nausea, light sensitivity, anxiety, muscle tension, and sleeplessness.

Thanks to the ever-growing trend in holistic and all natural remedies, more people are turning from pills to yoga as a form of headache relief. The good news is that regular practice can provide a long-term cure to those who practice regularly. Not only that, it can give them a healthier overall lifestyle including more energy, flexibility, and a better body image.  Yoga instructors should be aware of which asanas and pranayama techniques help relieve headaches.

Short List of Techniques for Relief

Here are some, but not all of the ideal poses and the reason they effective for the purpose of reducing or eliminating pain in the head.  Each technique has the ability to give relief, but some inversions can make it worse is a student has high blood pressure (HBP) or eye problems.  You most likely covered contraindications and precautions for inversions in your previous yoga teacher training courses, but should review them in the case where you have to modify a technique.

Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) – gets the whole body warmed up and activated, lengthens the spine, relieves pressure on the stomach, and activates the endocrine system.

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) – Increases blood flow to the sinuses.

Cobra Posture (Bhujangasana) – relieves pressure in the neck, shoulders, and spine.

Wind Releasing Pose ((Pavanamuktasana) – relieves cramps and aching muscles from the neck to the toes.

Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana) - helps blood flow, corrects posture, and encourages stimulation of the endocrine glands.

Kapalabhati - clears respiratory tract, including sinus and helps circulation.

Chin Lock (Jalahandhara Bandha) – benefits the head, neck and shoulder areas.

Again, these are just a few techniques that can help students who are suffering from chronic headaches. Basically any pose that concentrates on the neck, shoulders, and back will be beneficial. Not to mention, yoga in general calms the mind, body and spirit and decreases stress. In combination with these poses, it is always important to consume a healthy diet, maintain a good sleep routine, and include regular yoga practice. Instructors should encourage their students to practice at least three times a week for effective headache symptom relief.

Conclusion

Chronic pain should be checked by visiting with a medical doctor.  Chronic pain may be a warning from the body to the mind that it is time to see a medical professional.  Rather than give you a list of potential medical problems, let’s send our students to their doctors, when they run into chronic medical problems.  No level of yoga certification credential can diagnose an underlying problem that could be detected by medical instruments.  As a yoga teacher, you can offer good adjunct therapy that reduces the consumption of over the counter pain killers, but we have our limits.

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